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On the heels of January 13 being the anniversary of my mom leaving this earth, February was filled with anniversaries- my dad’s birthday and the day he died, Ben’s birthday, the date of my grandma’s death, and two and a half years since Ben died. I didn’t mark the 6-month date in a blog post, but I was keenly aware of it. March began with my Grandma’s birthday. All of these events made all the more resonant Widow Tweed’s words to Tod in The Fox and the Hound: “Goodbye may seem forever, farewell is like the end, but in my heart is a memory and there you’ll always be.”
Each year, when I am hit with this block of dates, I relive all over again the losses and how they happened- the hospitals, the VA, the hospices, the crises, the goodbyes, the sadness and fear and even anger. I lament the many ways that life changed with each of these losses, and I think about how I have lost the family that was my bedrock. At a time when I have begun to feel more joy and comfort in memories, and I am gaining perspective on my relationships and my experience with grief, this block of time definitely feels like a setback.
I think back to when my mom died of a sudden massive heart attack, and it completely uprooted my world. My mom and I spoke many times each day, spent so much time together, and when she died I simply did not know how I would go on. For quite some time, every morning I awoke, sat on the sofa trying to decide how I would spend each day, until evening fell, and I could just get back into bed. When I did go outside, something would invariably remind me of my mom and I would break into tears. It was unbearable. Family events without my mom were traumatic. During that time, I was completing my Master’s Degree and I was hired to work with children in a hospital. I relished that time because I had to put my own grief aside for a few hours to focus on the needs of the children, which was rewarding and purposeful. Other than that, the only thing present for me was her absence.
With each subsequent loss, I went through a similar process, though, sadly, I knew more of what to expect. With Ben, the levels of grief were particularly layered and they began during his battle with ALS- loss of the life as we knew it, shifts in our relationship, and, ultimately, supporting his decision to go off life support and preparing to be there for and with him as he left this world on his terms. Experience did not ease the pain of my losses by any means, but maybe it helped me to understand it and adjust more quickly to coexisting with the pain of grief.
Although I did question it when I heard it, I now believe that Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother was right that “Time passed and pain turned to memory” (live action Disney Cinderella, 2015. Click here for that post). I do remember those awful days of grief. At this time of year, in particular, but also at other times, anticipated or unexpected, I still get hit by waves of grief, sadness and missing everyone. But, I also have vivid, beautiful memories of these beloved people. I look at myself and know that they have all helped to shape the person I am today. The memories are loving, and also truthful, and they have offered me a better understanding of myself and those relationships. They have led me to want to offer comfort and support to other caregivers and people in grief and to want to find and keep love in my life.
I’ve come to realize that although I said goodbye, our relationships did not end. Now, I carry our memories in my heart, where they will always be to guide and inspire me and to surround me with love. It is not the same as having them here, but it is a lot.
By the way, The Fox and the Hound is a truly touching story that I highly recommend. It has sweet messages about friendship, loyalty and acceptance.
Today would be my Grandma’s birthday. I was a mommy’s girl, a daddy’s girl and a grandma’s girl. That has stayed with me. You don’t see a lot of emphasis on grandma love in Disney films. Julie Andrews as a grandma and a Queen in The Princess Diaries was a treat, as well as outstanding casting, in my opinion.
How appropriate that last night, Disney Pixar’s Coco won an Oscar for best animated film. Coco was absolutely beautiful, but very emotional, given my own losses. For one thing, the character Coco is young Miguel’s great-grandma, who is delighted by her great-grandson, although her memory of him and of everyone, is fading. But, Coco is loved and respected, cared for by the whole family. My family lived with Grandma, too, and we all cared for her as she succumbed to cancer. I was happy to see Disney tackle the issues of respect for the elderly and memory loss in a sensitive, touching way. Although the film unnerved me and had me in tears at various points, Coco was a powerful, and, actually, a positive reminder that Ben, my mom and dad, my grandma and all of the other people I’ve loved so deeply but lost, are always with me in my heart. I was fortunate to be able to tell my dad, my grandma and Ben that I would never forget or stop loving them. Remembering them keeps them close to me always and, very significantly, it keeps their spirits alive. Click here to read more about Coco and its beautiful messages.
The song from the film, Remember Me, is also lovely and moving. I was so pleased that it was nominated for an Oscar.
Remember Me Lyrics from Coco
Written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
Performed by Miguel, featuring Natalia Lafourcade
Though I have to say goodbye
Don’t let it make you cry
For even if I’m far away I hold you in my heart
I sing a secret song to you each night we are apart
Though I have to travel far
Each time you hear a sad guitar
Know that I’m with you the only way that I can be
Until you’re in my arms again
Given my own love for my grandmother, the love between Moana and her Gramma Tala in the film Moana also deeply touched my heart.
I grew up in a house with Grandma, in the same house that she raised my mom and her siblings. There were a lot of memories in that house, a lot of dreams, a lot of happiness, but also sadness. I grew up in that house but my mom and Grandma also died in that house. Grandma and I were very attentive to each other, always calling each other and spending many weekends together. When she was ill I helped with her caregiving, and although I was not her primary caregiver, I was the one she relied on for comfort. At the same time, she wanted to protect me from the fact that she was dying.
From the time I was a child, I was in awe of Grandma and her elegance. I loved her sense of fashion. She had a wonderful way of putting together colors and fabrics and styles. I still have some of her clothing and jewelry. In fact, some of the best shopping I ever did was in her closets and drawers. On a couple of occasions, I was stopped by saleswomen at boutiques because they remembered that before I made a purchase, I called my grandmother for her opinion on an outfit that I was considering. They said they’d never met anyone who called her grandmother. If they knew her, they would have, too. She really had great style. To this day, when I’m feeling lazy about dressing up or putting on make-up- it happens rarely, but it happens!- I hear her warning me that I never know who I am going to meet and I should always look my best. Clearly, she was hoping for a nice, Jewish Prince Charming. My fairytale was not quite exactly her idea of the “tale as old as time,” but Grandma always seemed to understand that I danced to my own beat. Sometimes we frustrated each other, particularly when I challenged her ideas of an ideal life. But, we had a special bond and an unconditional love for each other. And, I know that she would have loved Ben.
Grandma doing my hair. She crocheted my dress. She was very talented! I get my creative streak from her.
Grandma had four brothers and a sister, my great-aunts and great-uncles, and I loved them all dearly. If you read my Valentine’s Day post, these are the wonderful people for whom I made cards when I was growing up. I accompanied my mom and Grandma to visit my great-grandmother at the nearby nursing home almost every day when I was quite young. As a child, it was a fun experience for me because, as I realized in retrospect, the people living there were so happy to see and interact with a child. I loved spending time with my great-aunts and great-uncles. Losing Grandma and my older relatives left a huge void in my life. However, through our loving relationships, I developed a lasting appreciation of and particular compassion for elderly people.
(L-R) Great-uncle Louie, Great-aunt “Tanta” Rosie, Great-Aunt Lillian, Grandma, Great-Uncle Larry. Mid-1980s. I adored them all.
Grandma was very artistic and I inherited her abilities and passion for crafts. She crocheted many aphgans and sweaters, skirts, dresses and ponchos. I remember choosing wool colors with her and how each item had to represent the gift recipient, yet had to be timeless and classic. I can see my own shifting tastes as I look at my childhood aphgan in its pastel colors and then the gray, maroon and cream colors in my college aphgan. I remember waking up in the morning covered with the squares she made while I was asleep. My dollhouse and dolls even got aphgans! I still have many things that she made. They hold such beautiful memories of time spent watching her and learning how to crochet. Eventually, she helped me to make an aphgan of my own. Ben used it often.
Some of Grandma’s aphgans. Far left was from my bedroom, the middle was for college and far right was another design she made for another room. When I woke up, I would often find little aphgans in my dollhouse! I’ve kept them, too.
The aphgan I made with help from Grandma.
Grandma was also a craftsy child, and I remembering discovering and being fascinated by a beautiful ribbon doll that she made when she was young. My mom had it restored and framed, and it hangs in my apartment, another reminder of the artistic sensibility that I share with Grandma. Grandma’s talents extended to the piano, and she inspired me to learn how to play. I never played as well as she did, but she helped and encouraged me to play, and I’ve kept some of the sheet music.
A ribbon doll that Grandma made as a child. I believe that these were popular crafts when she was young.
My mom, on the other hand, was not artistic. Grandma did my hair, helped me pick my clothes and taught me how to bake. I never saw Mommy approach the piano, though she did take guitar lessons with me for a very short time. But, as I’ve written previously, my mom and I shared a sense of whimsy and we were both children at heart. Grandma did not share that sensibility and it made for some amusing times. One of my funniest memories was watching “The Little Mermaid” with both of them, my mom and I giggling like little girls, and then laughing hard as we looked at Grandma, who was staring at the screen in disbelief that we could lose ourselves in the film. OK, so Grandma did not embrace the Disney magic, but she did have a healthy respect for Mickey and Minnie and was amused and enthusiastic when I called her from Walt Disney World to tell her that I’d gotten a Happy 35th Birthday hug from Mickey!
One of our traditions was to make humentashen, the triangular, fruit-filled cookies made during the Jewish holiday, Purim. When I was a child, she taught me my Bubbe’s (great-grandma’s) recipe, and we made the cookies every year. And every year, Grandma admonished my mom, who laughed as she struggled to make the triangle shape and never got it quite right. Family traditions! As Grandma got older, I did more of the work and she supervised. After she died, I continued the tradition, and I even taught Ben how to make them. He loved doing it, and got a kick out of knowing that he, a Puerto Rican, was better at making humentashen than my mom! Every year, he would look up the date of Purim so he could tell me when we had to bake! And, just like Grandma did, we counted how many of each flavor I had. (Counting was a ritual she started as a joke because my dad used to sneak into the kitchen to take the matzah balls she made. ) As Ben’s ALS progressed, he made less and less, but he was always a part of the process, even as the official batter taster. Grandma never knew Ben, but I believe that she watched over us and that she would have loved him. I kept and used her mixer until it finally broke, and I still use her huge wooden rolling pins. And, last year Purim fell in time for me to make the humentashen on Grandma’s birthday, but this year I made humentashen last week, on Ben’s birthday, which I’m sure would have pleased them both (Click here for Ben’s birthday post)
Making humentashen is a tradition that started a long time ago!
Ben and Grandma would be proud of this batch of humentashen.
As Gramma Tala said, there is nowhere I go where Grandma is not with me. So are my mom and dad and Ben. It’s not always enough, and the truth is that sometimes it’s not even close to being enough, but it helps me to know that everywhere I go, and in everything I do, I carry them in my heart and in the person I am. I hope that I make them proud.
If you’ve followed my recent posts, you know that February is a difficult month for me, with several anniversaries. My dad’s birthday was February 15 and day he died was February 13. Ben’s birthday was just two days ago. And now, today, February 23, is the day my Grandma, Dora, died. Since her birthday is coming up, and things have been rough with these milestones, I want to respectfully acknowledge this date and my love for my grandmother, but I will wait until March 5, her birthday – at least a happier date – to share more about her.
I grew up in a house with Grandma. I was with her in that house when she succumbed to cancer. We were extremely close, knew the best and worst of each other and loved each other unconditionally.
Grandma is a part of so many memories, and of much of who I am, and for that I am grateful. I know that she watched over me as I made humentashen on Ben’s birthday. She was with me yesterday, when I went to the Downton Abbey Exhibition, and I thought about how much she and I would have enjoyed being in the kitchen with Mrs. Patmore. I also thought of Grandma as I looked at the beautiful costumes. Grandma always had a fabulous sense of style and I got my love of fashion from her. I have many old photos of Grandma and my great-aunts and great-uncles from the Downton Abbey era.
I am thinking of you today, Grandma. You are always in my heart and I love you and miss you.
Today, February 21, is Ben’s birthday. I woke up feeling so down that I didn’t want to get out of bed. This is the third birthday without him, so I asked myself how many of his birthdays I am going to feel like this. The truth is that I have gotten used to the waves of sadness and loneliness. I didn’t know how I would feel today but I go with the flow of my emotions. I don’t convince myself that I have to be miserable, I don’t punish myself, and I don’t anticipate anything other than that I don’t know how I am going to feel and that I will be okay with whatever mood hits. The sadness and loneliness don’t paralyze me the way they did, but the bursts of tears remain.
I miss Ben and I think that’s okay. I miss making a fuss on his birthday. When he was homebound, I decorated our apartment after I put him to bed so he would have a fun surprise in the morning. He knew I was decorating but never knew exactly what he would find, and that delighted him.
In an effort to continue to make a fuss over Ben, I made a plan for today to honor him and our relationship. Making a plan was a way to prepare for the day, too. Since next week is the Jewish holiday, Purim, I decided to bake humentashen, the triangle-shaped, fruit-filled cookies. I knew Ben would like that. He loved them and was very good at shaping the cookies! Ben actually enjoyed a lot of Jewish holidays and traditions- often more than I did! He got a kick out of helping me, particularly because I used to tell him that he was better at it than my mom, who could not make that shape no matter how hard she tried. It always made me laugh to see my big, Puerto Rican man delicately making the humentashen! Grandma would have been proud of him!
Ben and Grandma would be proud of this batch of humentashen.
I am also in the midst of a Disney movie marathon of Ben’s favorites- Monsters, Inc., Mulan, Toy Story (1,2,3) and The Incredibles. It’s a quiet day filled with lots of memories.
I also looked at the video that I made last year on his birthday, which I’ve placed here once again. There are photos of his birthdays and other happy occasions, and, of course, some Walt Disney World photos. Some were taken when he had ALS and some in the pre-ALS days. The love was always there, so I embrace all of the memories. I guess it will always be jarring but sweet to hear The Beatles’, “Happy Birthday.” Ben woke me up with that song every year on my birthday. Now, I am playing it for him. I find it comforting to revisit beautiful memories. That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t come with tears, but tears are okay. So are smiles.
I want anyone reading this to know that, at least in my opinion, there is no “right” way to deal with events like this. If I had felt like I did not want to do anything special for Ben’s birthday, and just share a quiet thought of him, that would have been fine, too. I feel no compulsion to defend myself. That, in itself, feels like progress! Although I made this plan for today, I didn’t know if it would be right for me until I was in the moment. It began shakily, but I did get myself out of bed to accomplish my goals. Thankfully, though having a “Ben day” alone with my memories and baking did not make me happy, it still felt right, and that gave me a feeling of contentment. And, Ben (and Grandma) would be thrilled that the humentashen came out very well!
As I wrote last year, there is no candle on a cake now, but always wishes that he is comfortable, and running, singing and eating to his heart’s delight. And, wishes for a cure for ALS, because wishes do come true. As Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother says, “even miracles take a little time.”
2011- A visit to the Wishing Well at Cinderella’s Castle to wish for a cure for ALS.
When Ben proposed to me at Walt Disney World, he asked me to be His Minnie. So, on his birthday, I say
Today marks 4 years since my dad, Jacob, left this world. People might think this strange, but I still think about him every single day, remembering his humor, his advice, his kindness and his history lessons. I think about how upset he would be about the state of our country and its leadership, or lack thereof. He was a proud Marine, and a real patriot. He also loved history, particularly WW2, and he would definitely be reminding me that history does indeed repeat itself.
This is a difficult week because my dad died just two days before his birthday. I can’t help but relive the time he spent at the hospital and at the VA Hospice. I remember people from the staff telling me that I was my dad’s world. I did know that, and I am grateful that we took every opportunity to let each other know how much we loved each other way before he became ill. There were no things left unsaid. I am grateful to have had such a close relationship with him. I suppose the sharp pangs of grief and waves of sadness that permeate these days are testament to the love we had for each other. I like to think about it that way.
There are so many times that I want to call my dad, to share a story, ask for his advice, hear him laugh. I still talk to him. Somehow, I know that he hears me, because sometimes he guides me to the answers.
I wrote notes about my relationship with my dad for the Rabbi to present at his funeral. I thought that on this day I would share them to let people know a little bit about him. He would have said that he did not want any attention, but he deserves it.
My dad was a one-of-a-kind. He was so funny, so kind, so generous, but he liked you to think he was Archie Bunker. I don’t think he ever knew or believed how loved he was.
He was such a proud Marine. He wore his USMC cap so proudly and loved to run into other veterans and share stories. But I was his Private Benjamin. The first time I drove him to the VA out in Northport he just shook his head when I clapped and waved as the guard at the gate saluted us when I flashed Daddy’s VA card. Daddy saluted, shook his head and laughed. Although he was not an observant Jew, his Marine Corps experience, where he was one of 3 Jews, gave him a sense of pride in his religion and he did not tolerate any discrimination, gaining the nickname of “that crazy Jew” because he would fight anyone who even looked like they were going to say anything derogatory. He trained down south during the days of segregation, and he remembered with sadness and contempt the way he was not allowed to sit on the bus with his African American USMC buddies and how disgusted he was by those attitudes because it was so different than up here.
He lived and breathed dogs but really loved all animals. When I was a little girl we used to read the Dog Breed book all the time. I knew every breed and I used to say that I couldn’t be Daddy’s daughter if I could not identify every kind of dog! But, he took great pride in his dogs and Schnauzers were our breed. The whole neighborhood knew my dad as Dulcie’s dad. And we all lived by the motto of “love me love my dog.” He was delighted when a group of kids told their sister, who was afraid of Dulcie and making a bit of a scene, to “go inside if you don’t want to play with Dulcie” instead of telling Dulcie to go away. When he was selling our house, a real estate agent brashly told him to put the dog outside. He told her she could stand outside but the dog lived there. She left and never came back. My dad was fine with that! He used to leave messages for my cat when he knew she was alone and let her know that it was a grave injustice that her mommy left her alone.
He was so proud of me and excited that in 2010 I finally was able to launch my dream pet souvenir business and he loved helping me with ideas and business advice. Just last weekend Ben put pictures from a recent dog event I was asked to participate in on his iPad so I could show them to my dad. He loved to look at the pictures and was interested so in my life that he even knew my doggie friends by name.
He had such a good sense of humor and was also a prankster. He got such a kick out of calling companies to review their products or ask questions and having them send him coupons. Once he called me laughing so hard about his call to Uncle Ben’s Rice. He drove the poor girl crazy asking about the measurements, explaining that his mother in law had always cooked for him but now he was on his own. She asked him to hold on and he heard her say, “I don’t know if this guy is sorry that his mother-in-law died, but I sure am!”
He liked teasing my grandmother, sometimes by pretending to sneak into the kitchen to steal her freshly made matzah balls, to the point where she started counting them! To this day when I bake the cookies and hamentashen she taught me to make, I count the number of each shape and/or flavor!
He loved to laugh and to make people laugh. His facial expressions were priceless. His humor made stressful situations tolerable. I remember giving him books on Jewish humor and how he would call me to read some of the jokes, laughing so hard with his cutest laugh. He called me when he was watching our favorite comedies to recount a scene as he was watching it, and his laughter was so contagious that it always made laugh. Some of our favorite quotes came from Mel Brooks’ “The History of the World: Part 1,” “Tootsie,” “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” and “Hope and Glory.”
My dad loved history and military aviation. He knew so much about WW2. It was a challenge to find books about things he didn’t know, but he loved to read. I used to call him from Barnes and Noble and read the summaries of the new arrivals to see what he responded to. When there was someone or something that he didn’t know well, I knew I had a winner! Ben and I used to find documentaries for him and Ben would convert them to DVDs. He loved seeing footage he had never seen, and it wasn’t easy to find it!!! And we had many, many discussions about history.
As much as he loved gadgets, he had no patience. While he screamed about the bad instructions, I constructed tv stands and bookshelves. FIOS drove him crazy. I got many frantic phone calls when he could not get the tv to work. Ben and I downloaded manuals with the remote layouts so we could walk him through possible solutions. Ironically, he was a master at his trade in heating/air conditioning and was incredibly good at home repairs, helping neighbors and families with boilers, clearing floods, making heating/A/C decisions. Even from the hospice he gave me the perfect solution for dealing with the radiator and my freezing apartment.
He was like a father to Ben, who has ALS/Lou Gehrig’s disease, and was always looking for any gadget that would make his life easier. And they often do! I never had dinner with him where he didn’t order something for me to bring Ben, who cannot really get out very much at all any more. In the days when we did visit my dad, he would show Ben his gadgets, books and WW2 bullet casings and they would sit and talk about the wars. They both loved it.
I always knew how loved I was and I loved him. We used to speak maybe 5 or 7 times a day, sometimes to share what was on TV, or make each other laugh, or more recently, when he was living alone, I would remind him to eat and see how he felt every time I had a free period at school. Because I was a Spanish teacher he started watching Spanish television and he would call and ask me what words meant. I used to joke with my students that he worked harder than they did. But, it also intrigued them that my dad cared so much about what I did. And that was an important life lesson for many of them.
He was a man who was so devoted to his family. He always said that he just loved to hear my mom and I giggle with my grandmother. He was so proud to send my mom to meet me in England, even though both of us were amazed at her inability to work a luggage cart! He took care of my grandma, his mother-in-law, driving to and from work in Brooklyn to Woodmere to drive her to the beauty parlor, wait for her to be finished, drive her home, and then go back to work. He was honored and almost humbled that Uncle Larry called him every single Friday. He really missed Uncle Larry. There isn’t a friend or a child of a friend of mine that he did not ask and care about.
He was generous and was more comfortable giving than receiving help. He taught me by example to be kind, generous and compassionate and to have a sense of humor. I already miss the phone calls. But I am still talking to him.


Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
Federal Government has said that its talks with organized labour has yielded fruits.
Government said the two sides were almost reaching agreement on the issue of implementation of deregulation while outstanding issues raised by the movement regarding electricity tariff were to be addressed at the ongoing meeting.
At the opening of the meeting Sunday night, TUC president. Comrade Quadiri Olaleye, alleged that federal government had sponsored groups to institute legal action and to demonstrate against labour’s planned strike on Monday. Also NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, expressed dismay at the resort to legal action by government to try to scuttle labour’s protest, insisting that labour has not received any cour5 injunction.
Wabba said there was a Supreme Court judgement that guaranteed freedom of workers to protest without hindrance. He also said that labour had a subsisting court judgement declaring the increase in electricity tariff illegal.
Speaking at the opening session of the meeting with the two labour centres, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), on Sunday night, Secretary to the Government of Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, said the issues that necessitated the engagement with organized labour were almost being addressed.
“When we met last week Thursday, we had a very robust discussion. We had very good insights into issues that necessitated Minister of Labour, to engage with the organized labour as to navigating through the agitating issues.
” I believe strongly that we have resolved virtually everything that was on the table in the area of deregulation of downstream sector of the oil and gas and the increase in the pump price.
” With regards to power, there are still outstanding issues that were raised by labour as to the conflicting information they had regarding electricity tariff as it applies in different areas and DISCOs. It was at the stage that there should be some kind of validation. It was at this stage that the meeting adjourned’, he said.
He said that the issue that was outstanding was had to do with the process of validation of the electricity tariff. Mustapha urged the meeting to focus only on outstanding issues so that discussion can be concluded quickly.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige while welcoming labour representatives to the talks said that the emergency meeting was necessitated because of developments at the weekend where some civil society group served government and labour with an injunction against the strike.
But TUC president in his submission, accused federal government of sponsoring groups to institute legal action and anti labour protest against the organized labour.
He said: “We are already negotiating with the government, it was totally wrong for government to head to court to get an injunction. As at now, we have not been served with that injunction, so I am not aware.
“And also it was wrong for government to have sponsored people to protest at the Unity Fountain that the labour movement should not go on strike. It was very wrong for government, if another person had sponsored that it would have been right than the government because we actually got the information that it was sponsored by government. Labour is not afraid to go to court to challenge the injunction obtained by government but we have not been served,”..


