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Learning New Stuff
13 Classes that Are More Fun than School
Jan Risher,
terri fensel photograph
It takes two to …
Beyond Tango
beyondtango@earthlink.net
www.beyondtango.net
Christina Johnson fell in love with tango 15 years ago. Since then, the trained counselor has also been teaching Argentine tango classes and has developed a relationship workshop for couples called Beyond Tango.
"I call it the 'relationship dance,'" Johnson says. "The way people make a connection to the music – the tango is all about being very connected to your partner."
Johnson developed that workshop after many trips to Argentina to study the dance in its culture of origin and several years of teaching the dance herself.
"My way of teaching really involves the masculine and feminine essences and how they work together in a dance," she says. "I love the music."
Johnson says learning the tango together definitely helps people have insights into their relationships.
"But whether they make changes from there – that is up to them," she says. "The dance involves people being respectful, courteous and genuinely connecting with other people."
Johnson is teaching beginner tango classes at Camellia House in Lafayette (a series of six lessons).
Pack and Paddle
601 E. Pinhook Road, Lafayette
www.packpaddle.com
From a hands-on kayak saltwater fishing class on the water to paddling through the virgin cypress forest in a canoe to Indian Bayou hiking trips, Pack and Paddle of Lafayette keeps a constant slate of learning opportunities for the adventurous and not-so-adventurous.
Stacey Scarce, a naturalist, guides many of the trips. Pack and Paddle takes care of the logistics and provides the canoes or kayaks.
"It's good for the soul," Scarce says. "It's exercise. Being in nature is calming – great for stress. If you're bird-watching, you get to learn and watch how nature happens around you. You get to meet like-minded people and possibly find people you can go hiking and paddling with on your own."
Different trips cater to different groups of people from strictly hiking to bird-watching with hiking and/or paddling.
Sometimes the group, guided by Scarce, collects edible plants and then tries them. Scarce guides trips through Lake Martin, the Atchafalaya Basin, the Nezpique River and many more.
Excursions range in price, starting at about $25 per person, and many of the trips include lunch or dinner. For a complete schedule, go to packpaddle.com.
Want to be a pool shark?
White Diamond Billiards
6722 Johnston St., Lafayette
Chris Miller, owner of White Diamond Billiards, is an Acadiana pool and billiards legend. Miller offers individual lessons from beginner to advanced. He's also willing to work with couples interested in learning together.
"Lessons can make them enjoy the game more," he says. "They learn the fundamentals of doing things right. Learning new or better techniques makes them more competitive if they're playing in local leagues."
Miller's lessons are a bargain at $20
per hour.
Education for Living
4134 Locke Lane, Lake Charles
www.eflseminars.com
Describing what happens in an Education for Living workshop is a challenge, but at their core, the workshops are designed to help educate participants to be better observers of themselves, other people and life in general.
"All the workshops are educational," says Laurie Riquelmy, Education for Living CEO and trainer. "Because we teach people to be better observers, they have a different perspective when they finish the workshops. They have new choices and possibilities that open for them."
The promise of the workshop is that participants leave with the skills and experiences to be better designers of their lives, as opposed to simply handling whatever life throws their way, according to Riquelmy.
"You will learn, in an experiential way, how you listen, how to better understand why people may not get you and address that sense of what's missing that so many of us have," she says.
The workshops focus on moods and mood management, plus participants are asked to look at the relationship each has with him- or herself and then see how that influences relationships with others.
"People leave the workshop with a sense of completion," Riquelmy says. "Incompletions have a way of holding us back. We think when we speak that we're reporting reality. 'Our spouse is a certain way.' 'Our kids are difficult.' 'Some people are creepy.' We learn in the workshops that our language doesn't disclose a certain reality, but it can generate a reality."
EFL was founded in Baton Rouge 25 years ago.
Mission: Tennis
April Fontana
Call April Fontana a tennis missionary. Tennis changed her life, and she wants to help spread the word.
At age 41, Fontana walked onto a court, and her life was forever transformed. In the past 11 years, she's taken her passion and gotten other people on board. All total, through the tennis classes, beginner leagues and workshops Fontana has organized, more than 815 women have learned the game. Most have become active members of area tennis leagues.
"It's a wonderful way of meeting people," she says of the ladies' beginners-level tennis classes she's formed.
"The social aspect that takes place – that's the greatest gift, the connection it makes between people. It's priceless, really. I could not estimate the number of great friendships the lessons have helped form."
The classes are geared for adults from the ages of 19 to 100, but the oldest student Fontana has taught was 56.
Along with regional tennis pros, Fontana sees to it that students learn the basics and rules of the game – how to do a proper forehand, backhand and serve and how to volley.
"The thing about tennis is that, in my opinion, anybody can play tennis," she says.
In Lafayette, 849 women play tennis in daytime leagues. But Fontana wants that number to grow: "I want to get everybody playing tennis – or at least try it," she says.
Her 10-week program starts on the first Monday following Labor Day. There's usually a waiting list, so sign up early if you're able. All the classes meet at 9 a.m., and the cost is a bargain of $75 for 10 weeks of lessons with tennis pros.
"The most gratifying thing for me is the friendships I've seen form," Fontana says. "I've had doctors, nurses, housekeepers and hairdressers bond right there on the tennis court."
Fontana says the ladies from the first class she ever formed are still going to lunch together.
After the first series of 10 lessons in the fall, Fontana coordinates a spring session for the participants to get the feel of a tennis league.
"For 12 weeks, we simulate a tennis league," she says.
She devotes a lot of time and energy and does her best to select the right people to play together. Generally, the teams she forms go on to join the United States Tennis Association league. The cost for the spring session is $65.
"That covers everything from the courts to the balls and the little gifts at the end of the session," Fontana adds. Fontana's tennis mission is alive and well.
Feng shui with flowers
Cheryl Taylor Bowie
ctbfengshui@gmail.com
Whether you're ignorant of even the basics of feng shui (a Chinese method of placing and arranging things) or know a lot about it, feng shui with flowers is a powerful way to inject good energy into your home or office.
Participants enjoy this class because it is easy and hands-on. In fact, everyone leaves with a flower arrangement and a list of things to do with flowers and plants for specific needs – health, romance, prosperity.
"It's therapeutic," says Cheryl Taylor Bowie, a feng shui expert. "Feng Shui Seika, which literally means 'living flowers,' is actually a type of meditation."
Taylor says that people who have taken the class and continued creating the arrangements in their homes have reported amazing differences in their lives.
"I've heard things from 'improved sales' to 'a new guy showed up in my life' or 'my house just feels better,'" Taylor says.
On a personal level, Taylor says her own husband has noticed the difference and encourages her to buy flowers or brings them home for her to arrange. Feng Shui Seika encourages the use of greenery from your own lawn with plants and flowers that grow easily in Acadiana.
The three-hour workshops usually begin at 1 p.m. and end at 4 p.m. Participants are asked to bring floral scissors or regular scissors, a floral frog (a metal pin arranger found at arts and crafts stores), a wide-mouth vase or bowl with a flat bottom (bring two if you want to do more than one arrangement) and a hand towel.
The cost of a class is $68, half due in advance, which includes flowers and a tea ceremony at end of class. Contact Taylor or information on the next workshop or to learn how to set one up for your own group of friends.
