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Where there's smoke, there's ire: Condo conflict lights up in Hessian Hills
32 comments
Smokers know that they have a habit that is offensive to many people. I understand the right to smoke in one's home, but anyone with an ounce of decency would recognize that continuing to smoke under the circumstances described in the article is just rude.
This should be the responsibility of Real Properties. Ms. Aiken nor her neighbors rights should be compromised. Not sure if unit could be sealed against the smoke intrusion. Maybe a relocation or buyout is in line.
The courts exist for a reason. Sue the homeowner's association, sell, or learn to live with it. Stomping and yelling is not a reasonable response - even if understandable.
Couple of points:
1) Did she have a home inspection? The inspector should have pointed out the ventilation issue, and the fact that the "home" she was buying was simply a re-branded apartment.
2) She absolutely has the right to enjoy her property. But, so do her neighbors downstairs. If the folks downstairs cooked ethnic food that made her nauseous, could she force them to stop cooking?
3) She made a poor purchase decision, plain and simple. Now, she wants other people to sacrifice on her behalf.
4) This is CLEARLY under the condo associations jurisdiction. As the former President of a local HOA, our bylaws and covenants had the same "comfort and convenience" clause as her bylaws. This is exactly the type of situation that clause is designed to provide for. However, in this case, what is the right answer? People have a right to smoke in their homes. Period. The fact is that the building is poorly designed as an apartment let alone a condo if everyone is sharing ventilation. My opinion, of course.
I live in Hessian Hills and wonder about the safety issues associated with cigarette smoking indoors (besides the unhealthy and annoying second hand smoke.) The electrial system has some issues, and it's a scary prospect if one unit caught on fire as we're all conncected. I think smoking should not be allowed in the units for this reason. There is lots of common property for smoking outdoors.
For this to have been allowed to go on by Real Property Inc. is ludicrous It is up to the homeowner association and Real Property to rectify this unhealthy living situation. When one has no control over the air-vents as they are connected between units/floors, smoking just cannot be allowed. How ignorant can a person be to continue to smoke when they are more than aware of the fact that their toxic/poisonous cigarette smoke is permeating another person's home?! Just do the right thing and go outside to smoke!
i too live in hessian hills and have been in ms. aiken's building...i was taken back by the potent smell of cigarette smoke immediately as i opened the door...i can only imagine how bad it must be for her in her own home...i sincerely hope and pray that this matter can be resolved soon...so that everyone involved can live in peace...life is so short...i remember the saying my parents always told me, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you..." please turn this around!
Why are they having common ventilation ducts?
Start smoking and it won't bother you anymore. Worked for me.
This is just one of the MANY problems with shared walls, especially in older units. As another person stated, the biggest concerns is fire. When I was living in an apt. with my son, he made a great point saying, "Daddy, even if we are keeping ourselves safe against fire hazards, how do we know that our neighbors are too?"
I agree with Mike and others, this is something that needs to be addressed with Real Property and the Association. I know she has a right to be comfortable in her home, but so do others. The point about the ethnic food is dead on, although not hazardous, it could be some other odor that the neighbor doesn't like. And least we forget, the neighbors downstairs bought their condo too, they have rights too, to say that they are rude or inconsiderate has to be coming from someone who only cares about their own rights. I think the condo owner has a case against the association, etc. but not the neighbors.
Is there an update? What happened at court?
@ AJ The problem is that it's a modified apartment building, NOT a true condominium. That is why they have common ventilation ducts. The property owners made them condos on the cheap.
And while I agree that a person has the right to do just about anything (outside of criminal activity) in their own home, it's an issue that the condo board should have taken a bit more seriously than it seems they have.
To those who keep saying she should have taken it to court, I guess you missed where it stated that Ms. Aiken is living on disability, and probably doesn't have much extra money with which to hire a lawyer (and very few lawyers will take a case out of the goodness of their heart).
I also think it's selfish of her downstairs neighbors to continue to puff like chimneys, knowing that Ms. Aiken has an issue with it (although I would wager that IS the reason why they do so, since they know there is very little that Ms. Aiken can do, and the HOA and property owners will do nothing unless Ms. Aiken can get legal representation).
It is the responsibility of real estate agent to make sure that client get the best deal without getting involved in any legal or any such kind of dispute .
So, agent must make sure that all the necessary steps have be followed , so that he give best deal to the client in all possible manner.
real estate attorney
Excellent discussion by all. Just to set the record straight, Hessian Hills does NOT have "shared ventilation" nor "shared ductwork." I have had this verified by a licensed HVAC service provider, and have been in touch with Lisa Provence at The Hook, who ultimately agreed and is planning to print a correction in the next issue of The Hook.
Obviously, there is a legitimate problem with smoking, and as an investor owner of a couple of units at Hessian Hills, as well as someone who does quite a bit of business representing buyers and sellers in Hessian Hills (see www.HessianHillsCondos.com), I would support the HOA and/or Real Property looking into a solution that could work for all. Perhaps, much as the bylaws restrict which buildings can be investor units versus which must be owner occupied, maybe there could be designated smoking and non-smoking buildings? I'm not a smoker, but I'm trying to keep in mind the fact that a homeowner should be able to smoke in his/her own home if he chooses. That said, clearly the buildings have shared walls and floors, and odors and smoke can travel. The only way this wouldn't happen would be in "concrete construction" like the Tower building at 1800 JPA. But this stick-built situation is going to allow for "shared air" and this is true not only at Hessian Hills, but almost every other condo development in the Charlottesville area. I hope it gets worked out, I would like to see a happy ending to this story in what is otherwise an excellent community where 1st-time homebuyers can find affordable units wiith excellent financing options in today's market.
smokeless ash trays are the answer. Have the upstairs neighbor give the downstairs neighbor a few of these; problem solved. no lawyers required.
There is no such thing as a smokeless ash tray. They are just a gimic to get you to spend money on a product that does nothing but make the smoker think they are doing something about their addiction. A laywer should step up to the plate and help this woman. Why didn't Ms. Ward grant an interview to the Hook? Because she knows what she is doing is wrong!
Why did this even become an issue suddenly? It wasn't a problem for many, many decades. Why are people suddenly hyper-reacting to tobacco smoke in particular? It has to do with the inflammatory propaganda of antismoking fanatics. It is a constant play on fear – one whiff is "dangerous". No-one seems to ask the obvious question: Are the complainers suffering psychogenic effects such as anxiety reactions or somatization due to the terrorizing propaganda? Those having anxiety reactions (psychologically produced) can have heart palpitations, chest tightness, nausea, headache, eye/nose/throat irritation, etc. This problem has been created by antismoking fanatics. We seem to have lost much psychological insight.
Americans seem to be unaware that antismoking is not new to the US. There was a serious crusade in the early 1900s where the sale of tobacco was banned in quite a number of states, and some form of antismoking legislation was enacted in most others. Antismoking is not new. It has a long, sordid – even murderous – history.
Antismoking typically operates in the same way. It spreads rumors and inflammatory claims that are a constant play on fear and hatred. This is intended to outrage particularly nonsmokers so that they will not question antismoking conduct and legislation. The only interest that antismokers have in nonsmokers is if the latter can be manipulated into antismoker bigotry.
Antismoking in early-1900s USA
Unfortunately, Dillow does not mention eugenics at all (poor research). Early-1900s public health in the USA was dominated by eugenics. Eugenics was erroneously viewed as "scientific and scholarly" and had very considerable influence over the legislature (as it does now). It was eugenics, which is also anti-tobacco and anti-alcohol as part of its "body purity", that "legitimized" the temperance movement. Sterilization laws were usually instituted before anti-tobacco (and then anti-alcohol) laws, which indicates that eugenicists were guiding the legislature regarding sterilization, antismoking, and anti-alcohol.
Antismoking popped up again in Nazi Germany, again as a point of eugenics. Hitler was a student of American eugenics.
The current antismoking crusade was set in motion by a small group operating under the auspices of the World Health Organization in the late-1960s. The denormalization/stigmatization of smoking/smokers and indoor and outdoor smoking bans was planned in the mid-1970s (see the Godber Blueprint www.rampant-antismoking.com ), years before even the first study on secondhand smoke. It continues the eugenics antismoking tradition of early-1900s USA and Nazi Germany. Much of the "evidence" since the 1970s has been tailored to fit the agenda. Many medically-aligned groups (e.g., Office of the Surgeon General) were already committed to a "smokefree world" by the 1970s. It is the medically-aligned that are venturing – again – into social engineering just as they catastrophically did in American eugenics (early 1900s) and Nazi eugenics (which was an extension of American eugenics). Eugenics, with an unhealthy definition of "health" is a demonstrably dangerous, fascist framework where medicos and their hangers-on attempt to rule society.
The antismoking mentality has no compromise or accommodation in it. It is fanatical and extremist. It is typically exterminatory: Only complete eradication of tobacco-use will satisfy this delusional mentality. Antismoking crusades typically run on inflammatory propaganda (fear and hate-mongering) masqueraded as "scientific" intended to outrage particularly nonsmokers so that they will not question deranged antismoking conduct. The only interest antismokers have in nonsmokers is if the latter can be manipulated into antismoker bigotry.
If you think that antismoking has anything to do with protecting nonsmokers from secondhand smoke "danger", then you need to think again. In places around the world, those that smoke are being denied employment, medical treatment, and housing. Smoking bans are even being instituted for large open areas such as beaches and parks. It is persecution: Inflammatory propaganda has produced a bigotry bandwagon effect. Secondhand smoke "danger" has been used as a delusional means to a delusional end.