text:
The effort was meant as a symbolic statement about gun violence on school campuses. Those who attended the rally at South Park after the 17-minute walkout were asked to follow the district's usual absence reporting procedures, which mandates that parents must notify the school of their student's excused absence.
For one hour on Friday the halls of Rock Island High School were quiet.
From Brown's Island, the participants marched through downtown Richmond to the Virginia State Capitol to have their collective voices heard in front of lawmakers like Gov. Ralph Northam and Chris Hurst, the fiance of Alison Parker - the journalist shot and killed on live television.
Students say they want to go to school to learn and not have to think about violence. "We did something really good today", Leopold said. Some students were upset they weren't going to be walking out.
G7 toughens Russian Federation stance but Iran deal in the balance
Freeland also noted that Japan's Foreign Minister Tarō Kōno had had dinner with the female envoys the night before. Pompeo recently made headlines over a meeting he took with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during Easter weekend.
According to a release, she was inspired by the National School Walkout that occurred on March 14. "We don't want the pressure to be taken off this issue", said student Terrie Briggs. There was a voter sign-up drive for those who are eligible and organizers also accepted donations for the non-profit, Everytown for Gun Safety. "A lot of people think the point of what we are doing.is to keep them inside", Caballero said, "but we are giving them a bigger chance to speak up".
Among the talking points for Alvarado, Roach and other protesters, they seek an increase to the age limit for firearms purchases, universal background checks, and a ban on bump stocks and extended magazines.
Aside from protests and rallies, the group also plans to call state representatives, will coordinate an email campaigns, and seeks to foster conversation with fellow students and the wider community.
Local 24 obtained the student's Snapchat post showing a gun and the message "people mess with me and now it's time for me to strike back". We wondered if our presence might have an impact in initiating future dialogue from both sides. I should have to worry about my grades.

domain: news


text:
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domain: artistic


text:
‘Elegy’ by Ambrose Bierce parodies another famous elegy in order to humorously critique the self-indulgence of such poetic lamentations.
This poem by Ambrose Bierce is a short and sardonic parody of another famous elegy: 'Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard' by Thomas Gray. Using just the first stanza of the poem, he alters the meaning and mood of the poem by changing particular words and rewriting whole lines. The effect completely transforms the reverent elegy into a blithe mocking of Romantic sentimentality. This is a great example of the poet's verse and one of his better-known poems.
The cur foretells the knell of parting day;
The loafing herd winds slowly o’er the lea;
The wise man homewards plods; I only stay
To fiddle-faddle in a minor key.

domain: library


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From Henry Shukman’s article for Tricycle Magazine:
The world is dynamic and changing; therein lies its freshness. But our ideas about it tend to grow static and calcified, even our ideas about the most important things: who we are, how things are, why the world is the way it is. Especially these, perhaps. Our accustomed way of seeing is just one way, yet as it hardens through habit, it tends to become our only way. To see the world anew is of a piece with wisdom.


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“I am happy to announce that the Jedlix management team has concluded a purchase agreement of the Eneco shares of Jedlix B.V. Groupe Renault supports this management buy-out and remains a shareholder & strategic partner of Jedlix.” Serge Subiron (CEO at Jedlix B.V.)
Jedlix BV was established in 2016 by Eneco as a separate company to build a multi-utility and multi-OEM business model and to expand internationally. Groupe Renault has invested in the company in 2017 to reinforce Jedlix’ ecosystem and accelerate its business momentum in Europe. Under the ownership of Eneco and Renault, Jedlix has built over the fundaments for its market leadership position in real-time Electric Vehicle aggregation and batteries swarm management. In particular, Jedlix sets the standard for providing EV-based grid services to Transmission System Operators with its Virtual Power Plant.
Already active in the Netherlands, Belgium and France, in 2019 the Jedlix platform user base grew by 300% YoY, especially through the native services distribution strategy of OEM partners, reaching up to 15% transformation of their base, and thanks to the launch of new best-seller EV models. Last year, EV drivers smart charging with Jedlix gained up to €270 earnings. The launch of Peak/Off Peak steering services helped reduce their home energy bill by an extra 15%. Over the next two years, we will also operate smart charging services in Germany, UK, Norway, Switzerland, with new energy and OEM partnerships to accelerate our market impact.
Over the past 3 years, Jedlix has partnered with Tesla, Renault, Jaguar and BMW for vehicle-to-grid integration. Jedlix also cooperates across Europe with energy groups such as TenneT, Elia, TransNetBW, NextKraftwerke, Stedin, Enexis, Enedis, BP, Engie, Total, GreenYellow, ekWateur, Plüm energie. In the Netherlands, Jedlix has strategic partnerships with Eneco Energy Trade, Eneco Retail, Oxxio and Eneco eMobility. Jedlix will continue to grow actively these business relationships as the EV market matures, to create value for both the energy and automotive sectors and their EV customers at scale.
Jedlix was born in the Netherlands as a spin-off of the Eneco group. This affiliation has created solid human and business links which are key assets for the Jedlix management team to take the company to the next level of its international development and to create a new driver-centric smart charging standard globally.

domain: finance


Senior guard Sara Doi scored 15 points, and senior post Tia Chambers added 11 points as the Penn Girls Basketball Team defeated Fort Wayne Southside, 47-41, on Saturday, Jan. 13.
Penn improved to 19-1. Southside is 16-4.
Jordyn Smith scored 8 points for the Kingsmen.
Next up for the Kingsmen is a Northern Indiana Conference game at South Bend St. Joseph on Thursday, Jan. 18.
The Kingsmen can clinch the NIC title with a victory at St. Joe.
Penn is 10-0 in the league entering the game. St. Joseph is 9-1.
Each team has two games remaining the NIC, including Thursday’s game.


PUMP CHARACTERISTIC CURVES
The performance of a centrifugal pump can be shown graphically on a characteristic curve. A typical characteristic curve shows the total dynamic head, brake horsepower, efficiency, and NPSHr all plotted over the capacity range of the pump.
TOTAL DYNAMIC HEAD VS. CAPACITY
This curve is the plot of the total dynamic head (HT) on y-axis and capacity on x-axis. The head at zero flow is called shut-off head. For a radial flow centrifugal pump, the curve is flat at low flow region and slopes downwards as flow increases. For simplicity we consider on the radial flow centrifugal pump operation. This plot is also called the head – flow curve. This curve gives the “duty condition” of the pump.
POWER VS. CAPACITY
This curve is a plot of the power consumed by the pump (BkW) on y-axis and capacity on x-axis. Please note that this curve shows the electric power consumed by the pump or the electric power delivered by the motor and NOT the hydraulic (PkW) power delivered by the pump.
EFFICIENCY VS. CAPACITY
This curve is a plot of the efficiency by which pump delivers the hydraulic power on y-axis and capacity on x-axis. The efficiency increases at first with increasing flow, levels off at a certain flow rate and falls after the flow rate is further increased. The point where the efficiency is maximum is the called the Best Efficiency Point (BEP) is of critical importance in pump selection and operation as will be discussed later.
NPSHr VS. CAPACITY
This curve is a plot of NPSHr on y-axis and capacity on x-axis. Determining the value NPSHr is a long process and many precautions need to be taken to arrive at the value of NPSHr. This curve is used to check whether the NPSHr of the pump is less than the NPSHa mentioned by the buyer at the desired flow rate. A typical plot of NPSHr vs Q is shown. This plot is dependent on many external factors in addition to pump design.


