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LOS ANGELES -- Carly Mee, a student at Occidental College, was hanging out with friends in late 2010 when a male student's name came up. Mee was standing near Leah Capranica, a fellow sophomore, who said she'd had a bad experience with the student. The two women met the next day and told each other a secret: They had been sexually assaulted by the same man.
The women filed complaints with the college, and after investigations, the male student was found responsible for Mee's attack, according to college documents, and admitted assaulting Capranica, she and university professors said. Occidental expelled him. A few months ago, Mee received word that the man would be allowed back to school the next academic year, after writing a report about a book on sexual assault.
"The verdict wasn't changed," she said. "The punishment was changed. I asked why and no one could tell me."
Across the country, colleges are under fire for using antiquated and amateurish procedures to prevent and investigate rapes and other sexual assaults on campus. Chronically slow, botched and biased responses -- in some cases relying on students as investigators -- have prompted anger from rape victims and scrutiny from the U.S. Education Department.
A group of Occidental students and alumni filed a Title IX complaint with the Education Department on April 18 saying the school doesn't meet federal standards for preventing and responding to such attacks. Title IX, the legislation known for guaranteeing women equal access to sports programs, bars all forms of sex discrimination on campus. The Education Department is investigating the group's claims.
Similar complaints have been filed against Yale University, Swarthmore College and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Swarthmore, in Pennsylvania, and UNC are conducting reviews of their sexual-assault policies.
"The young women who have come forward to report their assaults should feel protected, but the colleges have magnified their suffering," said Gloria Allred, a Los Angeles-based attorney who is representing Mee, Capranica and other students who say they were sexually assaulted at Occidental and the University of Southern California. "These are institutional failures to comply with government regulations."
Allred led a May 22 press conference where students at Dartmouth College, University of California, Berkeley, and USC said they'd filed complaints against their schools for alleged violations of Title IX and the Clery Act, the federal campus crime-reporting law.
Yale, based in New Haven, Conn., is facing a $165,000 Education Department fine for failing to report campus sexual assaults in 2001 and 2002. The university is being monitored by the agency through May 2014 for compliance with regulations.
At least one-quarter of women are sexually assaulted during their college years, according to studies published as recently as 2000 by the Justice Department and crime researchers. About 27 percent of college women are raped or suffer attempted rape, according to researchers at Wayne State University.
A relatively small minority of men are responsible for most of these attacks, according to David Lisak, a former University of Massachusetts clinical psychologist who consults to the U.S. military and colleges on sexual assault.
In Lisak's study of 1,882 college men, 120 admitted committing rape or attempted rape. They admitted to 483, or an average of 4 assaults each.
"College presidents don't like to hear this, but these are sex offenders," said Lisak, who spoke last month at Harvard University, sponsored by student group Harvard Men Against Rape. "Every report should be viewed and treated as an opportunity to identify a serial rapist."
Occidental President Jonathan Veitch declined to discuss specifics of Mee and Capranica's cases, or disclose the name of the male student, citing state and federal privacy laws. Reducing punishments may be appropriate when new evidence comes to light, he said.
The school has hired two former sexual-crime prosecutors to review procedures and previous cases for mistakes, bias and other concerns, Veitch said. The independent investigators will look at cases where sanctions are reduced, he said.
Occidental and other schools are struggling to understand and respond to complicated interactions between young students, Veitch said. Questions such as what it means to consent to sex are unclear in the minds of many young people, he said.
"Colleges and universities are being asked to take on essentially judiciary functions when this isn't the reason most people came to colleges and universities," Veitch said in his office overlooking the campus's bay-tree lined quadrangle and red-tiled roofs. "I'm not sure I fully understand why it isn't handled by the judicial system, but it's not, so it needs to be addressed by us. If we take our students' well-being seriously we need to address it."
Amherst College is overhauling its sexual-assault response programs following a campus outcry over the school's policies. In a 5,000-word, first-person account in the school newspaper, a former student said she was raped in 2011 and the Amherst, Mass.-based school discouraged her from reporting.
Until last year, students at the University of North Carolina could take sexual-assault complaints to Honor Court, a student-run conduct committee. The university took that power away as concerns about the campus response to sexual violence mounted, and now it recommends that such cases go to a college- run grievance committee or law-enforcement officials.
"It was surprising to me that the Honor Court ever had jurisdiction over this in the first place," said Kevin Diao, a UNC senior, in an interview in the campus student center. "We're students here, we're not investigators."
Students often don't report sexual assaults to the police because the assailants may be friends or acquaintances, and the victims may not want them arrested, said Linda Fairstein, former head of the sex crimes unit of the Manhattan District Attorney.
The involvement of alcohol or drugs may also delay reporting, which makes evidence and witnesses harder to find, said Fairstein, a senior adviser on sexual misconduct for the K2 Intelligence risk analytics firm in New York, who consults to colleges.
"People tend to think of these as situations in which both parties have consumed alcohol, communication is muddled, and things go a little too far," Lisak said. "It's seen as a kind of 'rape lite.'"
Occidental, a 125-year-old, selective liberal arts college with about 2,100 students, sits on a hillside in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, near Pasadena. Hummingbirds, fountains and oak and eucalyptus trees inhabit the 120-acre campus. The school gained attention after the election of President Barack Obama, who spent his first two years of college there in 1979-1981. It's about an hour from Mee's home, and her sister also attended.
The following account is based on interviews with the female students and Occidental professors and a review of college documents obtained by Bloomberg News.
Mee had been at Occidental College about two weeks in 2009 when she went to a party and became intoxicated. A male student separated her from her friends, led her back to her room and raped her, she said.
The next night, the same student forced his way into her dorm room and assaulted her again, Mee said. At first, she didn't want to report the incidents. Mee said she received little education about sexual assault when she started college and didn't understand what it meant to give consent.
"I told a friend, and he said I was stupid for letting him in my room," she said. "I felt I was somehow at fault."
After she was assaulted, Mee said she continually saw her attacker leering at her in the school cafeteria, called "The Marketplace." Friends told her they heard him talk about his enjoyment of dominating women, she said. She felt like she was always looking over her shoulder.
"Oxy's a small campus, and every party I went to I pretty much left in tears," she said. "I couldn't go out or even go to the place where we eat because I knew I'd see him." She said she thought of leaving the school.
Capranica, the second victim, said she was attacked just before classes began her sophomore year in 2010. She suspected her assailant had given her drinks that might have been spiked.
Mee and Capranica declined to name their attacker. Students are often reluctant to identify assailants publicly because of the risk of legal reprisals from them or their families, said Danielle Dirks, an Occidental sociology professor who helped Occidental students write their Title IX complaint.
College investigations can also be "quite disadvantageous" for accused students, said Fairstein, the former prosecutor. Those students may not be allowed to use lawyers or call witnesses, or have the rights of someone charged in the criminal justice system, she said.
"The accused may well be deprived of what we think of as due process," she said.
Allred declined to name any of the women's alleged assailants. She and her clients are investigating cases against the college, not the assailants, at this time, she said.
"We're not asking the federal government to investigate whether a rape or a sexual assault took place," she said in a telephone interview. "The accused is the college. We're naming the colleges."
When Capranica first talked with school officials about reporting the incident, she said they discouraged her. They said her assailant wouldn't be expelled even if he was found responsible, and she would still see him on campus. They also discouraged her from going to police, Capranica said.
After an Occidental student reports another for assault, both the alleged victim and perpetrator describe the incident in written statements, according to a college handbook. Designated school officials then investigate and interview witnesses.
When the school began investigating Capranica's complaint, the male student admitted to assaulting her, according to Capranica and professors who helped her file her case. He was put on probation and told to write a book report.
Capranica said the investigators didn't talk to witnesses who might have helped establish his predatory behavior. She decided to graduate early, at the end of 2012, because she felt let down by Occidental.
Mee found her investigation even more frustrating.
The male student didn't admit to assaulting her. To resolve such probes, Occidental's Title IX coordinator selects a panel of three trained campus officials for a hearing, who rule by a simple majority vote on whether the alleged perpetrator is responsible. The chairman of the panel recommends a punishment, if needed, and students can appeal the panel's finding.
Between the investigators, administrators and officials at the hearing, Mee said she told her story about 10 times. She left each meeting in tears and had trouble sleeping, she recalled. She took incompletes in two classes, finishing during vacation time. Rather than enjoying the sunbathed campus, she spent much of her time doing homework in the library's basement. She joined a support group and began seeing a therapist, saying she felt depressed.
Mee asked whether her assailant could be moved off campus during the investigation. A school administrator who had spoken with the alleged attacker said he wasn't dangerous enough to be asked to leave, Mee said.
"They acted like they could judge his character just from meeting with him," she said.
After the three-month probe, the man Mee accused was found responsible for her assault and expelled, according to documents. In accordance with school procedures, he filed an appeal.
Then, on Jan. 12, Mee got a message from the Office of Student Conduct, saying the male student would be allowed to return to campus in December, after she graduated. He would also have to write a report on a book about sexual assault, Mee said.
In April, a third female student came to the Occidental Sexual Assault Coalition, a group of students and faculty fighting campus rape, saying she had been assaulted by the same man and that he had been found responsible by the college, said Caroline Heldman, chairman of Occidental's politics department and a faculty member of the group.
"We're talking about a perpetrator with several victims," Heldman said. "It just seems like a no-brainer that if you identified a serial rapist, you would expel him."
After graduating last month, Mee is planning on law school next year, following her mother, who specializes in arbitration and mediation. Mee said she's unlikely to return to Occidental in the months or years to come because the male student will be back on campus.
"I can't come back and visit the college I went to and visit my friends," she said. "And if he comes back, there are other people at risk of being assaulted."


