May 28 - Memorial Day Observation of 50th Anniversary of Vietnam War (Memorial at Mall, Washington, DC)

Primary web location for Online Live Broadcast of 2012 service of commemoration / memorial

The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration

National Announcement and Proclamation Ceremony

Memorial Day at The Wall, May 28, 2012

http://www.vietnamwar50th.com/


Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta will host the President at a ceremony on Monday, May 28, 2012, at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to thank and honor America’s Vietnam veterans on behalf of a grateful nation. This is a special event for invited guests including thousands of Vietnam veterans, their loved ones, Gold Star families and leadership from the military services, Cabinet and Congress. There will be a limited viewing area open to the general public.
The Memorial Day ceremony marks the beginning of the national commemoration of the Vietnam War’s 50th anniversary program and is a joint effort between the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, the National Park Service and the Department of Defense. The event will include remarks, a moment of silence, music and ceremonial elements, and a flyover of military aircraft that will include helicopters and a B-52 bomber, will begin at 1 p.m. EDT. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, secretary of defense and Sen. Chuck Hagel, a Vietnam veteran, and other dignitaries are scheduled to speak.

Artists' work on display and for sale - Bertrand Crossing Campus, LMC - Reception June 7, 2012

Thirty diverse artists (visual and texture media) have current works on display during May and June 2012 at the Bertrand Crossing Campus of Lake Michigan College, Niles, Michigan 49120.

Here's part of their defining statement (online): a group of local Artists dedicated to bringing art to Niles and the surrounding areas. Some of the varied arts included in our organization are: painting, fiber art, wood carving, photography, pottery, jewelry, metal art, graphic design, and computer art.

The group of Niles Artists Association members will be welcomed at a reception on Thursday, June 7 from 6 - 8 p.m.  Display of the works of art continues from mid-May to June 20, 2012.  For further information call the Community College office (269)-695-1391, utilize this google email (nilesart49@gmail.com ),  and/or visit the group website:

http://nilesartassc.webs.com/

http://nilesartassc.webs.com/apps/calendar/showEvent?calID=4874048&eventID=180698187

Dickens, the Mill Girls, Promise of Future: Lowell, Massachusetts Lecture for Dickens 2012 event schedule - May 27

cross-referenced at Dickens2012 dot-org -- also U. of Massachusetts, Lowell and Nat. Historical Park

Sunday, May 27, 2012 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. 
Lowell, MA National Historical Park, Boott Events Center, Boott Cotton Mills Museum 
115 John St., Lowell, MA 01852

"Dickens, the Mill Girls, and the Promise of a Brighter Future: How Lowell Shaped the Greatest Novelist in the English Language": This keynote discussion, by expert Natalie McKnight, for the Lowell, MA Historical Society's annual meeting is open to the public and FREE.

Learn why Dickens was so impressed and fascinated by the mill girls. Please contact 978-458-6575 for further information.

http://www.uml.edu/conferences/dickens-in-lowell/schedule-of-events.aspx

Worst fruit crop (SW Michigan) in 68 years - spring extremes

from local newspaper coverage (H-P dot-com):

2012 is shaping up to be the worst year for Southwest Michigan's fruit belt in more than 65 years, according to Mark Longstroth, fruit educator for the MSU Extension.

At Rodney Winkel's 240-acre apple orchard on North Branch Road in Bainbridge Township there are no apples developing on the trees.  Mother Nature played a cruel trick on fruit trees in March, enticing fragile buds to bloom when the weather was like two hot summer weeks. And then, in April, a common late spring hard frost hit the crops and damaged the buds so badly that most of the fruit is not expected to materialize this year. The damage in Michigan will be in the billions of dollars, Longstroth said.

U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, stopped by Winkel's farm Wednesday to see the damage up close, flanked by many news reporters. 
"Do you see any apples? There's nothing here," lamented Winkel. "No one can remember any year like this." In a typical harvest, Winkel expects to get 800 to 900 bushels of apples per acre. This year he'll be lucky to get a total of 50 bushels - for the entire orchard, he said.  His tart cherry crop is basically wiped out too, he said."The birds will get to them before we do," he said. "You sure can't afford to spray them."