I am a married father of twin 17 year-old boys. We are all non-smokers. I work for Big Tobacco. All my life I have found that there are always technology solutions for about all situations. In this situation I think the occupants of the upstairs have rights & the occupants of the downstairs have rights. I renovate old historic homes & understand things like "Balloon Construction" and older building methods. What this situation needs is "injection Foam" and lots of it. You can simply and cheaply (relative to other reconstruction) seal the upper AND lower apartments as tight as an Igloo Cooler. Properly pitched, I bet a foam contractor would step-up for free to win business throughout the rest of the complex.
Just my thoughts, I could be wrong.
The damage to Ms Aiken has already been done. Her body has now been severely exposed to this highly dangerous toxic smoke and the stress that she has endured has further put her health in danger. She has not been listened to and she has the right to sue her neighbors or anyone else involved in ignoring her. It has to become a law to ban smoking 100% in multi-unit housing. If she should develop cancer, heart disease, emphysema, etc., etc., are these people going to come around and help her - no, they have themselves to think about. Help this lady.
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Obviously Magnetic is a smoker...talk about irrational fear...just Google cigarette ingredients. Enough said!
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The Chapman Trick is to associate trace levels of particular chemicals in tobacco smoke with industrial-type uses of the same chemicals that involve extraordinarily larger quantities of these chemicals. The only purpose of this trick is to deceive. It is intended to promote outrage or revulsion in, particularly, gullible nonsmokers at whom it's directed. This trick has been used, ad nauseum, since the mid-1980's because it is highly effective. It is highly effective because, like most antismoking propaganda, it is inflammatory and false: It outrages BECAUSE it is misleading. Its ONLY PURPOSE is to mislead, i.e., inflammatory propaganda.
Just to be sure, the air we typically breathe has many of the same chemicals as in tobacco smoke, and more, and in higher concentrations.
Again, these chemicals are typically at trace levels and are not problematic.
If you do a google search, you'll find similar chemicals in raw food and from cooking, and in drinking water.
Moderator, not sure why you deleted posts. Iiwii used a derogatory reference to smokers – "Magnetic must be a smoker" – as if this, if it was true, somehow "taints" the facts provided. Notwithstanding, I will re-post the important information sans the embellishments. Thank you.
Iiwii, having googled cigarette ingredients, what I would get is some variant of the "Chapman Trick", e.g.,
Acetone (nail varnish remover), Ammonia (cleaning agent), Arsenic (ant poison in the USA), Benzene (petrol fumes), Cadmium (car battery fluid), DDT (insecticide), Ethanol (anti-freeze), Formaldehyde (embalming fluid), Hydrogen Cyanide (industrial pollutant), Lead (batteries, petrol fumes), Methanol (rocket fuel), Tar (road surface tar).
Iiwii, you probably have no idea where this trick originated. Well, let me enlighten you. It was suggested by Simon Chapman (an antismoker) at the Fifth World Conference on Smoking & Health (1983) while presenting his "manual of tactics".
"A glance through any copy of the Smoking and Health Bulletin of the U S Department of Health and Human Services shows an entire indexed, section on 'Tobacco Product Additives' . Citations are included from patent office registrations of new chemical applications to tobacco processing and from the specialist chemical literature. Both these sources are virtually unintelligible, let alone normally accessible to the average person but are rich in potential for anyone willing to translate them into news items with popular interest . Polysyllabic chemical names should be checked through a reference book that lists common usages and toxicological data for chemicals . Look for usages that will connote revulsion or concern . For example, well known chemicals found in tobacco include cadmium (as in car batteries), ammonia (as in toilet cleaners), cyanides, formaldehyde and so on ……" (p.15)
Saphire, what "damage" to Ms Aiken are you talking about? Why are you propagating this view? There is no indication of physical damage. However, there is indication of psychological distress. And this can be put down to incessant, inflammatory antismoking propaganda.
In the immortal words of Mr. Ron White, "You can't fix stupid!" This is clearly another instance where the original builder is in search of another alias and those wonderful building inspectors (along with the idiots that empower them..) should be lynched!
I am a tenant at another complex managed by Real Property. While I can't speak to the smoke issue in particular, it does not surprise me that RPI has done nothing to rectify the situation. In the year I've been renting from this company, I've only successfully reached my property manager on the phone a single time, and she hung up on me part-way through my complaint. It's unbelievable that they manage to stay in business the way they treat their tenants.


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Wilpon puts Mets money woes 'in the rear-view mirror,' all evidence to the contrary
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 was a landmark day for Fred Wilpon and the New York Mets.
After years of crushing debt brought on by the evaporation of their holdings with Bernie Madoff, Wilpon took in the Florida sunshine, smiled, and announced to reporters that the team's financial difficulties were over.
"It's all in the rear-view mirror," Wilpon said, after arriving at the team's spring-training complex in Port St. Lucie.
"The family is in great shape," he said. "The family really is in great shape. Sometimes luck is the residue of design."
This would be great news for Mets fans, who have watched their team decline as the Wilpons' problems ravaged the Mets' payroll.
If it were true. Which publicly available evidence suggests it isn't.
"It wasn't, as people have written, the reason," Wilpon said about bank debt. "It was a balance there, because we had to make sure the banks got paid off all of the debt. There's no one in my family"—there's the Katz family, the Wilpon family, kids—"[that now] has any personal bank debt. Zero. Everything has been paid. We don't owe a dollar to anybody. We have mortgages on buildings and stuff like that, but we don't owe a dollar."
If that's true, it all happened since the beginning of this week.
According to public Uniform Commercial Code filings, the following people had outstanding debt as of Monday, February 11, 2013: Fred Wilpon, Saul Katz (Fred's brother-in-law and fellow partner in Sterling Equities), Judith Wilpon (Fred's wife), Richard Wilpon (Fred's brother), The Fred Wilpon Family Trust, The Fred Wilpon 2003 Descendants Trust, and numerous other Wilpon and Katz family members.
That's beside the point, really: it is a pair of enormous debts against a pair of Sterling Equities' holdings that have caused ownership to dedicate available resources toward servicing that debt annually, and whose principal is coming due. (The Mets declined to comment on whether Wilpon's comments applied to either of those debts.)
U.C.C. filings confirm that the $320 million debt due against the team in June 2014 is an active debt. And Wilpon and his partners already owed $450 million against their 65 percent ownership stake in S.N.Y., due in 2015. Their latest loan, an additional $160 million secured in December, added to that total.
For Sterling to be debt-free, Wilpon and his partners, less than two months after borrowing $160 million to help pay, among other things, day-to-day expenses, will have needed to come into possession of more than $900 million to take care of these two debts alone. Merely refinancing, or convincing lenders to push the due date back, wouldn't make them debt-free, according to any reasonable understanding of the term.
And that doesn't even take into account the hundreds of millions in total left to pay on bonds issued to finance Citi Field. That total ran the Mets $43.7 million in 2011, at least that in 2012, and remains on the ledger for years to come.
Just servicing those three debts cost more than $90 million in 2011, and more than $80 million in 2012. That service cost went down because when the Mets sold their $240 million in minority shares, $110 million went toward paying down the debt against the team, lowering it to the $320 million it currently sits at from $430 million. The rest went toward paying off loans that kept the team afloat ($40 million to Bank of America, $25 million to Major League Baseball), and servicing debt that remained. (This was confirmed by a source familiar with the team's plans at the time.)
Accordingly, to perform the same servicing trick once again, the Mets needed that $160 million loan this past winter.
Their diminishing ability to pull off that trick each winter is what led Irving Picard, trustee for the Bernie Madoff victims, to give up pursuing money from Wilpon and his partners, which he believed he'd never get, because they simply didn't have it. He would have been in a fight with the Wilpons' creditors.
But Wilpon is saying that all the bank debt is now paid off, not just serviced, and not by those hundreds of millions in loans, but by all that money that had previously been spent on the Mets.
"That's what made us tight," Wilpon said. "We were still getting revenues. Lots of revenues. But those revenues were going to pay off debt. That's done."
Even after supposedly getting rid of the debt, though, Wilpon offered a caveat in terms of the Mets' ability to start increasing their payroll again.
"This is, to me, a break-even business," Wilpon said. "I always strive to break even. I'm not looking to make any money. I strive to break even. So if [fans] don't show up, that's hard. So you have to balance it."
The Mets lost $70 million in 2011, and then, after slashing payroll from $143 million to $91 million, lost $23 million in 2012. They did so while drawing 2.24 million fans, to watch a 74-win team.
Then they added almost no new talent of note this winter, while trading Cy Young Award winner and fan favorite R.A. Dickey. They received some good young prospects in return, but it is highly unlikely that any of those players will materially contribute to a winning team in 2013.
Standard and Poor's, when recently lowering the rating on Citi Field debt, estimated the Mets would lose eight percent more money in 2013 than they did in 2012.
So while salaries get cleared from the books after 2013, such as the $31 million Johan Santana will earn and the $21 million the Mets still owe Jason Bay (and have publicly said they are counting on 2013 expenditures, though it was deferred), exactly how much of the freed-up money can go to improving the Mets is unclear, given continuing debt service and the reckoning of that $320 million in principal coming due in 2014, and then the well over $450 million due in 2015.
It's not like this is the first time Wilpon claimed that everything would be smooth sailing moving forward. That's what he said in the days that followed the revelation of Bernie Madoff's fraud, long before the lawsuit. And that's what he said this time last year, when he made the same claims of solvency, denying any effect of the lawsuit at the start of spring training last season, or after the lawsuit was settled, when Wilpon and others in the Mets organization tried to pin the lack of spending on a lawsuit that, ultimately, won't cost them any money at all until at least 2016.