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Animal figurines and small jugs.
22nd-18th c BCE Aegean Cycladic Ceramics
c. 2200 BCE-1800 BCE
22nd-18th c BCE
Santorini. Thera Museum.
Early Cycladic III.
THERAN | Animal figurines and small jugs. | c. 2200 BCE-1800 BCE | Aegean | Cycladic
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This object is a member of the following portfolios:
Your current search criteria is: Portfolio is "Aegean Art" and [Object]Art Form is "Ceramics".


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The 40-year-old TV presenter created the perfect late summer look with her vintage-style midi, pairing it with a pair of Steve Madden sandals – a chic outfit for this hot, sunny spell we're suddenly enjoying.
Sharing a photo of herself in the outfit backstage at the ITV studio on Instagram, Holly said: 'Back to school! Happy Monday… See you on @thismorning at 10am… #hwstyle. Dress by @ghostfashion shoes by @stevemadden.'
Ghost's Wilma dress is studded with buttons, giving it a vintage feel, and features a panel at the waist to create a fitted silhouette that leads into a flattering bias-cut skirt. The midi dress is priced at £149, and is still available on the Ghost website.
Holly has spent the summer holidays with husband Dan Baldwin and their three children – Harry, 11, Belle, nine, and six-year-old Chester.
The TV presenter recently announced the release date for her new book Reflections, which includes her musings on inner and outer beauty.
If you're looking for more style inspo, here are a few more of our favourite high street pink midi dresses to shop now...
This Morning airs on ITV

domain: celebrity


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Russian security chief calls for cooperation on cyber threatsRussian Politics & Diplomacy May 24, 14:34
About half of Russian Navy warships to be armed with Kalibr cruise missiles by late 2020Military & Defense May 24, 14:31
Stalin’s grandson passes away at 75Society & Culture May 24, 14:26
Russia’s defense minister slams reports on chemical weapons in Syria as 'unreliable'Russian Politics & Diplomacy May 24, 14:11
Stoltenberg admits NATO has no proof of Russia supporting TalibanWorld May 24, 13:34
Russia’s fifth-generation fighter jets to start arriving for troops in 2019Military & Defense May 24, 13:23
We are wide awake, says Russian defense minister about US threat from spaceMilitary & Defense May 24, 13:02
Press review: Manchester terror attack's call to arms and US' push for Assad's ousterPress Review May 24, 13:00
Russian Navy to get seven advanced nuclear submarines by 2021Military & Defense May 24, 12:44
MOSCOW, July 26 /TASS/. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has allowed Russian badminton players to participate in the 2016 Olympic Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, the press service of the National Badminton Federation of Russia said.
"The National Badminton Federation of Russia has received a letter from BWF Secretary-General Thomas Lund who said that the BWF had sent a letter to the International Olympic Committee confirming the participation of all Russian athletes selected for the Olympics in the 2016 Olympic Games," the National Badminton Federation of Russia said.
In his letter, Mr Lund said that all the four Russian badminton players - Vladimir Malkov (men’s singles); Natalya Perminova (women’s singles); Vladimir Ivanov and Ivan Sozonov (men’s doubles); as well as the first reserve Vitaly Durkin and Nina Vislova (mixed) had received the WBF confirmation and would be taken into account in the drawing procedure. The WBF is waiting for the final confirmation from the IOC special commission.
"I would like to thank BWF President Poul-Erik H·yer and Secretary-General Thomas Lund for a fair solution and for the help they are giving to us at this difficult moment," Andrei Antropov, the president of the National Badminton Federation of Russia, said.
"The entire team is impatient and excited to see the process over in order to get back to a normal psychological regime in the very last stage of the selection, which turned out to be so hard for the whole team," Antropov said.
The IOC Executive Committee did not debar the Russian national squad from the Rio 2016 Olympics at its meeting last Sunday. The IOC decided that it was up to international sport federations to make the final decision on Russians’ participation in the Games.


The bill passed by the Senate Finance Committee has the endorsement
of the White House. The full letter is available HERE
and found below.
Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leader McConnell:
We write to urge you to work together on bipartisan, bicameral consensus legislation to bring relief to Americans struggling with prescription drug costs. Members of the House and Senate, as well as the President, agree that bipartisan legislation to help lower the cost of prescription drugs must be a top priority this Congress. With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic creating both health impacts and economic disruptions for millions of Americans, the time is right to work together on legislation that incorporates common provisions from both the House and Senate drug pricing proposals to bring real relief to Americans struggling with prescription drug costs. Amidst all of the challenges facing our country, Congress must not lose sight of how a cap on Medicare Part D out-of-pocket costs will help millions of seniors and people with disabilities, or how broader reforms to the prescription drug marketplace will benefit millions more Americans.
Both the House and the Senate have proposed legislation to redesign the Medicare Part D
prescription drug benefit—one of the most important reforms that Congress should enact. The redesign’s key provision is the cap on out-of-pocket costs for seniors, which will help restore a measure of financial certainty to beneficiaries. Complementary changes to incentives in the costsharing structure for drug manufacturers and plan sponsors to keep drug prices low should help provide relief even for beneficiaries who do not reach the new out-of-pocket maximum. Any drug pricing effort should be certain to include this redesign so that seniors can realize tangible benefits from the legislation.
In addition to reforming the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit, we see at least four other bipartisan provisions that should be candidates for enactment into law this year:
First, require drug manufacturers to document and explain their reasoning for implementing price spikes that exceed certain thresholds. Similar provisions to enact this type of requirement have been included in bipartisan legislation in the Senate, as well as in the leading drug pricing bills from each caucus in the House.
Second, bring more generics and biosimilars to market through pharmaceutical intellectual
property reforms. In particular, a ban on pay-for-delay agreements is one proposal that has significant bipartisan support. Further, a related effort to reform the exclusivity period afforded to a first generic drug applicant that has not yet received final approval has appeared in bipartisan bills in both chambers. Improving patent transparency for biologics is another worthwhile component of IP reform that has seen bipartisan support.
Third, reform the role of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to ensure they are acting in ways that lower drug costs for consumers and taxpayers. There are a number of bicameral, bipartisan ideas to increase transparency around PBM practices, including direct and indirect remuneration fees. There should be full consideration of these provisions, as well as provisions to prevent the abusive use of spread pricing.
Fourth, standardize pharmacy quality metrics across Medicare Part D, so that prescription drug plan incentives work in concert to improve outcomes for beneficiaries. All four major drug pricing reform efforts with jurisdiction over Medicare Part D accomplish this goal.
As this letter makes clear, there are numerous provisions to control prescription drug prices that have the support of members of both parties across both chambers and that are ready to be enacted into law. Our constituents should not be forced to choose between managing their blood sugar and heating their home; between paying their hospital bill and paying their rent; or between treating their cancer and stocking their pantry. The status quo is a danger to public health, so it is time to ensure that Americans can afford their medications. We look forward to working with you to enact meaningful solutions to this problem.
Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI)
Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME)
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)
Rep. Harley Rouda (D-CA)
Rep. Gallagher has been a strong advocate for finding bipartisan ways
to increase transparency in the health care industry as a way to lower prescription drug prices. This Congress, he introduced H.R. 1409, the bipartisan Transparency in all Healthcare Pricing Act,
and H.R. 3805, the Prescription Drug Rebate Reform Act
of 2019, both of which would lower drug prices and make them more transparent to the consumer. He is also a co-sponsor of the H.R. 965, the CREATES Act
, which was signed into law last December. This bill ensures greater access to generics and prohibits anti-competitive behavior by drug companies.


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Recipe: Breakfast Doughnuts
Who said you can't have doughnuts for breakfast? Eh? A stack of these will sort you right out for the day. (Disclaimer: do not eat a stack of these for breakfast)
- 4 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 7 g fast action yeast
- 300 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 60 ml milk
- 1 handful fruit loops
- 60 g liquid glucose
- 1 l vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 50 g melted butter
- 500 g plain flour
- 250 ml full fat milk
Make The Dough
Measure the flour, yeast, sugar and salt into a bowl and mix well.
Add the milk, vanilla extract, melted butter and egg to the bowl and using your hands mix it until it forms a ball.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes until you have a smooth dough…. This can be done in a mixer if you have one.
Prove The Dough
Place the dough back into the bowl and cover with a tea towel.
Leave to prove in a warm dry place for about 45 minutes until doubled in size.
Remove the dough from the bowl and shape into flat balls about 60g each, making sure the ball is tight.
Use a ring cutter to cut a hole in the middle of the balls, to get a thin ring.
Place on a lightly floured tray with plenty of space between each ball and cover loosely with a tea towel.
Leave to stand for about 20-30 minutes until puffy.
Cook The Doughnuts
Heat the oil in a deep fat fryer or saucepan to 165°C.
Fry in small batches for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden.
Remove carefully and place on kitchen paper to allow the excess oil to drain off.
Leave the doughnuts to cool.
Blitz The Cereal
Blitz the fruit loops, until they’re well crumbled but not powdery.
Ice And Serve!
Mix the icing sugar, milk and liquid glucose in a small bowl. Microwave for for 30 seconds.
Drizzle the icing over the cool doughnuts until they’re completely covered.
Scatter over the cereals while the icing is still wet, then leave to set.
Tuck in whilst they’re still warm if you can.
Hungry for more? Try one of these!