Nature "punched the living daylights out of us," Upton told reporters. "In essence, the damage is to pretty much everything but blueberries. I've never seen anything like this. It's going to be a very tough year for these folks."  "Es un desastre, el peor desastre," said Winkel's picking crews supervisor, Porfirio Munoz. In English, that means it was the worst disaster he's seen to the crops in the 21 years he's worked at the farm.  In a typical harvest year Munoz will oversee 70 to 80 migrant apple pickers who arrive in late May and return to Florida in October. But those who come to the farm this year will be sent back - or won't come at all, he said.

On Wednesday nine people were picking asparagus, but that's compared with the 30 workers who would normally be at the farm working this time of year, he said.  Barry Winkel, who is Rodney's brother, is co-owner of Greg Orchards & Produce Inc. in Millburg. He said the crop devastation will have a profound ripple effect on all the companies and service providers that work in the Southwest Michigan fruit industry.  His company packs about 650,000 bushels of fresh fruit every year.  "We have laid off most of our work force and cut off any repair or upkeep," Barry Winkel said. "Our goal is to not spend any money."

The crop crisis will hurt companies ranging from chemical suppliers and lumber companies to local gas stations, hardware stores, office supply stores and forklift repair companies, he warned. 

Birthday of Ralph Waldo Emerson - American essayist / man of letters

from Writer's Almanac (American Public Media, Minnesota Public Radion, Garrison Keillor):

Today (May 25) is the birthday of the man who said, "Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink the wild air." That's Ralph Waldo Emerson, born in Boston (1803). His father, who died when he was eight, was a Unitarian minister, as were many of Emerson's family members before him. He was a quiet and well-behaved young man, not an exceptional student. He graduated in the middle of his class, studied at Harvard Divinity School, and got a job as a ministerial assistant at Boston's Second Church. Not long after his ordination, he was married. He was happy at home and in his work, and soon he was promoted to senior pastor.

Two years after Emerson was married, his wife, Ellen, died of tuberculosis, at the age of 19. He was devastated. He began to have doubts about the Church. A year after Ellen's death, he wrote in his journal: "I have sometimes thought that, in order to be a good minister, it was necessary to leave the ministry. The profession is antiquated. In an altered age, we worship in the dead forms of our forefathers." He took a leave of absence and went on vacation in the mountains of New Hampshire. By the time he returned, he had decided to resign from his position as minister.
Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: "Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."

Who is writer Nora Ephron? UPDATED June 27, 2012 (her death)

Here's the Writer's Almanac "take" on the famous director - screenwriter - journalist (from American Public Media - Minnesota Public Radio - Garrison Keillor):

May 19 is the birthday of Nora Ephron, born in New York City (1941). Ephron started as a reporter for the New York Post, and then wrote a column for Esquire. In the mid-1970s she helped then-husband Carl Bernstein rewrite the screenplay for All the President's Men. Their version ended up not being used, but she was offered a job as a screenwriter.
She's since written several successful screenplays, some of which she's also produced and directed. She's best known for romantic comedies like When Harry Met Sally. . . (1989), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), and You've Got Mail (1998). Her latest movie was Julie and Julia (2009). Recently, she's been publishing essay collections on the theme of aging: I Feel Bad About My Neck (2006), and I Remember Nothing (2010).

EDIT: (June 27) -- The three-time Oscar nominee died Tuesday, June 26 at a NY City Hospital of leukemia (myelodysplasia), having been diagnosed six years ago.  The triple-hyphenate (screenwriter, director, producer) in the movie business even managed for Director Mike Nichols to write the screenplay from her original novel Heartburn (1986).   She is survived by sister Delia and husband Nicholas Pileggi and her children.

Creator of World's Greatest Detective / Sherlock Holmes -- born on this day in 1859

May 22 is the birthday of writer Arthur Conan Doyle, born in Edinburgh, Scotland (1859). He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, and there he met Joseph Bell, his favorite professor. Bell taught his students how to make a successful diagnosis through observation and deduction.
After graduating, Doyle opened his own practice and wrote fiction in his spare time. In 1887, he published "A Study in Scarlet," a mystery featuring a character based on his old professor: the detective Sherlock Holmes. He ended up writing 56 short stories and four novels with the famous detective, including The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902).
Doyle said, "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
And Sherlock Holmes said to his sidekick, Dr. Watson, "You have a grand gift for silence, Watson. It makes you quite invaluable as a companion."