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TORONTO (AP) — Canada's military is investigating the circumstances surrounding a video played during a formal dinner that featured an unidentified member of the Canadian Forces pretending to be Osama bin Laden's brother, the commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force said.
Lieutenant-General Yvan Blondin said in a statement sent to The Associated Press on Thursday that he was recently informed of complaints that the video was inappropriate and culturally insensitive. He said those involved may face administrative, disciplinary or corrective action.
The man playing bin Laden's brother wears brown makeup, a turban, and speaks with a thick accent in a four-minute excerpt of the video obtained by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. A woman playing the role of a news anchor interviews the character, who jokes that his brother always gets all the credit for their work. He refuses to reveal where bin Laden is hiding.
The video was shown at a mess dinner at 14 Wing Greenwood base in Nova Scotia in 2010. At the time, Canada was still involved in a combat mission in Afghanistan, which ended last year. About 950 Canadian soldiers remain in Afghanistan in a training, noncombat role.
Blondin offered an apology to anyone who might have been offended and said the military has "zero tolerance for acts that do not reflect our Canadian values, especially the respect we owe to other cultures and religions."
Defense Minister Peter MacKay said he was awaiting the results of the investigation.
"Religious and cultural tolerance are important and necessary components of any national and professional institution, including the Canadian Forces, and I know the contents of this video do not represent the wider military community and its leadership," said MacKay.
He said that while members of the Canadian forces are heroes, "like all of us, they are not infallible."
The Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations said it is tragic that days before Canada is set to celebrate its military history on Remembrance Day "an ignorant prank threatens to cast a shadow on our heritage."
Ihsaan Gardee, the executive director of the council, said the organization is heartened by Blondin's decision to launch an investigation.
"We have full confidence that a thorough investigation will hold those responsible to account and send a strong signal that xenophobia and Islamophobia will not be tolerated," Gardee said.

subset: commoncrawl


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Today I spoke with Josh Hutcherson, who stars as Peeta in the just-a-bit-anticipated big screen version of "The Hunger Games." The full interview will post the week of the film's March 23 opening, but here's a taste.
"We wanted to give him a little bit more balls," Hutcherson said of his character. "The cave scene where Peeta's admitting his love to Katniss, in the book it can come across a little sappy. We wanted it to come across as, 'I'm gonna die. I need to tell you how I feel.'"
On a scale of 1 to 1 zillion, how excited are you for the movie?
Click here for fan photos from the afternoon's mall event in Aurora and here for the report from the mall.