The only way to clear the way for additional spending from Wilpon and his partners is if the debt isn't delayed, but if it just ceases to exist.
And that's what Wilpon is suggesting is the case.
"I don't know what the market will be at that point," Wilpon said. "But the payroll will be commensurate with anything we've ever done because we can do it. Remember, the people have to come to the ballpark obviously. If you have a competitive team, they will. Everything that was in the past, that you guys saw the pain that we went through, is gone. It's gone."
It sure would be nice to think so.

subset: commoncrawl


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Senior Tom Coughlin allowed one run and scattered four hits over eight innings as the Central Connecticut baseball team earned a 2-1 victory over Bethune-Cookman on Friday night. The Blue Devils improve to 3-4 on the season with the victory, while Bethune-Cookman falls to 12-11.
Coughlin tossed eight innings and recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts in the game. He faced just 29 batters, five over the minimum for eight innings.
Bethune-Cookman's lone run against Coughlin was scored in the fourth inning. A bunt single, walk and wild pitch gave the Wildcats runners on the corners with no outs. Coughlin induced a 6-4-3 double play, but Bethune-Cookman plated the game's first run as CCSU elected to take the two outs.
Coughlin responded by limiting the Wildcats to just two base runners over the next four frames, including 1-2-3 innings in the fifth and seventh.
Trailing 1-0, the Blue Devils plated a pair of runs in the sixth inning to take the lead for good. Connor Fitzsimons and Yuri Morin singled to lead off the inning, freshman Franklin Jennings advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt and the next batter, senior J.P. Sportman, knocked in the first run with a fielder's choice. Senior Josh Ingham followed with an RBI double to give CCSU the lead.
After driving in the go-ahead run in the sixth, Ingham came on in relief of Coughlin in the ninth. He worked into and out of trouble to earn his second save of the season with a scoreless inning.
Coughlin improves to 1-1 on the season with the victory. He posted an impressive final stat line of eight innings, one run, four hits and 10 strikeouts.
Fitzsimons, Moran, Ingham, Dominic Severino and Nick Coro each had a hit for the Blue Devils.
As a team, CCSU managed just five hits, but productive at bats helped the Blue Devils produce two runs to support Coughlin's strong outing.


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The Herd is a special White House 2012 series covering the obvious and not so obvious potential names for Mitt Romney to choose from when picking his vice presidential nominee. Each day, White House 2012 will introduce you to one of the many Republicans which we believe will at least be considered for for the vice presidency by the now inevitable Republican presidential nominee.
In addition to biographical information and a brief assessment of each potential nominee and their chances of being selected by Mitt Romney, White House 2012′s coverage also includes each potential nominee's voting records, as well as a listing of their public statements and links to their web sites and records.
Today White House 2012 takes a look at the Governor of Virginia, Bob McDonnell.
|Robert Francis McDonnell (1954-06-15) June 15, 1954 (age 57) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
|Political party
|Republican Party
|Maureen Gardner; 5 children
|Executive Mansion
|Alma mater
|University of Notre Dame (B.B.A.) Boston University (M.B.A.) Regent University (M.A., J.D.)
|United States Army Officer Businessman Attorney at Law Politician
|Roman Catholic
Political Career:
1992 – 2005: Virginia House of Delegates
2006 – 2009: Virginia State Attorney General
2010 – Present: Governor of Virginia
2011 -Present: Chairman of the Republican Governors Association
During a February 21st, 2011 television interview, when asked"What if the party's nominee.. came to you and said for the betterment of your Party and your country, I need you to serve as my running mate. Wouldn't that be a difficult thing for you to turn down?" McDonnell replied simply, "Probably." Thus prompting White House 2012 to add Bob McDonnell to what was an already early and premature list of possible running mates for whoever the nominee was going to be that we first created and posted in December 0f 2010. You see, even back then, there were certain outstanding individuals who many understood, were natural and logical potential vice presidential nominees, simply because they were exceptional leaders.
Today, with Mitt Romney's selection of a vice presidential nominee soon approaching, McDonnell is still a natural and logical choice for Mitt Romney to nominate for Vice President.
Bob McDonnell is a solid choice. He carries little baggage, is on the right side of all the issues that the G.O.P. base wants covered and is a strong speaker who would add a level of confidence and competence to the ticket. The greatest criticism might be that he has only been Governor for what at the time will be slightly over 2 in a half years. But Barack Obama was a Senator for less than that amount of time and it was good enough to elect him President. So for a Vice President , that should be no big deal, even though it seemed to have been a big issue when Sarah Palin was nominated for Vice President in 2008..
McDonnell's establishing himself as a potential Vice President and ultimately maybe even President, did not come over night. Getting to that point was a journey through decades of personal growth and accomplishments that really began after he graduated from University of Notre Dame on an ROTC scholarship, with a B.B.A. in management.
Upon leaving Notre Dame in 1976, McDonnell joined the service where he served as a medical supply officer in the United States Army for four years. Two and half of those years included posts in medical clinics in Germany, and for a year a half, in Newport News, Virginia. During that time, McDonnell's never ending drive for knowledge and self improvement compelled him to obtain a Masters of Science in Business Administration earned by taking night classes from Boston University.
Upon leaving active duty service in 1981, McDonnell continued his military service as a reservist in the U.S. Army but as for a regular job, he took his young family to Atlanta where he was hired for a Fortune 500 Company named American Hospital Supply Corporation. His work soon earned him a rapid succession of promotions and after a year, American Hospital Supply Corp. transferred McDonnell to the company's headquarters in suburban Chicago. The following year they put McDonnell in charge of their multi-million dollar custom products regional division, based in Kansas City, where he managed the corporation's Minneapolis, St. Louis, and Kansas City offices. But feeling personally unfulfilled by his work, McDonnell took advantage of his Vietnam-era G.I. Bill benefits that were to cease to exist in 1989, and decided to to go back to Virginia where he enrolled in Regent University in Virginia Beach to seek a Masters Degree in Public Policy. Then when the young university opened a law school, McDonnell took advantage of that to also obtain a law degree.
To say the least, it was a rather hectic and sleepless period in McDonnell's life. Others may not have been able to carry the burden of simultaneously attending law school, while pursing a Master's Degree in public policy, and doing so while supporting his family as a sales manager for The Virginian-Pilot newspaper, and serving in the active reserves of the Army with the 18th Field Hospital in Norfolk. In total, McDonnell would serve 21 years in the U.S. Army reserves until he finally retired as a Lt. Colonel, the same rank as his father, in 1997. During these years, part of McDonnell's pursuit of his law degree led him to also do an internship on Capitol Hill with the House Republican Policy Committee for California Congressman Jerry Lewis, and it was here that McDonnell's personal journey took him in a direction different than his previous private sector path.
So in 1989, with his degrees in hand, McDonnell took a job as a prosecutor in the Virginia Beach Commonwealth's Attorney's Office and in 1991 he ran for the seat representing Virginia Beach in the House of Delegates from the 84th District. He won and was reelected to the seat, six more times.
Here, as was the case with every other position and job McDonnell took responsibility for, he excelled.
Some of the most prominent bills he drafted, sponsored and shepherded through the state legilature included Virginia's historic Welfare Reform legislation, the reform of Virginia's drunk driving laws, legislation to abolish the death tax and to rewrite and improve Virginia's Public Private Partnership Transportation Act. He was all the prime sponsor of Governor Allen's Juvenile Justice Reform Initiative.
In short time McDonnell rose through the House of Delegate's political ranks and became Assistant Majority Leader and Chairman of the House Courts of Justice Committee and along the way, in 1996 he was named the Network of Victims of Crime Legislator of the Year in 1996. In 1998 he was named The National Child Support Enforcement Association National Legislator of the Year and The Family Foundation of Virginia's Legislator of the Year. He was again named The Family Foundations' Legislator of the Year in 2001, and in 2005 he received the honor of becoming the Virginia Sheriff's Association Legislator of the Year.
Then in 2006, McDonnell decided to run for Attorney General and after election results that were initially disputed, he was declared the winner by 323 votes.
As Attorney General of Virginia, McDonnell went right to work. He established a "Senior Alert" to assist in locating missing seniors with mental deficiencies, created a state of the art Sex Offender Registry, strengthened Virginia's mental health laws, and provided new tools for law enforcement involved in online investigations of identity theft, sexual predators, and other 21st Century criminals. McDonnell also created and led Virginia's Youth Internet Safety Task Force, which was credited with improving online safety, and establishing the ongoing Attorney General's Task Force on Regulatory and Government Reform. That task force made over 300 recommendations to streamline Virginia's Administrative Code, and reduce burdensome government regulation.
But in 2009, McDonnell resigned as Attorney General in order to spend all his time and effort on running for Governor, a job he won in a landslide which saw him receive more votes than any candidate for Governor in Virginia history. McDonnell's landslide also helped to sweep many new Republicans in to the Virginia state legislature.
Upon becoming Governor, McDonnell inherited a $6 billion deficit but in a year's time he turned it in to a $400 million surplus. And he did so after defeating a proposed $2 billion increase in the state income tax, and keeping the state's existing car tax relief.
But perhaps the most profound immediate positive impact McDonnell has had was his ability to in less trhan two years, take Virginia's unemployment from 7.2% to 5.6% after creating 111,900 new jobs in the state.
