April 2024

month of April (1 - 30) = 12,372 visits to this blog

April 1 = 685

April 2 =  678

April 3 = 657

April 4 = 570

April 5 = 575

April 6 = 593

April 7, 2024 = 689

April 8 (Full Solar Eclipse Day) = 697

April 9 = 548

April 10 = 263

April 11 = 290

April 12 = 260

April 13 = 235

April 14 = 150

April 15 = 275

April 16 = 308

4/17 = 270 blog visits

4/18 = 233

4/19 = 251

4/20 = 283

Sunday April 21 = 339

4/22 = 809

4/23 = 255 Happy Shakespeare Birthday!

4/24 = 291

4/25 - 733 blog visits

April 26 ARBOR DAY 455

4/27 = 318

4/28 = 137

4/29 = 180

4/30 = 197

# visits to this web Blogger

Easter Blessing to the City and the World (Urbi et Orbi)

March 31, 2024

Vatican City

"Jesus alone opens before us the doors of life,

those doors that continually we shut

with the wars spreading throughout the world."

Pope Francis

"On this day when we celebrate the life

given us in the resurrection, let us

remember the infinite love of God of

each of us: a love that overcomes

every limit and every weakness."

Ukrainian Bishop's Easter Message (3.31.24) - interview with Martha Raddatz

TODAY (Easter Sunday - Gregorian calendar)

ABC Network show "This Week w/George Stephanopoulos"

check local listings -- here it is 9 a.m. ABC 57 (Mishawaka, IN)

Ukrainian Catholic Archbishop of the Ukrainian people

Borys Gudziak

discusses the faith and resolve amidst war against

the invader Vladimir Putin's Russian troops and

mercenaries

Happy Easter 2024

March 31, 2024

Gregorian calendar

Happy Doctors Day

March 30 (annually)

Saturday, 3/30/2024

#DoctorsDay

Potawatomi Zoo opened for 2024 Spring season

March 29, 2024 - 11/24/2024

The South Bend, IN zoo has opened to visitors and

will offer a range of public educational and 

recreational opportunities.  Those interested in

the wide variety of animals, birds, and domestic

creatures 135 species should visit

Potawatomizoo.org

Jimmy Carter marks 1 year in Hospice (March 28)

The 39th POTUS (1977 - 1980) has survived 365 days since entering

hospice care in Plains, GA.  The 99-year-old has outlived his late

wife Rosalynn and last appeared in public at her funeral in Nov. 2023.

Prayers for this humanitarian,

longtime volunteer for Habitat for

Humanity, founder of the Carter

Center (Emory Univ., Atlanta, GA)

DeVos Place, Grand Rapids, MI (April 2, 2:30 p.m.) Bible Salesman

Predecessor, twice-impeached former POTUS, on trial in 4 major cases,

will arrive on invitation of Michigan GOP former congress

representative (now head of political party);

he plans to stoke resentment toward assailant of local

woman, Ruby Garcia, who was shot and killed March 22.

POTUS & FLOTUS announce "Egg-ucation" theme of 2024 Easter Egg Roll

Monday April 1, 2024

President Joe and Dr. Jill BIDEN announce that the annual tradition

of a post-Easter "Egg Roll" event at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., D.C.

will be continued for ticket-holders, including thousands military and

veteran families.

thehill.com/ blogs/in-the-know/4560641-whitehouseannounces

theme and details for 2024 Easter egg roll

Third threat to public schools (Niles, MICHIGAN) - Wed. March 27, 2024

from wsjm.com/ 

Both Niles High School and Ballard Elementary School were evacuated

while local law enforcement investigated a bomb threat 3/27

School officials also extended the investigation to

Brandywine Elementary (Niles, MI - Niles Twp.) that was also evacuated.

Who presides at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, England, U.K.?

The dean-designate is

Christopher Cocksworth

Easter Service - St. George's Chapel, Windsor, England, U.K.

Who attended the Royal family "service"?

NYTimes.com/2024/03/31/world/Europe/King-Charles.html

Cancer patient King Charles III &

Queen Camilla

Who did NOT attend?

Prince of Wales William & Princess Kate

(herself also a cancer patient) & kids;

Harry and Meghan

Will Independent candidate for POTUS (R.F. Kennedy, Jr.) select as VP Nicole Shanahan?

The former environmental lawyer and advocate has scheduled a Press Conference

in Oakland, California today -- subject is his "pick" for Vice-President

on his Independent political party ticket for November 2024.