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Ancient ruins, deadly snakes and lost: Exploring Nicaragua the hard way Part 1
"No, you aren't invited!"
Tbone looked at me with a blank expression…he is a tough guy to read. I explained that it isn't him personally, but I had spent months planning this trip for two people, Guthry and myself, and three was a crowd. We had planned to walk along the coast to San Juan visiting the communities along the way. From there, we would search for the mysterious ruins I had seen a faint picture of once…a giant wall of stacked rocks standing solemnly in the jungle. Three means a slower expedition…harder to find families to stay with…less people giving and more people charging. Food, lodging, this, that, whatever. In my mind, a third person was one too many.
"What if I just meet you in San Juan and we do the jungle part," Tbone asked. "I have to work the week you will be walking along the coast, anyway."
I like Tbone. He doesn't talk too much, is pretty easy to get along with and intelligent. And he is always up for an adventure.
"Alright," I said. "Guthry and I walk from Monkey Point to San Juan and meet you there. Then we see about organizing a trip to find the ruins."
Of course, things don't always happen as they are planned to.
From my last expedition, I found that transport is always the most difficult and frustrating thing to organize. This trip was to be no exception. We planned on getting a ride to Monkey Point, Nicaragua, a community about two-hours boat ride south of our starting point of Bluefields. From there we would walk south to San Juan de Nicaragua, visiting the coastal communities along the way. Once we were in San Juan, we would explore the dense jungles of the Rio Indio and the treasures rumored to be there.
All our contacts for boats heading south ended up being dead ends. "Maybe tomorrow we leave," they said. "Not going until Christmas, but try the next guy," they said. "Decided to spend the holidays here," they said. I was already two days into my early vacation and hate delays…I called Guthry and we agreed to change up our plans.
San Juan de Nicaragua
The next morning I met Guthry at the Bluefields municipal wharf, 5:30am sharp. I carried my bag packed with the essentials, Guthry (pronounced GOO-tree) carried a backpack one third the size of mine packed with two shirts, a pair of shorts, toothbrush and sandals. We boarded a panga to El Rama and promptly hopped a bus to San Carlos. We had decided to go counterclockwise, southern jungle first, walking the coast north to Bluefields as the icing on the cake. From San Carlos we took an early morning fast boat to San Juan, the jumping-off place for our adventure. The journey was a long five hours. When I say we took the fast boat, I mean we didn't take the 12-hour snail that crawls its way down the river for people that have an extra half day to kill. My vacation clock was ticking and we just wanted to get there asap! And we would have, had the very last military checkpoint not discovered a passenger's life savings stuffed into a brown paper sack. $20,000 to pay government workers he told them. It must have been drug money they told him. Phone calls were made, letters were presented, papers were signed and 45 minutes later we were on our way.
We reached San Juan de Nicaragua from Bluefields in two days…pretty lucky considering we took the long way. I quickly realized our luck had run out when we found out we could be waiting a long while sitting on our thumbs trying to arrange transport into the jungle.
Guthry is a Rama indian from the coastal village of Bankukuk. When we arrived in San Juan, he suggested we look for his uncle, known locally as Coyote, who was born and raised in the Rama village of Makengue in the Rio Indio but now lives with his family in town. He wasn't home; they said he had taken a white man up the river two days prior but would be back in a few days. The grandmother graciously allowed us to hang our hammocks in the house while we waited. During that time we organized a ride up the river with a distant uncle of Guthry. Score! We ran out to buy rations for the two of us for four days…rice, sugar, spaghetti, tomatoes, coffee, oil and a few other odds n ends. We met our ride with bags packed, rations in hand and ready to head out, only to find out that we could not buy any gas. The gasolinera was empty and the gas boat wasn't expected until Tuesday, five days away. Damn.
Rain came, rain went, rain came again. We didn't see sun our entire stay in San Juan. We did find some cheap places to eat and befriended the manager of a local hotel who was rather bored without guests. She agreed to cook lunch if we bought the food, so we bought some meat and carried the rations to her place. Her lunch was really good and she gave us some sweet coconuts to wash it down with.
That evening we ran into Guthry's cousin, Fish. We had some drinks with him and listened to some unbelievable stories about the jungle and what he claims is hidden out there. "Deh place wit deh big wall is Canta Gallo," he explained. "Der you hear wan rooster crowin in Good Friday, every year. Nobady know how him get der." The wall he mentioned is what I had seen one fuzzy photo of, once. It looked big and very unnatural and I was on a mission to find it. "Out der, more far dan Canta Gallo, der is wan lake what appear and disappear. Sometimes you cyan't find it!" Fish was about three sips short of finishing his bottle of rum. I wondered if that may play a part in the mysterious lake disappearing. "An more far dan dat is wan waterfall wit a pretty place to swim," he continued. "An right close is a pyramid…like wan house…wat you can go inside. But only de Rama dem can go in." NOW I was really getting intrigued. "An more far dan dat you find wan banana tree what vanish when you go to cut de banana dem." He stared through me to the wall. "POOF!" Fish leaned back in his chair, eyes glazing over as he took another swig from his bottle. "Gone man. I seen it happen." Guthry looked at me with a satisfied grin on his face. He told me there was some strange stuff in that jungle – he had heard stories about that his whole life and was now there to see it with his own eyes. There was an unmistakable spark of anticipation smoldering. We weren't going to feel like our trip had started until we were headed up that river. But we still didn't know when that would be.
Day three in San Juan rolled around with the prospect of four more on the horizon. It was Friday. My phone rang. Tbone. "Hey man, you guys still in San Juan? Did you make it up the river yet?"
"No," I replied. "Haven't been able to get out of San Juan. There is no gas in town and the gas boat won't get here until Tuesday they say."
"Oh, that sucks," Tbone said. "Actually, I have some good news. I am down here at the wharf in Bluefields and they say the gas boat is leaving tonight and will arrive tomorrow morning."
"What?! Are you serious?" I felt that spark growing. "Hey thanks for the info man!"
"Yeah, no problem. And they say they take passengers." I knew what Tbone was asking.
"Of course you should come down!" I yelled through the phone. "Forget all that, 'you aren't invited' talk I said last week! You won't believe the stuff they say is out there in the jungle! Oh, and bring more money, I didn't budget enough."
"Sure man," Tbone said. "Well I will pack my things and see you tomorrow morning then."
It was great news and I was so happy to be seeing another familiar face after being stuck in San Juan bored off my ass. Guthry was happy as well; I am sure he was tired of seeing my mug every waking moment. We made afternoon plans to get our trip ready. Guthry talked to Fish who found a boat and agreed to drive us. I went back to the lonely hotel manager's place to get our remaining three days' of rations.
She came to the window and looked worried. I explained that we found a ride and are leaving tomorrow morning. She was not expecting to see me. She sheepishly explained that rats got into the rice, her friend used the sugar, the oil spilled and the coffee was bad. Sorry, all gone!
"Whaaat? You have got to be joking," I said in Spanish. "ALL the food we left here is gone?" She left the window, shuffled around for a bit inside and cracked the door open. She stuck out her skinny arm clutching a plastic bag with about a half pound of sugar.
"THAT'S IT?" I exclaimed. "The oil hadn't even been opened! How did you spill a half gallon out of an unopened plastic bottle!? That was about $30 worth of food!" I grabbed the bag and the door quickly shut with the sound of bolts being latched behind it. I stood there, knowing I should have known better than to leave all that food anticipating lunch tomorrow. I then walked to the store, kicking myself all the way.
Up the Rio Indio
I was laying in the hammock with one eye open when the phone rang the next morning. Tbone! I made my way down to the gas station and found him in good spirits despite having just finished a 12-hour vomit-inducing roller coaster ride of a trip along the same coast we would soon be walking up. "I didn't get any sleep," he said. "Think I could put up my hammock for a few hours?"
Tbone strung his hammock up at the house to get 40 winks but barely got one when we returned and told him we had a ride, bought the gas and were ready to head up the river. We even found a fourth person to share the adventure with: Tom from England.
Tom had made his way down to San Juan by boat the day before and wasn't aware of anything worth seeing in San Juan; he was just thinking to get a ride to Bluefields if possible. Luckily we ran into each other and I was able to convince him to come along for the ride.
The four of us met Fish and loaded our things into the river canoe. The rain was relentless and the wind didn't help. In fact, the wind and rain were so bad the gas station was reluctant to sell us fuel, but with the four of us blocking what breeze we could, we were able to buy twenty gallons.
Finally, in the boat heading up the river, we felt like our adventure was officially underway. It was a chilly ride with the dismal weather, but more than that I remember the amazing scenery on the way to Makengue. The Rio Indio follows the coast for a few miles then turns due west and into the bush, twisting and turning, getting narrower and allowing the tree canopies to touch, arching over the waterway. Monkeys everywhere. Howlers growling, spider and whiteface (capuchin) monkeys chirping and calling.
We passed several pole and board houses raised high along the river's edge. Most didn't have walls and all had palm leaf roofs. We also passed an occasional canoe paddled by a long-haired shirtless Rama indian. Fish always shouted something incomprehensible and smiled and waved. I kept thinking how this place seemed straight out of a National Geographic magazine.
It was a two-hour journey before the boat pulled up to a small dock on a steep hillside. A group of kids ran down to greet us and help us with our bags. As we made our way up the slope from the dock, an older man greeted us. "Heloo Frieynds an Welcume! Welcume to Maken- Guthry!" It was Guthry's uncle, Coyote. A family reunion set on a muddy riverbank deep in the jungle of Nicaragua…as touching as any airport or bus station could be.
We made our way inside a house perched just up and back from the riverbank. The house was not big and quite simple. It was a one-room, "studio" style layout with wooden poles for support, split bamboo for walls, leaf roof and dirt floor. In one corner was an open-fire stove. The surrounding upper walls and ceiling were black from soot. Just back of that was a shelf hanging out of a window that served as the sink. Buckets of well water sat nearby, ready to be used for washing or drinking. On the far wall were two platforms made from chainsaw-cut planks. On top were thin sheets and a few blankets and pillows. This is where half of the family slept. Coyote introduced himself while his wife made us some coffee.
Coyote is an interesting guy. He is one of the few Rama indians who speak "the old language", the original tongue spoken before the spread of Rama Creole English. Coyote was a captain for the Contra rebels in the civil war and knows every creek and footpath south of Bluefields. He has been shot, snakebit, lost and has now found God and is working to preserve the Rama culture and way of life. Shortly after introductions, a husky fellow from the southern USA popped in and gave us a hearty hello. He was a missionary who has been working with the people in the river off and on for several years and was now building a church on the top of the hill behind Coyote's house.
Fish and the missionary led us up to the frame of the church, which lacked walls but had a raised floor and roof. We tied up our hammocks and took in the amazing view of the river and canopy from our station. They cooked us lunch back down at the house and we spent the rest of the day chatting with the family and the missionary.
Coyote and the missionary had a lot in common. They were about the same age, probably in their late 50s. They had both had a military career. The missionary loved to bowhunt, Coyote still makes his own bows and arrows. They had met years back and found they shared a love for the gospel, and the missionary now visits regularly to work on small development projects.
Now, far be it for me to rain on someone's parade, but I was a bit skeptical about how much good the missionary was actually doing. I work for a sustainable development NGO in Bluefields and I have seen mistakes left by missionaries on their goodwill visits to small communities. It started with the Moravians two hundred years ago when they made the indians learn English so they could be preached to, made them wear clothes, cook with oil, introduced sugar and so on. In the last 30 years the idea of the "sustainable" missionary has become popular…bringing generators and fancy boats and other short-term solutions that don't last after the fuel runs out or the maintenance becomes too expensive. I haven't seen any lasting impact from any church mission except for cement churches.
I mentioned this to the missionary, who assured me that he was here to stay and would not be making the same mistakes as the ones before him. His confidence was reassuring, but I had my doubts.
Tbone is a rural water and sanitation expert and works for the same NGO as me. He saw the missionary's new pit latrine at the top of the hill and mentioned privately to me that it will probably contaminate their well water at the bottom of the hill in just a few years. The missionary proudly showed us his double filtration water system he had designed for a gravity-fed water distribution system. The filters were name-brand Pur filter cartridges. These filters are good for about 100 gallons each and, at the rate that two families were using water, would probably need to be replaced monthly. Even with a good supply of replacements, once it's done it's done. The missionary claimed that Coyote was the community leader and that his church would also serve as the casa comunal or community house. I later found out that Alicia McCrea is the community leader and they are in the process of building the Makengue casa comunal a little further up the river. The missionary didn't seem to know much about the Rama community beyond the family of his good friend, Coyote.
But he was persistent and not to be deterred. I found out that he wasn't the only one…there are two more missionaries from different church groups working in the Rio Indio. One had married an indian guy and just had a baby. The other was planning to marry a fifteen-year old girl.
That night as we were getting ready to crawl into our hammocks, the missionary said he had a surprise for us. He cranked up a generator, turned on a television and put on Saving Private Ryan. He looked up at me and chortled, saying something like, "How ya like that!? TV in the middle of the jungle!"
Wow. Not at all what I was expecting.
"I brought down a bunch of movies," the missionary said. "Apocalypse Now, Saving Private Ryan, that kind of stuff. I even turned Coyote on to Rambo!"
God help the Rama people.
Onward to Canta Gallo
The next morning started well before daybreak. The cool breeze filtered through the skin-thin fabric of my hammock – not what you expect in a tropical jungle – and kept me awake from about 3am on. When dawn came, we made our way down the hill to the kitchen/bedroom/dining area of Coyote's house and had breakfast. Nothing like a big bowl of rice, beans, a boiled egg and fried bread knocked back with tooth-shattering sweet coffee to start a day's hike through the jungle. We traded anecdotes about living on the coast with the missionary and Coyote and Fish while scarfing our breakfast down, then we jumped into the boat, excited for what was to come.
Canta Gallo is a storied place handed down through generations of Rama indians as a sacred meeting point. In the ancient times, this is where they would go to discuss community issues. This is where they ran when being attacked by the Spaniards in the 1500s, the Miskito in the 1700s, the British in the 1800s and the Sandinistas in the 1980s. They claim it was built by the ancients before time, the ones before the Rama. It is called Ushru Acray in the Rama language, Rooster's Crow in English. I had seen a faint, blurry photo of it ages ago in the museum in Bluefields and had made it my mission to see it for myself. I had all of this running through my mind as the five of us got into the boat.
And then, four more people got into the boat. Then two more. Then three more. Our original group of three internationals and two Ramas added another nine Ramas who wanted to come with us. It meant we would burn more gas, but I could hardly say no, nor did I want to. The more the merrier, especially since Coyote designated himself as trip leader and would be showing us the way. The sun was out and the rain had passed. We departed to the sound of howler monkeys informing the rest of the jungle where we were going.
Today was the day, not just for us, but for the jungle animals. It was the first day of warm sun in a week and they were all out to enjoy it. Besides the plethora of monkeys, there were scores of iguanas sunning themselves high in the trees over the river. On occasion one would get spooked and bellyflop into the river below. It's a long way down and a 15lb iguana makes an impressive splash.
It wasn't long before we pulled up to a completely unmarked area of the river bank and tied up to a tree root. The group got out and climbed the bank, old guy with the machete first, then the younger guys, Coyote, then us, then our driver, Fish. Coyote then moved up to the front and lead the way, telling stories of tragedy to those who had disrespected the forest, rattling off natural medicine cures for all kinds of afflictions and describing the other uses the vines, trees and plants have.
The story he like to tell the most was the one about the Sandinista military outpost that they had tried to build near the river. They had moved the Ramas living in the area to another location a few miles downriver. He showed us trees they had cut down to build a helicopter landing area. They didn't get very far before the spirits of the jungle made them crazy and they turned on one another, shooting each other in a raging gunbattle that marked the end of that operation. 15 soldiers dead. He showed us bullet holes still visible in the decaying tree stumps. A few years later the military had decided to use the same area for a jungle-survival training course. A soldier was attempting to pull himself across the river by a low-hanging rope when something grabbed him and drug him under, never to be seen again. (he obviously did not pass). Coyote says the spirits of the jungle do not like the Spaniards (spanish-speaking mestizos, mostly from the Pacific side) and especially do not like the military.Then he told us about the skeptical general who decided to prove all his superstitious comrades wrong by camping out in the area for a few days (I'll save that little gem for you adventurous readers who might actually visit and meet the Rama people in the bush).
Nothing makes you feel as small and insignificant as mother nature. You feel it in the bottom of the Grand Canyon. You feel it after days at sea. And I felt it again walking through that jungle.
We scrambled up hills, sloshed through mud puddles, tromped through swamp and cut through bush following a tattered trail that appeared and disappeared. I was thankful we had guides who knew where we were going. And, eventually, when it seemed Coyote's stories had run out and all his bush lore had been told, we entered a small clearing. And at the back was…a stage made from stone.
"DIS is where the ancient people dem would come," he said as he brushed away leaves and chopped out overgrowing vines.
I was impressed. I was not expecting to see a clear set of steps in the middle of the forest. We were all impressed. It wasn't majestic, but held it's own magic. It had significance. This wasn't a left over relic from a forgotten people, this was still a part of the culture of the people who had led us there, the Ramas I work with, my friends from Rama Cay and Bankukuk. I was reminded of my short visit to the old city of Jerusalem where I had seen dozens of people paying homage to the place where prophets walked. This was no different for the Rama people. The biggest difference is that hardly anybody knows about this place.
Coyote was very proud and encouraged us to take lots of photos. We took plenty, and I asked him what else the jungle had to offer.
"Come, make I show you," Coyote replied.
I was quite awestruck.
There are other things in the immediate vicinity that we were taken to. More walls, some taller, some split in two, a waterfall. Coyote told us about periboys and meermaids that inhabit the jungle, supernatural equivalents to mischievous gnomes and deadly sirens. He and Fish claim to have seen them both and have scars to prove it. There are more stories, more superstitions and much, much more places hidden in the jungle. I had heard about some of them. When I asked fish about them, he acted like he didn't know what I was talking about. Later, Guthry explained to me that Coyote had told him about the same places I had asked Fish about, but that nobody but Ramas are allowed to go there.
There are many more secrets in that jungle that will be left secret, just as the spirits had intended.
We returned to the village and had a late lunch: rice, beans, river shrimp, fried bread and coffee. We had originally wanted to go further up the river and explore more since we had time, but Christmas was looming and the villagers wanted to spend it with their families in San Juan. Add to that the fact we were low on gas for the return trip plus there was a boat scheduled to leave the next morning which Tom could jump on, we decided to return at the end of our second day. Fish was okay with that and we took on some passengers and cargo, kids and bananas that had to be in San Juan asap.
It was a cold ride back…the weather turned on us just as it got dark. The rain returned and the wind picked up. Once we arrived in San Juan, we helped Fish carry the bananas back to Coyote's house and hung up our hammocks.
The next day we set out walking the beach north to Monkey Point. I wasn't sure what we would be in for during the 60-mile trek, but if I had known, I would not have even considered it.


