My Bionic Pet

PBS Nature series episode from April 2014 (original airing) -- shown on local affiliate WNIT-TV:

My Bionic Pet

Premiere date: April 9, 2014 |

The animals of the world may increasingly need our help with big issues like preserving habitat or species conservation. But sometimes individual animals need our help as well. Left disabled without fins, flippers, beaks, or tails because of disease, accidents, or even human cruelty, these unfortunate creatures need what amounts to a miracle if they are to survive. Luckily for them, sometimes miracles do happen. Amazing prosthetics made possible by the latest engineering and technology are able to provide just what they need, and scientists are finding that innovations created in the process are benefiting both animals and humans. We will meet these inspiring animals and the remarkable individuals whose work has helped them live their lives again.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/my-bionic-pet-my-bionic-pet/8696/

June 1 - 5, 2015 Musicians / Storytellers (Free Concert series) - South Bend IN

Five local groups and solo musicians / artists for first week of June, 2015:

Schedule

Monday, June 1
Kent Arnsbarger: Island Sounds/Steel Drum
Tuesday, June 2
Julia James: Soulful Acoustics
Wednesday, June 3
David James: Irish/American
Thursday, June 4
joHn Kennedy: Irish Songs/Stories
Fridays by the Fountain - June 5
Kennedy's Kitchen: Irish Songs

soloists, duets and small groups will perform free acoustical concerts (weather permitting) from
11:45 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. Downtown workers and visitors are invited to take a seat in Studebaker Plaza, at the southwest corner of Jefferson and Michigan Street. Grab lunch from a nearby restaurant or bring your own, then enjoy it while taking in the tunes!
https://downtownsouthbend.com/red-table-plaza

May 31, 2015 Prayer (EMPOWER OUR LAWMAKERS TO BE INSTRUMENTS OF YOUR WILL) - also "The Serenity Prayer"

from Transcript posted at C-Span dot-org (5/31/2015, afternoon):

LET US PRAY. O GOD, OUR ROCK AND OUR FORTRESS, THANK YOU FOR GUIDING OUR

THE CHAPLAIN LIVES. WITHOUT THE UNFOLDING OF YOUR LOVING PROVIDENCE, WE WOULD MISS LIFE'S MUSIC. LORD, YOU HAVE SET OUR FEET ON SOLID GROUND AND DELIVERED US FROM OUR ENEMIES. YOU HAVE KEPT US FROM SORROW AND SIGHING, FOR WE TRUST YOU EVEN IN LIFE'S STORMS. EMPOWER OUR LAWMAKERS TO BE INSTRUMENTS OF YOUR WILL. REMIND THEM THAT THEIR TIMES ARE IN YOUR HANDS, AS YOU SAVE THEM IN YOUR STEADFAST LOVE. GIVE THEM SERENITY TO ACCEPT WHAT THEY CANNOT CHANGE AND COURAGE TO CHANGE WHAT THEY CAN. WE PRAY IN YOUR HOLY NAME. AMEN. http://www.c-span.org/video/?326227-1/us-senate-debate-nsa-surveillance

Born on this date: Clint Eastwood, Jr.

from IMDb Biography [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000142/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm]

Date of Birth:	31 May 1930 San Francisco, California, USA
Birth Name:	Clinton Eastwood Jr.

The Giving Pledge (Buffet, Gates, 133 others)

from Rebecca Jarvis segment on THIS WEEK (ABC News go-dot-com):
Over the past five years, Buffett and Gates have convinced 133 others to sign on to the Giving Pledge. "We had no idea we'd get this many people to come together," Gates, 59, told ABC News.

Both try to convince billionaires to spend their money as early as possible. "The sooner the better. We're always encouraging people that it's fun," Gates said.

Chobani yogurt founder Hamdi Ulukaya, a recent signee to the pledge, will put his money toward a charity helping refugees around the world.

"You can save life, you can make somebody's life better," Ulukaya said. "Why would we put it somewhere and wait for 50 years, and 70 years while you can do it right now?"

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/worlds-wealthiest-donate-billions-giving-pledge/story?id=31427115

May 30, 11 p.m. Austin City Limits re-broadcast of a 1983 appearance of B.B. King

Encore: B.B. King May 30th

photo by Scott Newton

Once again for the first time, welcome to the Austin City Limits stage: the King of the Blues, Mr. B.B. King.
“B.B. King personified blues music for the whole world,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona, “but when he first appeared on Austin City Limits in 1983 it was rare for a blues artist to command a full hour on national television.” In honor of the late, undisputed King of the Blues, ACL is proud to bring that iconic hour out from the vault and back to television for the first time in 22 years.
The first of two legendary appearances on ACL, King’s debut episode was recorded in 1982 and originally broadcast in 1983 as part of Season 8. The 11-song set spans the length and breadth of his career to that point, from his then-new album Love Me Tender (including “Since I Met You, Baby” and the title track, a cover of the Elvis Presley classic) to his own standards “Everyday I Have the Blues” and “The Thrill is Gone.” In a powerhouse performance, King hits full-force with a voice that is neither harsh nor sweet, that bends, like his fingers, with each note.
http://acltv.com/?s=B.B+King

The Giving Pledge (May 31, 2015) - 9 a.m. Eastern Time Zone

On ABC News Sunday morning Politics / World Affairs forum:
billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates discuss the Giving Pledge, five years after its launch.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/sunday-week-maryland-governor-martin-omalley/story?id=31403261

Red Bud MX National (May 30 - 31, 2015) -- at Buchanan, Michigan, USA

SATURDAY RACE CANCELED DUE TO RAIN.
Sunday is on as planned; please check back for updates on Sunday.

FULL RACE PROGRAM both days,
with all the usual youth, A, B, C and Vet classes (for bikes and ATVs).

http://redbudmx.com/5-30-15.html

Henry David Thoreau on having a day that make living wothwhile

from WRITER's ALMANAC (American Public Media, Garrison Keillor):
Thoreau said: "To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts. Every man is tasked to make his life, even in its details, worthy of the contemplation of his most elevated and critical hour."

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Arlington Cemetery) -- on this date in history

ON THIS DAY On May 30, 1958, unidentified soldiers killed in World War II and the Korean conflict were buried at Arlington National Cemetery. NY TIMES dot-com

A notable achievement for human endurance -- on this date in 1953

ON THIS DAY

On May 29, 1953, Mount Everest was conquered as Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and sherpa Tenzing Norgay of Nepal became the first climbers to reach the summit.
www.nytimes.com/

Black-legged Ticks -- Emerging Disease Threat (Lyme Disease)

Cases have now been reported in both Michigan's upper and lower peninsula and are increasing. It is anticipated that the number of cases reported will continue to increase due to public and medical personnel education, and expanding tick ranges.  It is always prudent, to use precautions when recreating in wooded areas.  Over the counter products containing DEET or permethrins ARE EFFECTIVE against ticks.