[from Minnesota Public Radio - American Public Media: Garrison Keillor's A Writer's Almanac]

A world-class coffee drinker (Balzac, French novelist) born on May 20 -- biographical highlights

from Writer's Almanac (American Public Media, Garrison Keillor) -- today's listserv

May 20 is the birthday of the author who's been called "the Shakespeare of the novel": Honore de Balzac, born in Tours, France (1799). He studied law at his father's insistence, but he preferred to write or pursue a variety of get-rich-quick schemes.

He was a printer's nightmare: he would continue to change and expand his novels, even after they had been typeset, so they would have to be redone at great expense to the author. He was deeply in debt much of the time, and wrote for 14 to 16 hours a day to keep ahead of his creditors. He often wore a white dressing gown, and downed cup after cup of strong, black coffee.

In one three-year period, he produced more than 20 works.  The product of all that work was a vast series--more than 90 novels and novellas--that he called La Comedie Humaine (The Human Comedy). He considered himself "the secretary of French society," and was so thorough that Oscar Wilde once said, "The 19th century, as we know it, is largely an invention of Balzac."

Two-day conference (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) -- May 20-21, 2012 in Chicago, IL

from CHICAGO NATO dot-org host site

Leaders from around the world are gathering in Chicago this spring for an important diplomatic summit hosted by President Barack Obama. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will hold meetings in Chicago from May 20-21, 2012 allowing the city to highlight its economic vitality, its arts and architecture, and its can-do spirit.

• This will be the first time an American city other than Washington has hosted a NATO summit.  
• About 2,000 journalists from across the world are expected in Chicago to chronicle the events.

While the summit itself will be closed to the public, the Chicago NATO Host Committee is making plans for a variety of programs to inform our community about this historic event.

http://www.chicagonato.org/

40th Day after Easter 2012 (April 8) -- Ascension this year is May 17

from Religion & Ethics Newsweekly: (PBS weekly program sponsored by Lilly Foundation)

Ascension of Christ (Christianity)
Falling forty days after Easter, this date May 17 marks the conclusion of Jesus’ time on earth. Acts 1:9-11 states that the disciples witnessed Jesus’ ascension into heaven from the Mount of Olives. The day is celebrated with prayer and special church services and is often marked with music. It is one of the oldest celebrations of the tradition.

Henryville, IN -- "Own the Night" benefits $285,000 - Lady Antebellum Concert news

posted on Lady A website (Wednesday, May 16, 2012):

Lady Antebellum and thousands of generous fans joined together at Louisville, KY’s KFC Yum! Center tonight to raise more than $285,000 for the Henryville, IN community.  All proceeds will be distributed through the New Hope/Indiana Bankers Association for the Disaster Relief Fund.

The country-pop group hosted a private prom event with Henryville High School’s Juniors and Seniors where they surprised the students a with an acoustic performance, which was followed by an arena concert open to the public.

"This event started as an idea we had in the studio last year to crash someone's prom we had no idea at the time it would fill such a need. We are amazed by the support we've gotten from our fans, sponsors and the press.  This is one of the proudest moments in our career!" - Hillary Scott

Lady A and ABC’s JuJu Chang (ABC Network News correspondent) visited Henryville High School earlier today where they toured the devastated school that is currently under construction and planning to reopen this fall.

In March 2012, Lady Antebellum began a contest offering fans a chance to Own The Night with a private concert at their prom. The trio unanimously chose the community of Henryville, IN for their story, resilience and unity following devastating tornadoes.  Lipton also came on board to help with the event in the spirit of their Drink Positive and Live Positive message, a campaign that Lady A already supports.

http://ladyantebellum.com/   Listserv message received

"Polly's Place" Fundraiser May 31 at 2:30: Sponsor LMC

from Niles Daily Star coverage of this charity benefit (May 31, 2012):
 http://www.nilesstar.com/2012/05/15/lmc-fundraiser-to-aid-domestic-violence-victims/

Lake Michigan College will be hosting a fundraiser for Polly’s Place, a center for victims of domestic violence abuse, from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. May 31 at the Bertrand Crossing campus, 1905 Foundation Drive in Niles, Michigan 49120.
More than a dozen vendors from Avon, to Scentsy, to Simply Said will be selling their wares during the event.
All participants have agreed to a minimum donation to Polly’s Place.  Purple ribbons and ribbon-shaped cookies will also be on sale.
Polly’s Place in Niles is not an emergency shelter. It is a place designed to empower women and children.
Polly’s Place also helps victims learn how to escape abusive relationships and identify patterns of abuse. It offers case-management services, food and clothing assistance, references to legal aid, help with employment as well as inviting speakers to talk about related topics and issues. For more information on Polly’s Place, call (269) 687-9822.