All this is probably why in 2011, McDonnell's Republican colleagues chose him to be the Chairman of the Republican Governors Association. It is also one of the reasons why Bob McDonnell is seen as an obvious choice for Vice President.
- McDonnell is a skilled campaigner and legislator whose talents can only help the ticket
- "If" this a close presidential election, Virginia is a state that Romney must win in any formula that allows him to reach the 270 electoral votes needed to take the White House. Bob McDonnell can deliver Virginia to the Republican column
- McDonnell can help Romney among evangelicals who he needs to cast their ballots for him in record numbers.
- McDonnell can help Romney in the South where he needs bridge the enthusiasm gap that exists for Romney
- McDonnell's record on jobs, energy, budgets, and deficits is an invaluable asset that will help draw sharp contrasts with Obama's record
- His experience in law and law enforcement, and on matters concerning the Constitution is unparalleled by most other likely contenders for the vice presidency and it helps to call in to question the credentials of the Obama Administration concerning ther Adminsistrations many legal challenges to states and their sovereignty
- McDonnell's addition to the ticket does not bring the type of diversity which other potential candidates like Marco Rubio, Condoleezza Rice or Susana Martinez can, and that diversity might be needed to help win in key battlegrounds states like Ohio and/or Florida
- McDonnell signed an executive order removing anti-discriminatory protection for gays and lesbians in Virginia, rescinding a 2006 order from Gov. Kaine which had prohibited discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. This will mobilize liberal gay activists to the point where they may get some mileage from attempts to paint McDonnell and by natural extension, the Republican ticket, as out of touch, right wing extremists
- Governor McDonnell issued a proclamation designating April 2010 as Confederate History Month and the initial proclamation left out any anti-slavery language. McDonnell rectified this but the issue is one which the left may try to exploit
- McDonnell signed in to law a measure that mandates ultra sounds for pregnant women seeking an abortion. The measure came after McDonnell initially supported an earlier bill requiring women to get an intravaginal ultrasound before an abortion procedure
- Lacks any immediate foreign affairs experience
General Assessment:
McDonnell has his fingerprints are all over the solutions to the most critical problems ailing the nation. On an issue such as energy, he has led the way in making Virginia an national resource for natural energy with his support drilling for oil off of the coast of Virginia while simultaneously developing new technologies for wind, solar, biomass, and other renewable energy resources and expanding investments in renewable energy sources while also incentivizing green job creation. On the issue of jobs, CNBC named Virginia "The Top State for Business" in the country and while the nation has been focussed on not counting the number of people who have dropped out of the job market, since taking office McDonnell has has created 112,00 net new jobs and the number of unemployed Virginians has decreased by 21%. That's a reduction in unemployment obtained by counting new jobs not by stopping to count the number of people who gave up looking for jobs.
On budgetary matters, while the nation lost its AAA bond rating, and the deficit has ballooned at an unprecendented rate, McDonnell took his state from one with a record deficit, to where now each year he has been in office, it has a surplus.
As one newspaper put it On those issues important to all – taxation, jobs, schools, – Bob McDonnell did not disappoint. "Priorities were set and addressed." And that is exactly what people want in a Republican presidential ticket and why McDonnell is only a logical choice.
However Mitt Romney may find that he can select others who have similarly positive but are more established. Like Indiana's Mitch Daniels. Or that he could find some of similar accomplishments but unlike McDonnell, could also bring diversity to the ticket. Names like Louisiana's Bobby Jindal and New Mexico's Susana Martinez come to mind.
Romney may also want to try to get someone whose record lacks the type of controversial social issue positions that McDonnell has brought to the table. The thinking there is that Romney does not want to give President Obama and the left, the opportunity to focus on things will distract from the G.O.P.'s ability to get voters to focus on the Obama record and the Obama economy. With McConnell's decisions regarding things like issuing a proclamation designating a Confederate History Month, removing so-called anti-discriminatory protections from gays and lesbians, and the decision mandating ultrasounds before a women has an abortion, Romney may fear that McDonnell could be "Palinized" and that those issues will can become the distraction that Democrats want. But such can be done with the record of any conservative. Or liberal for that matter.
So it is hard to say with any certainty that Romney will tap McDonnell for Vice President. But you can bet that McDonnell's name is one of the top five on the short list for the job.
Recent Key Votes
Bob McDonnell on the Issues
Filed under: Bob McDonnell, Bob McDonnell, The Herd, Vice Presidential Contenders | Tagged: 2012 Presidential Election, 2012 presidential election news, Anthony Del Pellegrino, Bob McDonnell, Bob McDonnell bio, Bob McDonnell biography, Bob McDonnell voting record, Bob McDonnell's Facebook Page, Bob McDonnell's public statements, Bob McDonnell's record, Bob McDonnell's website, Can Bob McDonnell deliver conservatives to mitt Romney, Can McDonnell deliver Virginia to Romney, election news, First Indian-American Vice President, Indian American Vice President, kempite, long list, mcdonnell, McDonnell Aircraft, Mitt Romney, Mitt romney vice presidential screening process, mitt Romney's short list, potential Republican vice presidential nominees, race for the white house, Regent University, Republican, republican election news, republican vice president, republican vice presidential long list, Republicans need to win Virginia, Romney 2012, Romney McDonnell, romney McDonnell 2012, Romney to name Bob McDonnell as his running mate, romney's vice presidential screening process, veep watch, vetting a potential vice presidential nominee, Vice President Bob McDonnell, Vice President McDonnell, vice presidential candidates, vice presidential choices, virginia, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell for Vice President, Virginia key battleground state, WH12, White House, White House 2012, whitehouse12.com, who will mitt romney pick, who will mitt romney pick to be his running mate, will Bob McDonnell accept the Republican nomination for Vice President, Will Bob McDonnell be Mitt Romney's pick for Vice President, will Bob McDonnell be on the republican presidential ticket, will Bob McDonnell run for vice president, will mitt Romney pick Bob McDonnell |


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The Winnacunnet Community Auditorium
Commemorative Booklet
January 29, 1997
A Publication of the Atlantic News[The following article is courtesy of the Atlantic News]
[Atlantic News Photo by Bud Perry]
• Welcome to the Winnacunnet Community Auditorium
• How the Auditorium came to be
• Winnacunnet High School Auditorium use policies & procedures
• Upcoming events at the Auditorium
• An open letter to the Winnacunnet Community
• School Board thanks community for their support of the Auditorium
• School administrators applaud new Auditorium
• A labor of love for the Clerk of the Works
• An Auditorium takes shape
• Winnacunnet Alumni add their efforts to the Auditorium
• A gift of time for Winnacunnet's new Auditorium
• It's all in the details
• Construction in the Classroom
• Get ready for Entertainment at the new Auditorium
• WHS community officials cheer new Auditorium addition
• A First-rate sound system fit for the twenty-first century
• Auditorium opens to rave reviews
• Winnacunnet band, drama teachers excited about auditorium
• Dedicating the Winnacunnet Community Auditorium
• A facility for learning and the arts
• The keys to making a great Auditorium better.
[Atlantic News Photo by John Hirtle]
Welcome to the Winnacunnet Community Auditorium
By Kathie Bowen
"Dedicated to all of the people of the Winnacunnet community whose generosity and vision for the future made this auditorium possible." These are the simple words imprinted on the plaque that hangs in the lobby of the Winnacunnet High School's new auditorium.
According to the Webster Dictionary of the English Language, "Meeting House" is defined as "a building or place used for public meetings..."
At first glance, the Winnacunnet Community Auditorium is a statement of modern times, It has a state-of-the-art sound system, handicapped accessibility, and sweeping architectural lines. It's acoustically balanced, and muted in design and color - it's a tribute to modern-day architecture.
It's also a "meeting house" in its truest form, a facility open to the Seacoast community to be used as the people see fit to use it. According to an informational brochure put out back in early 1995 to explain the need for an auditorium, the structure was planned as a community "meeting house" from the very beginning: "Since there is no large scale meeting area in the SAU district, the auditorium, in addition to serving the needs of the high school, may be made available to towns and community groups for special activities and to the elementary schools within the four towns when they need large group assembly space."
Peter Olenbush, WHS Facilities Manager, explained that an important aspect in the design of the auditorium was to make it accessible without entry to the high school itself. As visitors enter the new lobby, the school is straight ahead and entrance to the auditorium is to the left. Hanging on the right wall of the auditorium hallway is an antique New Haven Long-Drop Schoolhouse Regulator Clock (circa 1900-1920) donated by The Hampton Academy and Winnacunnet High School Alumni Association. The hallway separates the old and the new. The auditorium is on the left and the old cafetorium to the right, accessible to large gatherings needing refreshments, but easily locked up on other occasions. Bathrooms are located to the right under the auditorium's back section.
The view from the stage shows ascending and curved seating - a cozy intimate feeling for stage frightened performers. An array of electronic buttons both backstage and in the control room for lighting and sound reveals the state-of-the-art technology available in the auditorium.
Seating in any spot offers an excellent view of the stage, and the orchestra pit is deep and well camouflaged, in addition to being handicapped accessible. Back-stage, the "Green room," or waiting area, is painted a soft beige, instead of green; and the men's and women's dressing rooms are spacious and clean. The other half of the backstage reveals a stage craft room and storage area.
The Winnacunnet Community Auditorium held it's dress rehearsal on December 18 when the high school presented it's Holiday Concert and it passed with flying colors. It's now ready and waiting for SAU 21 students - and for the SAU 21 community.