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Cat Calls
iOS Universal Entertainment
The Kitties at Kitty Code have created Cat Calls just for you! This über cute app gives you the sound of twelve different kitties ranging from cute and adorable kittens to angry cats ready to attack. Cats and dogs alike give the best reactions when presented with the sounds of kitties in Cat Calls. Loads of laughter from friends and family. This app is very simply a collection of the cutest cat sounds available, which works flawlessly. If you would like to suggest features to be added to Cat Calls, please let us know!
* Cat Calls will use the last sound source which was set on the device. If you used AirPlay, Cat Calls will play sounds over AirPlay.
* With this update, Cat Calls will play sounds even when device is switched to silent mode.
New in v1.1:
Kitties can now be heard when shaking the device giving you a random assortment of mewing fun.
Game: Cat Roulette
- Group stands in a circle, passes around iPhone with Cat Calls.
- Each person shakes iPhone/iPod Touch to get a new random sound.
- You are out if you get the "scary cat" sound!
- Optional: Choose another sound to be the trigger!
This game was played by FullSail students. Have a game? Post it to YouTube and send us a link!
Let us know how you're using Cat Calls, send your stories to email@example.com, or follow us on twitter @kittycode
Kat. žádá roztomilý kočičí zvuky
Cat opfordrer cute cat lyde
Cat vraagt, cute cat geluiden
Cat nõuab armas kass helid
kawaii neko
Cat Calls, søt katt lyder
Solicita Cat, cute cat sons
Cat solicită, cat de dragut sunete
Cat звонки, мило кошки звуков
Cat Samtal, söt katt ljud
Pide gato, suena lindo gato
고양이 외침, 귀여운 고양이 소리
Other Kitty Code Apps:
* Traveler's Quest
* Hurricane
Find more information on these great apps and updates through Facebook:
What's New
Thank you for entertaining yourself, friends, children and pets with Cat Calls for over 4 years!
- Added Facebook and Twitter sharing - Telling your friends about Cat Calls is even easier to do now!
- Previous update: Now natively supports Retina display on all devices, as well as native iPad support for clean beautiful kitties!
Love Cat Calls? Don't forget to leave a review in the App Store!
Have fun!