150 years ago, 13 months into the Civil War -- Lincoln enacts Dept. of Agriculture - Proclamation

as noted and celebrated at Obama Food-o-rama (http://www.obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/ )

President Obama on Monday May 14, 2012 hailed the work of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in a Proclamation marking the 150th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln signing the legislation to establish the agency on May 15, 1862. As he notes the USDA's long reach into everything from conservation to nutrition to rural electrification, President Obama pays tribute to the hundreds of thousands of employees "who have faithfully served our Nation for 150 years," at home and abroad, through natural disasters, wars, and economic calamity.

"For one-and-a-half centuries, USDA has empowered communities across our country and helped ensure we leave our children a future rich with promise and possibility," President Obama wrote.

"For their commitment, our fields grow richer, our abundance grows greater, and our country stands stronger."
http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2012/05/president-obamas-proclamation-150th.html

Monday May 14 Commencement Address to Class of 2012 (Barnard College, Columbia U. NYC) - Pres. Obama

Live Webcast

Please Note: Live streaming of events begins 30 minutes prior to the actual event start time.
The keynote address will also be streamed live at whitehouse.gov and broadcast live on C-SPAN channel and website (check your local cable listings).

http://barnard.edu/commencement/webcast

Rock Musical (Junior Version) -- GODSPELL -- debuts May 18 at Niles UM Church for May 2012 dates

part of publicity (Craig Haupert feature article) at Niles, Michigan DAILY STAR -- www.nilesstar.com/

This year’s production of Stephen Schwartz’s Godspell Jr. will be performed Friday (May 18, 2012) and Saturday (May 19) in the sanctuary of Grace United Methodist Church, 501 Grant St., Niles.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the show beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 each or 10 for $45. Last year’s show, Annie Jr., sold out quickly, so the Tomasinos encourage people to reserve seats early by calling 269-683-8770. Tickets are available at the church or Color Me Christian in Niles.
Directed by Berrien Springs’ Patricia Smith and choreographed by Niles’ Jennifer Fiero, the musical will feature 18 students from as close as Niles and as far away as Kalamazoo.
“Our hope was for the kids to develop a sense of confidence and discover talents they didn’t know they had,” Tony said. “It’s also an opportunity for the community to support the arts, and we feel it is a way to offer to God our talents.”
Profits will be donated to children’s charities, such as The Methodist Children’s Home, a residential facility for abused and neglected children, and the Hope for Africa Children’s Choir, a group for children orphaned due to war and disease in Uganda and surrounding countries. Additionally, profits will support scholarships for future participants in this performing arts ministry.
Godspell Jr. is a reflection on the life of Jesus as portrayed in the Gospel of Matthew, with a message of kindness, tolerance, and love. Featuring the hit “Day By Day” and 13 other songs from the original Broadway Godspell play, which premiered in 1971 and is enjoying a revival in New York City, Godspell Jr. is appropriate for all ages with its upbeat rock tempo music and a performance length of about 80 minutes.
http://www.nilesstar.com/2012/05/13/niles-church-to-perform-godspell-jr/

cast photo in online edition -- features 12 of the 18 cast members (youth)

99 years ago -- This day in history (W. Wilson was President)

Presidential Proclamation (White House dot-gov):

Mothers are cornerstones of our families and our communities. On Mother's Day 2012, we honor the remarkable women who strive and sacrifice every day to ensure their children have every opportunity to pursue their dreams.

Our Nation first came together to celebrate Mother's Day on May 11, 1913, with the introduction of a House Resolution requesting President Woodrow Wilson, Members of Congress, and officials across the Federal Government wear white carnations in honor of America's mothers. Today, we continue to mark Mother's Day by paying tribute to the women who shape our characters and set our families up for success. Through their example, our children learn the principles of hard work, compassion, service, and personal responsibility. Through their encouragement and unconditional support, they instill the confidence and values so vital to our children's success.

Mothers raise children under an array of circumstances, and many work long hours inside and outside the home balancing myriad demands. Mothers are leaders and trailblazers in every part of our society -- from classrooms to boardrooms, at home and overseas, on the beat and on the bench.