domain: food


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The government is in a fine old mess over top-up fees. Students are unhappy, universities are unhappy, Labour backbenchers are unhappy. Concessions offered to prevent a Commons defeat mean the proposals are now hideously complicated, but still may not be enough to buy off the rebels.
In best Mrs T fashion, ministers are sticking to their guns. There is, they insist, no alternative if we are to expand higher education so that Britain can be at the cutting edge of the knowledge economy. Strangely, given all the fuss over top-up fees, this assumption has gone almost unquestioned.
We've all heard cabinet ministers - and their Tory shadows - pontificating about how work has been revolutionised, with human capital rather than brawn now the route to prosperity. The message is that we have to brain up or fall behind, and that means two things. It requires a target of 50% of students in higher education by the end of the decade, and - given the cost - it means students who will benefit have to bear some of the financial burden themselves.
Cost and benefit
Before moving on to whether more investment in higher education means higher growth, it is worth picking up on the second point, that those who benefit from higher education should pay for it. Does that mean that people who use public libraries should pay for them? Or that sick people who disproportionately use the NHS should pay for their health care? Already, graduates pay for their courses three times over through general taxation.
But let's now move on to the crux of the matter. What evidence is there that expanding the numbers in higher education to 50% will lead to higher growth? Well, for a start, we can look at what has happened over the past 50 years. At the end of the second world war, only about 4% of young people went to university; now it is more than 40%. But the underlying growth rate has remained at about 2.5% for the entire period. In other European countries, where participation rates have risen similarly, growth rates are lower than they were in the 1950s and 1960s.
Alison Wolf, in her forensic analysis of some of the myths associated with education*, says there is evidence from both rich and poor countries to suggest that the link between ever higher spending on education and economic growth is tenuous at best.
Switzerland, for instance, has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, yet the number of students in higher education is only one third of the average for countries in the developed world. Egypt and South Korea both embarked on massive expansion of education from the 1960s onwards, yet while the latter enjoyed growth rates of 7% a year on average, the former trundled along at 2% a year. South Korea was a tiger economy; Egypt was the world's 47th poorest country in 1980; 15 years later it was the 48th poorest.
Having studied the evidence, two American economists, Mark Bils and Peter Klenow, stood the received wisdom on its head. Instead of education leading to more growth, they found that growth led to more education.
What is true is that there are advantages to be had from a degree. In Britain, graduates earn more and are less likely to be unemployed than those who join the workforce at 18, while in turn those with A-levels do better than those who leave school without qualifications.
But while this helps to explain why the middle classes have been so keen on tax-payer funded expansion of higher education, it does not prove the investment has been beneficial for the country as a whole - although it could be argued that growth rates would have been lower without it - and it certainly does not prove that expanding student numbers will be good either for growth or for the incomes of students.
The case for a 50% target would be more powerful if it could be shown that Britain was an underskilled country, where people lacked the qualifications for the jobs on offer. Many economists argue the opposite - that we are now an overqualified country with graduates doing the jobs that would have been done by school leavers a generation ago.
Listening to the politicians with their misty-eyed speeches, you would think that the reason Britain now has a record number of people in work is due to a vast increase in demand for astrophysicists, surgeons and computer technicians. In fact, the fastest areas of jobs growth have been low-paid care assistants and shelf-stackers.
Wolf is scathing about what she calls the "two aspirin good, five aspirin better" approach to higher education, noting that it has the whiff of tractor production targets in the old Soviet Union. The problem was not a shortage of tractors, merely a shortage of good tractors, and it is entirely possible that the same may apply to the government's approach to higher education if spurious quantitative measures take precedence over the quality.
The pile 'em high sell 'em cheap approach to higher education has three potentially harmful consequences. First, it short-changes students. Second, it diverts resources from other areas of education. Finally, it is part of the relentless denigration of the idea of education as an end in itself. There was a time when debates were elevated by the notion that study was about knowledge and wisdom, rather than gross domestic product. Now, depressingly, the mentality is that of the production line.
What the government should be doing is assessing the evidence upon which its strategy is based. It may be that Britain already has the optimal student population, and the priority should be to offer better courses to them rather than spreading the jam ever more thinly. That will still require extra resources, and the question then is how to find them. Ministers have been arguing that it is wrong to expect the taxpayer to foot the bill, but under the current proposals that is precisely what will happen for at least the two decades until top-up fees become self-financing.
The reason for this, as economic consultant Harvey Cole explains in the next issue of Prospect magazine, is that the fees will be paid upfront by the government with the money being reclaimed once graduates pass an earnings threshold. Assuming no increase in student numbers and an average fee per student of £2,000 a year investment by the state in the scheme would be £1.2bn by 2006.
By 2008, the first batch of graduates affected by the scheme will start work, and Cole assumes they will have a starting salary of £15,000, rising by a generous 4% a year in real terms. On this basis, repayments would be just £11m in the first year. It will take until about 2020 before repayments by graduates match expenditure by the government, and a further 10 years to clear the backlog.
Degrees of progress
Is there a better way? One reason why American universities are richer than Britain's is the whopping endowments from their grateful alumni. British graduates tend to be much stingier, even though of the 300,000 people in Britain earning more than £100,000 a year, 82% have degrees. It is not unreasonable to say that if this group will not put something back voluntarily then they should be made to do so.
A graduate tax levied at 3% on those earning more than £100,000 would raise as much as top-up fees and would raise it now. The vast bulk of graduates earn nothing like £100,000 a year, but under Charles Clarke's plan will be paying a marginal tax rate of 50% once they earn £35,000.
A tax levied on those who could really afford it would avoid all the problems of deterring students from poor backgrounds, would be far more progressive and far simpler than this dog's breakfast of a proposal.
* Alison Wolf: Does Education Matter? Penguin; £8.99


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Healthy pensioners have the power to create just as many new brain cells as young people in their 20s, research has revealed.
Scientists said the findings showed mental decline by your 70s is not the “inevitable process many of us think it is”.
Researchers made the discovery after counting the number of new cells growing in the hippocampus, the part of the brain which processes memories and emotions.
They found around 700 brain cells were created each day - even in the oldest people studied - and that there was no size difference in the hippocampus in young and old brains. However, the American scientists warned we still need to keep our brains and bodies active to ensure new cells were not wasted.
They examined the brains of 28 women and men aged between 14 and 79 who had died suddenly. None had medical conditions or were on psychiatric drugs.
Lead author Maura Boldrini said: “We found older people have a similar ability to make thousands of hippocampal new neurons from progenitor cells as younger people do. We also found equivalent volumes of the hippocampus across ages.”
But in some respects the older brains were in worse condition, such as blood vessels not regrowing to the same extent as younger people, she said.
Dr Duncan Wood, a neuroscientist at the Open University, said the findings “should give hope to people to look after their brain health as they age”, adding: “This provides further evidence mental decline is not the inevitable process many think it is. There is hope in our twilight years.”Daily Mail