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One advantage of the majority of libraries is that you can access the records, books and films easily. There are usually no restrictions except that certain books and items stay in the library so you do have to visit.
The Ottawa Public Library has the Ottawa Room on the 3rd floor of the library and 180 degree turn from the elevators. This means it is hidden in the wall and you might not see it till you get near the Reference desks.
The collection is heavily geared toward Ottawa and covers government records, history, families histories, maps and books by Ottawa poets. The Genealogy Collection is described here at this link and does extend to the surrounding counties including Glengarry:
https://biblioottawalibrary.ca/en Then go to services and you will find genealogy there. They also have the Ottawa Room.
Comment: A libraries website can be hard to get around on, so be patient and search for the genealogy section, special collections and maybe it is under history. Keep at it till you find what you need. Also check out the links section that can be very useful.
The main library is located at 120 Metcalfe in Ottawa. The hours are 10-9 Monday-Tuesday 10-9, Weds-Friday 10-5 and Saturday is 10-12, 2-5. So watch out they do close up on Saturday from 12 to 2 pm. Closed Sunday.
Another reason to check out the local library is you might be able to access it on the weekend while other archives are closed. Always check the websites or call to verify.
I walked to the library down Rideau St. going west past the business like the Rideau Bakery which I never made it to but they doing a brisk business, LCBO, Loblaws (groceries), Metro (groceries), Hudson's Bay and various pubs and restaurants like the Highlander and an interesting used bookstore. Yes, I did some sight-seeing along the way.
Fortunately the big marathon that was scheduled for this weekend did not close up the streets I needed to access and Wellington was free as was the downtown area. I did find a website devoted to this marathon with route maps. Later in the day there were people with the numbers on their persons walking around. The whole weekend was devoted to this marathon. So this was the reason I had trouble finding a room in Ottawa and why I was on the 2nd floor.
Make a note: Check for major charity walks and sports events before going on a trip. Try the city website for these events, not just restaurants and archive hours.
I turned down Metcalfe and walked a couple of blocks and finally spied a building that looked very much like a library and sure enough it was the Ottawa Library.
I entered the library and it was vaguely familiar, reminded me of the temporary location of the Seattle Public when they were building the new library. I take my time when I first enter a library to get oriented as to where things are and then I headed up to the 3rd floor and was not finding the Ottawa Room. The reason is that it is a room off the main area tucked into the side of the building or at least it looks like it. When I walked to the Reference Desk I spotted my destination.
The librarian who cares for the Ottawa Room is very nice, friendly and helpful. I left another McDonald booklet. When I hand over my booklet I do give an explanation. I assume they will forget but at least it gives a link to this blog.
They had a copy of the Dictionary of Glengarry Biography by Royce MacGillivray so I took some time to look through it. It is sponsored by the Glengarry Historical Society in Dunvegan. It is not a cheap book but I have a signed copy by the author. http://www.glengarrypioneermuseum.ca/gpm/ I will share my visit to this archive later in the posts. http://www.glengarryhistoricalsociety.com/GHS/Publications.html They are running out of copies and I believe I have one of four left? By the way it is big and heavy.
This is a PDF of the table of contents: http://glengarryhistoricalsociety.com/GHS/Publications_files/DGB%20prelims2.pdf
I am afraid that I only scratched the surface of the holdings at the Ottawa Room. My focus was on Glengarry County, Ontario. Here is a summary of the items I studied:
1. Surrogate Court Index of Ontario, Canada 1859-1900 Volume 7, Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry Counties.
2. They also had the Upper Canada Land Records Volumes 1, 2, 3 and 4 and maybe more.
3. They had the Canadian Catholic Church Directory 2011. A nice reference to be aware of it you have Roman Catholic ancestors.
4. The Bytown Packet and the Ottawa Citizen (Newspaper Abstracts) 1846-1879, Three Volumes – Birth, Marriage and Death Notices. I firmly believe that our ancestors moved around a lot so keep and open mind and check the biggest city close by for information.
5. Father John's Diary if Deaths 1819-1866 and the 1839 Census. I had seen a version of this but decided to revisit it.
6. The Diary of Deaths of Rev. John MacDonald (R.C.) 1838 to 1866 and more. I have seen this but it is good to see that they also have a copy.
7. French-Canadian Sources – A Guide for Genealogists, was recommended by a Althea Douglas MA. CG(C) a respected genealogist of Canada. She has written several books on how to research in various areas of Canada. "Finding Your Ancestors in English Quebec," Heritage Productsions Book HC02.
8. The card catalog in the Ottawa Room, Vital Records Index, Ottawa Journal (Dec 21, 1885 to Jan 10, 1922) Marriages: M-Me. Was not going back far enough but worth noting that they have this resource.
9. Petitions, Land Grants & Land Petitions for the Counties of Glengarry and Stormont. I had seen this source before.
10. St. Alexander Parish – Lochiel Book 1: 1863-1901, Book 2 1901-1932. Don't forget to check the front part of the book for clues and history and information provided by the author. Duncan Darby MacDonald died a while back but his books and research are still a source.
11. Soldiers of the King, The Upper Canadian Militia 1812-1815. This was recommended to me.
12. An Index of Land Claim Certificates of Upper Canada Militiamen who served in the War of 1812-1814.
13. Loyalist Lineages of Canada 1783-1983. I believe this is in several volumes.
14. St. Raphael's The First 50 years 1804-1854.
15. Comte De Stormont – Marriages. I know they have more of these compilations.
So you can see that they do have a nice collection of a variety of references. You can consult the catalog online. I did a study of Alex Frazer and Darby Duncan MacDonald titles and compared it to the library in Cornwall, Ontario. If you are familiar with these two individuals work on church records and cemeteries in the Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry, Prescott and other areas then you will be happy to know that the Ottawa Library has a nice collection of their works.
If they close up the Ottawa Room while you are there, grab some titles off the shelf to look at. The librarian will make a list of what you have removed. There are tables outside the room and more books to look at in that area as well. There are smaller bookcases filled with more references as well as tall stacks to search out. surrounding the tables in the center. If you need something from the Ottawa Room, inquire at the Reference desk which is on the other side of the large pillar you see in the picture.