Since its discovery in the early 1980's, Lyme disease has become the most reported vector-borne disease in the United States.  In 2000, approximately 16,000 cases were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  This increase in cases is due to many factors, including (but not limited to):

• Increased surveillance and understanding of the disease system
• The movement of people out of cities into more rural environments brings them into close proximity with the preferred habitat of the black-legged tick
• Forest fragmentation and increasing deer populations
• Dispersal of the black-legged tick into new, receptive habitats

Lyme disease is now endemic (prevalent) in the Northeast and much of the North Central United States including Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Pennsylvania.  Lyme disease is also endemic in the Northwest United States, being vectored by Ixodes pacificus, the western black-legged tick. Historically, the only endemic region in Michigan has been Menominee County in the Upper Peninsula, bordering a highly endemic region of Wisconsin.  Recently, however, populations of infected black-legged ticks have been found in Western Lower Michigan.

http://www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases/0,4579,7-186-25890-75866--,00.html

Capital Punishment (trend as far as Death Penalty legislation in U.S. 2015) -- from Religion & Ethics Newsweekly posting

Today (May 27, 2015) the legislature of the state of Nebraska repealed the death penalty, overriding the governor’s veto. http://wapo.st/1LKX00U It is the first conservative state in more than four decades to abolish the death penalty. A group of Nebraska religious leaders called for an end to the death penalty earlier this month at a news conference in Omaha.

High School Baccalaureate (Wednesday May 27, 2015)

Niles (MI) High School -- 7 p.m. -- in High School Gymnasium;

High School Graduation

Thursday, 5/28/2015 7:00 p.m.

President Andrew Johnson was impeached but not convicted -- On this day in history -- May 26

from NYTIMES dot-com posting:

ON THIS DAY

On May 26, 1868, the Senate impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson ended with his acquittal as the Senate fell one vote short of the two-thirds majority required for conviction.

Tuesday May 26, 10 a.m. Eastern -- 9 Clashing views on the U.S. Supreme Court

posted at Diane Rehm Show website (NPR dot-org):

The U.S. Supreme Court has only about a month before its current term ends. There are a number of high-profile cases the justices are deciding, including same-sex marriage, considered by many to be the biggest civil rights issue of our time. The court will also issue rulings critical to the future of the Affordable Care Act and inmates on death row. Another important case to be determined deals with the First Amendment and social media. The Court is divided on many of the issues, and the outcome of the justices’ deliberations will affect millions of Americans. We review the arguments before the Supreme Court and what we could see come June.

Guests

• Garrett Epps, professor of law, University of Baltimore; contributing writer and Supreme Court correspondent, TheAtlantic.com; author of To An Unknown God: Religious Freedom on Trial and American Justice 2014: Nine Clashing Visions on the Supreme Court.            
• Dahlia Lithwick, reporter, Slate.com
• Stuart Taylor, author and journalist; nonresident senior fellow, The Brookings Institution; co-author of Mismatch: How Affirmative Action Hurts Students It's Intended to Help, and Why Universities Won't Admit It.

A day of prayer for permanent peace (Proclamation for May 25) -- 11 a.m. -- National moment of remembrance

Today, we rededicate ourselves to commitments equal to the caliber of those who have rendered the highest service:  to support our troops with the resources they need to do their jobs; to never stop searching for those who have gone missing or are prisoners of war; to ensure all our veterans have access to the care and benefits they have earned and deserve; and to continue our constant work of building a Nation worthy of the heroes we honor today.
In honor of all of our fallen service members, the Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 11, 1950, as amended (36 U.S.C. 116), has requested the President issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe each Memorial Day as a day of prayer for permanent peace and designating a period on that day when the people of the United States might unite in prayer.  The Congress, by Public Law 106-579, has also designated 3:00 p.m. local time on that day as a time for all Americans to observe, in their own way, the National Moment of Remembrance.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Memorial Day, May 25, 2015, as a day of prayer for permanent peace, and I designate the hour beginning in each locality at 11:00 a.m. of that day as a time during which people may unite in prayer. 

I also ask all Americans to observe the National Moment of Remembrance beginning at 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day. I request the Governors of the United States and its Territories, and the appropriate officials of all units of government, to direct that the flag be flown at half-staff until noon on this Memorial Day on all buildings, grounds, and naval vessels throughout the United States and in all areas under its jurisdiction and control.  I also request the people of the United States to display the flag at half-staff from their homes for the customary forenoon period.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/05/22/presidential-proclamation-prayer-peace-memorial-day-2015

Farmers' Market (May 30, 2015) -- Niles, Michign Main Street (www.niles.org/)

Niles Farmer’s Market – Every Saturday

 

Fresh, locally grown fruit and vegetables

Walk up to Main Street in the parking lot by the Plaza and visit the Niles Farmer’s Market every Saturday morning from May to August. Get fresh, locally grown fruit and vegetables while visiting with your neighbors. Also see some of our local vendors, Niles Pie Company and Pamela Soap at the market.

Active Military and Veterans -- who are fans of the South Bend (IN) Cubs -- May 25, 2015

On Memorial Day, the South Bend Cubs are giving free tickets to active duty military and veterans for Military Appreciation Days.
Monday's game will begin at 2:05 p.m.
Fans must present a military ID to get two free tickets.
www.wndu.com/

Origin of Memorial Day -- as post-Civil War act of memorializing war dead -- not the anniversary of any battle

from WRITER's ALMANAC (American Public Media, Garrison Keillor):
Today is Memorial Day. It became a holiday after the Civil War, to honor the Union and Confederate soldiers who had died in battle, and after World War I it was extended to honor all United States soldiers who died in any war. Union general John Logan chose the 30th specifically because it was not the anniversary of any battle. But in 1968, Congress's Uniform Holidays Act severed the link between Memorial Day and the original date, changing it instead to "the last Monday in May" to allow for a three-day weekend. Some are opposed to the switch, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye; they believe people have lost sight of the original meaning of the holiday, a day for reconciliation and honor. It has lately become a holiday for families to remember anyone they have lost (veteran or otherwise), to lay flowers at gravesites, and, in later years, barbecue, shop, and watch the Indianapolis 500. For those unable to travel to the graves of their loved ones, there are websites like FindAGrave.com, where one can create a cyber-monument and leave a "virtual" note or bouquet.

Niles, Michigan Memorial Day Parade and cemetery service (May 25, 2015) - 10 a.m. Eastern

The Niles, MI parade will take place at 10 a.m. Monday beginning in downtown Niles. The line-up area has changed due to the ongoing project to restore the Main Street Bridge. Line-up will begin at 9 a.m. at Niles City Hall, located at 333. N. 2nd St., Niles, MI 49120.

“This is a very important parade for our community’s veterans,” said John Sly, American Legion Post 26 commander. “Let’s all turn out and show our country’s pride and support for all our veterans of past wars and all the soldiers that are in all our present day armed forces.”

The parade route will follow Main Street east to Silverbrook Cemetery where a service will take place. A wreath will be placed in the Veterans Circle and Pastor Jeff Whittaker will provide an opening and closing prayer. Sen. John Proos (MI State Senate, Lansing, MI)  is scheduled to speak and the Niles High School band will provide patriotic music.

www.leaderpub.com/ (Craig Haupert article for Niles Daily Star)

11 a.m. National Ceremony at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia) - May 25, 2015

The annual National Memorial Day Observance to honor America’s fallen military service members is scheduled for Monday, May 25, 2015 at Arlington National Cemetery.

 

The U.S. Army Military District of Washington will conduct a Presidential Armed Forces Full Honor Wreath-Laying Ceremony at 11 a.m. at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, to be followed by an observance program hosted by the Department of Defense in Arlington’s Memorial Amphitheater. A prelude by the United States Marine Band will begin in the amphitheater at 10:30 a.m.

 

Both the wreath-laying ceremony and the observance program are free and open to the general public.  No tickets are needed to attend these events.  Space is limited to standing room only for the wreath-laying ceremony and seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis in the amphitheater.  Attendees are encouraged to be at the Tomb of the Unknowns or seated in the amphitheater by 9:30 a.m.

