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[
"The Martha'S Vineyard Times"
] | 2016-08-30T16:51:51 | null | 2016-08-30T12:36:50 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2Fearly-canada-goose-hunting-season-starts-tuesday-sept-6%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2014/01/Julia-Crocker-1-e1472574956439.jpg | en | null | Early Canada goose hunting season starts on Tuesday, Sept. 6 | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | Islanders can expect to hear the sound of shotguns when the Massachusetts early Canada goose hunting season begins Tuesday, Sept. 6, half an hour before sunrise. The season ends at sunset on Friday, Sept. 23. The timing and the bag limit — seven birds — is intended to reduce growing populations of geese that have lost their natural urge to migrate with the seasons.
Canada geese feed on young growth and pull vegetation up by the roots. The large birds also produce from one half to a pound and half of droppings per day, according to state wildlife biologists. A study of fecal contamination in several Island ponds by a University of New Hampshire professor identified geese and cormorants as significant sources of E. coli bacteria.
According to a history of goose management provided on the MassWildlife website, prior to the 1930s it was unusual for geese to nest in Massachusetts. That is no longer the case.
In Massachusetts, there are two different populations of Canada geese. The first is the migratory population that passes through in the spring and fall. The second is the resident population, descendants of captive geese once used by waterfowl hunters to attract passing birds. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/30/early-canada-goose-hunting-season-starts-tuesday-sept-6/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/68f07c1b2a6bf25f997acd08a5c0d0bd1589d36a45384719f68ca15b4c19fe45.json |
[
"The Martha'S Vineyard Times"
] | 2016-08-28T16:50:35 | null | 2016-08-28T11:38:13 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F28%2Foak-bluffs-man-drowns-great-pond-swimming-accident-saturday%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2016/06/edgartown-police.jpg | en | null | Oak Bluffs man drowns in great pond swimming accident Saturday | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | Sunday, 11:30 am
Clinton Griesser, 32, of Oak Bluffs drowned Saturday afternoon while swimming in Edgartown Great Pond in the vicinity of Wilson’s Landing, a public launch ramp located on Mashacket Cove in the northeast corner of the salt pond, State Police said.
Edgartown Police, fire rescue and emergency medical personnel responded to the pond about 4:45 pm, Saturday.
Mr. Griesser was located and pronounced dead at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital a short time later.
State Police officer Nicole Morrell said there were no further details and the drowning remains under investigation. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/28/oak-bluffs-man-drowns-great-pond-swimming-accident-saturday/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/36b1b6256eb1bf5bfb433d53dc363d51ba2becbfeffc5e9d93e804ae15dfe839.json |
[
"Connie Berry"
] | 2016-08-26T13:00:08 | null | 2016-08-24T16:22:01 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F24%2Fedgartown-selectmen-move-cemetery-care-highway-department%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2016/07/westsidecemetery.jpg | en | null | Edgartown selectmen move cemetery care to highway department | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | The decision followed a scathing report that described a board at war with its superintendent.
At a special joint meeting of the Edgartown selectmen and the personnel committee Wednesday to discuss management of town cemeteries, town leaders agreed to to hand over care of the cemeteries to the Edgartown highway department.
The two town departments also agreed that highway department superintendent Stuart Fuller would add two more laborers to his staff, and that a part-time position would be added to assist the cemetery commission with administrative duties, such as keeping meeting minutes and posting the meetings on the town website in a timely manner.
Discussion also arose as to when the new plan would take effect; it was determined that the new positions would go before voters at annual town meeting, since they will require an adjustment in the budget.
Cemetery commission member Andrew Kelly asked, “What should we be doing in the meantime?”
Personnel board chairman Suzanne Cioffi told the group that until a town meeting is held, the commission is to move forward, conducting “business as usual.”
Wednesday’s meeting was a follow-up to the joint special meeting in July at which selectmen and personnel committee members reviewed a cemetery commission report compiled by West Tisbury–based consultants Susan and Robert Wasserman of Strategic Policy Partnerships that recommended abolishing the historical cemetery commission in light of the poor working relationship between the commissioners and the cemetery superintendent, Jennifer Morgan.
The cemetery commission report also mentioned claims of harassment and bullying, which Ms. Cioffi addressed at Wednesday’s joint meeting. She said the claims were investigated by the personnel board and deemed unfounded. Ms. Cioffi told The Times, “We investigated the Wasserman report complaints, and as a board, we take those complaints very seriously. We had to investigate, and concluded the complaints in the Wasserman report were unfounded. It has been addressed and investigated.”
The 13-page report also recommended placing the town’s three cemeteries under the direction of the board of selectmen.
After reviewing the report at their regular Monday meeting, selectmen leaned toward placing the cemetery under the direction of the Edgartown highway department. However, they did not agree with the report’s recommendation to abolish the cemetery commission.
“One of the things I gleaned from the report,” selectman Arthur Smadbeck said, “is that the cemetery commission needs a little more structure.”
The selectmen discussed providing support by adding part-time office staff that could also take minutes at commission meetings, an area that was lacking according to the Wassermans’ report.
“There are a couple of part-time employees that might be willing to take on those responsibilities, if that’s what you decide to do,” town administrator Pam Dolby said.
“The main issue was the care of the cemeteries,” selectman Margaret Serpa said. “We can transfer that task to the highway department and add two labor positions to the highway department. I think in the long run that would save money.”
Report highlighted problems
The report upon which the decision was based contained a chronology of events leading up to the breakdown in communication between the three members of the commission and Ms. Morgan, who was hired in March 2012. The starkest description was contained under the heading “The current status of the Cemetery Department.”
The description reads, “The situation with charges and counter-charges from both sides has become irreconcilable. Neither party is able to work with the other to resolve issues or conduct normal business. Everyone seems to be afraid of lawsuits and/or being fired. Our review determined that given the history of of these conflicts, the hard lines now drawn, the perceptions of the parties and the personalities involved, that no amount of mediation or intervention will resolve the current conflicts to allow regular cemetery operations to run smoothly. Neither side, Commissioners nor Superintendent, have found satisfactory ways of communicating with each other. We understand the perception of harassment, bullying, violation of civil rights, and willful intimidation. We found lots of evidence of inept communication, but no clear intent to commit the above. Charges and counter-charges including implied threats of firing and lawsuits have only served to further deteriorate the working relationships.”
According to the report, there were two events that “sparked a complicated chain of events that seem to have precipitated an eventual breakdown in the relationship between the commission and the superintendent.”
The report also noted that the cemetery commission has to deal with personnel issues out of the realm of most volunteer boards and committees.
In her report to selectmen last month, Ms. Wasserman said that there are essentially two tasks involved in the oversight of the cemeteries: maintenance and groundskeeping, and plot purchasing and recordkeeping. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/24/edgartown-selectmen-move-cemetery-care-highway-department/ | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/bbe5fb422312fe740760d811808084ff5e5f7dd3d143a8e7a5d8c65c39622c18.json |
[
"The Martha'S Vineyard Times"
] | 2016-08-30T20:51:59 | null | 2016-08-30T15:22:34 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2Facademic-honors-99%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/30/academic-honors-99/ | en | null | Martha's Vineyard Times | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | Ryan Sawyer of Edgartown completed Colby-Sawyer College’s internship requirement with the UPS Store in Vineyard Haven this summer. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/30/academic-honors-99/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/a0c038995d0c0af7cabbf3147d8ca2aa0b421daa5fdfd7972e410c2904a1588a.json |
[
"Matt Pelikan"
] | 2016-08-26T16:48:51 | null | 2016-08-25T16:06:12 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F25%2Fwild-side-grasshoppers%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2016/08/P1190643.jpg | en | null | Martha's Vineyard Times | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | When I began studying the Vineyard’s grasshoppers about six years ago, I knew almost nothing about them. There was only one species I could put a name to. I didn’t have any sense of the taxonomy of the Orthoptera — that is, how biologists group them based on evolutionary relationships. And I knew virtually nothing about what species would be expected on the Vineyard (much less what habitats I’d be most likely to find them in). Afflicted by a sudden, deep curiosity, I simply dove right in.
It was recipe for, if not disaster, at least frustration and inefficiency. Time and again, I’ve botched identifications or made assumptions that proved false, forcing myself to backtrack and relearn things I thought I had figured out.
A particularly grisly minefield for me has been the subfamily Oedipondinae — this is the grasshopper group known, commonly and fittingly, as “band-winged grasshoppers.” On the one hand, these insects are relatively easy to find; they’re fairly large for the most part, roughly an inch or two long, and true to their name, they possess wings that show distinct bands of color.
But while some band-winged grasshoppers are easy to recognize, the group as a whole poses major ID challenges. Many species, and not necessarily ones that are closely related, simply look very much alike: brownish insects with vague, dark banding on their hind legs and, in many cases, some sort of ridge or keel down the centerline of their thorax (that’s the middle body segment, the one that legs and wings attach to).
Their banded wings, which theoretically have distinctive patterns, are invisible when the insects are at rest, and when they’re in flight, the pattern is nearly impossible to see. The differences matter if you have a pinned and spread specimen to work with — but under field conditions, these bugs give you very little to work with.
I learned a few of these species early on, and finding them to be quite common, I assumed that they were common to the exclusion of other members of this group. I’ve surely misidentified hundreds of grasshoppers because of this error, which I’m only now starting to dig out from.
Through experience and study of books and web resources, I’ve developed a sense for some of the ways insects in this group differ. When you flush them, they can fly a short distance or a long one. That keel on the thorax I mentioned can be deep or shallow, cut by zero, one, two, or more fine grooves. Wings on a resting grasshopper can be broader or narrower, the wingtips blunter or finer.
In late July, a grasshopper that I would surely have ignored in years past struck me as a bit odd. Probably one of the common species I already knew of, I thought, but let’s take a closer look. I crawled into photo range, snapped a bunch of frames, then nudged the insect into flight to see what I could of its wings. Something was definitely wrong.
I made two more visits to the same area, relocating the mystery grasshopper and gradually developing a sense of how it differed from the three familiar band-winged species it shared territory with. I took more pictures, comparing the results with website photos and emailing them to more experienced entomologists. Finally, one of the insects cooperated: As I watched, it shifted its position and rubbed a leg against a wing as if scratching an itch.
I caught a fleeting glimpse of the inside of a femur, or “thigh,” that was boldly banded in black and white, and a tibia (the next section of the leg, analogous to our shins) that showed a flash of pink. Both features, invisible most of the time since grasshoppers rest with their femurs pressed against their sides and their tibias tucked neatly out of sight under the much more substantial femurs, were dead wrong for any species I was familiar with. The next day I returned with an insect net, nabbed one of the culprits, held it by its folded wings, and took a good look (plus some one-handed photographs) at its hind legs in all their glory.
The tibias showed a distinctive pattern: a white band, a black band, and then a pink one as you move outward along the tibia. These critters were Boll’s Grasshopper, Spharagemon bolli, not just a new species for my checklist but an entirely new genus.
Mr. Boll’s grasshopper brings to 17 the number of grasshopper species I’ve documented here. This number may grow, though the biology of grasshoppers and the geologic history of the Vineyard probably cap our diversity of this group at a modest level. If there are species that have escaped me so far, discoveries like Spharagemon bolli (six years into my survey!) give me hope that I may have learned enough so that I can actually find them. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/25/wild-side-grasshoppers/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/c48bf2998458ec597ee0ca00ff2f32e3a55a4bf7cf4223ebcd241d2060fabe35.json |
[
"Rachel Podmajersky"
] | 2016-08-26T12:58:53 | null | 2016-08-25T07:55:55 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F25%2Fisland-generosity-spills-katama-road-bike-path-drink-stand%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2016/08/lemonade-stand-2.jpg | en | null | Island generosity spills over at Katama Road bike path drink stand | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | On a hot summer day, passersby stop at the self-service stand to pour themselves a cool drink.
Along the Katama bike and walking path in Edgartown sits a small red wagon loaded with pitchers of cold water and lemonade. Signs at either end invite passersby to help themselves and “enjoy a nice cold drink.”
What began as a kid’s lemonade stand more than 15 years ago has evolved into a gesture of hospitality from an Island visitor new to this country who appreciated how easy it was to meet people at a good old-fashioned lemonade stand.
When Gertie Collins, a year-round resident of Austria, first began visiting the Island with her husband and children she found herself in an unfamiliar place — Katama, the windswept, often foggy portion of Edgartown adjacent to South Beach, quite different from her native surroundings.
“In the first 15 years I was here, nobody talked German,” Gertie said. “I had nothing to read in German, I was on the end of the world.”
Gertie’s nephew and children began the lemonade stand. Once the kids in the family were no longer kids and their attention turned to more lucrative pursuits, Gertie took over the stand.
It was not long before rather than selling drinks, she gave them away. Gertie found she profited more from her interaction with a cross-section of people she met.
“It’s not a volume business … The money is inconsequential,” Gertie’s husband, Gary Collins, explained.
The drink stand provided an opportunity for Gertie to interact with people and get to know the community. Gertie talks about meeting all nationalities, from near and far away — Canadians, Germans, Dutch, Belgians — just to name a few. Every day new and return visitors stop at the stand.
In addition to lemonade, there are a variety of homemade drinks available, such as black tea, mint water, cucumber water, and a special blend of strawberry and raspberry fruit punch.
When the stand first began, it was a way for their kids to get out of the house. Now, it has transitioned into more than that.
“She just had this idea, because every year the people are so appreciative,” Gary explained. “They just love it and they think it’s great.”
Many passersby take the opportunity to express their admiration for Gertie and her stand in a guest book left for that purpose.
Harvard professor, PBS host, and seasonal resident Henry Louis Gates Jr. wrote, “What a generous gift your family gives to the Island. I admire your noble spirit.”
Samantha and Angela Williams wrote, “Thank you so much. Just what we needed on this hot day!”
A Spanish speaker who signed his name “Jose” wrote, “Gracias, it is a wonderful idea. I love it.”
And a woman named Julie simply wrote, “Thanks Gertie, you’re an angel.” | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/25/island-generosity-spills-katama-road-bike-path-drink-stand/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/d4bb2be174d67eed33919d0c4b728b2971b4e08c436f56e2158c4f4e6a670dbf.json |
[
"Adam Darack"
] | 2016-08-30T22:52:04 | null | 2016-08-30T16:55:57 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2Fask-geek-looking-handy-tech-gadgets%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2014/06/AdamDarack-rgb-e1469046103515.jpg | en | null | Ask a Geek: Looking for handy tech gadgets | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | Dear Geek,
We all love gadgets. What handy tech gadgets would you recommend for my business? I’m looking for things that you’ve used, and things that I might not even realize would come in handy.
Thanks,
Inspector Gadget
Dear Inspector,
Fun question, and something I love to talk about, though my passion for this stuff tends to make me a prime candidate for a future “Revenge of the Nerds” movie, if they ever make one. (I’d be with the Lambdas, not the Alphas.)
To start with, I have a gadget that I use only two to three times a year, but in those moments is absolutely priceless. It’s a device called a hard-drive duplicator dock, and connects to a computer using a USB cable. It has two slots where you can insert hard drives. If you put a hard drive into one of the slots, it instantly turns it into an external hard drive. If you put a blank hard drive in the other slot and hit a button, it clones the first hard drive you’ve put in. How is this useful in the real world, you might be wondering?
Let’s say something happens with your computer and it won’t boot up. This doesn’t necessarily mean the data on the hard drive is gone. It’s possible to remove the hard drive from that computer, put it into this gadget, connect it to another computer, and if the hard drive itself is still functional, you can now access all of the files you likely thought were gone forever. Cloning a hard drive with this device gives you an exact backup without needing complicated software. The device I personally use is the StarTech.com hard-drive duplicator dock. For just under $60, it gives a remarkable bang for the buck.
Next up is another storage-related item — a flash drive. You can now buy a 128GB flash drive for under $40. To put that in perspective, a typical blank DVD can hold 4.7GB worth of data. That little flash drive gives you the capacity of over 27 DVDs for file storage. Great for storing files or to make sure you have them on you at all times (get one that attaches right to your keychain). They even make some with two ends, one that can connect to your cell phone and one to a computer. This allows you to copy things from your cell phone to the flash drive, then, when convenient, from the flash drive to a computer. I typically use flash drives made by Silicon Power, Samsung, and Corsair.
A last little gadget that can come in handy is a USB wireless adapter. I often see people with desktop computers who want to put them in an area where there are no network jacks. Some desktops now come with built-in WiFi capability. If yours doesn’t, for under $20 you can buy an adapter the size of a quarter that will give your desktop computer the ability to connect to a wireless network. I have used Linksys, Belkin, and TP-Link adapters that have all worked great.
Thanks for writing in,
Adam | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/30/ask-geek-looking-handy-tech-gadgets/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/b16e92d4867eaae3f1201f3268bfc3ee806751416fcf6a5427fe6b3a496e8b70.json |
[
"Hermine Hull",
"Got West Tisbury News",
"Contact Hermine Hull Here."
] | 2016-08-30T20:52:01 | null | 2016-08-30T15:11:41 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2Fwest-tisbury-hats-off-wt-library%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/30/west-tisbury-hats-off-wt-library/ | en | null | West Tisbury: Hats off to the WT library | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | We have finally had some cooler days and nights. It doesn’t feel so crowded and frenetic in town. By the time you are reading this column, it will be the first of September, symbolic of the end of summer and time for us to begin enjoying this beautiful place where we live.
Typically I try to stay pretty close to home during the summer, but last Thursday evening I ventured out to a wonderful concert at the West Tisbury library: David Rhoderick on the piano, and two violinists, Cesar Atzik Marquez and Olivia deGeofroy. They performed pieces they had played together several times, and their fluency, easiness together, the virtuosity of the performance was a delight. Two of the pieces were familiar, a Dvorak Sonatina and one of Bach’s Concerti for Two Violins. A totally lovely evening.
It made me realize again how much our library does. Not just what one expects — books, movies, computer access, reference materials — but so many opportunities to listen to live music, hear authors read their own work, see art and meet the artists, learn new skills in so many different workshops, a place to make quilts or do yoga, for kids, teens, adults from young parents to us older ones. Many of us have referred to the library as “the community living room.” It is certainly that, a place to meet friends and have the social interactions so important to being part of a community. I am complimenting the director, Beth Kramer, and her staff, for making it the welcoming, socially and intellectually stimulating place that it is for everyone who walks in the door. My thanks to library staff, and to town residents and voters, the Friends, and Foundation for supporting it all.
The library will be closed on Monday, Sept. 5, for the Labor Day holiday. Town Hall and schools are closed, too.
Thursday, Sept. 1, IT/reference librarian Rachel Rooney begins a weekly help session for social media beginners. Bring your smartphone, tablet, or mobile device to the library between 3 and 5 pm to learn how to set up and access a Facebook page, open an Instagram account, or tweet. Drop-ins are welcome.
This Friday, 10 am to noon, will be the last Mac Pro session for this summer.
Leslie Baker is the library’s September artist, exhibiting a selection of figure drawings, small oil studies, and watercolors spanning 30 years of her work. The show is called “Beginnings.” See the show and meet Leslie at a reception in the Program Room this Saturday, Sept. 3, at 4 pm.
The Martha’s Vineyard Community of Mindfulness will meet at the library Tuesday, Sept. 6, beginning promptly at 6 pm. Remember that the library closes at 6, so please come a few minutes early to avoid being locked out by mistake, and don’t forget your yoga mat.
Everyone is invited to the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School this Saturday, Sept. 3, for the grand opening of their new science lab. The festivities begin at 11 am. Robert Day and Vernon Jordan, instrumental in funding and planning the project, will be there to speak about it.
Also this Saturday is the last Shaw Cramer Summer Showcase at 38 Looks Pond Way, off Music Street. Between 11 am and 3 pm, you and friends are invited to view Nancy’s collection of handmade tunics, jackets, scarves, and jewelry. Selected end-of-collection items are on sale from 40 to 50 percent off.
Admirers of Peter Boak are invited to a celebration of his 20 years as minister of music, choir director, and organist at the Federated Church in Edgartown following the Sunday, Sept. 4, worship service. Attendees are asked to write a short note that will be collected in a basket and presented to him.
I wrote last week about the plein air Art Show that opened last Saturday at the Old Sculpin Gallery in Edgartown. The participating artists have planned a series of events in conjunction with the show. This week, plan to attend a reception with the artists at the Old Sculpin on Sunday, Sept. 4, 5 to 7 pm. On Tuesday, Sept. 6, Marjorie Mason will do a painting demo from 6 to 7 pm in the second-floor studio at the Old Sculpin. The exhibition closes on Friday, Sept. 9, 7 to 9 pm. Come to the gallery for music, refreshments, artists, and art.
Artist/curator Roberta Gross will talk at the Louisa Gould Gallery at 5 pm on Tuesday, Sept. 6, as part of the gallery’s 9th annual Abstract Exhibition.
Thursday, Sept. 8, is the state primary election for contests with more than one candidate running for office on a party ticket. We will select candidates for state representative and state senator, who will then be on the November ballot. Voting hours are 7 am to 8 pm at the Public Safety Building.
Friends of the Mill Pond is collaborating with the West Tisbury Historic District Commission to raise approximately $4,000 for a historical marker to be placed in the park at the old Police Station. “It will commemorate the pond’s contribution to the Island’s economy and aesthetic beauty,” said Beatrice Nessen of the Friends group. You may make your tax-deductible donation at a crowdfunding site, bit.ly/millpondplaque.
The Living Local Harvest Festival, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 1, is calling for vendors to sign up at livinglocalvineyard@gmail.com. “Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle” is this year’s theme.
Martha’s Vineyard Wind Festival will be held in Oak Bluffs on Saturday, Sept. 10 (rain date is Sept. 11.) There will be kite making for kids from 10:30 am till noon. Adult competitions begin at 1 pm. For more information, look at mvwindfestival.com.
Ted Jochsberger of the West Tisbury Affordable Housing Committee will join with the All-Island Planning Board Housing Work Group for a series of three meetings to discuss and assess the town’s affordable housing needs. The first meeting will be Monday, Sept. 19, 4 to 6:30 pm, at the Public Safety Building. Input from these meetings is “intended to shape the housing and zoning policies that the town of West Tisbury will use to create affordable housing options for our families, elders, employees, and children,” and to discuss possible placement options for a future Housing Production Plan. Read more online at westtisbury-ma.gov (affordable housing) or mvcommission.org/westtisbury-hpp. Future meetings are scheduled for Nov. 14 and Dec. 12. Please let Rhoda Connelly know by Sept. 12 if you plan to attend: affordhouse@westtisbury-ma.gov.
It looks like temperatures are going up again for the weekend. As I watch the possible hurricanes forming in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, I hope some of that rain will find its way here. It’s scary how dry the ground is. Be extra-careful with cigarettes or barbeques, anything that could start a fire, as you enjoy yourself outdoors. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/30/west-tisbury-hats-off-wt-library/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/a6b60040ae03f52285f75ef726a40f16cce7aec95756d4cb6e3c00115f6985af.json |
[
"The Martha'S Vineyard Times"
] | 2016-08-26T13:04:12 | null | 2016-08-10T16:35:43 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F10%2Fobama-legacy-questioned%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/10/obama-legacy-questioned/ | en | null | Obama legacy questioned | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | To the Editor:
As Barack Obama visits Martha’s Vineyard for the last time as president, it may be a good time to reflect on his legacy. Despite enthusiastic support from the media, Hollywood, and the Nobel Prize committee, facts suggest that history will be tough on him. He is our first black president, and that is noteworthy, but he should be judged on his accomplishments rather than the color of his skin. This is my review of his record.
President Obama promised to undo the mistakes the previous administration made overseas, but that has proved elusive. Our foreign policy is disorganized; our allies are confused, our enemies emboldened. From the ongoing bloodbath and refugee crisis in Syria to a lawless Libya and Yemen, to Russia and Iraq, events have spun out of control. Clearly, his “lead from behind” policy failed. ISIS thrives even after Mr. Obama declared them a junior varsity terror squad in a post-terror age. With multiple attacks in the U.S. and abroad, our president still cannot admit that “radical Islam” is the primary source of global terror. His controversial Iranian nuclear agreement was a dangerous deal with the devil, which will not deter their bomb program while funding their terror networks in the Middle East and beyond.
Things are not going well within our borders either. The president’s divisive style appeared early in the 2008 campaign, and continued as his supporters mocked and intimidated those who did not agree with them. A divide-and-conquer strategy yielded two victories, but at a heavy cost. Ignoring a long history of bipartisanship on major legislation, Mr. Obama imposed Obamacare in his first term without a single Republican vote. As predicted, it is unpopular with most Americans. Insurers are dramatically raising rates or are pulling out altogether (15 of 24 Obamacare co-ops have closed, leaving hundreds of thousands without any coverage).
In his second term, Barack Obama promised to rule by the pen and the telephone, implementing controversial policies and secret deals without congressional debate or approval. This strategy has eroded trust between the people and their government. The first batch of internal DNC emails posted by WikiLeaks show how the party rewards big donors with special access to the president and other top officials. (Obama broke all records in 2012 by raising over $1 billion.)
The perverse culture in Washington has alienated and frustrated average Americans, leaving us with a growing sense of helplessness and cynicism. This goes a long way toward explaining the popularity of outsiders like Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. Not surprisingly, nearly 75 percent of Americans think we are on the wrong track.
Mr. Obama leaves a trail of blown budgets and record debt. He has drastically increased the size of the federal government. Regulations have exploded, costing the economy $1.9 trillion annually. Median income for the middle class has steadily dropped since 2008, while the ranks of the poor continue to grow. Women have lost ground, with over 2 million more slipping into poverty. The president’s progressive agenda has weakened the recovery, a hollow recovery, now the longest since the Great Depression. The economy is averaging only 2.1 percent growth, and the labor participation rate has fallen steadily during the Obama years to a meager 62.7 percent.
Power is centralized in the White House, where dissent is unwelcome, which has led to a number of unusually partisan decisions and scandals, from the Fast and Furious debacle to the crisis at the VA, Hillary Clinton’s private email system, political targeting by the IRS, and the Benghazi coverup. By politicizing government, President Obama has further battered our faith in it. We learned from an explosive New York Times story just this May how the Obama administration resorts to Orwellian tactics to manipulate the press. The corrosive effect of his hyper-partisanship will haunt us long after he has left office.
A new Rasmussen Reports poll finds that 60 percent of voters think that race relations have gotten worse under Barack Obama. Our public schools are failing yet another generation of minority children. Violent crime is rising dramatically in our big cities (Chicago had more than 2,000 shootings and 315 murders through July 4). The country seems battered and dangerously adrift as the Obama presidency winds down. How did it get this bad in just eight years?
By any measure, this uniquely polarizing man has failed to live up to his promise of hope and change. Instead, Mr. Obama leaves the nation vulnerable and divided. His successor will have a lot of work to do to heal the wounds and bind the nation back together again.
Peter Robb
Holliston and Oak Bluffs | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/10/obama-legacy-questioned/ | en | 2016-08-10T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/e5d0ab0b7313bf3f293f834c0336cfd01f12e3249509a9a22e2db5ecdc16fbc9.json |
[
"Stacey Rupolo"
] | 2016-08-28T18:50:39 | null | 2016-08-28T13:52:33 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F28%2F28th-annual-sullivan-5k-draws-hundreds-oak-bluffs%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2016/08/sullivan-5K-11-1.jpg | en | null | 28th annual Sullivan 5k draws hundreds to Oak Bluffs | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | 1 of 9
The heat of the morning sun didn’t stop over 260 runners and walkers from gathering at 8:00 am for the 28th annual Sullivan 5K at Washington Park in Oak Bluffs.
This year’s event saw the introduction of a new race, the Diaper Derby, which allows for babies and toddlers to join in the competitive fun. The two competitors, Jaxson Granger and Charlie Kivitz, each had their own unique style of racing.
While Jaxson loved the attention and played up the crowd by crawling back and forth, Charlie cried and made a beeline for his mom at the finish line, which won him first prize.
The Kid’s Fun Run followed up the inaugural derby, where Tyler Alton, Jason Alton, and Maeve Czaplewski took first in their age-specific races.
The walking portion of the 5K was a close call, as Jill Zamarro narrowly beat Marsten Clough with the swing of her hip, shaving off a crucial half-second that gave her first place.
Finally, runner and Edgartown-based social worker Lee Greathouse came in first with a time of 16:52. Proceeds from the race will benefit the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
A complete list of results can be found here. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/28/28th-annual-sullivan-5k-draws-hundreds-oak-bluffs/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/5ea3c36e6f9dc8b634bff33b78d03c34b6267354130f1b951fe75c0d21e973da.json |
[
"The Martha'S Vineyard Times"
] | 2016-08-26T13:04:34 | null | 2016-08-07T21:07:12 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F07%2Fobama-beat-2016%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2016/08/departure-3.jpg | en | null | Obama Beat, 2016: Vacation ends with a trail walk and a round of golf | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | Sunday, August 21:
The First Family departed Martha’s Vineyard Airport on Marine One at 6:24 pm, Sunday evening bound for Air Station Cape Cod where Air Force One was waiting to take them back to Washington, D.C.
Now back to work. The White House announced that On Tuesday, “the President will travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he will get a first-hand look at the impact of the devastating floods, and hear from local officials about the response, including how the federal government can assist and tell the people of Louisiana that the American people will be with them as they rebuild their community and come back stronger than ever.”
President Obama and Michelle Obama, the first lady, began the final day of their Martha’s Vineyard vacation with a short walk together on a trail near their rented house in Chilmark, according to a White House official.
The Obama vacation house abuts The Trustees of Reservations (TTOR) Menemsha Hills property, a 211-acre preserve that overlooks Vineyard Sound. “The three miles of trails allow walkers to experience multiple mini-environments, including wetlands; woodland groves leading to a hilltop; open, wind-blasted coastal plain; and a rocky ocean edge,” according to TTOR. At 308 feet in elevation, Prospect Hill — also the name of the subdivision where the vacation retreat is located (Local wags refer to the high-priced enclave as Prosperous Hill). TTOR is the oldest private conservation group in Massachusetts and owns or manages some of the Island’s most beautiful and accessible properties.
Following his walk, President Obama left Chilmark for — where else – the Farm Neck Golf Club, arriving about 12:15 pm.
Golf partners for the last vacation day were Glenn Hutchins, Robert Wolf and Cy Walker, according to the White House. The game ended and the motorcade departed at 4:45 pm.
Saturday, August 20
Saturday afternoon, “The First Family and friends” spent the day at the beach, according to the White House.
Coincidently, about the same time the Obamas headed to the south shore beach Times fishing columnist Nelson Sigelman saw a crew of heavily armed men in camouflage board a Coast Guard boat mounted with a machine gun on the bow and depart Coast Guard Station Menemsha, presumably for beach guard duty. No beach toys were spotted on the boat.
The President returned to Chilmark at 6 pm. There was a quick turnaround. The motorcade departed Chilmark at 7 pm for Edgartown.
“The president’s motorcade pulled into Edgartown around 7:45 pm. The streets were packed with people snapping photos. The sidewalks around Chesca’s were blocked off with yellow rope.
From the White House: “The President and First Lady are having dinner at Chesca’s in Edgartown.”
Meanwhile, just down the road in Edgartown, Frank and Carol Biondi hosted a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton.
Tickets to the Vineyard fundraiser sold for $27,000 (host ), $2,700 (fighter) and $1,000 (advocate). The $27,000 ticket buys some face time with Ms. Clinton.
Island host committee members include Bonnie and Merle Berger, Carol and Frank Biondi, Lynn Forester de Rothschild, Jill and Ken Iscol, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Barbara Lee, Nancy and Chuck Parrish, Linda Whitlock, and Marc Cumsky. The Biondis hosted a fundraiser for Ms. Clinton last year as well.
The President and First Lady returned to Chilmark about 10 pm. There was no detour to the Biondi’s.
Friday, August 19:
President Obama spent a quiet Friday at his vacation retreat in Chilmark. The motorcade did not depart the north shore retreat until 7:45 pm for Oak Bluffs. To no one’s surprise, a White House official announced: “The First Family is watching the annual fireworks display in Oak Bluffs with friends at White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett’s vacation rental home.”
The rental house overlooks the Oak Bluffs Steamship Authority dock and is adjacent to The Lookout restaurant, a popular, casual seafood spot.
After three-plus hours at Valerie Jarrett’s soiree/ fireworks-watching gathering, President Obama departed Oak Bluffs in the motorcade at 11:42 pm, the press pool reported.
Of course, no member of the press actually saw the president so his presence is unconfirmed.
President Obama returned to his vacation home at 12:08 am.
Thursday, Aug. 18
At 11:25 am on a bright, clear much less-humid day the motorcade traveled to Farm Neck Golf Club in Oak Bluffs.
In a change of lineup, Potus is golfing with seasonal Chilmark resident, producer, writer and comedian Larry David, Robert Wolf, a former president and chief operating officer of UBS Investment Bank, and Jonathan Lavine, co-managing partner at Bain Capital and managing partner and chief investment officer of Bain Capital Credit, according to the White House.
After returning from the golf course, about 7:30 pm President Obama and Michele headed down North Road to Vineyard Haven where they dined with friends at Beach Road restaurant in Vineyard Haven just an Olympic shot put throw from The Times. Beach Road is the sister restaurant of State Road restaurant in West Tisbury, another Obama favorite. The Obamas did not leave until just after 11 pm — another late night for the First Couple.
The Obamas have now dined in a restaurant in every Island town but Chilmark and Aquinnah. There are two evenings left before they depart on Sunday so there is still time to set a new presidential record of sorts.
Wednesday, August 17
“On a warm and glorious day, with a few wispy cirrus clouds in the sky, the motorcade started rolling at 10:12 am,” reported our press pool correspondent Gardiner Harris, of The New York Times. “Joshua Roberts of Reuters snapped a photo of POTUS wearing a white polo shirt and tan baseball cap in the back of the Beast.” (The Beast is the large vehicle the President rides in.)
In the next dispatch, Mr. Harris informed us that the motorcade had turned into Vineyard Golf Club. The Club, which bills itself as the country’s only organic golf course, has a charitable arm which gives generously to the Island community. Read about that here.
The Golf Club is also where our Good Taste columnist, Marnely Murray, cooks when she’s not writing for us (here’s her most recent post, about new Chilmark Tavern chef John Thurgood, here).
Yesterday, Marnely was one of the team who prepared lunch for First Lady Michelle Obama, who she reported enjoyed clam chowder at the club’s restaurant.
Most Islanders would not think of trying to drive into Oak Bluffs at the height of Illumination Night but there is nothing like a phalanx of State Police and Secret Service officers to clear the way.
On Wednesday night, the motorcade entered Oak Bluffs, as sizable crowds lined the narrow streets the press pool reported. The Obamas had dinner with friends at Jimmy Seas Pan Pasta, according to the White House.