domain: medical


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It’s among the most geographically isolated cities in the world, and sits on the edge of the Indian Ocean, so it’s only natural that the bright lights of Perth come from the sun and the sky. And that’s what gives Perth its sense of openness, endlessness and possibility.
Drive in any direction out of the city and the diversity of the Western Australian landscape is at your fingertips. Head north to Coral Bay, Exmouth and the Ningaloo Reef and it’s possible to walk from red dirt tracks on to white sand and into turquoise water. Venture south, and it’s the rolling farm land and vineyards of Yallingup and Margaret River, the towering karri and tingle trees of the Valley of the Giants and the rugged beaches of Denmark, Albany and Walpole.
Perth itself is transforming and evolving as it experiences the highest population growth in Australia in the past 10 years. Perhaps now it is fully able to herald and celebrate what it has always known it has: hidden treasures.
We have a hashtag and we use it with pride #westcoastbestcoast. The coastline is noticeably undeveloped, which makes our sweeping stretches of beach all the more spectacular. Residential apartments have only emerged in the past 15 years and are set back so as not to impose on the sand dunes. Locals choose their beaches carefully: Cottesloe is no doubt a crowd pleaser, but walk a little further south to Mosman beach or north to Swanbourne beach or North Cottesloe and the crowds disappear. Car parks along the clifftops are lightly peppered with converted buses and kombi vans selling coffee and ice-creams, and it’s possible to find a spot on the sand a good 50 metres away from the next beach towel.
For those after a little more sport, Mettams Pool is a natural rock pool surrounded by reef that offers a sheltered spot. Here snorkellers can swim through schools of garfish and buffalo bream, spot the red-lipped morwong, as well as brightly coloured tiny reef fish and abalone hiding in the rocky reef top. Dolphins and the occasional seal visit the outer reef.
A favourite haunt for locals is behind the sand dunes of Leighton beach in North Fremantle, 30 minutes’ drive south-west of the city. The Orange Box is a sophisticated kiosk that serves all-day brunches: bacon and egg burgers, french toast, fresh juices and homemade gelato (about A$20/£11 for juice, coffee and a B&E burger). Customers lounge in hammocks, crowd around picnic tables or laze in deckchairs before or after a plunge in the sea.
Next door and another level up – in height, as well as offering – is Bib and Tucker, a bar and restaurant owned by Olympic swimmer Eamon Sullivan. You may have to put shoes on and queue for a table, but the pineapple and burnt orange margaritas (A$18) make up for it. The view runs from the majestic cranes and industrial buzz of Fremantle port all the way up to the Norfolk pines of Cottesloe.
Closer to Perth, Yelo is on a hill overlooking Trigg and Scarborough beaches. It’s great for milkshakes, smoothies (around A$8.50), açaí bowls, homemade lemon meringue pie, and bacon and egg wraps. There’s a long, wooden veranda, communal tables and a panoramic view of the ocean.
Over the past decade the skyline of Perth has been transformed with new developments stretching from Elizabeth Quay in the city to the beachfront of the northern suburb of Scarborough. While much of Perth’s historic architecture was demolished between the 1960s and 1990s in the race for modernisation, the A$700m Cathedral Square development, completed in 2016, has attempted to return some soul to the city centre. The square is built on the city’s “point zero”, from which all road distances to Perth are measured. It takes in the 19th-century Treasury Buildings and is also home to some of Perth’s best new bars and restaurants (Petition, Long Chim and Wild Flower). The new City of Perth Library – which has a living tree that will grow through the attic space – and Perth Town Hall are also part of the complex, firmly re-establishing the precinct as an accessible public space.
One of the largest inner-city parks in the world, Kings Park is the heart of Perth and of cultural significance to the Noongar people, who had hunting grounds here and used it as a meeting place. Two-thirds of the 400-hectare park is native bushland on Mount Eliza (Mooro Katta), and the botanic gardens are home to 3,000 species of Western Australian flora, including kangaroo paws and banksias. Free guided walks depart daily and there’s a treetop walk over a 52-metre glass-and- steel arched bridge, offering views of the city, the river and even the distant Perth Hills.
Perth’s splendid isolation has been most successfully celebrated through its artists and, in particular, its music scene: Tim Minchin, the Triffids, John Butler, the Waifs, Tame Impala, Dave Warner and End of Fashion only scratch the surface of an extraordinary roll call of musicians from Western Australia. There’s a jumble of independent music venues in the city, from the garage feel of Mojos and the Odd Fellow (Fremantle) to the basement of a former fashion house at The Sewing Room and the bare-brick acoustics of electronic music venue The Bird. For jazz lovers, the tiny Ellington Jazz Club hosts Australian musicians and international acts, and one of Perth’s best kept secrets is the Jazz Cellar – famous for its entrance through an old red telephone booth.
A cultural hub for Western Australia, the Fremantle Arts Centre exhibits visual art from all over the word. In April, though, it will showcase new and emerging Aboriginal artists from this region. Its arts and crafts shop sells prints, ceramics, woodwork and jewellery from local artists, and its outdoor cafe is shaded by bougainvillea trees. From November to April the sprawling back lawns and courtyards of the centre hosts a series of evening and weekend concerts.
The Goods Shed in the western Perth suburb of Claremont is home to Form, an independent non-profit arts organisation that puts on exhibitions, installations and workshops – especially supporting local and Aboriginal artists – in a restored railway building that also houses studios and a cafe. The Perth Institute of Contemporary Art (Pica) is the city’s contemporary visual and performance arts venue and is in the middle of the Perth Cultural centre.
Where to eat
There are many seaside fish and chips options but for me it would have to be snapper and chips from Cotts Take Away (A$30 for two), across the road from Cottesloe beach. Freshly battered snapper, hot salty chips, with some pineapple fritters and calamari rings for good measure make for a brilliant dinner eaten on the beach as the sun dips into the Indian Ocean.
In the city centre, the lanes around the State Theatre Centre and Northbridge are packed with cafes and restaurants. One of the most affordable is Francoforte Spaghetti Bar, with a menu of classics, along with dishes with a modern Australian twist. Try the kangaroo bolognese (from A$17), eggplant sugo (from A$15) or the carbonara with pig cheek (guanciale, from A$18). The Italian connection continues at the other end of the lane at No Mafia; try the fresh figs and gorgonzola (A$22) and for cocktail lovers the amphora-aged negroni ($15) is highly recommended.
On a summer night, Chicho Gelato in Northbridge always has queues, thanks to an ever-changing list of Willy Wonka-esque flavours and twists on childhood favourites. Try salted caramel crack, lavender & honeycomb, or chocolate with banana jam & toasted coconut (A$5 for a scoop).
Crossing the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan river) and entering the port city of Fremantle feels a bit like entering a Jeffery Smart painting. Giant red cranes line the river mouth, looming over yellow, blue, brown and red shipping containers. The Swan is a river teeming with life: a large pod of dolphins live in it, while black swans nest on bends of the river where the rushes are the thickest. Bicton Baths is a popular spot for river swimming – and has a geothermal hot spring open to the public from 7am until 12.30pm.
Strange Company is a bar that epitomises Fremantle’s character. It’s halfway down a quiet side street and around the corner from restaurant and bakery Bread In Common. Sit outside with a beer under passion fruit vines to witness the passeggiata (evening stroll) that Italian and Portuguese immigrants introduced to Australia in the 1950s and 60s. The European influence on Fremantle remains – purveyors of Portuguese custard tarts and espressos are plentiful. Try the much-loved Gino’s for coffee, the Attic for cakes or indulge in the dessert bar at La Sosta. Fill a bag with sugar-coated almonds, Turkish delight or baklava at the Kakulas Sisters deli.
In arty Northbridge, the Alex Hotel is near Perth Cultural Centre, the Western Australian Museum and the Art Gallery of Western Australia. A mix of double and family rooms and dorms means all travellers are catered for, and communal spaces include an espresso bar, roof terrace, wine bar and restaurant. The heavyweight cultural institutions on the doorstep could easily fill a couple of days. After that borrow a (free) bike from the hotel to explore further afield.
• Alex Hotel, 50 James Street, +61 8 6430 4000, alexhotel.com.au. Doubles from A$180 (£100) B&B
Best time to go
February to March is festival season with Perth Festival and Fringe World. September and October is the wild flower season, when colours sweep across Kings Park, through forests and along coastal plains. The annual migration of humpback and southern right whales from Antarctica to the warm waters of the Kimberly region begins in late August and runs to early December.
• Anna Reece is the head of programming for the Perth Festival

domain: geography


The other iconic ship for the Rebels, besides the X-Wing, is arguably the Y-Wing. Older, hardier, and about as maneuverable as a sleepy bantha, this rugged fighter still has a place in squadrons. And in the new edition of X-Wing coming from Fantasy Flight, it still has a place on your tabletops. But how will this fighter change? That’s what you get a look at in this preview.
From the post:
On the surface, the Y-wing may not seem all that impressive. While it does have a thicker hull than the T-65 X-wing, it’s not nearly as maneuverable and it can’t match the X-wing in terms of firepower from its primary weapon. What the Y-wing lacks in basic stats, however, it makes up for in customizability. Y-wings can be outfitted with a number of upgrades, including turrets, torpedoes, astromechs, and bombs, greatly increasing its firepower and making it a more than worthwhile addition to your squadron.


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EFFINGHAM — Unit 40 school board filled two vacant assistant principal positions and handled a multitude of other personnel matters during its meeting this week.
McLain Schaefer comes to Effingham High School to fill the assistant principal position vacated by Cody Lewis, who was recently named the new Effingham Junior High Principal. Schaefer had previously worked at the Mattoon school district.
Named at an earlier board meeting to be the new assistant superintendent was Jason Fox, the former EHS principal. Rem Woodruff, current assistant superintendent, will be retiring at the end of this school year and will return to coaching as the head coach of the EHS boys basketball team.
Charlie Schwerman, a teacher at EHS, will be the next Effingham Junior High School assistant principal. This position was vacated by Kurt Roberts who was named EHS principal.
Schaefer has taught the past eight years in the social science department at Mattoon High School. While in Mattoon, he has been active in other leadership positions in the district, including the discipline committee.
Prior to teaching, he served in the Illinois Army National Guard and worked as a Community Service Officer with the Charleston Police Department. He has also coached at the junior high and high school levels in track and cross country.
Schwerman has plenty of teaching and coaching experience and the ability and knowledge to support the district’s Teacher Leadership Collaboration, said Unit 40 Superintendent Mark Doan in a press release.
Previous to Unit 40, Schwerman taught for two years at St. Anthony High School. He was the JV boys basketball coach for six years and assistant football coach for four years at EHS. At EJHS, he coached the seventh grade girls’ basketball team for five seasons.
Schaefer and Schwerman will begin their new duties on Aug. 1.
In other personnel matters, the board hired or transferred 28 employees, including two kindergarten teachers, Elizabeth Stevenson and Marcy Zerrusen; first grade teacher, Kayla Black; Jennifer Hall, special education teacher at ELC; Christin Hartke, math teacher at EJHS; and Nicole Wear-Maloney, PE teacher at ELC.
The board accepted the resignations of Jackie Haarmann, EHS prom sponsor; Valerie Traub, speech pathologist at Central School; Megan Tylka, junior high softball coach; Dannette Williamson, EHS girls track coach; Ty Totten, EJHS assist softball coach; Stephanie Uebinger, English teacher at EHS; Terry Lewis, English teacher at EJHS and Jill Lobb, cafeteria monitor at Central.
The board also accepted the following leaves of absence: Holly Dust, Talitha Wiedman and Amy Minor. Several appointments were approved, including Troy VanBlaricum, EHS Fresh-Soph Girls basketball coach; Stephanie Mitchell, assistant scholar bowl coach at EJHS; Carol Babbs, assistant scholar bowl coach at EHS; Kelsey Erickson, EJHS Cross Country coach; Rebecca McIntire, EHS football cheer sponsor; and Jeff Staser, volunteer coach for EHS boys’ basketball.
Student teacher assignments were also made to include Weston Peno for a practicum and Rickie Woods as student teacher in guidance for next school year.
In other school district-related business:
• Following a lengthy closed session, the board voted on five student disciplinary matters. All five were suspended through the end of the 2017-18 school year. In one case, board member Todd Schaefer refrained from the closed session discussion and abstained from voting; on another case, two board members, Patty Russell and Jane Willenborg, voted against the suspension. The other three cases were unanimous to suspend.
• It was Mustang Night at the Unit 40 board meeting. The board recognized the EJHS Scholastic Bowl team and sponsor Josh Robison, with a 25-6 overall season and regional championship title. Also, heard from EJHS teacher Stephanie Mitchell about her experience on "Jeopardy! Teachers Tournament," where she came away with $2,500 grant to be used in her classroom; and EJHS teacher Lee Althoff who was recognized by Eastern Illinois University for its “Rising Star” award. He was recognized for “Perfect Pals” program and inclusion in high school sports that he coaches.
• In financial news, Woodruff presented a summary financial report showing fund balances, revenues and expenses. He reported that the district is seeing a 10.42 percent increase over last year, which reflects the revenue from a recent sale of bonds. Revenues reflect $267,444 in local money; $692,563 in state money; and $98,384 in federal. Doan added that the state still owes the district about $972,000.
• Appointed Jane Willenborg to serve as the district's representative on the Eastern Illinois Area Special Education board; and Angie Byers as an alternate to represent Unit 40.
• Learned there will be a Boys Basketball Camp June 26-29 for grades 3-6 and 7-12 in two different sessions at EHS. The camp will include shooting techniques, ball handling and defense lessons. There will be daily “Play with Heart” awards presented. Registration deadline is June 2. Cost will be $40 per camper, adding that a brother can attend for $35.
Contact Dawn Schabbing at email@example.com or 217-347-7151, ext. 138


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Sunday, May 10, 2020
Dr Jeffery Barke explains why masks can be harmful
1. Unless you are used to wearing a mask and the mask fits properly there is a tendency to constantly adjust the mask, touch your face, and scratch your nose not only making the mask irrelevant but increasing your risk.
2. After only a few minutes of wear, moisture develops inside the mask trapping natural respiratory pathogens from your nose and mouth causing potential reinfection and making the mask more permeable to outside pathogens.
3. Unless the mask is properly vented, C02 can build up which is very unhealthy causing headach, dizzyness, and respiratory distress.
4. There are no scientific studies showing benefit of disease prevention from wearing a mask even in the operating room.
5. If you are an ICU nurse or doctor taking care of an acutely ill person, a properly fitted (this is key) N95 mask can be protective of aerosolized￼ respiratory pathogens. Dr Jeffery Barke
The Daily Wire is reporting that "At a protest rally to open Riverside County from stay-at-home orders implemented across the state, a California family physician who is an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, gave an impassioned speech citing the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution while asserting"
“This booklet, the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution, was never designed to restrain the people; it was designed to restrain the government … We the people want to get back to work. We the people want to put our government back in its place. We want a small representative government, not a large tyrannical government.”