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Spring Revival Dublin Mills Community Church, 2700 Dublin Mills Road, Hustontown, will hold spring revival meetings with Bro. Bill Wollett. The meetings will begin at 10 a.m. on Sunday, March 17, and be held each evening at 7 p.m. through Sunday, March 24, at 7 p.m. The meetings will include a variety of special music, inspirational worship, fellowship and the challenging word. Visitors are invited to attend. Please call 814-685-3910 for more information.
Lenten Services Lenten services will be held through March 24 at 7 p.m. each evening. The schedule is as follows: March 10 – Church of the Nazarene with Rev. Bard; March 17 – Rehoboth New Life with Rev. Hamilton; March 24 – Fort Littleton Bible Church with Rev. Strait.
Special Services Starting February 20, Warfordsburg Presbyterian Church will hold "24 Hours That Changed The World" every Wednesday. Join in as steps are retraced of Jesus on his final day in this powerful several weeks of study. Weekly program schedule is "The Last Supper," "The Garden of Gethsamane," "Condemned by the Righteous," "Jesus, Barabbas and Pilate," The Torture and Humiliation of the King," "The Crucifixion," and "Christ The Victor." Starts promptly at 6:30 p.m. with a free fellowship meal followed by an hour study from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. More information may be obtained by calling 717-294-3028.
Easter Egg Hunt McConnellsburg Lions Club will host its annual Easter egg hunt for youths 12 and under at the Lions Community Park Saturday, March 30 at 10 a.m. There will be different age groups with prizes for each group.
Open Stage Hustontown Area Volunteer Fire Co. will sponsor an open stage Saturday, March 23, beginning at 6 p.m. Kitchen ill open at 5 p.m. Admission is free.
Garden Club Trip North End Garden Club will attend the Hagerstown Garden Show Saturday, March 16. Members and their guests wanting to carpool should meet at the Giant parking lot by 9 a.m. More information may be obtained by calling 717-485-5736.
Senior Center Activities McConnellsburg Senior Center activities for March are as follows: nickel bingo, 9:30 a.m. – March 1, 4, 6, 8, 11, 13, 15, 18, 20, 25 and 27; Easter eggs, 8 a.m. – March 7, 12, 14, 19, 21, 26 and 28; Newburg trip, 7 a.m. – March 6; couch potato exercises/blood pressure and health lecture, 11 a.m. – March 7; 14 and 28; movie day, 12:30 a.m. – March 8 and 20; Woodland (St. Patrick Day), 11 a.m. – March 11; Greencastle trip, 10 a.m. – March 12; nutrition class for seniors/ craft class, 10 a.m. – March 19 and 21; Chambersburg trip, 9 a.m. – March 22; craft day, 11 a.m. – March 25; cataract screening, 11 a.m. – March 26; center closed – March 29.
Senior Center Activities March activities at Warfordsburg Senior Center are as follows: March 1 - club meeting and game night, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.; March 4 - last game Wii league bowling; March 8 - Wii dance and learning to dance; March 9 - open mic night from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; March 11 - "Qi Gong" program; March 12 - Wii bowlers lunch at Roadkill Cafe; March 15 - singles mingle from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.; March 18 - sign-up for next Wii tournament; March 19 - celebrate spring with food, friends, games and live music; March 20 - birthday party; March 21 - photo workshop from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.; March 22 - trip to the Maple Festival in Myersdale (prepay); March 25 - Wii teams picked; March 26 - Easter egg hunt; March 27 - Easter dinner; March 29 - center closed. Every Monday is lowimpact exercises; every Tuesday exercise with Patti and quilting bee; every Tuesday evening from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Move with Vivian; and every Wednesday and Thursday - Move with Vivian. For more information call 294-6020.
Mic Night Mic Night will be held at Warfordsburg Senior Center March 9, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., weather permitting. Kitchen opens at 4 p.m. Food and drink will be available. Donation is $1. Everyone is welcome. For more information, call 717-294-6020.
FR Elementary Basketball Tournament Forbes Road will host the annual Great Cove elementary boys basketball tournament March 9, 15 and 16. Games will be played in the high school gym. Games on March 9 start on the hour from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 15 brings three games starting from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The tournament concludes on March 16, with games beginning at 9 a.m. and final-round games at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. The tournament includes teams from Central Fulton, Everett, Forbes Road, Hyndman, Mount Union, Southern Fulton, Southern Huntingdon and Tussey Mountain.
Senior Center Social Night On March 22, at 6 p.m., weather permitting, Warfordsburg Senior Center's first social night of the year will be a sock hop. Seniors 60 and over are welcome to attend and enjoy the evening of food, dancing or just listening to the music furnished by Barb and Forrest, the DJs for the evening. Bring a covered dish and meat is furnished. For more information, call 717-294-6020.
Easter Egg Hunt Forbes Road Lions Club Easter egg hunt will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, March 30, weather conditions permitting. In case of inclement weather or muddy grounds, the event will take place in Forbes Road High School gym. Eggs, candy and special prizes for toddlers thru 12 years old. Raffle tickets are now on sale to support the egg hunt and other Lions Club projects.
Auction/Dance Ashlyn's Angels will hold a benefit auction/ dance March 23, 2013, at McConnellsburg American Legion. Doors open at 3 p.m. and auction starts at 5 p.m. Admission tickets are $5 each and on sale now. Anyone wishing to purchase or help sell tickets or make a donation to be auctioned off, please contact Nancy Bivens at 717-799-7343 or Patti Mills at 717-294-3676. Proceeds benefit Jeff Evertts, who is battling lung cancer.
Mic And Jam Night McConnellsburg Alumni & Friends Association will sponsor a Mic and Jam Night in the alumni community gym Saturday, March 16, 2013, starting at 5 p.m. Kitchen will open at 4 p.m. and the museums will be open. All ages are invited to come and listen, dance, eat and enjoy a night out. Anyone wishing to perform on March 16, 2013, please contact John Hendershot at 328-2899.
Little League Registration Reminder Time is running out for the Farm League registration (7- and 8-year-olds) and for Little League registration (9-, 10-, 11- and 12-year-olds). Forms can be obtained from Greg Strait or Loy Garber.
Do You Need Emergency Food Assistance The Fulton County Food Basket is a non-profit human service agency providing food on an emergency basis to those in need in Fulton County. As the lead agency for emergency food assistance, the mission is to provide high quality and nutritious food to those who are in need within Fulton County. The Food Basket is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is located in the basement of the McConnellsburg Senior Center on Woodside Drive. For information on how to receive an application and to qualify for emergency assistance, please contact 717-485-5688.
Community Garden Each spring Fulton County Food Basket sponsors the Community Gardening Program providing garden plots, seeds, fertilizer and plants with the assistance of other local business and organizations to those who are interested in growing their own produce and may not have the means to obtain the necessary materials needed to do so. Participants learn how to grow their own fresh produce. For more information and to sign up for the garden program, please contact the Fulton County Food Basket at 717-485- 5688.
FR Registration Forbes Road Elementary will hold its annual Red Bird and kindergarten registration April 2, 3 and 4. Students must be 4 years old on or before the first day of school in order to register for Red Birds. Students must be five years old before September 1 in order to register for kindergarten. Parents should call the elementary office at 814- 685-3865 in order to schedule an appointment for registration.
Easter Food Drive Boy Scout Troop 45 of Needmore is holding an Easter food drive for the local Food Basket. Watch for door hangers. The Scouts will be going door-to-door for collection of food on March 16. Anyone needing food picked up call Scoutmaster Jim Fuller at 485-3734.
Hunter-Trapper Education Course Fulton County Hunter- Trapper Education course will be offered Saturday, March 30, from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Fulton County Pistol and Rifle Club. Preregistration is required at PGC Web site at www.pgc.state.pa.us. Click on education/hunter education class schedule. Class is limited to 55 students. Bring a bag lunch Saturday. This is the first of three traditional courses for Fulton County. This is a new format, 6-hour training. For general information only contact John K. Johnston at 717-485- 5390.
Book Sale Fulton County Medical Center Auxiliary will sponsor a book sale in the main lobby at the Medical Center Wednesday, March 13, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
PIAA Softball Umpires Clinic
A PIAA softball umpires clinic will be held Sunday, March 17, at 10 a.m., at Bedford Middle School. This clinic is open to all current and potential softball umpires. Registration is from 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Clinic starts at 10 a.m. To register call Audrey Hall at 717-377- 3707. Checks should be made payable to Bedford County Soft- ball Officials. Cost is $20. Mail check and registration to Audrey Hall, 114 South Third Street, McConnellsburg.
CF Registration Central Fulton School District will hold registration for the 2013-2014 school year Thursday, Friday, Monday and Tuesday, March 21, 22, 25 and 26. Children who will be age 4 on or before August 19 are eligible for the 4K program, and children who will be age 5 on or before August 19, 2013, are eligible for the 5K (kindergarten) program. Please note that students who are currently enrolled in the 4K program do not need to re-register for 5K. Please contact Stacy Morton at 485-7072 to schedule an appointment.
Workshop on Planting Seeds A workshop on planting seeds will be held Saturday, March 9, fom 9 a.m. to 1 a.m., at the first floor of McConnellsburg Firehall. Cost is $10 per person. To reserve a seat call 485-4111. Program presented by Fulton County Master Gardeners.
Cardiologist To Speak Forbes Road Lions Club will host cardiologist Dr. Jeff Mandak of Fulton County Medical Center Cardiovascular Services. Dr. Mandak will speak on "Heart Disease: Are You At Risk" at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19, at Hustontown Firehall. All are invited to attend.
McConnellsburg AA Meetings The McConnellsburg Chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous will meet on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. every week at the Alumni Building Basement, McConnellsburg.
Free Blood Pressure Screenings Free blood pressure screenings will be given at the following locations: McConnellsburg Senior Center the first Thursday of every month from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Hann's Apartments the second Monday of every month from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; Warfordsburg Senior Center the third Wednesday of every month from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; and Hustontown Senior Center the third Thursday of every month from 11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
Smoking Cessation Classes Smoking cessation classes will be held, beginning March 13, from noon to 1:30 p.m., at Fulton County Medical Center CRD workroom, second floor. Call 717-485-3155, Ext. 6231, for more information.
Nutrition Awareness Program A community-based nutrition education program in collaboration with Penn State which provides nutrition education through monthly and individual classes is offered to help those interested in nutrition and safe food practices. In addition to food nutrition and food safety, budgeting, label reading, shopping tours, recipes, stretching of the food dollar, crafts and planting are addressed. Please call 717-485-5688 for times and locations in Fulton County.
Health Fair A health fair, "Eat Right Your Way Every Day," will be held March 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Fulton County Medical Center's main lobby. More information may be obtained by calling 485-6115.
Alzheimer's Support Group Alzheimer's support group will meet April 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Fulton County Medical Center's Pearl Room. Call 717-485-6115 for more information.
Drug Take Back Drug Take Back will be held April 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Turn in unused expired medication for safe disposal at Fulton County Medical Center's main lobby. Call 717-485-6115 for more information.
Health Fair A health fair summer kickoff will be held June 3, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Fulton County Medical Center campus. For more information call 485-6115.
AA Meetings AA meetings will be held every Monday beginning April 1 at 11 a.m., at Fulton County Medical Center, Second Floor, Pearl Room. More information may be obtained by calling 485-6115.
Zumba Fitness Reaching Wellness Zumba fitness class will be held for all ages every Friday at 6 p.m., at McConnellsburg Alumni & Friends building. More information may be obtained by calling 717-253-7599 or at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Free Pasta Dinner A free pasta dinner will be served March 12 at Asbury United Methodist Church, 7404 Lincoln Highway, Harrisonville, from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Everyone is welcome.
Pancake Supper Bedford Chapel Church on Rt. 643, 4570 Flickerville Road, Warfordsburg, will hold an all-you-can-eat pancake supper Saturday, March 23, from 4:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. Menu includes pancakes, buckwheat cakes, sausage, sausage gravy, puddin meat, scrambled eggs, coffee, and juice. Everyone welcome.
Pancake Supper A pancake supper will be held at Needmore Bible Church Saturday, March 9, from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. The menu will be pancakes: buttermilk, buckwheat, blueberry and chocolate chip; scrambled eggs, sausage gravy, biscuits, sausage, ponhus, potatoes, dessert and drinks. More information may be obtained by calling 717-552-6246.
Pie Sale A pie sale will be held March 23 by Asbury United Methodist women at Asbury United Methodist Church, 7404 Lincoln Highway, Harrisonville. Pie choices are apple, cherry, peach, shoofly and pecan. Nine-inch fruit and shoofly pies are $9 each. Eight-inch pecan is $9. Orders must be received by March 16. To order call 717-485-3886, 717-987-3289 or 717-485-3263 or e-mail email@example.com or email@example.com. Pickup for pies is Saturday, March 23, from 9 a.m. to noon at the church.
Potpie Supper Fulton County Community Christian School will hold a potpie supper March 16 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Menu will be ham and/or chicken potpie, green beans, cole slaw, desserts and beverages. Donations accepted. More information may be obtained by calling 717-573-4400.
Pie Sale St. Stephen Family Life committee is sponsoring an apple and cherry pie sale Saturday, March 16. Pies can be picked up after 9 a.m. The price of the pies are plain tops $9 and crumb tops $10. To place an order call 485-5917.
Buck Valley Park Meeting Buck Valley Park reorganization meeting will be held March 12, at 7 p.m., at the township municipal building.
Teen Advisory Board Meeting Fulton County Library Teen Advisory Board will meet Friday, March 22, beginning at 5 p.m., in the library's community room for the monthly meeting, which will include plans for the upcoming Earth Day festival. All teens are welcome to attend.
Garden Club Meeting North End Garden Club will hold its first meeting for 2013 on Tuesday, March 26, at Normalee Anderson's home, 3621 Black Bear Road, Needmore at 11 a.m. The agenda will include a review of the 2013 program, activity sign up and a presentation on seed planting. New members are welcome. More information may be obtained by callng 717-485-5736.
Sportsmen's League Meeting Fulton County Sportsmen's League will meet at 7:30 p.m. in the stone house at the trout nursery March 15. Details for the annual trout stocking and fundraiser on the first day of the trout season will be discussed.
Farm Women Meeting Fulton County Society of Farm Women will meet at the home of Betty Daniels March 14 at 7 p.m. Program will be soap making.
Singles Meeting Knobsville Singles will meet Monday, March 11, at 9 a.m., at K's Places. New members are welcome.