The attorney is thought to be the most-likely match

and will bring a sizable fortune to begin this phase of the

Presidential campaign.  She paid for the Super Bowl ad

in support of RFK, Jr.  Also Shanahan, 38 yrs. old, formerly was married to

GOOGLE co-founder Sergei Brin.

Location = Henry J Kaiser Center for the Arts,

10 Tenth Street, Oakland, CA

March 28 - Major League Baseball official "Opening Day"

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Happy 77th Birthday (March 25)

born March 25, 1947

Reginald Dwight

as "Elton John" he is a C.H., and C.B.E.

a British singer, pianist, and composer

Morning of March 26 (Tuesday in Holy Week) - National Weather Service Alert

3/26/2024

South Wind gusts may periodically reach 40 - 45 MPH

early Tuesday a.m. - 

until 7 p.m. Eastern

http://weather.com/weather/alerts/localalerts

Did DJT (then-POTUS Trump) stare at 2017 Solar Eclipse despite warnings not to?

 Yes

along with FLOTUS and "Melania's son"

Barron Trump - the trio were photographed

viewing with and WITHOUT protective

lens / safety goggles

on AUGUST 21, 2017

at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.,

D.C.

When is Passover this spring?

The Jewish holiday season of PASSOVER

begins before sundown on April 22, 2024

and ends after nightfall on April 30, 2024.

It is a series of Seder suppers/dinners for

the week long observance.

UN Security Council resolution - immediate Cease-fire in GAZA

March 25 (NY City, UN Building)

Ambassador for the U.S. abstained; she had earlier vetoed other such

resolutions. The resolution called for a halt of fighting during

Ramadan ; this breaks a 5-month impasse.

April 8 Solar Eclipse

A narrow path of totality across the United States -- 13 impacted

Also parts of Mexico and Canada

In the U.S. totality will begin in Texas 1:27 p.m. Central Time

and end in Maine at 3:35 p.m. Eastern Time.

The next total solar eclipse to cross over the U.S.

will come in over 2 decades from now, August 23, 2044,

according to NASA.

When is General Conference 2024?

April 23 - May 3, 2024

Quadrennial legislative body

of the UNITED METHODIST

denomination

Bonhoeffer for the church (April 9, 2024) Fortress ISBN 9781506497822

 Bonhoeffer for the Church: 

an introduction

Matthew D. Kirkpatrick

an accessible yet comprehensive intro to

this most widely read Christian writers of the 20th Century

FORTRESS PRESS

$49

hardcover 397 pages

Scavenger Hunt at Chapin Museum, Niles, MI (April 5, 2024)

Visit the Fort St. Joseph Museum and the Chapin Mansion on Friday

of Spring Break 2024: April 5 from Noon til 3 p.m.

Both scavenger hunts and fun crafts and 

fun digging / archaeology activity!  Free!

National Puppy Day

 March 23, 2024

Crisis in Haiti (March 28, 12:30 p.m. Kroc Center)

Sponsored by the Kroc Center for international peace studies (Univ. of Notre Dame, IN)

at C103 Hesburgh Center for international studies

12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m.

Panelists discuss escalating crisis

Erin B. Corcoran, Exec. director, Kroc Center

Jean Marc Dissau

Karen E. Richman

TJ D'Agostino

on HISTORICAL CONTEXT of this political and economic crisis

as well as suggestions grounded in human rights and humanitarian

law. . .

FREE and open to the South Bend area folk interested in this crisis

Palm Sunday 2024

The first day of "Holy Week" is

Palm Sunday :

this year that falls on

March 24, 2024

Pancake Breakfast - 9 a.m. this Saturday

Location: Michiana Christian Embassy Church

1922 E. Main St., Niles MI 49120

Sponsor is MIchigan State Police

March 23, 2024

Troopers will be serving the community pancakes and sausage;

this is a chance for meeting the Troopers and interacting with all.

Good Friday March 29, 2024 - Community-wide service

7:00 p.m. sponsor is "Niles Area (MI) Ministerial Association"

Holy Week 2024

host church is Community EVANGELICAL FREE Church,

102 E. Bertrand Road, Niles, MI 49120

This is an annual community-wide service for Niles, Brandywine

and general vicinity (SW Michigan ; Berrien & Cass Counties)

Happy NCAA Tournament (March 21 - April 2024 Final Four & Championships)

Congratulations to the qualifying and selected teams/universities-college

in the 2024 Championships

(Men's and Women's teams)!

Good Luck on your Bracket-choices!