The 50-seat restaurant focuses on rustic Italian and fresh seafood. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations, but the Obamas had no trouble getting a table.
The presidential party departed Oak Bluffs at 9:40 pm. “Town was packed with vacationers here to see hundreds of paper lanterns put out in the Methodist camp, and many turned to watch, videotape and cheer the motorcade,” the press reported. No mention of where the wretched scribes dined.
Tuesday, August 16
After a full day of golf and a night of fund raising President Obama decided to relax at the beach and he was in no rush to get there.
The press pool reported that At 1:18 pm President Obama’s motorcade was on the move.
The pool reported: The president’s motorcade turned down a dirt road leaving the pool behind in a parking lot on a busy two lane road. The First Family is spending the day with friends at a private beach.
We may easily assume the beach was on the south shore.
The First Family’s beach day ended at 5:23 pm with the motorcade returning to Chilmark.
The President was wearing a black baseball cap, possibly a Chicago White Sox hat — which about sums up the excitement of reporting on the vacation activities of Mr. Obama. Oh yes, more news: “The motorcade today included a silver Jeep and a small SUV, which seemed somewhat unusual.”
Mr. Obama arrived back at his Chilmark rental at 5:46 pm with no plans to depart that evening.
Monday, August 15:
President Barack Obama began Monday morning as he has so many other mornings while vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard — by heading to a golf course.
The president departed from his Chilmark vacation rental shortly before 11 am on Monday to get in a round of golf at the very exclusive Vineyard Golf Club in Edgartown before attending a Democratic National Committee fundraiser that evening.
The private club was named Golf Magazine’s “Best New Private Golf Course of 2015,” according to its website.
The president’s golf partners today included basketball great Alonzo Mourning, Washington attorney Cy Walker and Chicago businessman Marty Nesbitt. After about five hours at the Vineyard Golf Club, President Barack Obama wrapped up another leisurely round and departed at 4:17 pm.
President Obama’s motorcade returned to his Chilmark abode at 4:38 pm. After a short respite at his vacation house, President Obama was on the move again at 5:30 pm. The motorcade made the quick six minute drive to the Middle Road home of Hank and Carol Goldberg, hosts that evening for a Hillary Victory Fund event.
According to a Clinton aide, the Hillary Victory Fund (HVF) event is a joint fundraising committee between HFA, the DNC and state parties across the country that was established to ensure the DNC and state parties across the country have the resources they need to help the Democrats up and down the ballot win in November.
Approximately 60 people were expected to attend. Attendees contributed $10,000 to attend and hosts contributed $33,400, according to one source.
The President spoke for about 10 minutes at the fundraiser. Guests were gathered at round tables under a tent on a lawn filled with flowers; behind the press pool was a field with soccer goals set up and two young boys stood at the edge listening. Staff from the catering company wore white aprons embroidered with American flags and “Thank You President Obama,” according to pool reports.
The President was introduced by Carol Brown Goldberg, who recalled attending a 2004 fundraiser “right across the meadow” at the home of Eli and Phyllis Segal.
The President thanked the Goldberg family and said he remembered the 2004 fundraiser. He paid tribute to Eli Segal, who died in 2006.
“I do remember that event at Eli Segal’s. And Eli was such a great American and had provided such great service to the country, and obviously he’s missed. But in some ways, his spirit lives on through all of us. A lot of the work that we’ve pursued during the course of this administration reflects the values that he worked on so valiantly for so many years.”
Mr. Obama explained his break from vacation activities.
“I’m here because we’ve got an election. And although Michelle is very strict about me actually taking a vacation when I get a vacation, she gave me a special dispensation for this evening because she understands, just as all of you understand, how important this is.”
President Obama highlighted his accomplishments.
“There’s a lot of good news out there. And I could not be prouder of the part that our administration played in helping the American people rebound from what was an extraordinarily difficult time. But what is also true is we’ve still got a lot of work to do. Our job is not finished. There are still too many people out there who, if they have a job, don’t make enough money to get beyond the worries of paying their bills at the end of the month. There are still people who don’t have health insurance — not because we haven’t tried, but because you have governors who have been resistant, or a Congress that has not wanted to work with us to close those final gaps in coverage that are so necessary.”
Speaking under the stars in Chilmark he urged all out support for Hillary Clinton.
“We still have too much violence in our society. There are still conflicts not just in the Middle East but around the world. And given the rapidity of change, the pace of change that’s taken place, it is absolutely critical that we have a capable, visionary, hardworking, diligent, smart, tenacious leader in the Oval Office. And that’s Hillary Clinton. That’s who she is.”
Speaking of the job he has held for eight years, Mr. Obama said, “And as I said at the convention, you don’t know ahead of time how you’re going to turn out as President. You don’t — you figure, ‘I seem to know what I’m talking about — I think I have a good sense of what’s involved.’ But until you sit at that desk and you’re making life-and-death decisions and you’re deploying young men and women to war, or you’re having to avert a crisis that can affect millions, or, in some cases, billions of lives, you don’t know how you’re going to respond.”
The President wore a light blue windowpane plaid shirt and khaki pants.
He asked the crowd to keep working for the next 80 days, and noting younger people in the audience, urged them to volunteer.
He briefly mentioned Donald Trump, thought not by name. “Frankly I’m tired of talking about her opponent,” he said, which was followed with a bit of applause.
The press was not allowed to remain as the President began to take questions. He started by praising the Vineyard weather of late. “We’ve got good weather, people. Whoever is in charge of the Vineyard weather, I want to thank you,” the Gazette pooler heard him say.
A hand-written cardboard sign hung from a tree just down the road from the Goldberg residence that said, “Thank You President Obama.”
After spending a little more than an hour at the fundraiser, President Obama departed in the motorcade at 6:55 p.m. He arrived back at his vacation home in Chilmark five minutes later.
Sunday, August 14:
On a stifling hot, humid day, President Obama, Michelle Obama, the first lady, and Malia Obama, their oldest daughter, went for a short walk on a trail near their residence, according to a White House official.
Mark Twain is reported to have said, “Golf is a good walk spoiled.” Clearly, Mr. Obama does not agree.
At 11:48 am the motorcade left Chilmark for the Farm Neck Golf Club, clearly one of his favorite courses on Martha’s Vineyard — or perhaps the course more amenable to opening tee times for the First Golfer. President Obama is golfing with NBA star Alonzo Mourning, Washington lawyer Cy Walker and insurance executive Mercer Cook.
Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that a predominately African American section of Milwaukee erupted in mob violence on Saturday night after a police officer fatally shot a man who had a gun during a foot chase.
Rioters burned a grocery store and a gas station, according to published reports. Fire fighters could not adequately respond due to gunfire, according to published reports.
During a midnight news conference, Mayor Tom Barrett stood beside city leaders to plead for an end to the chaos that had been unfolding for hours on city streets, according to the Associated Press.
Obama administration officials said the president had been updated on the situation in Milwaukee.
From Deputy Press Secretary Jen Friedman: “This morning, the President was updated on the situation in Milwaukee by his Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, who had spoken with Mayor Barrett earlier in the day to offer the Administration’s support for local authorities. The President asked to be kept updated on any new developments.”
POTUS completed his round of golf, and departed Farm Neck Golf Club at 5:35 pm. “The weather is warm with temperatures in the mid-80s — nothing like the scorching heat in much of the rest of the country but considered hot and humid for the Vineyard,” the press pool said.
You can say that again.
After a long break for dinner, the caravan was on the move again at 10:47, and pulled up to Lola’s in Oak Bluffs at about 11:15 for a private party. Lola’s is a longtime Island favorite, located at the Island Inn on Beach Road.
Run by Paul “King” Domitrovich and Kathy “Lola” Domitrovich, the restaurant has come and gone, and returned, much like the tides along nearby Nantucket Sound. The Domitrovichs opened Lola’s over 20 years ago, and drew Vineyarders to its popular brunch, then literally drew Vineyarders on a mural. By 2011, Paul and Kathy were ready for a changed, and decamped to Florida. Christian and Greer Thornton, owners of Atria in Edgartown opened Hooked in the spot, and President Obama visited on one of his vacations.
“We really thought this time we were going to retire,” Ms. Domitrovich said to Times editor Kelsey Perrett in a story about their decision to reopen the restaurant as Lola’s in 2014.
When the Thorntons decided not to return for a third season, the Domitroviches, who still owned the property, opted to bring back the old Lola’s. “We still have a lot of spirit,” Ms. Domitrovich said, on coming out of retirement. “When I’m not Lola, I’m kind of bored.”
The mural is still there, by the way, but currently “hidden.”
Presidents are efficient socializers, it seems. The First Couple stayed less than an hour at the fun spot, well short of last call, and were on their way back to Chilmark by 12 minutes past midnight.
We hope they have air conditioning in their summer rental.
Saturday, August 13
It is hot and humid — too humid for golf, or after successive golf outings did Michele decide it was time for a day at the beach? The press pool is not privy to that information.
The first report of the day from the melting scribes is that the motorcade departed Chilmark at 12:28 pm. “Twenty minutes later after the uneventful eastward trek the press vans separated from the rest of the fleet just shy of the Vineyard Golf Club. But POTUS’ ride turned instead toward the Edgartown Great Pond.”
“The White House shares that the First Family is enjoying a beach day with friends at Kohlberg Beach. [Press] pool settling in for a good hold.”
The road leads to a series of private beaches that stretch between Edgartown Great Pond and Oyster Pond. Property owners include the Flynn family, for generations the largest landowners of Pohogonot Farm and surrounding property at Jobs Neck and Edgartown Great Pond, Andrew and Pamela Kohlberg, children of Jerome Kohlberg, owner of the Vineyard Gazette, Robert Levine, and Richard L. Friedman, the real estate investor and former host of President Bill Clinton when he vacationed on the Vineyard.
Jerome Kohlberg, a longtime seasonal resident, owner of the Vineyard Gazette, philanthropist and Wall Street pioneer, died one year ago on July 30, at his home on Job’s Neck Cove overlooking Edgartown Great Pond. He was 90.
Mr. Kohlberg was a financier widely acknowledged as a leveraged buyout pioneer, first with Bear Stearns and later Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts, formed in 1976 to pursue such deals, in which a group of investors buys all the publicly held stock in a company and takes it private, financing the purchase mainly with debt.
Mr. Kohlberg founded his own investment firm, Kohlberg & Co., run by his son and headquartered in Mount Kisco, N.Y.
More later …
Right around 5 pm, the President and his family must have had enough of the 84-degree heat (and 93% humidity); the motorcade left the beach and returned to Chilmark. After a wait there, the family was off again just before 7 pm, retracing their route to Edgartown, this time to the home of Glenn Hutchins, with whom the President golfed earlier in the week. Mr. Hutchins is the founder and CEO of Silver Lake Partners, a Silicon Valley private firm that invests in technology companies. Mr. Hutchins is also part owner of the Boston Celtics.
Our pool reporter wrote that while waiting for the President and First Lady to dine, the press bus parked near the Katama General Store, where a sign out front bore a Jim Morrison quote: “Whoever controls the media, controls the mind.”
That certainly gave this media person pause…But more on the Katama General Store, on which The Times reported just recently. Jackie and Doug Korell have owned the classic Island general store, (they liken it to a beach “bodega”) since 2003, and say their best seller is their breakfast sandwich. They credit co-worker Penny Townes with coming up with that idea. “Penny used to make breakfast sandwiches for the hockey players,” Jackie said in a recent story in The Local. “Back then, she brought her husband’s flat top in and showed me how to fry an egg and assemble the sandwiches. They’ve really taken off over the years. Penny is like the heart and soul of the place.”
After what we think must have been friendly cocktails and conversation with the Hutchins family (and maybe some Boston Celtics?), the President and his wife were off to Oak Bluffs, and Red Cat Kitchen, a personal favorite of many Times staffers. Red Cat is owned by Ben deForest, who has run many well-known Vineyard restaurants. If we were advising the First diners on menu selections, we’d make sure they order the Brussels Sprouts, for starters.
Starting last winter, Mr. deForest took over the menu at the Ritz cafe on Circuit Ave., where his menu still delights.
Stay tuned.
Friday, August 12
As the press waited to see what was in store for Friday, BBC Question Time host David Dimbleby showed up and asked the scribes for the inside scoop on the president’s whereabouts so he could get a sneak peak at the motorcade — not that the pool members knew anymore than anyone else.
As they sat sweating in the heat and humidity the members of the press pool speculated that POTUS was taking time out to enjoy his official summer reading list, released today:
Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
Unlikely, unless he is a speed reader because by noon the motorcade had arrived back at the Farm Neck Golf Club in Oak Bluffs.
The President’s partners at Farm Neck Golf Club are Robert Wolf, former president and CEO of UBS Investment Bank, NBA Clipper’s star Chris Paul and his brother, C.J. Paul.
POTUS departed farm Neck at 5:03 pm bound for the home of Robert Wolf. The press pool said the businessman’s summer residence is located “on the south-east tip of Martha’s Vineyard.” We looked in the Island Book, the Island phone book and found no listing for Robert Wolf which says something to Islanders — those looking for some claim to authenticity listed their numbers irrespective of stature.
Later today the President and First Lady arrived at L’Etoile, a modern French restaurant. This makes two nights in a row for Edgartown. One night for West Tisbury and one night for Oak Bluffs. Can Vineyard Haven, Chilmark and Aquinnah be far behind? Stay tuned folks.
L’Etoile chef and owner Michael Brisson celebrated his 30th anniversary in 2015. He has some experience with presidents — he once made a birthday cake for Bill Clinton in the shape of Edgartown lighthouse.
MV Times restaurant columnist Marnely Rodriguez-Murray described L’Etoile as “the ideal restaurant in Edgartown for a romantic night out on the town, cocktails with friends, or marking a special event.”
L’Etoile restaurant is located at 22 North Water Street, Edgartown.
The pool hit the road at 10:09 pm to follow POTUS back to his residence. He left l’Etoile to a chorus of cheers from vacationeers gathered in wait. They had barely dimmed as the motorcade swung into action, whipping through a side street and away for the night.
Thursday, August 11
The day dawned hot and humid. The presidential schedule included some father-daughter time.
“The President and Malia Obama are going for a short walk on a trail near their residence,” the White House announced.
The Obama vacation house abuts The Trustees of Reservations (TTOR) Menemsha Hills property, a 211-acre preserve that overlooks Vineyard Sound.
“The three miles of trails allow walkers to experience multiple mini-environments, including wetlands; woodland groves leading to a hilltop; open, wind-blasted coastal plain; and a rocky ocean edge,” according to TTOR.
At 308 feet in elevation, Prospect Hill — also the name of the subdivision where the vacation retreat is located — is the second highest point on the Vineyard (at 311 feet, Peaked Hill, located just southeast, takes top honors.)
TTOR is the oldest private conservation group in Massachusetts and owns or manages some of the Island’s most beautiful and accessible properties.
At 12:36 pm, POTUS left Chilmark as it started to rain. Presumably, he has access to top notch weather forecasting and knew it would not interfere with his golf schedule.
The motorcade traveled down North Road to State Road and took the back way to Vineyard Haven via Spring Street.
The trip highlighted the need to improve the Island’s bike paths — part of the Martha’s Vineyard Transportation Plan — as two bicyclists braved the shoulder of state road as the motorcade passed by.
Just as the motorcade passed by Tisbury Elementary School, a few burly men sat on the roadside, one in Carhartt-looking overalls and a big beard, holding up a Trump sign made of cardboard. It looked like it was written with a pen, the press pool reported
POTUS arrived at Mink Meadows Golf Course at 1 pm and was on the course at 1:03 pm. This is his first trip to the Island’s public nine-hole golf course overlooking Vineyard Sound. Since his arrival POTUS has played Farm Neck two times and Vineyard Golf Club, where memberships exceed $300,000, once.
His golf partners were a familiar group: NBA player and former Celtic Ray Allen, Washington lawyer Cy Walker, and former NBA player Alonzo Mourning.
In a photograph taken from a distance by a member of the press pool, POTUS could be seen wearing what appeared to be an aqua-green shirt, navy shorts and a tan hat.
Despite the heat and humidity small groups of people stood along Franklin Street cell phones in hand in the late afternoon in anticipation of the motorcade passing by on the way to Chilmark. There is no easy alternate route so it is a good opportunity for a photo op, assuming they do not wilt while waiting.
Motorcade was rolling at 5:39 pm from Mink Meadows Golf Course back to Chilmark.
From the traveling pool (city folks, no doubt): “Motorcade also passed some cows. They looked like milk cows but pool does not know much about cows. Pool also saw a deer.”
POTUS played two rounds on the nine hole course. The motorcade arrived back in Chilmark at 6:04 pm.
After a quick break POTUS and FLOTUS were off to dinner. Perhaps the First Family is taking a diplomatic approach to their dining schedule. So far they have dined in Oak Bluffs (Down Island) and West Tisbury (State Road). Tonight, they were off to Edgartown.
Motorcade departed Chilmark at 7:10 pm and traveled to Edgartown “via a somewhat circuitous route,” and arrived in Edgartown at 7:44 pm. From the White House: “The President and First Lady are having dinner with friends at Detente Restaurant.”
Détente bills itself as “a modern seasonal kitchen in downtown Edgartown” that “features inventive American fare with European influences, local seafood, hand rolled pasta and housemade desserts.”
The motorcade pulled out of Edgartown at 10:30 pm and arrived in Chilmark at 11:02 pm.
Wednesday, August 10
On a cloudy, sometimes rainy, day, President Obama golfed again, this time in Edgartown at the Vineyard Golf Club. The President’s golf partners were businessman Glenn Hutchins, and basketball players Ray Allen and Alonzo Mourning.
The motorcade departed Chilmark just after ten, and encountered some wild turkeys near the airport along the way. The entourage arrived at the club, which claims to be the nation’s only organic golf club, at 10:30 am, and were back on their way to Chilmark just after 3 pm. The White House Press Office called “a lid,” which means, that’s the end of our official reporting for today.
Tuesday, August 9
As of this editor’s bedtime, the Golfer-in-Chief had not golfed. Day three of President Obama’s Martha’s Vineyard vacation sounded like a pretty perfect Island day to us: The presidential motorcade didn’t hit the road until 1 pm, after what we imagine was a leisurely morning at their Chilmark vacation home. We have found ourselves wondering: What does President Obama and his family eat for breakfast? Does the President man breakfast skillet on a day off?
Whatever it was, once the Obamas had their breakfast, they were on their way to the South Shore, to what White House press correspondent Gardiner Harris,(see this MVTimes article about being on the bus with the White House Press Corps) of the New York Times described as “a vast private beach on the south side of the Island, where there are real Atlantic waves and unobstructed ocean views. The beach is a barrier island between the Atlantic and Edgartown Great Pond.”
Job’s Neck, maybe?
The first family lingered until almost 5:30 pm (isn’t late afternoon the best time at the beach?) when our pool reporter shared this: “The motorcade is on the move, headed back in the direction of the rented home in Chilmark. Jonathan Ernst of Reuters snapped a photo of POTUS in the half second the Beast sped by your pooler, showing him in a baseball cap and sunglasses.”
He added, “The sun also goes down on Martha’s Vineyard, although the glow never entirely fades away.” Which led us to believe the correspondent has never visited Martha’s Vineyard in March.
A couple hours later, the motorcade was on the move again; the correspondent guessed that the Obamas aren’t keen on dining in while on vacation, especially with so many great restaurants to sample.
Given the hour, and the long beach day, we immediately thought…State Road!
And we were right. A few minutes later, the Obamas pulled in to the West Tisbury restaurant, a favorite of theirs. Mary and Jackson Kenworth, the owners of State Road, are the former proprietors of the Sweet Life restaurant in Oak Bluffs, another Obama favorite over the years. The Kenworths also run Beach Road restaurant in Vineyard Haven, where the Obamas dined last August, soon after the restaurant first opened its doors. MVTimes “Good Taste” columnist Marnely Murray was at Beach Road that night. “I dined at Beach Road last year,” she told us when we asked if restaurants clear the place for the President. “The manager sat me but said ‘I had to be up by seven because they had reservations coming in.’ … as I left the place, I saw the motorcade drive in.”
Tonight, our pool reporter noted, President Obama and the first lady are “dining with friends.”
In other Vineyard news, Chesney the dog jumped off the Steamship Authority ferry Martha’s Vineyard and was rescued in a collaborative effort among the Island Queen, recreational boaters, and the Oak Bluffs Harbormaster Todd Alexander.
Monday, August 8
More golf on the second day of vacation, a beautiful warm summer day — imagine if Obama liked to fish.
The motorcade arrived at Farm Neck Golf Club at 12:20 pm.
The 18-hole course stretches 5.3 miles, overlooking woodland, salt marshes and, at times, Sengekontacket Pond, a saltwater pond connected by two channels to Nantucket Sound. POTUS’ golfing partners today are Steph Curry, Dell Curry and Cy Walker.
According to a report in the Daily Mail, Mr. Obama estimated he has a handicap of 13. Overall, he said he hits a straight drive. “I think my irons are good, my drive is straight but unimpressive in length, my putting’s decent, my chipping is okay, my sand game is terrible,” he said.
The motorcade left Farm Neck at 5:19 pm after a long afternoon of golf. Word is that the First Family is staying in tonight.
Sunday, August 7
It will come as no surprise to Obama vacation watchers that on his first full day on Martha’s Vineyard President Barack Obama hit the links.
A short time after Chilmark police and firefighters had hauled a Ford Fusion out of Menemsha Creek just down North Road, at 12:38 pm the presidential motorcade left Prospect Hill in Chilmark for Farm Neck Golf Club in Oak Bluffs. The course is a presidential favorite and offers commanding views from select fairways of Nantucket Sound and Sengekontacket Pond.
The motorcade passed a sign that said “Welcome back, First Family” en route. The off Island press pool reported the route took the press bus by “the Vineyard’s adorable airport and a Smokey the Bear sign warning us that fire danger is ‘high’ today.”
The motorcade arrived at Farm Neck Golf Club in Oak Bluffs at 1:04 pm. Clearly, August traffic was not an issue.
A White House official confirmed: “The President is golfing at Farm Neck Golf Club with Chris Paul, Cy Walker and Joe Paulsen.”
Chris Paul is a point guard for the L.A. Clippers. Mr. Walker is the cousin of White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett. Joe Paulsen is a White House aide.
The press pool was able to observe the president golfing at the first hole. POTUS was wearing a gray polo shirt and dark shorts. His companions were in polos and shorts as well, with the exception of Chris Paul who was wearing pants.
Chris Paul was given “a gimme” on his putt.
POTUS made about a 25-30 foot putt (just barely missing) before gesturing toward the press pool and said what sounded like “I hope you saw that.”
The presidential motorcade left Farm Neck at 6:12 pm and returned to Chilmark.
The motorcade departed Chilmark at 7:11 pm for Oak Bluffs and dinner out with friends, arriving at 7:44 pm to the cheers and clapping of lots of onlookers on Circuit Ave.
From a White House official: “The President and First Lady are dining with friends at Down Island in Oak Bluffs.”
The First Family represents quite a coup for Down Island, which opened this season with the tagline “fine dining food in a comfortable down island atmosphere.” The restaurant is located in the basement of the well know Island bar, The Lampost.
In an earlier interview, Chef Scott Cummings told The Times, “Our food is defined by sound cooking techniques and a classical foundation with modern practices and plating. This may sound complex, but we keep it very approachable to the everyday consumer. We do everything from scratch, and all products are thoughtfully sourced and prepared to the highest standards. Every element on the plate was built from real ingredients.”
The restaurant is unique for Martha’s Vineyard in that the six-course menu is pretty much set by the chef.
According to the restaurant website, tonight’s menu featured wild mushroom forest; roasted carrots; octopus; Island-caught striped bass; and chocolate pate at a cost of $59.
The Presidential dinner party ended late. The motorcade departed Oak Bluffs at 11 pm amid crowds of onlookers. The White House only identified the President’s dinner companion’s as “family and friends.”
Saturday, August 7
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama along with daughters Sasha and Malia arrived at Martha’s Vineyard Airport in Marine One at 2:37 pm, Saturday to begin their two week vacation.
The First Daughters headed to the waiting motorcade while POTUS (President of the United States) and FLOTUS (First Lady of the United States) made their way to a viewing area to greet some locals, according to a pool report.
At 3:09 pm the motorcade arrived on the grounds of POTUS’ temporary vacation home off North Road in Chilmark, on the western end of the Island. The ride was uneventful, with pockets of folks at various points along the way waving or snapping pictures.
Quick trip
Earlier, the Obamas boarded Air Force One just after 1 pm at Andrews Air Force base for the trip to the Vineyard.
Malia and Sasha chatted with one another as they boarded ahead of their parents. President and Michelle Obama followed shortly after some small talk with the greeters. They walked up the stairs side-by-side, turned at the top to wave to a crowd watching from outside the terminal, then walked in the plane.
Prior to the First Family’s arrival, First Dogs Bo and Sunny were taken for a final pre-flight walk toward the grass of the passenger terminal, according to pool reporter Mike Memoli of the LA Times.
Air Force One was wheels down at 1:58 pm at the Coast Guard Air Station.
POTUS and the first family were greeted by the following: Captain Donald E. Bader, USCG, Air Station Cape Cod Executive Officer, Captain Richard J. Shultz, USCG, Commanding Officer Sector Southeast, Colonel Christopher W. Hurley, 102nd Mission Support Group, Lieutenant Colonel J. Scott Zuffanti, USA Camp Edwards Administrative Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Nathan Joel Hippe, Commander, USAF, 6 Space Warning Squadron, Mary Pat Flynn, Chairwoman of Barnstable County, Susan James, Chairwoman of Sandwich, Tobias Vanderhoop, Tribal Chairman, Gay Head Wampanoag Tribe and U.S. Rep. Bill Keating.
As POTUS spoke with Rep. Keating reporters spotted him holding a golf ball. The congressman later told reporters that it was a Pro V, made in his district, stamped with New Bedford. “He said he’d use it for his best shot,” Keating told the reporters.
The first daughters headed straight to Marine One. POTUS and FLOTUS spent some time greeting service members and families at the viewing pen.
No surprise
The White House confirmed last week what had been pretty much been common knowledge on Martha’s Vineyard for months. “On Saturday, August 6th, the First Family will travel to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts,” a White House spokesman said in a press release distributed last Friday. “On Sunday, August 21st, they will return to Washington, D.C. There are no public events scheduled …”
The Obamas have returned to the Island all but one year of Mr. Obama’s presidency.
Official confirmation followed preparations that began months ago when the White House began making reservations to accommodate the large entourage of Secret Service agents, White House staffers, and support personnel who are responsible for the safety and success of the president’s vacation.
In 2014 and 2015, the Obamas stayed at the home of Joanne Hubschman on Gosnold’s Way off Prospect Hill Road, which overlooks the north shore and Vineyard Sound. The seven-bedroom, nine-bath, 8,100-square-foot house sits on a 10-acre lot and features 17 rooms in total, expansive water views of Vineyard Sound, an infinity pool and hot tub, and a dual tennis-basketball court.
The Obamas are expected to return to the same neighborhood this summer.
Past presidential vacation activities have included golf, more golf, bike trips with the family, hikes, and dinners with friends.
Mr. Obama and his family have vacationed on the Island every year since his 2008 election, with the exception of 2012, when he was campaigning for re-election. Chilmark is their favored vacation spot.
In 2009, 2010, and 2011, the first family rented Blue Heron Farm in Chilmark, a 28.5-acre compound on Tisbury Great Pond. In 2013, the first family rented a house in Chilmark just off South Road. The location necessitated a road closure that left some Island residents grumbling about the inconvenience. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/07/obama-beat-2016/ | en | 2016-08-07T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/62b241783e197817ac769331a69e3c3c898c0024b8c4a91ab844110d3863979c.json |
[
"Connie Berry"
] | 2016-08-30T20:52:03 | null | 2016-08-30T15:33:49 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2Ffaith-music-inspires%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2016/08/brahms_requiem_choir02.jpg | en | null | Have Faith: Music that inspires | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | Peter Boak — retired music teacher, director of the Island Community Chorus, minister of music, choir director, organist, and Great Dane enthusiast — is being honored on Sunday by the music committee and the Federated Church choir after the 9:30 am worship service. There will be a luncheon reception at the Mayhew parsonage right after the service.
Mr. Boak’s family first came to Martha’s Vineyard in 1904; he came to stay in 1994. He said his family used to spend two weeks here every summer when he was a child.
“I just remember how difficult it was when I was a kid when I had to go home,” Mr. Boak remarked. “It was very depressing as a kid to get on that ferry and go back to New Jersey, knowing we wouldn’t be back for another 50 weeks.”
When Mr. Boak decided to stay on the Island full-time, he was able to make a living by working at a bank, then as a music teacher at the Tisbury School, and as music director at Grace Church and then at the Federated Church. “Like a lot of people, I sort of had to invent myself when it came to making a living here,” he said.
Along the way he managed to regroup the Island Community Chorus, and is also celebrating 20 years of leading that musical ensemble this year. The Island Community Chorus will begin weekly rehearsals in September, he explained, and will perform its usual Christmas, spring, and summer concerts. His work as music director at the Federated Church, he said, is nonstop.
“We rehearse every week for an hour and a half,” Mr. Boak said. “Usually we don’t rehearse in August, but it’s a full 12 months.”
He enhances his career with freelance work at weddings and by heading up musical projects with other denominations. An avowed lifelong learner, Mr. Boak told me he loves working in many different settings. “I enjoy dealing in all types of music, playing for shows and theater, working with the Island Theatre Workshop, the cabaret at the Playhouse,” he said. “My newest venture is working three or four months with the choir at the Hebrew Center, getting ready for the high holy days.”
Mr. Boak retired from the Tisbury School in 2012, but said he thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to take part in the educational system. “I always took one- or two-week-long workshops at the Hartford Art School,” he said. “I really like being in a classroom setting and learning something new.”
He said that today, technology has brought more music into people’s lives. During his grandparents’ generation, he said, unless someone in the house played an instrument or had a radio, there wasn’t a lot of music at home. Despite the fact that nearly all of his professional life has been filled with music of some kind, at home he’d rather be reading a mystery than listening to Bach or Beethoven.
“When I’m at home, I’m not one to put on the radio,” Mr. Boak said. “I like to read — I’m a big mystery reader. And I like to cook.”
His favorite dish to make is chicken and sausage gumbo, a holdover from the eight years he spent working in Louisiana before he made it to the Vineyard. “I tend to make a huge batch and give it away for Christmas presents,” he said.
The 20 years he’s spent directing music at the Federated Church is the longest he’s ever held a position.
“It’s hard for me to even fathom, being at this for 20 years,” Mr. Boak said, “because it doesn’t feel like it.”
He was hired at the Federated Church only two years after arriving on the Island to live full-time.
“I’ve been at this job longer than any other I’ve ever had,” he said.
Now that he’s retired from his teaching job, Mr. Boak said he enjoys weekends at the church even more: “This is something I really look forward to. It keeps me focused.”
Besides his music, Mr. Boak has plenty going on at his family home in Oak Bluffs. His 97-year-old father lives with him, along with a 1-year-old Great Dane named Sadie and two cats.
“I am really very, very lucky,” he said.
*************
The Net, the Islandwide ecumenical group, will begin another year on Sunday, Sept. 11, at 5 pm at St. Andrew’s Church in Edgartown. There’s a new facilitator, Caitlin Kane, and a year full of trips and fun things planned. The group is gearing up for a ski trip, lock-ins, bowling, two trips to CityReach Homeless Ministry in Boston, and a yearend trip to Atlanta to study the Civil Rights Movement, according to St. Andrew’s rector, the Rev. Chip Seadale. The Net is supported by seven churches on the Island, and welcomes all middle school and high school students.
The Rev. Seadale also reports that preparations for the winter season’s overnight shelter for the homeless are beginning. The shelters, now called Houses of Grace, will benefit from a fundraiser held on Sunday, Sept. 11, at the Chilmark Community Church. Mezzo-soprano Lia Kahler will once again offer her vocal talents, along with organist Phil Dietterich and pianist Richard Gordon, for an afternoon of music. The event also benefits the Island Food Pantry, which is near and dear to the Reverends Armen and Vicky Hanjian, who are still at the helm of the Chilmark church. Tickets for the concert are $20 at the door. The silent auction begins at 2 pm, followed by the concert. Only 150 tickets will be sold, so everyone is encouraged to reserve their seats by calling 774-563-8219 or by emailing Lia at liakahlerandfriends@gmail.com.
Every other week, Connie Berry reports on the news, events, and people at Martha’s Vineyard’s various places of worship. If you have news for Have Faith, email it to connie.berry12@gmail.com. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/30/faith-music-inspires/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/1306b99fe09dcc5f7cbdf3fe3d29c0881a4d3600b72971ae79e2e515259c86de.json |
[
"The Martha'S Vineyard Times"
] | 2016-08-26T16:48:43 | null | 2016-08-24T17:54:56 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F24%2Fdance-theater-gets-big-yard%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2016/08/DanceTheYards-Alison-Manning-and-Jesse-Keller-by-Sally-Cohn.jpg | en | null | Dance theater gets big at the Yard | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | The Yard is preparing to wrap up its summer season, with only a handful of events scheduled through the end of August and into September.
Big Dance Theater, a Bessie, Obie, and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award–winning New York–based company, will be bringing its unique multidisciplinary work to Vineyard audiences this week. On Thursday and Saturday, the Yard will present their latest performance piece, “New Work/Take One.”
Big Dance Theater is celebrating its 25th year of innovative work. The upcoming show, created in part during the company’s residency at the Yard, is an ensemble-based multimedia and multidisciplinary production adapted and directed by artistic directors Annie-B Parson and Paul Lazar.
Big Dance Theater has created over 20 different hybrid works which have been performed at venues all over the world. Their work “Man in a Case” featured Mikhail Baryshnikov. The Bessie Awards described Big Dance Theater’s work as “a boldly arranged marriage of dance and theater that is equal parts classical and contemporary text, deft music-theater composition, gifted ensemble, and inspired design. A constantly startling body of work.”
The Yard will present two shows on Thursday, August 25, at 8 pm and Saturday, August 27, at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $25 general admission, $15 for seniors, students, and military, and $5 for children under 12 .
The season will continue with performances of “DanceTheYard” on Sept. 1 and 3; “A.R.T. on the Vine” Sept. 7, 8, and 10; and StorySound Live with Dick Connette on Sept. 16. For tickets and more information, visit dancetheyard.org. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/24/dance-theater-gets-big-yard/ | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/10f2e8f4fbb4605f3af06176e738ae6d14edf349d9a69f2a4140d3da28d8da85.json |
[
"Connie Berry"
] | 2016-08-30T20:51:27 | null | 2016-08-17T19:29:25 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F17%2Fchappaquiddick-kopechne-tragedy-revisited-indie-film%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2016/08/IMG_6127.jpg | en | null | Chappaquiddick Kopechne tragedy to be revisited in indie film | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | The film company asked Edgartown selectmen for parking restrictions, road closings, and sign removals over two days of filming in September.