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Plan-Your-Visit/Events-and-Ceremonies/ctl/Details/Mid/1223/ItemID/93?SkinSrc=[G]Skins/Arlington/2-Col

Federal Holidays (2015 from May 25 to December 25) - Archives dot-gov

Monday, May 25	Memorial Day
Friday, July 3 **	Independence Day
Monday, September 7	Labor Day
Monday, October 12	Columbus Day
Wednesday, November 11	Veterans Day
Thursday, November 26	Thanksgiving Day
Friday, December 25	Christmas Day

Health Care Career Open House (Community College Campus) -- Bertrand, LMC, Berrien County, MI - June 2, 2015, 5 - 7 p.m.

Health Care is one of the fastest growing industries in the U.S.  Learn how to start your health care career at Lake Michigan College’s Health Care Career Open House! Date: Tuesday, June 2, 2015 Time:  5 -7 p.m. Location: Bertrand Crossing Campus, 1905 Foundation Drive, Niles, MI 49120 (near the junction of U.S. 31 and U.S 12)
Job growth in the health care industry is expected to remain strong in southwest Michigan, and some careers can begin with less than one year of training. Learn About Accredited Programs in Dental Assisting, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Nursing Certified, Nursing Assistant, Medical Assisting, Phlebotomy … and more!
Enjoy light refreshments, get your questions answered by faculty, see live demonstrations, and learn about the program from current and former healthcare students. Be sure to apply to LMC and take assessment testing at the Open House! You’ll also be able to get a free oral health screening at the event, compliments of Dr. Michael Flewelling,…
Type of Event: Classes and Seminars. Ticket Link: http://tinyurl.com/ka9zgy4. Contact Name: Bertrand Crossing Campus. Contact Phone: (269) 695-1391.
Cost: Free and Open to the Public. Tuesday, June 2, 2015, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM. Bertrand Crossing Campus 1905 Foundation Drive, Niles, MI 49120 (near junction of U.S. 31 and U.S. 12).
www.lakemichigancollege.edu/

Counting the Omer

from ADAS Israel dot-org:
As we literally count the days towards Shavuot (May 23), the receiving of Torah, we will be physically "Counting the Omer" in the lobby @ Adas [2850 Quebec Street, NW
Washington, DC 20008] . If you pass by, you will see a jar with a stalk of wheat added each day in recognition of this waiting period. Stop by for a moment, count, meditate, breathe – and prepare your heart and mind for the gift of living, breathing Torah.

Population dives and climbs -- state of Michigan Census Dept. data (May 21, 2015)

from Michigan Live! online article:
Detroit, still the country's 18th largest city and easily the biggest in Michigan at 680,250 residents, continued to lose population in 2014, although at a slower rate than recent years.
Detroit shed an estimated 6,424 residents last year — about 1 percent of its population — and has lost an estimated 30,945 residents since 2010.
"We've seen Detroit losing population for a while now," said state Demographer Eric Guthrie. "Hopefully those populations losses are starting to be turn around. They're doing some things there."
Many of the state's biggest population gainers were townships — with Pittsfield in Washtenaw County and Meridian in Ingham County faring well in raw numbers — but Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor were notable exceptions to that trend.
Grand Rapids, Michigan's second-largest city, was the second biggest population gainer in 2014, adding an estimated 1,333 residents. It also ranks second in the state for total growth since 2010, adding an estimated 5,799 residents since that time.
http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2015/05/2014_census_michigan_cities.html#incart_river

Preview of the May Sky -- View of live images of deep space objects in the night sky 9 - 11 p.m. Sat. May 23, 2015 (Michiana Astronomical Society)

at SB150 dot-com activity website announcement pages:
Celebrating the night, members of Michiana Astronomical Society Inc. will set up telescopes on the Jefferson Street bridge for visitors to observe a few celestial highlights (http://www.nightwise.org/#!Preview-of-the-May-Sky/c17jj/54dc33de0cf2a105...). In the western twilight is a lovely alignment of Jupiter, a thin crescent moon, and Venus, while Saturn is emerging in the southeast. To the north, try to find the star Eltanin in Draco the Dragon, whose light left the star 150 years ago and is just now reaching South Bend. The first 150 visitors can make-and-take a star finder with Eltanin, South Bend's birthday star. Weather permitting, a team from SB150 Young Astronomers will be remotely controlling a 41-inch telescope at Yerkes Observatory to capture live images of deep space objects in the night sky - a time stamp commemorating South Bend's First Midnight of May 22, 1865.

Covering a city major street to make it "go green" (May 21)

SB150 Green

The Jefferson Boulevard Bridge will be sodded over and transformed into a giant park to relax and enjoy the views of the city and river. The design will also feature landscaping, up-cycled pallet pergolas, chalkboard walls and more.
Downtown South Bend, IN
Hours: Saturday, May 23, 2015: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 24, 2015: 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Visual Arts -- Pottery - Photography - Jewelry - Sculpture - Large-scale Sculpture

Artisan Alley (part of SB150 celebration)

Downtown South Bend, IN

All forms of local, visual artists-painting, photography, pottery, jewelry, sculpture, large-scale art, and beyond.

 

Saturday, 05/23/2015 - 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Reflection 65

Reposition Yourself Reflections (Atria Books, 2007) by T.D. Jakes (Pastor, The Potter's House, Houston, TX and online presence):  "The biblical passage (Luke 5: 4-7) is striking to me for several reasons.  It's interesting that Jesus tells Peter to "push out into deep water" as if perhaps Peter has been casting in the shallows.  Sometimes it's easy for us to stay in the safety of shallow water, splashing and casting, wading and wandering around, without ever risking deeper water.  We stay in one current position rather than asking for a promotion or applying elsewhere.  We resign ourselves to our present relationship even after it's clear to both parties that it's going nowhere.  Shallow water feels so much safer.  We can both see and touch the bottom.  But this apparent security also imposes limitations.  Just as in Simon Peter's case, we have to learn that the deeper water holds the fish!"
[online web presence maintained at www.tdjakes.com/ ]

"Row out farther, into the deep water, and drop your nets for a catch"

COMMON ENGLISH BIBLE translation (2011): Gospel according to Luke 5:2 - 4

Jesus saw two boats sitting by the lake.  The fishermen had gone ashore and were washing their nets.  Jesus boarded one of the boats, the one that belonged to Simon, then asked him to row out a little distance from the shore.  Jesus sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.  When he finished speaking to the crowds, Jesus said to Simon, "Row out farther, into the deep water, and drop your nets for a catch."

Lecture on Festivals in 1600s England

from FOLGER INSTITUTE (Washington, D.C.):

"May Games and Robin Hood: Festive Theatricality in Early Modern England"

Board Room

Friday, May 22, 2015, Noon

Erika T. Lin is a 2014–2015 Mellon Long-term Fellow at the Folger Shakespeare Library and an Associate Professor of English at George Mason University. Her fellowship project, "Seasonal Festivity and Commercial Performance in Early Modern England," reconstructs the performance dynamics of May games, Robin Hood gatherings, morris dances, and other early modern seasonal practices and analyzes their impact on the drama of Shakespeare and his contemporaries.

http://www.folger.edu/events/fellows-research-colloquia-erika-t-lin

Saturday May 30 -- Benefit for local Pre-School -- Niles, Michigan (13 S. Fourth Street)

FROM First Pres. of Niles, dot-org :

The Presbyterian Preschool

Rummage Sale (Basement and Parking Lot)

May 30th, 2015

from 9 a.m.  to 12 noon

FURTHER DETAILS: (Office telephone :

269-683-7600
firstchurch13@yahoo.com
Office Hours: M-F 8:30-12:30 and 1:30-3:00  )

High-tech Weather Buoy launched on Lake Michigan near Nuclear Plant (May 2015)

from Harbor Country web platform:
Indiana Michigan Power’s Cook Nuclear Plant has again launched its high-tech weather buoy in Lake Michigan. This year, in addition to making the extensive weather and water data available to the public online, there is also a camera providing still and video clips.

