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Fox Joins Green Bay
Salisbury School's hopes for a prep title have taken a hit, as forward T.J. Fox, a 6'1", 195 lb. senior from Oswego, NY, has left the Connecticut boarding school and joined the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL). Fox will be in uniform for tonight's New Year's Eve game against Tri-City at Green Bay's Resch Center. Green Bay is currently the lowest scoring team in the USHL, with 67 goals in 27 games....Michigan State freshman defenseman Evan Shaw, ex of St. Sebastian's and the NTDP, has, as you may have heard, left the Spartans, where he was pretty much buried in coach Rick Comley's doghouse. With fellow defenseman Duncan Keith also leaving Michigan State, the squad is down to five defenseman. On Saturday, the Spartans, who have struggled all year, looked awful in a 6-1 pasting at the hands of a shorthanded Boston University squad (Ryan Whitney and Brian McConnell are playing in the WJC) at the GLI. Every written report we've seen has Shaw going to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and, while it's true that he's leaning in that direction, it's not a sure thing yet. As a former private school kid who's mother is a school teacher, the big defenseman is getting pressure to keep his NCAA eligibility. Shaw, who practiced with St. Sebastian's yesterday, has his QMJHL rights owned by Cape Breton. In the USHL, the Cedar Rapids Roughriders put him on their protected list the week before Christmas... New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs (EJHL) 6'1", 192 lb. RD Andrew Thomas, a late '85 currently in the 11th grade, has been in for a visit at Harvard and will be visiting Yale tomorrow. UNH is also closely following the progress of the native of Bow, NH... 5'8" Taft forward Casey Ftorek is getting interest from Boston College and Harvard but he may take a page from ex-Taft and current Yale forward Christian Jensen's book and spend a year fine-tuning his game by playing junior hockey in Sweden... The story about Mississauga IceDogs (OHL) center Patrick O'Sullivan being sent home from the team for "indifferent defensive play" was a convenient smokescreen put out by the club in conjunction with his agent. Reportedly, O'Sullivan, currently in Nova Scotia at the WJC, was sent home after getting busted for stealing a hockey stick. If Mississauga finishes out of the playoffs again, look for O'Sullivan, a projected high first-round draft pick, to be joining the U.S. for the World Under-18 championships this April... Speaking of the NHL draft, 6'5, 200 lb. Dartmouth freshman Hugh Jessiman, a product of Greenwich, Conn. and the Div. II Brunswick School, pretty much solidified his chances of going in the first round of June's NHL draft with a four goal, one assist performance vs. UMasss-Lowell in the title game of the Auld Lang Syne Tournament at Hanover, NH Sunday night... 6'2",, 217 lb. RW Kevin Coughlin of the U.S. Under-18 team has committed to UMass-Lowell. Coughlin, who is in his first -- and only year -- with the NTDP has a 2-4-6 line in 30 games and has provided the team with a sturdy, physical presence. Coughlin, a South Boston native whose father played for Michigan State in the late '70s, will be reunited at Lowell with Chris Fontas, his former Cushing linemate. Fontas has missed most of the season with a broken jaw but is expected back for start of the Cushing Tournament tomorrow... In case you missed it over the Christmas rush, 5'11", 175 lb. RD Nate Hagemo of the U.S. Under-17 Team has committed to play for Mike Eaves at the University of Wisconsin beginning in the fall of 2004. Hagemo, a native of Edina, Minn. who played for Class AA state champion Holy Angels last season, also had interest from Minnesota, Colorado College, Denver, and North Dakota. While Hagemo, a 10/8/86 birthdate, is currently a sophomore in high school , he's accelerating his studies and hopes to be a junior by the end of January. Hagemo becomes the eighth NTDPer who will wear Badger red, joining D Tom Sawatske (currently a freshman there), F Matt Auffrey, F Jake Dowell, D Jeff Likens, F Robbie Earl, D Ryan Suter, and F Jack Skille (an '87 who hasn't even arrived in Ann Arbor yet).
Random Thoughts
A pleasant surprise at the Flood-Marr was the play of Andover Academy, which tied Deerfield and Salisbury and beat Milton and Nobles at the tournament to finish in third. Last year, the team was abysmal. This year, they have yet to lose a game. The difference? 6'2" junior goalie Cory Schneider and senior D 6'4" John Doherty have an added year of experience, which helps. But just as important has been the role of the team's youngsters. Freshmen forward Chris Cahill and freshmen d-men Hunter Thunell and Tom Dignard are all, for several years hence, legit DI prospects. All are also '87s, as is freshman goalie Matt Ward, who's backing up Schneider... Deerfield forward Brian Ciborowski, named tournament MVP, has asserted himself in all the Big Green games this season, and has seen his stock go up. Another DA senior forward, John Sales, has upped his game as well. Senior defenseman B.J. Mackasey, coming off an injury, had a solid tournament as well. Mackasey, the son of Blair Macakasey, chief scout for the Canadian Hockey Association and the man responsible for assembling Canada's National Junior Team, has been accepted at Princeton. Look for defenseman Chris Kelley to get his official acceptance at Harvard University shortly. He'll spend a year in the USHL before joining the Crimson in the fall of 2004... Hotchkiss got strong play from sophomore goaltender Zane Kalemba, a solid effort from the blueliners, and a good effort by the forwards to reach the title game... Nobles, a team that plays a three D/two forward alignment (makes lines charts look like hell), is a strong-skating team that will make noise in the Keller Division. For our money, junior defenseman Dan McGoff is the best '86 D in these parts (Lawrence's Topher Bevis and Thayer's Anthony Aiello are a couple more good ones.) ... Westminster had a rough go of it, winning only one game (over Milton) and finishing seventh in an eight-team field. However, they have one of the best prospects in the tournament in 14-year-old freshman forward Ben Smith, a 5'10", 178 lb. native of Avon, Conn. Smith, an '88 birthdate, has elite skills -- great hands, terrific instincts, and a good burst of speed. You'll be hearing a lot of him over the coming years...Salisbury had a disappointing weekend, only beating Milton (and barely at that) and finishing in sixth place. 6'1" senior forward T.J. Fox is getting college interest from Colgate, RPI, Union, Vermont, and likely a few others. .... The chowder was great as always -- so, too, was the vegetarian chili... Certainly, the new opt-in rule had a lot to do with it, but this year's Flood-Marr featured more NHL scouts than any prep tournament in a number of years. A lot of those scouts slid over to Saturday's Thayer-St. Sebastian's game, won by St. Seb's, 4-2, and saw 6'6", 225 lb. LC Brian Boyle notch a goal and an assist, stun Thayer D Greg Goldman with a heavy, clean hit and possibly play himself into the first round of the NHL draft -- that is, if he keeps playing like that, and were to opt in. '87 St. Seb's forward Chris Murphy -- a 5'9, 155 lb. sophomore from Arlington, Mass. -- has speed, hands, scoring ability, and is a player to watch. Junior Ted Brzek is always a gas to watch -- 5'5" but with speed to burn and a terrific competitive streak... The Avon Tournament didn't have the depth of the Flood-Marr. St. Paul's, which won it all again, has depth and some good experienced leadership in senior goalie Brad Shirley and senior defenseman and captain Bill LeClerc, a Yale recruit. Best prospect among the newcomers is big sophomore defenseman Mike Stuart, an '87 from Rome, NY, whom you may have already read of in these pages. Berkshire looked solid. 6'2", 185 lb. junior Robby Bellamy of Westfield, Mass. was terrific, hitting hard, and playing with passion and skill. Bellamy will draw a lot of Div. I attention -- is already, actually. His wing, Mike Cohen, a 5'9" senior from Buffalo, NY, is another Berkshire player to keep an eye on. The Bears have depth behind those two, so they'll score goals, but are average on the blueline. Avon lost a ton with the loss of goalie A.J. Bucchino, defenseman Casey Russell and forward Matt Burto to Des Moines (USHL), and defenseman Matt Lashoff to the NTDP. The Winged Beavers skill guy is small RW Sean Backman, a 5'8" sophomore from Greenwich, Conn.... Tabor had a hell of a time, mainly because they were five men short on account of two players (Lyle Gal and Dan Maturi) getting expelled from school for a drinking incident and several other similarly involved players sitting out the weekend. Diminutive sophomore forward Peter Lenes of Shelburne, Vermont was the one-man show on offense for the Seawolves. Back on the blueline, '87 sophomore Andrew Andricopoulos was good, not great, on the night we where there, but with his size, agility, and stick skills, he's a big-time prospect... Trinity-Pawling knocked off Avon to take third place, a bit of a surprise as T-P has had some lean yearrs lately. This group, though, played with a discipline that was clear from the get-go... The Lawrence-Groton Tournament had a big-time prospect in LW Chris Bourque, who, by the way, will be accelerating and entering BU in the fall of '04, just in time for the opening of the new ice palace on Comm Avenue. Cushing is talented, as always, but also young this year, and the Penguins, though they have skill on the blue line, lack a true mobile, puckhandling D to run the powerplay. There seems to be an overall shortage of such players this year, anyway... Of the youngsters on the blue line, 6'1" freshman Keith Yandle, an '86, impressed the most. Lawrence got nice performances from Patrick Kimall, a hard-nosed ball of energy who played for Belmont Hill last year; Topher Bevis, who has nice foot speed for a big guy; and sophomore goaltender Peter Vetri. The New England Jr. Coyotes looked awful in the game this typist saw, partly because several players were out with the flu, anbd the players who were there just never got on the beam. We'll see them again at the Tabor Tournament later this week. Culver was terrific, playing a solid, well-disckiplined brand of hockey. Most impressive were 5'8" goalie Shane Connelly of Chletenham, Penn. Connelly is already in his second season with the Culver varsity and plays with a ton of poise. So, too, does 6'0" defenseman Tom Zabkowicz, who was named tournament MVP, and saw his stock shoot up over the weekend.