How the Auditorium Came To Be
By Kathie Bowen
When Winnacunnet Board member Susan Kepner remembers back, the auditorium project actually began many years ago. She estimated that it was almost nine years ago when a proposal for an auditorium was presented at a school district meeting and was turned down.
"It was considered too grandiose and expensive," Kepner explained. She recalled that the auditorium plans called for the same amount of seats as the current structure but site work would have been more expensive because the addition would have been at the back of the building requiring the tennis courts to be moved. In addition, it had more spaces that the public felt were unnecessary - a director's office, for example.
The project was set aside for awhile until the third accreditation report by the New England Association of Schools (NEAS) stated once again that the need for an auditorium in a school the size of WHS was important. High School Accreditation is an important factor in making seacoast students competitive for college placement and scholarship money.
According to Kepner, this report gave the auditorium project "more impetus again."
The search was on for a new design. Kepner explained that lots of research went into the planning process. Three architectural firms were examined with Harriman Associates of Auburn, ME, being the winner. A committee consisting of school staff, board members and community members brainstormed a wishlist. The committee also toured different facilities, looking for what would be most appropriate.
The whole process was "quite a job," according to Susan Kepner.
The conceptual design was approved at the 1995 School District meeting and the Bond Issue proposal was approved in March of 1995. Building of the auditorium was handled by Eckman Construction of Bedford, general contractors. In Clerk of the Works "Chip" Breault's words, the project proceeded "on budget and ahead of schedule." In fact, the community got a sneak preview of the auditorium during the holiday season when WHS presented its Holiday Concert in the newly completed auditorium.
Winnacunnet High School Auditorium
Use Policies & Procedures
PROCEDURES:A. Any individual or group wishing to use the WHS Auditorium must contact the Auditorium Manager at 926-3395 to reserve the date(s) and receive a copy of this packet.
B. The user must fill out the Request for Use of Winnacunnet Auditorium Form (attached) and submit it to the Auditorium Manager no later than two weeks prior to the desired date. The Auditorium Manager will insure the request is not in conflict with other scheduled activities, and that custodial and theater tech (if needed) support is coordinated for the desired date(s).
C. Approval of the Request for Use will ordinarily be done by the Auditorium Manager. If the activity requested is not a usual and customary type of activity for a school auditorium, WHS School Board approval may be required.
POLICIES:A. Fees: There are five categories of users. Fees are established based on these categories: 1) Winnacunnet High School - no fees. Winnacunnet High School has first priority of use. 2) SAU 21 schools - no rental fee; custodial and/or theater tech fees may apply. Schools in this category have second priority for use, but they must get approval for dates requested that school year by October 14. After that date there is no guarantee or priority. 3) Municipal Groups of the four Winnacunnet District towns (e.g., Town meetings, police department, fire department, etc.) - no rental fee; custodial and/or theater tech fees may apply. 4) Non profit organizations - $250.00 per day rental, custodial, and theater tech fees apply. Groups wishing to qualify for this category must submit a copy of their IRS tax-exempt certificate with their Request Form. 5) For profit organizations - $1,000.00 per day rental, custodial, and theater tech fees apply. Fees must be paid at least one week prior to the event. Checks should be made out to Winnacunnet School District. Billing for custodial, tech, or kitchen use will be within two weeks after completion of the rental. Payment of services is expected within thirty days from billing date.
B. Insurance: A certificate of insurance is required when a rental activity is deemed beyond the scope of WHS School District insurance. The policy shall have a minimum of 51,000,000 liability individual and aggregate coverage limit. The Winnacunnet School District shall be named "an additional insured" on the renter's policy for the date(s) of the rental.
C. Deposit: A rental deposit is required for users when they are first time renters, or are renters with a poor payment history. The deposit must accompany the Request for Use form.
D. Use: Use of the auditorium includes lobby, audience seating, audience rest rooms, stage, risers, green room, and dressing room areas. It does not include access to the control room, props and costume loft, stage craft areas, or any other part of the Winnacunnet School building. If the user requires that the piano be tuned, it shall be done by Winnacunnet's tuner at the user's expense. If use of other building areas, such as the cafeteria, is desired, separate arrangements with the school must be made.
E. Custodian: The basic service provided by the custodian will be to unlock the doors for the user, turn on and set the house lights and stage lights, set up a microphone, clean and secure the facility after use. The fee is $15 per hour.
F Theater Tech: If more elaborate sound, lights, or other equipment is needed, a theater tech must be employed. Users will not be permitted to operate the sound or lighting systems without a theater tech present. The fee is $25 per hour.
For further information or copy of complete policies and procedures, please contact the Auditorium Manager at 9263395.
[Atlantic News Photo by John Hirtle]
Upcoming Events at the Auditorium
March 5 - The Annual WHS Winter Concert.
March 11- The University of Maine Singers.
March 20-22 - Winnacunnet High School presents "Guys and Dolls."
April 4 - The Lincoln Akerman Drama Production.
April 11 and 12- A Production by the North Hampton Elementary School.
May 8 - The Canadian Exchange Concert.
May 28 - WHS Spring Concert.
For more details, see story "Get Ready for Entertainment at the New Auditorium" by Kathie Bowen.
January 1997
An Open Letter to the Winnacunnet Community:
Congratulations! The Winnacunnet Community Auditorium is finally a reality, and it offers the citizens of our four towns an outstanding performance venue. We now have a site for music, art and drama activities of which we can all be proud. The Auditorium can also serve as a meeting place for town and civic groups as well as an instructional area for the high school.
This $3.3 million facility with its 750 seats, full proscenium stage, orchestra pit, and outstanding sound system will be available for all in our community to use. It was beautifully designed by Harriman Associates and carefully built by the Eckman Construction Company. It truly represents a giant step forward for Winnacunnet High School and our community.
Many thanks to all the citizens of our community for having the foresight to support this very important project. I would urge each and every one of you to come to the Auditorium and enjoy the wonderful facility you have helped to create.James H. Weiss, EdD
Superintendent of Schools
[Atlantic News Photo by James V. Grasso]
School Board Thanks Community for Their Support of the Auditorium
January 10, 1997To the Winnacunnet Community:
We have reason to celebrate! Our auditorium at Winnacunnet has been completed. It was with great pleasure for us to have our Winter Concert on December 18 in our new facility. As the doors opened to the public, young and old alike found their way into the auditorium. It was wonderful to see the people's faces show that they liked what they saw, and to listen to comments made by many on how beautiful it was!
As the show opened to everyone's amazement, everyone in the house could not only see the performance, but for the first time in Winnacunnet history, everyone could hear the music and the songs.
The hard work exhibited by all the performers in preparing for this glorious occasion paid off. You could feel the holiday spirit come alive in the standing room only crowd. To see the proud look on mothers' and fathers' faces as they watched their son or daughter sing or play festive songs was something to behold!
The fact of the matter is: none of this could be a reality without all the support of the Winnacunnet community.
The WHS School Board would like to say again to all, "Thank you for your support."
Our auditorium will be open for use by the four towns in our district. In the future, you will see a vast array of performances from plays to concerts, to business or town meetings. The auditorium is not only open to the school in the district, but to the SAU 21 community.
We would like to send our thanks to many. To Harriman Associates for designing our auditorium. Thanks for a tremendous job on overseeing construction to Eckman Construction. We would like to thank all the subcontractors and suppliers for a job well done. A very big thank you goes out to all the members of our building committee who worked very hard for a long time to ready this project to go before the District voters.
Thanks to all the work our administrators and faculty did in making our auditorium come together. We could go on thanking everyone involved. Special thanks go out to our Clerk of the Works on this project, Norman "Chip" Breault. He was our eyes and ears throughout the construction process. Chip made sure our facility was being constructed correctly and worked hard to cure any problems that came along.
In closing, we would like to thank everyone for opening the vast horizons for all of our students and to all our Winnacunnet community citizens. We would like everyone to come and tour our facility and to enjoy the fabulous acoustics and overall beauty of our auditorium.Respectfully,
James Fuller, Chairman
Paul Kelley
Susan Kepner
Alison Robie
Mona Nason
Winnacunnet High School Board
[Atlantic News Photo by John Hirtle]
School Administrators Applaud New Auditorium
By Jason Batchelder
WHS Principal Roberta Neuman and Assistant Principal Richard Ray can't wait for the auditorium to finally open. From the first proposal, way back in 1988, to the 1995 vote when it was first turned down, to the reconsideration of that vote when it finally passed, it has been a long time in coming.
"It has always been important to get an auditorium in this community," said Mr. Ray. "It has long been needed."
When asked what the auditorium would bring to the school, he responded, "The auditorium brings a performance facility of excellent quality to the school so that student performances can be appreciated to their fullest. Also, it provides a space for large group meetings with 750 seats. Space can be used not only by the students but also by the faculty for workshops."
He went on, saying, "With sophisticated lighting and sound systems, this allows students who are interested in the technical aspects of theater to gain valuable knowledge and experience, something we formerly were unable to do."
[Atlantic News Photo by Kathie Bowen]
In addition, Principal Roberta Neuman said the auditorium: "will bring a performance center, a place where people of the community can hold discussions and forums, and also a place where other schools can congregate [i.e. Student Council, etc.]." Mrs. Neuman added, "There is no large facility in any of the four towns [Hampton, North Hampton, Hampton Falls, and Seabrook] that can be used for these purposes. All that used to be available were cafeterias and gymnasiums, and it's a shame for all the work to be displayed in `cafs' and gyms."
"It can be difficult to hold assemblies about serious topics in the gym, because people can't focus on the issues at hand," she concluded.