Help needed in your kitchen?
The Accidental Chef
406 Garfield, Lafayette
www.accidentalcooking.com
The Accidental Chef is a much-needed addition to the Acadiana culinary scene. With a regular schedule of classes and special workshops, chef Carlos Russo is adding to the region's existing depth of food magic.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 90-minute lunch classes at $50 per person include three courses, wine, recipe packets, tax and gratuity. The four-course dinner classes last twice as long and, conveniently, are twice the price at $100 per person. Each class focuses on hands-on instruction and recipes that participants can easily transfer to their kitchens at home.
Both the lunch and dinner classes are great team-building exercises for an office or fun for a group of old and new friends. They're also a great idea for something different to do the next time out-of-town guests visit.
Russo specializes in Italian, Cajun and Creole cuisine, but he's not the only one teaching. Other chefs join in the fun and add to the variety of cuisines taught at The Accidental Chef.
Although walk-ins are welcome to join the regular schedule of classes, he recommends reservations. Russo says his concept is simple. He offers small classes, the best chefs in Acadiana and one-on-one interaction with each student.
Increase your birdbrain
Wild Birds Unlimited
137 Arnould Blvd., Lafayette
lafayette.wbu.com
At 9 a.m. on the first Saturday of every month, Jack and Rose Must, owners of Wild Birds Unlimited, host a "bird chat" in their store. Experienced and newbie birdwatchers sit and discuss the birds they're seeing. The group then follows their discussion with a field trip to a yard of interest.
The free and informal gathering is a great way for new birdwatchers to meet and learn from area experts.
Oasis Bellydance Studio
428 Rena Drive, Lafayette
www.oasisbellydance.com
"People usually join for a laugh but stick around because they enjoy it so much," says Dayna Price, owner of and teacher at Oasis Bellydance Studio. "My students usually start out feeling timid and self-conscious. By the end of eight weeks, they've learned a belly dance. They start out in baggy, loose clothes, but by the end they're in tank tops and not shy about making their body parts jiggle."
Belly dancing, according to the experts, is a fun night out for the girls. Plus, it's great exercise – good for abdominal-building and cardio.
"I believe every girl over age 11 would enjoy this class," Price says. "The classes are really good for self-image.
Students learn that you don't have to be a stick to be sensual, sexy and beautiful. All shapes and sizes can be beautiful. In fact, it's better to have a little more padding so you can shake."
Price said belly dancing classes work well for a variety of groups of girls and women. "Teenagers take the class with their moms, and it's great," Price says.
The classes are also for groups of women from work or college-aged women.
"Older ladies, too," Price adds. "The older ladies usually have more fun than the rest of us."
Price started teaching belly dancing in 2001.
"It's spiritual in a feminine way," she says, explaining that one theory about the origin of belly dance is that the dance was a way to pass down knowledge from mother to daughter.
Her classes are one hour long and last for 10 weeks. Different levels of classes are offered for beginning and intermediate dancers. The cost of the classes is $60 for 10 weeks of lessons.
Let's get metaphysical
Allyson Glynn Schram
Local psychic medium Allyson Glynn Schram coordinates a series of metaphysical classes every Tuesday night in the Fine Arts Lab at South Louisiana Community College.
"We tend to lean toward metaphysical classes of new thought such as holistic modalities of healing," she says." "These are very positive upbeat presenters, all who desire to be spiritually attuned."
Schram also hosts other workshops, including one on Emotional Freedom Technique from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 11, led by Gail Gillespie.
Everyone is invited to attend the Tuesday night classes, and there is no pre-registration necessary – just pay the $20 at the door.
Ready for a close up?
Acadiana Open Channel
704 Lee Ave., Lafayette
www.aocinc.org
Ever wondered how you could potentially get involved in Louisiana's growing movie scene? Acadiana Open Channel has the answer. The public access station exists to support the public's right to free speech, as designated by the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights. The teaching facility offers beginner-friendly workshops to help its members – and membership is easy. Simply fill out a short form and pay the $35 fee for an individual.
AOC offers a variety of workshops to train its members on both sides of the camera and in all aspects of video production. Its mission is to support diverse community dialogue, media literacy and freedom of expression by providing access to communication technologies. AOC's state-of-the-art production capabilities, television studio, editing systems, lighting equipment, sound equipment and computer graphic capabilities are available at no charge to members.
Knit it
Vermilion Bay Yarn Co.
2100 Verot School Road, Suite 8, Lafayette
www.vermilionbayyarnco.com
Out at the Vermilion Bay Yarn Co., owner and teacher Jason Pennington schedules between two and six classes each month – everything from socks to sweaters and some in between. The shop also hosts "knit-alongs," and there's an easy spot for folks to sit in a circle and knit.
For $30, Pennington will teach you or your child the basics of knitting – and you can go back as many times as you'd like to refresh your memory or improve your technique. The fee also includes beginner wooden needles and yarn.
More advanced technique classes meet for one session and might cover a couple of topics or several smaller-scale topics.
"Since technique classes require no 'homework,' some months I schedule more of those type classes in one block," Pennington says.
For summer, Pennington will schedule two of the most popular and useful classes for knitters: Fixing Mistakes and Knitter's Tool Box.
"Classes at VBYC all have the same focus: to give folks the tools to improve their work and present opportunities to challenge fiber-work skills to expand creativity," Pennington says. "Classes are designed to inspire within a supportive and confidence-building atmosphere."
Heroine's Journey
Hello to Life
200 W. University Ave., Lafayette
www.hellotolife.com
Fran Clarke's personal growth workshops for women are becoming the stuff of legend in Acadiana. "When people come together with the intention for growth and focusing on that experience for ourselves, there's a sense of safety and community to be able to hold people to be more open, honest and reach deeper inside themselves," Clarke says.
She recommends the courses for:
• Women who are feeling like there's something more to life
• Women who have a yearning to be more alive
• Women who want to be more passionate
• Women who have a sense that something's holding them back – even if they don't know what it is
• Women who have had some type of life-changing experience – divorce, death, shifting in age
• Women who are committed to their own personal growth.
"Since we started the workshops in 2002, 27 groups of women have made this commitment," Clarke says. "It's people who are just beginning to wake up, people who are highly enlightened. It can reach people wherever they are in their growth process – and it's joyful."
Clarke will lead the first workshop in the series, Callings: Finding Your Authentic Self, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 25 and July 23. The cost for the workshop is $120, and it requires registration. The subsequent workshop, Heroine's Journey, lasts for 15 sessions and meets every three to five weeks over the course of a year. The group is limited to eight participants and costs $65 per session. The Dynamic Women course follows Heroine's Journey; it is 10 two-hour sessions at $60 per session.
"Dynamic Women … is very intensive, fast-paced and brings in our responsibility as citizens of the world," Clarke says. "That we make a difference in everything we do and think. What kind of differences to we want to make? We do that by our own personal work. These women are exploding with the shifts and changes they're making."
Categories: Entertainment Features, LL_Feature


One of the hardest things to come to grips with in the field of health is what is actually true- and what isn't! This is obvious if you look at medical and standard nutritional advice concerning fat- the standard advice is that fat is bad bad bad- especially saturated, animal fats!