The buoy is equipped with a range of high-tech instruments that can transmit air temperature, wind speed and direction, water current speed and direction, wave height and water temperatures at several depths below the surface. The still images and video clips are taken once each hour and can also be accessed online to see the exact conditions out on the lake. Information about the buoy and a link to real-time data is available at http://bit.ly/cookbuoy and www.CookInfo.com.

The buoy was originally launched in 2011 by Cook to collect data for a two-year water intake study at the plant. The data was made available to the public and became so popular with recreational boaters and fishing enthusiasts that Cook has continued to launch the buoy each spring even though the water intake study is complete. “We know that boaters love the data, and the addition of the images is a great safety feature,” said Cook Environmental Manager Jon Harner. “Conditions can change quickly on Lake Michigan and this new camera will provide up-to-date images boaters can use to stay safe.”

The buoy is deployed and maintained by LimnoTech, an Ann Arbor-based company specializing in Great Lakes monitoring and modeling. It is located two and a half miles from the shore in front of the plant in 70 feet of water. It will remain in operation through the fall. LimnoTech is currently working directly with the Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to increase the number of environmental sensors in the Great Lakes and to improve the availability of the data to water quality managers and the public.
http://www.harborcountry-news.com/articles/2015/05/13/features/doc554a38705546c214168967.txt

Two Queensland Koalas (May 23, 2015)

Announced at "Forests Exhibit" for Indianapolis Zoo website:
Koalas are Coming!
This summer, every day will be a g'day mate! The Zoo's Forests exhibit is getting some wildly cute additions! Come meet two Queensland koalas visiting Indianapolis for a limited time starting May 23 through Labor Day 2015.
​​​​​​​​​​​​​Temperate and tropical forests across the world are represented in the Zoo's Forests exhibit. These environments are dominated by trees and wooded vegetation. Along with various flora and fauna, forests are also characterized by diverse animal species that call it their home. Forests occupy about one third of the Earth's land area and contain nearly 70 percent of the carbon present in living things.
http://www.indianapoliszoo.com/plan-your-visit/animals-exhibits/forests
Tickets are $30+ for adults ($32.95) - child ages 2-12 ($28.45) - senior citizens (62+ $31.20):

Total Adventure Package (TAP) unlocks your unlimited, all-access to the entire Zoo, its rides and animal feeds!

Total Adventure Package (TAP) unlocks your unlimited, all-access to the entire Zoo, its rides and animal feeds!

 

                            

A question of light or killing frost (Michigan LIVE! Meteorologist Mark Torregrossa)

Report posted at Mlive.com/ :
http://www.mlive.com/weather/index.ssf/2015/05/michigans_weather_this_week_fr.html#incart_river
it's a question of whether a large chunk of Lower Michigan will have just spotty frost or a killing freeze on Wed. May 20, 2015.
The Thumb may escape a hard frost due to the north wind Tuesday night. That wind flow could blow milder air off Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron into the Thumb. Also the Detroit area and south of Detroit could hold up just above widespread frost temperatures.
What could the cold damage?
Most warm loving vegetables and annual flowers will be damaged or killed if temperatures get down to 32 degrees, and if left unprotected.
Michigan's corn crop may be okay. The growing point of corn stays below the ground until corn is between six and 18 inches tall. So hopefully that growing point is still below the ground. The tops of the corn may be killed, but the corn should send up a new plant.
Soybeans are more sensitive to frost and some could be killed.
Michigan's fruit crop could have some damage, depending on the type of fruit. Some fruits can take a little more cold, like apples. If temperatures drop below freezing for a few hours, a percentage of fruit blossoms will be damaged and reduce fruit amounts.
So start covering any plant that needs it Tuesday night. To any fellow hobby fruit grower, we better set our alarm for 4 a.m. Wednesday morning. My four dwarf fruit trees are just loaded with blossoms. I don't want to lose any. So I'm getting up at 4 a.m. Wednesday and will start to spray my fruit trees with water. I may use a sprinkler, or I may go out every half hour and spray the trees again. We will only have to do that until about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Peter's Visionary Experience and the SPIRIT's interruption (Common English Bible translation: Acts 10)

Excerpt from Acts of the Apostles Chapter 10, verses 3 - 20:

"One day at nearly three o'clock in the afternoon, Cornelius (a centurion in the Italian Company) clearly saw an angel from God in a vision.  The angel came to him and said, "Cornelius!"
Startled, he stared at the angel and replied, "What is it, Lord?"
The angel said, "Your prayers and your compassionate acts are like a memorial offering to God.  Send messengers to Simon the tanner, whose house is near the seacoast."
When the angel who was speaking to him had gone, Cornelius summoned two of his household servants along with a pious soldier from his personal staff.  He explained everything to them, then sent them to Joppa.
At noon on the following day, as their journey brought them close to the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.  He became hungry and wanted to eat.  While others were preparing the meal, he had a visionary experience.  He saw heaven opened up and something like a large linen sheet being lowered to the earth by its four corners.  Inside the sheet were all kinds of four-legged animals, reptiles, and wild birds.  A voice told him, "Get up, Peter!  Kill and eat!"  Peter exclaimed, "Absolutely not, Lord!  I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."  The voice spoke a second time, "Never consider unclean what God has made pure."  This happened three times, then the object was suddenly pulled back into heaven.  Peter was bewildered about the meaning of the vision.  Just then, the messengers sent by Cornelius discovered the whereabouts of Simon's house and arrived at the gate.  Calling out, they inquired whether the Simon known as Peter was a guest there.  While Peter was brooding over the vision, the SPIRIT interrupted him, "Look!  Three people are looking for you.  Go downstairs.  Don't ask questions, just go with them because I have sent them . . "

The United States of America needed this LEADER of a team of rivals (1861 - 1865) -- On this Date in History

FROM Writer's Almanac (American Public Media: Garrison Keillor):
Abraham Lincoln was nominated for president on May 18, 1860. The Republican National Convention was held in Chicago that year; it was only the second national nominating convention for the fledgling party. The lanky Kentucky-born lawyer had gained national attention for his debates on slavery with Illinois senator Stephen Douglas two years before. Douglas, a Democrat, had argued that the question of slavery was best left to the individual states to decide, while Lincoln — formerly a Whig — had argued to curb the expansion of slavery. This ended up being one of the more moderate positions among the contenders for the Republican nomination. Two of his rivals — William Seward and Edward Bates — supported the complete eradication of the practice of slavery nationwide. Delegates knew they would have to win voters from the West and Lincoln's rivals ended up a member of his 1861 Cabinet.
It was a speech that Lincoln gave in New York City just three months before the convention that won over skeptical Easterners. Some 1,500 curious New Yorkers crowded into Cooper Union in the East Village to hear what Lincoln had to say. Most of them doubted that this uneducated Westerner had what it took to lead a nation in crisis. One eyewitness reported that he was appalled at how tall, awkward, and ungainly Lincoln was. Once the presidential hopeful began to speak, however, "his face lighted up as with an inward fire; the whole man was transfigured. I forgot his clothes, his personal appearance, and his individual peculiarities. Presently, forgetting myself, I was on my feet like the rest, yelling [and] cheering for this wonderful man."  http://writersalmanac.org/