"It was good that we built the auditorium when we did," said Mr. Ray. "The longer we would have waited, the more expensive it would have become. Also, the state provided half of the $3.3 million needed for the project, which made this much more doable." He went on, "Regardless of how people voted for it, all my attend. You will be surprised and pleased with what your tax dollars have bought, not just for today's kids, but also for their grandchildren."
[Atlantic News Photo by Gordon McCollester]
A Labor of Love for the Clerk of the Works
By Gordon McCollester
Norman "Chip" Breault has been on the Winnacunnet Community Auditorium worksite since the very first day. As the clerk of the works he is the man responsible for monitoring every aspect of the project, and then reporting weekly to the school board.
"On budget and ahead of schedule," is how Breault describes the project.
He credits the fact that the project came in under budget and at least 30 days ahead of schedule to the great work of everyone on the project.
The biggest hurdle has been to keep the noise, dirt and dust from disrupting the school's activities. He had praise for the contractors who worked hard not to interfere with the students.
He was also pleased that over 80% of the subcontractors were from New Hampshire, and as the project neared completion, that it has been a safe place to work.
"This has been a very safe site with no injuries," he said. "So far, not even a Band-Aid."
For Chip Breault, the auditorium has a special meaning. Zachary, his son, is a sophomore at the school and another son, Joshua, graduated in 1994.
"This truly was a community effort," he said. "It has been a great place to work."
[Atlantic News Photo by Gordon McCollester]
Winnacunnet Alumni Add Their Effort to the Auditorium
By Priscilla Triggs Weeks
The Hampton Academy and Winnacunnet High School Alumni Association recently presented a token of reverence to Winnacunnet High School ... the gift of a New Haven Long-Drop Schoolhouse Regulator Clock (,circa 1900-1920) which now adorns the foyer of the new auditorium. This clock, coincidentally, commemorates the Alumni Association's 90th year of existence. The clock historically signifies all those students and teachers who have passed through the hallowed halls of Hampton Academy and High School and its successor, Winnacunnet High School.
We engaged the services of Barlow and Lambias, Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, for their expertise in the field of clocks. Their many years of experience and commendable service caught the attention of the association, as well as that of the "North of Boston" magazine, who recently spotlighted Peter Barlow and Charles Lambias, the "clock doctors" who make house calls!
Roberta Neuman, Principal of Winnacunnet High School and Peter Olenbush, Facilities Manager, chose the location for affixing this clock and plaque, in the foyer of the new auditorium, because of its maximum usage and viewability.
Members of the Alumni Association who facilitated the purchase of this vintage clock included Priscilla Triggs, president; Gwen Paul Aubrey, vice president; Arthur Moody, treasurer; Jane Olson, secretary; along with Betsy Dunbrack and Richard Chevalier.
We encourage all of our Hampton Academy and Winnacunnet High School graduates to view this clock, with its historic significance, along with joining us at our annual general reunion in June.
May the pendulum of this honored time-piece toll, for all those who pass beneath, in the quest for truth and knowledge.
[Atlantic News File Photos]
A Gift of Time for Winnacunnet's New Auditorium
By Kathie Bowen
When "Chick" Lambias of Barlow & Lambias Clock Repair heard that the Alumni Association was looking for an antique clock to donate to the new Winnacunnet Community Auditorium, he told them, "I have a special clock for you!" It was from his own private collection of clocks.
The clock is a New Haven Long-Drop Schoolhouse Regulator Clock (circa 1900-1920) dedicated to the Winnacunnet Community Auditorium by The Hampton Academy and Winnacunnet High School Alumni Association; and is displayed, along with a plaque, in the corridor of the new auditorium.
Peter Barlow, the other half of the partnership explained that the clock is a timepiece, or a clock that does not chime. As he says, "The last thing you want in a school is a clock that strikes every hour." Barlow is a certified archaeologist, bui, has been working with clocks for 30 years. He and Lambias became partners three years ago and are located at the Red Barn on Route 88 in Hampton Palls.
Chick, who had been an auto parts distributor, and had a love and fascination with clocks, was a constant customer of Peter's. He decided it was "cheaper to learn" to repair the clocks himself rather that have them repaired, and a partnership was born.
The two men jokingly throw out mottoes for their clock repair business: "We have time for you!" or "We just keep on cranking!"
The Long-drop clock is a beautiful example of how clocks were made in the past, according to Chick and Peter. They explained that clock-making was a long lost art that involved many artisans. One person would cut the gears, another would assemble the movements, another work on the dials and glass, while still another would make the cabinet.
Chick explained that old clocks need a cleaning and maintenance check yearly and he was looking forward to visiting the WHS clock each year. He looked longingly at the Regulator clock that had been a prized part of his private collection. "I'm going to miss it! he said, ruefully.
[Atlantic News Photo by Kathie Bowen]
Construction Comes to the Classroom
By James V. Grasso
It isn't often that the classroom and the construction project come together, but at the Winnacunnet High School Auditorium that is exactly what happened. The General Contractor, Eckman Construction Co., Inc. of Bedford, NH, brought to the school the notion of a multi-disciplinary approach which would introduce the students to the practical side of their classroom learning, showing them how classroom instruction could be made applicable to the actualities of the building process.
Developed from ideas promulgated by Amy Eckman, President of Eckman Construction Company, in 1994, and used by Eckman elsewhere with both elementary and upper grades, methods specifically applicable to the Winnacunnet project were developed and presented by her to the Math Department and a group of school administrators when the project began in February 1996. Her presentation met with the approval of Principal Roberta Neuman.
Specific uses of mathematics and the application of math to actual problems encountered in the field were outlined and their solution in the field explained, as the job progressed, with the cooperation of Toni Talas of the WHS Mathematics Department and Eckman Engineers.
Similarly, Ken Cody, director of the WHS Technical Education Department, and his staff, provided guidance to students who were taking introductory courses in such subjects as plumbing, masonry and electricity.
Norman "Chip" Breault, WHS Clerk of the Works, conducted on-site explanations for groups of about ten students. Students met with Breault and representatives of subcontractors in the various trades, who explained the basics of their trade, what the work involved, how to train and prepare for it and what the job prospects and earnings might be. Foremen and supervisors from the various trades, such as electricity, plumbing and masonry, gave explanations and demonstrations of their work. Breault gave general background explanations and showed students how to read detailed plans for all trades. Following such explanations, Breault arranged for students to go out on the construction site and see what the plans actually represented and what problems can arise in actual construction.
Teachers and administrators involved in these processes were unanimous in praising the cooperation of the Eckman Company and its subcontractors. According to Breault, in the groups that averaged about ten pupils, there was substantial interest, with about seven of the ten asking significant and pertinent questions. He also said that other school departments such as Physics and Chemistry became involved at appropriate times.
Amy Eckman, who developed and supported these efforts to bring construction into the classroom and the classroom into construction, is an unusual person in the construction field. Educated as a lawyer, and having practiced law with a Concord law firm, she joined Eckman Construction in 1977 at her husband's request and eventually became President of the company about five years ago. She believes it is important, given the rapidity of technological change, that students learn not just a core of knowledge but also the basics of how to learn so as to deal with change and she feels this can be arrived at through a multi-disciplinary approach.
Of the company's work she says that although they do commercial building projects, they do school work primarily. "This," she says, "is what we do." And they do it very successfully, working on short schedule deadlines, which they meet and sometimes, as in the case of the Auditorium, even beat. The WHS Auditorium was scheduled for completion in mid-January of 1997, but held its Holiday Concert in the completed structure on December 18, 1996.
[Atlantic News Photos by Hirtle and McGee]
Get Ready for Entertainment at the New Auditorium
By Kathie Bowen
According to Winnacunnet High School Principal Roberta Neuman, booking dates for the new Winnacunnet Community Auditorium are filling fast. Several dates are already booked (See related listing "Upcoming Events at the Auditorium").
In addition, plans are underway to present a movie series, and a community musical sing-along. Other hopeful bookings include a hypnotist; concerts by the Military Service Band and the New Hampshire Youth Symphony; a football night, possibly highlighting some of the Patriots; and a performance from the New Hampshire Humanities Council.
Neuman explained the need for these opening acts: "We hope to showcase the facility in a variety of ways so people in the community can see its uses." Plans for bringing in entertainment will go on through the end of the school year, when Neuman feels the word will be out.
"We are already getting some calls from businesses in the community," she reported, adding that the SAU is hoping that businesses will use the facility for training purposes. Problems with parking can be overcome by having businesses bus in those involved in the sessions.
In addition to entertainment, the auditorium corridor will be available for art exhibits. A student art exhibit was planned for January 15 and opening night. The principal stressed the corridor is also available for community art. "It is a fairly secure area." she added. With the help of some available grant money, plans are also in the works for display cases and shelving, possibly made by WHS students.
The winter and spring season promises to be a busy one for the new Winnacunnet Community Auditorium.
[Atlantic News Photos by Jason Batchelder]
WHS Community Officials Cheer New Auditorium Addition
By Dick Winn
Local reaction to the opening of the Winnacunnet Community Auditorium is positive throughout the SAU 21 community.
Judith Deshaies, Principal of Lincoln Akerman School in Hampton Falls, said, "We have never had a legitimate performance area, until now. We've had to make do in the cafeteria area. We have already booked the auditorium for a spring performance. I think it will be used by the adults in town, too. After a tour of the building, I was impressed with its potential for use."
Louis Nardello, Seabrook Elementary School Principal, sees the auditorium's potential for drawing the community together: "I think it is - a very positive thing. We put on performances that can now be staged well. Not only will Seabrook residents come to see the children, but people from other communities will come. It , makes the SAU 21 District into a large; community. I think it's great."