And if you have been following the ancestral or Paleo diet, or even any current research- you know that avoiding saturated fats is a wrong decision. Good, God-made animal fats like tallow, lard, or butter are wonderful choices to build and protect your health and wellness. Cholesterol is actually good and necessary, not something to be avoided and to treat as the spawn of the devil.
On the converse side: vegetable oils are awful, fake foodstuffs that will give you migraines, and deprive your body of the true nutrients is needs in order to thrive and be healthy. Vegetable oils are to be avoided at all costs, and this is very difficult if you are eating out on a regular basis. Fast foods, Asian cooking, and processed foods in boxes and packages are all loaded with vegetable oils- keep all of these to the absolute minimum. The perfect antidote to bad foods all about us, destroying our collective health? Mostly- COOK YOUR OWN FOOD AT HOME WITH WONDERFUL INGREDIENTS!
Yes, my paleo friends, I am not making this up. Your brain loves alcohol! It processes it preferentially, like a ketone body itself, since it is a really fast, clean burning fuel, unlike sugars and carbs. (In contradiction with the common myth, alcohol does not get converted into sugar in the body!) Actually, a good way to look at it is to imagine the alcohol being easily (some might say too easily) broken up into ketone-like bodies that are used preferentially by your brain for fuel!
Yes, your brain loves alcohol! Perhaps too much so, which is why you have to watch your intake, and moderate it.
But the surprising takeaway, that you will never hear from most health "professionals", is that alcohol can actually help to keep you in ketosis, and actually lowers your blood sugar. If you could put these two benefits of alcohol into a pill or supplement, or a prescription drug: you would make tons of money!
But, bottom line, it's just plain old alcohol that does the trick. If you just drink small amounts, it will burn those preferentially as I said earlier- it will burn these alcohol ketones first. So, that means if you are overeating with carbs and sugars, it will wait to burn those inferior foodstuffs. It's as if you were presented with prime rib simultaneously with corn dogs- which would you choose to eat first??
Just keep the alcohol source a low carb one. Despite everyone going crazy about how awful beer is (it's barley- a gluten filled grain for God's sake!), it is 'liquid bread'! It's not- for one, it's fermented- this neutralizes almost anything, making it far healthier. For the other, if you choose a cheap, light beer- it is not only corn, the least harmful grain for most- it is fermented and light, and quite low carb. Just don't drink a case-full!
Hard liquor mostly has no carbs at all, if you don't mix it with crap like soda pop! Take it neat. And wine is fine- as in all liquors- moderation is the key!
And if anyone looks at you like you like you have no knowledge of health at all, if you are drinking alcohol of any sort; well, just knock the chips and vegetable-oil soaked dip they are taking in, along with the diet soda pop right from their non-ketogenic, non-paleo hands!


This is Part 2 of a series where I share the struggles, failures, and victories that I've encountered since I started working on my currently ongoing Picture Book project.
You know what you want to say… now what?
"Magic exists in the little moments." Great! I knew what I wanted to say, but I had no clue on how to turn that into a children's book story.
Once upon a time… And every day… Until one day… And because of this… And because of this… Until finally… And ever since that day.
The first draft of my picture book was terrible. The second draft wasn't much better.
…but by the fifth-ish draft, things started to make sense.
By embracing failure, I was able to change, adapt and mold my story until I figured out how it best fit my message.
I was overjoyed when I discovered that I was telling a story about two sisters and how magic brings them together. I now had my characters, my story spine, and a lot of fun possibilities to explore!
Failure wasn't a waste a time, failure was progress!
Have you experienced something similar? In what ways did failure inform your work process? Drop me a comment, I can't wait to hear all about it!
Next up on this series, I'll share my character design exploration process ♥ Subscribe to my newsletter and get an email when the post is up!
PS: I talk more about how failure paves the road to success in this ArtCast episode!
Thank you, Rami! <3 Oh, I'd love to see a story from you! Hope you'll pick it back up again 🙂 Who knows, maybe with a fresh set of eyes you can see what wasn't working?
Just today I had a major breakthrough in my story script! It's insane how much back and forth is necessary, but I believe that if you persevere it will pay off! <3 HUG!


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Argentina vs France: 2022 World Cup Finals Preview
The winner of the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be crowned on Sunday when Argentina take on France at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar. Here's everything you need to know about the highly anticipated game:
HOW TO WATCH THE WORLD CUP FINAL
Who: Argentina vs France
From where: Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar
When: Sunday coverage begins at 9 a.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
Argentina: Emiliano Martinez, Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Nicolás Otamendi, Marcos Acuña, Enzo Fernández, Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, Alex Mac Allister, Julián Álvarez, Lionel Messi
Although Nicolás Tagliafico did an excellent job substituting for Marcos Acuña, who was suspended for a game due to two yellow cards, Acuña was crucial to Lionel Scaloni's play at the World Cup and should take his position in the final. Leandro Paredes as the only true wildcard as Scaloni could opt to start three centre-backs like he did against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals. If that's the case, Lisandro Martínez will likely start in Paredes' place.
France: Hugo Lloris, Jules Kounde, Raphaël Varane, Ibrahima Konaté, Theo Hernandez, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Adrien Rabiot, Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembélé, Olivier Giroud, Kylian Mbappé
There is good news and bad news for Didier Deschamps' team. The good news is that Dayot Upamecano and Adrien Rabiot, both sidelined with flu-like symptoms in the semi-final between France and Morocco, returned to training on Friday. The bad news is that five other players – Aurélien Tchouaméni, Kingsley Coman, Raphaël Varane, Ibrahima Konaté and Theo Hernández – have not trained. However, FOX Sports' Jenny Taft reported that all 24 players were available for Saturday's training session and France may be putting the flu virus in their rear-view mirrors.
IF FRANCE WINS…
It would be the fourth nation to be world champions at least three times.
It would be the third nation to win back-to-back world titles and the first since Brazil in 1962.
His record with Kylian Mbappé in the starting XI would improve to 12-0-0.
Mbappé would join Pelé as the only player to win multiple men's world titles before the age of 24.
Hugo Lloris was the first man to win multiple world championships as captain.
Argentina would place Germany as the most runners-up at the Men's World Cup with four.
IF ARGENTINA WINS…
It would become the only team alongside Spain (2010) to win the men's World Cup after losing their opening match.
Lionel Messi would win his first World Cup.
THE STATE OF THE GOLDEN BOOT
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé lead the Golden Boot race with five goals each, but Mbappé is technically first as he scores more goals without penalties. Messi would need to score in Sunday's final to take the lead.
If Mbappé scores, he would be only the fifth man to score in multiple World Cup finals and the second to score in consecutive finals.
If Messi scores, he would become the first man to score in a single World Cup in the round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and final since the introduction of the round of 16 in 1986.
Julián Álvarez and Olivier Giroud both have four goals.
If Messi or Giroud win the Golden Boot, they would be the oldest winners of the award.