Stampede's Briggs Chooses Gophers
Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) goaltender Kellen Briggs has committed to the University of Minnesota.
Briggs is a 5'11", 190 lb. native of Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he played for former University of Minnesota coach Brad Buetow's Vail Midget AAA program. He's in his third season with the Stampede.
Briggs, who is currently among USHL leaders with a 3.16 gaa and .914 save percentage in 20 games, is a 6/28/83 birthdate. He's a good student of the game, a technically sound goaltender who squares up to the puck well, and has gotten steadily better in each of his three seasons in the USHL. This year, according to Stampede coach/GM Tony Gasparini, he's "single-handedly won games for us."
The U, in Travis Weber and Justin Johnson, currently has two sophomore goalies. Weber has gotten two-thirds of the team's starts so far this season.
Briggs already has a connection to the Gophers, as current Minnesota assistant Bob Motzko recruited him to Sioux Falls during the latter's final season there (2000-01).
Top AJHL Goalie Chooses Badgers
Mike Brodeur, the top goalie in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, has committed to Wisconsin.
A 6'1", 175 lb. '83 birthdate playing with the Camrose Kodiaks, Brodeur leads the AJHL with a 20-7-1 record, a 2.42 gaa and a .929 save percentage.
Brodeur also drew interest from Minnesota, North Dakota, Colorado College, and others.
Brodeur will fill the void left when senior Scott Kabotoff departs after this season, and will compete for playing time with sophomore Bernd Bruckler next season.
Brodeur is the fourth Kodiak to be heading to a Div. I school next September. The others are forwards Matt McKnight (Minnesota-Duluth) and Justin Perry (Findlay), and defenseman Dan Glover (Cornell).
2005 World Junior Championship Awarded to Grand Forks
Grand Forks, ND has been named host city of the 2005 IIHF World Junior Championship, edging out Columbus, Ohio and Omaha, Nebraska for the honor.
The University of North Dakota will be hosting the event, with the primary games being played at the elaborate 11,800 seat Ralph Englestad Arena, which has two sheets of ice. In addition, another arena -- also named the Ralph Englestad Arena, and also a two-sheeter -- is being constructed in Thief River Falls, Minn., a one hour drive away. This arena will hold 3,800.
Grand Forks and Thief River falls have two years to prepare, as the tournament will get underway the day after Christmas 2004 and end the first week of January 2005.
Since the WJC started in 1977, the tournament has been held in the U.S. three times. In 1982, it was held in the Twin Cities; in 1989, Anchorage, Alaska; and in 1996, Boston. In Boston, a major city, the attendance was lousy. Grand Forks, though, is closer to the Canadian border, being 2 1/2 hours from Winnipeg, so it should do OK -- the WJC was held in Winnipeg in 1999 and drew extremely well.
The 2003 WJC gets underway Thursday in Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia. In 2004, the tournament will be held in Finland.
Lindsay to Step Down After Season
Dedham, Mass. -- Before this afternoon's championship game at the Flood-Marr Tournament, Deerfield coach Jim Lindsay told his players that he would stepping down after the season, and handing over the team to Brendan Creagh, his assistant for the last five seasons.
Deerfield then went out, played a hard-nosed first period -- "one of the best periods I've ever seen a Deerfield team play," Lindsay said, and knocked off Hotchkiss, 2-1, to take the 38th annual Flood-Marr Tournament.
The win was the eighth Flood-Marr championship in Lindsay's 15-year tenure, a tournament record. All eight championships have come since 1990, including five in the last six seasons.
Lindsay, 50, will be staying on at Deerfield, where he works in the admissions office.
Lindsay, asked why he was stepping down, simply said that "after 15 years it was just time," and added that "Brendan will do a great job."
Creagh, 32, a former defenseman, played four years of high school hockey at Hanover (NH) High School, and followed that up with a PG year at Phillips Andover Academy. He played college hockey at the University of Vermont from 1989-93, where he played in the John LeClair -- Aaron Miller era. Creagh also played four years of minor league hockey, primarily in the ECHL.
As a side note, Lindsay's son, Matt, who graduated from Williams College on 2001, has already picked up the coaching torch from his father. The younger Lindsay is currently an assistant on Mark Taylor's staff at Hobart College.
We will have more later tonight -- in the USHR prep section -- on both the Flood-Marr and Lawrenceville tournaments. In the latter, Taft edged Canterbury, 2-0, with the final goal being an empty-netter.
Hillman Fired in Tri-City
Tri-City Storm (USHL) head coach and GM Jim Hillman was fired today.
The team was 8-13-3, though just 1-6-3 in the last ten games.
This was Hillman's third year with the club, which came into the league as an expansion franchise in 2000-01.
Hillman, 31, coached the club for 141 games and posted a 62-64-15 record.
The club will be run until the end of the season by assistant Regg Simon, who was given the position of interim head coach.Current assistant Tom Kowal will be in charge of recruiting.
Holy Angels on Probation
Holy Angels, the defending Class AA champion and currently No. 1 rated team in Class AA in Minnesota was reportedly on probation last season for violation of Minnesota State High School League bylaws and head coach Greg Trebil paid a $500 fine to the MSHSL according to a story Tuesday in the Star Tribune in Minneapolis.
In one of the most thorough investigations ever conducted by the MSHSL, the Richfield, Minn.-based Catholic school acknowledged in a letter dated in December of 2000 that Trebil played a role in captain practices and discouraged players from playing football. Captain practices in Minnesota are informal workouts supervised by team captains before the official starting date of full practices. Coaches are not allowed to attend captain practices. Trebil was placed on probation on Dec. 11, 2001.
The story also reported that an investigator hired by the MSHL also looked into recruiting allegations but none were found although the investigator found that Trebil pressured the school's administration into admitting one or more transfer players to play hockey.
Here are some other excerpts from the story:
-- Trebil apparently told athletic director Gary Rufsvold that he needs transfer students to maintain a Class AA program but he would coach a Class A program. Holy Angels has an enrollment of 585 in grades 10 through 12 and that would place it in Class A, but the school opts up to Class AA.
-- The investigator also interviewed other Holy Angels staff members and students, along with coaches, administrators, parents, and youth hockey associations, including Eagan, Eastview, Prior Lake, and Tartan.
-- Trebil, who has been the coach since 1996-97, and before that was a long-time coach of Bloomington-Jefferson bantam teams, said in the story: "All I know is that what I do, I've tried to do within the rules. That's all I can speak to."
The possibility of violations were first reported to the school's administration by staff members who were not affiliated with hockey. It should be noted that since the discovery of the allegations, the MSHSL has done no further investigations of the Holy Angels hockey program.
Holy Angels won the Class AA title last year after defeating fellow Catholic school Hill Murray in the championship game. The Stars are 3-0-1 this season and ranked No.1 in the Class AA metro and state poll.
G-Z Makes His Pick
6'1", 200 lb. LW Grant Goeckner-Zoeller of the Sioux City Musketeers (USHL) will be playing for Princeton University next season.
A 5/20/83 birthdate from the Brentwood section of Los Angeles, Goeckner-Zoeller, before coming to the USHL, played on the LA Jr. Kings with, among others, CC's Brett Sterling. He's a good playmaker, smart, and hard to knock off his skates, which makes him good down low and in the corners. He's worked hard on the defensive part of his game while in the USHL and it's paying dividends.
Last season, Goeckner-Zoeller was traded from Topeka to Rochester. This year, he's the second leading scorer on Sioux City -- three points behind Brandon Polich -- with a 10-12-22 line in 24 games played.
By the way, Goeckner-Zoeller's teammate at Sioux City, defenseman Sean Collins, will be visiting Ohio State in early January. Colorado College and Ferris State are also interested in the 6'1" native of Troy, Michigan.
McGuirk's Big Day
We missed Saturday's Milton at Gov. Dummer game, choosing the Cushing-Exeter tilt instead. In so doing, we missed Brian McGuirk's five-goal performance in leading GDA to a 7-3 win.
McGuirk, a 6'0", 185 lb. junior who'll be heading to Boston Univeristy in the fall of '04, scored once early in the the second period, which ended with the two teams locked in a 3-3 tie (despite the fact that GDA would wind up outshooting their guests 45-9 over the course of the game.)
In the third, McGuirk went to town, scoring four straight times against Milton goaltender David Scardella during a span of 7:33 as his team pulled away from a punchless Milton squad. Of McGuirk's five goals, two came on the power play.
While we weren't there, the Newburyport (Mass.) Daily News was, and have granted us permission to help ourselves to their account. Let's pick it up with the first of McGuirk's goals, which came at 6:24 of the third period when the Danvers, Mass. native "took a nice feed from Alex Berry and deked Scardella for the goal. Moments later McGuirk outhustled a Milton defenseman to a loose puck and again faked Scardella for his second of the period. With just under three minutes to play in the game Marc Borden crossed Milton's blueline and left a drop pass for McGuirk who one-timed a shot, beating Scardella to the glove side. With 1:03 left to go and GDA on the power play, McGuirk closed out the scoring by cleaning up a rebound from Chris Genovese's point shot.
"Scardella ended up with 38 saves and (GDA goaltender Dan) Galajda ended up with six. GDA next faces New England prep school hockey's two-time defending champion St. Sebastian's at home on Wednesdsay.