Mona Nason, Hampton Falls' School Board Chair, sums her reaction up in one word: "Awesome!" She goes on to say, "I am pleased with how it turned out. You see an artist's rendition and then you see the completed project it's impressive!"
A First-rate Sound System Fit for the Twenty-First Century
By Christian C. Foster
Most newcomers to the auditorium at Winnacunnet High School see the audio system hanging from the rafters above center stage and consider it modest. What they don't realize is that they are looking at a cluster of five speakers connected to a high technology, state-of-the-art sound system. Vice-Principal Dick Ray commented on the audio equipment by saying, "There isn't another high school in New Hampshire with a better system."
The system features five speakers including: an 18inch woofer with two 12 and 10 inch mid-range speakers on either side, angled to give a crisp stereo image. The three wires you may see dangling above the stage are not out of control extension cords. They are microphones which are used to pick up and amplify the sounds from the stage below. There are sixteen available channels which can accommodate sixteen "inputs" and a mixing board to balance them all. Parametric equalizers have been specifically tuned in relation to the hall's acoustic design to maximize the sound clarity.
Built into the system is a "hearing assist." These wireless receivers are connected to the mixing console by a direct feed and the sound is beamed to the ear pieces. The feature allows the hearing impaired to enjoy the sounds of the productions at a volume that suits them. There are five sets of ear pieces available upon request.
Dick Ray described the new sound system as a "quantum leap in technology" compared to what the school was previously using. The quality of the sound and incredible amount of control available with the sweepable EQ knobs has delighted Ray. But the biggest advantage of the new auditorium for him, since he did the lion's share of the dirty work, is not having to move the sound system from the music area to the cafetorium where the old productions were held.
Because the speakers were so terrible in the cafetorium, and the acoustics of the room were equally so, speakers from the music department had to be set up and torn down for every production and rehearsal. Having a high quality fixed system in place has cut down on a lot of extra work.
A special thanks goes out to George Blodgett of Hampton who has generously donated a mixing console, amplifier and monitor speakers to the auditorium. The night the auditorium was approved to be built, Blodgett stood up at the meeting and said he would volunteer to donate the system; and his help has been a substantial asset. The support of Blodgett allowed the school to purchase other important audio equipment with the money he saved them. All of the effort amounts to a first rate set-up everyone in the community can be proud of.
(Music Director Stan Bednarz is hoping to improve the sound system in the auditorium even further by raising funds for a concert grand piano. See Page 23 for details.)
[Atlantic News Photos by Kathie Bowen]
Dedicating the Winnacunnet Community Auditorium
By Kathie Bowen
The formal opening of the Winnacunnet Community Auditorium on January 29 is showcasing local talent from the surrounding SAU 21 schools.
In a written request to the SAU's schools, WHS Principal Roberta Neuman said, "To make thcommunityty' aspect of this facility very obvious, we would like to have the first event be focused on all of the SAU 21 schools and their performing groups."
Highlights of the performance will be the Hampton Academy Junior High jazz band, bell-ringers from Seabrook Elementary, a -Marston School performance of "Little Shop of Horrors," WHS's chamber singers and stage band, and a performance by second graders from Centre School.
Many local and state dignitaries have been invited to the event, as well as the entire SAU 21 community. The auditorium's Grand Opening kicks off a season of events that will showcase the various ways that the community can utilize the auditorium.
[Atlantic News Photos by Kathie Bowen]
A Facility For Learning and the Arts
By Kathie Bowen
Prescott Park Director George Hosker is enthusiastic about the many possibilities that the WinnacunnCommunitytiy Auditorium has to offer. "What I am most excited about is that the towns [within the SAU] now have a performing space for all of the young people." he says.
Hosker is a 1979 graduate of Winnacunnet High School, where he won Drama and National Choral Awards; and strongly supports bringing the arts to the Hampton area. He has worked for years with local educators to enrich student's lives through the theatre. He is assisting the SAU in booking different programs for the auditorium this year, but is hoping things don't stop there.
"I am committed to helping WHS in any way I can. I would like nothing better than to go down there and teach," he says. He explains that the next step in the process is to offer a well-rounded teaching program for the students that includes the technical aspect of the theatre.
"I hope [the auditorium] will be a learning facility for those students who want a career in the arts." Husker said. He explained that it's hard for students to do their best when they are working in inadequate facilities: and compared the need for the auditorium to the importance of having proper sports facilities for sporting events. The auditorium, he says, is like an "actorfootballall field." The proper atmosphere inspires the players.
"I hope [SAU 21] utilizes it to its fullest potential," he ended.
The Keys to Making a Great Auditorium Better
By Kathie Bowen
The old upright piano that sits in front of the stage of the new auditorium looks sadly out of place. Stanley Bednarz, the music director at Winnacunnet High school is hoping that will change. "What we want to do is to buy a concert grand piano and choral risers," he explains. Approximately $14,000 has been raised so far, but more is needed to cover the $50,000 costs.
Donations to the Auditorium Fund can be made in several ways. Money donated to the General Auditorium Fund will be used for auditorium equipment as needed and determined by committee.
Auditorium seats can be purchased for $125 each; and a plaque will be affixed to the seat with the donors requested sentiment.
Individual keys to the concert grand piano can be purchased for $454 per key. That's $454 per key x 88 keys to equal the total cost of $40,000 for the piano.
Finally, the new choral risers will cost approximately $5000 and money is needed to meet this goal.
Checks can be made payable to "Winnacunnet Auditorium Fund" and mailed to Winnacunnet High School, Auditorium Fund, Alumni Drive, Hampton, NH 03842. Please specify what fund you are donating to and, if a seat is being purchased, what information should be put on the plaque. Any questions can be answered by calling Stan Bednarz, music director at 926-3395, ext. 256, or 964-5348.
[Atlantic News Photo by Kathie Bowen]


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text: Some teams are competing for bragging rights, while others are fighting for a spot in the playoffs. But for the seniors on the 44 Central Mass. football teams playing football this morning, the memories of their last Thanksgiving game will last a lifetime. Click on the links below to follow all the action.


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Marcus Saad
"'Free software' is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the concept, you should think of 'free' as in 'free speech,' not as in 'free beer'."
Located between Brazil and Canada, I'm a Firefox developer and reviewer/translator dealing with Firefox OS articles at Support Mozilla Brazil. My hobbies includes playing Magic, paintball, video games and long hours watching movies.
Mozilla is growing and the need of a better and well organized community shows up in Brazil. One of my efforts nowadays is to strengthen the bonds of the community and bring new contributors to it.
Presenter of several Firefox OS talks around Brazil, I aim to distribute and share my knowledge. I'm also a strong L10N contributor and maintainer of several projects.
Feel free to contact me ~msaad
Tagsfirefox development, firefox os translation, l10n:review, l10n:translation, support mozilla, webmaker, mozspeakers
Habilidadesc, community management, cpp, firefox os, javaee, javascript, leadership, php, python, regionalization, test automation
IdiomasInglés, Español, Portugués
Sitios web
Recomendado por
Melissa C. Devens
Marcus is one of the most active members of our community. He participated in a lot of events around the Brazil talking about Firefox OS. He also worked hard in localization of many projects and helped in others initiatives like SuMo, WebVTT and Firefox OS.
Luciana Viana
Fantastic Brazilian Mozillian - very active
Andre Garzia
Very active Mozillian. Speaker at many events and key contributor.
Andrea Balle
Marcus is an active contributor of Mozilla Brazil. His contributions include helping other Mozillians on the mailing list, making massive contributions for localization and organizing/being staff in Mozilla events in Brazil.
Ricardo Luis Zanetti Panaggio
Marcus is one of the most active members of Mozilla Brasil.
He's one of the most active (probably the most active) contributors of pt-br localization of several products.
He's one of the most active speakers and heralds, talking about Firefox OS, Webmaker and several other areas.
He has also helped on the organization of several events in Brazil.
He has also helped on several other initiatives like SuMo, WebVTT, Firefox OS, ...


text:
Come Join Us in McAllen
Conveniently located across from McAllen Miller International Airport
Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, our Wingate by Wyndham McAllen hotel offers all the amenities that travelers expect. We are located across the street from McAllen Miller International Airport and we share a parking lot with La Plaza Mall, which is right next door to our hotel. Our non-smoking hotel offers convenient amenities and tech-savvy communication tools.


text:
NEW YORK, April 2 (UPI) -- Recording artists Debbie Gibson and Dee Snider have become the latest stars fired from "The Celebrity Apprentice" in New York.
The business-themed show's judge and producer, real-estate mogul Donald Trump, gave the famous contestants the bad news in Sunday night's special 3-hour episode.
Still competing this season are comedian Arsenio Hall, one-time "Incredible Hulk" star Lou Ferrigno, magician/comedian Penn Jillette, "American Chopper" star Paul Teutul Sr., comedienne Lisa Lampanelli, former Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza, singer and actress Aubrey O'Day and "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Teresa Giudice.
Already eliminated from the show were actresses Tia Carrere and Patricia Velasquez, radio host Adam Carolla, "Star Trek" actor George Takei, IndyCar icon Michael Andretti, author Victoria Gotti and supermodel Cheryl Tiegs.
The last person standing will receive a $250,000 check to be given to a designated charity.