Edgartown selectmen Monday considered a number of requests from representatives of Apex Entertainment, a Los Angeles-based company now producing a film titled, “Chappaquiddick,” which will retell the story of the accident in which Edward (Ted) Kennedy drove off Dike Bridge and his passenger Mary Jo Kopechne died.
Mark Fitzgerald, “Boston’s leading Hollywood film location manager and scout,” according to Internet Movie Database (IMDb), was at Monday’s selectmen’s meeting along with another location manager, Kia Quinlin, to explain the particulars regarding filming of the upcoming movie. The film is now in production and producers hope to shoot scenes in Edgartown and Chappaquiddick on Sept. 7 and 8.
The story is still familiar to Islanders of a certain age. On the evening of July 18, 1969, after taking part in the Edgartown Yacht Club Regatta that day, the late Senator Kennedy, in his late thirties at the time, attended a party at a rented cottage on Chappaquiddick. Senator Kennedy and a passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, a 28-year-old woman who had worked on his brother Robert Kennedy’s presidential campaign, left the party together at about a quarter past 11.
Senator Kennedy accidentally drove his Oldsmobile off the Dike Bridge and into the swirling tidal waters of Poucha Pond, according to published reports. He managed to swim free, but left the scene after attempting, he said, to free Ms. Kopechne. Her body and the automobile were removed from the water the next day after fishermen noticed the upturned car the next morning and called the police.
Senator Kennedy did not contact the police until nine or 10 hours after the event, according to accounts at the time. Then Edgartown police chief Dominick J. Arena filed an application for a complaint against Mr. Kennedy for leaving the scene of an accident. The young senator pled guilty and received a two-month suspended sentence. The events of that summer night were regularly attributed as the reason why Senator Kennedy would never campaign for president.
Public inconvenience
The Dike Bridge that now spans the narrow channel between Poucha pond and Cape Poge Bay is considerably more robust than the simple wood causeway that it replaced. The streets of Edgartown are also considerably busier.
Mr. Fitzgerald was seeking the town’s cooperation to clear Daggett Street of vehicles — the road that leads to the Chappy Ferry — pushing them up to Simpson’s Lane for a full day, along with removing signs on Dike Road, closing the road for brief interludes with the assistance of the Edgartown police. He also asked to reserve spaces on the Dike bridge lot to park 1969-era vehicles, and reserve parking spots along North Water and Morse streets and at Starbuck Neck.
Mr. Fitzgerald provided Google Earth image handouts of the areas involved in the shots needed for the film.
“You’re asking for a lot of inconvenience during a very busy, still busy, time,” selectman Margaret Serpa said.
Selectman Michael Donaroma said it all sounded “okay, except for the North Water Street, Morse Street … the all-day things.”
“And Daggett Street, that’s a big problem,” Ms. Serpa added. “I don’t think we can do that.”
“Do you think there’s a two-hour window that you could give me Daggett Street?” Mr. Fitzgerald asked the selectmen.
“No,” Ms. Serpa said.
Mr. Fitzgerald told the selectmen that he had already conferred with Police Chief David Rossi and with town administrator Pam Dolby. He said he had talked to some of the residents on Chappy, including possibly renting a field at Pimpneymouse Farm during filming.
“There are some town signs we want to take down, one of which is a stop sign,” Mr. Fitzgerald said. “None of this will happen until there is a police presence there in their positions on that day.” He also said they would be using the Chappy Community Center as a support space and staging area.
Selectman Michael Donaroma asked Chief Rossi what he thought about closing Daggett Street. Chief Rossi said he would “defer to Peter [Wells, Chappy Ferry owner] on that.”
Mr. Wells said that the first week of September is still busy. “There are some slow times during the day, but it’s hard to judge that,” Mr. Wells said. “It’s unpredictable.”
“Once we get started,” Mr. Fitzgerald said, “it’s going to take a couple of hours.”
“Then it’s not gonna work in my mind,” Ms. Serpa said.
Ms. Quinlin asked: “What if we did a letter giving advance notification?”
Chris Kennedy, Martha’s Vineyard Superintendent for The Trustees of Reservations, told the selectmen and the location scouts that, “If it’s a nice first week in September, it’s going to be busy, no getting around that.”
“You can’t do this in October?” Mr. Donaroma asked.
“It’s an active schedule,” Mr. Fitzgerald said. “There are a lot of variables. I get these things handed to me, I don’t come up with them.”
The selectmen went back and forth with Mr. Fitzgerald, trying to come up with a solution.
“I’m going to suggest that you go back and try and work out some of the concerns,” Ms. Serpa said.
Mr. Fitzgerald said he would continue to “do some homework” and asked to be on next week’s agenda.
“When are you officially out of season?” he asked.
His question was met with a chuckle by the selectmen. Ms. Dolby said, “After the bass derby it slows down, the week after October 15.” Ms. Dolby was referring to the five-week-long Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby that begins Sept. 11 and attracts thousands of participants.
Mr. Fitzgerald said the movie would be “wrapped up” by then.
“You just need to fine-tune it and come back,” Mr. Donaroma told him.
As far as an update on the particulars of the movie “Chappaquiddick,” Mr. Fitzgerald and Ms. Quinlin referred The Times to the entertainment company, which did not respond to requests for information by deadline. Variety magazine reported in July that Bruce Dern will portray Joseph Kennedy in the movie, opposite Jason Clarke as Ted Kennedy, Kate Mara as Mary Jo Kopechne, and Ed Helms as Senator Kennedy’s cousin, Joseph Gargan. Mark Ciardi and Campbell McInnes from Apex Entertainment are producing the film, which is directed by John Curran. The screenplay for the film was mentioned on 2015’s The Black List, which recognizes the best screenplays that are not yet produced. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/17/chappaquiddick-kopechne-tragedy-revisited-indie-film/ | en | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/f6e3730d9b222c4b091fcf47bc23f51f45bdbef2b8b259d130644437ed33b0bf.json |
[
"Lisa Stout"
] | 2016-08-26T13:02:11 | null | 2016-08-24T20:39:52 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F24%2Fmarthas-vineyard-sailors-anticipate-upcoming-moffett-race%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2016/08/moffett-race-2007-2514-copy-e1471977686388.jpg | en | null | Martha’s Vineyard sailors anticipate upcoming Moffett Race | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | The 39th annual Moffett Race will be held on Saturday, Sept. 10, in the waters off Vineyard Haven Harbor. Always an exciting race, it provides the perfect punctuation mark to the Island sailing season.
George Moffett, one of the founders of the Holmes Hole Sailing Association, was a passionate and intrepid sailor. Upon his death in 1977, his wife Lucia established a trophy in his honor for a race in September, when the winds were likely to be fresh. Any sailor with a boat between 15 and 70 feet would be welcome. As luck would have it, the first race in 1978 was in very light air, with only 20 boats entered.
Over the years the numbers have grown, and when the entry list reached 45, the start was divided into two fleets based on size. There is only one winner, and prizes are awarded for the top five places.
Handicapping the race is particularly difficult for the race committee, because many boats show up that are unfamiliar to them. A few years ago, in fact, Roger Becker, prime handicapper, announced at the skippers’ meeting that that the committee thought they had arranged it so no one could win. There is, however, always a winner, but he or she is heavily penalized for the next five years to avoid a repeat.
It is hoped there will be a big turnout this year of both seasonal and year-round sailors from the area. For further details, please visit holmeshole.org and click on “Moffett” in the toolbar. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/24/marthas-vineyard-sailors-anticipate-upcoming-moffett-race/ | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/51ba6d304c70cd6f569d68cd2bb7ccaf2e91dfe5788350482b52d7d609b2f5a5.json |
[
"Molly Purves"
] | 2016-08-30T18:52:13 | null | 2016-08-30T14:31:04 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2Faquinnah-annual-gay-head-10k%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/30/aquinnah-annual-gay-head-10k/ | en | null | Aquinnah: Annual Gay Head 10k | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | Summer is coming to an end; doesn’t that just make you want to run a race even though you feel like you just did? You know it does. The fourth Annual Gay Head 10k will be held on Sunday, Oct. 2. The money raised goes to supporting the Lighthouse. Participation is limited to 500 runners, so sign up now at bit.ly/aquinnahrunsignup. I mean, I’m not going to run, but I will cheer you on that last brutal bit around the Cliffs. I swear I will.
Joan LeLacheur is hosting a Labor Day weekend Open Studio this Saturday, Sept. 3, from 10 am to 5 pm at 42 Old South Road in Aquinnah. Joanie makes beautiful wampum jewelry. For more information, call her at 508-645-9954.
The Aquinnah Cultural Center’s exhibit, “Our Story: 400 Years of Wampanoag History” will be up until the end of September. Don’t miss the opportunity to view this powerful exhibit on little-known 17th century history. “Captured 1614” returns for a second time to the ACC, with the new addition “The Messenger Runner.” The ACC is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm. The ACC is located at the Vanderhoop Homestead at the Aquinnah Circle; call 508-645-7900 for more information.
The Pow Wow will be held at the Aquinnah Circle on Saturday, Sept. 10 and Sunday, Sept. 11. The grand entrance will be at noon on Saturday. There will be traditional Wampanoag music and dancing and, of course, food. Don’t miss this special celebration of Wampanoag life and culture.
The summer programming is winding down at the library. Story times will remain the same: Thursdays at 3:30 pm and Saturdays at 10:30 am. Craft time is 11 am to 3 pm on Saturday and this weekend they will be making Dream Catchers. The After School Club resumes this Tuesday, Sept. at 4 pm.
The Yard is offering dance classes and yoga classes all week long. Yoga is Monday through Friday at 7 am, Saturday at 8 am, and Sunday at 9 am. On Friday at the Oak Bluffs library, Naomi Goldberg Haas will teach a special all-ages modern dance class at 1 pm. She is also teaching modern dance at the Yard all week at 9 am. For more information on classes, including prices, go to dancetheyard.org or call 508-645-9662.
There is an important town forum coming up so, save the date: Sept. 19 from 6:30 to 9:30 pm in the Old Town Hall. There will be a community dinner and the first of three interactive facilitated workshops that will shape the housing and zoning policies Aquinnah will use to create housing options that are affordable for our families, elders, employees, and children.
The selectmen, planning boards and housing committees of all six towns are working to create housing production plans (HPPs) to help address the Island’s housing needs. Your input is needed over the course of the three public meetings to help Aquinnah decide whom we want to help with housing, how much housing we need, and where we want to build it. A completed HPP will help the town understand the best ways to meet its current and future housing needs while preserving town character and values. The second and third workshops are Nov. 14 and Dec. 12 at the same place and time.
More information is available on the town website or contact reviewboard@aquinnah-ma.gov.
Community dinner at 6:30, workshop starts promptly at 7. Please join this important conversation. Respond to reviewboard@aquinnah-ma.gov if you plan to come, so they know how much food and materials to provide.
Happy Birthday to Clyde Smith, who celebrates on Sept. 2 and to Paul Manning who celebrates Sept. 7. Congratulations to all the kids heading back to school on Tuesday, Sept. 6. Erick Moore is headed to first grade, and his brother, Lewis, will finish his last year of preschool. The Smith boys will be headed into kindergarten, third grade, and sixth grade respectively. Little Ivan Vanderhoop will be starting kindergarten (how did that happen?); also starting kindergarten is Isaac Vanderhoop. Tiffany Vanderhoop will be left at home with just baby Carl during the day, as Novella will be in preschool, Maysie in first grade, and Brian in second. Laina Benoit will be starting fifth grade as will Yossi Monahan and his brother Fynn will be starting eighth. Noah Manning and Olive and Violet MacPhail will all be starting fifth grade. Menasha Leport will be in eighth grade, and her brother Cole will be a sophomore. Ona Ignacio will have two boys in high school, with Skyler going to be a senior and Riley a freshman. Pearl Vercruysse will be back in high school here after a year in France last year. William Mayberry will be in seventh grade, and his sister, Ayesha, will be in sixth. Congratulations and have a great year, everyone, and sorry to the kids I missed. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/30/aquinnah-annual-gay-head-10k/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/8aff987702ddb7e8b14dbfabfc9068c201f6f414452a7da374b022ab3700cdfb.json |
[
"The Martha'S Vineyard Times"
] | 2016-08-26T12:58:05 | null | 2016-08-25T10:52:08 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F25%2Fdaniel-william-danny-wright-jr%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2016/08/image1-184x304.jpeg | en | null | Daniel William "Danny" Wright Jr. | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | Daniel William “Danny” Wright Jr. of Longmeadow, formerly of Vineyard Haven, died peacefully on August 21, 2016 and entered into God’s kingdom to be with his Lord and Savior. He was 82.
Danny was born on September 17, 1933 in Long Island, New York to the late Daniel “Big Daddy” Wright Sr. and Lurline (Sinkler) Wright Templeton. Danny as he was affectionately known attended Avery Normal Institute from elementary school through his high school graduation in 1951. Danny played basketball for four years at Avery. After high school graduation, Danny enrolled at South Carolina State University where he played the saxophone in the band and also enrolled in ROTC.
Danny graduated with a bachelor’s degree from South Carolina State University in 1955 and was a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. He was commissioned into the Army where he served his country during the Korean War and attained the rank as First Lieutenant. Danny was stationed at Ft. Devens, Massachusetts where he was commander of the Army Post’s band.
Danny worked in the post office in Charleston, SC for a few years and then moved his family to Boston in the early 1960s where he attended Berklee School of Music and attained his masters degree.
Danny worked as a Review Examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for 30 years. He then retired and moved to Vineyard Haven where he worked as an auxiliary police officer for the Town of West Tisbury.
Danny was a lifelong musician who formed his own quartet and once backed up the Supremes. Danny played with Johnny Hammond and The Hammond Organ Group. He had his own orchestra, the Danny Wright Orchestra with lead vocals by Earl McDonald. Danny also did the musical arrangements for some songs on the Houston Person’s Underground Soul album, “What the world needs now is love,” “Ballin,” and “If you could see me now.” Danny had a gospel choir in Springfield that also produced an album. His latest musical endeavor was his jazz band which played frequently at Lola’s in Oak Bluffs. He shared his musical talent with many musicians in the Charleston, Boston and Springfield area: namely; Oscar Rivers, George Kenny and Lonnie Hamilton to name a few. His practice room was often at his grandmother’s home on the player piano.
Danny resided in Springfield most of his life, lived in Vineyard Haven for nine years and was a member of the American Legion Post 0257 of Vineyard Haven.
Danny was predeceased by his two younger brothers, George Wright and Robert Theodore “Teddy” Wright. Danny is survived by his wife, Janice B. (Burr) Wright; three sons, Daniel W. Wright III and his wife Janet of Springfield, IL; Andrew L. Wright and his wife Vanessa of Altamonte Springs, FL; and Brian J. Wright of Colorado Springs, CO; four daughters: Dr. Cheryl Grills and her husband Garrett of Inglewood, CA; Carla R. Glenn and her husband Mark of Springfield; Danielle E. Johnson and her fiancé Basil Niccolls of Springfield; and Erica D. Bolden and her husband Wilbur of Springfield; 21 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren; along with many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
A funeral service for Daniel will be held on Tuesday, August 30 at 11 am at Sampson’s, Chapel of the Acres Funeral Home, 21 Tinkham Road, Springfield. Rites of Committal and Interment with Military Honors will follow in the Chapel of the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 1390 Main Street, Agawam. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions in Daniel’s memory may be made to the Community Music School, 127 State Street, Springfield, MA. A visiting hour for Danny will precede his funeral on Tuesday from 10 to 11 am. Arrangements under the care of sampsonchapels.com. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/25/daniel-william-danny-wright-jr/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/b569bb5ff5d330f806d7cd81b41e44a48d2c387b1741f1e60dabece1cfbd0a95.json |
[
"Gail Gardner"
] | 2016-08-30T20:52:08 | null | 2016-08-30T15:16:53 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2Fedgartown-22%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/30/edgartown-22/ | en | null | Martha's Vineyard Times | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | As I write this, I’m counting down the hours until I go back to work. By the time you are reading it, I’ll already be working alongside my amazing academic peers prepping our classrooms, learning about our incoming students, planning our lessons, and getting ready for another exciting new school year. I will miss my summer, but I do very much look forward to seeing all my kids. See everyone on Sept. 6!
Edgartown School families, mark your calendars. The Annual Open House, Garden Celebration and Pot Luck Dinner is set for Sept. 21, from 6 pm until 8 pm. Also coming up in the early fall will be the K-4 Curriculum Night on Oct. 5 and the 5-8 Curriculum Night on Oct. 6. Both of these events run from 6 until 7:30 pm.
I’m seeing lots of college pictures showing up on Facebook. Good luck to all those kids heading off to college this week, whether it’s your first year or your last year. And, just as important, good luck to all you parents letting your kids go, whether it’s your first time or hundredth time. From the moment our babies are born, every moment has been building up to these changes. Every step they took as a toddler was a step closer to independence and further from us. Bittersweet stuff, to be sure.
This is the kind of news tidbit that makes me grateful that I live in a quaint little country community. Suzan Bellincampi sent out a press release with an osprey update. Suzan wrote, “It has been a summer of love and a very successful breeding season for Island osprey. Vineyard numbers from the 19th annual osprey census show an excellent year. A record high of 90 active nests were observed, beating last year’s numbers by two nests. At these 90 nests, 144 osprey young fledged, again a record. Breeding success was high, with 85.6 percent of active nests successful. In addition, there were at least six housekeepers/househunters (adult birds that are seeking and beginning to build a nest, but did not complete the nest and lay eggs). With the adults, unpaired osprey, and fledglings, there were more than 336 osprey in the air over the Island!
“The efforts to count, monitor, and record osprey breeding success is a monumental task, considering that there are 200 total (active and inactive) osprey poles and nesting structures on the Vineyard. Along with osprey researcher Rob Bierregaard and lead monitor Dick Jennings, 27 citizen science volunteers from Felix Neck supported the efforts by monitoring one or more poles in their neighborhoods. Collectively, they logged more than 1,800 hours on this project.”
The Edgartown Council on Aging, also known as the Anchors, is seeking Edgartown residents as new volunteer board members to advise and supervise the COA, which is a department of the Town of Edgartown providing services, events, activities, and programs to Edgartown and Island elders. The board meets once a month, ten months out of the year, to provide support and guidance. The meetings are pleasant, fun, interesting, and no longer than an hour and a half. Pastries, coffee, and refreshments provided. Please call Paul Mohair, administrator, at 508-627-4368 for more information.
Congratulations and thank you to Jeff and Fran Agnoli for adopting Skyler, an absolutely adorable lab-mix puppy, through Second Chance Animal Rescue. Just about every critter I’ve ever had has been a rescue. There are just so many out there that need homes. Skyler is a lucky pup. And no one in the world loves you like a dog. Good luck with those puppy teeth and housebreaking. If anyone is thinking of a new pet, please consider a rescue.
The 2016 Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival will take place Sept. 6 through 11. This year, the Martha’s Vineyard Film Society Global Citizen Award will be presented on Friday, Sept. 9 to Ms. Sharon Stone for her charitable work and philanthropy across the globe. The award will be presented at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center’s state-of-the-art theater in Vineyard Haven. Please visit mvfilmsociety.com for more details regarding this award and the film lineup.
Oak Bluffs will again be hosting the Martha’s Vineyard Wind Festival. Although it takes place in Ocean Park, it is meant to bring people together from all Island towns. This year it will take place on Sept. 10, with a rain date of Sept. 11. There will be free kite making for children from 10:30 to noon. Adult flying competitions start at 1 pm; it is a great family event. I hope people from every town come and enjoy the day. The web site is mvwindfestival.com. If there are any questions, call Holly Alaimo at 508-693-5444.
It is a very quiet news week. And I mean very quiet. It’s that end of summer “I’m too shocked to think about anything right now and just so eternally grateful that I made it through another summer” news drought. It’s OK. You all get one week to come up for air, take a deep breath, relax, and rejoice. But next week, please send me some updates. Otherwise I’ll be forced to share my deep thoughts and weird diatribes!
Have a great week. Please remember that starting this Friday, you will start seeing kids waiting at bus stops and walking or biking to school. Drive carefully. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/30/edgartown-22/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/132c01621685f4782775fdad8a3137882bad63a27fa303cc1d72c75913b69b28.json |
[
"Geoff Currier"
] | 2016-08-30T20:52:20 | null | 2016-08-30T16:21:16 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2Freturn-river-doubt%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2016/08/tweed-roosevelt_3.jpg | en | null | Return to the River of Doubt | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | In 1991 Tweed Roosevelt of Vineyard Haven got a phone call from a man he didn’t know — a certain Charlie Haskell, who wanted to know if Tweed would be interested in taking a trip down the Amazon. He wanted to retrace the famous expedition that Teddy Roosevelt, Tweed’s great-grandfather, had taken in 1914.
Over the years, Tweed had reenacted several of TR’s adventures, including seeking out mountain goats in Idaho and going on safaris in Africa, but generally speaking, the trips weren’t all that arduous; Tweed would admit that he’s more comfortable puttering around Lake Tashmoo, where he’s lived for decades, than wandering through a steamy rainforest. But nonetheless, he was intrigued.
“I made some quick decisions,” said Tweed. “It seemed way off in the future, plus he didn’t sound like he could pull it off, so I figured I could say I’ll go but I’d never have to do it.”
But as luck would have it, by 1992, it looked like Haskell was indeed going to pull it off, and Tweed started to wonder what he’d gotten himself into. Since TR’s historic trip, three other attempts had been made to retrace the route: One had succeeded, one was forced back, and one was never heard from again. So yes, Tweed had every right to be apprehensive.
In 1913 Colonel Cândido Rondon of the Brazilian Army had approached Theodore Roosevelt about exploring Rio da Duvida — the River of Doubt, as it was known, because it was in the heart of the Brazilian rainforest and no one knew how long it was or exactly where it went. Rondon was looking to map the river and establish Brazil’s right to the territory by exploring it. Roosevelt, still stinging from his defeat in the “Bull Moose” presidential campaign, was just looking for a good adventure to divert himself.
The Roosevelt-Rondon Scientific Expedition spent 60 days on the river. They encountered countless hardships, including hostile Indian tribes and disease — TR nearly died of malaria — and in the course of the trip, three men died.
Ultimately, Tweed and Haskell’s expedition would spend 30 days on the river and successfully retrace the route of the Roosevelt-Rondon expedition. There were hardships, and danger was a constant companion, but nothing compared with TR’s trip.
I recently sat down with Tweed at the West Tisbury library, and we compared and contrasted the two expeditions. Tweed is in his seventies, jocular, self-effacing, and articulate on a myriad of subjects, and if you squint, you get a glimpse of the old Rough Rider. We began by looking at the two expedition leaders: Rondon and Haskell.
By all accounts, Colonel Cândido Rondon was an extraordinary man. He was half-Indian, and became the equivalent of a five-star general in a country that didn’t take that kindly to Indians. And then you have Charles Haskell.
“Haskell was a rich guy with serious problems, a complete fraud,” said Tweed, “much like Trump. He said he was a Green Beret — he wasn’t. It became clear he was incompetent, and he became despondent, nearly had a breakdown.”
One thing the two expeditions did have in common was the river itself. The Rio da Duvida, now called the Rio Roosevelt, is largely unchanged. “If TR had been in the front boat of our expedition, he wouldn’t have been able to see much different,” said Tweed. “There are fewer animals, but you don’t see them anyway.”
There are three kinds of rivers in the jungle: white, green, and black, depending on the amount of plant life in the river. Rio da Duvida was black (the least amount of plant life) — an inky ribbon that wound nearly 400 miles through the emerald-green forest.
Both parties had to deal with the presence of the indigenous people of the rainforest, but the two groups had entirely different interactions. The Roosevelt-Rondon expedition was under constant threat from Indians, and was ultimately at their mercy. There were night attacks, and ominous signs such as severed monkey heads left in the explorers’ path, and their dog was shot full of arrows. But Rondon insisted that no harm be done to the native people, and his restraint ultimately won the Indians over and resulted in the party’s safe passage.
Tweed’s party experienced a much different interaction. They came across a camp comprised of about 30 huts. Meat was still cooking on the fire, but no one was in sight. The camp clearly had been abandoned. Except, upon further investigation, it was discovered that the tribe’s inhabitants were all gathered in a large hut — watching “Star Trek” on a TV set that was hooked up to a satellite dish. What makes the scene even more surreal was that many of these people had likely never had human contact with outsiders before. What they must have made of Kirk and Spock is anybody’s guess.
While medicine has made great strides since 1914, for practical purposes Tweed’s expedition was only marginally better medically prepared. TR’s expedition had a qualified Brazilian doctor with them, but the only medical equipment he had was a stethoscope.
“TR had been in a carriage accident and had an anaerobic infection in the bone, which even today is hard to treat,” Tweed said. “Then he crushed his leg on the river and reactivated it. The Brazilian doctor had to cut him open with no antiseptic … scrape the bone and sew him up — and all he had was a jackknife. TR was a tough guy; I don’t even like to go to the dentist.”
Poisonous snakes were a problem for both parties. Tweed once had a fer-de-lance, one of the most deadly snakes in the world, in his raft for a day without noticing it. He asked the doctor if he had any anti–snake venom, just in case. The doctor informed Tweed that no, he didn’t, because the venom had to be specific to the snakebite, and not only that, it had to be refrigerated. But he did have a cattle prod. When Tweed asked the doctor what good that would do, the doctor replied, “Not much … but it will take your mind off the snakebite.”
For the most part there was no serious illness on Tweed’s expedition. They had all taken antimalarial drugs prior to leaving, but as Tweed noted, the drug just suppressed the symptoms until you could get home and get it fixed. TR, on the other hand, contracted malaria, spiked a 105° temperature, and was very lucky to have survived.
And then there was that incident with the “electric caterpillar.” Early on in Tweed’s trip, one of the scientists went for a swim to cool off in the 100° temperature, came out of the water and threw himself on the ground, writhing in pain. The doctor gave him Demerol, but it didn’t help. One of the Indians in the party said not to worry, he’d be all right, an “electric caterpillar” had dropped on him and the pain would go away — in four weeks. Actually it was more like six weeks, but he survived.
Both expeditions were also plagued with insects. To give you some idea of the magnitude of the insect population in the Amazon, Tweed said that scientists had once fogged a tree and placed tarps on the ground around the trunk, and 10,000 different species were found. One tree.
Fortunately for Tweed, his expedition had DEET, which helped with some insects but not all.
“The annoyances came in clouds,” Tweed said, “and anyone who was there will tell you that the stingless bees are worst … thousands of them … you breathe them, and they get in in your eyes … they drive you nuts.”
Tweed was collecting insects for the Museum of Natural History, and he did most of his collecting at night at the campsite. He had a little generator with a bright light to attract the insects, which Tweed confessed “didn’t make me very popular.”
Being able to follow in TR’s footsteps gave Tweed’s party a significant psychological advantage. The Haskell-Roosevelt expedition had the benefit of having extremely accurate maps that Rondon had created. They knew where they were going, and when the trip would end. Rondon and Roosevelt, on the other hand, never knew what lay ahead, or when or where the trip would end. Especially as members of the party became sicker, this proved to be a huge grind on their morale.
The other areas where the advantage went to Haskell-Roosevelt had to do with equipment and supplies. “TR made the trip in dugout canoes,” said Tweed. “They were heavy [around 2,500 pounds], hard to maneuver, and hard to get through the rapids.”
TR had eight or nine of these canoes, and had to replace them all several times. “To make a new canoe,” said Tweed, “they had to stop, cut down a tree, burn and chisel out the inside; it took several days.”
Tweed’s party used inflatable rubber Avon rafts. They were light and durable, and able to hold up to all but the most severe rapids. All totalled, TR had to portage (carry his canoes overland) more than 30 times; Tweed had to do it only six times.
Tweed also benefited from having freeze-dried rations, and when they wanted to fill in with fresh food, ironically, the man-eating piranhas proved to be in abundant supply and good tasting.
TR had planned on hunting for provisions and using Brazil nuts to make flour, but it was rainy season, so both pursuits proved futile and they were often faced with hunger.
One other area where you would think that Tweed’s group would hold a distinct advantage would be in communication with the outside world. In theory, at least, this was true. The only problem was that their satellite phone and radio didn’t work. What did work was their EPIRB, which sends out a signal in case of an emergency. The reason they knew that it worked was that their intrepid leader, Charlie Haskell, inadvertently set it off. “Somehow the Canadian military picked up the signal,” Tweed said, “and wired it down to the Brazilians, and nine days later a plane flew overhead — no pontoons, mind you, and of course there was no runway for hundreds of miles, but the plane circled around a few times and then flew overhead and threw down a Coke bottle with a note inside that said, ‘Are you all right?’”
So what do we learn from all this? First of all, the Roosevelts are pretty hearty stock, and TR was in a league of his own. I asked Tweed what it was like to be a Roosevelt.
“It’s like asking what it’s like to breathe air,” he said, “It’s all I’ve known. It’s got a lot of benefits, but along with them come obligations. The obligations are trying to do some sort of community service and to perpetuate the memory of TR’s ideas and works, which are valuable for this country, certainly now. I came to terms with the fact I was nothing like TR, never would be, but his memory was worth preserving.”
Tweed is currently president of the Theodore Roosevelt Association, an organization dedicated to perpetuating the memory and ideals of Theodore Roosevelt. This year’s TRA annual meeting is a very special event that will take place in Oyster Bay at Sagamore Hill. It is a celebration of both Theodore Roosevelt and the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. The event will be held on Oct. 29 under the stars on the lawn of Sagamore Hill. It sounds like a beautiful evening — most civilized — but one has to wonder where old TR would have held it. One can only imagine.
Tweed has indicated that plans are in the works for producing a video re-enacting his 1992 expedition on the occasion of its 25th anniversary.
For more information on the Theodore Roosevelt Association, go to theodoreroosevelt.org.
On Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 7 pm, Tweed will conduct his monthly book discussion group, “Tweed’s Reads,” at the West Tisbury library. This month’s book is “Riotous Assembly” by Tom Sharpe. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/30/return-river-doubt/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/cf5323b5ea2ca8a6e3e1f834fac7196a7a3c965596d36ff2384a322ad5c80774.json |
[
"Warren Woessner"
] | 2016-08-30T20:52:16 | null | 2016-08-30T16:26:11 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2Fpoetry-corner-closing-time%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/30/poetry-corner-closing-time/ | en | null | Poetry Corner: Closing Time | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | Last night, smoke,
steak and wine.
Up late — endless jokes
about right women
and wrong women
This morning it’s clear
and cold. You cover
the pontoon boat
while I watch warblers
blow away over the channel
like yellow leaves
In my hand, any one
of them would be warmer
than that bottle
left out by the empty chairs
and the dead fire.
It’s half-full, but no one
is in a hurry to take it
into the house.
Warren Woessner is the senior editor of Abraxas magazine, and a part-time resident of Edgartown. His most recent poetry collection is “Clear All the Rest of the Way” (Backwaters Press). | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/30/poetry-corner-closing-time/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/43286b7ee5c9310d13b13f37ae167164ae3a7cb7a7dfacb8b67ae8e33d640265.json |
[
"The Martha'S Vineyard Times"
] | 2016-08-30T20:51:33 | null | 2016-08-17T17:33:21 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F17%2Fred-fox-holds-answer-lyme%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/17/red-fox-holds-answer-lyme/ | en | null | Red fox holds an answer to Lyme | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | To the Editor:
A direct correlation between the killing off of red foxes (a key predator of the white-footed mouse, the primary reservoir of the Lyme disease bacteria) and sharp increases in Lyme disease incidence has been found (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: “Deer, Predators and the Emergence of Lyme Disease”), a relationship I’ve long suspected might exist, prompting me to advocate for a study evaluating the pros and cons of reintroducing red foxes to the Island.
We certainly fit the bill. Our red fox population was killed off some time ago, and our Lyme disease rates are invariably among the highest in the state.
Recently, another animal-importation idea in the fight against Lyme disease on the Vineyard has been floated: releasing into the wild hundreds of thousands, or more, of genetically engineered white-footed mice. The two proposals, at a glance, seemingly at odds with each other — calling to mind the old parable about a fox and a chicken in a rowboat — the red foxes potentially dining on some, or all, of the experimental mice.
Not necessarily. The lab mice program is said to be at least 10 years away and if non-breeding (sterile, or only male, perhaps) red foxes — which typically do not live past five years of age in the wild — were to be released first, conflict between the two programs could be avoided. Additionally, radio collars could be used on the foxes for monitoring purposes.
While a five year or so controlling upper limit to the presence of red foxes on the Island could be established, the genetically altered mice, as I understand it, once resident, would be here, for all intents and purposes, forever.
It remains to be determined, but possibly several to a half-dozen red foxes per square mile might be needed to restore a natural balance to our overabundant Lyme and other infectious disease-bearing rodent communities.
Thomas Sullivan
Vineyard Haven | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/17/red-fox-holds-answer-lyme/ | en | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/beba75f10bc96ed7984b1263636e0ab24ca1bc2b84118da68cbf29ccc3bb27bf.json |
[
"The Martha'S Vineyard Times"
] | 2016-08-26T13:02:37 | null | 2016-08-24T17:03:14 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F24%2Fedgartown-man-arrested-cocaine-distribution-charge%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2016/08/Facey.jpg | en | null | Edgartown man arrested on cocaine distribution charge | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | Police found what they said were 24 bags of cocaine.
Early Tuesday evening, officers from the Martha’s Vineyard Drug Task Force arrested Everton G. Facey of Edgartown, for possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, after they stopped him in his vehicle and found 24 small plastic bags of a white powdery substance police said was cocaine.
Police stopped Mr. Facey, 47, at the intersection of Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Road and 11th Street South in Edgartown Tuesday evening in a 2010 Infiniti FX35. Police were armed with a search warrant to search Mr. Facey and his car.
“Several small plastic bags that contained a white powdery substance believed to be cocaine fell to the ground when Mr. Facey was assisted out of his car,” according to a press release.
Police later obtained a second warrant to search a residence at 35 11th Street South, where Mr. Facey, formerly of Jamaica, rents a room. Police said they found drug paraphernalia and packaging material used in drug distribution.
Mr. Facey is currently being held at the Dukes County Jail on $5,000 bail and is scheduled for arraignment in the Edgartown District Court on Thursday, August 25.