"Brian McGuirk obviously had a special day -- you don't see five-goal games too often and I can't recall ever seeing a player score four straight in one period. Despite generating so many chances in the first two periods, Brian gave us a spark when we needed it most. We took some ill-advised penalties and we were not playing very well in our own end. We faced a test being tied after two periods and I was pleased that we finished so strong. We can play better as a team and we will have to against St. Sebastian's on Wednesday," said coach Peter Kravchuk.
Note: In the box score for this game, which can be viewed on the '02-03 prep page, the goals are listed in reverse order by period. The database into which box scores are entered only recognizes elapsed time. If the time remaining in the period was entered, the scores will sort themselves in backward order. That was the case here. So please remember: for the scores to display correctly, do the math, and figure what the elapsed time would be. Thanks.
Holiday Tournament Schedules
The big prep weekend gets underway this Thursday with the start of the Exeter and Avon tournaments. The Flood-Marr, Lawrence-Groton, St. Sebastian's, and Barber Tournament get underway on Friday. On Saturday, the Lawrenceville Tournament faces off.
Click below for full schedules for all tournaments, including post-Christmas affairs like the Nichols, BB&N, Cushing, and Tabor tournaments.
Boola Boola
St. Paul's School LD Bill LeClerc and Chicago Freeze (NAHL) goalie Matt Modelski will be headed to Yale next fall.
LeClerc, a 6'0", 185 lb. native of Acton, Mass., is a rugged defensive d-man with puck skills that enable him to help out offensively, too. In his first year at St. Paul's, LeClerc played forward. He missed practically all of another season with injury.
LeClerc is a 4/26/84 birthdate.
Modelski , a 5'11", 165 lb. native of Brighton, Mich., is in his second year for the Freeze. To date, he's appeared in 24 games and has a .897 save percentage and a 3.16 GAA. Modelski, who was cut twice by the Freeze before eventually sticking with the club, previously played Jr. B with the Flint Generals (CSHL).
Modelski is a 2/29/82 birthdate.
Cushing #1 in Season's First USHR Poll
Cushing Academy (5-0-0) holds the #1 spot in the season's first U.S.Hockey Report Prep Poll. To view the full poll, please go into our prep page, click on 'This Week's Poll' and scroll down to Dec. 15.
Our next poll will be Mon. Dec. 23. After a one-week break, the poll will be back on Mon.Jan. 6. Starting Jan. 12, the poll will return to its Sunday night slot and stay there until the end of the regular season.
Peltier to Gophers
Cedar Rapids Roughriders 6'0, 175 lb. LD Derek Peltier has committed to the University of Minnesota for the 2004-05 season.
Peltier, a native of Plymouth, Minn. and a 3/14/85 birthdate, plays for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL). Last season, he played for Armstong High School in Robbinsdale, Minn.
Peltier is a good skater with good puck skills. He's solid on his skates and makes good decisions. While he lacks flashiness, he's very poised and steady -- a well-rounded d-man who plays a strong, confident game.
In 26 games with Cedar Rapids, Peltier has a 3-12-15 line with 26 pims.
College Commitments
U.S. Under-17 Team forward Brandon Scero has committed to Ohio State for the fall of '04.
Scero, 6'0" and 196 lbs., is tied with Tommy Fritsche as the fourth-leading scorer on the Under-17 Team with a 10-6-16 line in 32 games played.
Even though Scero was born in Toledo, Ohio to a family of Ohio State fans and spent his early years there, he's lived most of his life in Canton, Michigan and, yes, he hated Ohio State -- until now. Scero came around to the Buckeyes quickly, saying that halfway through his recent visit he knew OSU was where he wanted to go.
Scero had scheduled visits with Michigan State, Bowling Green, and Miami but chose Ohio State.
Scero, who played for Compuware '86 last season, joins forwards Ryan Kesler and Danny Knapp as Michiganders who've chosen the Buckeyes.
-- 6'7", 247 lb. RD Arthur Femenella of the Sioux City Musketeers (USHL) has committed to the University of Vermont. Femenella, a defensive defenseman, has an 0-3-3 line and a +4 in 20 games with Sioux City this season. He also has 100 pims and has no problem dropping the gloves.
A native of Annandale, NJ, Femenella played in the US National Team Development Program for two years, arriving in the fall of '98 highly touted because of his size, long reach, and his stride. However, he was mistake-prone in his own end, wasn't highly recruited by Div. I schools, and went to the USHL, where he's now in his third year and coming into his own.
A sixth round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2001, Femenella attended Tampa Bay's rookie camp in the late summer, and came back to Sioux City with increased confidence.
In September, we wrote in these pages that "scouts and recruiters have seen so much of Femenella for so long that some have become over-critical to the point of looking for weaknesses where none exist. Yes, Femenella does make bad decisions, errant passes, etc., a tendency that has scared off colleges in the past. However, that is really the only thing holding him back. At 6'7", 247 lbs., he has tremendous size and uses it. He's also a great skater for his size, smooth on his edges. Femenella just needs to play a little more conservatively and not try to do it all. If he shows he can do that consistently over a whole season, he could be a player yet."
Femenella led the Musketeers, the USHL's most-penalized team (and Clark Cup champion) last year, with 215 pims, making himself the second-most penalized player in the league, not too far behind Cedar Rapids' Nate Meyers. We think Femenella could be a sleeper for the Catamounts. He'll be the biggest recruit in Div. I next season, edging out BC-bound Brian Boyle.
-- Dartmouth College received a commitment this week from Tanner Glass, a 6'2", 200 lb. LW from Craven, Saskatchewan (great town name, eh?). Glass, an 11/29/83 birthdate, is playing for the Penticton Panthers (BCHL). A power forward who puts up points and finishes his checks, Glass is a tough, strong kid who plays a very aggressive style. In 32 games, he has a 15-25-40 line with 108 pims.
-- Boston Jr. Bruins 6'0", 170 lb. LD Bobby Gates has committed to Quinnipiac. Gates, a 1/16/84 who is in his PG year, is a native of Cranston, RI and a hybrid type of D who is solid defensively but is also sure-handed and chips in offensively. In 37 games for the Junior Bruins, Gates has a 5-11-16 line and 12 pims.
-- Danville Wings (NAHL) LC Aaron Clarke has committed to Niagara. Clarke, a 5'9", 170 lb. native of Peterborough, Ontario, has played 18 games with Danville and has a 3-10-13 line with 73 pims. Clarke, who played in the Provincial League last season, is a quick, gritty type of forward.
Lock Monsters Tournament Gets Underway This Morning
The EJHL's Lowell Lock Monsters Tournament gets underway this morning at the Wallace Civic Center in Fitchburg, Mass. This year's tournament features 20 teams, including all 12 EJHL members. NY Apple Core and the New England Jr. Coyotes are in different pools so can not meet until Sunday's playoffs. Last weekend in Enfield, Conn. the Coyotes took a pair from Apple Core, winning a 1-0 forfeit Sat. night and then taking a 6-5 OT decision Sunday afternoon. Saturday night's game was noteworthy for the fact that the referee never showed up and an inexperienced replacement had to be pressed into service. Apple Core coach Henry Lazar felt the referee failed to control the game and, after a scoreless first period, decided that the situation was unsafe for his players and didn't send his squad out for the second. The Coyotes went out, however, and when the puck was dropped broke in on a 5-on-0, scored, and won a forfeit. Lazarr was unhappy that the forfeit was allowed to stand, feeling that the league should have picked up the game at a later date with a more experienced referee.
2002 Lock Monsters Tournament Schedule
It's McConnell
Boston University center Brian McConnell was named this afternoon to the U.S. National Junior Team, winning the spot that became vacant when BC's Patrick Eaves was injured in the Eagles' 2-2 tie with Maine last Saturday night at Conte Forum.
Barring further injuries, here is the final 22-man squad that leaves for Nova Scotia next Thursday.:
Forwards (12): Dustin Brown (Guelph -- OHL); Gino Guyer (Minnesota), Dwight Helminen (Michigan); Chris Higgins (Yale); Ryan Kesler (Ohio State);Greg Moore (Maine); Eric Nystrom (Michigan); Patrick O'Sullivan (Mississauga -- OHL); Zach Parise (North Dakota); Ryan Shannon (BC); Brett Sterling (CC); and Barry Tallackson (Minnesota).
Defensemen (7): Tim Gleason (Windsor -- OHL); Matt Greene (North Dakota), Matt Jones (North Dakota); Mark Stuart (CC); Ryan Suter (U.S. Under-18 Team); Ryan Whitney (BU); and James Wisniewski (Plymouth -- OHL).
Goaltenders (2): Bobby Goepfert (Providence); and Jimmy Howard (Maine).
McConnell a Leading Candidate -- Again
As many of you many know, Boston College freshman forward Patrick Eaves suffered a fracture of the C-5 vertebra in Saturday night's 2-2 tie with Maine at Conte Forum.
Eaves, who is leading the Eagles in goals with 10, and is in a three-way tie with older brother, Ben, and Ryan Shannon in total points (17), is wearing a neck brace and will be out of action for six weeks -- at least. The break was clean, which will aid the recovery process.
The injury was a flukey one. Early in the third period, Maine senior forward Robert Liscak lost his stick in the neutral zone as Boston College was taking the play into the Maine end. Liscak, without his stick, stayed with his man, Chris Collins, and wound up in the corner trying to yank away the BC forward's stick. Collins, though, wasn't letting go, and Eaves, skating backwards, wound up getting clotheslined by it.