Prime Minister of Ireland resigns (March 20, 2024)

Leo Varadkar, youngest ever P.M., resigned Wed. flanked by colleagues

outside government buildings in Dublin.  He first became P.M. in 2017.

cnn.com/2024/03/20/Europe/leo-varadkar-ireland-prime-minister-resignation.intl/

index.html

First Day of Spring - after vernal equinox 2024

Sunrise 7:47 a.m.

Sunset 7:57 p.m.

Statewide Tornado Drill (1 p.m. Eastern)

Across the state of Michigan,

tornado sirens will be

sounded early afternoon;

1 p.m. is practice for possible

severe weather this month/year.

Dante (PBS)

Dante: Inferno to Paradise

Parts 1 and 2 (two-hour documentaries)

includes background on the Italian poet,

the impact of the trilogy

Inferno

Purgatorio

Paradiso

On two successive nights (March 18 - 19, 2024) PBS

check local listings

"Dear March" - poem by Emily Dickinson

Dear March -- Come in --

How glad I am --

I hoped for you before --

Put down your Hat --

You must have walked --

How out of Breath you are --

Dear March, how are you, and the Rest --

Did you leave Nature well --

Oh March, come right upstairs with me --

I have so much to tell --

Good Friday up to Easter Monday (March 29 - April 1, 2024)

Official Academic Calendar (University of Notre Dame / Saint Mary's / Holy Cross)

Holy Week / Easter Break

No classes due to "Easter Holiday"

GOOD FRIDAY (March 29th)

HOLY Saturday (March 30th)

EASTER Sunday (March 31st)

EASTER Monday (April 1st)

events.nd.edu/events/calendar/official-academic-calendar

Berrien County (Michigan) school district closed today due to Bus Driver illness

Monday 3/18

All Watervliet schools (K - 12) are closed today due to multiple bus driver

illness and a lack of substitute/alternate drivers.  The district communicated

to WSBT at 6 a.m. today that no classes will be held today.

wsbt.com (South Bend, IN Fox & CBS affiliates)

NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament (March 2024) - which are #1 seeds?

Bracket #1s

include UConn

Houston

Purdue

North Carolina

Icelandic Volcano erupts for the 4th time in 3 months

Saturday March 16, 2024

The eruption opened the fissure in the earth about

two kilometers long between the Stora-Skogfell

and Hagafell Mountains on the Reykjanes Peninsula.

Hundreds of residents were evacuated from the Blue

Lagoon thermal spa, one of Icelands' top tourist

attractions

AP ONLINE article

Big 10 Championship Men's Basketball is . . .

University of Illinois (Urbana) Fighting Illini

March 17, 2024

They defeated Wisconsin 93 - 87

Erin go bragh

"Happy Saint Patrick's Day" to the Irish

Mapping the Middle Ages (Medieval Institute, Notre Dame, IN) March 14 - 16, 2024

Four plenary sessions and 60 sessions over 3 days --

Medieval Academy of Americas

+350 scholars of the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 common era)

al.nd.edu/news/latest-news/medieval-institute-to-host-Medieval-Institute-of-Americas

99th-meeting-in-mid-March

Saint Patrick's weekend

March 16 - 17, 2024

Patron saint of ireland

Some of Washington D.C.'s iconic Cherry Trees are about to disappear

March 14, 2024

The National Park Service will chop down 140 cherry trees as it

builds a sea wall at the Jefferson Memorial :

cherry blossom viewers will have until late-May 2024 when construction begins. . .

http://NYTimes.com/2024/03/13/us/politics/washington-dc-cherry-trees.html

Celebrate PI -- irrational number with infinite digits

Happy PI Day ! March 14th annually

3.14.24

Severe Weather Awareness Week (March 17, 2024)

For Michigan, the severe weather Awareness and Preparedness Week is:

March 17 - 23, 2024

the Statewide Tornado Drill will be held on Wed. March 20 at 1 p.m.

Eastern Time.

ATTN: Individuals and communities of all populations are urged to

use this week to discuss severe weather risks

http://michigan.gov/miready/events/2024/03/17/severe-weather-awareness-week

Confession of St. Patrick

Christ within me, Christ beneath me,

Christ above me

Christ to my right side,

Christ to my left

Christ in his breadth, Christ in his length,

Christ in depth

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me

Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks to me

Christ in every eye that sees me

Christ in every ear that hears me.

National "Plant a Flower" Day

March 12, 2024

Spring Break (2024)

Niles Michigan Community Schools .org / calendar

1/2 day for Students, Teachers, Admin. - Friday March 29

Week long Vacation period (April 1 - 7)

Students return to class attendance on Monday April 8, 2024

Is Selection Sunday (NCAA Tournaments) the same date each year?