South Bend (IN) River Lights - May 22, 2015 9:30 p.m. - also Fireworks show

from SB 150 dot-com / / / / /
The South Bend River Lights will be turned on for the first time the evening of May 22 - - the exact date of the 150th anniversary of South Bend's incorporation!
A grand opening ceremony will surround this first lighting, and will include performances from the SB150 Community Choir, a fireworks display unlike any you have ever seen, and the final leg of the SB150 Torch Run will take place. The Torch be carried by honored guests, taking its final journey from the Century Center Island, across Colfax Bridge, to the Seitz Park side of the river, where it will be used to symbolically “light” the River Lights for the first time.
This historical event will be taking place Friday, May 22, from 9:30 to 10:30 p.m. It can be viewed from the Colfax Bridge, but space is limited – so be sure to arrive early. It will also be broadcast live on WNIT (Channel 34.1, local PBS Affiliate)

Voice of the last cricket -- "Splinter" poem by Carl Sandburg

Splinter

by Carl Sandburg

The voice of the last cricket
across the first frost
is one kind of good-by.
It is so thin a splinter of singing.

 

CREDIT: Poetry Nook dot-com / / / /

Edward Elgar "Crown of India" / Cello Concerto (Sunday May 17, 4 p.m.)

This Englandfeaturing:
Cicely Parnas, cello
The Lake Michigan Youth Orchestra
May 17, 2015 • Sunday • 4:00 P.M.Pre-concert conversation 3:00 p.m.
Howard Performing Arts Center, Berrien Springs, MI

The concert features unique masterpieces from the great flowering of music that took place in
England around the time of the two world wars.

The talented young musicians of the Lake Michigan Youth Orchestra will join the SMSO in numbers from Elgar’s Crown of India, and the concert will also feature astounding American soloist Cicely Parnas in Elgar’s superb Cello Concerto.

Health Fair - 1 p.m. Booths at Niles High School Gymnasium (Entrepreneurial Academy)

http://www.leaderpub.com/2015/05/12/new-tech-to-host-health-fair/

Sponsored by Niles New Tech "HealthWealth" class -- Information / Health checks and drawings - prizes. Niles High School Gymnasium, 1441 Eagle St, Niles MI 49120.

Gallery walk style health fair including local business partners booths promoting the social, mental and physical health aspects and their importance in our daily life. [Bill Prenkert, 574-276-4876, bill.prenkert@nilesnewtech.org]

Packets for May 16 Yo Fun N' Run (1 / 2 mile with obstacles) and Track Events may also be picked up at registration table.

Field Events

• Ball Toss


• Bocce Ball Throw


• Broad Jump


• 40-yard Sprint


• Jump Rope


• Hula - Hoop


• Football Throw


• Corn-hole Toss


• Log/Beam Walk


• Bowling Bash

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Awards: Participants use a raffle ticket and score sheet for each field event for a chance to win a prize. Prizes include a variety of things from short-term YMCA memberships to hula hoops! 

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Price = $20 - individual

$60 - group of 4
http://www.nb-ymca.org/topmenu-articles-niles/yo-fun-n-run-niles

Four-time Grammy winner Aaron Neville to receive Laetare Medal 2015

from Website (Commencement ND dot-edu):
Aaron Neville, Laetare Medal
Aaron Neville, a four-time Grammy Award-winning singer and musician, will receive the University of Notre Dame’s 2015 Laetare Medal, the oldest and most prestigious honor given to American Catholics, at University of Notre Dame’s 170th University Commencement ceremony May 17, 2015 (Sunday morning).
http://commencement.nd.edu/commencement-weekend/speakers/

Police Reform and Healing Communities Resolution (NCC) May 2015 -- National Council of Chuches dot-us

EXCERPT from longer text - online posting =
The root of justice and peace is a moral belief in the intrinsic worth of all human life. The advancement of technology and use of social media have brought to light evidence of a disturbing truth – the lives of African Americans, particularly those in impoverished communities, are not valued as much as those of the wealthy and affluent. The misdirected “War on Drugs” and “get tough on crime” policies of the past decades have given birth to militarized police forces that do not best serve the people and communities they are mandated to keep safe. The high-profile deaths of unarmed African Americans at the hand of police in Ferguson, Staten Island, North Charleston, and most recently Baltimore are not isolated incidents. The incidents of police brutality resulting in major injuries and death are taking place so often we can barely keep up with the reports. This is a national problem that calls for a federal, state and local response.
In times like these people can be heard asking, “Where is the faith community,” or, “Is the Church relevant?” The answers can be found where the faith community is in the middle of the pain and the healing. Persons affiliated with the NCC through our member communions serve as prison and police chaplains; they are police and persons serving time, returning citizens and family members, victims and perpetrators, pastors and community leaders. In the midst of civil unrest breaking out in cities across the country, our faith leaders have been at the forefront of peaceful protest actions and providing pastoral care for the community. We commend and support law enforcement agencies that model good community policing, and in the tradition of advocating for justice and peace and inspired by the prophet Isaiah to serve as “repairers of the breach” we call for an overhaul of the justice system that brings about reconciliation and restoration. To this end we recommend the following steps towards police reform: Incorporate conflict transformation training as part of police training and a standard alternative or additional option for addressing offenses and criminal infractions. Reward police departments and officers for effective community policing strategies rather than arrest and ticketing quotas. Make training mandatory and continue to update for all law enforcement on issues of cultural sensitivity, interaction with the mentally ill, and responding to sexual assaults. Implement nationwide mandatory use of body cameras and provide federal funding for communities that cannot afford them. We reject attempts by municipalities to hide behind FOIA laws and other restrictions. Discipline police officers who do not wear their badges or provide business card with name and badge number when requested. Address the militarization of the police department and the abusive manner in which military surplus equipment has been used. Address the underlying problem of overcriminalization and the indiscriminate application of laws implemented by local police departments and the impact it has on communities and families -
See more at: http://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/news/2015-5_CUG_Policing.php#sthash.irYPMEMF.dpuf

Happy 65th Birthday to Stevland Hawkins (Stevie Wonder) -- Michigan Star Performer - Composer

From Biography article at Internet Movie Database dot-com:
Born Stevland Hardaway Judkins in Saginaw, Michigan, United States, on May 13, 1950 to Calvin Judkins and Lula Mae Hardaway. Due to being born six weeks premature, Stevie Wonder was born with a condition called retinopathy of prematurity, which made him blind. Stevie Wonder, even with this disability, made his landmark to be a pioneer and innovator in the music industry. . . . .