Mr. Facey had been has been under investigation by the Martha’s Vineyard Drug Task Force for the past several months, according to police. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/24/edgartown-man-arrested-cocaine-distribution-charge/ | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/c467e0339669fea7bbdd42e20908e2434a3b977c182c5618f37d52c7c85876ef.json |
[
"Chris Baer"
] | 2016-08-30T18:52:15 | null | 2016-08-09T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2Fleonards-motor-service%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2016/08/93a-Leonards-close-up.jpg | en | null | This Was Then: Leonard’s Motor Service | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | Leonard’s Motor Service, known in its earliest days as “Lake Avenue Garage,” was located in downtown Oak Bluffs where Jim’s Package Store stands today. The dapper gentleman in hat, spectacles, and necktie on the right is owner Alpha Leonard, a 1904 Brown University graduate who served as school principal in Bath, N.H.; Camden, Maine; and Attleboro before moving to the Island to become Oak Bluffs High School principal from 1915 to 1919, and then Tisbury High principal about 1920.
An avid sportsman and athletic coach, Leonard was a talented skeet shooter, trapshooter, and archer, and as treasurer of the Rod and Gun Club, he enjoyed teaching the mastery of both gun and bow. He was also a licensed pilot. In 1921 he left education to buy this garage and service station (initially with a partner, whom he soon bought out), and ran it for 45 years. It was renamed “Leonard’s Motor Service and Sport Shoppe,” and is still fondly remembered for its penny candy counter. During the 1950s Leonard’s was a Hudson dealership as well, selling Hornets, Wasps, and Jets.
Alpha’s oldest son Freeman worked there for decades as a mechanic, and by the late ’40s his younger son Howard became his business partner. It was sold in 1966, and became Ben David’s Garage.
Chris Baer teaches photography and graphic design at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School. He’s been collecting vintage photographs for many years. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/30/leonards-motor-service/ | en | 2016-08-09T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/605c112d9e8c94d641bfc62c63eac61ca2d6e7386bc14b19c24ba86eea003e60.json |
[
"Cameron Machell"
] | 2016-08-30T20:51:25 | null | 2016-08-17T14:14:50 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F17%2Ftisbury-selectmen-mull-anchoring-ban-tashmoo-lagoon%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2016/07/tashmoo-boats.jpg | en | null | Tisbury selectmen mull anchoring ban in Tashmoo, Lagoon | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | The Tisbury eelgrass advisory committee presented a report and recommendations to Tisbury selectmen Tuesday night that included a proposal to ban anchoring in certain areas of Tashmoo and Lagoon Ponds to maintain the health of eelgrass in the salt pond.
“We formed this committee to make recommendations for us to protect eelgrass in our waters,” selectmen chairman Melinda Loberg said.
Gerry Hokanson, chairman of the eelgrass committee, presented the committee’s report to selectmen, which included recommendations for anchoring and moorings in Lake Tashmoo and Lagoon Pond.
According to the report, eelgrass is a valuable ecological resource that needs to be protected as it impacts the total nitrogen in the water, as well as dissolved oxygen. Eelgrass also has an effect on green crabs, geese, ducks, sediment quality, turbidity, water clarity, wave tidal energy, fertilizer, pesticides, and shellfishing activities.
Mr. Hokanson said that specific recommendations need to be developed by the Harbor Management Committee (HMC), the harbormaster, and the board of selectmen. He also said that selectmen should develop a monitoring program to evaluate the impact of a no-anchor zone.
Ms. Loberg posed a series of questions: “If the town was going to entertain banning anchoring in eelgrass, anywhere, what are the alternatives for anchoring? Where are the places that people could anchor that do not affect eelgrass? Is it possible for us to redirect people so that they have a place [to anchor]?”
Ms. Loberg asked the committee to explore these questions and return when selectmen next meet on Sept. 13. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/17/tisbury-selectmen-mull-anchoring-ban-tashmoo-lagoon/ | en | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/5fecf06d1b4370a6a33af328203e015d4cb94e5fe3776142f76a97c12faba5af.json |
[
"Mollie Whalen"
] | 2016-08-30T20:52:06 | null | 2016-08-30T15:19:27 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2Fbridge-notes-49%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/30/bridge-notes-49/ | en | null | Martha's Vineyard Times | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | At the Edgartown Bridge Club on Monday, August 22, 14 tables were in play. North-South winners were David Donald and Barbara Silk, followed by Sandy and Michael Lindheimer in second, Steve Allen and Cathy Minkiewicz in third, Eric Stricoff and Rhonda Cohen in fourth, Duncan Walton and Richard Eubanks in fifth, and Gerry Averill and Diana Dozier in sixth. Finishing in first place in the East-West direction were Barbara McLagan and Lee Sinai, followed by Judy Cronig and Dotti Arnold in second, Jim Kaplan and Ann Brown in third, Art Spielvogel and Kevin Carey in fourth, Cynthia Provost and Barbara Burwen in fifth, and Jack Fuller and Marge Ramsey in sixth place.
At the Martha’s Vineyard Bridge Club in Vineyard Haven on August 23, eight tables were in play for a special game. Overall winners were Rachel Alpert and Barbara McLagan in first place, followed by Jim Kaplan and Ann Brown in second, Judy Baker and Gerry Averill in third, Don Nelson and Pamela Furtsch in fourth, and Deirdre Ling and Ed Russell in fifth. Also finishing were Gail Farrish and Warren Morse.
At the Island Bridge Club in West Tisbury on August 25, seven tables were in play. North-South winners were Rachel Alpert and Barbara McLagan, followed by Sandy and Michael Lindheimer in second, and Jim Kaplan and Linda Schapiro in third. East-West winners were Carol Whitmarsh and Sari Lipkin, followed by Dave Donald and Rich Colter in second, and Gerry Averill and Caroline Baum in third.
On Saturday August 27 at the Bridge Club of Martha’s Vineyard, nine tables were in play. North-South winners were Ann Brown and Duncan Walton, followed by Deirdre Ling and Carol Whitmarsh in second, Patsy McCormack and Joan Perrine in third, and Eric Stricoff and Rhonda Cohen in fourth place. East-West winners were Cheryl Neal and Dotti Arnold, followed by Anita Persson and Linda Schapiro in second, Brenda Davenport and Joan Byrd in third, and Jim Kaplan and Brooks Robards in fourth. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/30/bridge-notes-49/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/e2ab686cab50b500e9dca06141cf9093176beab2cb40a918314964e143309a90.json |
[
"The Martha'S Vineyard Times"
] | 2016-08-30T20:51:57 | null | 2016-08-30T16:32:32 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2Fjohn-s-kenney%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2016/08/JohnKenney_ObituaryPhoto-304x282.jpg | en | null | John S. Kenney | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | John S. “Shack” Kenney, D.V.M., 79, died on Saturday, August 27, 2016, with his family by his side.
His lifelong love of horses led him to his distinguished career as an equine veterinarian, having also been one of the breeders of Albatross.
John played a wicked good game of racquetball and tennis. His unabashed Southern charm, good looks, and snarky humor endeared him to many. The consummate curmudgeon, he loved to rile and be riled by anybody up for the challenge, and would kill to win a heated game of Scrabble; he was also a really sore loser.
John ventured into real estate, and truly enjoyed being a docent at Polly Hill Arboretum along with his wife, Corinne, whom he adored.
He is survived by Corinne; his children Jonathan, Jennifer, and Megan; brother Charles; sister Carolyn; grandchildren Alex, Patrick, and Lauren; great-grandchild Sydney Rose; and faithful Cairn terrier Pip. John will be sorely, sorely missed.
In lieu of flowers, if you wish, donations may be sent to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital (stjude.org) and/or The Polly Hill Arboretum on Martha’s Vineyard (pollyhillarboretum.org). Arrangements are under the care of the Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home, Oak Bluffs. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/30/john-s-kenney/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/f40bef0eb6c870a7af687954d43372d7ae7ef044cb3387bdf8235c86286b86d7.json |
[
"Megan Alley"
] | 2016-08-30T18:52:08 | null | 2016-08-30T14:35:59 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2Foak-bluffs-back-school%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/30/oak-bluffs-back-school/ | en | null | Oak Bluffs: Back to school | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | Labor Day weekend is just about here, and there has already been a slow exodus of families, and students returning to their off-Island homes. Expect crowded beaches, roads, and stores for the next few days and then a remarkable change on Monday afternoon, as our population decreases to bearable amounts. All schools on the Island will open on Tuesday, Sept. 6. The list of school supplies students are requested to bring may be found on the Oak Bluffs School website. The days have changed from when the only “supply” we brought to school was possibly the small wooden pencil box, with two or three pencils stored beneath the sliding top.
Our Martha’s Vineyard Museum has reached the $14.5 million mark in fundraising to renovate the old Marine Hospital into a new museum for everyone. What a wonderful location for a huge reservoir of Island history. I still remember when our Girl Scout troop entertained the sailors at the Marine Hospital one Thanksgiving season with a pageant we put on. We had to make our costumes, and as I had the part of an Indian, I made my costume from a burlap bag decorated with colored beads. I often wonder what those patients thought of us as we danced and performed for them. Hopefully we brought a little joy and holiday spirit into their lives.
The Retired Educators Lunch is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 6, at the Barn, Bowl and Bistro in Oak Bluffs. The luncheon will be held at noon and the cost is $25 per person. If you haven’t signed up yet, you must by 10 am today, Sept. 1.
We send our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Linda Garvin Scott, who passed last week. Linda was such a kind, cheerful person, who charmed her patients with her care and interest in them. We are so sorry, and send our sympathy to her husband Frank and her children Sam, Naomi, and Matt.
On Friday, Sept. 2, from 1 to 3 pm, our Oak Bluffs library will hold a workshop, “All Ages Dance with Naomi Goldberg.” Co-sponsored by the Yard, the workshop will be movement-based for all ages and skill levels (with a focus on seniors), and will be accessible for those with wheelchairs, walkers, or other supports. Activities for the class will incorporate a variety of movements that will allow participants to exercise their brains and bodies.
Hal Garneau has been collecting antique stereo views of Martha’s Vineyard for over 35 years. On Tuesday, Sept. 6, he will present ”Cottage City Through the Stereoscope: A 3D Presentation.” He will share more than 100 vintage photos of Oak Bluffs in full 3D. His slideshow presentation will include historical commentary to accompany the images and a brief history and explanation of stereo photography. 3D glasses will be provided. For times and more info, please contact the library.
September is Banned Book Month, and in honor of this, the library has some special plans. They have a bingo sheet for teens to grab and challenge themselves to read the most disputed books.
Crafty Saturdays in September take place from 10 am to noon. On Sept. 3, there will be a back-to-school craft, and the 10th will be focused on a grandparents’ day craft.
There are some events planned for kindergartners on their half-days. Thursday, Sept. 9 will be a games afternoon from 1 to 2:30 pm.
The Oak Bluffs Senior Center is asking that Oak Bluffs residents over the age of 55 complete a survey for the Council on Aging. Its purpose is to discover what additional activities and programs can be offered at the center on a weekly basis. Surveys can be picked up at the library, the Town Hall on the bench beyond the Tax Collector’s Office, and at the Senior Center. If you have a computer, you may get a copy at surveymonkey/r/obcoa.com.
Peter Boak is a widely known Vineyarder, schoolteacher, director of the Island Community Chorus, and also the choir director and organist for the Federated Church, a position he has held for 20 years. To recognize this significant accomplishment, the Music Committee and the Federated Church Choir will be sponsoring a Celebration of the (First) 20 years of Peter Boak’s Music Ministry on Sunday, Sept. 4, as part of the worship service, followed by a luncheon reception at the Mayhew Parsonage immediately after the service. If you would like to express your thanks and appreciation to Peter personally, please bring or send a short note to the Church Office. There will be a collection basket in the Meetinghouse, Parish House, and the Parsonage, and Peter will get all the messages.
Ocean Park in Oak Bluffs has been the location for the Martha’s Vineyard Wind Festival for the past six years. It is meant to bring people from all Island towns together. This year’s festival will take place on Sept. 10, with a rain date of the 11th. Free kite making for children will be provided from 10:30 to noon, and the adult flying competition starts at 1 pm. This is a great family event, and the web site for info is mvwindfestival.com. If there are any questions, you may call Holly Alaimo at 508-693-5444.
We send birthday smiles to Ed Ben David Sr., Evelyn Christopher, and Valarie O’Donnell on Sept. 2, Robert Pacheco on the 3rd, Judy Cunniffe on the 5th; smiles to Skylar Hall on Sept. 6, and Holly Hawkes and Susan Phillips on the 7th.
Enjoy your week. Peace. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/30/oak-bluffs-back-school/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/bbdae06a1699a4252d47e87ed735c187b7e584890415db020ded1aadac0e6ea8.json |
[
"Michelle Gerhard Jasny V.M.D.",
"Michelle Gerhard Jasny",
"V.M.D. Has Been Practicing Veterinary Medicine On The Vineyard Since",
"Writing The Visiting Vet Column For More Than Years. She Lives",
"Works In West Tisbury."
] | 2016-08-30T20:52:18 | null | 2016-08-30T15:55:54 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2Fvisiting-vet-creatures-great-small-awards%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2016/08/chesney-web.jpeg | en | null | Visiting Vet: The All Creatures Great and Small Awards | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | It’s time for Dr. Jasny’s Almost Annual Labor Day All Creatures Great and Small Awards. Last year September slipped right past me without an Awards column. This year due to space limitation and my aging memory, I probably won’t acknowledge everyone who deserves mention. So for all who feel they aren’t getting fair media coverage, I bestow the “Bernie Sanders What Am I, Chopped Liver” Award. In the related “I’m Not With Her” division for the local animals I don’t know personally because they see other Island veterinarians, pick your own ribbon from a selection including “Make My Animal Great Again,” “The Gary Johnson Not Quite 15 Percent,” and “Jill Who?” awards. To those disgruntled with current political or veterinary choices, there’s a “Write In a Candidate or Off-Island Veterinarian Of Your Choice” ribbon.
Now down to serious business — the Donald Trump Category. “What’s That on Your Head” blue ribbon goes to Miss Sophie, the shih tzu who grew an odd bony protrusion on her forehead. Thankfully the specialists are not concerned about it. We are, however, concerned about really bad public behavior. “Sticks and Stones” ribbons are for pets who sometimes threaten. Happily, their barks (or hisses) are usually worse than their bites. Third place goes to Tigger, Baxter, Aly, Nelson, Barkmulch, Zadie, Henry, and Magic. Second to German shepherd Sophie, Staffordshire terrier Stella, and border collie mix Charlotte, whose owners excel at understanding and handling them. First place to Traveller. This 80-pound malamute could seem scary, but his mom has him well trained, always balancing keeping everyone safe and not overreacting. The “I Don’t Know Anything About David Duke” award goes to Willy, whose owner seemed unaware of his dog’s potentially dangerous aggressive behavior.
“Not Temperamentally Fit to Be Patients” awards for serious aggressiveness toward veterinarians go to three cats: Sophie, Suzette, and Chloe. Although they are lovely and affectionate with their owners, I can’t get near them. Thanks to tranquilizers and Dr. Buck’s bravery, we managed to vaccinate Sophie recently. Chloe gets a special “Throw ’Em Out, Get ’Em Outta Here” ribbon. I tried making a home visit a while back to see if she would accept me better on her own turf, but she literally attacked me and chased me out of the house. Not one of my better moments.
In the Hillary Camp we have “Private Server Telemedicine” Awards for working well with me via text and email. Third-place ribbons to Xochi, Honey, Hansel, and Jaspur. Tied for second are Isaac and Izzy. Isaac’s owner took video that proved her pup’s intermittent lameness was genuine and pronounced. Izzy’s mom texted me photos of worm-laden feces (at my request, so I could identify the parasites). I keep forgetting to delete them from my phone. Ew. First place for his owner’s respectful long-term texting back and forth goes to Cooper, who survived autoimmune thrombocytopenia and now is coping with nasal carcinoma. Honorable mention to Spencer, who always seemed fine in the office, so I asked for a video of the worrisome behavior exhibited at home. The film they sent was almost completely black, so I couldn’t see what Spencer was doing, but it did have useful if nauseating audio of his retching and gurgling. In the “Love, and Apparently Politics, Means Never Having to Say You’re Sorry” Division, I send apologies to the owners of Cochise, and Stella. I got a tad testy trying to separate my personal technology from my professional. For others to whom I owe a mea culpa, but whom my fried motherboard has deleted from memory, I’m sorry.
Interrupting politics for a brief visit to Rio, we have “Michael Phelps Go for the Golden” gold medals for a raft of golden retrievers — Moose, Yoda, Cooper, Xochi, Zach, Chillie, Harper, Dory, Casey, Nanuk, Bailey, Kaya, Honey, Jacob, and more. The Olympic Spirit Gold Medal goes posthumously to Hashbrown, who wagged his tail with a loving, happy attitude throughout two weeks of heartrending, debilitating illness. His owner faithfully nursed him until it was clear the only humane course was to say goodbye. He and his mom are champions in my book. The “1,500-Meter Freestyle Blue Ribbon” goes to Chesney, the dog that fell off the ferry and was rescued by passing boaters. The “Ryan Lochte Inappropriate Urination Award” has many contenders. Third to Spot, Sasha, Jilly, and Ziva. Second to Sammy, the intact male dachshund whose mother loves him so much she opted to leave him his family jewels and tolerate his urine-marking behavior. (However, we give the associated “Please Don’t Defund Planned Parenthood” award to all those who do neuter their pets.) I have to give first place to my mother’s new cat Taylor, whose initial penchant for peeing in potted plants and on rugs resulted in my mom calling me multiple times every day for weeks. After all, if your kid’s a veterinarian, she should be able to make your cat stop doing that, right? Even from 200 miles away. Hi, Mom.
I always close these awards by remembering pets who have passed away. Naming this category can be a delicate endeavor, but not today. It has been two years since Robin Williams died. I still miss him. And now Gene Wilder is gone, too. To me, and I say this with the deepest respect, these men embodied all the qualities that also make us love our dogs and cats. They make us laugh. They touch our hearts. They are full of affection, loyalty, playfulness, and innate wisdom. So for all the loved ones lost, we give “Mork and Willy Wonka” awards to Shlomi, Rosie, Simba, Beatrice, Pickett, Ringo, Nacho, Cupcake, Peaches, Kiwi, Skittles, Olive, Henry, Chancy, Cozy, Ricky, Justine, Jazzmin, Jaspur, Jeter, Joey, Chloe, Zoe, Ella, Stella, Lola, Dollie, Ollie, Callie, Yogi, Woody, Warren, Teddie, Sylas, Stanley, George, Georges, Angel, Bigfoot, Slick, Flip, Sammy, Edison, Betty Boop, Kitty Wampus, Beau, Maxx, Fiona, Audi, Zak, Boo, Mina, Phoebe, Hannah, and many more, including Houdini, who taught me how much someone can love even a wee hamster. Nanu, nanu. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/30/visiting-vet-creatures-great-small-awards/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/00c18afaafcc29efd2696a3fc27395f3fcd62bc0619f33fd9b3e68d8ade2a6c8.json |
[
"Connie Berry"
] | 2016-08-26T13:01:17 | null | 2016-08-25T12:13:48 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F25%2Ffaith-finding-grace-small-stuff%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2016/08/AndreiCojan-2.jpg | en | null | Have Faith: Finding grace in the small stuff | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | When Father Brian Murdoch from Grace Episcopal Church first told me in April about his plan to invite interns to the Island to work on Norton Farm this summer, I was a tad skeptical. Early-morning farm work in the hot sun mixed with living in community with strangers in a bunkhouse seemed like a stretch. Who would commit to spending their summer working and praying every day? As it turns out, there were six young adults who took Father Brian up on his offer.
At a recent communal Sunday supper prepared by two of the interns, Daniel McDermott and Keisha Dennis from Jamaica, they told me they learned a thing or two about grace this summer. It was Daniel and Keisha’s turn to cook, and they made sweet and sour sauce to go over chicken, and over veggies for the vegans in the group. They told me they gather at the church’s rectory three times a week to share food and fellowship.
The other interns helped put plates and silverware on the rustic wooden tables out on the rectory’s wraparound porch. Father Brian made sure all the guests had what they needed, and mingled easily among the young people and a few of the church’s parishioners who had come for dinner.
Meanwhile, I was able to chat with the interns before they got too involved in enjoying the meal.
I sat with Jasmine Robinson and Jake Horvath, noting that they were each looking at books about spirituality before dinner. Jasmine is a student at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and she said she has found a new best friend in Jake, who’s from Connecticut. Jasmine explained that Daniel and Keisha came to the Island together, and that the other two interns, Lindsay Allen and Sierra Armstrong, were also already friends before they arrived at Grace Church’s summer program. This meant she and Jake bonded over their shared experience of coming to the Vineyard on their own.
For someone who is used to determining her own schedule, Jasmine said this summer has given her a glimpse of what it’s like to let go.
“I like to think I’m a very flexible
person,” Jasmine said while we chatted. “But God has shown me this summer that I can’t control everything. I’ve always been able to choose my situation, and this time I didn’t. I’m learning to take what comes.”
She said her parents don’t let her take off for just any summer job, and they asked her why she wanted to come to the Island.
“I told them I want to learn to lead,” Jasmine said. “Then I prayed for someone to help me to do that, and God delivered Jake.”
Jake’s not a complete stranger to the Vineyard. His aunt lives here; she read the Have Faith column about Father Brian’s summer program and told Jake about it. He said he had long explored other religions before coming to the conclusion that Christianity was the right choice for him. Jake said he came into the program willing and ready to learn more about grace.
“Before I came, I prayed to God that I could look at the little things, and I think Father Brian is helping with that journey — catching those moments of grace,” Jake said.
The interns wake up between 5 and 6 am, and Father Brian arrives at Norton Farm at around 7:30 to lead them in morning devotion. Afterward they get busy harvesting the bounty at the farm, and then clean up at around 11 am and head out to their jobs in the community. Jasmine is working at the Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association, helping with special events and programming. Jake is helping out at Phil DaRosa’s recording studio.
All the interns pitch in with Friday’s lobster roll suppers at the church, and with other tasks around the parish.
Lindsay Allen lives in Maryland and is a student at Xavier University in New Orleans. She said that her parents and Father Brian have a mutual friend, and that’s how she heard about the internship. Lindsay thought her friend Sierra might be interested, and the two of them decided to give it a try. They both work at the Black Sheep gourmet store in Edgartown, and as nannies for the same family.
“For me it was a chance to be in a different place,” Sierra said. “When I heard that it was geared toward finding grace, something told me I should go for it.”
It seems Father Brian’s idea of grace was not what Sierra originally recognized.
“Before, grace kind of seemed like it had a small, precise definition,” she said. “Now, I know it’s more complex than I realized. Honestly, it’s more confusing, because it’s a lot broader than I thought.”
Her friend Lindsay said she had a more difficult time choosing whether to come to Martha’s Vineyard for the summer or to stay home in Maryland in her comfort zone.
“Ultimately, I wanted to do something new,” Lindsay said. “It’s been amazing.”
The faith community at Grace Church has gleaned its own grace from welcoming the interns.
For Liz Da Silva, who is a member of the vestry, the experience of bringing young people into the fold at her church has been “wonderful.”
“It brings life to our church,” Ms. Da Silva said.
She said she thought the number of interns was just right, and the fact that they came from varying backgrounds added to the experience. The larger picture, Ms. Da Silva said, is the hope that the young people go back to their own communities bringing a little bit of Grace Church with them.
“I hope they go away carrying a little bit of us with them, because we definitely have a little bit of them with us,” she said.
For Father Brian, watching this process unfold has been its own reward. “I have been deeply encouraged by how this has come along,” he said.
He said that the friction the interns have felt as they have lived and worked together has pushed them to find the “light between each other.”
Would he offer the program again?
“Yes, hands down yes, absolutely,” Father Brian said. “It’s been vigorous and has required a lot of discipline, but it has encouraged us to learn from grace and to pass it along.”
To learn more about the summer internship program at Grace Episcopal Church in Vineyard Haven, call Father Brian at 508-693-0332. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/25/faith-finding-grace-small-stuff/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/b253a33722c5162a35a6661ddaac8ce8b9656709ac06558e0b643eb5f36b0e99.json |
[
"The Martha'S Vineyard Times"
] | 2016-08-29T18:51:25 | null | 2016-08-29T13:41:16 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F29%2Feileen-sullivan-mayhew-2%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/29/eileen-sullivan-mayhew-2/ | en | null | Eileen Sullivan Mayhew | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | Eileen Sullivan Mayhew died on May 21, 2016, after celebrating her 101st birthday with her family and friends at Long Hill in Edgartown.
Born in Melrose on May 11, 1915, Eileen was the seventh of the 10 children of Margaret (Sidley) and John Sullivan of County Cork, Ireland. She attended St. Mary’s Parochial School in Melrose and then Cheverus High School in Malden. She graduated from Emmanuel College in Boston with the class of 1937, having majored in biology and chemistry. After graduating, she studied at Massachusetts Memorial Hospital to become an X-ray technician.
Eileen came to Martha’s Vineyard in 1938 to work as the first X-ray and laboratory technician at the Vineyard hospital. She married Benjamin C. Mayhew Jr. on Jan. 18, 1941. A fisherman’s wife, Eileen was instrumental in getting the town of Chilmark to approve women scalloping in Menemsha and Quitsa Ponds. She served briefly as the Chilmark Postmistress, and was involved with the Chilmark Community Center and the Town Affairs Council. Eileen was a strong supporter of her husband’s political involvement in the community as selectman of Chilmark and as the representative of Dukes County in the Massachusetts State House. She was a loving, dedicated mother to their five children.
Eileen was predeceased by her husband in September 1969 and her daughter Eileen Mayhew May in January 1999. She is survived by her three sons, Benjamin Mayhew III (known as “Skip”) of Edgartown and his wife Cristina; Gregory Mayhew of West Tisbury and his wife Lois; Jonathan Mayhew of Chilmark and his wife Anne; and one daughter, Margaret Pénicaud of Chilmark and her husband Dominique. She had 27 grandchildren and 33 great-grandchildren.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 am, Saturday, Sept. 10, at St. Augustine Church in Vineyard Haven, followed by a celebration of her life at the Chilmark Community Center (about 11:30). In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to Good Shepherd Parish, P.O. Box 1058, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568, or to the Supportive Day Care Program of the Martha’s Vineyard Center for Living, P.O. Box 1729, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/29/eileen-sullivan-mayhew-2/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/205f7df9701a8c59cc2356f40acbd0c43bc591739f05c0473320fb90a815d4e8.json |
[
"Abigail Higgins"
] | 2016-08-30T18:52:17 | null | 2016-08-30T13:07:44 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2Fa-dry-summer%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2016/08/Squibnocket-goldenrod-2.jpg | en | null | Martha's Vineyard Times | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | Here we are in September’s golden splendor, contemplating the season’s passing and reviewing the summer during its final weeks. While we hope to regain a measure of peaceful quiet, and life returns to whatever “normal” might be, we shall miss our seasonal adrenaline and visitors.
Goldenrod and grasses are spectacular now; they and other features of the landscape appear to be little affected by the dry conditions. Many domestic plantings, meanwhile, are struggling with them. Anxious reports of beach plum scarcity abound, and yet I continue to see bountiful crops in a number of locations.
Dry season
The crabgrass is bright green; everything else, less so. Many of us have been monitoring the dry conditions as they consolidated into drought while the season wound its way onward. The experts have assured us that there is no reason to worry, that the aquifer is — so far — in good shape. Nevertheless, I witness what I consider to be a profound, astounding mindlessness here about water and water use, and am guilty of it myself.
Maybe it takes having gardening friends or houseguests from the arid West, or California, to remind us to use this most precious resource with care. For a more in-depth look at Island water issues, please check out the Island Blue Pages, a project of the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group at bit.ly/islandbluepages.
But that is straying away from what water means to gardeners.
My household is on a well, and I do not ordinarily irrigate my gardens, vegetable or ornamental, without wondering and worrying about how much the well’s static level has dropped. However, currently I am reluctantly watering a bed of beet seedlings (see below) under Reemay that went in two weekends ago. Without watering they would not survive in these conditions of heat and dryness.
Plantings and gardens will be more satisfactory and satisfying if we adhere to designs and plants that do not require irrigation or intensive water use. Neither does being on town water let you off the hook: As a shared resource it actually demands greater obligation, and consideration of others.
If these cyclic weather patterns continue to trend, we shall need all the trees and shade we can get. Plant for future shade now! Avoid all shallow-rooted trees adapted for moist soils (unless you are in a bog), and maples, unless it is a species specifically said to be drought-tolerant. Maples struggle in the heat and drought, and really want to move up north, to Canada. Watering a tree or shrub for purposes of establishment is one thing, for its lifetime quite another.
Plants drooping, parched and tattered, are hard to bear. Most good garden and plant books contain lists in the appendices for different requirements, including drought tolerance. Perhaps the first directory to seek out is the Polly Hill Arboretum Plant Selection Guide: bit.ly/plantselectionguide.
As a general rule, one is looking for trees and shrubs with deep root systems, well adapted to obtaining residual soil moisture during dry periods. Some of these are not exactly noble — more like weed — trees and shrubs. However, among them are a few of my favorites: lacebark elm, zelkova, and catalpa.
Drought stress
Around the Island today, many deciduous trees and shrubs are showing early autumn coloration and yellowing. This is a sign of drought stress in most instances: The plant is looking to shed leaves early, to minimize transpiration of moisture. It is an adaptive advantage of deciduousness.
In my woodland garden, the contrast between planted North American natives Cornus alternifolia and oakleaf hydrangeas, looking sere and parched, and nearby, naturally occurring beech and sassafras, looking green and perky, is quite striking. If your tree or shrub is suffering, deepening and widening the mulch ring with a composted product is one solution to try (keep mulch away from trunks).
Describing the carbon cycle is a few words more than I have room for in my column, but a shorthand way to say it is: Carbon loves water loves carbon. The “brown” of compost attracts H2O. If you are a soil geek, exciting reading about the carbon cycle is found in Kristin Ohlson’s “The Soil Will Save Us.”
For instance, instead of planting mophead hydrangea or clethra, try the deeper-rooted panicle types, or the drought-tolerant natives, bayberry and members of the viburnum or witch hazel tribe. Huckleberry, dangleberry, lowbush blueberry, and bearberry predominate in the understory in several dry-woodland Island habitats; try them for a mass planting.
As an example of a reasonably successful garden for drought conditions in a very hot, punishing Island location, an unirrigated bed contains perovskia, salvia, nepeta, lavender, hardy plumbago (ceratostigma), elsholtzia, and muhly grass (muhlenbergia), enlivened with a few six-packs of annual portulaca.
This planting is nothing complicated or sophisticated — no structured “plant community” here — but has survived well all season with no additional watering, only dew and rainfall. Had the owners decided they wanted an “English garden,” they would have been doomed to failed plants, higher well stress, and disappointment.
Beet seedlings
Trying to work down my seed-packet accumulation, without high expectations I sowed two past-expiration date packets of beet seed in flats of seed mix. In the perverse manner of these things, it appeared that each packet, from 2011 and 2012, achieved close to 100 percent germination. So there I was, with many, many little beet seedlings, growing their first true leaves, to transplant.
Luckily my sister-in-law, who likes to keep busy, was in the neighborhood. She was up for the challenge. On a sweltering morning, troweling out careful handfuls, we dropped them into holes made using the five-prong broadfork as a jig, and “washed” them in with the watering can spiked with comfrey tea. Before long we had a flat and three-quarters planted, all the space available. Under the Reemay they went, and now, delightfully, are accompanied by a seedling catch of lettuce and radicchio, self-sown from the bed’s previous occupants. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/30/a-dry-summer/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/fd6ec8cef9419f9101e9ad3dd98740aa32c70a6fbf2dd07fac056f7f55ca44f1.json |
[
"Rich Saltzberg"
] | 2016-08-26T13:03:02 | null | 2016-08-10T16:07:06 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F10%2Fabutters-group-appeals-squibnocket-project-approval%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2016/08/squibnocketweb.jpg | en | null | Abutters group appeals Squibnocket Project approval | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | The residents have asked the Department of Environmental Protection to overrule approval by the Chilmark conservation commission.
The time consuming and challenging road to reach agreement on a plan to preserve Squibnocket Beach and provide access to a private subdivision has taken a sharp turn. In a notice filed June 13 and made public last week by the Chilmark selectmen, a group of Chilmark residents asked the state Department of Environmental Protection to overrule the Chilmark conservation commission and issue a superseding order of conditions.
At issue is an 11-foot elevated causeway that would be constructed at a cost of millions of dollars to provide access to the Squibnocket Farm subdivision. Construction was expected to begin this fall.
The Squibnocket plan has encompassed three years of discussion, planning, meetings, and votes leading to a plan to restore Squibnocket Beach to its natural state, move the existing town beach parking lot, and construct an elevated access road over a wetland.
Property abutters primarily objected to the height of the proposed causeway and guardrail, which is designed to replace the often storm-damaged gravel road that provides the only access to the 14 homes in the Squibnocket Farm subdivision to the west of the town beach.
The causeway, a 300-foot-long and 12-foot-wide, single-lane road similar in style to the Menemsha dock causeway, is elevated as much as 13 feet above the marshy ground at the edge of Squibnocket Pond. The estimated $4 million project was designed and will be paid for by the Squibnocket Homeowners Association.
A separate but related project includes the removal of the stone revetment behind the existing and eroding town beach that proponents said will allow it to return to a more natural state. In conjunction, a new, larger town parking lot would be created on higher ground along the access road that now leads to the existing lot, under the terms of a new 99-year lease.
The petition to the DEP is signed by 20 residents identified as “Chilmark Citizens Group.” It is unclear whether the appeal will affect a state grant to help fund the project.
In their five-page letter, the Chilmark Citizens Group notes that “the zoning bylaws governing the Squibnocket Pond Overlay District are among the strictest on Martha’s Vineyard.” The petition argues that the documentation is not complete and further that “The possibility of a non-causeway alternative is simply dismissed out of hand.”
The Squibnocket Farm Homeowners Association has filed for dismissal of the petition.
Reached by telephone this week, selectman James Malkin, former chairman of the Squibnocket committee, and the man whose diplomatic skills helped craft an agreement, told The Times that the project slated for Squibnocket Beach is important for three main reasons.
Mr. Malkin said due to coastal erosion, the town needs better beach parking because the current lot is “falling apart.” He said it was also important to improve beach access — that the beach is submerged and inaccessible at high tide. Lastly, he noted that “regular, emergency and utility” passage to Squibnocket Farm is in jeopardy due to erosion and that the current access road is particularly susceptible to Nor’easters.