Eaves, besides missing a chunk of BC's schedule, will also miss the World Junior Championship, which gets underway Dec. 26 in Nova Scotia. The U.S. staff, which consists of head coach Lou Vairo, assistants Ron Rolston, Jeff Sauer, and Mike Hastings; and director of player personnel Lew Mongelluzzo, now has to scramble to come up with a forward to fill Eaves' spot.
The leading candidates are Danny Fritsche (Sarnia Sting -- OHL), Brian McConnell (BU), Robbie Shremp (Mississauga Ice Dogs -- OHL), and Lee Falardeau (Michigan State).
Look for an announcement as early as tomorrow or Thursday.
Early indicators point to McConnell getting tabbed for the spot. The Norfolk, Mass. native was a leading candidate for the last two spots, but had a subpar weekend in BU's back-to-back losses at Cornell Nov. 30-Dec. 1, which knocked him out of the picture. The last two spots went to Gino Guyer (Minnesota) and Greg Moore (Maine).
Now, McConnell has a second chance. He played well on Saturday vs. UMass and will be watched closely tonight as the Terriers travel to RPI.
Sauer has gone into Ontario to watch Fritsche, an '85, and Schremp, an '86.
Age and experience count for a lot in junior team picks -- you've probably heard scouts refer to it as a "19-year-old's tournament" -- and with that in mind McConnell who, like Falardeau, is an '83, looks strong. McConnell, who, along with Justin Maiser, leads BU with 12 points in 15 games, has more to offer offensively than Falardeau. Both McConnell and Falardeau have extensive international experience from playing in the NTDP together. McConnell is not a strong skater, but in Halifax and Sydney the sheets are small. Also, the U.S. forwards are on the small, highly-skilled side of the equation, so McConnell's 6'1", 190 lb. frame and his willingness to bang and play the pro-style game will help his chances.
All four players are being discussed, however, so check back.
By the way, this is the second straight season a player selected to the squad has suffered a December injury and has had to be replaced. Last year, Harvard defenseman Noah Welch had to be scratched. He was replaced by Michigan wing Eric Nystrom. Unfortunately for Welch, last season was his final year of junior eligibility so he was never able to play on the big stage. Eaves, on the other hand, is an '84 and will still be eligible for WJC play next time around, though that fact is probably not particularly consoling to the young center right now .
With one more to go, here are the 21 members of the team to date:
Forwards (12): Dustin Brown (Guelph -- OHL); Dwight Helminen (Michigan); Chris Higgins (Yale); Ryan Kesler (Ohio State); Eric Nystrom (Michigan); Patrick O'Sullivan (Mississauga -- OHL); Zach Parise (North Dakota); Ryan Shannon (BC); Brett Sterling (CC); Barry Tallackson (Minnesota); Greg Moore (Maine); and Gino Guyer (Minnesota).
Defensemen (7): Tim Gleason (Windsor -- OHL); Matt Jones (North Dakota); Mark Stuart (CC); Ryan Suter (U.S. Under-18 Team); Ryan Whitney (BU); James Wisniewski (Plymouth -- OHL); and Matt Greene (North Dakota).
Goaltenders (2): Jimmy Howard (Maine); and Bobby Goepfert (Providence).
Note: Defenseman Whitney, and forwards Brown, Helminen, Higgins, and Nystrom were members of the 2002 US National Junior Team. Defenseman Gleason was a member of the 2001 US National Junior Team and, though invited, elected not to play in last winter's tournament.
Pre-tournament schedule for the U.S. World Junior Team:
Thurs. Dec. 19 -- Arrive in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Fri-Sat. Dec. 20-21 -- AM and PM practices.
Sun. Dec. 22 -- AM practice.
Mon. Dec. 23 -- Pre-game skate in Halifax. Exhibition vs. Sweden in New Glasgow (7 pm). Bus to Sydney.
Tues. Dec. 24 -- PM practice.
Wed. Dec. 25 -- PM pracatice.
Thurs. Dec. 26 -- Tournament begins.
U.S. Game Schedule:
Group A: Russia, Switzerland, United States, Slovakia, and Belarus.
Group B: Canada, Finland, Sweden, Czech Republic, and Germany.
Thurs. Dec. 26 -- US vs. Russia at Sydney (6 pm local; 5 pm EST).
Sat. Dec. 28 -- Switzerland vs. US at Sydney (4 pm local; 3pm EST).
Mon. Dec.30 -- U.S. vs. Belarus at Sydney (2 pm local; 1 pm EST).
Tues. Dec. 31 -- Slovakia vs. US at Sydney (2 pm local; 1 pm EST).
Thurs. Jan. 2 -- TBA (Qualification Round) at Halifax.
Fri. Jan. 3 -- TBA (Semifinal Round) at Halifax.
Sat. Jan. 4 -- TBA (Fifth/Sixth Place Games) at Halifax.
Sun. Jan. 5 -- TBA (Bronze/Gold Medal games) at Halifax.
Myers to UVM
Former Catholic Memorial star Chris Myers, now taking a PG year at Salisbury, has committed to the University of Vermont.
Myers, who helped lead CM to the finals of last springs Super 8 (where the Knights bowed to BC High, 2-0), was the MVP of the Catholic Conference. His game is based on grit and hard work. A 6'0", 175 lb. RW from South Boston, Mass., Myers posted a 23-29-52 line for CM. A 9/21/83 birthdate, he began his PG hockey campaign today as Salisbury, under former CM forward Dan Donato, knocked off Hotchkiss, 4-0.
Earlier this fall, Myers, a goaltender, helped lead Salisbury into the prep scocer playoffs.
A Bright Future for Minnesota High School Sophs
Bloomington Kennedy's 6'2", 180 lb. rangey centerman Ryan Stoa heads up the list of Minnesota high school sophomores this season. An '87, Stoa has a degree of finesse rarely seen in kids of his size and age, combining a long skating stride with soft hands and excellent playmaking ability. A standout at the Select 15 Festival in August, Stoa has perhaps the best long-term potential of any Minnesota sophomore. His short-term potential isn't bad, either: Stoa notched two goals and an assist to lead Kennedy to a 5-2 win over Armstrong on Tuesday.
Stoa, who played bantams last year, is not alone. This year, there are a number of talented sophomores -- and freshman, too. It's a good age group, perhaps the strongest the state has had in a couple of years.
Let's look at the top forwards first. Right there with Stoa, though he's an '86 and a little over a year older, is Justin Bostrom of Moundsview, a sophomore center who's the younger brother and teammate of senior forward Kent Bostrom, one of the top high school players in the state. We'll say it right here: Justin has the greater upside. What Justin lacks in size -- he's 5'9", 165 -- he makes up for in smarts. An excellent playmaker who sees the ice extremely well, the younger Bostrom utilizes hard accurate passes. One of just a few sophs who played a full season as a freshman last season, Bostrom finished with 48 points, the only freshman in the state's top 50 scoring leaders. If he stays for the full three years, Bostrom should break the school career scoring record set over 25 years ago by Rob McClanahan, who went on to play for Herb Brooks with the Gophers and the 1980 Olympic Team.
An '87 forward who's a newcomer to high school hockey and already making a splash is Robby Dee, who played for the Armstrong Bantams last winter, but is now with Breck's varsity. Dee, from Plymouth, Minn., is a smooth-skating centerman. Dee, 5'11" and 155 lbs., proved at the Select 15 Festival that he's one of the tops in his age group, showing an ability to both make a play and finish. Last Saturday, Dee figured in both goals (1g,1a) as Breck bowed to Chaska 4-2.
Chad Rau, who played bantams last season, has looked good for Eden Prairie in early scrimmages. Rau is a good skater with smarts, good hands, agility, a hard shot, and plenty of competitiveness. A dynamic player, Rau appears physically stronger than he did just a few months ago at the Select 15 Festival. An early '87, Rau is 5'10 and 155 lbs.
Ryan Thang, an '87 who also played bantams last season, has moved up to the Edina HS varsity, where he lit it up in pre-season scrimmages. Thang, 5'11 and 175 lbs., has a nose for the net, and can shoot it. He's tough, strong, skates hard both ways, and is smart, too. Like Rau, he's dynamic, but cut more from power forward cloth.
Like Stoa, Dee, and Rau, Thang is a newcomer to high school hockey, and will be closely watched.
An '86 sophomore who played as a freshman at Breck last season is 5'7", 145 lb. Andrew Birkholtz. He more than just played -- he put up 28 points, which is not too shabby.
Other sophomore forwards who'll help their teams include Matt Ambroz (New Prague HS), Jon Ammerman (Moorhead HS), Mike Pilot (S. St. Paul), Michael Gergen (Hastings), Matt Woods (Wayzata), and Trent Graham (Totino-Grace).
On defense, the soph to watch is Brian Lee, a 6'2", 175 lb. right shot who played bantams last winter and will be with the Spuds varsity this winter. Lee is a very smooth, steady defenseman with good puckhandling skills and an offensive dimension. There's a lot of upside here.
Right up with him is Taylor Chorney, a RD from Hastings who last winter played bantam hockey under his dad Marc Chorney, who played at North Dakota and in the NHL with Pittsburgh and LA. The younger Chorney, who's mending from a fall injury, is smallish at 5'8", 150 lbs. but has excellent passing and stick skills, and great moves. A fun player to watch.
Mike Phillippi a 5'10", 150 lb. RD who played for the Hill Murray JV last winter, has good hands, patience, and poise.