In 1972 Stevie Wonder returned to MoTown records and signed a thirteen million dollar contract with MoTown Records. This entitled Stevie Wonder to a higher royalty rate and more full creative control and the rights to his own songs, which few artists had gotten at that time period. This contract unleashed Wonder's songs to now talk about controversial issues such as poverty, war, drugs, and politics. Stevie is known for writing and performing political songs such as, "You Haven't Done Nothing," which took a political stab at Richard Nixon. The first album he had released with his new agreement with MoTown was Music Of My Mind in 1972. In late 1972 Stevie Wonder released an album which today is known as a historic piece in music: Talking Book. That included the number one hit-song: "Superstition." This song featured the clavinet which Stevie Wonder was credited pioneer of, he later used the electric amplified keyboard instrument in many of his other albums along with the synthesizer. The song "Superstition" was seen as a significant contribution to the Funk genre. Talking Book also featured, "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" which also peaked at number one. Stevie Wonder also toured with The Rolling Stones in 1972 which contributed to his album's success. Stevie Wonder struck a controversial issue with the album, Innervisions in 1973, with singles such as "Living For The City" which talked about poverty.  The album also included singles such as Golden Lady, and "All Love Is Fair."
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005567/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

Worship Song - "King of Glory" composer Josh Bates

I stare at the cross cause without it I'm lost
And I believe
I'm healed by Your blood, saved by your love
And You shelter me
It's amazing the power You hold
I give you my heart and my soul


King of glory, You are holy
Take my hands, take my feet
Take my voice, as I sing
Lord of heaven, Hallelujah


Imagine a day when our faith is replaced
With a glorious sight
Of angels in chorus as You stand before us
In perfect light
We will join in the anthem of praise
With every breath we will say


You lived and You died
To bring us new life
Sweet salvation
Clothed in majesty
God of everything
http://www.lyricsera.com/993007-lyrics-king-of-glory.html

Worship "Greatest Hits" -- I am Yours -- Casting Crowns

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart / / /
Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are / / /
I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind / / /
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours, I am Yours / / /
Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love and watch me rise again
Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me / / /
https://www.castingcrowns.com/music/lyrics/who-am-i

Oldest living Presidents & Vice-Presidents: George H.W. Bush / Jimmy Carter (second-longest wed Presidential couple)

The oldest living vice president is George H. W. Bush, born on June 12, 1924 (aged 7009286886880000000♠90 years, 332 days), who is also the oldest living president. The youngest living vice president is Al Gore, born on March 31, 1948 (aged 7009211781520000000♠67 years, 40 days). The incumbent vice president is Joe Biden, born on November 20, 1942 (aged 7009228692160000000♠72 years, 171 days).
The longest-lived vice president was John Nance Garner, who died at the age of 98 years, 350 days.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Vice_Presidents_of_the_United_States_by_age
James Earl Carter, Jr. (born Oct. 1, 1924):
Carter had three younger siblings: sisters Gloria (1926–1990) and Ruth (1929–1983), and brother "Billy" (1937–1988). During Carter's presidency, Billy was often in the news, usually in an unflattering light.
He is a first cousin of politician Hugh Carter. He is a half-second cousin of Motown founder Berry Gordy on his mother's side, and a cousin of June Carter Cash.
He married Rosalynn Smith in 1946; they have three sons, one daughter, eight grandsons, three granddaughters, and two great-grandsons. They celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in July 2011, making them the second-longest wed Presidential couple after George and Barbara Bush, a position they have held since passing John and Abigail Adams on July 10, 2000.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter

Mothers deserve equal pay for equal work as well as full and equal participation in our economy and society

PART of Pres. Obama's Proclamation for "Mothers Day" (weekend of May 8 - 10, 2015):
Today, women are nearly half of the American workforce, and as a Nation, we must ensure our policies reflect this reality because no woman should have to choose between being a productive employee and a responsible mother. All women deserve equal pay for equal work and a living wage, and as President, I have fought tirelessly to advance these commonsense measures. I continue to call for increased workplace flexibility and access to paid leave, including paid sick days, and I have proposed a plan that would make quality child care available to every middle-class and low-income family with young children. I remain committed to tearing down the remaining barriers to mothers' full and equal participation in our economy and society -- because when mothers succeed, America succeeds and policies that benefit women and working families benefit us all.

We owe so much to our mothers, and they deserve policies that support them, as well as our profound love and gratitude. On Mother's Day, we give thanks to our mothers who lift us up every day. Let us pay respect to those who continue to offer us generous love and patient counsel and hold fast to the memories of all who live on in our hearts.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/05/08/presidential-proclamation-mothers-day-2015

More than half a dozen beacons to be lit from Westbury to Weymouth -- night of May 8 to day of May 9

The V-E anniversary is actually on Friday but events are taking place across the region throughout the weekend, as well as the major national commemorations in London.
The first marking of VE Day will take place across the West when church bells are rung. At Bath Abbey, the city church's bells will ring for half an hour from 9am. "It is a particularly special moment for the Abbey's bell ringing team as the bells were rung 70 years ago on May 8 for VE Day and recorded for a BBC broadcast which was including in a 78 gramophone record of VE Day ringing, with Westminster Abbey, York Minster, Coventry Cathedral and Puddletown in Dorset," said a spokeswoman for Bath Abbey.
After the bells ring, around 200 places, most of which have been traditional hilltop marker points for centuries, will have beacons lit on Friday evening. In the West, more than half a dozen beacons will be lit at spots including Westbury's White Horse, Barbury Castle near Swindon and Castle Hill near Mere – all in Wiltshire – and also at Uphill Hill at Weston-super-Mare, in Bristol, on the roof of Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire, and from Monmouth to Weymouth.

http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Beacons-bells-West-mark-70th-anniversary-VE-Day/story-26450456-detail/story.html

Ring the Church Bells -- May 10, 2015 (Westminster Abbey, U.K.)

11:00 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time
Location - The Abbey
A Service of Thanksgiving to mark the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day will be held at Westminster Abbey on Sunday 10th May at 11.00am.
The service will be attended by veterans and their families, representatives of Allied nations and Commonwealth countries that fought alongside the United Kingdom in the conflict, together with government and military representatives.
Attendance will be by invitation.

V-E Day (70th Anniversary) - May 8 2015

 

“They risked their lives, and gave their lives so that we, the people the world over, could live free,” President Barack Obama said, noting the sacrifices of women, including his grandmother, who “stepped up in unprecedented numbers” on the homefront.  "This was the generation that literally saved the world — that ended the war and laid a foundation for peace.” He specifically praised minority soldiers from special units, including the Tuskegee Airmen, the Navajo Code Talkers, and Japanese-Americans who fought in the 442nd Regiment.

 

Obama pivoted to the present by asking Americans to honor the legacy of that generation by fighting for the “freedoms for which they fought,” connecting the lessons of World War II to make a call against racism and gay rights.“Let’s make sure that we keep striving to fulfill our founding ideals,” he said.“We’re a country where no matter who we are or where we’re from or what we look like or who we love, if we work hard and take responsibility, every American will have the opportunity to make of our lives what we will.”

 

V-E Day, or Victory in Europe Day, marks the end of the war on the European front with the surrender of the Axis forces led by Nazi Germany on May 8, 1945. Fighting still continued for three more months after V-E Day, with the end of the war coming in August on V-J Day, or Victory over Japan Day. EXCERPT from article at http://thehill.com/

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/241416-obama-honors-world-war-ii-veterans

May 9 - Noon "Disc Dog Competition" (Niles, MI)

12:00 p.m.- 1 p.m.

 Disc dog competition

A novice disc dog competition will be held at noon May 9, 2015 at Rural King Store, 2707 South 11th Street, Niles, Michigan. The event is free to enter and prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers. Just bring a dog and have fun!