Beach Report
A report by Chilmark beach department assistant superintendent Karyn Robertson at last week’s selectmen’s meeting highlighted the changes occurring at Squibnocket Beach. Ms. Robertson said: “Squibnocket Beach has been inaccessible when it’s high tide.” She said the tide rises against the rock wall, and that the staircase is “unusable” at certain stages of the tide.
“We actually had somebody try to use the staircase when the tide was high; it didn’t really work out so well for them.” She added, “people are really not able to access the beach unless they crawl down the rocks, which I really don’t think is too safe.”
Ms. Robertson also said at low tide there’s only about 10 to 15 feet of beach in front of the parking lot, and that the conditions overall have led to a big drop in beachgoers.
“The most swimmers we’ve had in the swim area at one time has been about three,” she said. She told the selectmen that because of this, the department has assigned lifeguards to more popular swim areas that include Menemsha Beach.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported that beach department assistant superintendent Karyn Robertson told selectmen that the staircase is unusable. To clarify she said it was only unusable at certain stages of the high tide. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/10/abutters-group-appeals-squibnocket-project-approval/ | en | 2016-08-10T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/ab68658a756fb8c6f5e51d507eed89c05f917959999113f085c50d34bf6f6341.json |
[
"The Martha'S Vineyard Times"
] | 2016-08-26T13:03:28 | null | 2016-08-24T16:40:27 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F24%2Fpay-attention-manuel-f-correllus-state-forest%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/24/pay-attention-manuel-f-correllus-state-forest/ | en | null | Pay attention to the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | The Manuel F. Correllus State Forest lies in the geographical center of Martha’s Vineyard, a 5,343-acre expanse of native scrub oak, pitch pine, and assorted introduced species that include white pine, and for years stands of dying red pine, evidence of a failed effort to create a harvestable lumber plantation.
The state forest was created in 1908 in an effort to provide a refuge for the heath hen, which disappeared from the face of the earth when the conservation effort proved to be too little too late. Although it failed in its original purpose, over the past century the state forest has provided a refuge for Vineyarders and visitors — walkers, runners, bicyclists, and, in season, hunters — anyone seeking a quiet, easily accessible corner of the Island uninterrupted by development.
However, when compared with other conservation properties under the management of Island-based organizations, the state forest has failed to live up to its potential as an important recreational and conservation asset. In part, this is because the state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) cannot afford to devote the attention or resources needed. The state forest is just there, a large expanse of mostly impenetrable tangle of scrub oak crisscrossed by trails and roadways maintained as best they can be by one hard-working, devoted superintendent.
Two years ago, Ginny Dautreuil was named Island Forest and Parks supervisor, solely responsible for the state forest. For two years, Ms. Dautreuil told reporter Barry Stringfellow, she rented in Falmouth and commuted, one of a number of members of the Island workforce who now call the mainland home. This week we learn that she will leave for a job in another part of the state where housing will not be such a challenge, another victim of a housing market where those who form the bedrock of our community are unable to afford to live.
Ms. Dautreuil arrived on the Island to fill the job held for 26 years by the widely respected John Varkonda, who died unexpectedly on New Year’s Eve, 2013, at age 55. Ms. Dautreuil is only the third person, and first woman, to hold the post. The first was Manuel F. Correllus, for whom the forest is named.
Ironically, there is a house in the state forest that functions as an office and headquarters. It would seem only natural that DCR would renovate the house so it could be used to provide housing. Having the person responsible for the state forest living onsite would provide innumerable benefits, but as far as we can learn, that is not in the offing.
Asked about a replacement for Ms. Dautreuil, a DCR spokesman said, “Currently, the Department of Conservation and Recreation is reviewing the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest Supervisor position, and the search for a replacement is ongoing.”
The spokesman, who responded on background, did not answer a question about use of the house for supervisor housing.
In other words, the state is in no rush to hire her replacement. Or invest much money in an expanse of woodland for which there has been a lot of talk but not much action.
The last major effort occurred in 2009 when DCR contracted to remove dead and dying red pines as part of a three-year, 237-acre “emergency ecological restoration project.” The project was intended to restore native trees such as pitch pine and scrub oak, and reduce wildfire risks and public safety hazards, at a cost of $240,000.
DCR needs to invest in the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest. One option is to move ahead with finding a new, energetic superintendent who will make the Island his or her home.
But DCR might consider a more innovative approach: Turn over management of the state forest to the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank, an Island organization with a proven record of management for conservation and recreation. The Land Bank currently manages 3,300 acres with a staff of five, including an ecologist and land manager. Trails are well marked and maintained.
Land Bank policies are set by an elected board of commissioners with representation from each Island town. Adding the state forest to the Land Bank portfolio of properties would provide direct control by Islanders with a vested interest in its management. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/24/pay-attention-manuel-f-correllus-state-forest/ | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/8d02453747aaa5402796e93db4c3672c2ce8413bfe1f7ecca08a8319e5151516.json |
[
"Barry Stringfellow"
] | 2016-08-26T13:01:43 | null | 2016-08-24T17:04:41 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F24%2Foak-bluffs-selectmen-asked-act-mopeds%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2016/08/moped-rental-shop-Ride-On.jpg | en | null | Oak Bluffs selectmen asked to act on mopeds | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | Debate on King’s Rentals zoning violation serves as the opening salvo of a renewed battle to curtail mopeds on Martha’s Vineyard.
The agenda at Tuesday night’s Oak Bluffs selectmen’s meeting listed a “Discussion of King’s Rentals layout on Circuit Avenue Extension.” On the face of it, the discussion was in response to a complaint that King’s Rentals, a moped and bicycle rental business, was in violation of a town zoning bylaw that prohibits private businesses from using town-owned land.
However, at the heart of the discussion was a much bigger issue — to ban or not to ban moped rental businesses in town. While chairman Gail Barmakian tried to keep the discussion on the zoning violation, the majority of people at the well-attended meeting were there to pressure selectmen to consider a ban on moped businesses outright.
Campaigns to ban mopeds have come and gone on Martha’s Vineyard, with no success. The current movement was sparked by a horrific accident on July 30 when two young women from New Hampshire collided with a dump truck, one of them losing a leg at the scene.
Three of the four moped rental businesses on the Island operate in Oak Bluffs. A fourth operates in Tisbury.
All three of the Oak Bluffs moped businesses, King’s Rentals, Island Hopper’s (sic) and Ride-On Mopeds, are co-owned by Jason Leone.
Ms. Barmakian said Mr. Leone was unable to attend the meeting due to an emergency.
The recent Streetscape Survey done by the Oak Bluffs Downtown Streetscape committee showed that King’s Rentals was storing mopeds on town property, and that town property was also used for the state-mandated “test track” which riders must complete successfully before venturing onto public roadways.
The discussion Tuesday night was prompted by an August 12 letter to the board of selectmen by Nicole Brisson of Edgartown, in which she cited the zoning bylaw violation, and a litany of state and town bylaw violations, including late payments on business permits, incomplete applications, and lack of proper training by the three Oak Bluffs moped operations.
Ms. Brisson is spearheading a rejuvenated “Mopeds Are Dangerous” campaign.
Ms. Brisson told selectmen she recently rented a moped at King’s Rentals, and was told if she didn’t fall when she got on a stationary moped, she could attempt the test track. The route began on Circuit Avenue Extension, with a right turn onto Pasque Avenue, then a right turn on Oak Bluffs Avenue back to King’s Rentals and a “horribly dangerous intersection” — in busy August traffic.
Ms. Barmakian said that she and Mr. Whritenour had spoken to Mr. Leone last week, and that he told them he’d already removed a number of mopeds.
Selectman Mike Santoro confirmed that the the number of mopeds on the property had diminished in the past week.
Mr. Barmakian also said that Mr. Leone told her that a previous board of selectmen voted to allow him to use the town-owned land on Circuit Avenue Extension.
Alice Butler, office administrator for town administrator Robert Whritenour, said an extensive search of selectmen’s meeting minutes showed no such agreement.
Selectman Kathy Burton, a branch manager at the nearby Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank in downtown Oak Bluffs, said she sees King’s Rentals in operation every day, and that she was “very concerned” about what she sees. She said that she’d seen many instances of people leaving King’s Rentals who were in questionable control of their mopeds.
“I haven’t checked since this reduction, but I don’t know how it’s possible that you could have mopeds just on their private property,” she said. “I’ve been concerned about them conducting a private business on public property, and that’s not right. I get so upset about this I just broke my pen.”
“It’s a problem situation,” Mr. Whritenour said. “It’s going to take a while to figure out what is appropriate there.”
Mr. Whritenour said he thought a joint effort between the police and the selectmen would provide an appropriate solution.
“I have extreme concerns, and I would say the town could be liable to litigation,” former Chilmark Police Chief and Oak Bluffs homeowner Tim Rich said.
Selectmen agreed to discuss the topic further, with Mr. Leone present, at their next meeting on Sept. 13.
In other business, selectmen unanimously voted to accept two donations, totaling $1,137, to defray the cost of this summer’s beach raking on Pay Beach and Inkwell Beach. Richard Seelig presented a $661 check from the Oak Bluffs Citizens Beach Committee, and Caroline Hunter presented a check for $476 on behalf of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, the first African American sorority in the country. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/24/oak-bluffs-selectmen-asked-act-mopeds/ | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/06e35fd2d62b8aea2a414890c5e2d3d0e624a99896fe2c890e2bcdd696bae8f8.json |
[
"Gwyn Mcallister"
] | 2016-08-26T16:48:47 | null | 2016-08-24T19:12:50 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F24%2Fplein-air-group-exhibit-old-sculpin-gallery%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2016/08/Katama-Mist_9x13_Pastel_Finnerty_550.jpg | en | null | Plein air group to exhibit at Old Sculpin Gallery | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | For the first time in their 60-plus-year history, the Old Sculpin Gallery, home of the Martha’s Vineyard Art Association, will host a show by an outside, nonmember group.
For two weeks, beginning with an opening on Sunday, August 28, members of the group Aire MV will exhibit work all created en plein air over the course of the summer.
Aire MV was established four years ago as an informal group of artists who wanted to hone their skills painting landscapes on location. Every Tuesday throughout the summer, the eight artist members met at a different Island location to complete individual works onsite.
“Stepping away from whatever your usual process is really invigorates you and informs your work,” Aire MV member Valentine Estabrook said. “It demands that you create something in 90 minutes. You’re painting the light as it hits the subject. The light changes.”
The core members of the Aire MV group are Lowley Finnerty, Judith Howells, Kanta Lipsky, Marjorie Mason, Liz Taft, Kate Taylor, and Valentine Estabrook. The Old Sculpin show will also include work by guest artists Meg Mercier and Gail Rodney.
Every year since the group’s inception, the Aire MV artists have held an end of the summer exhibition at a different venue, which they have rented for the show. This year, the group members are pleased to exhibit in an established gallery. “Having the space arranged ahead of time has really helped us to focus on our painting this year,” Ms. Estabrook said.
Along with the opening reception, the group will hold a handful of other events throughout the duration of the show. On Tuesday, August 30, the artists will gather on the lawn of the Harbor View Hotel for a painting demo. Guests are encouraged to speak with the artists and watch them paint the Edgartown Lighthouse and other vistas. The Harbor View paintings will be hung at the Old Sculpin Gallery for the second week of the show, with another reception spotlighting the new work on Sunday, Sept. 4. Both receptions will feature refreshments, and music by Willy Mason.
The group will also offer two educational opportunities. On Thursday, Sept. 1, Aire MV artists will lead a class in still-life painting in the upstairs studio space of the Old Sculpin. All supplies needed will be included in the $15 fee.
And last, the Aire MV show will end with a closing night party on Friday, Sept. 9.
All work will be on sale for the duration of the show. Artists will split the profits with the Martha’s Vineyard Art Association.
Opening reception: Sunday, August 28, 5 to 7 pm, Old Sculpin Gallery, Edgartown. Plein air demo: Tuesday, August 30, 6 to 7:30 pm, Harbor View Hotel, Edgartown. Paint with the Artists: Thursday, Sept. 1, 6 to 8 pm, Old Sculpin Gallery, Edgartown. Registration required. $15.
Plein Air Reception: Sunday, Sept. 4, 5 to 7 pm, Old Sculpin Gallery, Edgartown.
Artist Lecture and Demonstration with Marjorie Mason: Tuesday, Sept. 6, 6-7 pm, Old Sculpin Gallery, Edgartown.
Plein Air Closing-Night Party: Friday, Sept. 9, 7 to 9 pm, Old Sculpin Gallery, Edgartown. For more information, visit marthasvineyardartassociation.org. | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/24/plein-air-group-exhibit-old-sculpin-gallery/ | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/7016fa16e03e79051f81a5728f792d7bed223f540ccb96b96732a25da39500d0.json |
[
"The Martha'S Vineyard Times"
] | 2016-08-30T20:51:29 | null | 2016-08-17T17:40:33 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mvtimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F17%2Fhe-got-it-all-wrong%2F.json | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/17/he-got-it-all-wrong/ | en | null | He got it all wrong | null | null | www.mvtimes.com | To the Editor:
This is in response to a Letter to the Editor from Peter Robb (August 10, “Obama legacy questioned”).
I suppose it’s obvious that we all see things the way we are predisposed to see them, and this, being a free country, enables each of us to express our point of view. But I would like to point out a few things to Mr. Robb.
First, history is not made up of neat four-year packages. The most intractable problems that Mr. Obama was forced to face were our economy and the mess in the Middle East.
So, the mess in the Middle East is the fault of Mr. Obama, eh? I seem to recall a U.S.-instigated war there started around 2003, a war that generated many thousands of casualties, as well as numerous unintended consequences, most of which had their origins during the Bush administration.
Terror attacks pre-existed the Obama years and will continue in the years to come, as long as there are crazy people willing to give their lives for a cause, however perverse. As to the Iranian nuclear agreement, why don’t you just wait and see, instead of condemning it at its inception?
On the home front, as has been pointed out many times, the Affordable Care Act was modeled after what I think is the very successful state program here in Massachusetts, put into effect during the governorship of that radical, Mitt Romney. Its lack of Republican support seems to show, at least to me, an unwillingness on the part of the Republicans to compromise.
The Act has been highly successful in giving as many as 20 million people access to a health care plan for the first time, and would have been more successful if not for Republican-controlled states preventing state expansion of Medicare. Sure, there are flaws in the Act which should be addressed, but I have seen no willingness on the part of the Republicans in Congress to move in that direction.
“A divide and conquer strategy yielded two victories.” Well, it’s true that each of our major parties has had its own constituencies over the years, but, in the end, presidential contests are won by the candidates who garner the most electoral votes, and Mr. Obama accomplished that twice, handedly — and without help from the Supreme Court.
As to statistics that purport to prove the failure of Mr. Obama’s leadership, once again you do so from your own perspective. I found that opinion varied greatly on the matter of regulation. An interesting article in the Sunday New York Times describes Mr. Obama’s gradual embrace of regulation, when he realized that he was not going to get any help from the Republican Congress, in matters relating to human rights, consumer and environmental protection, minimum wage, automobile emissions and mileage. From my perspective, these are matters which have needed addressing for a long time. Of course, others may feel differently; that is their right.
I’m sure, Mr. Robb, that you remember the state that our economy was in as our previous president was leaving office. Now, I don’t believe that the president alone is responsible for how the country is faring economically, so I can’t go so far as to say that President Bush created the almost-depression of 2008. But I can say that it took a great effort, first TARP, then the Obama stimulus (naturally opposed by Congressional Republicans) to begin to bring us back.
And while the recovery hasn’t been as broad-based as hoped, we are in much better condition than we were when Mr. Obama took office, as well as compared to most of the rest of the world today. What was the unemployment rate at the beginning of the Obama presidency? And what is the unemployment rate today? Employment is yet another issue that is governed by many factors, most notably technology. Can we turn the clock back to the 1950s? I don’t think so.
Our debt, though large, is not so large when compared to the country’s Gross Domestic Product. Japan runs a surplus every year, yet that country has been stagnating for a couple of decades. And if debt is so terrible, then why do other countries eagerly buy our bonds? They must know something that you don’t know.
Sure, regulations can sometimes cost money, but promoting cleaner air and water, helping ordinary people avoid fraudulent lending practices, giving same-sex couples the same rights the rest of us have enjoyed, preventing airlines from abusing their customers during flight delays, giving folks access to affordable health care, increasing the minimum wage for certain government workers, are worthwhile achievements that can even sometimes save money in the long run.
Economic growth has been roughly the same as during the Bush years. Median income growth has been stagnating for almost four decades and to assert that it has only been occurring since Mr. Obama took office is just plain false.
To Mr. Robb’s pronouncement of “the corrosive effect of the President’s hyperpartisanship,” I can only say partisanship is not something new. Talk about partisanship — the Benghazi cover-up — how many more futile Congressional investigations do you need before you’ll realize there was no cover-up. Violent crime is bad in some places, just as it always is, but overall, violent crime has been decreasing for a long time, not “rising dramatically,” as you so brazenly assert. Are race relations worse than before? I hardly think so. There is much work to be done, and some awful events have taken place, but at least today the matter is no longer just ignored or minimized.
Let’s see how the voters view the Obama years, as this November shapes up to be, at least in part, a referendum on the last eight.
Steve Auerbach
Oak Bluffs | http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/17/he-got-it-all-wrong/ | en | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | www.mvtimes.com/8b854ba75252a95f09f9d0fa48020a40b24083d1ed13fabb68cd84009e3b2fa6.json |
[
"The Bellefontaine Examiner Staff"
] | 2016-08-29T16:47:29 | null | 2016-08-29T11:38:03 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fnews%2F70345-call-811-before-digging.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/Misc_Logos_Photos/CallBeforeYouDig.jpg | en | null | Call 811 before digging | null | null | www.examiner.org | Representatives of Columbia Gas of Ohio are issuing a reminder to area residents that every digging job requires a call to 811, whether a large-scale projects or smaller do-it-yourself projects.
Homeowners first should make a call to 811 when building a deck; putting up a mailbox; installing a fence, small pond or water fountain; planting a bush, hedge or tree; or pouring concrete.
While natural gas pipelines are sometimes identified by markers placed at intervals along pipeline rights of way, don’t rely solely on the presence or absence of a pipeline marker, officials said. The markers are helpful for indicating the presence of pipelines in the area, but they don’t show the exact location, depth or how many pipelines are in the right-of-way.
The top five reasons to call 811 are:
• It’s dangerous to dig without calling 811;
• Fixing damaged utility lines is very expensive;
• It’s against the law, and fines and penalties can be thousands of dollars;
• Damaged lines can disrupt utility service to entire neighborhoods; and
• It’s free.
Always call 811 at least two business days before digging begins. Vectren, Columbia Gas of Ohio and other utilities will mark the approximate location of buried lines at a dig site.
If a contractor does the work, make sure they call 811 to have utilities located.
For more information, visit www.811pledge.com. | http://www.examiner.org/news/70345-call-811-before-digging | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/31d4e51ad1529978d5d2f7f3fed4003ba15bbb42d704c37e7c57f5170e33c377.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:07:08 | null | null | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2FURL.json | http://www.examiner.org/templates/gk_news2/images/favicon.ico | en | null | Bellefontaine Examiner | null | null | www.examiner.org | 08/25/2016 STEPHEN WHYNO, AP Sports Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — One by one, swimmer Katie Ledecky handed her Olympic medals to Bryce Harper. Four gold medals and one silver from the Rio Olympics sat in the hands... | http://www.examiner.org/URL | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/1171973b929271a66f2d51ca7ba780949e49d316719b095d0ac2b5164c9bb504.json |
[
"Mandy Loehr"
] | 2016-08-27T14:46:32 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fnews%2F70274-playground-transformed.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/2016/08.27.16/Little-Learners-2.jpg | en | null | Playground transformed | null | null | www.examiner.org | Little Learners recipient of Lowe’s Heroes project
Children and staff at a day care center in the city have been watching an amazing transformation this week of one of their favorite spaces — their playground — through a community service effort performed by a dedicated crew of volunteers.
More than 40 employees of Lowe’s Home Improvement, 2168 S. U.S. Route 68, Bellefontaine, are volunteering their time to install new playground equipment and provide other updates at the Little Learners Christian Day School, 345 Washington Ave.
Volunteers from Lowe’s Home Improvement in Bellefontaine install a swing set Wednesday afternoon at the Little Learners Christian Day School, 345 Washington Ave., Bellefontaine, as part of a community service effort through the Lowe’s Heroes program. (EXAMINER PHOTO | MANDY LOEHR)
The outreach effort is made possible through the Lowe’s Heroes program. Every year, each of the approximately 1,700 Lowe’s stores in the U.S. undertakes a project to improve their home communities. All of the labor and materials for this project are being donated free of charge to the child care center, explained Tiphani Harris, Lowe’s of Bellefontaine human resources manager.
Little Learners Child Care Director Mary Beth Neighoff said the newly installed playground equipment and renovations were long overdue, as the outdoor space has not received many updates since the facility opened in 1984.
“When I drove in today and saw all of the trucks, I teared up. We feel very honored and very blessed to be selected,” the 22-year employee of the center said.
Read complete story in Saturday's Examiner.
CLICK HERE to subscribe today!
WEB EDITION STARTING AT $9.50 FOR 5 WEEKS! | http://www.examiner.org/news/70274-playground-transformed | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/9d814a941a993b2d872f7cac7fff5d337e448b427ce7ecfcf324470780ebe7fb.json |
[
"The Bellefontaine Examiner Staff"
] | 2016-08-30T16:47:16 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fsportsx%2F2012-11-16-20-11-00%2F70393-raiders-turn-back-bulldogs-for-three-set-win.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/2016/08.30.16/BLvolleyball.jpg | en | null | Raiders turn back Bulldogs for three-set win | null | null | www.examiner.org | After a back-and-forth battle to start the match, Benjamin Logan’s volleyball team took command against visiting Ada for a three-set victory Monday 29-27, 25-17, 25-6 in non-league play.
Benjamin Logan’s Coreen Crosby goes up for an attack during the second set of Monday’s match against Ada at Ben Logan High School. (EXAMINER PHOTO | AARON LaBATT)
The win keeps the Raiders unbeaten at 4-0.
Bri Frazier and Coreen Crosby led Ben Logan with 12 kills each. Sarah VanDyke had eight kills, Stanleigh Archer tallied six kills and Betsy King recorded five kills, four blocks and three assists.
In junior varsity action, Ben Logan defeated Ada 24-14, 25-19.
Madison Jones led the Raiders with five kills, 10 assists and five digs. Sammie Green recorded three aces, Sydney Kossel had five kills and five digs and Bailey Shope added three blocks and two kills.
For the full story and Complete VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP,
pick up a copy of Tuesday's Bellefontaine Examiner. CLICK HERE to subscribe.
WEB EDITION STARTING AT $9.50 FOR 5 WEEKS! | http://www.examiner.org/sportsx/2012-11-16-20-11-00/70393-raiders-turn-back-bulldogs-for-three-set-win | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/8385be31b3314c0df80f4afc5fe39a0061f2c3277ac6abbde613d4fee7a1c125.json |
[
"The Bellefontaine Examiner Staff"
] | 2016-08-29T16:47:09 | null | 2016-08-29T11:08:19 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fsportsx%2F2012-11-16-20-11-00%2F70339-wl-salem-girls-bounce-miami-east-at-crew-stadium.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/Sports_logos/Soccer.jpg | en | null | WL-Salem girls bounce Miami East at Crew Stadium | null | null | www.examiner.org | West Liberty-Salem’s girls soccer team dropped Miami East 3-0 on Saturday in a non-league contest at Crew Stadium in Columbus.
The Tigers are now 2-0 on the season.
Gabby Hollar fueled WL-Salem’s offense with two goals and an assist, Taylor Lauck had one goal, while Madison Bender and Ashley Rabenstein each had an assist.
Defensively, Paige Shafer made three stops in goal and Rachel McGill had one.
WL-Salem travels to Lehman Catholic on Tuesday for a non-league game.
Ben Logan edges Southeastern
The Benjamin Logan girls soccer team defeated Southeastern 2-1 in non-league action Saturday.
Ben Logan is now 1-2 on the season.
Jada Orahood and Stevie Plikerd each scored a goal for the Raiders.
Goal keeper Katelyn Shellenberger stopped four shots on goal.
BOYS SOCCER
Ben Logan zaps Southeastern
Benjamin Logan’s boys soccer team handled visiting Southeastern 9-3 on Saturday in a non-league contest.
The Raiders are now 3-0-1 on the season.
With the score tied 2-2 early in the first half, Ben Logan pulled away with seven more goals to help lock up the victory.
Timmy Gerholdt powered Ben Logan with four goals and two assists, Rylan Studebaker had two goals and three assists, George Kern had two goals and an assist and Peter Kratz had a goal.
Josh Mears, Will King and Cameron Epp each tallied assists.
In junior varsity action, Ben Logan defeated Miami East 2-0 in a game that was called in the first half because of lightning.
Henry Myers and Jagur Beaschler each had a goal and Cole Kennedy and Dylan Welsh both had assists.
The defense saw Jamie Gill recorded two saves in the shutout.
Ben Logan hosts Tecumseh on Wednesday in a Central Buckeye Conference matchup.
Spartans record win
Calvary Christian’s boys soccer team rolled past visiting Monclova Christian of Toledo 7-3 on Saturday.
The Spartans are now 2-0.
Tyler Reinhard powered the Spartans with three goals and one assist, Clayton Slemmons had two goals and one assist, Josh Kilgore had one goal and one assist, Chris Myers had one goal, Jon Salmonowicz had two assists and Matt Bender added an assist.
Defensively, Grant Criner and Slemmons combined for eight saves in goal.
Calvary Christian hosts Marion Christian on Thursday. | http://www.examiner.org/sportsx/2012-11-16-20-11-00/70339-wl-salem-girls-bounce-miami-east-at-crew-stadium | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/3e31c15c1919ae7df1fa17268019ecd73f0198ed91e23010fb1646b72d61b676.json |
[
"The Bellefontaine Examiner Staff"
] | 2016-08-26T13:05:36 | null | 2016-08-25T10:55:58 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fnews%2F70185-updated-learning-software-spotlighted-treasurer-earns-excellent-evaluation.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/Schools_LogoPics/OhioHiPoint_Logo.jpg | en | null | Updated learning software spotlighted; Treasurer earns excellent evaluation | null | null | www.examiner.org | Superintendent’s salary set
As Ohio Hi-Point students settle into another year of learning, they’ll do so in upgraded learning environments that now match more closely professional industry standards, the career center board members learned Wednesday in a regular meeting.
Improved and “modernized” technology now includes points-of-sale computer systems in service-oriented vocations, such as the cosmetology program. Labs have been cleaned and reorganized, and computer software has been updated as well, school board members learned.
Additionally, new toolboxes and work benches were built over the summer by students in the welding program.
Read complete BOE NEWS in Thursday's Examiner.
CLICK HERE to subscribe today!
WEB EDITION STARTING AT $9.50 FOR 5 WEEKS! | http://www.examiner.org/news/70185-updated-learning-software-spotlighted-treasurer-earns-excellent-evaluation | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/45830dbc1061aee008d499e64c50c9aa5129b81c658d239f40364e5dd67ddb1e.json |
[
"The Bellefontaine Examiner Staff"
] | 2016-08-26T16:46:50 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fnews%2F70250-country-fair.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/2016/08.26.16/DGfair-1.jpg | en | null | Country fair | null | null | www.examiner.org | Landen Hartner, 5, leads his father Greg Hartner down Main Street as the Roung Up whirls in the distance Thursday evening during the DeGraff Country Fair. The event continues this weekend with Main Event Wrestling from 6 to 8 p.m. today and the band Better than Nothing from 8 p.m. to midnight. The DeGraff Fire Department also hosts bingo beginning at 7 p.m. and Rite Aid offers flu shots and blood pressure checks from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight. A full slate of activities Saturday begin with an 8 a.m. 5K, Zumba at 9 a.m., a bike and pet parade at 10:30 a.m., Gloria’s Tumbling at 12:30 p.m., the main parade at 2 p.m., a bake sale at 3:30 p.m., a talent show at 5 p.m., a video game truck from 7 to 9 p.m., fire department bingo and Ganster’s spaghetti eating contest at 7 p.m. and the band On My Unknown closing out the festival from 8 p.m. to midnight.
EXAMINER PHOTO | REUBEN MEES | http://www.examiner.org/news/70250-country-fair | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/2d55afea0a8d47734f581b7631eabb34697f572d02e3d843d7ff2f35d1f7effd.json |
[
"Joel E. Mast"
] | 2016-08-27T14:46:19 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fnews%2F70272-quincy-squad-uses-state-grant-to-cover-lifepak15-purchase.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/2016/08.27.16/quincy-squad.jpg | en | null | Quincy squad uses state grant to cover Lifepak15 purchase | null | null | www.examiner.org | New system gives department latest lifesaving technology
When someone dials 911 for a squad, they are expecting the best emergency medical services possible and that can be a large hurdle for small volunteer departments, Quincy-Miami Township EMS Department Chief Mike Dodds said Thursday.
His department doesn’t have the tax base and financial resources to drop $32,500 on the latest 12-lead Lifepak15 monitoring and defibrillator system.
So he sought out funding from the Ohio EMS Agency to easily clear the financial hurdle.
Quincy-Miami Township EMS Chief Mike Dodds runs a demonstration sequence on a Lifepak15 recently purchased for his department using a state grant. It is the latest available technology for squads. (EXAMINER PHOTO | JOEL E. MAST)
Read complete story in Saturday's Examiner.
CLICK HERE to subscribe today!
WEB EDITION STARTING AT $9.50 FOR 5 WEEKS! | http://www.examiner.org/news/70272-quincy-squad-uses-state-grant-to-cover-lifepak15-purchase | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/62696ba744af117825188a65c8d62e7ccaeea9ef1cd59b1d11c9da66ad39af73.json |
[
"Matt Hammond"
] | 2016-08-27T12:46:20 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fsportsx%2F2012-11-16-20-11-00%2F70265-lightning-halts-battle-between-chiefs-and-redskins.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/2016/08.27.16/BHSwapak.jpg | en | null | Lightning halts battle between Chiefs and Redskins | null | null | www.examiner.org | Bellefontaine and Wapakoneta were locked in an entertaining battle when Mother Nature took over Friday night.
Bellefontaine’s Dezmin Lyburtus carries the ball down field as Wapakoneta’s Kais Chiles attempts to make the tackle during their game Friday at AcuSport Staidum. (EXAMINER PHOTO | TONY BARRETT)
The Redskins had just scored a touchdown to go up 16-14 at the 8:33 mark of the third quarter. As Wapakoneta prepared to attempt the extra-point kick, lightning was spotted and the game was halted.
With the lightning flashing several more times over the next half hour as the teams waited in their respective locker rooms, the decision was made to postpone the contest and finish it at 10:30 a.m. today at AcuSport Stadium.
“We have to reset the batteries and come back ready to play (today),” said Bellefontaine head coach Toby Smith. “We can’t do anything about the situation. We just have to make the best of it and prepare ourselves for (today).”
It was a good start for the Chiefs.
“We are in a position to win the game,” said Smith. “We have to come out and make some plays on both sides of the ball.”
The Redskins scored on their first possession of the contest. After Bellefontaine went three-and-out on its opening series, Wapakoneta took over on the Bellefontaine 45-yard line after a punt.
Wapakoneta moved inside Bellefontaine’s 10-yard line, but the Chiefs’ defense stiffened and the Redskins had to settle for a 23-yard field goal with 6:22 left in the opening quarter.
Bellefontaine answered in commanding fashion. The Chiefs marched 63 yards on 10 plays on their ensuing drive, with Hayden Nease scoring on a 1-yard rush to cap it. Derek Robb’s extra-point kick made the score 7-3 with 2:31 remaining in the first period.
The lead was short lived for the Chiefs as Wapakoneta needed just six plays on its next possession to find the end zone. Maddux Liles scored on a 3-yard run as the Redskins jumped in front 10-7 early in the second quarter.
Bellefontaine’s offense continued to click as the Chiefs followed with a eight-play, 73-yard scoring drive. Nease took an option pitch from quarterback Dezmin Lyburtus and raced 30 yards for a touchdown. Robb followed with the point after to give BHS a 14-10 lead at the 8:25 mark of the second period.
The Redskins drove deep into Bellefontaine territory late in the first half, but they missed a 32-yard field goal attempt with 15 seconds left until the intermission. That left the score 14-10 in favor of the Chiefs at halftime.
After returning the opening kick of the second half to their own 40-yard line, the Redskins put together an eight-play scoring march that was finished off with a 6-yard keeper by quarterback Manny Vorhees.
The lightning then arrived and stopped the action.
Bellefontaine ran for 114 yards in the first half and threw for another 30 yards.
The Redskins have rushed for 136 yards and passed for 91yards. | http://www.examiner.org/sportsx/2012-11-16-20-11-00/70265-lightning-halts-battle-between-chiefs-and-redskins | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/7efc9790de1f4c35f50c461383a2787e0d5ed62779291b0ec39ef567a7a39e4c.json |
[
"Matt Hammond"
] | 2016-08-26T13:05:14 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fsportsx%2F2012-11-16-20-11-00%2F70193-chiefs-to-test-progress-against-wapak-program-riding-high-level-of-success.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/2016/08.25.16/BHSfball.jpg | en | null | Chiefs to test progress against Wapak program riding high level of success | null | null | www.examiner.org | It has been quite a three-year run for the Wapakoneta football program.
Bellefontaine’s Anthony Carothers, back, and Ramon Garcia (31) try to corral a Wapakoneta ball carrier during their game last season in Wapakoneta. The Chiefs look to end their six-game losing streak to the Redskins in Friday’s season opener at Bellefontaine’s AcuSport Stadium. Game time is 7 p.m. (EXAMINER PHOTO | MATT HAMMOND)
The Redskins went undefeated during the regular season in each of the last two seasons and advanced to the regional finals both years. In 2013, they went 9-2. Their combined record during that stretch is 33-4.
Bellefontaine has not enjoyed a win over the Redskins since 2009. The Chiefs will try to end that streak Friday in the season opener at AcuSport Stadium. The game kicks off at 7 p.m.
“It is extremely impressive to see what they have accomplished over the last three seasons,” said BHS head coach Toby Smith. “To enjoy a high level of success like that under two different coaches shows the type of talent and coaching they have in that program. When we see them on film, they certainly look like a stout opponent.”
GAME PREVIEW, exclusively in Thursday's Examiner.
CLICK HERE to subscribe today!