Chris Babich and Carl Babich are twins playing up at Eveleth-Gilbert for former UVM star Craig Homola. It's a little hard to separate them when it comes to ability. Both are physical, competitive, and have good all-around tools. Chris led Eveleth in scoring as a freshman while Carl was just five points behind. They are both 5'11", 150 lbs. Take your pick.
Up at Silver Bay is 6'2", 175 lb. Jesse Downey, an '86 sophomore who skates well for his size and can contribute offensivively.
Other sophs to watch include Brian Connelly, a skilled 5'8", 155 pounder from Bloomington Jefferson; Jared Hummel, an '86 at Holy Angels; and Brett Kettlekamp at Breck.
For the record, we should point out that Nate Hagemo, Holy Angels' superb young defenseman last season, is with the National Team Development Program. A late '86, Hagemo would have headed up this list of sophomore D had he stayed home.
The best sophomore goalie we've seen in Minnesota is 5'11" Jeff Frazee, a backup who got into six games for Holy Angels last season. The Burnsville native was consistently good at the Select 15s. On the depth chart, Frazee will again be behind Ben Luth, who's now a senior. .
A final note: the state of Minnesota is so big, and there are so many far-flung high schools, that there will likely be one or more players -- not stars, perhaps, but good solid prospects -- who just come out of nowhere and make an impression . So look for this list to grow.
Breck Boasts Top Freshman -- and 8th Grader, too
Moving on to Minnesota high school freshmen and 8th graders, the players to watch are forwards Peter Mueller and Jordan Fulton, both of whom are at Breck.
Mueller, an '88 and an 8th grader, is already pushing 6'0" and 190 lbs. A superstar in the making, Mueller could end up in the 6'2"-6'3" range. He's strong, fast, sees the ice well, has a nose for the net, and a huge shot. This fall, Mueller was frequently flown out to Detroit to play for HoneyBaked.
Fulton, a 6'0", 175 lb. freshman LW at Breck, is the younger brother of teammate Dustin Fulton, a junior and one of the best forwards in the state. Jordan, while not quite as dynamic as his older brother, has excellent top-end skill and could turn out to be every bit as good. He has excellent hands, sees the ice very well, and has great playmaking ability. A native of Brooklyn Park, Minn., Fulton played for the Champlin Park Bantams last season.
In defenseman Drake Herd, an '87, Breck has yet another solid freshman.
Dowzak Impresses at Shattuck
We didn't include Shattuck-St. Mary's when talking about the top young Minnesota high school kids because it's not a high school. It's a private boarding school which draws from anywhere it wants. But we'd be remiss if we didn't point out that Shattuck has both the state's top sophomore and freshman defensemen.
The soph, of course, is Jack Johnson, who is perhaps the top '87 in the country. Johnson is headed to the NTDP and then, in the fall of '05, the University of Michigan. We've written about him on several occasions, so there's no big secret here. If Johnson isn't the best '87 US-born defense prospect, he's no worse than second best (we also like Rochester, NY native Steven Spade, who's playing in the Provincial League for the Georgetwn Raiders).
The top freshman defenseman in Minnesota is 6'4", 208 lb. Tyson Dowzak, a 14-year-old -- he's an '88 -- from Fergus Falls. Dowzak, who plays for the J.P. Parise-coached Tier I Bantam Team (currently undefeated at 27-0-3 and pointing toward Nationals), already has pro size. Now, it's just a matter of waiting as he grows into his body. Dowzak has good hands -- he's the leading scorer among the Shattuck d-men with a 6-21-27 line in 27 games played.
Note: It has nothing to do with Minnesota, but we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that the Shattuck Bantam's leading scorer is Tyler Ruegsegger who leads his team by a country mile. In 27 games, Ruegsegger has posted a 36-40-76 line. Also an '88, Ruegsegger is 5'10", 143 lbs. and a native of Lakewood, Colorado, a state which has really started to pump out more and more good players -- particularly over the last five years or so. As for Ruegsegger, you can count on hearing a lot more about his exploits as the years roll along.


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I have always been a book lover, through reading slumps, droughts, feasts, and hours of just-one-more-page. My parents are self-identified readers, too, though my dad had a book in his hand less than my mom. My younger brother wasn't so interested. In elementary school math was by far his favorite and best subject, while I preferred English and Language Arts. Two and a half years younger, he spent his summers outside pretending stick were swords and his baby blanket a cape, while I curled up next to the air conditioner and dove into seas of fiction. Despite what my parents and I told my brother about reading, he just wasn't going for it. No matter what kind of book we offered. Until I made the worst book recommendation ever.
Harry Potter came along and, eventually, he resigned himself to reading it. And he enjoyed it. By the time the sixth book came out, my parents had to buy two copies. I certainly wasn't going to wait for someone else to finish before I could get my hands on it, and my brother, enchanted with Harry's world, was the same, if only for this one series.
He picked up a few other things here and there (a lone copy of The Ranger's Apprentice and The Godfather, which I think went untouched aside from my brother referencing the cover for a piece of art he did, stick out in my mind as sitting on his bookshelf, otherwise filled with his personal memorabilia) and occasionally enjoying school-assigned reading, but as he got older, his focus turned to video games over playing imagination.
There was nothing wrong with my brother's disinterest in reading, we just wanted him to have the same joy we did. So we continued trying—seeing if he was interested in the library's annual summer reading program (no), suggesting he read the book of the latest film adaptation (no thanks), checking to see if he'd like to do a mini-book club with me (no way), and recommending books.
I made a last ditch effort and made a final recommendation of the series to my brother. For the first time, he blew through the books, one after another (I don't doubt the premise of this New York Times article had something to do with it). My mom, whose memory is self-admittedly bad, recalls the fervor with which he read these books even to this day.
And then came the twist.
He was not pleased. Betrayed by the novels he'd grown to trust, he swore he would never read again. I tried a few times after this to get him to read something. A particular book that reflected his own personal situation when he was twenty-one came to my attention in January 2016. I sent him the book as a gift. Then, I messaged him to emphasize it wasn't meant to be a lecture in book form, but a place to find empathy. Despite asking my mom to encourage him to read it, he never read the book. And I never saw him pick up another book, either.
I had ruined my brother's love for reading with a single series. Without a doubt, this is the worst book recommendation I've ever made. What a drag.
He passed away in a car crash in July 2016. I regret that he never found the same comfort in reading that we all do. Though I've written in defense of non-readers in the past, it was difficult to watch my brother struggle in so many aspects of his life without knowing that he had books—and characters who could empathize or reflect the challenges he had—to turn to. I don't know if I regret recommending that one series to him. Did I offer him a few precious moments of joy before the big reveal that ruined it all? Or did I truly destroy his love of reading by not knowing him well enough to realize the ending would upset him to that degree?
We often forget, for all we talk about it, of the power of books. Frequently, we discuss how books are affirming, are life-altering, and can change its readers' views and opinions. But what about those books that are negating, are life-shattering, and destroy our comfort? Are these books the same? Do we truly consider the impact of a recommended book? What happens when we make a truly bad book recommendation?
I'll leave those questions for my brother.

subset: commoncrawl


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SHOT DOWN: The true story of pilot Howard Snyder and the crew of the B-17 Susan RuthPosted 2 years ago
Steve Snyder
Written By: Steve Snyder
Narrated By: Richard Rieman
Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
Price: $ 19.95
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Website Link : http://SteveSnyderAuthor.com
An Amazon #1 Best Seller, SHOT DOWN is set within the framework of World War II in Europe and recounts the dramatic experiences of each member of a ten man B-17 bomber crew after their plane, piloted by the author's father, was knocked out of the sky by German fighters over the French/Belgium border on February 8,1944.
Some men died. Some were captured and became prisoners of war. Some men evaded capture and were missing in action for months before making it back to England. Their individual stories and those of the courageous Belgian people who risked their lives to help them are all different and are all remarkable.
Read More


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My Indissoluble Bond with Whitehead by Zhonghui Yan
My Indissoluble Bond with Whitehead
Zhonghui Yan[1]
"Whitehead's philosophy is perhaps the summit of the entire Western tradition," claims Albert W. Levi, historian of philosophy, in his book Whitehead's Philosophy, "Philosophy and the Contemporary World". According to Zhang Junmai, "Among contemporary philosophers, Whitehead is the only one who can combine the principles of Plato, Einstein's theory of relativity, and Planck's quantum theory into a system that can be described as one of a kind. Qu Shiying once suggested that "Whitehead was the one who opened up new paths for philosophy, and a hundred years later, he would be like Kant to us now." An ordinary person like I am can only gaze at Whitehead's profundity and vastness far through time and space, and swim with an open mind. My connection with Whitehead? I can't say much more than that I was fortunate enough to be associated with his thought and to study his works intensively.
Studying Whitehead is as indispensable and natural to me as eating and sleeping. If I were to tell someone the story of Whitehead and me, it would be lacking in vivid twists and turns. I can even describe my method as just "read his books." Fortunately, I translated and published Whitehead's The Ames of Education. When someone asks me, "Do you have any stories from the translation?" I can only answer honestly: what story can I have, but to sit in front of a computer, translate a few lines, delete a slice, translate a few more lines, and then delete a bigger slice. This is the story of Whitehead and me
In 2014, at the age of 35, I enrolled in a master's degree in Curriculum and Instructional Theory at Harbin Normal University. Shortly after my grades were announced (before the school year began and before I was officially accepted), I received a call from my mentor, Ms. Yang Li, inviting me to read Whitehead's "The Aims of Education" every Tuesday afternoon. At that time, I was obsessed with reading "The Drinking", and if I had left it to the nature of my mind, I might have been studying Plato. This was how I was led to the path of Whitehead's research.