May 9 2015 11:30 am

Skyhoundz Local Championship D/A Only

Bill Camp / 616-834-2232 / billcamp49@gmail.com

May 12 Film Festival (DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, Notre Dame): "Little White Lie" (directors Schwartz & Adolphus)

Little White Lie (2014): directors L. Schwartz, James Adolphus
Sponsored by St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, Mishawaka, IN

Lacey Schwartz grew up in an ordinary upper-middle-class household in Woodstock, New York, with loving parents and a strong sense of her Jewish identity. Despite open questions from those around her about how a white girl could have such dark skin, she believes her family’s explanation that her looks were inherited from her Sicilian grandfather. But after her parents abruptly split, she uncovers her true heritage in this moving personal documentary about the legacy of family secrets and denial, and the power of telling the truth. 65 minutes - Appropriate for audiences over 12 years of age
Tuesday, May 12, 2015 at 5:30 P.M. / / / For further titles of the May 11 - 14 schedule, go to http://thejewishfed.org/annual-michiana-jewish-film-festival

On Racism: May 7, 2015 [Pastoral Letter from Bishops]

A pastoral letter on racism
from the United Methodist Council of Bishops

Grace and peace in the name of Jesus Christ!
We, the bishops of The United Methodist Church, are meeting in Berlin, Germany, 70 years after the end of World War II. As we gather, we renew our commitment to lead, as together we seek to become the beloved community of Christ.
We are a Church that proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. On every continent, people called United Methodist are boldly living the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

The people of our world are hurting, as injustice, violence and racism abound.

Yet, the people of our world are hurting, as injustice, violence and racism abound. Our witness to the dignity of all human life and the reign of God is needed now more than ever.
Our hearts break and our spirits cry out, as we see reports of migrant people being attacked and burned in the streets of South Africa, note the flight of Jews from Europe, watch the plight of Mediterranean refugees, and see racially charged protests and riots in cities across the United States that remind us that systems are broken and racism continues.
The evidence is overwhelming that race still matters, that racism is woven into institutional life and is problematic to communal health. This reality impacts every area of life – in the Church and in the world.
Racism is prejudice plus intent to do harm or discriminate based on a belief that one is superior or has freedom to use power over another based on race.
Xenophobia is an unreasonable fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange.

Racism and xenophobia, like other sins, keep us from being whole persons capable of living up to our full potential.

Racism and xenophobia, like other sins, keep us from being whole persons capable of living up to our full potential. They deny the profound theological truth that we are made in the image of God with the handprint of love and equality divinely implanted in every soul.
As bishops of the Church, we cast a vision for a world community where human worth and dignity defeat acts of xenophobia and racism. We acknowledge that silence in the face of systemic racism and community fears serves only to make matters worse.
We commit to lead, model and engage in honest dialogue and respectful conversation and invite people of faith everywhere to join us. Let us repent of our own racial bias and abuse of privilege. May we love God more deeply and, through that love, build relationships that honor the desire of people everywhere to be seen, valued, heard and safe.
As we proclaim and live the Gospel of Jesus Christ, may we lead the way in seeking justice for all, investing in and trusting God’s transforming power to create a world without hatred and racism.
As United Methodists, we affirm that all lives are sacred and that a world free of racism and xenophobia is not only conceivable, but worthy of our pursuit.
We renew our commitment to work for a Church that is anti-racist and pro-humanity, believing that beloved community cannot be achieved by ignoring cultural, racial and ethnic differences, but by celebrating diversity and valuing all people.
“This commandment we have from him: Those who claim to love God ought to love their brother and sister also” 1 John 4:21 (CEB).
http://umc-gbcs.org/faith-in-action/a-pastoral-letter-on-racism

End of World War II anniversary (May 1945)

from NY TIMES "On this Date in History":

ON THIS DAY On May 7, 1945, Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Rheims, France, to take effect the following day, ending the European conflict of World War II.

National Day of Prayer (Noon) - local Ministerial Association

May 7 (First Thursday annual special day): Noon Hour.
At the following locations: Niles City Hall, Niles Township Hall, and Howard Township Hall.

Bob Seger (born on this date 1945) and his superstar-making period / era (albums LIVE BULLET, NIGHT MOVES, AGAINST THE WIND, NINE TONIGHT)

Robert Clark Seger was born on May 6, 1945, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. His father was himself a musician (and Ford plant worker) who led a big band in the Forties. From the beginning, Seger was a born rock and roller. He didn’t go to college and only briefly held any job other than working musician. He wrote his first song and formed his first band, the Decibels, at age 15. Five years later, he cut his first singles, “East Side Story” and “Persecution Smith.”
The groundwork was laid by Live Bullet, recorded at Detroit’s Cobo Hall. It was Seger’s first headlining show in a large arena. This fiery double album gave the world a chance to hear what fans in the Motor City had known all along: that Bob Seger was one of rock’s most potent performers. He was backed by the Silver Bullet Band - guitarist Drew Abbott, hornman Alto Reed, bassist Chris Campbell, drummer Charlie Martin and keyboardist Robyn Robbins - which he’d formed in 1974. (Organist Craig Frost and drummer Don Brewer, late of Grand Funk Railroad, would also have lengthy tenures in the Silver Bullet Band. So would drummer David Teegarden and backup singers Shaun Murphy and Laura Creamer.) Live Bullet, which stayed on the charts for over three years, is one of rock’s greatest live albums. It became Seger’s first gold record and went on to sell 4 million copies.
It also cleared the way for Night Moves, the studio album that made a superstar out of rock’s hardest-working underdog. The title track, “Night Moves” (#4), affectingly touched on universal experiences - teenage rites of passage and adult nostalgia - which helped send the album into the Top Ten. Night Moves also included the ballad “Mainstreet” (#24) and the rockers “Sunspot Baby,” “The Fire Down Below” and “Rock and Roll Never Forgets.” From here, Seger rose still higher. One of the most eagerly anticipated albums of the Seventies, Stranger in Town (1978) took eight months to make, and Seger spoke of suffering “platinum paranoia.” The album nonetheless cemented his superstar stature, yielding four big singles: “Still the Same” (#4), “Hollywood Nights” (#12), “We’ve Got Tonight” (#13) and “Old Time Rock & Roll” (#28). The last of these, used in a memorable scene from the Tom Cruise film Risky Business, was a diehard rocker’s unapologetic defense of the old-school sound.
Against the Wind (1980), which was nearly two years in the making, emphasized midtempo ballads. Three of them became hits: “Fire Lake” (#6), “Against the Wind” (#5) and “You’ll Accomp’ny Me” (#14). The album itself became Seger’s first to top the charts. The three albums released between 1976 and 1980 - Night Moves, Strangers in Town and Against the Wind - were the cornerstones of Seger’s glory years. This charmed period was capped by Nine Tonight (1981), a live album recorded in Boston and Detroit. - See more of his biographical details at: https://rockhall.com/inductees/bob-seger/bio/#sthash.Fdf6TV5M.dpuf

Miles and miles of Tulips to see (May 2 - 9, 2015) -- Holland MI website

The Holland, Michigan area boasts nearly 4.5 million tulips, planted & ready to burst forth in bloom in early spring.  Located in City parks, at public attractions, and along City streets.

Where to see the tulips

Premier tulip plantings are located at Window on the Waterfront and Centennial Park. Tulip Lanes start on 12th St & River Ave, where six miles of tulips in brilliant array line Holland’s streets. Our Festival map is a great resource for finding & getting to the awesome display of blooms!
A great way to see many of the plantings is to take a ride on the Tulip City Tours!
Take home a beautiful pictorial reminder of the blooms – a Tulip Time exclusive! Available at the Tulip Time Festival office or in our online store!
http://www.tuliptime.com/the-tulips

Happy Birthday, Soren Kierkegaard!