France: +170 (Bet $10 to win $27 total)
Argentina: +170 (Bet $10 to win $27 total)
Drag: +190 (Bet $10 to win $29 total)
Over/Under Total Odds – 2.5
Above: +140 (Bet $10 to win $24 total)
Among: -200 (Bet $10 to win $15 total)
Read more from the World Championship:
Top Stories from FOX Sports:
Get more out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Self-driving truck company TuSimple is laid off hundreds of days before Christmas: report
Save over $2,000 on Lenovo laptops, gaming PCs and more
Angels sign Tyler Anderson
USA vs. Netherlands line-up, starting XI: Christian Pulisic starts, Josh Sargent is unavailable for USMNT
Messi leads Croatia defeat as Argentina reach World Cup finals

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Xamarin.Forms includes its own animation infrastructure that allows for easy creation of simple animations, while also being versatile enough to create complex animations. Let's take a look how we can reproduce some popular animations with Xamarin.Forms built-in infrastructure.
The first animation that I want to reproduce is the nice entry shaking animation on the macOS X lock screen when you enter an incorrect password.
Rotate the new control to 360 (-360) and setup the rotation to 0.
Nice, but to me it looks very "linear". That's because we have skipped the additional parameter called "easing function". Omitting the third parameter when creating an animation causes the animation to use the default Linear easing function, which produces a linear velocity. Let's make it more fancy with smooth accelerations. For this we will pass the easing functions: Easing.SpringIn and Easing.SpringOut.
The last example that I want to show you is the Collapse/Expand animation that is often used in different types of accordion controls. Let's take a look how we can achieve this with LayoutTo function. We will collapse the control's height (Y-axis) but you can easily collapse the width (X-axis).
As you possibly have noticed we also got the "Arrow" rotating and running simultaneously. This is called Composite Animations. Composite animations can be created by mixing awaited and non-awaited animations and using the Task.WhenAny and Task.WhenAll methods to run multiple asynchronous methods concurrently.
The examples in the blog demonstrate how easily with a few lines of code we can get nice smooth hardware-accelerated animations on 3 major platforms. Sample animations source code is available on github.
Hi Yuriy, Thanks for sharing the detail. I am using 3rd animation solution to create a according view, i just replaced BoxView with Frame as shown below. But like BoxView Frame is not getting collapsed completely. Can you please guide me how to achieve accordian view with contents?
Sure. Can you share your code sample?
Code is same as you shared on Github (FancyAnimations – LayoutPage.xaml) , I just replaced BoxView (line no 14 in LayoutPage.xaml) with below code. Other than this i did not change anything. LayoutPage.xaml.cs is also same as yours.
I am testing it for UWP platform, though it is expanding/collapsing but Frame is not collapsing to height 0, i still see it under Header with some Height (~5-8). I want it to completely collapse/disappear. Want to implement same in ListView . Any suggestion will be helpful, I am completely new to XF and found it quite interesting.
That's the only XAML portion I am replacing in your code.
I have replaced BoxView with Frame and labels inside it.
Hi Yuriy, Thank you so much for your time.
Margin and Padding are already set to 0. I tested below three scenarios. Only first scenario using ScrollView is working fine on Windows UWP. So for now I can use ScrollView.
Just sharing with you all three cases. Really appreciate that you spent time assisting me.
Case 2 – Used StackLayout. Working on Android Emulator and Windows UWP but even if Yellow expandable area collapse completely the first two Label still remains on the screen. Even if we put Image at first place, some portion of image still remains on screen.
Case 3 – Used Frame. Working fine on Android Emulator but on Windows UWP, Yellow Frame area not collapsed completely, Yellow expandable area still shows up (~height of 1-2 rows, sometimes even this height vary, sometimes one row, and sometimes two rows).


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All of these situations can lead to a person suffering a burn or developing a scar, something which is likely to affect them for many years to come.
After sustaining serious burns or scarring due to the actions of another person, you are likely left wondering how to recover and what options are available to you. Fortunately, at Joe Miller Law, Ltd., our lawyers have the experience it takes to help those in this situation and may be able to help you seek financial compensation to help cover your costs. Call (888) 694-1671 to discuss your situation with a compassionate attorney today.


This week's "3 On A YA Theme" is sponsored by The Graces.
Everyone loves the Graces. Fenrin, Thalia, and Summer Grace are captivating, wealthy, glamorous, and—maybe—witches. They've managed to cast a spell over not just their high school but also their entire town. If you're not in love with one of them, you want to be them. Especially River: the loner, new girl at school. She's dark, aloof, and just maybe . . . magical. But what the Graces don't know is that River's presence in town is no accident.
The 1970s have been slowly bubbling up as a time period setting of interest in YA fiction over the last few years. It seems like this decade took longer to catch on than the 1980s or the 1990s as worth writing about, but it's a decade that, for me as a reader of YA, I find far more fascinating and rich than the other two. Perhaps in part it's because these books feel like nostalgia and more like stories purposefully set during a time period wherein there are big, meaty historical aspects that play a crucial role in the story itself — even if those historical moments are not themselves the story.
I wouldn't mind reading more books set in the 70s though, especially ones that take a small slice of an era and create a world that speaks to some of the issues we're still working through in contemporary times.
It's impossible not to see those parallels when you look hard enough.
Here are three solid YA reads all set during the 1970s in varying parts of the world. I picked a range of really recent titles and backlist titles, though the 70s are a theme I've seen in more than one or two titles in 2016 so far.
I'd love to hear some of your favorite YA reads set then, too. Of note: all three of these books are written by and/or feature characters of color.
Nora Lopez is seventeen during the infamous year 1977 in New York.
After a freezing winter, a boiling hot summer explodes with arson, a blackout, and a serial killer named Son of Sam, who is shooting young people on the streets seemingly at random.
Not only is the city a disaster, but Nora has troubles of her own: her brother, Hector, is growing more uncontrollable by the day, her mother is helpless to stop him, and her father is so busy with his new family that he only calls on holidays.
And it doesn't stop there. The super's after her mother to pay their overdue rent, and her teachers are pushing her to apply for college, but all Nora wants is to turn eighteen and be on her own. There is a cute guy who started working with her at the deli, but is dating even worth the risk when the killer especially likes picking off couples who stay out too late?
When her father loses his job and leaves India to look for work in America, Asha Gupta, her older sister, Reet, and their mother must wait with Baba's brother and his family, as well as their grandmother, in Calcutta. Uncle is welcoming, but in a country steeped in tradition, the three women must abide by his decisions. Asha knows this is temporary—just until Baba sends for them. But with scant savings and time passing, the tension builds: Ma, prone to spells of sadness, finds it hard to submit to her mother- and sister-in-law; Reet's beauty attracts unwanted marriage proposals; and Asha's promise to take care of Ma and Reet leads to impulsive behavior. What follows is a firestorm of rebuke—and secrets revealed! Asha's only solace is her rooftop hideaway, where she pours her heart out in her diary, and where she begins a clandestine friendship with Jay Sen, the boy next door. Asha can hardly believe that she, and not Reet, is the object of Jay's attention. Then news arrives about Baba . . . and Asha must make a choice that will change their lives forever.


This little guy, more formally known as Theridion grallator, is native to the Hawaiian islands. It grows to a length of about five millimeters. On The Island of Maui, the patterns tend to be hereditary, but on the other islands they appear to change based on the spider's diet. Given their small size, as well as their ability at hiding during the day, they aren't a major prey item on anyone's menu. The purpose of their coloring is still unknown.
their heads tucked face-down between their knees.