At that time, I already had a certain reading pattern, and also had many years of teaching experience, and soon the book became "thick" with traces of my own experiences. Although I was reading The Purpose of Education at the time, I never imagined that I would spend so much time on this "White Sea" afterwards. It seems that I did not choose the Whitehead of my own accord, but rather the Whitehead philosophy chose me.
During that summer vacation, I went to Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang with my teachers to attend the 9th Sino-US Process Summer Academy, where I encountered Americanprocess thinkers Prof. Bob Mesle, Prof. Barbara Mesle, Dr. Kevin Clark, Ms. Angela Donnelly,Ph.D student John Becker as well as Chinese process philosophers Dr.Wang Zhihe Wang andDr. Meijun Fan. Although it was only a weeklong academy, it was very rewarding. In some sense, it changed my life.
My education started from a college degree, and my English was very poor. I was not able to speak everyday English in class, but I was bravely speaking in English with my hands and feet when discussing educational topics and Whitehead's philosophy. Speaking English may be a bit like drinking and getting drunk; once you've started you have nothing to worry about. If I had the opportunity to live in an English-speaking environment for a while, my English would probably be ok because I'm not afraid to speak.
By the way, I can translate The Purpose of Education not because of my good English. I can't even compare with any of the translation software. My translation of The Purpose of Education is based on my understanding of Whitehead. It is possible to know every word a philosopher uses without understanding their meaning. But because I have studied Whithead's concepts, I am more suitable to translate his words than someone who might have better general English skills.
One particularly noteworthy thing happened during the summer school. During a group discussion, an American teacher Kevin was talking. I didn't understand English at all, but I felt in my heart that I understood what he meant. Then I repeated it in Chinese, and the teacher said I was right, even though he barely knew Chinese. Then Teacher Fan (who understood both Chinese and English) came to confirm that, yes, we understood each other. This wonderful experience dispelled all my concerns about learning English. Expression is based on emotions. Even if you don't speak the language, understanding can still happen in a magical way.
I think the instructors at the two events I attended, Prof. Bob and Prof. Barbara, did a great job with the content of the course, the choice of the format, the timing of the course, and the art of navigating the classroom. I was transformed from a teacher to a student and was inspired by this teaching format.
After the summer school, students were required to write an English paper to submit to the teachers, and I received help from the teachers in many ways, such as a small note, a long-distance phone call, or an email. The teachers always responded to my letters, which made me feel very warm. Probably because of my relentless communication and hard work in revising, I won the third prize in the English essay competition of the summer school despite my poor English.
If the reading is informed by the literature, then communication with these excellent Whitehead scholars is also important literature. I am so grateful to the teachers for their enlightenment, encouragement, and sincere help in gaining real access to these Whitehead scholars and to the practice of Whitehead in really life.
Romantic interest inevitably drives one to go to precision, to want to really hold onto something. If I only read Whitehead's The Aims of Education, I would not be able to explain The Aims of Education at all - because it lacks a holistic understanding and a connected perspective. My goal is not to read one Whitehead book, but to study Whitehead's ideology of Organic Education and so I will study each of Whitehead's books, including his most profound writings.
Whitehead's Process and Reality, which is comparable in difficulty to Kant's three major critiques, is even more unattainable for me. I chose Professor Bob's "Process-Relational Philosophy: A Brief Introduction to Alfred North Whitehead" as my introductory book. A few of my classmates set up a Sophia book club to read it in both English and Chinese.
We persevered with this little book club with great courage. On those days when the weather was cold and we no heating, when it rained and snowed, I carried my computer on my back, traveled through bus stations from South to North of the Yangtze River, reading Bob's book diligently in both English and Chinese - the book was literally falling to pieces.
And so we read "The Aims of Education" along with the teacher while reading the introductory book. This book, which now seems fluid and easy, was at one time a difficult book for me to read. This reading was a gradual process that went from being incredibly difficult to sometimes going smoothly and sometimes feeling like we were gnawing hard bone. It took us more than six months to finish the book and lay a solid foundation for a better understanding of Whitehead. We are encouraged when we receive letters from Bob. The book was later brought to the United States by the teacher and given to Bob. Looking back at the journey, it was difficult and hard, but it was beautiful and good.
With the support from Professor Yang Li, our book club has been moved to the teacher's office, which was spacious, bright and warm. The members of the club were also expanded, and the content of readings was adjusted accordingly. At that time, we read Taylor also in the Chinese and English version. I don't know where our confidence came from, but all of us could only speak Chinglish at the time, especially me, who didn't even have a CET4 certificate, but we persevered. After reading Taylor, we read Dewey.
I read these books, but my main focus was still Whitehead, and because of the readings and comparisons, I became more determined to the Whitehead study. It is only in such comparative reading that I truly appreciate how good Whitehead is. It is like finding your own sail after a thousand sails, finding your own beauty in a pile of beauties.
If I started out reading Whitehead along with the flow, I am now actively engaged in Whitehead reading as time goes on here. Whitehead has lightened up my mind. I felt a sense of mission calling me to study Whitehead.
Some teachers and students have questioned Whitehead's thinking, which is an idea with everything in it. And I want to make it clear that Whitehead's organic thought is very systematic, not elusive and inscrutable, and I want to prove to people that his philosophy of education is not only lifelike, but also profound.
There were some teachers and students who questioned us for being "unprofessional" and felt that Whitehead had nothing to do with our major (curriculum and pedagogy). It was around this time that it became clear to me that Whitehead's studies were not only related to our major, but also had a very direct and deep connection to it. I wanted to prove to people that there should be a place for Whitehead in the history of curriculum theory. This is one of the major motivations for me to do Whitehead studies.
Walking on the Way (Dao)
Like a diligent farmer plowing the earth, I read every Whitehead book I could get my hands on, day in and day out, gnawing on it, word for word, reading it over and over again. If I couldn't get through a book, I had to work on it again and again. When I traveled far, I always took a box of Whiteheads with me, just like the ancient scholars. In the first year of my graduation, I did 160,000 words of basic writing and almost made the prototype of my thesis.
On the Internet (Classical QQ Reading group), I read "The Aims of Education" with friends from all over the world. Before that, I read Whitehead's "The Aims of Education" time and time again on my own, and my teacher was also organizing students to read "The Aims of Education" together with her graduate class. This time around, the reach of the mind extended to deeper subtleties. The reading group was very important to me because of the length of time it took and the fact that it took up a larger part of my life. The only regret is that Mr. Yang Xiaohong, who was in the reading group and did not see my translation of "The Aims of Education" published, passed away. During reading together, the words, either complimentary or reassuring, made me feel that Mr. Xiao Hong had expectations of me and that I should try to be worthy of those expectations. Many of my reading buddies became my reading buddies for other books, and the relationship continued.
In 2016, our reading group as a whole was selected as the Person of the Year, and the editorial board of the "Monthly Teacher" magazine of East China Normal University awarded us a crystal clear trophy, which is kept here with me.
Reading is the least deceiving. What you have read is what you have read, licked through is licked through, the deeper you read, the deeper you reflect. Even if you read the guideline or someone else's second-hand information, someone else's is always someone else's. Only what you have read belongs to you. I have a grounded understanding of the purpose of education, probably because I am not a stupid person, and have read it long enough and often enough. During my studies, if I read a sentence from The Purpose of Education, I would open the book and instantly find the page and the sentence. I don't remember it as accurately now as I did then, and it's better than a lot of people who just browsed through the book.
Reading is about a personalized aesthetic experience, and I had wanted to translate "The Aims of Education" when I first read it, during my reading group, this desire became even more intense.
In 2018, I happened to talk to Mr Ling Zongwei about my desire to translate "The Aims of Education," fearing that no publisher would hire a little-known person like me. He recommended the East China Normal University Press for me, and President Peng Chengjun asked me to translate one chapter, and after reading it, he was willing to trust me and gave me a publishing contract. The dream that i had never dared to think about came true overnight. It was like a man making a wish and the whole world is helping him.
Since then, I have been working on this dream day after day, night after night. Sometimes all morning long, trying to figure out a sentence. Sometimes, I would think all morning in order to figure out one sentence. Sometimes I struggle with several translations, changing the word first and then replacing them all with another word. The progress of the translation was sometimes negative, in and out, and it was only drafted in 2019. It has been published, but there are still shortcomings and adjustments to be made. Hopefully I've been growing along the way and I will have the opportunity to do more to promote Whitehead research.
I've posted a couple of small articles related to Whitehead, but firstly, I was not yet ready, and secondly, I needed to focus on the selected topic, and there was a word limit, which was not ideal. Then I stopped publishing them and just wrote them in silence, or typed them in silence, waiting for them to come to fruition. I was not in a hurry, because I want to think and live like Whitehead. Whitehead is also a man who is willing to mature in his later years, so that what he had already discussed in his twenties is not written until he is in his sixties, which is what makes him Whitehead. Life moves on. If you write later, you can expect it longer, and it will be more beautiful when you get what you want.
I, an insignificant person, because of my proximity to such a great philosopher as Whitehead, seem to have found the center of gravity in my life. Now I am calm and relaxed, just as a fully loaded pontoon will not be blown over by the wind and waves.
Life is like that, and that is the way Dao goes. Stay true to the Dao, live up to your fate, happily lead this life.
(Translator: Margaret Cheng and Barbara Mesle)
[1] Ms. Zhonghui Yang, a translator of The Ames of Education by Whitehead, now is a middle school physics teacher. She got her master degree in education from Harbin Normal University.