As noted in Writer's Almanac (American Public Media, Garrison Keillor):
May 5 is the birthday of Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, born in Copenhagen (1813). He was the youngest of seven children, a sickly boy, and his father used to take him for imaginary walks indoors during bad weather, describing all kinds of wonderful and imaginary sights. Kierkegaard’s father was a wealthy wool merchant who had retired young, and when he died he left his son enough money to be financially independent for the rest of his life. Kierkegaard was a homebody, and rarely left Copenhagen. He enjoyed going to the theater, taking carriage rides out into the country, and chatting with people — even servants and laborers — that he met while strolling the streets. He wrote, “I had real Christian satisfaction in the thought that, if there were no other, there was definitely one man in Copenhagen whom every poor person could freely accost and converse with on the street.”
Kierkegaard is widely considered the father of existential philosophy. His work touched not only philosophy, but also theology, psychology, literary criticism, and fiction. He also came up with two concepts that are commonplace to us today: one is “subjectivity,” the idea that we all perceive the world — and “truth” — differently; and the other is the fact that faith is not possible without doubt. One must doubt the existence of God to have faith in the existence of God. Belief without doubt is just credulity. He published several books at his own expense, including Either/Or (1843), Works of Love (1847), and The Sickness Unto Death (1849). He published many works under a variety of aliases: Victor Eremita, Johannes de Silentio, Anti-Climacus, Hilarius Bookbinder, and Vigilius Haufniensis. He did so, he said, to disavow his own authority. He would adopt a “character” who wrote about a particular philosophical viewpoint, and then would adopt another persona to explore the opposing viewpoint.
Kierkegaard wrote: “It is quite true what philosophy says; that life must be understood backwards. But then one forgets the other principle: that it must be lived forwards.”

First outer space astronaut (Alan Shepard) anniversary - 1961 date in history

From NY TIMES dot-com notice:

ON THIS DAY

On May 5, 1961, astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. became America's first space traveler as he made a 15-minute suborbital flight in a capsule launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Lincoln Funeral (Train procession concluded 12 days of travel on May 3, 1865)

After a circuitous, 12-day journey which retraced much of Lincoln's inaugural route and included funerals in major Eastern and Midwestern cities, the train pulled into the Chicago & Alton station near Springfield's business district. The nine-car train included a presidential car for Lincoln and his son Willie, who died in the White House three years earlier, a baggage car, and seven Pullman sleeping cars for the funeral entourage. Years later Lincoln's eldest son Robert would become president of the Pullman company, based in Chicago.
The reporter watched as the train "moved slowly into the town, moved slowly through masses of 'plain people' who had come from all the country round about." Springfield, with its 15,000 residents, now welcomed more than 100,000 visitors on this historic occasion. As the train stopped and pallbearers approached it, "The stillness among all the people is painful; but when the coffin is taken from the car, that stillness is broken, broken by sobs, and these are more painful than the stillness." Soldiers from the Veteran Reserve Corps loaded the president's coffin into an elaborate borrowed hearse, "splendidly adorned" with "A.L." engraved on a silver plate surrounded by a silver wreath, two inverted torches, and 36 stars symbolizing the states in the Union. While a band played funeral music, six black horses slowly pulled the hearse in a formal procession toward the city square. On the west side of the square stood a building which housed the Lincoln-Herndon Law Office. Now it wore a banner: "He Lives in the Hearts of His People." Just before Lincoln left for Washington he told his law partner William Herndon, "If I live I'm coming back some time, and then we'll go right on practising law as if nothing had ever happened." Years later Herndon wrote, "He always contended that he was doomed to a sad fate, and he repeatedly said to me when we were alone in our office: 'I am sure I shall meet with some terrible end.'"
LYRIC (by Phineas D. Gurley):
"Rest, Noble Martyr"
Rest, noble martyr! Rest in peace;
Rest with the true and brave,
Who, like thee, fell in Freedom's cause,
The Nation's life to save. Thy name shall live while time endures,
And men shall say of thee,
"He saved his country from its foes,
And bade the slave be free." These deeds shall be thy monument,
Better than brass or stone;
They leave thy fame in glory's light,
Unrival'd and alone. This consecrated spot shall be
To Freedom ever dear.
And Freedom's sons of every race
Shall weep and worship here. O God! before whom we, in tears,
Our fallen Chief deplore;
Grant that the cause, for which he died,
May live forevermore.

Solar Totem #1 (art work shot and pierced on May 4, 1970) - Kent State University, Ohio

Ohio National Guard examing the Don Drumm sculpture [military personnel examine the bullet hole in the Solar Totem #1 sculpture].    

Forty-nine million hungry people in America - USPS event May 9, 2015 (Second Saturday in May annually)

Every second Saturday in May, letter carriers in more than 10,000 cities and towns across America collect the goodness and compassion of their postal customers, who participate in the NALC Stamp Out Hunger National Food Drive — the largest one-day food drive in the nation.
Led by letter carriers represented by the National Association of Letter Carriers (AFL-CIO), with help from rural letter carriers, other postal employees and other volunteers, the drive has delivered more than one billion pounds of food the past 22 years.
Carriers collect non-perishable food donations left by mailboxes and in post offices and deliver them to local community food banks, pantries and shelters. Nearly 1,500 NALC branches in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands are involved.
The United States Postal Service, National Association of Letter Carriers, National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association, AFL-CIO, Feeding America, United Way, Valassis and Valpak Direct Marketing Systems are all supporting this year’s Stamp Out Hunger food drive.
To donate, just place a box or can of non-perishable food next to your mailbox before your letter carrier delivers mail on the second Saturday in May. The carrier will do the rest. The food is sorted, and delivered to an area food bank or pantry, where it is available for needy families.
With 49 million people facing hunger every day in America, including nearly 16 million children, this drive is one way you can help those in your own city or town who need help.

Progress M-27M

Stricken Progress M-27M spotted by ISS – Entry path under evaluation

May 1, 2015 by Chris Bergin
As the Russians continue their evaluations into the failure of the Progress M27-M mission, the resupply vehicle has been spotted passing the International Space Station (ISS). The vehicle – still spinning out of control – is in an orbit that is no threat to the orbital outpost, with the main evaluations now focusing on where the spacecraft will deorbit in the coming days.
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/05/stricken-progress-m-27m-spotted-iss-entry-evaluation/

St. Crispin's Day speech (Henry V, play by William Shakespeare) - Act IV, scene 3

This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian:'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.'
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

Welcoming the Stranger (Theme for May 24 - Heritage Sunday)

from UMC Discipleship dot-org:
 The theme for Heritage Sunday in 2015 as set by the General Commission on Archives and History is “Welcoming the Stranger.”  The theme will highlight the work of those who welcomed the immigrant such as Alma Matthews and Kathryn Maurer as well as immigration responses that are not U.S.-centric.  The "Welcoming the Stranger" theme includes the role hospitals, homes, orphanages, the poor, the outcast, education, etc., has played in the history of The United Methodist Church.
http://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/heritage-sunday-may-24-2015-welcoming-the-stranger

Later this month -- May 24, 2015

from CSEE dot-org:

Sunday, May 24, 2015
Shavuot (Judaism) 5/24/2015 » 5/25/2015
Pentecost (Christianity / Orthodox Christianity-May 31) 5/24/2015