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NEW YORK (AP) — Caroline Kennedy says her daughters were "horrified" listening to taped interviews of grandmother Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' old-fashioned views on the role of women.
In the 1964 interviews with Arthur Schlesinger Jr., the young widow described her marriage as "a rather terribly Victorian or Asiatic relationship" and said she got all her opinions from her husband,President John F. Kennedy.
Caroline Kennedy said Wednesday on ABC's "Good Morning America" that her two daughters were "absolutely horrified" when they listened to that portion of the tapes.
She said they asked: "Did she really think...


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Dolce Vita Experience
Treat yourself to the luxury of total immersion in Italian Style. A journey that will lead you through the most distinctive parts of the Bel Paese: design, fashion, Bel Canto and wine and gastronomy, for which Italy is the cradle and an ambassador in the world. Experiencing a day in the Dolce Vita is no longer a dream but a reality.
3 hours Guided Tour to selected Design stores and boutique and, at the end, lunch and a tasting of local products - € 190,00 per person
Vintage Experience
A Journey into the past to discover the places and objects that have remained intact over time because they are unique and inimitable. A unique opportunity to take home a piece of the history of Italian style, all accompanied by a tasting of the local flavours
3 hours Guided Tour to antique and vintage shops and, at the end, an organized tasting of local products) - € 190,00 per person
Art & Craft experience
The Excitement of Design and Art in a fabulous setting. An expert guide will take you to Verona's design centres and the objects that made the italian style, on a unique journey enhanced by the exploration of the local traditional flavours. 3 hours Visit to multibrand Design boutiques and, at the end, an organized tasting of local products - € 190,00 per person


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Q. Is it true that the Gospel of Matthew was written in Aramaic and not Greek? Why do scholars say they were all written in Greek? And were the Gospels actually written by the authors that are credited with them? I mean, did Matthew, Mark, Luke and John actually write their Gospels?
A. Here's a reply from TCA columnist Father Ray Ryland, Ph.D., J.D:
Early Church Fathers testify that Matthew wrote his Gospel in either Hebrew or Aramaic. It was later translated into Greek. The other Gospels were written in Greek, because at that time Greek was the universal literary language in the Roman Empire. Each Gospel was written by the man whose name the Gospel bears.
Copyright © 1996-2018 Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.


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Diggin' Your Dog chicken jerky treats recalled for Salmonella
Diggin' Your Dog voluntarily recalled one lot of its Strippin' Chicks Pet Treats due to possible Salmonella contamination. The recalled treats are found in five-ounce bags of Strippin' Chicks Pet Treats with Lot Code 250322 and a "Use by Date" of Feb. 23, 2014. The positive sample was obtained in Colorado after affected products had been distributed in Colorado and Nevada. No Other Diggin' Your Dog products are affected by the recall.
Customers who have purchased the recalled lot code are urged to stop feeding the product, remove the lot code from the packaging and discard the contents. A full refund, plus $1 to cover postage, will be received by mailing the UPC and lot code to Diggin' Your Dog, LLC, PO Box 17306 Reno, NV 89511. All refunds will be processed within 10 business days (plus postage time).
The company's website states that its chicken jerky is made from antibiotic, hormone free chicken sourced in the United States. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues to investigate chicken jerky products imported from China. For questions or more information, contact Diggin' Your Dog by phone at 775-742-7295 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. PST or email [email protected]


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Description: Proliant ML350 G6 Tower 5U 2-way 1 x Xeon E5520 2 GHz RAM 4 GB SAS Hot-Swap 3.5-inch no HDD DVDPart Number(s)
Manufacturer Part# 487932-001
Overview:The HP ProLiant ML350 G6 is the best price performance DP tower server that delivers excellence with performance expandability and availability. It's a server with more memory capacity and more HDD expandability. It combines the Intel Xeon processor best-in-class availability features and unsurpassed flexibility in a system ideal for growing businesses and especially well suited to meet the needs of remote branch offices.


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True car guys can all agree on the need to protect dash, trim and rubber surfaces from harmful UV rays and while some may like a natural sheen, many prefer an eye-popping, glistening shine. Meguiar's®, the world leader in surface care technology, introduced today its new and improved 2010 Supreme Shine™ Hi-Gloss Protectant.
Now formulated with Scotchgard™ Protector, it offers enthusiasts high shine protection to help keep vinyl, rubber and plastic surfaces looking like new. Perfect for those who can't get enough shine, this premium protectant creates a rich, lasting, high gloss shine that dries almost instantly without creating a greasy feel or appearance. The formula's enhanced UV blockers help defend against sun damage that can cause fading, cracking and discoloration.
Meguiar's Supreme Shine Hi-Gloss Protectant comes in an easy mist on and wipe off spray or premium, plush lint-free wipe. Both provide outstanding protection from the elements, quickly transforming the appearance of dashboards, trim, door panels, plastic bumpers and tires.


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Berlin native Gendron is new Maine ice coach
May 29. 2013 10:48PM
The University of Maine introduced Dennis "Red" Gendron as its men's hockey coach Tuesday.
Gendron, a 55-year-old Berlin native, replaces Tim Whitehead, who was fired after 12 years as Maine's head coach.
Gendron spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Maine under Shawn Walsh, and was with the Maine program when it won the 1993 national championship.
Gendron spent the last two years as an assistant coach at Yale, which won the national title earlier this year. He has also served as an assistant coach at the University of Massachusetts, and with the NHL's New Jersey Devils.
Gendron was a three-year captain when he played hockey at New England College in Henniker.
Whitehead posted a 250-171-54 record at Maine. He guided the Black Bears to the national championship game as the program's interim head coach after Walsh died of cancer in 2001.
Maine made four Frozen Four appearances and reached the national championship game twice under Whitehead.


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the shield season 3 dvd set
Buy It Now: $12.00
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NH College Roundup: Dartmouth College baseball win streak ends at eight
March 20. 2013 10:12PM
Dartmouth College baseball came up short of breaking the school record for consecutive victories to begin a season, losing 7-3 to Slippery Rock (13-4) in Auburndale, Fla., Wednesday. The loss ended the eight-game win streak, leaving Dartmouth tied with the 1903 Big Green for the best start to a season. Dartmouth was the only undefeated Division I program left in the country entering Wednesday's game.
Slippery Rock, ranked 28th in the most recent collegiate baseball Division II poll, scored six times in the second inning. Nick Lombardi had an RBI double and Joe Purritano added a sacrifice fly for the Big Green. Trent Goodrich drove in the other run with a groundout.
SNHU: Thursday's home Northeast-10 opener against St. Anselm College has been postponed. The school announced a make-up date of Wednesday, April 3 at 3:30 p.m. at SNHU.
Women's lacrosse
UNH 12, Columbia 11: In Durham, Kayleigh Hinkle scored as time expired to lift the Wildcats (2-5) to their second straight win.
Jenny Simpson had three goals for UNH and goalie Kathleen O'Keefe recorded 11 saves for her fourth consecutive double-digit save performance.
Men's lacrosse
Plymouth State 14, Massachusetts Maritime 7: In Buzzards Bay, Mass., Chris Annunciata netted four goals and an assist to lead the Panthers. Ty Long of Dover added two markers. Two assists each were registered by Stephen Patch of Newbury and Brett Miller of Windham.
Molloy 13, Franklin Pierce 9: In Rockville Centre, N.Y., Franklin Pierce (1-2) was led by Eric Harries who registered a game-high nine shots and Kevin Dargin, who added two goals and two assists.
Dartmouth football opener: The Big Green will play its home opener at Memorial Field in Hanover against Holy Cross at 7 p.m. on Sept. 28. It's just the third scheduled night game since the light towers were installed during the 2011 season.