 No -- in 2024

it will be Sunday March 17 following

5:44 p.m. of the Men's Big Ten Tournament

Championship, Indianapolis, IN.

Univ. of IL Illini defeated Wisconsin.

"March Madness" fans from both

men's and women's Varsity BB across

the United States of America will begin

to analyze and bet on their "Brackets".

Dyngus Day 2024 - political observation & Polish food extravagance (green beer)

April 1, 2024 (easter Monday)

Social clubs, restaurants, bars in South Bend, IN (St. Joseph County in north

Indiana) offer feasts of Polish food (sausage, noodles, sweet & sour cabbage)

Families and friends gather to share a drink and play cards.  The day after Easter

when the 40-day Lenten season of fasting and penitence concludes (annually).

Local politicians will be out to meet the public; from time to time

this has included some famous names: Bobby Kennedy in 1968, the Clintons

in 2008, and current-Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg (now of Michigan).

St. Patrick's Day parade - N. Indiana at South Bend's Greening of East Race

March 16, 2024

11 a.m. Jefferson Blvd.

in the East Bank Village, South Bend, IN

annual St. Patrick's Day event (typically

around mid-March)

Ukrainian Feature Film -- first Academy Award

Documentary Feature -

20 Days in Mariupol

Oscar speech - 3/10/2024

#12 seed plays #13 seed (Men's ACC Basketball teams to play in D.C.)

Details from South Bend Tribune.com (3/10 morning online edition)

Notre Dame men's varsity BB (7-13 in ACC games this season) plays #13 seed Georgia

Tech (also 7-13 in the ACC) in the first game of the conference tournament on the first day

(Tuesday March 12, 2024).  Capital One Arena in downtown D.C.  Overall both teams

shared 12-19 records against a variety of scheduled opponents over the early, middle,

and late season.

The Irish had been picked to finish pre-season #15th last in the ACC while the Yellow

Jackets had been picked for #13th place.

Notre Dame Men's BB won that game but lost the new tournament match-up against

Wake Forest University (3/13) by 17 points.

Full Moon for March 2024 is on 3/25

Full Worm Moon

peak illumination at 3 a.m. Eastern

March 25, 2024

see OLD FARMER's ALMANAC

ALMANAC.com/content/full-moon-march

Primary voting (Statewide in IN) - that day May 11 (2nd Tuesday)

Early voting begins April 19 -- stipulations

must be met and signed ballots to be

scrutinized by Election Board (county

officials)

story online as of March 8

http://abc57.com/news/ (Local ABC affiliate: South Bend, IN)

elkhart-county-voters-are-reminded-of-multiple-voting-options-for-May-7

Happy International Women's Day!

March 8 (annually)

Eclipse (April 8) will be visibly different than August 2017 solar eclipse path of totality

Details at CNN.com and Almanac.com (Old Farmer's Almanac)

This will be the last such solar eclipse until 2044

The 2017 cosmic event lasted 62 - 71 miles only whereas

the 2024 event will last 108 - 122 miles totality.

total-solar-eclipse-differences-scn

NATO now officially includes 32nd nation = Sweden

Thursday 3/7/2024

The North Atlantic security organization officially added its 32nd nation, Sweden,

after decades of neutrality.  Official news

http://the hill.com

Best Soundtrack (NAACP Image Awards) CBS Sat. March 9

55th NAACP Image Awards (entries qualified in last 12 months)

Creed III: The Soundtrack

Godfather of Harlem: Season 3

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse

The Color Purple (WINNER)

The Little Mermaid

Best Animated Picture nominees & ensemble cast - 55th Image Awards (March 9 ceremony) - CBS

2023 titles (NAACP Image voting made on Internet)

Elemental

Lil' Ruby

SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE

(Winner)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Wish

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST:

The Color Purple (WINNER)

What does S O T U stand for?

The annual S O T U (state of the Union) address is given by an incumbent POTUS

to a joint session of Congress [ usually in January ]

During the first months of a just-sworn-in POTUS the annual address is

however termed a "Budget Priority" / overview and not a regular SOTU

with both domestic and international coverage that includes

The state of the Union is _________________.

James Crumbley trial at Oxford, MI (site of convicted son's school mass shooting)

Jury selection began Tuesday March 5, 2024 in Oakland County courtroom

Like his wife, Jennifer, James Crumbley is charged with 2nd degree manslaughter

due to gross negligence.