We celebrate the efforts of all our Nation's mothers, and we recognize that when more households are relying on women as primary or co-breadwinners, the success of women in our economy is essential to the success of our families, our communities, and our country. That is why I created the White House Council on Women and Girls as one of my first acts in office -- to ensure we integrate the needs of women and girls into every decision we make. I was proud to sign the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which continues to help women secure equal pay for equal work, and my Administration continues to promote workplace flexibility so no mother has to choose between her job and her child. And because of the Affordable Care Act, women finally have more power to make choices about their health care, and they have expanded access to a wide variety of preventive services such as mammograms at no additional cost.

Today May 13, 2012, let us pay respect to mothers across America by embracing the women who continue to guide and inspire us, and by holding fast to the memories of those who live on in our hearts.
The Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 8, 1914 (38 Stat. 770), has designated the second Sunday in May each year as "Mother's Day" and requested the President to call for its appropriate observance.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/05/11/presidential-proclamation-mothers-day-2012

Birthday of composer-lyricist for "God Bless America" -- Israel Baline (prof. name Irving Berlin)

from Writer's Almanac (American Public Media / Minn. Public Radio: Garrison Keillor)

May 11 is the birthday of the composer who said, "My ambition is to reach the heart of the average American. Not the highbrow nor the lowbrow but that vast intermediate crew which is the real soul of the country": Irving Berlin, born Israel Baline in Tyumen, Russia (1888). He got his new name as the result of a printer's error on the first song he ever sold; the printer typeset "Berlin" instead of "Baline," so Irving kept the new name. His family immigrated to New York City when the boy was five years old, and his father, a Jewish cantor, died three years later. He left school and went to work selling newspapers and singing on the streets for handouts and later got a job as a singing waiter in Chinatown.
He published his first song in 1907 and was paid 37 cents for it. His first big success came in 1911, with Alexander's Ragtime Band. "Ragged time" music was the rage, and Berlin's song became one of the most popular and enduring examples of it. Less than a decade later, he was writing complete musical scores, revues, and Broadway shows. He never learned to read or write music, and he only composed in the key of F-sharp. He once said, "I feel like an awful dope that I know so little about the mechanics of my trade." He wrote many beloved American songs, including "White Christmas," "God Bless America," "Easter Parade," "Puttin' on the Ritz," and "There's No Business Like Show Business."
In 1925, he fell in love with a debutante, Ellin Mackay. Her father, who was head of the Postal Telegraph Cable Company and very wealthy, disapproved of this rags-to-riches Lower East Side immigrant upstart. He took his daughter away to Europe, but his "out of sight, out of mind" strategy failed, because Berlin reached her ears through the radio. He wrote romantic ballads like "Always" and "All Alone" to court her. They were married in a civil ceremony when she returned to New York, and they remained married for 62 years, until her death in 1988.  He survived until September 22, 1989.

Taking flight in a "lighter than Air" Vehicle (May 10) -- for her 50th birthday

FROM: Tim's sister in Urbana, IL -- Nancy

Well, it looks like today might be the day...

For my 50th Lori got me a balloon ride...we got rained out/windy out  ....

We are headed to Danville for a 6 P.M. balloon ride...I will send out pictures later today...

I am a little nervous ...but I am sure it was be an awesome experience...Marlene...doesn't Jillian say you are supposed to do something every so awesome that scares you? or challenges you?

[email received early afternoon -- Thursday May 10]

Stamp Out Hunger -- May 12, 2012 -- local Postal Carriers collect canned goods on single day

from M Live dot-com (Michigan Live: April 2012):

The National Association of Letter Carriers "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive is May 12 with a regional goal of collecting 90,000 pounds of food for area emergency feeding programs.

Donations can be made by leaving non-perishable unopened goods by mailboxes on the morning of May 12. Letter carriers will collect them and deliver them to area feeding programs.

"Connect and Inspire to Share" Nutrition, Health & Fitness Symposium Andrews University May 10-13, 2012

Students and the public are invited to a series of feature presentations and seminars as well as practical workshops and poster presentations.  The topics of the Health Symposium include circuit training, eating vegan, the use of kettlebells, running at your best, and more.  There will even be a vespers concert from 8 - 9:30 p.m. Friday, May 11, 2012 at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan, USA.
The cost for registration for the full four-day conference is $125 or $55 per day, $35 on Sunday, May 13.  For further information and complete listing visit www.andrews.edu/shp/nutrition/symposium
Also, call these contact people: Dominique Wakefield and Keri Suarez -- 269-471-3348

EXPOsing Greatness -- Bertrand Crossing Campus LMC May 9, 2012, 4 p.m.

from Benton Spirit News (April 26 edition):

Michiana residents and area businesses are invited to attend the annual EXPOsing Greatness business expo for networking and professional development.