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so whats the best romance anime you've watched, and i mean something that was actually interesting like perhaps school days or myself yourself? what made it enjoyable to watch to you?.. i guess i'm also asking because i need new anime's to watch O.O horror/thriller/spernatural suggestions with some romance would be much appreciated too
reboot, reload, restart shoot for the stars
I mean, i've watched like action anime with romance that made me jump out my seat LOL in a totally heterosexual way...but like, I don't watch too much pure romance but i enjoyed toradora ( my deepest secret ) oh! and if you consider Ouran high school host club romance then i liked that alot.
I'm on the highway to hades with my muthafukin seatbelt off. --Hiatus --
Naruto. Can't get enough of Naruto and Sasuke's gayness.
And perhaps My Little Monster, but only seen a couple of episodes so far. Say I Love You already bored me. I wouldn't consider School Days romance, Myself Yourself was boring, Ouran is mostly comedy and I'd never watch it for romance, and Toradora! was decent but I disliked the pairing up. I liked Honey and Clover but for the comedy; comedy that seems to be present in My Little Monster.
most interesting? NO DOUBT louise and saito....hate-love romance always the most touching/memorable.
cardcaptors too, cheery 5th graders in love AND i luv how their "hidden love plays out up to last eps" (if ur a fan u know wat i mean)
oreimo too...bro x bitter sister = very amusing and of course no incest is the way to go and makes it special
I'm just saying~
Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi is my absolute favourite!<3
Helvetin perse! Joo, ei vituta, ei yhtään. Saatana! Vittu vedän itteni hirteen!
I like Hayate no gotoku and the world god only knows, I don't know if they are classed as romance but both have romance in it. The only purely romance anime I've watched that I can think of is Clannad, which I thought was ok.
stars when you shine, you know how I feel
mama kaichou wa maid sama is good. and Ouran high school host club romance is awesome. if you are looking for some supernatural romance, Freezing is an amazing choice!!!! its not really supernatural but its epic!!!!!!
Ouran High School Host Club and Skip Beat are awesome romance animes that as someone who hates romance I've really enjoyed
I think a lot of people on here will choose the typical, boring romantic comedy/drama set in highschool or something...Seriously, spice things up.
So, in terms of interesting romance...
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
Saikano come to mind.
It takes the typical "magical girlfriend" story and completely and utterly deconstructs it in such a tragic, brutal way. Mix in a story of star-crossed lovers against a backdrop of war, human experimentation, psychological torment and eventual entire human elimination; you have a really interesting and horrific take on a boring romance story.
This story is brutal and intense ad not for the lighthearted.
If you want a happy story with a happy ending...Don't ever watch this anime/read the manga.
Paradise Kiss (manga is MUCH better, but the anime did a really good job nonetheless).
Paradise Kiss is one of the most realistic romance series ever. All the characters are individual, quirky, somewhat hard to like, but completely realistic.
It's a coming of age story that focuses on an 18 year old whose life is completely changed when she's offered the chance to become a model, and is taken away from her school-revolving world. Her eyes are really opened to the world from a different point of view and she meets a whole cast of interesting, highly colorful characters. She discovers and loses herself along the way and has a lot of "firsts".
The ending for this series is especially realistic and touching; and it is the ending that really makes the main character enter the real world. Depending on your point of view, this series either has a happy or a bittersweet ending. If you want a real-world, slice-of-life romance, check this one out.
(Also, check out any work by this manga-ka, especially Nana).
Jellyfish Princess (Kuragehime) is just SO unconventional and hilarious (and somewhat touching) that you just have to watch/read it.
Take an incredibly jellyfish-obsessed nerdy girl who is terrified of men, her nerdy social outcast friends (NEETs) and a cross-dressing, wealthy young man who enters their wold and you've got the most mental romantic comedy/finding yourself story.
Once night, the main girl character runs into an incredibly beautiful woman who eventually befriends her. However, this pretty woman turns out to be a young man who loves fashion and pretty dress, and who takes it upon himself to makeover the main character. Throw in the cross-dresser's 30 year old businesman virgin brother into the mix and there's your oddball romantic triangle.
The anime for this is pretty short but very fun; the manga's of course better and is still ongoing. Just like Paradise Kiss, this is a Josei series, so expect older characters and more realistic approaches to romance.
Kimi ga Nozomu Eien The Eternity You Desire (Rumbling Hearts)
This is a highly controversial, and bittersweet/tragic romance. Based on a visual game, the anime is a short, but very realistic (almost painfull so) series about a young couple whose life is changes forever when the girl is involved in a horrible accident and falls into a coma for years.
(The first two episodes of the series focus on the start of the relationship, and ends with the accident). The rest of the episodes deal with the aftermath of the accident, the coma, and the girl waking up).
Then she wakes up...To discover that everything has changed for the worse, and everyone she knew -including her beloved boyfriend- has moved on and left her behind. Everyone lies to her about what has really been happening, but she eventually realizes how much time has passed and what has really happened. She tries to fix things and regain her place with her boyfriend but she realized just how hard that is when she doesn't know the people her friends and family have grown into.
This is a pretty sad show that involves betrayal, lies, and cheating. But depending how you view it, you might think differently. Again, this is a mature show so...
In fact, the ending for this series sparked so much hate, that an OVA was created with a totally different turn out of events and a modified storyline with a much happier ending (for those that wanted this ending).
Other series I would HIGHLY recommend and which are NOT your regular, boring romance series:
Victorian Romance Emma (realistic period romance; the manga is just amazing).
Honey and Clover (slice of life at college; very funny and very bittersweet).
From Far Away (one of the BEST fantasy mangas ever; a lot of non-annoying/cheesy romance as well and an awesome storyline)
Saiunkoku Monogatari (reverse harem that's REALLY well done, with lots of fantasy, mystery, romance, adventure...)
Anything by Clamp, especially their older series like Cardcaptor Sakura, Tokyo Babylon and it's somewhat-sequel X.... However, Clamp's mangas feature ALL kinds of romance -het, yaoi, yuri etc., but nothing ever explicit ever; not even kissing).
1% evil. 99% fangirl.
Bakemonogatari/Nisemonogatari - The romance is not the dead-on focus, I love how things all go off tangent and there are misadventures and frequent and witty convos.
Sankarea - The basis of this romance is so weird that it HAS to be memorable.
Hayate no Gotoku - This is just a hilarious anime series overall.
These come to mind ATM.
Conjuring up the past is not remembering; it is replacing.
Vampire Knight?
♙♖♘♗♔♕♗♘♖♙ Accepting Friends Requests ♟♜♞♝♚♛♝♞♜♟
must.... not.....
Big fan of Planetes!
I really enjoyed Toradora. The characters were interesting and believable, and Taiga was just plain adorable.


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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Texas guard Myck Kabongo said Monday he is ready to return to the court after a 23-game NCAA suspension and that he should have cooperated with school officials when first asked about a 2012 trip to Cleveland.
Kabongo was suspended for accepting airfare and personal training instruction and then providing false and misleading information about the infractions during two interviews with university officials. Kabongo also was ordered to repay $475 to a charity of his choice
Coach Rick Barnes has said Kabongo will be in the starting lineup Wednesday when Texas (10-13, 2-8 Big 12) plays at home against Iowa State.
"I am ready to start playing with my team again and putting behind me the last several months. "When I went to Cleveland, I did not intend to break any rules and did not believe I had broken any. I should have been upfront with UT about everything the first time I had a chance, but I'm glad that I corrected my mistake and I'm glad that I was truthful with the NCAA."
The Longhorns are struggling through their worst season in 15 years under Barnes and are counting on Kabongo to help turn things around over the last few weeks of the regular season.
Kabongo started 34 games last season, averaging 9.6 points and 5.2 assists. Although not a great scorer, Kabongo is quick player and good passer who can help set up teammates for open shots in Texas' offense. Kabongo had been projected as a possible NBA draft pick this year.
"I have learned a lot about myself and what is important to me through this process," Kabongo said. "I have a great team, and they have supported me all year."


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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partners. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Saturday, June 10, 2017
Shell, MD
Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Department of Pediatrics
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University
Richard D. Shell, MD, is a member of the Section of Pulmonary Medicine at Nationwide Children's Hospital and an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. He is Associate Director of the Cystic Fibrosis Clinic. His clinical interest is in cystic fibrosis research. He is an active member of the Therapeutic Development Network of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, where he helps to run multiple clinical trials at Nationwide Children's Hospital. His other research interests are with children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, asthma, Jeune's syndrome and the pulmonary complications of Neuromuscular disease. He is also active in many of the physician development courses offered through the medical school and is currently the Associate director of the Pediatric Clerkship. In 2005, Dr. Shell won the excellence in teaching award from the Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. He serves on the family advisory council for the Families of SMA Foundation.


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Anayat House groundbreaking ceremony
The Anayat House celebrated a groundbreaking at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, for it's new facility at 1025 14th St. in Beaumont. Anayat House staff, board members and the community gathered together to memorialize the event.
The mission of the Anayat House is to provide affordable accommodations in a safe and restful family setting to outpatients or to friends and family members of patients using local medical facilities. With six bedrooms and private baths, a dining room, kitchen, library, computer station, volunteer room, laundry room, offices and gardens, the new facility, while modern, will still maintain a warm, comfortable and restful atmosphere. Nestled beneath shady oak trees on Christus St. Elizabeth property, this new facility will truly be at the heart of the medical community, working hand in hand with patients and families who need a place to rest their heads and lighten their burdens.
Anayat House board member and architect Sina Nejad said the new facility is close to 6,000 square feet, and all rooms are accessible to disabled persons.
"We want it to look like a home away from home," Nejad said.
The new Anayat House is expected to be completed in midsummer 2013.
Anayat House board president Hubert Oxford IV made the opening remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony. Oxford thanked those in attendance at the ceremony and introduced Sister Celeste Trahan, who led the group in prayer. After the blessing, Oxford introduced Anayat House founder Mimi Daniali, who addressed the crowd.
"I told myself, 'Mimi, don't cry,'" Daniali said tearfully. "I am just so overwhelmed seeing everyone I love here. I appreciate all of you from the bottom of my heart. This house has a heart. It couldn't have happened without your passion."
Daniali said the Anayat House was a dream of hers that started about 18 years ago. She thanked donors for contributions to the house. The Meadows Foundation, Mamie McFaddin-Ward Heritage Foundation, Penland Foundation, Wilton and Effie Mae Hebert Foundation, Becki and Ed Stedman III Foundation, DuJay Charitable Foundation, Zummo Meat Co., Crenshaw Family, Giglio Family and Mimi Daniali all donated to Anayat House to make the new facility possible.