So, basically, what you've got there is an old kind of monkey dressed up as a new kind of monkey. Someone ought to give it some candy bars as a Halloween reward, don't you think?
Photos from Live Science and the American Journal of Primatology.
It's therapeutic for me to post on men who are much more manly than me. It shows that I'm at least big enough to be able to tout their accomplishments without feeling that they're overshadowing my own (which, of course, they are).
One such man is Jeremy Wade, a British biologist, TV host, and angler. He is one of the few men ever to haul in a goliath tigerfish (Hydrocynus goliath). To do so, he had to navigate uncharted stretches of the Congo river, wait patiently for eight days, and then snag the beast with a large catfish as bait and a 200lbs rod and line.
And what did he catch? The goliath tigerfish is one of the world's most dangerous fish. This specimen was five feet long. They come equipped stock with 32 teeth, each one razor sharp and about the size of great white shark teeth. They are amazingly aggressive (their reflex is to attack any sudden motion). They can remove human limbs with a single bite, are known to eat creatures the same size as them, and commonly take bites out of crocodiles.
And Jeremy Wade held a live one in his arms before releasing back in the wild.
I'm going to head upstairs now and sleep in my cozy bed in my cozy suburban neighborhood where the most dangerous thing I'll hold today is my two-year-old son who has a head cold.
Thanks for the link, Alan.
We've seen the purple frog of India a couple of times before (here and here). But I have to say, I looked at those pictures and thought, something has to be wrong. Frogs are usually cute, or even pretty. Even toads have a kind of lumpy aesthetic appeal. Surely the photographers caught those frogs at an awkward angle, or a bad moment.
But if there was ever a glamour shot of this species, this has to be it, and there is no denying its majestic hideousness. It is appalling in all its proportions. It even looks like it would feel nasty, and I'm speaking as someone who has picked up frogs hundreds of times in the course of a career.
This frog was only discovered by scientists in 2003. It was overlooked because your only chance to see it is two weeks of the year in the monsoon season. The rest of the time, it hides underground. Poor thing, now I understand why.
Came across this beauty while searching for a gruesome photo for my other blog and finding that searching for alligator and turtle naturally gets you a lot of photos of alligator snapping turtles.
We've seen this species before, of course, but not this particular interesting angle. Perhaps that's because this is normally not the smartest place to be with respect to a snapping turtle, but fortunately, this guy is safely behind glass at the National Zoo.
Photo by Brian Gratwicke on Flickr.
Here's another species of tube-nosed bat to apologize for the technical difficulties with the last one. I think commenting on that post is working now.
Eleryi's tube-nosed bat from the Daily Mail.
This tube-nosed fruit bat was observed on an expedition to Papua New Guinea that discovered a number of new species. This guy has been seen before but hasn't been officially scientifically described, which means it doesn't have a name yet. Its genus is Nyctimene, so I say we call it Nyctimene ugdorable.
Thanks to Discover magazine's blog 80 Beats, where you can see the expedition's other newer but mostly less ugly species (although don't miss that spiny leg katydid).
Normally, I wouldn't put a capybara on this blog, as I think they are the most beautiful of animals. But on a Monday, it's sort of reassuring for all of us mere mortals that even Caplin Rous, the World's Most Famous Capybara, doesn't look his best first thing in the morning.
Follow Caplin on Twitter, be his fan on Facebook, and read his blog at the link above.
Starting off October with three creatures so scary, you should make plans to dress up as them for Halloween. Look at those gaping maws like the mouth of hell, plumage like strips of rotting flesh, and cold, dead eyes! These must be zombie birds, right? Yet the Telegraph's Pictures of the Day claims they are perfectly innocent baby Malay night herons. I'm not sure what to believe.


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NationalNewsPoliticsRace
After Election, Growing Sense that Neither Political Party is Working for Black Community
Posted byBy Nick Chiles | Published on November 11, 2014 CommentsComments (0)
How do you explain the fact that a minimum wage increase, long considered a progressive issue, passed by ballot initiatives in four states, but voters in those same states overwhelmingly voted Republicans into office?
How could voters in places like Arkansas and Alaska be on board with a decidedly progressive agenda item, yet cast their lot with the party that has been a key opponent of raising the minimum wage, in Congress and in state legislatures all across the land?
Perhaps it's because voters have now gotten the impression that Democrats, while they may try to talk a good game, haven't really been standing up for the rights of workers and poor people in quite some time. So while voters were in favor of the minimum wage increase—particularly when the real wages of Americans have been steadily dropping in recent years—they no longer attach the issue to the Democrats. That's the conclusion drawn by many observers, including writer Sarah Jaffe in the Guardian.
"In too many places, elected Democrats have failed—with or without Republican obstruction —to stand up for working people, especially when it comes to raising the minimum wage," Jaffe writes. "The 'minimum wage economy' is all too real for far too many people, many of whom long ago lost hope that the politicians for whom they're supposed to take time off work (and, in many cases, forfeit pay) to elect will do anything for them – and turnout was the lowest since World War II."
Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, perhaps assessing the sharks in the water beginning to blame African Americans for the Democrats' loss last week, was quick to issue a statement to the press shifting the blame elsewhere—to racism and redistricting and the Democratic Party's failure to appeal to young voters.
But maybe Fudge moved too quickly. After all, maybe it's okay if the Democratic Party feels like it can no longer take the votes (and the turnout) of African Americans for granted. If the party is talking about African Americans, that means the Black community is on its radar screen in a way it hasn't been in a long time. The next step is for Democrats to begin showing up and asking the community, Okay, what do you want from us to get you to come out the next time?
Telling the Black community that the Republicans are the boogeyman may not be enough anymore.
The failure of the mainstream parties to pay attention to workers and the poor has been the impetus over the years for the creation of many independent third parties—many of them specifically aligned with workers' rights and the poor. While they typically don't get candidates elected, they can bring attention to issues they deem important. And that's the point.
There is a growing discontent in the air in the Black community, a simmering unhappiness with the choices before us. After all, the systemic racism endemic to institutions like the financial system, economic system, criminal justice system, education system and housing system continue to hold the Black community down and impede progress—even with a Black president. The thinking goes, If Democratic politicians aren't improving Black lives, why should the community care whether or not they keep their jobs?
Despite the strength of the two-party system over the last century in the U.S., there is a growing majority of Americans who believe the country would benefit from a third party. The last Gallup poll in September found that 58 percent of U.S. adults agreed with the statement that a third party is needed because the Republican and Democratic parties "do such a poor job" representing the American people.
This has been the view of a majority of Americans for nearly the past decade. Unless one of the parties makes a bold move to change that sentiment, one of these days those poll results might just morph into a viable third option.
Tagsblack communityminimum wagepoor peoplepoverty
Illinois Governor Signs Measure to Gradually Hike Minimum Wage to $15
GOP Legislators Blocked a Minimum Wage Raise Impacting Mostly Black Workers, So They Filed a Lawsuit
Meghan McCain Gets Her Feelings Hurt After Whoopi Schools Her on Poverty 'That Was a Cheap Shot!'


Well written gripping thriller. Good read to pass the time during a hospital stay. Kept me guessing right to the end.