The Expo will take place at Lake Michigan College Bertrand Crossing Campus, 1905 Foundation Dr., (at the intersection of US 12 and US 31) in Niles on Wednesday, May 9, 2012, from 4 - 7:30 p.m. There is no admission fee.

Visitors to the Expo will be able to visit the booths of local businesses and organizations, sign up for special show pricing, enter prize drawings and attend free educational seminars. To make the experience even more enjoyable, Berrien County restaurants will be providing complimentary food samples throughout the Expo.

Shelley Klug, executive director of the Southwestern Michigan Economic Growth Alliance, says the Expo will provide local businesses the chance to interact with each other to promote local commerce, and give individuals a preview of the goods and services offered by businesses in their own community. “Both individuals and businesses can benefit from promoting our local economy,” said Klug.

The Expo is presented by the Four Flags Area Chamber of Commerce, the Buchanan Area Chamber of Commerce, Lake Michigan College Bertrand Crossing, Southwestern Michigan Economic Growth Alliance and Leader Publications and is sponsored by United Federal Credit Union.

http://bentonspiritnews.com/expo-brings-networking-fun-and-business-opportunities-to-michiana-p4647-125.htm

Fernwood at Niles, Michigan 49120 "National Public Gardens Day" May 11, 2012

notice of event & program at Niles Daily Star : www.nilesstar.com/

In celebration of National Public Gardens Day on Friday May 11, 2012, the director of Fernwood Botanical Gardens and Nature Preserve will present a program, “Why Public Gardens Matter,” at 12:30 p.m. Friday.
“Gardens are about plants and good design, and they are about people,” says Carol Line, the executive director of Fernwood. “All are interdependent on the success of a garden regardless of garden type: display, botanical, science, pleasure or historical.
“Gardens bring like-minded people together to learn and work and socialize. Local garden clubs and societies volunteer at Fernwood and support the garden.
Gardens bring together leaders in the field to speak and consult. It’s a big, beautiful, complex botanical world out there, and part of the beauty is the human factor.”
Admission to Fernwood,  13988 Range Line Rd., is free for the day with a coupon downloaded from www.bhg.com/freegarden.
The fourth annual National Public Gardens Day  invites communities to explore the beauty of their regional public garden while raising awareness of the role  public gardens play in promoting conservation, education and environmental preservation.
“Public gardens are indispensable,” said Casey Sclar, the interim executive director of the American Public Gardens Association. “There is a common commitment of North American public gardens to engage and contribute to their communities, and to educate everyone about the importance of plants, soil and water conservation practices.”

Who recites "Das Vaterunser" nowadays?

ANSWER is -- those who are proud of their German-American heritage and who want to be in touch with who the people are who love the Lord Jesus Christ --

The words of Gospel according to Matthew chapter 6 meant so much to my Grandmother (her mother's surname was Kallenberger from Wurtemmburg) who was only around German first language speakers a small part of her upbringing that she asked me when I was a teenager (as a High School and College student of the German language and culture) to write this out on quality stationery for her to "scrapbook it":

Unser Vater in dem Himmel!

Dein Name werd geheiligt.  Dein Reich komme.

Dein Wille geschehe auf Erden wie im Himmel.

Unser taglich Brot gib uns heute.

Und vergib uns unsere Schuld, wie wir vergeben unsern Schuldigern.

Und fuhre uns nicht in Versuchung, sondern erlose uns von dem Ubel -- with umlaut

Denn Dein ist das Reich and die Kraft and die Herrlichkeit in Ewigkeit.  Amen.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Five Hundred Years ago, a persecuted Augustinian monk (Martinus Luther of Wittenberg University) was finding solace in a period of near-exile by translating the Bible from the Vulgate to then German of the folk of his time . . .  He wanted it to be reverent and poetic for people to commit to memory and to say often in personal moments of devotion and deep spirituality.

THOSE are the kinds of folks who memorize and recite "Das Vaterunser" . . .