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About Us
Because we disliked other cases!There are thousands of phone cases out there and we don't know what phone case to choose. We think about what people need in a phone case: slim, light, protective, and never turn yellow over time. And we could not find a case that satisfies us. We spend months to find a solution. Finally, with help from experts, we discover Armour Plastic. It's an improved variant of PP plastic (hard plastic), it has the perfect hardness to withstand drops and absorb shock at the same time. We made it into Slimcase, a phone case that satisfies most people, including you. We like to think of Slimcase as the only phone case that you will ever need.
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The Art of the Deal: South Street Part 1
"Perhaps the most misunderstood concept in all of real estate is that the key to success is location, location, location…First of all, you don't necessarily need the best location. What you need is the best deal." – Donald Trump, The Art of the Deal Welcome back! Last post, I talked about how to run the… Read More The Art of the Deal: South Street Part 1


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Blog Archives
Cracked, Part 2
Yesterday I wrote about cracking my phone screen on Saturday (Cracked – https://thewannabesaint.com/2018/10/28/cracked-3/). Today, however, I discovered I didn't crack my screen at all it was the screen protector that cracked like a spider web on top of the screen. The screen protector did its job, was a worthy investment, and the next Verizon store I come across I'll be buying another one!
It was a shock to see the screen protector was damaged and not the actual phone screen. It reminded me of attending a week-long seminar about the importance of raising children, being raised ourselves, and living presently in a safe, nurturing, environment. The woman who taught the class, named Michelle, said that all of us, especially babies and young children, need the protection, the shield, of a parent's love, a welcoming and supportive home, other people in our lives who will affirm our worth.
These essentials are protective layers that wrap around us and teach us how to be resilient. When tough times come, and they always do, our layers will help us have the strength to meet challenges and difficulties head on without lasting damage being done to our core selves.
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
Stalking –
"Waiting on a hurricane is like being stalked by a homicidal turtle!" I read this statement the other day and thought it was humorous and true. My wife and I have friends up and down the east coast and they are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best with Hurricane Florence looming as she's still deciding when and where to make landfall. The slow-moving storm has people on edge. There's something to be said for a challenge or difficulty that comes out of nowhere to cause chaos in life and then goes as fast as it came. It's hard but at least one doesn't have the agony of waiting.
I was talking with a friend last night about depression and anxiety and the way they steal the joy out of life. It's a dark storm that hovers filling you with dread as you prepare for the full brunt of the fury. You wait, you pray, you look for signs of the storm passing but it stays in one place and never gives you a true moment's rest. Your strength is sapped by the anxiety of the approaching darkness and when the storm finally hits its wave and winds batter and beat you into submission. Rest is elusive when something is stalking you, wearing you out with threats and anticipation, and finally, when it strikes, you're too weak to fight back.
Be kind to each other. You never know the storms that are brewing in each of us.
For more posts, reflections, and other writings, please visit: http://www.thewannabesaint.com
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
Life Finds a Way
Life Finds a Way –
Outside of our bathroom window, there is a huge limb that was torn down by a massive thunderstorm last year. I was able to get most of its almost twenty-five-foot length sawed off and hauled away but the chainsaw I used stopped working. It was my intent to get to the last, biggest, ten-foot portion of it but never did. Yesterday, while mowing the grass, I noticed there was a plant growing out of the long-dead limb. What was lifeless and useless had become home to new life.
Today is a friend's birthday. It is a bittersweet day because it is the first one she's had in over forty years that she cannot share with her partner who passed away. It has been a hard day for her. She has friends who are looking after her, a family that's doing their best to care but it's not the same. There's not an hour that goes by she doesn't think about him. Not a day where her heart doesn't ache from the hole death has left in her life. However, in the midst of loss, new growth has begun. It's slow and most days unrecognizable but it's there; a new courage and a new strength. The new life doesn't replace the loss. It grows partly because of and in spite of it.
In the midst of heartbreak that is this world, life finds a way.
For more posts, reflections, poems, and other writings please visit www.thewannabesaint.com
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
Sharp –
This morning the pastor began his sermon by quoting my favorite Psalm;
"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
He had my attention. Then the reverend told the story of a logger challenging another to a contest of chopping down trees. "The one with the most chopped wood at the end is the winner." The challenged accepted and they met the following morning at dawn. The challenger yelled; "Go!" and began swinging his axe with all his might and at great speed. The challenged swung his axe at a steady, but slower, rate. The challenger went as hard as he could all morning, ate a short lunch, and then resumed his feverish pace until the sunset. He knew he had won. How could he not? His speed, strength, and stamina were unmatched by the challenged. In fact, during the day, when he'd stop to wipe his brow, it seemed every time he looked the other logger was sitting down and resting. However, when both men looked at the two piles the challenger was flabbergasted and admitted his opponent's pile of wood was bigger than his. "How could that be?" he asked. "I worked longer, stronger and faster!" "True,' said the winner; 'but when I rested I was sharpening my axe."
A simple but important lesson. Sometimes we are so fixated on "what we have to do!" that we forget to rest. We are overworked and overwhelmed. What we need is rest. Rest restores the body, mind, and spirit. In our culture, resting is frowned upon. This is because we've forgotten the difference between being at rest and being lazy.
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
He was trying his best to reach the last few boxes of Crunch 'n Munch on the store shelves. I was checking off items on my list and heard him jumping. I turned around and asked the boy; "You got it?" He responded in the affirmative as he grabbed one and took it down. Another second and he was jumping again. I was about to leave when a meek voice rang in my ears; "Can you help me?" "Sure,' I replied, walked over, grabbed the next to the last box and handed it to him. 'Do you want the other one?'" He shook his head "no" and then ran out of sight. I smiled and hoped he enjoyed his snack.
I reflected on the young boy's attempt to attain what was out of reach and how easy it was for me to go over, grab it and hand it to him. I thought about how some things are easy for some and harder for others. What might take all the strength one has to barely, perhaps never, accomplish a difficult task, others can do effortlessly. At first glance, it might not seem fair but I think it highlights our need for each other. We are made to work together, to be the strength to another's weakness, to give courage when one is about to give up, to be their legs to help them stand, their hands to grab or let go, to connect when all else seems distant and unattainable. Of course, it works the other way when we are in need as well. Only together can we fully live and accomplish all we were meant to be.
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
Balancing Act
Balancing Act –
There is an area in our yard next to the road that is tricky to mow. It is a sharp incline and in order to the get the job done the mower and the rider has to be at a steep angle. When I mow this particular spot in the yard I sit halfway on the seat with my body leaning in the opposite direction of the incline. The balance has to be perfect. Too far off the seat the mower doesn't sense enough pressure on the seat and shuts off. Don't lean far enough and there's a chance the mower and rider could topple over. It's a twenty-five yard long, difficult and dangerous, balancing act.
Life is also a balancing act. We live in perilous times. All one has to do is turn on the television, log online, and get the sense our families, communities, nations, and world is one mistake from toppling over into a dangerous place and we may not recover.
The problem is balance. Sides are chosen, political parties picked, litmus tests are given, judgments made and those on the other side, even ones seeking a middle way, are labeled as; "the enemy." I don't know if we are going to make it back from the edge of disaster but I do know it takes more strength to listen than to ignore, to understand than to shout down, to accept than to reject, to see others as us than 'less than,' to find balance than to demand conformity.
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
Surfing or Drowning
Surfing or Drowning –
I just finished reading an article from seven years ago today about a father and son who were killed by a drunk driver. The mom shared it on social media and the heartache is still present and the wound raw. I can't imagine the pain. I knew the father a little. He was in our church's youth group. He was a few years older than me but always seemed cool. He was an athlete. He ran, biked, swam, and surfed. The morning dad and son were killed they were training for a triathlon. The father was named after his father and the son carried on the tradition. He was the III.
How do you have hope in the midst of such loss? How do you not drown in sorrow? How do you not get lost in such darkness? I don't think there's an easy answer. Quips and quotes don't begin to address the brokenness and reveal our lack of intimacy with death. We do everything we can to avoid it. Most of us try to prolong our lives by any means necessary. When death finally does come we are quick to make the arrangements, organize a memorial or funeral service and push past it as fast as possible. But even then, death finds a way to corner us, trap us, confront us. After the hustle and bustle of meals, flowers, sympathy cards, and services we find ourselves alone when death, misery, mourning, comes calling.
Experts tell us that when we are caught in a riptide to not fight the current or it will surely drown its victim. Let it grab you and then slowly, moving parallel to the shore, slip from its grip. I think this is how we deal with the loss of those we love. There's no escaping and fighting and refusing to acknowledge its power end in certain defeat. To allow it take hold, scare us, shake our faith, sweep our "normal" life away, but not giving up is the key. Slowly our strength returns, we regain our bearings, we slip from its grip, rise above the waters and live.
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
Problems –
There are three kinds of problems; those we can live with, those we can do something about and those we must separate ourselves from.
It's the last one which gives us the most trouble. Living with something aggravating and, at least in the present moment, is unchangeable can be a challenge. Fortunately, or unfortunately, we can tolerate a lot. This approach can create more hassles if something needs to be changed and we lack the direction, motivation or passion to do something.
Taking control, bending problems to our will, throwing our shoulder into a problem is an attitude we find easy. There's nothing like grabbing a difficulty by the throat and forcibly doing away with it, changing it to our liking. The risk here is we can make a situation worse if we are too hasty, too stubborn or not wise enough in our decision-making.