Ever since reading The House We Grew Up In, I have been a huge fan of Lisa Jewell's writing, and am very happy she has taken the plunge into writing psychological thrillers. Jewell is a master of characterisation, and her portrayal of flawed and disturbed characters usually drives the story for me! Watching You is a very apt title for her latest novel, as everyone in this book is spying on one another. Joey watches Tom, Jenna watches Bess, Freddie uses his telescope to spy on the whole street, and Jenna's slightly crazy mother thinks she is being watched by just about everyone else (she has a point). With all this spying and lying going on, there is a constant sense of menace and tension in the air, belying the idyllic setting of the colourful painted houses in this expensive neighbourhood.
As usually is the case with Jewell's novels, no one is quite who they initially seem. Dark secrets simmer just below the surface and will ultimately lead to murder – and I dare you to predict the ending of this one! Most of Jewell's novels take part in a small, closed setting, and this one is no exception, featuring neighbours in the small housing community of Melville Heights, much like one of her previous books The Girls (which I loved). The author uses multiple POVs to bring her story to life, which in this context worked very well for me. I love slow burning, character driven novels where people present only the parts of themselves they want others to see. Jewell does a great job in gradually stripping them of their masks, layer by layer, until the ugly core is revealed. Most of the characters here surprised me with their revelations, which made for some very interesting dynamics.
It is impossible to go into this story any further without revealing something that may spoil the surprise for other readers, so I will just say that it starts with a bang (or more accurately, a corpse) and then takes you back in time to unravel the mystery. The path to enlightenment may contain some clues but is also paved with red herrings, so the armchair detective has his / her work cut out for them. Tense, creepy and utterly addictive, the story soon drew me in and I was utterly absorbed with these dysfunctional characters until the very end.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Century for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* I have read a number of Lisa Jewell's books previously, so was expecting good things from 'Watching You' and it did not disappoint. Joey Mullen has returned from working abroad and settled in to life in Bristol with her new husband, Alfie. Then the local headmaster catches her eye and nothing will be the same again. Freddie Fitzwilliam likes to watch people. He knows he is different, but he doesn't know why. And he knows something isn't right with his parents. Jenna and Bess seem to be typical teenage girls, best friends for years. However, Jenna's home life is not all as it seems. So many threads to this story, that all come together in an action-packed and thrilling climax. I read this book voraciously, keen to know the next piece in the puzzle. An enjoyable and fast-paced read.
5.0 out of 5 starsWho's watching who?
This is Lisa Jewell's sixteenth book and while I read her early ones, somehow she fell off my radar. Over the last number of years I've been reacquainted with her more recent books and I think they have all been 5 stars from me.
My goodness this was a great book. It was so convoluted with threads twisting round, red herrings everywhere that I'm not even going to attempt to explain the storyline. Think teenage crushes, obsessions, family, friendships, secrets and revenge.
It all came together at the end with my heart in my mouth for the last few chapters and it was something I never saw coming. What can I say.... Lisa Jewell has excelled again and I can't wait for her next one.


The dental practice tells you to brush, floss and come visit the hygienist on a regular basis. If you follow these directions, you get to keep all of your pearly whites for life! What does that have to do with carpet? I suggest this: pressure your carpet regularly in the proper way using a good vacuum (see my cool article upon vacuuming), and then have it PROPERLY cleaned by a professional cleaner. I realize that last part sounds somewhat redundant, but it's not really. Just because a professional cleaner fees money for cleaning will never mean they do a professional work. But first, let's discuss the vacuuming. Vacuuming is such a major part of the long life of your rugs, that even though I have a fallen through because of article just on correct vacuuming, I need to revisit some of the same information.
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YMCA looks ahead, recognizes staff
VERNON — The YMCA of the Greater Tri-Valley family came together for their 149th annual meeting and recognized those amongst them who have gone above and beyond. "The 2020 Recognition Program is …
ROUND OF APPLAUSE — Members of the Y family give a round of applause and standing ovation for Red Triangle Award winner Russ Brewer and all those honored and recognized at the annual YMCA 2020 Recognition Program on Wednesday, Jan. 9. Additional photos page 2 and online at www.romesentinel.com.
(Sentinel photo by Charles Pritchard)
LIFE IN BALANCE — Russ Brewer speaks at the annual YMCA 2020 Recognition Program on Wednesday after being awarded the Red Triangle, the highest award given to volunteers at the YMCA.
A RELAXED NIGHT — Members of the Y family relax and enjoy themselves at the annual YMCA 2020 Recognition Program on Wednesday.
RED TRIANGLE — Russ Brewer was awarded the Red Triangle at the annual YMCA 2020 Recognition Program on Wednesday.
ROME PARTNER — The Herkimer Arc was awarded the Rome Community Partner of the Year Award at the annual YMCA 2020 Recognition Program on Wednesday.
ROME VOLUNTEER — Majlis Wafer was awarded the Rome Volunteer of the Year at the annual YMCA 2020 Recognition Program on Wednesday.
ROME STAFF — Aaron Calandra was awarded the Rome Staff of the Year at the annual YMCA 2020 Recognition Program on Wednesday.
SCHOLARSHIP — Yahynus Hunter was one of two Rome Free Academy Students awarded the Dudley "Gig" Rowland Scholarship at the annual YMCA 2020 Recognition Program on Wednesday.
SCHOLARSHIP — Lauren Dorfman was one of two Rome Free Academy Students awarded the Dudley "Gig" Rowland Scholarship at the annual YMCA 2020 Recognition Program on Wednesday.
ONEIDA PARTNER — Madison Bistro was warded the Oneida Community Partner of the Year at the annual YMCA 2020 Recognition Program on Wednesday.
ONEIDA VOLUNTEER — Julie Young was awarded the Oneida Volunteer of the Year at the annual YMCA 2020 Recognition Program on Wednesday.
ONEIDA STAFF — Brian Carroll was awarded Oneida Staff of the Year at the annual YMCA 2020 Recognition Program on Wednesday.
NEW HARTFORD PARTNER — Hart's Hill Elementary was awarded the New Hartford Community Partner of the Year at the annual YMCA 2020 Recognition Program on Wednesday.
NEW HARTFORD STAFF — Chad Lusby was awarded New Hartford Staff of the Year at the annual YMCA 2020 Recognition Program on Wednesday.
Posted Saturday, January 11, 2020 4:00 pm
VERNON — The YMCA of the Greater Tri-Valley family came together for their 149th annual meeting and recognized those amongst them who have gone above and beyond.
"The 2020 Recognition Program is exciting for us," outgoing-President John Elberson said. "This event enables us to highlight and showcase all the accomplishments of the staff, the partners in the communities and the volunteers of the year. It's the one time we get to shine a light on all the people working behind the scenes who are doing a lot of remarkable work.
YMCA CEO Hank Leo asked the crowd at Dibble's Inn in Vernon if they had ever experienced a defining moment in their life that makes them realize what is truly important in their life. "I've had three really important moments this year," he said.
The first one came after the Y applied for a $2 million grant from New York state and was approved — but that wasn't the most important one, according to Leo.
Leo said there was a little eight-year-old girl in the Y's archery program at Oneida Heritage who had a moment during the tournament in December. She missed all her shots, Leo said and sat on the ground, crying uncontrollably and heartbroken. "I told her that day to hang in there," he said. "I told her she'll get better. She just needs to practice." A few weeks later, Leo met with the little girl again and showed off the new recurve Santa brought her for Christmas.