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Astros expect progress in 2014 under long-term plan
GM Luhnow's vision includes emphasis on analytics, depth in Minor League system
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The plan was laid out in painstaking detail. Jeff Luhnow followed up a phone interview with then-team president George Postolos by sending him a 25-page document spelling out his blueprint for rebuilding the franchise if he were to be hired as the Astros' general manager.
That was only a few months after the Astros wrapped up their worst season in team history by losing 106 games in 2011, their penultimate season in the National League. At the time, the Major League club was aging, the Minor League system needed more talent and depth, and a dramatic overhaul was needed.
Luhnow, the Mexican-born businessman with a background in business, an Ivy League degree and a successful track record with the Cardinals, believed he could get the franchise turned around in time. Owner Jim Crane and Postolos read through his blueprint and were sold, hiring Luhnow in December 2011 to be the team's general manager.
The rebuilding plan, which included a commitment to data analysis that's among the most ambitious in the game, started with improving the Minor League system, which was given a boost of talent through a series of trades of veterans and some savvy work in the First-Year Player Draft.
While the Minor League system became one of the best in the game, the Major League product suffered and slumped to 111 losses last year. Still, Luhnow says that while no one expected the Astros to lose as often as they did last year, the rebuilding plan is on course.
"We want to really turn the dial toward success at the Major League level, and that's reflected in some of the moves we made this offseason," Luhnow said. "It will be reflected in the performance day in and day out of the team. As we've talked about, there were times last year when we could compete, but there were times we couldn't. It's really maintaining that consistency where every series, every game, you've got a chance to win."
The Astros, who ended last season with a payroll of about $13 million after dealing away nearly all their veteran contracts in a span of three years, spent $22.35 million in salary for 2014 by signing pitchers Scott Feldman, Chad Qualls, Matt Albers, Jesse Crain and Jerome Williams. They also acquired center fielder Dexter Fowler ($7.85 million) and first baseman/outfielder Jesus Guzman ($1.3 million), and Houston should have a payroll in the $45 million range.
Those additions figure to make the club more competitive this year, though likely not a contender. Crane, though, isn't writing the team off as also-rans, but he admits the future is setting up quite well.
"We're here to win, and so we hope we see significant improvement this year. And I think next year, anything can happen," Crane said. "We will continue to go out and add a few players, as necessary, as we did this year, and we'll continue to see some of this talent coming up, particularly the pitching. We're very deep. We expect to contend quickly."
That hinges on a farm system that last month was labeled the best in baseball by ESPN. Former general manager Ed Wade brought aboard many of those prospects -- he acquired pitchers Jarred Cosart, Brett Oberholtzer, Mike Foltynewicz, Josh Zeid, first baseman Jonathan Singleton and outfielders George Springer, Delino DeShields Jr. and Domingo Santana, among others -- before Luhnow moved the rebuilding project into overdrive.
The Astros nabbed Puerto Rican shortstop Carlos Correa with the top pick in the 2012 Draft, spending some money in the process to sign pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. and third baseman Rio Ruiz away from college scholarships. They took Stanford pitcher Mark Appel with the top pick a year later, adding to their impressive pitching depth in the Minors.
"We've got the system ranked No. 1 by ESPN and we're drafting first again, so that can only get as good or better," Crane said. "So I have to say he's done a good job bringing in the right people, beefing up the coaching staff and analytics. I really like where we're positioned at this point."
It's no surprise the Astros have patterned themselves, in part, after the Cards, who have been perennial contenders without a huge payroll. In fact, there are influences from St. Louis' organization all over Houston's franchise, led by Luhnow, scouting director Mike Elias and director of decision sciences Sig Mejdal, who spearheads analytics.
Like the Cardinals, the Astros want to be able to contend year in and year out on a reasonable payroll, relying on their farm system to bring waves of talent. Luhnow says that begins with making sure they have the right scouts and coaches in place, as well as the right philosophy.
"That team wins the division every year and wins the [NL] Championship Series or goes to the World Series -- so they're constantly picking late in the Draft and they constantly have smaller [bonus] pools, and yet they're continuing to produce players like Michael Wacha and other players that are going to help them win in the future," Luhnow said.
"That's the model that we're setting up, whether we picked first in the Draft or 29th. We want to have the right scouts, the right leadership, the right process, utilizing all the available information. Even though you're at somewhat of a disadvantage in terms of the dollars you can spend, you can still get a huge return on your investment."
The team's struggles on the field at the Major League level have been frustrating to the fan base, but Luhnow and Crane have preached patience since Day 1. The team has its own internal projections of how many games it could win this year, but Luhnow would only say he expects them to be substantially improved.
"I'm not going to put a win total on it," he said. "I'll let the experts do that. This team is going to be a lot more fun to watch for the fans, and we're going to be a lot more competitive this year. I really think that people are going to start to see the results of all the work that's gone in the last couple of years.
"It's all going to come together into a fun product to watch, with power pitching, guys that throw strikes, guys that hit home runs, play good defense and win ballgames."
Crane says it's important to show the fans that have shown show much patience and have bought into the rebuilding plan the past few years that things are changing at Minute Maid Park.
"We could be legitimate pretty quick here," Crane said.


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text:
Magic Johnson Settles 'Red Vines' Lawsuit
Magic Johnson SETTLES 'Red Vines' Lawsuit
Magic Johnson will NOT have to defend himself in court against a former employee who claims he bullied her over fresh snacks, because TMZ has learned the case has settled.
Magic was sued by Lanita Thomas, who claims she served as his personal flight attendant until she was fired for being 15 minutes late one day.
According to the suit, she was late because Magic insisted on a particular type of turkey meat on his sandwiches and she was held up at the counter. She also claimed he was "very particular that all snacks were fresh" ... especially when it came to liquorice.
Although the terms of the settlement are confidential, sources connected with the case tell TMZ ... Magic paid the woman for overtime, but she got no money for the alleged snack bullying.
Now that he owns the Dodgers, his new favorite has gotta be Baby Ruth ... right?
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On this date (March 26) in 1827 Ludwig van Beethoven died in Vienna at the age of 56. The cause of death is in dispute. Some theorize cirrhosis, syphilis or hepatitis. The most recent theory is lead poisoning caused by an overdose of a lead-based medicine given by his doctor to reduce fluid in his abdomen.The funeral and burial procession was three days later and attended by 30,000. Soldiers were called in to ensure the crowd remained peaceful. The distance between the house where his body lay to the church where the service was held was only 200 yards, yet it took an hour and a half to get there. The pallbearers included three noted composers—Schubert, Hummel and Czerny. There were forty torchbearers escorting the procession, most of whom were musicians. Throughout the funeral and procession music was performed, including a Miserere Beethoven had composed in 1812, two of his Equali for four trombones and the funeral march from his Sonata op. 26, in an arrangement for wind band that the composer had made in 1815 . One of Beethoven's friends wrote, "No Emperor of Austria ever had a funeral like that of Beethoven."
Here is a translation of the oration given at the entrance to the cemetery after the funeral:
We who stand here at the grave of the deceased are in a sense the representatives of an entire nation, the whole German people, come to mourn the passing of one celebrated half of that which remained to us from the vanished brilliance of the fatherland. The hero of poetry in the German language and tongue still lives — and long may he live. But the last master of resounding song, the gracious mouth by which music spoke, the man who inherited and increased the immortal fame of Handel and Bach, of Haydn and Mozart, has ceased to be; and we stand weeping over the broken strings of an instrument now stilled.
An instrument now stilled. Let me call him that! For he was an artist, and what he was, he was only through art. The thorns of life had wounded him deeply, and as the shipwrecked man clutches the saving shore, he flew to your arms, oh wondrous sister of the good and true, comforter in affliction, the art that comes from on high! He held fast to you, and even when the gate through which you had entered was shut, you spoke through a deafened ear to him who could no longer discern you; and he carried your image in his heart, and when he died it still lay on his breast.
He was an artist, and who shall stand beside him? As the behemoth sweeps through the seas, he swept across the boundaries of his art. From the cooing of the dove to the thunder's roll, from the subtlest interweaving of willful artifices to that awesome point at which the fabric presses over into the lawlessness of clashing natural forces — he traversed all, he comprehended everything. He who follows him cannot continue; he must begin anew, for his predecessor ended where art ends.
Adelaide and Leonore! Commemorations of the heroes of Vittoria and humble tones of the Mass! Offspring of three and four-part voices. Resounding symphony, "Freude, schöner Götterfunken", the swansong. Muses of song and of strings, gather at his grave and strew it with laurel!He was an artist, but also a man, a man in every sense, in the highest sense. Because he shut himself off from the world, they called him hostile; and callous, because he shunned feelings. Oh, he who knows he is hardened does not flee! (It is the more delicate point that is most easily blunted, that bends or breaks.)
Excess of feeling avoids feelings. He fled the world because he did not find, in the whole compass of his loving nature, a weapon with which to resist it. He withdrew from his fellow men after he had given them everything and had received nothing in return. He remained alone because he found no second self. But until his death he preserved a human heart for all men, a father's heart for his own people, the whole world.
Thus he was, thus he died, thus he will live for all time!
And you who have followed his escort to this place, hold your sorrow in sway. You have not lost him but won him. No living man enters the halls of immortality. The body must die before the gates are opened. He whom you mourn is now among the greatest men of all time, unassailable forever. Return to your homes, then, distressed but composed. And whenever, during your lives, the power of his works overwhelms you like a coming storm; when your rapture pours out in the midst of a generation yet unborn; then remember this hour and think: we were there when they buried him, and when he died we wept!
Jack Fishman
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
For more blogs by Jack Fishman visit: www.sasymphony.org/blog