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CAPECTH: accumulation of extra-axial fuid collection that follows decompressive craniectomy
Proposed Pathophysiology: Surgery violates the dural and bony tissue planes and creates communication among the distinct spaces (subgaleal, epidural, subdural, subarachnoid), thus forming the fluid collection.
Figure. Axial noncontrast head CT scans showing a brainstem compression from mass effect; b a large collection slightly denser than cerebrospinal fluid with significant mass effect; and c the collection resolved after cranioplasty and ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement
These collections can sometimes behave in an aggressive fashion, causing mass effect, herniation and significant worsening in clinical status.
Treatment algorithm for CAPECTH
Huang, Kevin T. et al. “The Neurocritical And Neurosurgical Care Of Subdural Hematomas”.Neurocritical Care 24.2 (2015): 294-307. Web.

domain: literature


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With their acclaimed co-production of Angélique having attracted no less than 10 Montreal English Theatre Award nominations, Black Theatre Workshop and Tableau D’Hôte might have hoped they were about to experience déjà vu all over again. Last year, BTW triumphed with six METAs for its part in a co-production (with Centaur and the National Arts Centre) of The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God, while Tableau D’Hôte took four for Hosanna the year before.
But during Monday’s META gala event, which covered the 2016-17 season and took place at the Rialto Theatre, Angélique, the intense story of an 18th-century slave accused of burning down Montreal’s Old Port district, received just two awards.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Still, it was no mean feat that one of these was the prestigious award for outstanding PACT production. (PACT stands for Professional Association of Canadian Theatres.) The other was for outstanding contribution to theatre, and went to SIXTRUM Percussion Ensemble for its remarkable live soundtrack for the production.


Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms, but unlike others, its most close one as well. By close, I mean that you cannot post links in your caption, post only photos/videos, and third-party apps to post to the platform. The last one causing the major pain for digital marketers.
Even the tools like Hootsuite and Buffer doesn’t carry power over Instagram posting. In a nutshell, you cannot plan your content in advance and publish it automatically like you can on Twitter or Facebook. That means every time you need to push that publish button in order to post something on Instagram.
Instagram is a platform that has a very high engagement rate. Having an Instagram community is part of a social strategy, something you can leverage to increase your conversion rate. But then how to schedule posts on Instagram for free or at least automate it?
To help you succeed on Instagram, I’m going to show you how to automate your Instagram scheduling.
Free Tools to Automate Your Instagram Scheduling
Later is a social media scheduling tool that works with Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter. Later is free for max 30 scheduled posts per month. If you’re posting once a day, this is really good for your business. But do note that you will need a premium plan if you want to use videos.
As a tool, Later offers two primary benefits,
- It lets you preview your posts so you can see what they will look like on being going live. This is very helpful for marketers who want to have a harmonious Instagram page.
- You can synchronize your images directly from services like Google Drive and Dropbox.
Agorapulse is a tool that helps you centralize your social media planning in one place. Initially, you may start with a free trial with it and upgrade it if necessary. The tool does provide scheduling for major social networks but I’ll be focusing on the Instagram scheduling for now.
Agorapulse benefits as a tool,
- It provides a great way to be able to engage with people who have engaged with you. For anyone who runs a community, this is a major problem solver.
- It gives you an Instagram view where you get a preview of what your post will look like on going live.
- With Agorapulse, you can decide a default time slot for each day of the week. By using this feature, when you add your posts to your queue, they’ll automatically go live on the best time for that day.
- You can easily see who interacts with you the most in a glance. And find who are your most influential followers.
3. Sprout Social
Sprout Social is a robust social media scheduling tool you may opt for. It offers you an initial free trial and lets you evaluate on the functionalities you’re looking for.
When it comes to Instagram scheduling, the mechanism is pretty simple. You simply need to download the app and act on the reminder you receive for your timed content. Then follow the steps to go through and share the content on Instagram via the Instagram app.
Sprout Social offers a few advantages over the other tools,
- You have both, its project management capabilities and its focus to help you grow your accounts.
- A Discovery feature lets you create customized searches around your specified hashtags to find people to interact with.
- By adding a task to a message bar, such as to reply or contact this person, your task will show up in the tasks tab. This is a quite helpful feature when working in teams where a manager can centralize the responses that need attention.
- You can also label someone as a potential lead, and ensure to follow up with them to help generate more sales through social media.
Autogrammer is much simpler as compared to other tools on the list but unfortunately offers a 7-day trial only. The interface of this tool is designed to be as simple as possible, but you can still access things like the calendar view by offered options.
Finally, there’s a Bulk Upload feature to add multiple media files at once.
I do realize Instagram is the most difficult platform to handle as a digital marketer. Your schedule post cannot go live automatically till now. For now, if you want to tap into their enormous potential, you’ll need to play by their rules.
Just note that each platform offers different benefits, and above all, different interfaces. Once you find the right one, it will go a long way towards helping you execute a successful Instagram strategy.
You may also like,


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(Photo: Kim Gravel. Source: QVC)
Kim Gravel Now will debut Saturday on QVC
A talk show on a home shopping channel? Yes, QVC’s hour-long Kim Gravel Now will run live the next four Saturdays at 9 pm ET, featuring “Gravel’s colorful conversation, compelling personalities, innovative products and fun stories.”
If you’ve never heard of Gravel before, she’s a former beauty pageant winner who starred in Kim of Queens, a 2014-2015 Lifetime reality series about her life as a pageant coach. She then joined QVC in 2016 with an apparel line called Belle by Kim Gravel, and the following year debuted another line, Belle Beauty by Kim Gravel.
QVC is calling Kim Gravel Now a “pilot,” so if enough viewers tune in (or buy whatever products we assume will be offered?), the series should live on past its currently scheduled last air date of Saturday, August 31.
You can watch QVC free over the air with an antenna in most of the US, including 19 of the top 20 markets. To find your local station, visit RabbitEars. You can also stream QVC at QVC.com, on numerous devices, or right here:
For more of Gravel, you can stream both seasons (22 episodes) of Kim of Queens at mylifetime.com.
- ‘Will & Grace’ Returns - October 23, 2019
- A Meeting of Kings - October 22, 2019
- ‘Intelligent Lives’ Doc - October 21, 2019
- Dorothy Stratten Videos - October 18, 2019
- YouTube’s ‘Booktube’ - October 17, 2019
- Facebook’s ‘Limetown’ - October 16, 2019
- An Ad-Supported MHz - October 16, 2019
- ‘Craig Fixada America’ - October 15, 2019
- Fill up on ‘Corner Gas’ - October 14, 2019
- Robert Forster Sampler - October 14, 2019


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Pumpkin Pecan Pie
Pecans make a luscious pumpkin pie even better. Try this Pumpkin Pecan Pie this
holiday season; it's sure to satisfy the sweet-lovers in your family.
- 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
- 1 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2/3 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup pecan halves
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Pumpkin Layer: Combine pumpkin, sugar, egg and pumpkin pie spice in
medium bowl; stir well.
- Spread over bottom of pie shell.
- Pecan Layer: Combine corn syrup, sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla extract
in same bowl; stir in nuts.
- Spoon over pumpkin layer.
- Bake for 50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool on wire rack.
Prep: 10 min | Cooking: 50 min | Yield: 8 servings
By: Libby's Pumpkin
Recipe and photo credit (used with permission):
VeryBestBaking.com and Nestlé®
Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged
and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
>> Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes


In Mexico, millions of Roman Catholics are eagerly awaiting Tuesday's scheduled arrival of Pope John Paul II. During his visit, the pontiff will elevate to sainthood an indigenous Indian who is believed to have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary in the 1500s. The canonization has special significance for Mexico's populace, the vast majority of whom have Indian blood.
A carnival-like atmosphere prevails outside the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City, where a dance troupe dressed in Aztec ceremonial garb performs in the mid-day heat. Inside the basilica, a standing room-only crowd attends a special mass looking forward to Pope John Paul II's arrival in Mexico.
It is here that the Pope will canonize Juan Diego, an Indian who is believed to have played a critical role in furthering Catholicism among Mexico's indigenous people in the 1500s. The Virgin Mary, bearing native Indian features, is said to have appeared to Juan Diego and ordered him to build a church. When Juan Diego went to speak with a Spanish bishop, an image of Mary, known as the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico's patron saint, is said to have appeared miraculously on his cloak.
Sitting on the steps outside the basilica, Enrique Lopez says he is thrilled by the church's decision to recognize an indigenous Indian. He said, "The canonization is very important for us, for our image as Mexicans and that of our land - and it makes us happy."
Cipatec Patl echoes the sentiment. Mr. Patl said, "The canonization is a matter of national pride in that, unfortunately, discrimination has led us to undervalue our indigenous people. And so, with the canonization of Juan Diego, the spirit of the indigenous population will be re-awakened."
Jose Quintana, a priest who made a pilgrimage to Mexico City from the northern state of Durango, says to honor Juan Diego is to honor all Christians of humble origins in the Americas. Father Quintana said, "After 500 years, justice is being done to [Mexico's] humble people who, without reservation, converted to Christianity. The canonization is an act of justice, love and hope."
Yet not everyone believes in the story of Juan Diego. Historians say there is virtually no evidence that he ever existed. They point out that the earliest reference to Juan Diego appears in the writings of a 17th century priest - more than 100 years after Juan Diego is said to have had his vision. Cynics theorize that the figure of Juan Diego was created by the Spanish to aid in the conversion of native Indians to Catholicism.
Questioning Juan Diego's existence is a touchy subject in Mexico, since it casts doubt on the Virgin of Guadalupe, one of Mexico's most-enduring and omnipresent symbols. Father Jose Quintana said, for him, belief in Juan Diego is a matter of faith.
Father Quintana said he has never questioned the existence of Juan Diego. But he adds, if everything were clear and obvious, there would be no need for faith. Father Quintana said, "We are all called to live by our faith, according to God's plan."
Pope John Paul's visit to Mexico comes at a time when many Protestant Christian sects are attracting converts from the ranks of the Catholic faithful in Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America. In Mexico's southern state of Chiapas, for example, a scant majority of the indigenous population is now Protestant.
Cristina Cabello de Martinez, a Mexico researcher at the University of Texas, said the canonization of Juan Diego can be seen as an overture by the Pope to those who have strayed from Catholicism. She said, "His calling into sainthood brings more people back into the [Catholic] church. If they have wandered off or felt that the church has not listened to their needs, they now feel more of a sense of belonging. [They can say] 'We do have saints that are very much like us, that lived where we live.'"
Indigenous people are to be given priority for entrance to the basilica for Wednesday's canonization. Others will be able to view the ceremony on giant screens outside the basilica and throughout the surrounding neighborhood.