"Her mother came up and said her daughter loves the program and doesn't know what she'd do without it," Leo said. "Her mother said without the archery program, her daughter probably wouldn't be involved in anything."
She got a new quiver, Leo said, but she didn't have any arrows. Leo had just made six new wooden arrows by hand for the program but instead gave them to her and wished her a Merry Christmas.
The little girl came running towards Leo, jumped up and hugged him. "She hung on and wouldn't let go," he said. "That was much more important that the $2 million grant. It was one of the reasons why we do what we do and if you forget that, you've lost why we're here."
2019 was a good year for the Y. The $2 million grant will be going towards the construction of a new Y building in Rome; a record number of 298 people showed up for the YMCA Prayer Breakfast; a group of student ambassadors from Rome was sent to learn how government work and how their voices matter in government; a partnership was formed with Clear Path for Veterans in Cazenovia; the YMCA of the Greater Tri-Valley has over 9000 members with a goal of 10,000 for next year and so much more.
The YMCA of the Greater Tri-Valley will also see a new president for 2020.
Elberson has been president a couple of times in the past and has been the current Y president for the last 18 months or so. "I've been on the board for better part of 12 years," Elberson said. "I grew up in Oneida so In 2008, I moved back with my family and started working at Alliance Bank. I wanted to get involved with the community and the Y was the best option to do so."
Elberson said he's worked over the years with a really great team and has helped in any way he can, from fundraising for the new building and scholarships, chairing committees and helping with strategic planning.
"I've been fortunate to have a lot of different roles with the Y," Elberson said. "Not everyone gets to do that and I've seen a lot of different aspects of Y, even spending two years as a member of the staff as director of development, working alongside Leo. I've got a chance to see every facet."
Taking Elberson's spot as president for 2020 is Karim Madmoune. "Karim has done a great job," he said. "He's been with us for around three to four years. He's young, energetic, and from the Rome community. He's done a great job getting involved and engaged. He's a natural leader and I think he'll do a great job. I'm confident in what he'll do going forward."
Both Madmoune and Elberson have been heavily involved in the due diligence and planning of the new Rome YMCA building. Elberson said a site has been identified across the street from Mohawk Valley Community College on Floyd Ave. in Rome.
Elberson said he'll still be on the board and will offer any support he can to Madmoune, adding he's been asked by Leo to get involved in some of the annual committees. "The Y gets in your blood," he said.
For the Oneida Branch, Staff of the Year went to Brian Carroll. "When thinking about Staff of Year and what qualities they have, these traits include someone kind, enthusiastic, brings a positive energy to the team and brings exceptional customer service to the members," said Multi Team Leader Stephanie Neff. "Brian embodies all these traits and more."
Carroll joined the Oneida Y after retiring as a pharmaceutical sales representative. He had a long-time love of Zumba and had been a participant for a long time before becoming a guest instructor and then a certified Zumba and Aqua Zumba instructor.
Oneida Volunteer of the Year went to Julie Young for giving of her time and energy just to help people.
"Julie has been a volunteer spin instructor every week at the Oneida Y since 2013," Neff said. "She provides members with a high-intensity class experience while also understanding each participant and their needs. I was eager to understand the motivation behind Julie's volunteerism at the Y and why she thought it was valuable to give her time. Her husband Todd shared with me that 'it's just who she is'."
For Julie, it's about the experience and serving others, whether it's teaching people at her spin class or making sure brides feel special on their wedding day with her wedding flower business.
Oneida Community Partner of the Year went to Madison Bistro for giving so much to the Y's mission.
"Lisa Campanie and Victor Ramirez at Madison Bistro not only understand the Y's mission and how it impacts the community, they celebrate it and support our mission," Neff said. "Lisa and Victor are two of the biggest advocates we have for the Y's annual Prayer Brunch. They've graciously donated meeting space for the planning committee each month at the Madison Bistro with breakfast and coffee, while each taking on several items that are needed to make the event special. They've supported our marketing efforts by attaching event fliers to every takeout container going out the door, they've helped make Facebook videos and distribute them to their clientele, and sell tickets at their business."
These efforts, Neff said, have helped the Y hold their largest Prayer Brunch to date at 298 attendees.
"When we were approached to be on the committee for the annual Prayer Brunch, we knew immediately that it wasn't just a good partnership by a way to give back to the community on a level much bigger than we've ever done before," Ramirez said. "At the Bistro, we have an incredible staff and because of their efforts, we are able to pull this off year after year without a hitch. This award belongs to the team of Madison Bistro."
For the Rome branch, Staff of the Year was awarded to Aaron Calandra. "Aaron started out teaching ZUMBA when it was the new thing in the upstate area," Multi Team Leader Bruce Hairston said. "She was the newest instructor in the area and took upstate by storm and garnered a reputation all over the place. She became one of the best and most sought after instructor."
Rome Volunteer of the Year went to Majlis Wafer, who Hairston said is of Swedish decent, lived with her family in New York City until she was 25, joined the Army and moved to Rome in 1964. In 2005, she joined the Rome YMCA for their Silver Sneakers class.
"She has been a member of Y and Silver Sneakers since then," Hairston said. "Through the years, she's expanded her workouts and added more fitness classes along with her Silver Sneakers class. She's always early for her classes, spending that time setting up the chairs and putting out the equipment. She's very personable and dedicated to the Y, there almost every day and sometimes twice a day."
The Rome Community Partner of the Year went to the Arc of Herkimer. "They've been coming to the Y for a number of years," Hairston said. "They've been bringing their folks to the Y and help us with duties and have become part of the family and routine. We're thankful for having them. Our staff looks forward to them coming to the YMCA. To us, they're just part of our staff."
The Dudley "Gig" Rowland Scholarship went to Lauren Dorfman and Yahynus Hunter, two tenth-graders from Rome Free Academy who give their best every day.
"Lauren has a 99.90 weighted average," Hairston said. "Coach Howard says that Lauren is an outstanding example of a student-athlete. She works so hard in the classroom and on the field and knows how to balance them both."
Lauren often helps tutors and peers, patiently working with them to learn the material. She is also a flight commander in her class and member of the color guard team.
"Yahynus is a leader in the classroom and a leader on the athletic field," Hairston said. "She's an assistant flight commander and plays for RFA basketball."
According to her math teacher, Yahynus works hard in class and stays after school to help in the library. "Her coach says Yahynus is the kind of student-athlete you wish you had a class or team of all students like her on," Hairston said. "She always has a smile on her face, she's respectful to all staff and students and there isn't a fake bone in her body. She is well-deserving of this award."
The New Hartford Staff of the Year award went to Chad Lusby for all his hard work within the last year. "He works at our after school program at Hughes Elementary School and has been a great asset to our team," Multi Team Leader Libby Blair said. "He's friendly, hard-working and works well with others, building strong relationships with his peers, family, and children in our programs. He always does a great job."
New Hartford Community Partner of the Year went to Harts Hill Elementary School, working with the New Hartford Y. "We have a program at Harts Hill and the employees there have been very helpful and do a great job communicating," Blair said. "Principal Lisa Putnam and Secretary Karen Farr go above and beyond to assist us."