Leaving it, for most of us, takes the greatest strength. To be faced with a problem and not change it but change ourselves, how we approach it, takes courage and trust. When we put up with it we are sullen and prone to negative thoughts and spirits. When we take hold of it and wrestle with it, we feel we are in control. When we decide to let go, step back, allow the problem to exist and find contentment at the same time, we have reached a place of genuine spiritual and intellectual maturity.
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
Flowers –
Turning on the porch light yesterday I spotted a basket with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and fruit. This was one example of the flowers and plants that have been delivered, brought to the memorial service, delivered by courier to our family over the last several days. Each one comes with heartfelt condolences, sweet words, kind thoughts, and prayers. We have appreciated and placed every one of them in a prominent place in the house. I told my wife and mom today the living room looked like a botanical garden.
What's interesting is many of these plants and flowers are in the process of dying. They are eye-catching, smell wonderful, and fill the house with color, but make no mistake, they are dying. From the time the designer cut the stems on the roses, carnations, lilies, sunflowers, and many more, they began to die. They were placed in water and other sponge-like materials to make them last as long as possible but eventually, they will wilt and be thrown away.
This happens to all living things. There is the moment of birth, growth, blossoming and adorning the world with beauty and life. However, as soon as each living thing is born it begins to die. It can be from lack of care and pass sooner or it can receive lots of attention and adoration and hopefully live a long fruitful life. However, either way, its time will come when it will be no more.
This last week has been a reminder of how soon things pass. On the way home from the memorial service for my dad yesterday I remarked to my mom; "No matter who you are or what you are going through, you always think you have more time than you do."
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
Brightly –
The sun was shining brightly today as if it had been hidden by clouds and couldn't take it anymore. Bursting through, nothing holding it back, it lit up the blue sky. Now, after showing off, the sun is setting and only remnants of light remain of its beauty.
I have a friend going through a difficult time, battling a disease that will sooner or later kill him. He's doing everything he can but our bodies are not made to last forever nor beat every enemy we face. I talked with him today on the phone and his voice sounded stronger than in days past. It was good to hear and I laughed as he told me one of his jokes. The last several weeks have been tough, watching him struggle, rise to meet one challenge only to be met by a new and a more difficult obstacle. No one can keep going no matter how much strength they possess.
Today for a moment he shone brightly and I will keep that memory with me as he moves forward.
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
the Other
the Other –
Last night I was speaking to a group of men and we were discussing the needs men have to develop self-awareness. I told them; "Self-awareness is the ability to look into a mirror and see yourself for who you truly are, the good, the not so good, areas where you excel and places in you which need improving. The ability to know yourself is the first step in understanding what needs to be done to become the man you should be."
Knowing, accepting and loving yourself is also the key to loving others. Unless we've learned to see ourselves; flaws, hang-ups, habits, hurts and love ourselves we will be incapable of truly loving others. Often times our shortcomings and failings cause us to judge ourselves more harshly than we'd ever do to others. We stew in our self-hatred and weaknesses. This corrupts us from the inside out and results in a distorted view of ourselves which bleeds over into the way we see the world and the people in it.
It is only when we accept who we are, all of who we are, and love what we like and don't like can we be free of a soul that is bitter and barren. Released from the prison which contains our hearts we find that others, like us, are frail and broken. We recognize the same limitations and discover in each other the strength to travel the path of life together.
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
Servant – Soldier
Servant or Soldier –
In worship this morning the phrase servant not soldier was used when describing those who follow the Master, Jesus. These words have stuck with me all day. Too often I hear colloquialisms; "fighting the good fight or fight for your personal rights, soldiers for in God's army, fighting for those who cannot fend for themselves, fighting for your political party, fighting for (sometimes with) your family, fighting sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, racism, fighting for equality. The list could go on but I noticed there aren't too many servant phraseologies we use.
I think we are more comfortable with the idea of fighting, exerting power, pushing back against something we feel is invading our worlds. Fighting comes from a place of strength. Being a servant make us more uneasy. We don't like the possibility of being taken advantage, of someone being over us, of putting down our fists instead of raising them. We live in a time where standing up for what we believe in seems the correct and just path. I wonder where/if there is a balance between soldiering and serving? Is there a side which needs choosing, we should choose?
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
Heart Hunger
Heart Hunger –
This afternoon I attended a meeting where a speaker talked about babies born being addicted to drugs. The mothers of these soon to be born children were addicts of both prescribed and unprescribed drugs and when the baby emerged from the womb it too craved the narcotics.
It was heartbreaking to hear the stories of some of the moms. 85% were on welfare, didn't have much in the way of education, lived in poverty and were receiving the help of many community and national organizations. What was even sadder was the moms knew their addictions were harming their unborn child and yet couldn't break the cycle. The addiction had overtaken the heart of the mother and superseded their instincts to care for their soon to be born child. The hunger for being a good mom was less than the appetite for the drugs.
Our hearts, the souls, and spirits of us are powerful. They can give us the strength to overcome the greatest of challenges and reach heights unthinkable or take us to the depths of hell and nightmares unimaginable. Wisdom teaches us to choose today who we will be tomorrow. Choose carefully because our decisions mean life or suffering and death.
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
Free –
On Monday I wrote about installing a light for a friend on a high wall of a building (Highs & Unknowns) (https://thewannabesaint.com/2017/06/25/highs-and-unknowns/). It was hot on that ladder and my hands and arms were dripping sweat as a vent from the building blew out hot air making it even more stifling.
I'm not a big fan of heights but I made the decision to go up and not look down. I had a hand towel to dry off my hands, arms, and forehead and used it to get a better grip on the light and keep the sweat out of my eyes….all for a friend unable to make the climb.
When we take on a burden from a friend, when we set out to help someone, we do it, hopefully, out of love, kindness, and concern. The challenge becomes when, if, the burden become greater than we realized. The decision must be made repeatedly to continue to carry on, not give up, look for the extra strength needed, to not give up or give in until the burden can be laid down and both are free.
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
Powerless –
One of the hardest things to do in life is to admit we are powerless. It's not in our DNA. We are overcomers. We make a way where there isn't a way. We will not be conquered, helpless, ineffectual, useless, defenseless, defeated.
However, there are times when we have no choice. In spite of our defiance and indomitable spirit, we must admit we cannot win, change or alter a situation.
Wisdom tells us that submission can at times be our greatest strength. It is when we are still, not struggling, we find our way to peace and contentment. There is a difference between being physically or emotionally powerless and having the ability to know the fight isn't ours to win.
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
Changing Course
Changing Course –
Changing course is never easy. I was speaking with some men today and we were talking about our ability to make course corrections, live life in transition, embrace the transient nature of reality.
Even though I lecture on the changes that life is made up of, I am one who is not comfortable with transitions. Some people are; "go with the flow" kind of folks. I am a dam up the stream, stop and enjoy the view type of person! However, I also know that water becomes stagnant, contaminated, stale and useless.
Life isn't made to be still which is why the stillness we seek needs to be deeper than what seems real on the surface. It is in the depths of our souls where peace and strength are found to handle and perhaps even enjoy the quick pace and fast changes life brings our way.
@BrianLoging (Twitter)


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Also In Global Health News: Kenya Approves Constitution; Angola Vaccinates Against Polio; Misoprostol In Kenya; Preventing HIV In IDUs
Kenya Approves Constitution In Peaceful Election
"Kenyans voted in favour of a new constitution in a peaceful referendum that could reshape the political landscape of east Africa's largest economy, partial results showed on Thursday," Reuters writes. The new constitution "addresses the corruption, political patronage, land-grabbing and tribalism which have plagued Kenya since it won independence from Britain in 1963" (Obulutsa/Kanina, 8/5). The constitution also changes abortion laws in the country (Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, 8/4).
Angola Steps Up Polio Vaccine Efforts
Nearly 400,000 children under age 5 "will be vaccinated" against polio in Angola's southern province, AngolaPress reports. The effort is the second phase of an immunization campaign "promoted by the Broad Vaccine Programme" (8/5). A third phase will occur in September aiming to reach "5.6 million children under the age of five," according to a UNICEF press release. Angola's ministry of health has reported 19 cases of polio so far this year and "global experts have expressed concern about further spread in the region and the high cost of conducting emergency response campaigns" (8/4).
Kenya OB-GYN Society Endorses Misoprostol For Hemorrhaging; Expert Calls For Government Guidelines
Kenya's Obstetrics and Gynaecological Society is "pushing for recognition of the drug known as misoprostol," but one health expert says controversy surrounding "its use to procure abortions has clouded its merits" in the country, Inter Press Service reports. Joachim Osur, with women's health organization Ipas, said misoprostol "which retails across the counter for as little as 240 shillings (roughly $3) will help save the lives of many women who die from post-partum bleeding or unsafe abortions" and believes the drug should be available in community health centers. He also "argues that the health ministry should come up with guidelines expanding the approved use of the drug while ensuring it can only be obtained from health facilities" (Anyangu-Amu, 8/4).
Ukrainian HIV/AIDS Activists Allege Intimidation, Imprisonment Of Doctors And Patients
Inter Press Service reports that Ukranian doctors legally providing substitution drugs to injecting drug users are "facing illegal police intimidation and imprisonment," according to HIV/AIDS advocates. "Two doctors have been arrested, medical centres treating drug users raided by police, and drug users receiving substitute treatments detained en masse in a series of recent concerning events," IPS reports. The article includes statistics on Ukraine's HIV epidemic, "one of the fastest-growing" in the world, and comments from international and local advocates, including Andriy Klepikov, director of the International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Ukraine, which has "documented dozens of cases of human rights abuses of patients and medical staff" (Stracansky, 8/4).This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.