WEB EDITION STARTING AT $9.50 FOR 5 WEEKS! | http://www.examiner.org/sportsx/2012-11-16-20-11-00/70193-chiefs-to-test-progress-against-wapak-program-riding-high-level-of-success | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/47336d76f75d6b6fbaa493de5a54c5f1eacd40cde3d6419a49a01e000c350dbc.json |
[
"Aaron"
] | 2016-08-26T13:06:52 | null | 2016-08-25T11:37:41 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fsportsx%2F2012-11-16-20-11-00%2F70191-week-1-lakers-hope-to-pick-up-where-they-left-off-in-opener-vs-new-look-cardinals.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/Sports_logos/Football_b.jpg | en | null | WEEK 1: Lakers hope to pick up where they left off in opener vs. new-look Cardinals | null | null | www.examiner.org | For Indian Lake and Triad, the opening week of the 2016 football season can’t come fast enough.
The Lakers are looking to keep their momentum going from last season, which saw them reach the state playoffs for the first time in program history.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals are starting over under new leadership with head coach Joe Cardinal and are ready to see what their new team is capable of when the two squads clash at Triad on Friday at 7 p.m. in a non-league contest.
“We feel it is very important to win game one with Triad,” said IL head coach Dave Coburn. “As a player and coach, it feels like you have been preparing for this game since last November. In order to reach some of our team goals, playing well and defeating Triad is very important to the Lakers.”
“It’s always important to start off any season with a good showing,” said Cardinal. “Obviously not everything will be as clean as you want it to be, but our effort needs to be there. The momentum you gain, especially for a team as young as ours, can last throughout the season.”
For the full story and Complete WEEK 1 PREVIEW,
pick up a copy of Thursday's Bellefontaine Examiner. CLICK HERE to subscribe.
WEB EDITION STARTING AT $9.50 FOR 5 WEEKS! | http://www.examiner.org/sportsx/2012-11-16-20-11-00/70191-week-1-lakers-hope-to-pick-up-where-they-left-off-in-opener-vs-new-look-cardinals | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/46d090073e731f0dd0ac1f35309233395a2cf98fdad4df4c13cef783bfa76b76.json |
[
"The Bellefontaine Examiner Staff"
] | 2016-08-26T16:47:15 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fsportsx%2F2012-11-16-20-11-00%2F70243-tigers-battle-past-chiefs-in-local-matchup.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/2016/08.26.16/WLSbelleVball.jpg | en | null | Tigers battle past Chiefs in local matchup | null | null | www.examiner.org | West Liberty-Salem’s volleyball team worked its way to a four-set win over host Bellefontaine on Thursday 25-23, 24-26, 26-24, 25-22 in a local non-league matchup.
West Liberty-Salem’s Breann Koons attempts to get the ball past Bellefontaine’s Hannah Rader (28) and Violet Martin (1) during their match Thursday at Bellefontaine. (EXAMINER PHOTO | MATT HAMMOND)
The Tigers improve to 1-2, while the Chiefs are also now 1-2.
For the full story and game results,
pick up a copy of Friday's Bellefontaine Examiner.
CLICK HERE to subscribe.
WEB EDITION STARTING AT $9.50 FOR 5 WEEKS! | http://www.examiner.org/sportsx/2012-11-16-20-11-00/70243-tigers-battle-past-chiefs-in-local-matchup | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/dfbe3e0df2b7b0e2a35d809ffcb2f6e2778374d228c99d05d8a5f326e02d6e31.json |
[
"Reuben Mees"
] | 2016-08-26T16:46:28 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fnews%2F70251-211-goes-live.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/2016/08.26.16/211-alt.jpg | en | null | 211 goes live | null | null | www.examiner.org | New countywide resource creates one-stop call center for social services
HelpLine 211 Executive Director Sue Hanson introduces the new 211 system that will create a virtual one-stop shop for social services during a launch event Thursday at Union Station. (EXAMINER PHOTO | REUBEN MEES)
A virtual one-stop shop for social services is now live in Logan County.
The 211 service is both an around-the-clock staffed telephone call center and an online searchable database. It will help not only social service providers and those looking to access services, but individuals who want to find ways to volunteer, donate resources or identify unmet community needs, according to Sue Hanson, executive director of the Delaware, Ohio-based HelpLine 211, which is providing the local service under a five-year contract. And those who call and talk to a live operator are also talking with an individual who has been trained in crisis management.
“Two-one-one is more than just a database of numbers,” she said. “It also gives people an opportunity to speak to someone who can help them problem solve.
“The idea behind 211 is like having a one-stop shop that will be there 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Even when other agencies are closed, there will be one place individuals can call and talk to someone who is trained, who is empathetic and who cares.”
Read complete story in Friday's Examiner.
CLICK HERE to subscribe today!
WEB EDITION STARTING AT $9.50 FOR 5 WEEKS! | http://www.examiner.org/news/70251-211-goes-live | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/4197cb2f07f8d4ce2f841462072603b370861226bd80630b652e4bc904575e8b.json |
[
"The Bellefontaine Examiner Staff"
] | 2016-08-30T16:47:26 | null | 2016-08-30T11:01:01 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fsportsx%2F2012-11-16-20-11-00%2F70392-gophers-blank-ridgedale-in-season-opener.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/Schools_LogoPics/Ridgemont_Gophers.jpg | en | null | Gophers blank Ridgedale in season opener | null | null | www.examiner.org | Ridgemont’s football team had a successful start to the season Saturday with a 33-0 victory over Ridgedale.
Cameron Smith rushed for 173 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries to fuel the Ridgemont offense. He added a two-point conversion run.
Jace McGue added a 5-yard TD run and Ethan Mouser threw a 29-yard scoring strike to Garrett Pitz.
For the full story and game results,
pick up a copy of Tuesday's Bellefontaine Examiner.
CLICK HERE to subscribe.
WEB EDITION STARTING AT $9.50 FOR 5 WEEKS! | http://www.examiner.org/sportsx/2012-11-16-20-11-00/70392-gophers-blank-ridgedale-in-season-opener | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/014d302c9b99a898567003583dfb16a0d78c13ff8f71f8b878f56d8aac2e9a84.json |
[
"The Bellefontaine Examiner Staff"
] | 2016-08-27T12:46:12 | null | 2016-08-26T23:01:54 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fsportsx%2F2012-11-16-20-11-00%2F70263-lakers-wipe-out-triad-weather-wreaks-havoc-for-other-local-teams.json | http://www.examiner.org/ | en | null | Lakers wipe out Triad, weather wreaks havoc for other local teams | null | null | www.examiner.org | Mother Nature stole the show on the opening night of local high school football.
Ongoing lightning in the area resulted in all five local games being stopped before their completion.
Indian Lake and Triad will not finish their game, though. With the Lakers up 49-0 at halftime when lightning moved in, the contest was called and it will be considered an official game.
Indian Lake’s Parker Grothaus fights off a Triad defender as he carries the ball Friday during their game at Triad High School. (EXAMINER PHOTO | NATE SMITH)
The Lakers amassed 341 yards of offense, with quarterback Alex Jacobs running for two touchdowns and throwing for another.
Jacobs rushed four times for 128 yards and completed 9-of-10 passes for 125 yards.
In other local action, Bellefontaine trailed Wapakoneta 16-14 early in the third quarter when lightning halted the contest. It will resume at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
West Liberty-Salem led Valley View 7-6 in the first quarter when the game was stopped. It will continue at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Ben Logan held a 44-7 lead at halftime over visiting Fairbanks. Lightning then prevented the second half from starting. That game will also resume at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Riverside’s contest against Arcanum was limited to one half, with the Pirates leading 28-21. The second half will be played beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday. | http://www.examiner.org/sportsx/2012-11-16-20-11-00/70263-lakers-wipe-out-triad-weather-wreaks-havoc-for-other-local-teams | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/6c61fc8881f2581a939f498e676f28efad027c488e917efb15c225ca4420820b.json |
[
"The Bellefontaine Examiner Staff"
] | 2016-08-29T16:47:16 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fsportsx%2F2012-11-16-20-11-00%2F70336-week-1-roundup-pirates-hang-on-to-beat-arcanum-34-27.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/2016/08.29.16/RIV-football.jpg | en | null | Week 1 roundup: Pirates hang on to beat Arcanum 34-27 | null | null | www.examiner.org | Riverside’s football team was tested in its season opener and overcame a one-day weather delay to hold off visiting Arcanum 34-27 in a non-league contest Saturday.
Riverside’s Caleb Stevens carries the ball against Arcanum during the second quarter of their game Friday at Riverside High School. The Pirates held on Saturday when the game resumed to get the win. (EXAMINER PHOTO | AARON LaBATT)
“We were pleased to get a win,” said RHS head coach Tim McGill. “We didn’t play very well, but it was good to face a physical team like Arcanum. They are a team that kept fighting and wouldn’t give up. It was a good test for us. We are just looking to get better and we need to get better.”
The Pirates led the Trojans 28-21 on Friday at halftime when thunderstorms rolled in and caused the game to be postponed until Saturday evening. The adversity did not seem to impact Riverside’s players.
“We were actually more focused on Saturday,” said RHS head coach Tim McGill. “We began to line up correctly and understood our assignments. I felt we played better. We were far from perfect, but it was better on Saturday.”
For the full story and Complete WEEK ONE COVERAGE,
pick up a copy of Monday's Bellefontaine Examiner. CLICK HERE to subscribe.
WEB EDITION STARTING AT $9.50 FOR 5 WEEKS!
Raiders jolt Panthers 51-15
The Benjamin Logan offense got its explosive offense off to a fast start in the season opener against Fairbanks with a 51-15 non-league victory.
Benjamin Logan’s Trey Wilson breaks free Friday against Fairbanks at Ben Logan High School. (EXAMINER PHOTO | AARON LaBATT)
The Raiders were in total control Friday when storms resulted in the game being delayed and moved to Saturday morning.
Ben Logan held a 44-7 cushion over the Panthers at halftime. Each team recorded a touchdown in Saturday’s portion of the contest.
Ben Logan racked up 651 yards of total offense, including 441 passing yards and four scores by quarterback Trey Wilson. Standout receiver Josh Whitten boasted 200 receiving yards and three touchdowns on nine catches.
The Raiders wasted little time lighting up the scoreboard in the first quarter on Friday. Wilson connected with Whitten on touchdown passes of 87 and 42 yards.
More in Monday's Examiner
West Liberty-Salem unable to finish off comeback against Valley View
Unfortunately for West Liberty-Salem, history repeated itself against Valley View on Saturday.
After losing to the Spartans in a tight game to begin the season last year, the Tigers again came up a little short this time, losing 39-34 in a contest that took two days to complete because of weather issues.
WL-Salem led host Valley View 7-6 late in the first quarter on Friday when thunderstorms caused the game to be pushed back until Saturday morning.
“I was extremely proud of how my guys responded,” said McGill. “It’s an hour and half bus ride one way. It made for an extremely short night of sleep Friday and early Saturday. They did it without complaining or whining, or feeling sorry for themselves. They played as hard as I’ve ever seen them play.”
Complete story in Monday's Examiner | http://www.examiner.org/sportsx/2012-11-16-20-11-00/70336-week-1-roundup-pirates-hang-on-to-beat-arcanum-34-27 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/41ea231b6f11d946f39eb8ab3b4b34a0f3da2a53c3f13d5e159bd9de1b7a85b3.json |
[
"The Bellefontaine Examiner Staff"
] | 2016-08-26T16:47:03 | null | 2016-08-26T11:57:06 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fnews%2F70248-suicide-prevention-month-activities-slated.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/Misc_Logos_Photos/SuicidePrevCoalition-SaveALife.jpg | en | null | Suicide Prevention Month activities slated | null | null | www.examiner.org | The Suicide Prevention Coalition of Logan and Champaign Counties hosts the following activities during September, which is Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month:
• Clinical Risk Assessment and Risk Management with Suicidal Clients: The Last Taboo — 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7, Champaign County Community Center, training offered by Dr. Ellen Anderson.
• Save a Life Color 5K — Saturday, Sept. 17, registration begins 8 a.m., Ohio Caverns, West Liberty.
• Logan County Suicide Awareness Program — 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18, Holland Theatre, with appearance by author, global speaker and actor Josh Rivedal, who speaks about living well after suicide loss and suicide attempt.
• Champaign County Suicide Awareness Ceremony — Noon Friday, Sept. 23, Urbana University Student Center.
For further details about these programs, visit www.savealifelc.org or call Stephanie Ketchell at 631-2883. To register for the Sept. 7 training, call 465-1045. | http://www.examiner.org/news/70248-suicide-prevention-month-activities-slated | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/3270e42de4a2074c9a33e8be2c5bc4a67e8d7cd9ffb937d02a14090156d9ca5b.json |
[
"The Bellefontaine Examiner Staff"
] | 2016-08-26T12:54:05 | null | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fnews%2F70080-downtown-church-to-open-pantry.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/2016/08.23.16/wake-up-pantry.jpg | en | null | Downtown church to open pantry | null | null | www.examiner.org | Wake up the World Ministries, located at the corner of east Columbus Avenue and Madriver Street in the former First Baptist Church building, has partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank and will open its food pantry from 4 to 8 p.m. the last Friday of each month.
Wake up the World Ministries, located at the corner of east Columbus Avenue and Madriver Street, will open a food pantry beginning Friday. (EXAMINER PHOTO | REUBEN MEES)
Those who qualify under the Second Harvest Food Bank criteria will be able to secure three days’ worth of food, including fresh vegetables, meats and canned goods.
The pantry entrance is from the Madriver Street side. | http://www.examiner.org/news/70080-downtown-church-to-open-pantry | en | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/b4ae6ac12ade9398bd3817f2bb47159466efd88315448d366d6f079568bdf553.json |
[
"The Bellefontaine Examiner Staff"
] | 2016-08-26T13:04:35 | null | 2016-08-16T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fnews%2F69711-final-robhayden-memorial-ride-planned.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/2016/08.16.16/HaydenRun.jpg | en | null | Final Rob Hayden Memorial Ride planned | null | null | www.examiner.org | A 20-year local motorcycle tradition will come to an end with the final Rob Hayden Memorial Ride on Saturday, Aug. 27.
Family organizers want to clear the way for other charities to use the ride as a fundraiser.
Registration begins at 9 a.m. at the West Mansfield Conservation Club and the ride is scheduled to leave at 11 a.m.
Activities at the Conservation Club are scheduled Friday and Saturday with live music by Sneaky Pete and the Players on Friday and Level Ground on Saturday. There will also be food, biker games, a bonfire and a $200 poker hand payout.
Cost is $25 per person or $40 per couple and proceeds benefit the Rob Hayden Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Early registration for the ride is available from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Conservation Club. | http://www.examiner.org/news/69711-final-robhayden-memorial-ride-planned | en | 2016-08-16T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/5042a01a4247bc8d9ac9d6618e8d0a40d2e40fef1c4fb8abc331f2ae829d32a0.json |
[
"The Bellefontaine Examiner Staff"
] | 2016-08-29T16:47:35 | null | 2016-08-29T11:08:40 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fsportsx%2F2012-11-16-20-11-00%2F70338-benjamin-logan-sweeps-tri-match-with-triad-north-union.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/Sports_logos/Volleyball.jpg | en | null | Benjamin Logan sweeps tri-match with Triad, North Union | null | null | www.examiner.org | Benjamin Logan’s volleyball team swept a tri-match against host North Union and Triad on Saturday to improve its record to 3-0 on the season.
The Raiders defeated the Wildcats 25-20, 25-18 in the first match then handled the Cardinals 25-11, 25-5 in the second match.
For the day, Coreen Crosby led Ben Logan with 15 kills and five aces. Bri Frazier added 14 kills, 21 assists and seven aces, Megan Hughes dished out 17 assists and 17 digs and Sarah VanDyke added seven blocks.
Ben Logan also swept the junior varsity matches by defeating North Union and Triad.
For the Raiders, Bailey LeVan had five aces, two kills and four digs, Sydney Kossel had seven kills and three aces, Madison Jones had 12 assists and seven kills and Bailey Shope had eight kills, 10 digs and a block.
Ben Logan hosts Ada today in a non-league match.
Riverside goes 2-1 at Parkway Invite
Riverside’s volleyball team went 2-1 at the Parkway Invitational on Saturday after falling to Celina and bouncing back to defeat Lima Senior and Elida.
Celina beat the Pirates 25-21, 25-17 in the first match, but the Pirates battled back to drop the Spartans 25-7, 25-16 in the second match and Elida 25-23, 25-21 in the third match.
That moves the Pirates’ record to 4-2 on the season.
In the loss to Celina, Marissa Davis led Riverside with eight kills, 13 digs, eight aces and four blocks, Kristin Davidson had six points and four digs and Helena Faulder added seven assists.
Against Lima Senior, Davis tallied 12 kills, Shelby Giles had six kills, eight points and nine digs, Faulder had 11 assists and Alexis Snow tallied eight assists, nine points and four aces.
The win over Elida saw Davis record 14 kills and seven points. Giles tallied eight points and 10 digs and Faulder had 15 assists.
Riverside travels to Troy Christian on Tuesday for a non-league contest.
Ridgemont wins pair
Ridgemont defeated Perry and and Toledo Waite on Saturday in a tri-match.
The Gophers won 25-14 29-27 against Perry and beat Waite 25-13, 25-17.
Ridgemont’s junior varsity team also went 2-0. | http://www.examiner.org/sportsx/2012-11-16-20-11-00/70338-benjamin-logan-sweeps-tri-match-with-triad-north-union | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/1c5f6b2914b89171caadd86942151b207d4c97d84746690fc431520bb4a06a06.json |
[
"Mandy Loehr"
] | 2016-08-27T14:46:25 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fnews%2F70273-perfect-passage-rating-on-repeat.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/2016/08.27.16/JDC_inspection.jpg | en | null | Perfect passage rating on repeat | null | null | www.examiner.org | JDC staff credited for state inspection results
Despite five consecutive years of 100 percent passage ratings from the Ohio Department of Youth Services, a Logan County Juvenile Detention Center official said he was a little anxious following the July 7 state inspection of the 104 S. Madriver St. facility.
Much to his relief, Jail Administrator Greg Fitzpatrick recently received welcome news when his packet of information arrived from DYS Inspector Corey Shrieve.
The JDC once again has met all of the 98 mandatory standards, along with all 154 of the recommended standards.
A view from the southeast corner of Madriver Street and Court Avenue of the Logan County Juvenile Detention Center, 104 S. Madriver St., which recently received a 100 percent compliance rating during its annual review by the Ohio Department of Youth Services. (PHOTO | EXAMINER FILE)
“Our inspector is very thorough, so it makes me very proud when we do this well,” Lt. Fitzpatrick said. “He doesn’t leave any stone unturned and interviews staff and detainees selected at random about our policies and procedures.
“I truly can take very little of the credit. All of the efforts of Sgt. Missy Davis and the JDC staff make this possible. Through spending time at the facility, you can tell that they truly have the children’s best interests at heart.”
Read complete story in Saturday's Examiner.
CLICK HERE to subscribe today!
WEB EDITION STARTING AT $9.50 FOR 5 WEEKS! | http://www.examiner.org/news/70273-perfect-passage-rating-on-repeat | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/223b34874583df2697fd37550258fc38f69522df539a3c4af53e063db061819b.json |
[
"The Bellefontaine Examiner Staff"
] | 2016-08-26T16:47:37 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fnews%2F70246-pageant-winners.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/2016/08.26.16/Country-fair-pageant.jpg | en | null | Pageant winners | null | null | www.examiner.org | Winners at the 2016 DeGraff Country Fair pageants Thursday evening included, from the left, Junior Queen Kandas Holycross, Junior King Shannon Wright, Princess Sofia Butler and Prince Jacob Foreman.
(EXAMINER PHOTO | REUBEN MEES) | http://www.examiner.org/news/70246-pageant-winners | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/0e9f9b926365216eb5008ce7e698dcc16e4c59613899b115df40312289c198e3.json |
[
"Reuben Mees"
] | 2016-08-29T16:47:22 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fnews%2F70347-ride-in-peace.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/2016/08.29.16/hayden-cemetery.jpg | en | null | Ride in Peace | null | null | www.examiner.org | Memorial motorcycle ride draws to a close after 20 years
Jeff Ricketts, front, and Mark Dixon pilot their motorcycles on the path between tombstones for Rob Hayden, foreground, and one of his closest friends, Mike Ricketts, background, at the Zanesfield Cemetery on Saturday morning during the final Rob Hayden Memorial Ride. (EXAMINER PHOTOss | REUBEN MEES)
Nearly 300 motorcycles somberly paraded through the Zanesfield Cemetery just before noon Saturday — riders slowing and paying their respects as they passed between the tombstones marking the final resting places of Rob Hayden and Mike Ricketts.
It was a final tribute in a 20-year-old tradition to the two Zanesfield men who were among the closest riding friends.
Family members began organizing the Rob Hayden Memorial Ride after the 26-year-old motorcycle enthusiast’s death on Feb. 15, 1996, in an auto crash on his way to work at the Miami County Children’s Services, where he worked as a case investigator.
“Everyone’s been so supportive and wonderful,” Rob’s mother, Patty Diener said. “My main goal was to keep Rob’s name alive. I never imagined it would have grown into this.
Read complete story in Monday's Examiner.
CLICK HERE to subscribe today!
WEB EDITION STARTING AT $9.50 FOR 5 WEEKS! | http://www.examiner.org/news/70347-ride-in-peace | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/ca08a7ce2bfd51e8a64518bcb2c81641de50c4b19958536a45a297412743a572.json |
[
"Matt Hammond"
] | 2016-08-29T16:47:03 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fsportsx%2F2012-11-16-20-11-00%2F70303-late-turnover-costly-for-chiefs-in-season-opening-loss.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/2016/08.29.16/BHSWapak.jpg | en | null | Late turnover costly for Chiefs in season-opening loss | null | null | www.examiner.org | Bellefontaine jumped back in front when its game against Wapakoneta resumed Saturday morning, but the Chiefs were unable to hold onto the lead as they dropped a 24-21 decision in the season opener at AcuSport Stadium.
Bellefontaine’s Johnny Ganson weaves his way through several Wapakoneta defenders after making a catch Saturday at AcuSport Stadium in Bellefontaine. (EXAMINER PHOTO | TONY BARRETT)
Wapakoneta took the lead for good with a 3-yard touchdown run with 5:15 left in the game and forced a Chieftain turnover with just just two minutes left to ice the game. It was the only turnover of the contest.
“What we are focusing on is the progress that has been made,” said BHS head coach Toby Smith of his postgame message to his players. “We have came a long way, but we have to find a way to make plays against good teams when the game is on the line.
“I felt like we were more physical than they were. We just didn’t finish what we started.”
For the full story and game results,
pick up a copy of Monday's Bellefontaine Examiner.
CLICK HERE to subscribe.
WEB EDITION STARTING AT $9.50 FOR 5 WEEKS! | http://www.examiner.org/sportsx/2012-11-16-20-11-00/70303-late-turnover-costly-for-chiefs-in-season-opening-loss | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/65b2ff9c214d531cf898d1a013315067f0266f9b07526a61871e286eb4d53b7a.json |
[
"The Bellefontaine Examiner Staff"
] | 2016-08-26T16:47:44 | null | 2016-08-26T11:19:32 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fnews%2F70247-ridgemont-ffa-readies-for-national-convention.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/Schools_LogoPics/Ridgemont_logo.jpg | en | null | Ridgemont FFA readies for national convention | null | null | www.examiner.org | Ridgemont Board of Education members were updated at the Thursday evening meeting about the FFA chapter’s upcoming trip to the National FFA Convention in October, where they will compete against nine other chapters from across the country to vie for a number one ranking in two different categories.
The chapter has been named a finalist in both the National Model of Excellence and National Model of Innovation in the Student and Chapter Divisions by the National FFA Organization.
The Model of Excellence finalists are the top 10 FFA chapters in the United States, out of more than 7,600 chapters.
Read complete BOE NEWS in Friday's Examiner.
CLICK HERE to subscribe today!
WEB EDITION STARTING AT $9.50 FOR 5 WEEKS! | http://www.examiner.org/news/70247-ridgemont-ffa-readies-for-national-convention | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/b946f3010025ac8d012ca370ed25fd0bcf0074508a023addd0133465eaa1c4e5.json |
[
"Reuben Mees"
] | 2016-08-30T16:47:10 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fnews%2F70399-from-figley-and-flour-to-fitness.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/2016/08.30.16/Pirates-den.jpg | en | null | From Figley and flour to fitness | null | null | www.examiner.org | New mural precedes new business in DeGraff
The east wall of what is now being called The Pirate’s Den in DeGraff has been fully restored and painted with a replica of the Gold Medal Flour advertisement that once adorned it. Building owners Suzie and Dan Schindewolf say they plan to finish the interior and plan to open it as a fitness center, possibly by spring. (EXAMINER PHOTO | REUBEN MEES)
The village of DeGraff got a bright new mural in town just in time for last week’s DeGraff Country Fair.
What eventually ends up inside the 136 S. Main St. building could be even more exciting for the small town.
“The first thing, we just wanted to restore it and help beautify DeGraff,” Suzie Schindewolf, whose family’s company Schindewolf Express owns the building, said. “We’ve got it secure and restored on the outside and now we plan to finish the inside.”
Read complete story in Tuesday's Examiner.
CLICK HERE to subscribe today!
WEB EDITION STARTING AT $9.50 FOR 5 WEEKS! | http://www.examiner.org/news/70399-from-figley-and-flour-to-fitness | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/0cb3e3e70bba046ef92dcbe98bcbe1237979c0953238fe00b6b8600fdefc4e2c.json |
[
"Matt Hammond"
] | 2016-08-26T16:46:38 | null | 2016-08-26T10:59:07 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fsportsx%2F2012-11-16-20-11-00%2F70242-standout-qbs-headline-2016-gridiron-scene.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/ExaminerStaff_Headshots/matt_examiningsports.jpg | en | null | Standout QBs headline 2016 gridiron scene | null | null | www.examiner.org | A fitting title for the 2016 local football season would be “The Year of the Quarterback.”
Bellefontaine, Benjamin Logan, Indian Lake and Riverside each return standout starting signal callers in their pursuit for gridiron glory this fall.
At Indian Lake, senior Alex Jacobs is coming off an outstanding junior season in which he was named the Central Buckeye Conference Mad River division player of the year.
Capable of making plays with both his right arm and his legs, Jacobs threw for 1,430 yards and 19 touchdowns and ran for 742 yards and five more TDs in helping the Lakers to their first playoff appearance last fall.
WEEKEND OUTLOOK, exclusively in Friday's Examiner.
CLICK HERE to subscribe today!
WEB EDITION STARTING AT $9.50 FOR 5 WEEKS! | http://www.examiner.org/sportsx/2012-11-16-20-11-00/70242-standout-qbs-headline-2016-gridiron-scene | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/6db31d2259e50764c670264e859ecaad1c1bce78e073b6f38d3b26a75aac2586.json |
[
"Joel E. Mast"
] | 2016-08-26T13:04:54 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fnews%2F70187-police-chief-cautions-motorists-about-school-bus-safety.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/2016/08.25.16/School-bus-safety.jpg | en | null | Police chief cautions motorists about school bus safety | null | null | www.examiner.org | Bellefontaine Police Chief Brandon Standley is cautioning motorists to follow traffic laws regarding school buses.
Bellefontaine City Schools buses make their way Wednesday afternoon on Ludlow Road near Blue Jacket Park. Motorists are reminded to be cautious and observe laws when buses are stopped. (EXAMINER PHOTO | MANDY LOEHR)
“Here we are less than a week into a new school year and we’re already receiving complaints from school bus drivers,” the chief said during Tuesday’s Bellefontaine City County meeting. “I would advise every motorist take the time to review the laws online.
“Also remember to watch for children in crosswalks now that school is open.”
Read complete story in Thursday's Examiner.
CLICK HERE to subscribe today!
WEB EDITION STARTING AT $9.50 FOR 5 WEEKS! | http://www.examiner.org/news/70187-police-chief-cautions-motorists-about-school-bus-safety | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/b4680adcb31b9e272246e103a5f50fdd59e1655ac696891d7164dce5d06da704.json |
[
"The Bellefontaine Examiner Staff"
] | 2016-08-26T13:06:35 | null | 2016-08-24T10:46:46 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.examiner.org%2Fnews%2F70128-health-officials-urge-precautions-to-prevent-spread-of-gastrointestinal-illness.json | http://www.examiner.org/images/stories/Misc_Logos_Photos/LoCoHeathDistrict_logo.jpg | en | null | Health officials urge precautions to prevent spread of gastrointestinal illness | null | null | www.examiner.org | Officials from the Logan County Health District are reporting a recent rise in gastrointestinal illnesses in the county, specifically an illness called cryptosporidiosis, which causes watery diarrhea and other symptoms.
The disease is caused by parasites that can be found in water, food, soil or on surfaces and dirty hands that have been contaminated with the feces of humans or animals infected with the parasite.
Crypto, as it is often called, lives in the gut of infected humans or animals. The infected person can shed 10 million to 100 million cryptosporidium germs through a single bowel movement. These germs are resistant to chlorine and are difficult to filter.
Crypto spread starts when symptoms like diarrhea begin and can last for up to two weeks after symptoms stop. Swallowing as few as 10 crypto germs can cause infection.
The illness can spread through contamination from an infected person or animal by:
• Swallowing recreational water such as swimming pools, fountains, lakes and rivers.
• Drinking untreated water from a lake or river.
• Swallowing water, ice or beverages.
• Eating undercooked food or drinking unpasteurized/raw apple cider or milk.
• Touching your mouth through a variety of activities such as touching surfaces or objects.
• Exposure to stool through sexual contact.
Officials report symptoms of crypto generally begin two to 10 days (an average of seven days) after becoming infected with the parasite. The illness can last one to two weeks in healthy person, but a person with a weakened immune system such as from cancer, chemotherapy or steroid therapy may experience a persistent, even life-threatening, illness.
Symptoms can include: watery diarrhea (most common), stomach cramps or pain, headache, dehydration, nausea or vomiting, low grade fever, loss of appetite or weight loss.
Treatment is based upon symptoms and directed toward preventing dehydration. No medication has been identified as effective against crypto. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, contact your local physician.
Handwashing is the first line of defense to prevent and control the spread of crypto. Wash hands with soap and water before, during and after preparing food and before eating; before and after caring for someone who is sick; before and after treating a cut or wound; after using the toilet and changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet; handling garbage; and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
Also use handwashing precautions after touching an animal, or handling animal feed or waste.
Avoid water that might be contaminated, and do not swallow water in pools, lakes and rivers. When participating in any group water activity, take young children on bathroom breaks every 60 minutes and check diapers every 30-60 minutes.
Further information available at www.cdc.gov/parasites/crypto and www.loganhealth.org | http://www.examiner.org/news/70128-health-officials-urge-precautions-to-prevent-spread-of-gastrointestinal-illness | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.examiner.org/bbd533c7cb4e8f267b1600ca6293821702dbca8947726c9b314309a7aa63b0ed.json |
[
"Juan Manuel Díaz",
"Angel López Guía",
"Henry Cárdenas P.",
"José González Pinilla",
"Gustavo A. Aparicio O.",
"Redacción De La Prensa",
"Elisabel Marivit Fermín"
] | 2016-08-26T14:48:13 | null | null | The case involves a bribe allegedly paid to Panama officials by Telespazio Argentina, S.A.The case is also being investigated in Panama. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prensa.com%2Fin_english%2Fpistas-coimas_21_4561253830.html.json | http://www.prensa.com/static/LPRPrensa/images/laprensa-logo-share.png | es | null | Argentina requests information from Panama | null | null | www.prensa.com | La economía de Estados Unidos creció apenas 1.1% en el segundo trimestre del año debido a que las empresas redujeron sus ... | http://www.prensa.com/in_english/pistas-coimas_21_4561253830.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.prensa.com/bc111c0ad565a57e13c7398c924df4522d51901274334d239800f4b1170401ec.json |
[
"Manuel Vega Loo",
"Rosalía Simmons",
"Olmedo Rodríguez",
"Daniel Domínguez",
"Angel López Guía",
"Alex E. Hernández"
] | 2016-08-31T00:49:57 | null | null | The Budget Commission of the National Assembly approved a transfer Tuesday of $3.7 million to the Public Ministry to fund the expansion of the ... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prensa.com%2Fin_english%2FDiputados-aprueban-traslado-millones-SPA_21_4564253536.html.json | http://www.prensa.com/static/LPRPrensa/images/laprensa-logo-share.png | es | null | Deputies transfer $3.7 million to fund judicial program | null | null | www.prensa.com | La Comisión de Trabajo, Salud y Desarrollo Social de la Asamblea Nacional, iniciará este jueves el período de consultas del ... | http://www.prensa.com/in_english/Diputados-aprueban-traslado-millones-SPA_21_4564253536.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.prensa.com/b180fcf225a11748154cc6b60528c88d92d9a024e9e8a26b129b5f2b105f94ce.json |
[
"Redacción De La Prensa",
"Angel López Guía",
"Yolanda Sandoval",
"Olmedo Rodríguez",
"Daniel Domínguez"
] | 2016-08-29T18:49:25 | null | null | A total of 15 stores have closed in Soho Mall since Westline Enterprises Inc., the owner of the project, was placed on a sanction list by the U.S. ... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prensa.com%2Fin_english%2FCierran-Soho-Camara-Comercio-Unidos_21_4563503610.html.json | http://www.prensa.com/static/LPRPrensa/images/laprensa-logo-share.png | es | null | 15 stores close in Soho Mall | null | null | www.prensa.com | Sergio Agüero y Javier Pastore serán baja por lesión en los próximos partidos de Argentina ante Uruguay y Venezuela por las ... | http://www.prensa.com/in_english/Cierran-Soho-Camara-Comercio-Unidos_21_4563503610.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.prensa.com/578fed3d61abb5bcf1e085c00ae76429b3fc11d47c0bc4fb2cbc964822a53f4c.json |
[
"Yolanda Sandoval",
"Olmedo Rodríguez",
"Gustavo A. Aparicio O.",
"Redacción De La Prensa",
"Rafael Calvo"
] | 2016-08-29T16:49:23 | null | null | Members of the Association of Neighbors of Coco del Mar and Viña del Mar protested this morning to express their anger over zoning changes in the ... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prensa.com%2Fin_english%2FProtesta-coco-mar-cambios-zonificacion_21_4563503609.html.json | http://www.prensa.com/static/LPRPrensa/images/laprensa-logo-share.png | es | null | Coco del Mar residents oppose construction | null | null | www.prensa.com | Cinco personas murieron y una resultó herida al caer un rayo en el galpón en el que se resguardaban de la lluvia en el norte ... | http://www.prensa.com/in_english/Protesta-coco-mar-cambios-zonificacion_21_4563503609.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.prensa.com/807e6bb3cbc8b3dc9f52362d21874264ceb14a021cb3bfd0db1b00c02fcf2455.json |
[
"Juan Manuel Díaz",
"Olmedo Rodríguez",
"Roberto González Jiménez",
"Rella Rosenshain",
"Yaissel Urieta"
] | 2016-08-28T18:49:25 | null | null | The Public Services Authority has fined the electrical distribution company Edemet $750,000 for violations that caused a forest fire in 2006.The ... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prensa.com%2Fin_english%2FASEP-Edemet-infringir-normas-nuevamente_21_4562753683.html.json | http://www.prensa.com/static/LPRPrensa/images/laprensa-logo-share.png | es | null | Edemet fined $750,000 | null | null | www.prensa.com | El triunfo del "sí" en el plebiscito que debe ratificar el acuerdo de paz entre el gobierno de Colombia y las FARC será un ... | http://www.prensa.com/in_english/ASEP-Edemet-infringir-normas-nuevamente_21_4562753683.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.prensa.com/1bd5012c331f28aacfedd1bdcb479e19b6b07fe0e1ea234062eb975166f225cb.json |
[
"Rosalía Simmons",
"Olmedo Rodríguez",
"Daniel Domínguez",
"Angel López Guía",
"Alex E. Hernández",
"Gustavo A. Aparicio O.",
"Roy Espinosa"
] | 2016-08-30T14:49:47 | null | null | Prosecutors say he accepted a bribe in the SAP case. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prensa.com%2Fin_english%2FFiscalias-senala-responsabilidades_21_4564253530.html.json | http://www.prensa.com/static/LPRPrensa/images/laprensa-logo-share.png | es | null | Wife defends Aaron Mizrachi | null | null | www.prensa.com | Analida Martinelli, the sister of former President Ricardo Martinelli and wife of businessman Aaron Mizrachi, has sent a statement to La Prensa defending her husband against allegations he accepted a bribe for arranging the German company SAP to receive a $14.5 million contract from Social Security.