The 2021 shooting in which 4 students were killed and several others wounded

critically was one where the parents declined taking their son out of

school after a session with school counselors and principals.

MORE at wvpe.org/News 3-6-2024

Their son, Ethan, now 17, is serving a life sentence for murder and terrorism.

Verdict from jury

Guilty [3/14/24]

Happy Birthday (70th) to Ron Howard - actor, director/producer

Ronald William Howard was born 1 March 1954

in Duncan, OK to parents who were actors themselves

Rance and Jean (Speegle) Howard

imdb.com/name/nm0000165/bio/ref?_nm_ov_bio_sm?

Russian missile nearly hits Odessa location where Zelenskyy & Greek Prime Minister met

CNN.com

mid-day Breaking News from Odessa Port on Black Sea

a close call for Ukrainian President and Greek Prime Minister

6 March 2024

Soup Night (Oct. until March) - fall and winter Community event FREE

2nd Wednesday of the month (Fall until Winter months)

Join up at the Niles (MI) - Buchanan (MI) YMCA

905 N. Front Street, Niles MI 49120

Wednesday March 13, 2024

from 5:30 - 7 p.m. [or until soup is gone]

Complimentary Bowl at the "Y"

Blood Pressure Check (cuff & stethoscope) - free

First Thursday of each month

March 7, 2024

from 9 - 11 a.m. at 

Niles (MI) Senior Center

1109 Bell Road, Niles MI 49120

(269)-683-9380

March 10 is Daylight Savings except for AZ, Hawaii, Puerto Rico et. al.

Sunday March 10 between 2 and 3 a.m. the nation's clocks will adjust

one hour ahead

This one-hour change began in the U.S. nationwide in 1918

but remains controversial and not universal in all states & territories

Biden has not given major address on Israel's counter-attack "war" on HAMAS

in the days following the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by HAMAS forces against

Israeli kibbutzers and farming settlers, POTUS Joe Biden made remarks

just once.  Soon it will be Thursday March 7 when he gives the "State of

the Union address" SOTU to a joint session of Congress, he is obliged to

tackle the crisis and ongoing counter-attack that also have killed

Gazan citizens (including civilians, women, children, noncombatant

Muslims and Christians).  He will do so with a diplomatic resolution

remaining politically elusive. . .

POLITICO com online article (4 March 2024)

the push for detente is not only due to the annual address in D.C. but

also because of the holy month of Ramadan (expected March 10 or 11).

http://politico.com/news/2024/02/29/biden-sotu-israel-cease-fire-00144274

March 2024: likely blockbusters from Hollywood studios

 Dune: Part Two [March 2024 $82.5 million first weekend]

Kung Fu Panda 4

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

_____________________________

These spring 2024 titles are expected

to be hits with +$80 million opening

weekends at the box office

Primary voting (Washington, District of Columbia) - GOP gives 19 delegates to Haley

GOP candidate for President Nikki Haley of South Carolina won

66 % of the primary voters over March 2 - 3 - 4 and won the

delegation entirely 19, and 16 alternates.

Far behind was former President Trump, twice-impeached and

4-times indicted awaiting trials with 30% and Gov. DeSantis, 3%. 

Air drops of food for Gazans who are starving -- POTUS begins shipments

NPR News (www.wvpe.org)

Some such drops are done onto beaches but the parachuted food lands in

the Mediterranean Sea -- Intl. cmte. of Red Cross/Crescent

points out that control of distribution is needed to ensure that

starving people don't risk their lives by eating the wrong things. . .

air drops do not and cannot substitute for humanitarian aid to Gaza

(including water and medicine/s)

Will there be an "Easter Egg Roll" in 2024?

YES,

according to THE HILL dot-com.

April 1 will be the date at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Washington D.C.

Hosted by POTUS and FLOTUS (Joe & Dr. Jill) Biden 

Astronomical SPRING 2024

begins March 19, 2024

3rd Tuesday this year

at 11:06 p.m. EDT

When are the Academy Awards presented in 2024?

Sunday March 10, 2024

ABC Network

7 p.m. Eastern (1 hour early)

List of "Super Tuesday" primary states 2024

These states or political parties within a state will vote

for a presidential candidate preference on 3/5/2024 =

Alabama

Alaska (GOP only)

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Maine

Massachusetts

Minnesota

North Carolina

Oklahoma

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont (won by Nikki Haley)

Virginia

U.S. Territory of Samoa

IOWA Democratic Party (announcement)

When is "Super Tuesday"?

Tuesday March 5, 2024