The last award of the night, the Red Triangle Award, is the highest award given to volunteers at the YMCA and went to Russ Brewer. The red triangle represents spirit, mind, and body all in balance. The award is given to someone who is a dedicated member of the Y, a volunteer, and a supporter of the spirit and mission of the Y in both words, practice, and action.
"This year's recipient has been a volunteer for the U for the past five years and when they joined us, they jumped in with both feet and began serving," Leo said. "Russ joined a number of committees, attended nearly ever one of them, helped raise thousands for scholarships and contributed the most valuable gift one can offer — time. Russ believes in the mission, tends to always find a win-win and positive outcome from our challenges, and is a thoughtful, considerate, kind volunteer who wants to see the Y grow and develop."
Brewer said the Y has been a great program to be a part of and has a tremendous future ahead of it.
"I think there's going to be a lot of things that are going to make the Y grow more and I'm excited to be a part of it," Brewer said. "I think the people of the Y are what makes it what it is and you're all great at making people feel part of the family."
For Elberson, the Y often gets characterized as just a gym with a swimming pool — and that's just not true.
"It's such an all-encompassing opportunity and environment for individulas and families, from infants and senior citizens to socialize and exercise," Elberson "It's really something else. It engages the whole community. It does so much for so many and unlike any other organization"


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Maine CDC Reports 302 New COVID-19 Cases and One New Death
According to the Maine CDC's Wednesday update, the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in Maine is now at 64,748 an increase of 302 since Tuesday. 47,773 of those cases are confirmed while 16,975 are deemed probable.
One new death was reported of an individual with COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths to 798. 1,911 patients have had to be hospitalized at some point. 122 are currently hospitalized with 47 in intensive care and 25 on a ventilator.
602,288 Mainers age 16 and older have received at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 593,909 are fully vaccinated. That equates to approximately 53% of Mainers 16 and older who are fully vaccinated and 58% who have received the first of two doses of the vaccine. Over 1.2 million doses in total have been given to Mainers.
As of May 4, the Maine CDC no longer requires an individual to live in Maine to receive a vaccination, but they still must be age 16 or older.
On April 27, Governor Mills announced that Maine was updating its public health guidance to remove the requirement that people wear face coverings in outdoor settings.
Governor Mills has extended the State of Emergency in Maine through May 13, allowing Maine to continue receiving federal funding and using available resources to respond to COVID-19.
On March 5, Governor Mills announced a plan to allow businesses to increase their capacity and removed restrictions on those traveling to and from Maine. Here's the timeline for relaxing restrictions on the number of people allowed in businesses:
For indoor gatherings, the percentage of capacity increased to 50 percent on March 26 and will increase to 75 percent on May 24.
For outdoor gatherings, the percentage of capacity increased to 75 percent on March 26 and will increase to full capacity starting May 24.
Those businesses that have more capacity under the current policy (50 people for indoor gatherings; 100 people for outdoor gatherings; or 5 people per 1,000 square feet) are permitted to maintain that standard until May 24.
If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, including a runny nose, sore throat, dry cough, fever, and in severe cases, difficulty breathing, the Maine CDC says you should call your doctor before going in so that they can prepare for your arrival. The Maine CDC continues to update with new information daily. Keep checking on our mobile app or website to get the latest.
[gallery galleryid="341:254611" gallerytitle="How can I stay safe while grocery shopping? And answers to 24 other coronavirus questions"


It's travel season for Hangry District and that means my CSA share from Three Part Harmony Farm has to be preserved in fun and interesting ways so that it's not wasted while I'm away. With an abundance of fresh vegetables these past few weeks, I decided the best way to preserve would have to be my favorite way - PICKLING. I haven't quite mastered canning yet, so I chose to quick pickle - or quickle. Below you'll find the recipe for a variety of quickles that I made using what I already had in my pantry. I've already polished off all of the cucumbers and I hope you'll enjoy this quick and easy technique as much as I do. Happy pickling!


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Alonso Ledezma
Alonso Ledezma enters his first season coaching at Momentous Volleyball Club for the 2018/2019 club season. His two most memorable volleyball memory is when his 2018-2019 varsity team came back from behind to win the second set and eventually win the match in three sets. This didn't happen once but twice against a different team. The first team was San Diego Jewish Academy at their place. His team was down 20-13 and coach Alonso used his final time out and came back and win 26-24. At SDJA's game point he made a decision to sub in his freshman Opposite/Setter and the game was tied after the sub at 24-24 as she went back to serve two Aces to lead the team to a W in the set. Coach Alonso's team outscored his opponent 13 points to their 4 points. The second time was Vs Brethren Christian and his team was down 18-12 when calling his first time out. Then eventually came back and won the third set 25-22 and match. Once again outscoring his opponent 13 points to their 4 points.
Prior to starting his head coaching career he took a Freshman team at Beckman H.S. and had one of their best finishes at 20-6-1 record and 13-0 in non league/league and 7-6-1 in tournaments. In the tournaments his team faced off against frosh teams to the likes of San Clemente, Fountain Valley, Bishop Amat, Aliso Viejo, HB, JSerra, Tesoro, and their very own Beckmans frosh team. In all three tournaments that they were part of, they made it into the gold bracket and finishing in the top 5 in every tournament. He was also part of the varsity's team first time in the girls program to be part of the CIF Finals and CIF State qualifiers, by doing stats and giving advice to the team when they seemed to be in a jam throughout the playoffs.
Coach Alonso fell in love with coaching volleyball when he first started as a volunteer coach back in 2009-2010 boys jv volleyball at Godinez Fundamental H.S., Santa Ana. But he was not given an opportunity to continue coaching. It was not until the 2013-2014 boys season that he was given his first coaching gig as a freshman coach at Woodbridge H.S. and has been coaching volleyball ever since then. He's been from a frosh coach to a varsity head coach for the girls and a frosh coach to a varsity assistant coach for the boys. This upcoming boys season he will be teaming up with Coach Alejandro and Esteban at Estancia H.S.
Coach Alonso was born and raised in Santa Ana where he currently still resides. He enjoys spending time with his family as he has his mom, four siblings, two nephews and two nieces (one who was just born on 1/25/19) and his two dogs and two turtles! He also loves watching Netflix and Hulu and loves to find new places to eat. If you have any great restaurant recommendations feel free to let him know!
Saddleback H.S., Santa Ana
JV Team DS player
Estancia H.S., Costa Mesa
Boys Varsity Assistant Coach
2016 - 2018 Seasons
Tarbut V'Torah Jewish H.S., Irvine
Girls Varsity Head Coach
San Juan Hills H.S., San Juan Capistrano
Boys Varsity Assistant Coach & Jv Head Coach
Beckman H.S., Tustin
Girls Freshman Head Coach
Woodbridge H.S., Irvine
Boys Frosh head coach
Godinez Fundamental H.S., Santa Ana
Boys Jv Volunteer Assistant Coach


Think back to 1990. Arnold Schwarzenegger was a legitimately bankable and unironic action star. Sharon Stone was conventionally attractive. Paul Verhoeven was known to American audiences only as the man behind the hyperviolent and vaguely satirical action flick RoboCop. We were young; we didn't know any better; we watched Total Recall.
Cohagen! Give These People Air!