+ info Spanish version
Prosecutors say that the bribe was paid through the company Advanced Consulting, and it represented 10 percent of the contract's value. Prosecutors have also alleged that the software was overpriced.
More than a dozen people, including former Social Security officials, have been charged in the case. It has also resulted in a former SAP official being jailed in the United States.
But Analinda Martinelli denied that her husband, who has fled the country and is the subject of an Interpol red alert, did anything wrong, as outlined in an e-mail she sent to La Prensa.
The e-mail, which was sent Monday, was in reaction to a story in that day's newspaper that linked Mizrachi to the case, calling him the "key" to the investigation.
"This is not the first time that La Prensa has written something that is wrong in an attempt to destroy his reputation," Martinelli wrote. "You write lies, and if you want to do something decent and professional, you should rectify it."
Martinelli noted that the contract in question was approved by a number of entities, including the Cabinet Council. She noted that current President Juan Carlos Varela was one of the people who signed off on it.
"This contract was approved in 2010, and you should remember who was in the Cabinet Council at that time," she said.
She also denied that there was any link between her husband and Vicente Garcia, the former SAP official convicted in Florida of paying bribes to Panama officials.
"There is no existence of e-mails between Aaron Mizrachi and Vicente Garcia," she said, adding that the two men met for less than 20 minutes on one occasion before the contract was finalized.
"It is a lie to say they met many times," she added.
Also on Monday prosecutors outlined their case in more detail against Mizrachi and the others charged in the matter. | http://www.prensa.com/in_english/Fiscalias-senala-responsabilidades_21_4564253530.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.prensa.com/2277bb2c75d8432ebc533558527c89bb6b7327d076d45f9227cc40456fb93614.json |
[
"Juan Manuel Díaz",
"Olmedo Rodríguez",
"Roberto González Jiménez",
"Rella Rosenshain",
"Yaissel Urieta"
] | 2016-08-28T18:49:15 | null | null | President Juan Carlos Varela voted today in the internal elections of the Panameñista party in Pesé, Herrera.H was accompanied by ministers Mario ... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prensa.com%2Fin_english%2FPresidente-Varela-elecciones-internas-Panamenismo_21_4562753682.html.json | http://www.prensa.com/static/LPRPrensa/images/laprensa-logo-share.png | es | null | Varela votes in Panameñista election | null | null | www.prensa.com | El triunfo del "sí" en el plebiscito que debe ratificar el acuerdo de paz entre el gobierno de Colombia y las FARC será un ... | http://www.prensa.com/in_english/Presidente-Varela-elecciones-internas-Panamenismo_21_4562753682.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.prensa.com/64487cec0dbae51b6cab646604c0bd41f9ea9324885d48f0056f9206d8074b1b.json |
[
"Manuel Vega Loo",
"Rosalía Simmons",
"Olmedo Rodríguez",
"Daniel Domínguez",
"Angel López Guía",
"Alex E. Hernández"
] | 2016-08-31T00:50:08 | null | null | Deputy director of the transit agency ATTT, Rubén Chávez, stated Tuesday that the agency will review the response submitted by Uber in response to ... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prensa.com%2Fin_english%2FATTT-descargos-presentados-plataforma-Uber_21_4564253535.html.json | http://www.prensa.com/static/LPRPrensa/images/laprensa-logo-share.png | es | null | ATTT to examine Uber response to taxi drivers | null | null | www.prensa.com | La Comisión de Trabajo, Salud y Desarrollo Social de la Asamblea Nacional, iniciará este jueves el período de consultas del ... | http://www.prensa.com/in_english/ATTT-descargos-presentados-plataforma-Uber_21_4564253535.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.prensa.com/14847c5cd5b349488c8b5562862603bcc1020ebdf5677006cb809278070bd405.json |
[
"Rosalía Simmons",
"Olmedo Rodríguez",
"Daniel Domínguez",
"Angel López Guía",
"Alex E. Hernández",
"Gustavo A. Aparicio O.",
"Roy Espinosa"
] | 2016-08-30T18:49:54 | null | null | El Nacional Editor Miguel Henrique Otero said that the daily will not be intimidated despite an attack on its offices by sympathizers to ... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prensa.com%2Fin_english%2FEncapuchados-bombas-incendiarias-diario-Nacional_21_4564253533.html.json | http://www.prensa.com/static/LPRPrensa/images/laprensa-logo-share.png | es | null | Newspaper offices attacked | null | null | www.prensa.com | Los miembros de la Asociación Panameña para el Planeamiento de la Familia (Aplafa) reclamaron a las autoridades ejecutar ... | http://www.prensa.com/in_english/Encapuchados-bombas-incendiarias-diario-Nacional_21_4564253533.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.prensa.com/f2e93556d4d701e3666e699fd01e85f92fa905835a844c38b3400043b454ae7a.json |
[
"Angel López Guía",
"Alex E. Hernández",
"Redacción De La Prensa",
"Yolanda Sandoval",
"Olmedo Rodríguez",
"Daniel Domínguez"
] | 2016-08-30T02:49:31 | null | null | Nine Latin American countries Monday asked Washington for a high level meeting to review its policy regarding Cuban migrants.The countries ... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prensa.com%2Fin_english%2FPanama-reunion-gobierno-Unidos-migrantes_21_4563503613.html.json | http://www.prensa.com/static/LPRPrensa/images/laprensa-logo-share.png | es | null | Panama, other countries seek meeting with US over migrants | null | null | www.prensa.com | La ministra de Educación Marcela Paredes de Vásquez presentó su presupuesto 2017 la mañana de este lunes 29 de agosto ante la ... | http://www.prensa.com/in_english/Panama-reunion-gobierno-Unidos-migrantes_21_4563503613.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.prensa.com/ed1bc93bfc52304a6cf321306c419e59d2d6bc65992241f317414a36d2ad2c46.json |
[
"Carlos Alberto Vargas",
"Angel López Guía",
"Rosalía Simmons",
"Manuel Vega Loo",
"Henry Cárdenas P.",
"Fanny D. Arias Ch.",
"José González Pinilla"
] | 2016-08-31T14:50:02 | null | null | The company True Marketing has been linked to the SAP scandal, and is also under scrutiny for a contract it received from the Ministry of Public Security. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prensa.com%2Fin_english%2FExministro-Jose-Raul-Mulino-Gabinete_21_4565003455.html.json | http://www.prensa.com/static/LPRPrensa/images/laprensa-logo-share.png | es | null | Contract under scrutiny | null | null | www.prensa.com | El primer vuelo comercial entre Estados Unidos y Cuba en más de medio siglo partió de Fort Lauderdale hacia Santa Clara, en el ... | http://www.prensa.com/in_english/Exministro-Jose-Raul-Mulino-Gabinete_21_4565003455.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.prensa.com/7bb7331b2fe420e1ea2274e8ffa27559bdecc864f94c23567bcdc9caf10aa1a0.json |
[
"Canadian Press"
] | 2016-08-26T16:49:37 | null | null | Officials don't say how they captured the snake, which will be turned over to animal control. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fnews%2F391408121.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/5603BCLN2007SnakeCityofVictoriaTwitter.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Elusive snake finally coaxed out of drain pipe under Victoria street | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | This photo was posted to the City of Victoria's Twitter feed Thursday night around 8:30 p.m.
A reclusive reptile that has been living in a storm drain below the streets of Victoria now has a new home.
A tweet posted Thursday night by the City of Victoria shows a city worker holding the snake.
Officials haven't said how it was coaxed out of the drain, but the tweet said it would be turned over to animal control officers.
When it was spotted in the drain during routine maintenance last week, experts said it appeared to be a nearly two-metre long harmless corn snake, but a closer look at the photo released Thursday night shows it may be a boa constrictor.
It originally rebuffed all efforts at capture, including a heated tube and offerings of dead mice, because it was shedding its skin.
Officials didn't want to harm it or tear up the street, so the pipe was sealed until the moulting was complete and the snake was more co-operative.
(CFAX)
The Canadian Press | http://www.oakbaynews.com/news/391408121.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/124050f1faa9bf95f69f19caf04692fec0312518e9fb12be7bc5f3fa8696b1e6.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T13:00:37 | null | null | Four per cent rate hike already in effect, more to come as BC Hydro looks for savings to offset slow industrial demand | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fbusiness%2F388687371.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/9960BCLN2007DamRevelstokewiki7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | BC Hydro rates rise as demand slows | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Revelstoke dam on the Columbia River is due to have a sixth water turbine added, but Site C is BC Hydro's priority today.
BC Hydro is going ahead with its planned four per cent rate increase this year and deferring more debt to future years as it revises its electricity demand forecast downward.
The provincially-owned utility has not asked for an increase in its government-imposed rate plan despite a revised demand forecast with $3.5 billion less revenue over the next 10 years. BC Hydro has filed a three-year plan with the B.C. Utilities Commission that would increase rates four, 3.5 and three per cent in the next three years. The four per cent increase is already showing up on customer bills as an interim increase.
With the Site C dam on the Peace River and other upgrades amounting to $2 billion a year, the plan includes additional deferred debt until 2023, when Site C is due to be completed. BC Hydro CEO Jessica McDonald said the long-term nature of capital projects means its capital cost savings don't start until the next decade.
BC Hydro has also cut some of its familiar Power Smart activities, such as the fridge buy-back plan and incentives for energy efficient light bulbs.
McDonald said BC Hydro is seeing lower revenues due to two warm winters and downturns in mining and forest products. It still projects growing overall demand as population and economic growth continue.
NDP energy critic Adrian Dix said the new deferred debt represents roughly $500 for each of BC Hydro's two million customers, and it is a political move to get the B.C. Liberal government past next year's election.
The 10-year rates plan imposed by Energy Minister Bill Bennett in 2013 overstated demand to justify the construction of Site C, and translates to a 28 per cent rate increase. It allows the utilities commission to regain control over approving customer rates by 2020, after five years of political direction.
Dix said with the new demand forecast and commodity prices expected to remain low, BC Hydro should have added a sixth turbine to its Revelstoke dam for $450 million before embarking on the $9 billion Site C project. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/business/388687371.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/2e0243e1276180bb6210999925135a61f0dfbb5ddad0fc81349123d26dbcf762.json |
[
"Jennifer Blyth"
] | 2016-08-26T13:09:41 | null | null | Greater Victoria Fire Fighters Calendar available at local outlets | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fnews%2F390971411.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/7594oakbayOBFireFighterCalendarPAug2416.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | 2017 firefighter calendars raise funds for sick kids | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Jason Hodge, along with fellow firefighter Cody Brown, represents Oak Bay Fire Department in this year’s Greater Victoria Fire Fighters Calendar. The calendar raises money for south Island pediatric units through the Victoria Hospitals Foundation.
This year’s Greater Victoria Fire Fighters Calendar is hot off the presses and available for sale at a fire hall near you.
Among those with a starring role in this year’s calendar are Oak Bay firefighters Cody Brown and Jason Hodge, executive director of the Oak Bay Fire Fighter Charitable Foundation.
It’s the first appearance in the calendar for either of the firefighters, says Hodge, who undertook a gruelling schedule of two or three workouts a day for the three months leading up to the shoot.
The annual calendar is a joint initiative of the four Greater Victoria professional fire departments – Oak Bay, Esquimalt, Saanich and Victoria – to raise money for southern Island pediatric units through the Victoria Hospitals Foundation.
“It all goes to into the neonatal NIC-U pledge,” Hodge says.
The departments pledged $250,000 over 10 years to the Pediatric Centre at the Victoria General Hospital.
The calendars sell for $20 and all proceeds go to charity. Locally, the calendars are available from the Oak Bay fire hall, municipal hall and Nicholas Randall. The calendars are also available from Saanich and Victoria London Drugs and Thrifty Foods locations.
Oak Bay firefighters will also have calendars available for sale at the coming Sausage Fest event planned for Sept. 17 at Willows Park.
For more information, email Hodge at oakbayfirefighterscharitable@gmail.com. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/news/390971411.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/23badf11870848021ccf3bd059580c8d0aac3672a79d8c49b07f0b664f286d60.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T13:00:11 | null | null | Designer of Kicking Horse and Jumbo resorts gets approval to proceed with $175 million project east of Prince George | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fbusiness%2F390477731.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/66407BCLN2007Oberti-Oberto7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | B.C. approves Valemount glacier resort plan | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | The B.C. government has approved a master development plan for a new year-round ski resort in the Cariboo Mountains west of Valemount.
Valemount Glacier Destination Resort is a $175 million project led by Oberto Oberti, who designed the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort near Golden and the controversial Jumbo Glacier Resort proposal west of Invermere.
The Valemount plan includes lifts and gondolas that would carry skiers and sight-seers to the summits of Mount Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Mount Arthur Meighen. Its vertical drop of 2,050 metres would be higher than Whistler-Blackcomb and the largest in North America.
"There are very few places in the world, and none in North America, where you go and ride a lift to the very top and the glacier is below you," said Jill Bodkin, a director of the company.
Valemount is a remote community of about 1,000 residents near the Alberta border east of Prince George. The region is west of Jasper National Park, which attracts visitors from around the world.
On the project's website, Oberti says people will travel to Switzerland for this kind of mountain resort experience, so a three-hour drive from Prince George isn't an obstacle to success.
Valemount Mayor Jeanette Townsend called the master plan approval "exciting news." She said the community attracts visitors who stay there to avoid the expensive accommodation in Jasper and the resort will take it to the next level.
Chief Nathan Matthew of the Simpcw First Nation said his community has been involved since the beginning, and he sees the project as an important economic development for the northern part of Simpcw's traditional territory. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/business/390477731.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/f48375a77f5f2fae2b8877870591b28e8a1f93d1681b65bee592b777e799a51e.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T00:51:04 | null | null | Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins isn’t surprised McLoughlin Point made the shortlist for a wastewater treatment facility for the region | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fnews%2F391662331.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/49305oakbayMcLoughlinPointSite1.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Important information still to come in sewage report | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | McLaughlin Point has again been identified as a potential sewage treatment site, either alone, or as part of a two-plant model with a second site at Rock Bay.
Pamela Roth
Black Press
With the “important information” still to come, Barb Desjardins isn’t surprised McLoughlin Point made the shortlist for a wastewater treatment facility for the region.
But until the Core Area Wastewater Treatment project board releases its final report in a few weeks, recommending the best site for a plant, the Esquimalt mayor and Capital Regional District chair doesn’t want to pre-judge the future of McLoughlin Point.
“The project board has been sifting through all of the information and this is what they brought forward to date. I think the important information is still to come,” Desjardins said. “The site is only one small part of what we’ve heard from the region.”
Last week’s interim report included a shortlist of options: a single plant at Rock Bay in Victoria; a single plant at McLoughlin Point in Esquimalt; or a plant at each location.
All options looked at secondary treatment and biosolids that would be conveyed to the Hartland landfill in Saanich. The estimated cost is between $750 million and $1.1 billion.
According to project board chair Jane Bird, the board established a methodology to consider and evaluate alternative options.
Key themes of prior consultations were also considered, along with the extensive public commentary when narrowing down the list of options.
Bird is well aware of the concerns that have been echoed in the past with a single plant at McLoughlin Point.
“Our job now it so say alright, let’s unpack what’s behind those concerns and think about whether we can be responsible to those concerns as part of our recommendation,” said Bird, noting a more detailed cost analysis will be done on the shortlisted options, along with further review of the key themes against them.
“The difficulty with two sites is they tend to be more expensive so that’s a bit of a challenge with a two-plant option....Certainly cost is really important so it’s a big factor here. If there was a slight difference in cost, but the other benefits (like) environmental or social were greater, would we consider absorbing a little bit more in cost?”
The subject of sewage treatment has been a contentious one for more than 30 years in Greater Victoria, costing taxpayers millions of dollars. Despite arguments made by local scientists, the federal government has deemed Victoria as high-risk when it comes to its current method of discharging screened sewage into the ocean. The classification means the region has to move toward secondary sewage treatment by 2020 to comply with federal wastewater regulations.
Two years ago, the region came close to building a facility at McLoughlin Point, but the township rejected the plan, citing concerns with the size of the facility and the environmental impact.
In March, the CRD took another stab at the matter, voting to explore building two tertiary treatment facilities at Victoria’s Clover Point and McLoughlin or Macaulay points in Esquimalt at an estimated cost of around $1 billion. The proposal, however, sparked backlash from both communities and needed approval from Victoria and Esquimalt council to proceed.
In May the province stepped in to help the region find a way forward, and established an independent panel of six experts, including Bird, to create a business case to present to the CRD in mid-September. CRD directors will have the final say on where a facility should be located.
Desjardins said significant concerns remain about a single site at McLoughlin Point, and whether one could ever work there is a discussion council has yet to have.
“We still have a few weeks to wait. They’ve got a lot of work to do and the next information is going to really give us a true sense of what can be different,” Desjardins said. “They really haven’t brought forward any new information. I want to wait and know the full understanding of what they’re coming to.”
The final report, including the recommended option, will be available publicly on Sept. 7 and presented to the CRD Sept. 14. The CRD has until the end of September to submit its plans for wastewater treatment to the federal government or risk losing millions of dollars in funding. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/news/391662331.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/9f079e761fb407ea12d0463458e1770a2c29d41187c233c660cf55d143a5ad53.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:12:30 | null | null | Good news comes from the story of a damaged sculpture | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fopinion%2F390511971.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Lessons learned from a mishap and misunderstanding | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | There’s a lot to like in today’s story about the adventures and misadventures of a certain rabbit decorating the district.
Sculptor and artist David Hunwick, creator of the Rite of Spring sculpture on Cadboro Bay Road, was moved when contacted by the mother of a young five-year-old boy who had inadvertently broken a paw off the artwork – frolicking hares in a circle, undoubtedly captivating to many a youngster.
Hunwick was touched by the youngster’s forthrightness in coming forward, despite being devastated by the mishap.
But equally heartening is the community’s response to what was perceived as the theft of one of the sculptures.
Unbeknownst to Hunwick, who had simply removed the wounded rabbit to make a repair – it was only gone about a day – residents reported the incident to police, and social media was a-flurry with calls for the figure’s return.
The truth of what happened emerged Sunday, when Hunwick learned of the uproar while displaying his work at the Bowker Creek Brush Up.
While a simple misunderstanding is at the root of the story, it demonstrates how much the community has embraced Oak Bay’s ArtsAlive program, of which Hunwick’s piece is a part, and how invested the community is in its many amenities.
As Hunwick remarked, “The upside of this is I have a whole community watch.”
And to the young lad who came forward, broken paw in hand, to the artist, well done. Acknowledging a mistake and stepping up to rectify it is an example we can all learn from. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/opinion/390511971.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/542f0ebae06f998b0f5a9ebb5e45bb54ddd8512993e46838922b593529252ad7.json |
[
"Bill Smith"
] | 2016-08-31T00:49:47 | null | null | Look skyward this month for meteor showers, moon and planet pair-ups and more | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F391666651.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/51215oakbayNIghtSky-Sept.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | September offers a stellar night sky | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Total solar eclipse, Aug. 21, 2017
What’s up in September’s night skies? An African eclipse, meteor showers, moon and planet pair-ups.
Observers in central Africa will see an annular eclipse Sept. 1. This is where the moon covers most – but not all – of the sun. In this eclipse, the moon will block only 98.7 per cent of the sun.
For the Oregon solar eclipse Aug. 21, 2017, parents and teachers need to warn children that they need to use safe solar eclipse glasses or filters on telescopes, binoculars or cameras. You can order paper glasses online or from Oak Bay’s toy shop well in time for next August. These would be a great stocking stuffer for Christmas or a birthday gift.
This total solar eclipse will span the U.S. and much of Cansda with the darkest path from Oregon to South Carolina. The path of total eclipse will be about 100 miles wide. We’ll talk more about it as the date gets closer. Many of us will plan an overnight trip to Oregon to experience the full eclipse.
If last month’s Perseids meteor shower whetted your appetite for meteor observing, there are two minor meteor showers this month, both with about five swift and bright meteors per hour at their peak – which will be near dawn.
The first is the Aurigid shower on Sept. 1. The new moon on Sept. 1 means the sky will be nice and dark for the Aurigids. The second shower is the Epsilon Perseids on Sept. 9. The radiant is not too far from the location of last month’s Perseids in the sky over Vancouver in the north-east sky. The first quarter moon sets on Sept. 9 at midnight, just in time for the best viewing of the Perseids.
There are many nice pair-ups between the moon and planets this month. You can see the moon between Venus and Jupiter Sept. 2, and above Venus on Sept. 3, right after sunset low on the west-southwest horizon over Metchosin. There are so many great places to gather. Perhaps Gonzales Hill or Mount Tolmie.
On Sept. 15, the nearly full moon pairs with Neptune, two weeks after its opposition, when the eighth planet is closest to Earth in its orbit around the sun – in fact 2.7 billion miles distant. The moonlight may wash out the planet view, but try anyway. You may spot magnitude 7.8 Neptune with binoculars, but a telescope will show the disk and some colour. The ice giant’s colour appears a subtle bluish-grey to the eye, not the brilliant blue seen by Voyager 2’s cameras as it flew past Neptune in August 1989.
Neptune is visible all night long, rising in the east over Mount Baker and setting in the west at dawn over the Sooke Hills.
Finally, the “zodiacal light” is visible in the eastern sky over Discovery Island before sunrise.
From a dark sky, look for a faint diffuse triangle extending up from the vicinity of the sun along the ecliptic (The Salish Walk of the Planets). This effect is caused by sunlight scattered by space dust in the zodiacal cloud. The zodiacal cloud is dust found in our solar system, primarily between the sun and Jupiter. This dust originates from comets and asteroids.
Catch up on current missions to comets, Jupiter, Mars and Saturn at jpl.nasa.gov and on all of NASA’s missions at Nasa.gov. Should you wish to meet the RASCals of Cattle Point – see facebook.com/groups/VictoriaRASCals or drop by Mondays at 7:30 p.m. at Fairfield Community Centre.
Dark Skies to all friends of Cattle Point Star Park.
Summary by Bill Smith and the RASCals of Cattle Point, volunteers at Cattle Point DARK SKY Urban Star Park, from the transcript of “What’s Up in September 2016” by NASA announcer and astronomer Jane Houston Jones, with specific permission for localization to Cattle Point DARK SKY Urban Star Park and the Oak Bay News. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/community/391666651.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/a8df655346c2ec5a953890c76c4f905177bb3bb85c31cce54d91d867575c13dc.json |
[
"Jeff Nagel"
] | 2016-08-26T13:10:42 | null | null | $60 a year increase for most drivers once optional auto insurance increase is included | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fnews%2F391304001.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/52753BCLN2007CarcrashLangleyfile.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | ICBC seeks 4.9 per cent basic rate hike as crashes, costs climb | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | ICBC wants to increase basic auto insurance rates by 4.9 per cent – the fifth straight annual increase – as it continues to grapple with rising numbers of crashes, claims and dramatically increasing costs.
The typical driver will pay $3.50 a month or $42 a year more for basic insurance if the hike is approved.
But the corporation is also raising optional rates by 2.8 per cent so the average customer who buys both basic and optional insurance with ICBC will see their insurance bill rise $5 a month, or $60 a year.
ICBC CEO Mark Blucher said the basic rate hike would have been much worse – 15.5 per cent translating into a $130 annual premium increase – had the province not approved another major transfer of $472 million from the optional to the basic side of operations.
A compounding factor has been the long decline of interest rates, which result in less investment income revenue to ICBC.
"These external pressures have really created a perfect storm and it's a really significant challenge for the organization," Blucher said in an interview Thursday.
ICBC had raised rates 5.5 per cent a year ago, and the province's rate smoothing policy requires the annual change be within 1.5 per cent of the previous year's increase.
The number of crashes has climbed 15 per cent in two years and damage claims are up 11 per cent.
Vehicles are increasingly reliant on technology and expensive materials that have become more costly in recent years as the loonie sagged against the U.S. dollar.
Despite much safer vehicles, injury claims have soared to $2.4 billion, up 60 per cent from $1.5 billion in 2008.
"We've seen no evidence that these strong trends are abating," Blucher said. "In fact, if anything, they're continuing to escalate going forward."
Blucher also noted there are more cars on the road in B.C. today – 3.1 million up from 2.8 million in 2011 – and people are driving more because of cheaper gas, contributing to more accidents, particularly in densifying urban areas.
And he pointed to personal injury lawyers as an aggravating cause of ICBC's spiralling claims costs.
"B.C. is the only province in Canada where you can sue another motorist for even a minor traffic accident," Blucher said, noting an increase in lawyer-represented claims and advertising by injury law firms.
Internal operating costs have been cut by $186 million a year, and ICBC is counting on more savings ahead, through its modernization program, by more aggressively combatting insurance fraud and from a hoped-for drop in distracted driving as motorists respond to stiffer penalties.
But transfers from the optional side to bolster the basic side will likely be needed for the foreseeable future, Blucher said, because basic premiums can't keep up with rising costs.
In a surprise move, the B.C. government will this year forgo extracting its usual $160-million annual dividend from ICBC's optional side into general revenue.
"Forgoing the dividend this particular year is one strategy amongst a litany of others we're employing to get that basic trate increase down," Transportation Minister Todd Stone said.
Stone said the $514 million the province has transferred out of ICBC in dividends since 2012 is small compared to the $1.4 billion over the same period that has been shifted from the competitive optional side to basic to apply downward pressure on basic rates.
The minister would not say if the government would permanently give up the ICBC dividend.
Adrian DIx, the NDP critic for ICBC, said the dividends to government have exceeded $1.2 billion since 2010 and predicted they'll resume after next year's election because the BC Liberals are "addicted" to using ICBC as a "profit centre."
Dix said the reliance on shifting huge amounts of capital from optional to basic raises troubling questions.
"Next year they've got to find that $472 million," Dix said. "What they've done is create a disaster at ICBC and their only hope is to deceive the voters until after the election."
He said ICBC's new move to hire more claims staff underscores problems with completing the computer modernization that was supposed to make operations more efficient.
"The transformation project has taken longer than World War 2 and is not close to finished."
ICBC's basic rates rose 11.2 per cent in 2012 and at least five per cent every year since.
The new rate hike is subject to B.C. Utilities Commission approval.
ICBC Rate Pressure Charts | http://www.oakbaynews.com/news/391304001.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/f49613a4f2731915e42c9753056a89fa4538cbe992a2ff6d74db4412ef2afe79.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:13:10 | null | null | Tasteful development welcome over absentee landowners | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fopinion%2Fletters%2F389125201.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Letter: Infill development or empty houses? | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Re: Infill will weaken Oak Bay’s Character, Oak Bay News, Letters, July 1
No doubt infill development is definitely a delicate and touchy issue, but we have to trust that it will be been done tastefully, and if that means increasing our housing diversity, then I am all for it.
Duplexes, triplexes, lane-way houses, etc., exist for those who cannot own or do not wish to own a home.
If we looked at infill development through a familial lens, which means more housing options, more families could live in Oak Bay, and if new families would add “noise,” well then I guess I’m guilty of this: I’ve contributed to both noise and population increase with my family of three boys.
Furthermore, such ramblings as increased population would create “...less community cohesiveness and more crime.”
Really? If infill development means more families can live in Oak Bay, or even come back (to help or even receive help from their parents raising the children, and the grandparents can stay in the community), great; family equals community, so the more families, the stronger the community.
Finally, what’s becoming very apparent is wealthy people buying a home, demolishing it, dumping upwards of a million into it, or more, and then living in it half of the year, or less. Do these residents contribute to the “cohesiveness” of our community?
I’ll take tasteful infill development over absentee landowners any day.
W. Moore
Oak Bay | http://www.oakbaynews.com/opinion/letters/389125201.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/6820c146c8a6765d0b18f05e74061c30055eb02bfd8dcfb14fffde01c91bba45.json |
[
"Christine Van Reeuwyk"
] | 2016-08-26T13:05:22 | null | null | Artist collective gauges success in steady flow of visitors | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fentertainment%2F390245791.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/70306oakbayOBgagegalleryturnstwoartistsPAug1716.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Avenue’s Gage Gallery marks two years with group show | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | During the group show for Gage Gallery’s second anniversary, member artists Liz Wells (left) and Linda Darby peruse works by Frances Beckow, whose solo show Singing Songs about the Salish Sea runs to Sept. 3.
Balloons, cake and a rare 18-artist show filled Gage Gallery last week to mark its second anniversary.
“It’s been amazingly successful,” said Gillian Redwood, member artist on the events committee that organized the event.
The non-profit collective decided on 2031 Oak Bay Ave. because of its attractive appeal at an affordable price, the proximity to other galleries, and because Oak Bay seems like a community supportive of contemporary arts and appreciative of exhibits. All culminated in a successful first two years, says Redwood, adding it’s the most successful of co-operatives she’s been a member of.
“The standard of the art is high and that’s really important,” Redwood said of the many known member artists.
“There are also emerging artists as well, to learn from the established artists.”
During her solo show – the gallery hosts a new one every three weeks – as is common among the member artists, she was on site far more than just the opening gala. Redwood would sit and chat with visitors about her work – benefitting both artist and gallery visitor.
“The commission the gallery takes is affordable because it’s not a commercial operation,” Redwood said. Success is marked by the amount of visitors to the nearly 30 solo shows offered over the past two years.
“It’s a steady stream of people,” Redwood said. “We get a lot of visitors from out of town that come to Oak Bay because we have a lot of galleries here.”
Support of a regular local contingent also doesn’t hurt.
“They come on a regular basis and they bring their friends,” she said.
The artist collective still boasts 18 artists, one up from the 17 it started with, with a small number of artists in and out over the 24 months.
The Gage Gallery hosted a group show for the celebration that came down Aug. 13. Next up is Frances Beckow’s Singing Songs about the Salish Sea, featuring acrylic works inspired by our waterways, that runs to Sept. 3.
Enjoy an artists reception Thursday, Aug. 18 from 7 to 9 p.m. at 2031 Oak Bay Ave. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/entertainment/390245791.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/a5d460ca2e63937b1132258633710fe6ea3fb258d3dfef00b470553d61944c9a.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T13:09:07 | null | null | Small communities have more than 400 doctor vacancies, with 'telehealth' and visiting specialists filling gaps | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Flifestyles%2F385489111.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/32759BCLN2007Kelly-Doug15-2.4.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Video links grow as rural health care shrinks | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Doug Kelly, chair of the B.C. First Nations Health Council
With patients in urban areas having difficulty finding a family doctor, the situation in rural B.C. is going from bad to worse, MLAs on the province's health committee were told Monday.
Ed Staples, a member of the B.C. Health Coalition, described his efforts to improve the situation in Princeton, a community of about 5,000 people that four years ago was down to one doctor providing on-call service.
Princeton now has four full-time doctors and two nurse practitioners, but there are still people who can't find a doctor in the region, including Penticton an hour and a half away. A recent search of the College of Physicians and Surgeons website turned up the nearest doctor accepting patients in Courtney on Vancouver Island, Staples said.
Health Match BC, the province's web portal for recruiting doctors, nurses and other health professionals, currently has more than 400 general practitioner vacancies, with 37 communities seeking 85 doctors. The result is "bidding wars" between communities to offer incentives to relocating doctors, and foreign doctors using a rural community as an entry point before relocating to the Lower Mainland, he said.
The B.C. government has announced its latest videoconferencing service for health care, linking psychiatrists with young people in Cranbrook. The service is available twice a month at the local Children and Family Development office, supplementing visits by specialists in communities such as Cranbrook and Princeton. Health Minister Terry Lake says video conferencing and electronic health records are a key part of the solution for reaching patients across B.C.
Doug Kelly, chair of the B.C. First Nations Health Council, told the committee of an Abbotsford doctor who travels to Carrier Sekani territory around Prince George for part of his practice, in a pilot project with Northern Health.
Kelly said video links and nurse practitioners are part of the solution to delivering rural and remote care, but the main obstacle is the business model for doctors that has them cycling through as many as 20 patients an hour to bill enough to cover their office overhead.
Committee members were also reminded that graduating doctors are increasingly reluctant to take on the demands of family practice, especially in smaller communities where they may find themselves on call around the clock. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/lifestyles/385489111.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/7bbd00ff93586634b6abd5303e8e0ad19d44af35e4437426d52fc56f5ddcbf8d.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T16:49:54 | null | null | Company takes a novel approach – for B.C. – to dry, brown lawns | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fbusiness%2F391322261.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/60763oakbayhomefinderlawnpainting.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Dry lawns just need a new coat of paint | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Despite the summer heat, Chris Peereboom keeps local lawns green with, well, paint. The new service of lawn painting uses an organic, plant-based pigment that mixes with water to paint dry, brown lawns, keeping them looking good even in dry weather.
Jacob Zinn
Black Press
With July’s rains long gone, our long, hot summer has brought the dry, dormant lawns across the region.
Dormant, brown grass can be a bit of an eyesore, but a new venture is spreading across Vancouver Island to take care of unsightly lawns with a coat of paint.
Chris Peereboom, operations director of Victoria Lawn Painting, is greening local lawns with an environmentally friendly pigment as an alternative to watering, especially when water restrictions are in effect. He got into lawn painting with his business partner Jeff Meyer after seeing it gain popularity elsewhere.