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Joop, Sullivan lift St. Thomas More in baseball
■ St. Thomas More 5, Tri-Valley 4. Storm Joop was 4 for 4, including a triple, and scored twice to lift the host Sabers. Sean Sullivan drove in a run for STM, which led 5-2 after five innings.
■ Unity 5, Central A&M 0. Brandon Deaville (3-0) struck out seven and allowed two hits for the Rockets (12-7), who got two hits apiece from Mitch Negangard, Connor Grace and Mitchell Snodgrass.
■ Cissna Park 16, Armstrong-Potomac 1. Beau Anderson (five innings, five strikeouts) and Dylan Reetz (one inning) combined on a three-hitter for the visiting Timberwolves. Anderson and Reetz also had two hits and three RBI apiece.
■ Shelbyville 8, Clinton 1. Colton Reeves drove in the Maroons’ lone run in a road loss.
■ Bloomington Cornerstone 11, Judah Christian 0. The host Tribe was held to one hit in the five-inning loss.
■ Rantoul 7, Prairie Central 3. Cord Church was 3 for 4 and Jacob Frerichs was 2 for 3 to help the host Eagles rally from a 3-0 first-inning deficit. Jordan Dunahee drove in a run for the Hawks.
■ Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond 2, East Central 0. Evan Seegmiller drove in a run with the Knights’ only hit — A-L/A-H was outhit 2-1 — in a road win. Avery Schrock gave up two hits and struck out four while improving to 1-0. Luke Armstrong had both hits for the Panthers.
■ PBL 12, GCMS 1. Axl Denault and Kyler Swanson had three RBI apiece, and Dustin Mercer and Patrick Brown combined on a two-hitter to lead the host Panthers to a five-inning win.
■ Tuscola 8, Sullivan 2. Nick Bates homered and Devin Rose gave up one hit over four innings, striking out six, to lead the host Warriors. Bates, Dan Yoakum, Cameron Westjohn and Tommy Watson had two hits apiece for Tuscola.
■ Iroquois West 4, Clifton Central 2. Henry Gerritson threw a no-hitter and also had a home run to power the Raiders on the road. Keaton Zirkle also homered for IW, which was held to four hits.
■ Georgetown Ridge Farm/Chrisman 7, Westville 6. Trevor Price had a pair of RBI, and the Buffaloes tied the game in the fifth and won it with a run in the sixth. Tanner Cox had two RBI for the Tigers.
■ Hoopeston Area 4, Oakwood 1. Aidan Berg allowed four hits and struck out 13 as the Cornjerkers earned a VVC victory. Connor Cline had a pair of RBI for Hoopeston.
■ Maroa-Forsyth 14, Monticello 4. The Sages led 4-3 but the Trojans put up 11 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull away.
■ Salt Fork 7, Milford 1. Cole Taylor, Cole Sanford, Lane Weston, Garret McFadden and Colton Baird drove in runs for the Storm.
■ LeRoy 2, Roanoke-Benson 0. Chris Reinhart struck out eight and walked one while pitching a five-hit shutout for the Panthers. Drew Ruckman and Bryce Dooley had two hits apiece in the win.
■ Clinton 5, St. Teresa 3. Bailey Walker went 3 for 3, including a home run, with two RBI for the host Maroons, who got two RBI from Megan Tool and two hits from Haley Ginger.
■ Watseka 11, South Newton 0. Hayley Gray doubled, homered and drove in four runs for the host Warriors, who received four runs from Mariah Carroll and three runs from Taylor Bauer.
■ Tri-Valley 5, STM 2. Alyssa Vodaceck and Lauren Croft each had two hits for St. Thomas More.
■ Hoopeston Area 10, Oakwood 0. Hailee Swinford had two hits and two RBI for the host Cornjerkers, who got two RBI apiece from Kaelynn Longfellow and Aaliyah Colunga. Winning pitcher Rylee Martin (3-6) had eight strikeouts.
■ Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond 10, Decatur Lutheran 0. Kaitie Wildman (7-1) threw her second no-hitter and added a pair of RBI for the Lancers. Ashley Tabb was 2 for 2 with four steals, and Kate Kauffman added a pair of RBI.
■ Georgetown-Ridge Farm/Chrisman 6, Westville 2. Megan Burris broke open the game with a two-out two-run single in the sixth for the Buffaloes, who improved to 7-0 in the Vermilion Valley Conference. Catie Brandt hit a solo homer and had two RBI, and Lexi Sliva improved to 9-1 for G-RF/C. Kylie Lesko had eight strikeouts for the host Tigers.
■ Schlarman 7, Bismarck-Henning 6. Maria Rangel earned the win as the Hilltoppers held on for the win after nearly blowing a 7-1 lead after four innings. Lauren McKenzie hit a two-run homer for the Blue Devils.
■ Unity 9, Urbana 2. Shelby Hildreth had three hits for the host Rockets. Madi Routh earned the win from the circle.
■ Clifton Central 20-14, Iroquois West 0-2. The Raiders were held to five hits — three by Desiree Medina — in a road loss. In Game 2, Karrie Heideman had two RBI, but Iroquois West was held to six hits.
■ PBL 8, GCMS 7. Kirstin Schnabel drew a bases-loaded walk to end the game as the Panthers rallied from a 7-4 deficit to win their second game of the season. PBL scored three in the sixth to even the score. Skylar Harris scored three times for PBL.
■ Shiloh 16, Champaign Central 4. Jessica Hunt and Lauren Moses each had three RBI and scored three runs as the Raiders overcame eight errors for a road victory. Stephanie Hunt earned her first win of the season.
■ Charleston 14, Danville 7. Kristi Burghart had a pair of RBI, but the Vikings committed nine errors and allowed at least one run in every inning of a road loss.
■ Mattoon 6, St. Joseph-Ogden 0. The host Spartans (14-1) struck out 14 times and were held to four hits in dropping their first game of the season.
■ Pontiac 8, Rantoul 2. Carson Church and Keegan Jones drove in runs, but the Eagles suffered a home loss after giving up five runs in the seventh inning.
■ Tuscola 5, Sullivan 3. Amber Miller had a two-run single for the visiting Warriors, who received RBI from Madison Frerichs and Anna Watson. The Redskins’ Taylor Wallis had two hits and an RBI, and Allie Bragg hit a run-scoring single.
■ Centennial 1, M-S 1. Katelynn Martinez scored on an assist from Dagny Olson for the host Chargers, who trailed 1-0 at halftime. Allison Fritz scored on an assist from Catherine McHale for the Bulldogs, who received six saves from keeper Kathy Bradley. Centennial keeper Hope Archer posted six saves.
■ STM 8, Judah 0. Jade Brinkoetter scored three goals — her second straight hat trick — and added an assist in the first 12 minutes to lead the visiting Sabers. STM’s Louisette Lukusa added two goals. Lexi Wallen didn’t face a shot in her sixth shutout of the season. Erin Huggett recorded 17 saves for the Tribe (2-3-1).
■ Bloomington 2, Urbana 0. Kayla Lard made nine saves for the host Tigers, who trailed 2-0 at halftime.
■ First Baptist 7, Calvary Christian 0. Kimmy Montgomery had a hat trick, Ashley Greazer had two goals and an assist and DFB (2-0) cruised to a win at Normal.
In track & field
■ At Gibson City. Christian Glascock won the 300-meter hurdles, triple jump and long jump to help GCMS beat Prairie Central by one point in a triangular that also included Ridgeview.
Skyler Sieving won the 100 and the 110 hurdles for the Hawks.
In the girls’ meet, Lauren Nagle (100, 200, 400) and LaToya Baillie (discus, 300 hurdles) helped GCMS beat Prairie Central and Ridgeview.
■ At LeRoy. Lea Slauch was a three-event winner — 100, 200 and long jump — and Emma Hoyer on two — shot put, discus — to lead Urbana Uni High to a runaway victory in a four-team meet. Second-place LeRoy got two wins apiece from Jess Clarke (1,600 and 3,200) and Kelsey Walker (100 hurdles, 300).
In the boys’ event, Uni High earned second place behind Lexington thanks to wins from George Gunter (800), Arch Robison (1,600) and the Illineks’ 1,600 and 3,200 relay units. PBL was third thanks to two-event winner Tyler Rubarts (100 hurdles, triple jump). Third-place LeRoy got a win from Zeke Pliura in the 3,200.
In boys’ tennis
■ St. Thomas More 9, Decatur Lutheran 0. Nathaniel Thomas dropped one game in singles, and James Tressler and Colin Kelley each dropped two to power the visiting Sabers.
■ Centennial 7, Central 2. Sunny Singh, Max Zheng, Peter Kim, Andrew Scaggs and Patrick Kearney won in straight sets to lead the Chargers.

domain: sports