“We’d both seen and heard of it in various areas, and we thought it was something that could work in Greater Victoria,” said Peereboom. “We have lots of water restrictions here, which is the main driving factor to lawn painting.
“It’s a big industry in California – they’ve had a lot of issues with droughts over the years. People are still wanting their lawns green, so they’ve come up with this solution.”
It may sound like a gimmick, and Peereboom is the first to acknowledge that.
“It’s just because most people don’t know about it yet,” he said. “It’s common in other places and it’s going to be common here.”
Peereboom said he uses an organic, plant-based pigment that’s child and pet-friendly. The pigment mixes with water, and depending on the ratio, determines the darkness or lightness of the paint.
“It works best if the lawn is fully dead and consistent,” he said. “We can do touch-ups – we can alter the colour a little bit.”
According to Peereboom, the average front lawn costs around $250 to paint and takes about 90 minutes. Within an hour after, the paint is dry and lasts for two to three months.
“I have one client who constantly sees his neighbour out there watering the lawn,” said Peereboom. “He just had us paint it and his lawn is still greener than the neighbour’s.”
With global warming leading to hotter weather year after year, Peereboom foresees lawn painting becoming a cost-effective solution for those wanting to keep their lawns green in the heat.
“It’s a cheaper alternative to spending all the time and money watering it, even if there aren’t restrictions,” he said. “It’s a wonderful solution to a problem that is just going to get worse and worse as we have warmer and warmer summers every year.” | http://www.oakbaynews.com/business/391322261.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/475269da3e7d47ce7356bb455f6fecdec5327eed23568939afa9aa7a7a3a9631.json |
[
"Shannon Lough"
] | 2016-08-26T13:09:19 | null | null | Two months after having an endoscopy Joan Dudoward received a letter telling her that the endoscope used was not cleaned properly. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fnews%2F391353941.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/73852princerupertWEB.Joan-Dudoward.SL.35.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | VIDEO: Prince Rupert woman treated with unclean medical equipment, Northern Health, B.C. Centre for Disease Control confirms more than a hundred affected | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | A routine check-up at the hospital has turned into a nightmare for a Prince Rupert woman.
A month-and-a-half after having an endoscopy to inspect her nose and throat, Joan Dudoward received a letter from Northern Health stating that the endoscope used at the Prince Rupert Regional Hospital was not cleaned properly.
From April until the end of June 2016, the endoscope, which is a flexible tube with a light and a camera used in nonsurgical procedures, was being cleaned with the wrong cleaning solution to disinfect the equipment. There were 104 patients affected and Dudoward was one of them.
“I was majorly stressed out,” she said in an exclusive interview with the Northern View. “I'm a cancer survivor. I try to keep my health up for my mom, I'm a caregiver for a 95-year-old woman.”
Dudoward had gone to the Prince Rupert hospital for an endoscopy on June 29 at 3:30 p.m. after complaining to her physician about reoccurring plugged ears and a sore throat. She received the letter from Northern Health on Aug.24, which stated the error did not impact the diagnostic outcome of the tests and the process error has been corrected.
The letter also states that the BC Centre for Disease Control has been consulted and “the risk of a patient being exposed to a virus as a result of this process error is extremely low.” The contact number for the director of acute care services is offered in case she has any other questions or concerns. Dudoward has many.
She called to find out why the instrument wasn't cleaned, what had happened and how many people had gone through the procedure before and after her. “She said she's not permitted to tell me anything about this,” was the response Dudoward said she received.
The vice-president of medicine for the Northern Health authority, Dr. Ronald Chapman, was quick to respond to media inquiries and stressed the importance of transparency. He said, based on previous experience, once they realized the mistake had occurred they consulted the BC Centre for Disease Control as well as the Northern Health infectious disease specialist in Prince George.
“The risk for the patient is extremely low. We're not concerned that it will at all have any negative impact on their health,” Dr. Chapman said. He added that it's Northern Health's policy to make patients aware even if the risk to them is low. “We believe it's important to be open with those patients and to be fairly transparent so at least they are aware of the mistake. In this case, we don't recommend any particular follow up or tests for the patients.”
This type of process error has happened before, Dr. Chapman confirmed. Not with the same scope, but he said there are many different endoscopes used and each are made by different manufacturers that have various recommendations on how to clean the equipment.
“The health sector is run by human beings and it's fairly complex. If mistakes do happen what we encourage our staff to do is to make management aware so they can learn from that experience,” he said. “I'm happy to say where those mistakes have happened in our environment, a process has been put in place and we haven't had any repetitions after some of those learning experiences.”
For the 104 patients that were affected by this incident, Dr. Chapman said their general practitioners have been notified and if they have any questions they can speak to them and the infectious disease specialist. They can also contact Northern Health's Patient Care Quality Officeto register a complaint.
For Dudoward, who had a bone marrow transplant in 2011 to battle leukemia, she is concerned and has already scheduled a meeting with her physician in early September.
“I'm thinking that my body is not going to be able to fight off infection like I was able to before the cancer because chemo takes a lot out of your body so this is like a bomb exploding in my life,” she said. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/news/391353941.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/ae157e7aab815837895324cae7643f59f9a2f2eca462ff9cb55f250d1eb5ae2c.json |
[
"Jennifer Blyth"
] | 2016-08-26T13:13:41 | null | null | Program gives kids a chance to try their hand at hockey | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fsports%2F390246351.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/70522oakbayOBHockeylendingprogramPAug1016.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Gear lending program helps spread passion for hockey | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Caroline Lawrence, acting sports co-ordinator at Recreation Oak Bay, checks out the 30 sets of gear available to help local youth try the sport of hockey.
With a life-long passion for hockey, Caroline Lawrence loves to see young players have a chance to try their hand at the sport.
But sometimes, other activities and commitments can make families reluctant to invest in the gear needed for children to give hockey a try.
Enter Recreation Oak Bay’s Novice Hockey League’s free hockey equipment lend-out program.
The program offers the free use of hockey equipment to participants in any of Recreation Oak Bay’s hockey programs.
After starting slowly about three years ago, about 30 sets of equipment are now available, distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis, Lawrence says.
“We like to see the sport of hockey develop, specifically as we are a rec centre, our programs are recreation-focused,” Lawrence says, noting the program is designed to complement rather than compete with minor hockey.
“It’s an opportunity to make hockey more accessible for kids who play other sports.”
The Novice Hockey League serves players age five to 14 in three different categories: Mighty Ducks, for five to eight year olds; Sharks for seven to nine year olds; and Coyotes for nine to 14 year olds.
The two younger levels both typically fill up at around 35 players, with the Coyotes bringing around 20 players.
Play runs from September to March and players who borrow gear can keep it for the duration of the season.
Skill level in the program varies widely, from those trying it for the first time, to those with more skill but who can’t commit to a minor hockey league team.
“If kids can skate from one end of the ice to the other, that’s generally all that’s required,” Lawrence says. “The coaches are really skilled at being able to accommodate all levels.”
The NHL program was created more than three decades ago by Bob Nicholson, a former Recreation Oak Bay staffer who went on to head up Hockey Canada for many years.
“Originally the program that Nicholson created was the first of its kind, to start with the development of hockey,” Lawrence says, noting the program has since become a model for others to follow.
For more information about Recreation Oak Bay’s gear lending program, call the Oak Bay Rec Centre at 250-595-7946. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/sports/390246351.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/3d12e3fc5066d8846dc7d73778cc701b63662973d03131b3058ef6d5bf4b6f7d.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:13:01 | null | null | Advisory Planning Commission logical choice for any planning recommendations | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fopinion%2Fletters%2F390244451.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Letter: APC should play key role in resident survey | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Re: Oak Bay survey gauges resident satisfaction, Oak Bay News, Aug. 3
A year ago in May you published my letter which recognized that four councillors had confirmed their previously stated belief in transparency and public engagement. They had voted for an Advisory Planning Commission under the rules of the Local Government Act rather than a committee.
The Act clearly intends to encourage resident participation and limit political influence. I remember how encouraged I was when Coun. Ney cast the deciding vote.
Now we are told, the District is calling for proposals for a citizen survey to explore residents’ priorities and their satisfaction with the services they receive.
Curiously no mention is made of asking whether transparency and public engagement are being delivered, notwithstanding many statements emphasizing their importance.
Conceptually the planning process starts with “where are we?”, moves through “where do we want to be?” and suggests routes to get there. The survey seems intended to determine priorities, i.e where do we want to be? If we are to launch this planning process, isn’t the Advisory Planning Commission the logical, indeed the only, politically independent body with a mandate to make planning recommendations to council?
Thus I expect that the APC would review the proposals and recommend to council its choice of the organization to carry out the survey.
Further, once chosen, the successful proposer would work with the APC in the design of the survey.
Graham Ross
Oak Bay | http://www.oakbaynews.com/opinion/letters/390244451.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/f387efb0255659da7c4a342eb9065f2718ce1e78ec8313e46be1e51cac514ebc.json |
[
"Christine Van Reeuwyk"
] | 2016-08-26T13:13:55 | null | null | Zone 6 tops medal count at the BC Summer Games in Abbotsford | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fsports%2F389125941.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/84025oakbayOBBCGamessailing.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Sailors, swimmers among the Island’s Games winners | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Hannah Stevens and Cameron Wallace sail to gold in the Open 420 category of the recent BC Summer Games.
The lack of current pushing one way added an unexpected element for Hannah Stevens’ foray into BC Summer Games.
Stevens, an Oak Bay High student, enjoyed the venue, but sailing in Harrison Lake without the ocean current threw the seagoing sailor off-kilter for a bit.
“It cut a whole factor out when you were deciding where to go,” she said of her first time sailing sans current.
The Royal Victoria Yacht Club racer and her sailing partner Cameron Wallace – a Glenlyon Norfolk School student and fellow RVYC sailor – soared to gold in the Open 420 category.
Being the lone female standing on the podium was another first for the 16 year-old.
“It was definitely an interesting place to be because all of my friends were sailing in the female fleet. It was different for me because at the end I was the only girl on the podium. I was excited to be there, and was really happy to show them it could be done,” Hannah said. “It wasn’t the fact that I was the only girl. It was the fact that everyone around me was very good.”
The duo started sailing together at Monterey Middle School where they founded a sailing team.
“We both had taken summer courses for quite a while … our teacher said if it was something we were interested in we could start a team at the school,” she said. “We just kept going, things were working.”
While some of her peers from Victoria sailed in the laser category, a solo venture, she’s always enjoyed the partnership of the 420.
“I like to have a teammate there that I can bounce ideas off of,” Hannah said.
Living on the tip of Vancouver Island, surrounded by water and stunning visages, is only one reason she loves the sport.
“Sailing is one of those sports that doesn’t get a lot of recognition. It’s not looked at as a sport a lot of places, which means it’s not as popular as it should be, which I enjoy because it’s different,” Hannah said. “The community is really tight knit and you can go so many places in your life. It’s not something you have to drop … people from all over and all ages and all abilities can still sail. They’re always finding ways to integrate it into peoples lives.”
The BC Games was chief among the young athlete’s goals.
“It was cool to be in a place where it was full of athletes. Everybody had a sport and a job to do. everyone was there to compete, because they deserved to be there,” Hannah said. “You were there because you worked hard to get there.”
Now she plans to move up from the 420 to a 29er.
“They’re bigger, faster and there’s more of a fleet … I’m hoping to go to Canada Games next year. We’ll see how it goes moving up to the new boat, but that’s the plan at least.”
A large medal contingent came out of RVYC at the BC Summer Games. Gwyneth Green-Robertson and Faye Cheng finished second in Girls 420 while Abby Brown and Caitlyn Shum were third. Makena Shepard scored gold in the Girls Laser Radial. In the Boys/Girls Optimist Red Fleet Grace Poole finished first, Kelley Poole second and Trevor Davis third. MacKenna Renaud-Kehoe finished just out of medal range, fourth in Boys/Girls Optimist Red Fleet.
The Vancouver Island-Central Coast team finished first in the overall medal count. VICC earned a total of 62 golds, 43 silvers and 56 bronze for 161 overall. They beat out second place Fraser Valley, who won 48 gold, 53 silver and 36 bronze. Fraser River finished third overall, winning 51 gold, 45 silver and 34 bronze.
A trio of Oak Bay swimmers with Island Swimming Club were among those in the medal haul.
A deep love of the sport drives Mareya Valeva, 14, who led the group stepping onto the podium five times to claim three gold, one silver and a bronze medal.
“Just getting in the water, feeling it rush by, it doesn’t just relax you. It’s just you and yourself … you and your body and you’re trying to figure out what you can do and the best way to do it,” she said. “It’s also just a passion where you can have friends, although they may be from a different club or something you can grow great relationships and learn from each other.”
Mareya’s BC Games victories came in 200m backstroke, 200m butterfly and 100m butterfly, where she improved 18 seconds across those three events, moving from 11th to first in the 100m. Mareya and her three Zone 6 teammates also won the girls 200m medley relay.
Larry Yu, 14, claimed silver in 200m freestyle and placed fourth in 400 freestyle, finishing 18 seconds faster than his entry time. Aleks Frketic, 13, scored silver in 200m butterfly, dropping almost 10 seconds, and bronze in 400m individual medley, shaving 17 seconds off his time.
“The medals are a good big thing but personally I like the team spirit everyone had and the co-operation of teams,” said Mareya.
A pair of nicknames, including Larry the Legend, for the young silver medal winner are standout moments for the Oak Bay teen.
“My coach started chanting ‘Larry’ all the time and the whole pool would chant with him,” said Mareya, who counts Larry as one of her best friends at swimming. “He’s a really good mathematician and it started at our school and somehow spread to the pool.”
Mareya, who started competitive swimming at seven, developed her own team activity just after stepping to the top of the podium for her first gold.
“The first time I thought, ‘I’m off to a good start,’” she said. After that she started what became called the “Maria photo” (her name is actually pronounced Ma Ray Ah).
“I always asked everyone to come up on the podium with me. they deserve gold for their efforts,” she said. “The gold medal’s great for 30 seconds, … It’s more about the challenge of everyone being there and doing their best. Although you may have not got on the podium, it was all about the team effort.”
Sunshine and competition in an outdoor pool offered new experiences for the longtime swimmer who strives to reach Olympic heights.
“Overall it was a great experience. If a person hasn’t been to the BC Games, they should attend,” she said. “It just really opens up your connection with people but also it’s a great experience to experience an Olympic-like event.” | http://www.oakbaynews.com/sports/389125941.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/a5e1eedd8d5eecdaf0c332a18bbe2fe4465308d4cf4388fc7a427e50d358a673.json |
[
"Christine Van Reeuwyk"
] | 2016-08-26T16:48:06 | null | null | Fall plant sale funds Rwandan widows and families | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F391320581.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/59810oakbayOBrwandaplantsaleTnJunderarborPAug2616.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Green thumbs aid Rwandan girls | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | John and Toni Jordan host a fall fundraiser to aid families in Rwanda.
A summer of grandchildren in the garden – harvesting fruit and watching flowers and coaxing butterflies from cocoons – invigorates Toni and John Jordan just in time for the annual fall sale.
Twice each year the couple sells off growth from their impressive Beach Drive garden in ongoing support of their project to aid widows raising families in Rwanda.
Each January, John, a volunteer with InnovativeCommunities.Org, heads to the country, forging growth there initiating new technology such as smokeless stoves or sharing education as has been the most recent emphasis.
“The thing that continues to happen every month now is that the local women, teachers and nurses that we certified in a new reproductive health curriculum, have introduced that in all the high schools,” he said.
Students are in the third trimester of the school year that wraps in October for a two-month break.
“There’s still a lot of taboo and ignorance about menstruation,” Jordan said. “The (girls) weren’t performing like boys at the same level consistently and we found out they don’t have much information and the information they have is wrong.”
Anxiety and poverty lead female students to miss school or perform poorly. Most don’t have the funds, as little as $1.50 per cycle, needed for feminine protection.
“A family feeds itself, lives on $1.25 a day,” Jordan said. “We started by introducing washable cloth hygiene pads.”
Then they moved into the straight biology of how the female body works, garnering approval for a reproductive health curriculum, funding a master trainer to certify local teachers who now get a stipend to share the four-hour class with students. They started testing a similar program this month for boys, “but boys’ reproductive health really has to do with their brains,” Jordan said.
The six teachers have instructed about 2,200 girls, maybe half the district, Jordan said, adding “of course every year there’s a new class.”
The other big project, alongside the standard grassroots rebuilding houses and providing post secondary education, is his annual training mission in January, funded through an $8,000 Oak Bay Rotary grant.
He’ll head to remote locations roughly 10 or 12 kilometres off the paved road and teach a group of local people to build the efficient smoke-free stove, do high-production intensive gardening and in some cases build composting toilets.
The idea is to set up small cottage factories, something they’ve done in the past, but hasn’t stuck. This year the plan is to offer training, no labour.
“Now we’re going in to just do the training, after a while people accept the technology, it takes a while to buy into it. The stoves they’ve really bought into it now, the civic authority,” Jordan said. “This time they’re asking us to come back because they really see the value of those hundreds of stoves that we did deliver to that community, they’re seeing the value,” Jordan said. “It takes that kind of time.”
Jordan hopes to have two local Rotarians in tow when he heads for Rwanda to start 2017.
“They’ll come over and see what’s happening and I have to provide them a week or two in the field, which is a little challenging,” he said. “We’re not going over there to swing hammers and put on roofs, the Rwandans do that. We don’t want to take their work away from them.”
Trips now are information sharing, that hopefully grows like the beekeeper experiment last year.
“He returned again six months later and did an advanced course, and he’s going back again this winter,” Jordan said. The beekeeper taught Rwandsan seamstresses to make beekeeper’s jackets and even brought back 10 to sell through the Victoria Beekeepers Association.
“It really evolves nicely so that even small enterprises begin,” Jordan said.
The plant sale is at 178 Beach Rd. on Aug 27. from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. features hundreds of mature perennials and shrubs and proceeds provide roofs and gardens for subsistence mothers in Rwanda. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/community/391320581.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/7a2051644dcc22ae33e882bac2f9db0c2fd7d1064995095778fd6d3518f70ada.json |
[
"Colin Gall"
] | 2016-08-26T13:13:33 | null | null | What's happening in Oak Bay and area sports this week | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fsports%2F390512291.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/75952oakbayGallColinJockTalk.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Vikes women welcome Japanese U18s | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Colin Gall
With league play around the corner, the University of Victoria women’s basketball team enjoys an international match-up Tuesday, Aug. 23 and Wednesday, Aug. 24 when the Vikes host the Japanese U18 team.
Both games will be played at 7 p.m. at UVic’s CARSA gym.
The UVic men’s soccer team opens play with a preseason exhibition game today (Friday, Aug. 19) when the Vikes host the Langara Falcons. Play opens at Centennial Stadium at 8 p.m.
The UVic women’s soccer team opened their exhibition play on Thursday, but continue this week with three more games.
The women Vikes host the Langara Falcons Sunday, Aug 21, with kickoff at 12 p.m. at Centennial Stadium. On Tuesday, Aug. 23 the Vikes women travel to Burnaby to take on Simon Fraser University before returning home Friday, Aug. 26 to host the Western Washington University Vikings at Centennial Stadium at 4 p.m.
With just a few weeks left in local cricket action, the Incogs face the Islanders at St. Michaels University School while Oak Bay visits the Colts at Beacon Hill Park. Both games go Saturday at noon.
The University team hits the pitch against the Albion squad this Sunday (Aug. 21) at Beacon Hill Park. Play gets underway at noon.
Victoria Eagles Baseball Club’s Instructional Fall Ball opens Sept. 6.
The program, running eight weeks to Oct. 28, is open to all players born between 1998 and 2004, no matter where they played in 2016 or where they intend to play in 2017. Visit victoriaeagles.com for details and registration information.
Victoria Minor Hockey Association, Oak Bay’s home association, and Saanich Minor Hockey Association are hosting a combined swap and shop for gently used sports equipment on Friday, Aug. 26.
Come to the Pearkes Rec Centre Fieldhouse from 5 to 7 p.m. to participate in the fundraiser event for Tour de Rock.
Tables to sell equipment are available for a $5 donation for Tour de Rock. Email SpecialEventsDirector@saanichminorhockey.com to reserve a table.
We’re nearly a week away from the race date of Woman2Warrior, Victoria’s only women’s charity 5k obstacle adventure race, Sunday Aug. 28. Hit the track, trails and grass at West Shore Parks & Recreation and tackle more than a dozen obstacles designed to challenge strength, agility, balance and endurance. For registration or information, visit victoria.woman2warrior.ca.
Race fans can head to Western Speedway Saturday, Aug. 20 for the Island Batteries Night at the Races, with a full line-up that includes Late Model Drivers Challenge Twin 50s, Stock Cars and Mini Stocks. Grandstands open at 4:30 p.m.
Coming up Wednesday, Aug. 24 is the weekly Hornet Series.
For tickets and details visit westernspeedway.net.
See the Vanier Cup-winning University of British Columbia Thunderbirds take on the University of Manitoba Bisons Friday, Aug. 26 at Westhills Stadium.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with kick-off at 7 p.m. All proceeds benefit Greater Victoria Minor Football, Westshore Rebels and the UBC Football Island Scholarship Fund. Visit vithunderbowl.com/ for tickets.
Colin Gall is a local athlete and Grade 12 student at Mt. Douglas Secondary. Send your coming sports events to jocktalk@telus.net. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/sports/390512291.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/037fc251df493c6c20b58fea4f9b496563238c4f56589ebd587600de3ac7719e.json |
[
"Alec Cottrell"
] | 2016-08-26T12:56:41 | null | null | Empowered Youth workshop welcomes tweens and teens Aug. 27 | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F390512061.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/78629oakbayOBYogaworkshopPAug1016.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Workshop offers youth tools for overcoming life’s stressors | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Oak Bay resident April McNeil hosts a workshop this month to help empower youth.
Yoga has long been a passion for Oak Bay resident April McNeil. She started by taking classes, eventually making the transition from student to teacher.
Now, as a registered yoga teacher at Heart of the Village Yoga Studio in Oak Bay, she’s made it a goal to work closely with Oak Bay’s youth. Her favourite part about teaching yoga is the progression people make.
“I just love watching people fall in love with yoga,” she says.
McNeil hosts a workshop for Oak Bay’s youth to create a learning experience she hopes will have a strong impact on young teens and tweens.
“Young people can really get caught up in what’s going on out there. It’s important for them to find a healthy way to deal with life’s stressors,” she says.
The Empowered Youth workshop aims to give young people the tools to deal with the difficulties of growing up, as well as the ability to create healthy relationships.
In addition to yoga instruction from McNeil, the event features speaker Dr. Rosalind Monteith, a psychologist who will discuss how to create and maintain healthy relationships. Monteith will also discuss confident communication, what to look for in a friend, setting personal boundaries and moving away from unhealthy relationships.
Two sessions are planned Saturday, Aug. 27. The first runs from 10 a.m. to noon for youth age 11 to 13, and parents are welcome to attend the speaker portion of the event for this age group. The second session is from 1 to 3 p.m. for teens ages 14 to 16.
McNeil says the decision to allow parents for the younger group but not the teens comes down to maturity. “It’s more appropriate to allow parents to participate in the discussion with the tweens,” she says.
With September rolling around, and school right around the corner, it can be a tough time for students. Some teens may be starting a new school or entering a whole new situation, and may faced with the challenge of making new friends which can be hard for some. McNeil hopes the workshop will serve to give these youths the confidence to thrive in these situations.
McNeil hopes Empowered Youth will become an annual staple in the Oak Bay community and that it can be built upon and expanded for years to come.
“I just wanted to create a safe environment for these kids to have a discussion and to also expose them to a kind of physical activity where they move out of the body and into the mind in a healthy way,” she says. “Yoga can be extremely beneficial for young people, helping to redirect thoughts and calm the nervous system. Through this work we begin to build a strengthened internal perspective, developing a healthy self-image free of media and other environmental influences.”
Cost of the workshop is $80 and pre-registration is required. For details visit openstudioyoga.ca. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/community/390512061.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/ec0c4ef3a0b47d9f8fc15723cc69a16abceac20a640f39f618e6c3adefeffb63.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T13:08:42 | null | null | Few BC Parks bookings going to commercial operators, solution is more campsite spaces, Environment Minister Mary Polak says | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Flifestyles%2F385640471.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/18489BCLN2007CampingBarriereLakeJasonKoppwiki7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Provincial campsite rush mostly B.C. residents | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Solitude in the wilderness is still available in B.C., between holiday weekends when demand peaks at B.C.'s most popular parks.
Foreign visitors and those on package tours are a small fraction of the demand for B.C. Parks campgrounds around the province, but B.C. resident campers are still using a few tricks to get spaces for high-demand parks.
Some have protested the use of online reservations by motorhome tour operators who sell them as part of a package for tourists.
"Our provincial campsites are not products to be sold, they belong to the people of B.C.," Green Party leader Andrew Weaver said this week.
Environment Minister Mary Polak told Black Press numbers are being tracked for the current year, and the proportions haven't changed much. In 2015, fewer than one per cent of reservable B.C. Parks spaces were booked by tour operators, who also use private camping facilities.
Three quarters of reservations are from within B.C. The second highest share is from Alberta at 14 per cent, the U.S. accounts for 3.6 per cent, the rest of Canada 2.8 per cent, and all European countries combined are 6.6 per cent of the total.
The BC Parks system has 10,700 camping spaces in total, and 5,600 are reservable, to manage demand for the most popular spots.
First-come, first-served sites are kept out of the reservation system in some popular locations to accommodate travellers who drop in along the road. For high-demand periods like the recent Canada Day weekend, savvy campers work the reservation system.
At Golden Ears Provincial Park, one group booked for two weeks as soon as the 90-day eligibility window opened, then dropped the first week, giving them the coveted Canada Day weekend dates before they were generally available.
"Every year we look to change things to keep people from cheating, and every year they find new ways," Polak said. "Really the only answer is going to be finding a way to expand the number of sites that we have available."
It's shaping up as a record year for the Discover Camping reservation service, with 92,000 bookings so far this year.
B.C. Parks has added four new sites for this summer. Reservations can be made for Garibaldi Provincial Park in the Whistler area, Ruckle Provincial Park on Saltspring Island, Okanagan Falls Provincial Park, Inland Lake Provincial Park near Powell River and Dry Gulch Provincial Park near Radium Hot Springs. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/lifestyles/385640471.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/666a79728a063e159ea542a4efbae9a69d2aee0921eb3461fa3ab137d30b1db6.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:06:02 | null | null | Oak Bay Music bids farewell to summer with Aug. 24 concert at St. Mary’s Church | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fentertainment%2F390971711.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/7769oakbaysombrio-duo-poster.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Violin duo concludes Summer Serenade | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Violinists Kathryn Wiebe and Tyson Doknjas welcome pianist Derek Stanyer to tonight’s concert.
Oak Bay Music bids farewell to summer with the Sombrio Violin Duo, Aug. 24 at St. Mary’s Church.
Violinists Kathryn Wiebe and Tyson Doknjas welcome pianist Derek Stanyer for the final Summer Serenade concert of the season.
“We are so excited to welcome and present this fabulous duo to our Oak Bay audience,” says Oak Bay Music artistic director Erik Abbink. “Kathryn Wiebe and Tyson Doknjas are two of Victoria’s best violinists, and I know our audience will appreciate the high level of playing as well as the diversity of the program.”
The ensemble’s program spans four centuries of violin music, some of which is accompanied by Stanyer. Audiences will enjoy some of the best concert music by Jean-Marie Leclair, José Herrando, Moritz Moszkowski, Eugène Ysaÿe, Reinhold Glière, Olivier Messaien and Arvo Pärt.
The concert begins at 7 p.m. in the intimate setting of St. Mary’s Chapel, 1701 Elgin Rd. Tickets are available at Ivy’s Books, at the door, and online at oakbaymusic.ca. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/entertainment/390971711.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/96df0e5c68639aac871dbc37d42e1cdcfeffa29ff48520cc6aed5f80cce174de.json |
[
"Jennifer Blyth"
] | 2016-08-26T13:01:33 | null | null | While the store remains open during renovations, Fairway's deli will close for three weeks to allow for improvements | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fbusiness%2F390971491.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/7691oakbayOBFairwayMarketRenoPAug2416.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Fairway reno brings updates and more deli variety | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Robert Jay, Fairway Market’s vice-president of operations and project manager for the Oak Bay store’s renovations, and Oak Bay deli manager Cheslea Taylor visit the deli area, which will see significant new offerings once renovations are complete.
Fairway Market shoppers may have noticed a few changes taking shape at the Oak Bay Avenue store, and can look forward to more to come.
Updates so far include a switch to brighter, more efficient LED lights and aesthetic improvements like new flooring, says project manager Robert Jay, Fairway’s vice-president of operations and management information systems.
“Fairway has been looking at our stores and looking at upgrading our stores, starting with the oldest,” Jay says.
The Oak Bay store, which employs about 60 people in Athlone Court, has been in the Fairway family since around the mid-1990s but was a grocery store long before that. Its reno comes on the heels of a six-month upgrade of the Shelbourne Street store.
“We’re trying to keep the store open as much as possible – that’s why the renovation is taking a little longer,” Jay says.
The one area that will close briefly so it can see significant improvements is the deli.
An opportunity to take over additional space in Athlone Court will provide more refrigeration options, allowing the store to offer a variety of new hot and cold items, from sushi and salads to new “grab-and-go” meals customers are looking for, Jay says. “That’s going to be a major change.”
Deli staff are looking forward to the updates.
“It’s a lot more space, more efficient and we’re going to have a lot more things available,” says deli manager Chelsea Taylor.
The deli is expected to close for about three weeks, but a firm timeline hasn’t been established.
Staff will be distributed to other departments during the closure.
The company is also reviewing its product offerings in each location to see what is working well and what might be needed.
“We’re always open to suggestions – people can approach any of the departments and if we can bring it in, we will,” Jay says. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/business/390971491.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/618c34ee5948b4cc637aab156ed1b7ca86b034791128abc9e9db5181717c96c7.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T13:11:28 | null | null | Premier Christy Clark isn't going into next year's election with a promise to jack up Canada's only significant carbon tax | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fopinion%2F391051701.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/42735BCLN2007ClarkPolakNissanLeaf7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | BC VIEWS: B.C. fails to save the planet | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Premier Christy Clark and Environment Minister Mary Polak plug in an electric car at an announcement of the government's latest climate change plan in Richmond Aug. 19.
A B.C. Liberal operative was out with the online spin hours before Premier Christy Clark confirmed the much-leaked news in a Friday afternoon announcement at an obscure location in Richmond.
The, er, freeze is continuing for B.C.’s ground-breaking, world-saving carbon tax, which hasn’t changed since before Clark was elected in 2013.
The spin was Olympic-themed, with a picture labeled to show B.C. as a swimmer far out in the lead in the pool, to symbolize that it’s the other provinces that need to catch up in the race to save the planet.
Clark has been saying that for years, and there is merit to it. Even without a tax on “process emissions” such as from cement kilns, B.C.’s carbon tax encourages imports of non-taxed cement from the U.S. and China.
Alberta business professor Andrew Leach, who advised the Stephen Harper and then Rachel Notley governments on greenhouse gas policies, summed up the problem this way.
“Until the rest of the world has policies that impose similar cost, you’re not actually reducing emissions to the extent you think,” Leach said. “You’re just displacing the emissions and the economic activity to other jurisdictions.”
Alberta is moving to join B.C. with a modest carbon tax, but the NDP government plans to spend the proceeds rather than return them in income tax as B.C. has done. And Washington state and most of the rest of the world have no carbon tax as such, so their businesses benefit from B.C.’s “climate leadership.”
B.C.’s foreign-funded eco-radical community was, needless to say, appalled. The Pembina Institute’s Matt Horne and career protesters Tzeporah Berman and Merran Smith were named to the premier’s advisory committee last year, along with business, academic and aboriginal representatives.
They concluded that increases to B.C.’s broad-based tax on carbon fuels should resume its upward march in 2018.
Other committee members, including the mayors of Surrey, Comox and Burns Lake, were not heard from. Public discussion on this issue is now reduced to a staged conflict between those who demand a holy war on deadly carbon dioxide “pollution,” and those who don’t care if their grandchildren perish in a hell-fire of fossil fuel use.
We’ve just come off another El Nino year, like the hot year of 1998. Regular readers will recall the last time I discussed this topic was this spring, where I questioned the premier’s dire warnings of another horrendous forest fire season.
What followed has been one of the slowest forest fire seasons in the last decade, although dry conditions have finally emerged this month. Climate predictions, like next week’s weather forecast, are less than consistent.
I am regularly sent messages calling me a “climate change denier,” the nonsense term that continues to be used by federal Environment Minister Catharine McKenna among many others. I know of no one who denies that climate is always changing, at times dramatically.
If you wish to believe that paying an extra seven cents a litre for gasoline in B.C. is helping to slow the very gradual increase in temperatures we’re seeing in the northern hemisphere, you are free to do so.
You may even be persuaded to take a government subsidy and buy an expensive, short-range electric car. Me, I’m off to Prince Rupert and Revelstoke pretty soon, so I’ll stick with my little four-cylinder gas sipper for now.
Hydro-powered B.C. represents a small fraction of the less than two per cent Canada contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions. We’re not the problem, and no, the world is not looking to us for guidance.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca Twitter: @tomfletcherbc | http://www.oakbaynews.com/opinion/391051701.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/1aea94963a46f67be6ce7b86d51c18d846e08af8010f4a2553a54e260eedf24b.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:04:58 | null | null | Artists showcase work at annual Bowker Creek Brush Up | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fentertainment%2F390355941.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | SLIDESHOW: Beauty of a Brush Up | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Glorious weather dawned on the annual Bowker Creek Brush Up Sunday as local artists were joined by others from around the region to demonstrate their work.
Artists on-site included Oak Bay Community Artists Society member Judee Doyle, Bonnie Goodwin , with her ‘upcycled’ jewellery, painter JEM Easton, whose art cards decorated a cedar tree, Jo Vipond who demonstrated weaving her intriguing baskets from kelp collected from Cattle Point and Fairfield artist Wayne Anaka, displaying his wood turnings in his third year at the Brush Up.
In addition to a host of artists, entertainment included the Oak Bay duo Two Among Friends – Lorraine DeMan and Rowan Metcalfe – who made a new friend in one-year-old Adaline Doerksen.
Youth like Luke Wetterberg, 7, also enjoyed creating art with a balloon and paint at a station hosted by Recreation Oak Bay. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/entertainment/390355941.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/2ba4e4bc13534fd896e6acfbbb4f8cbf813d467613e89b22c91037f863c40641.json |
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