Feed the Hungry -- Free Community Luncheon - May 5 -- Niles Episcopal Church host

from Niles MICHIGAN -- Church announcement page:

Free Lunch-In

Saturdays   Noon to 1:30 P.M.

(Doors will not be open to the public before 11 a.m.)

All Luncheons are held at Trinity Episcopal Church

Corner of 4th and Broadway.

Everyone Welcome!

1st Saturday of the month

Sponsored by:First Presbyterian Church

http://www.trinityniles.org/Community_Luncheon.html

Pre-Medical Student (Associate's with highest honors) to give Valedictorian Speech for LMC (2 p.m. May 6) -- Benton Harbor, MI

from LMC posted News: www.lakemichigancollege.edu/


Michelle Williams of Berrien Springs and Samantha Gerard of Buchanan have been chosen as student speakers for Lake Michigan College’s 65th annual commencement exercises being held at the LMC Mendel Center, Benton Harbor, Michigan on Sunday, May 6, 2012 at 2 p.m.

Growing up in Brazil, then graduating from high school in Guyana in South America, Michelle Williams moved to New York City before she and her husband landed in SW Michigan. With two small children, Williams spent the last two years as a full-time student, mother, and employee working the nightshift as a nurse assistant unit clerk. Williams graduates with highest honors, receiving an Associate in Science degree. Her son Keegan, 23, is also graduating from LMC with her.
At LMC Williams participated in Phi Theta Kappa and Student Support Services. She spent 10 hours a week as a tutor in the LMC math lab, and also volunteered a half a day each Friday at the Domestic Violence Shelter for Child and Family Services.

Williams is on her way to fulfilling her dream of being a doctor in family medicine. In the fall she will be attending the University of Michigan to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry. She plans to stay in Michigan to attend medical school.

Williams received the Richie and Karen Barnes Family Scholarship and the Winner’s Circle Scholarship and was an honoree on the Michigan All-Academic Team while at LMC.
The title of her speech is “Looking Back, Looking Forward, Reflections of a Graduate.”

http://www.lakemichigancollege.edu/Default.aspx?DN=a05b2a15-65d6-4c7e-be5e-a816119664c2

Tonight's full moon -- a "Super-Moon" -- May 5, 2012

story posted at ABC NEWS dot-com -- Ned Potter Tweeted Report:

Tonight, if the full moon rising in the East strikes you as unusually large, you'll be right. It will loom larger than usual. Though it's hardly a scientific term, it will be what's known as a Supermoon.


If the weather is clear where you are, it should be a sight to see. It happens because -- despite what our senses tell us -- the moon does not orbit us in a perfect circle. It follows a slightly elliptical path every month. At 11:35 p.m. EDT, say astronomers, it will come within 221,802 miles of us -- coincidentally about one minute before it's at its fullest.

 

The "supermoon" of March 19, 2011, seen from England. Ben Birchall/PA/AP Photo.

The result: When the moon is closest to Earth, it appears 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than when it's farthest from us. Two weeks from now, on the opposite side of its orbit, it will be about 252,000 miles away.


"The full Moon has a reputation for trouble," wrote Tony Phillips, an astronomer who maintains NASA's science news website.   "It raises high tides, it makes dogs howl, it wakes you up in the middle of the night with beams of moonlight stealing through drapes.

PHOTOGRAPHY of past "Supermoon" -- at http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/supermoon-supermoon-large-full-moon-tonight/story?id=16285195

Born on May 5, 1813 -- key figure in existentialist philosophy - Kierkegaard

from Writer's Almanac (American Public Media, Garrison Keillor) --

May 5 is the birthday of philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, born in Copenhagen (1813), the son of a wealthy wool merchant who left his son enough money to be financially independent for the rest of his life. Kierkegaard rarely left Copenhagen, but he enjoyed going to the theater, taking carriage rides out into the country, and chatting with people he met, including servants and laborers, whom wealthy people would ordinarily ignore.

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 "leap of faith," 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). Kierkegaard was unknown outside of Denmark until the early 20th century, when his work was discovered by European writers and philosophers. He influenced writers like Henrik Ibsen, Franz Kafka, and Albert Camus.

Does the "Sherlock Holmes" hero work with 21st Century - trappings? PBS Masterpiece Mystery says emphatic "Yes" (May 6, 2012)

here's the online posted publicity (www.pbs.org/ )

Airing May 6, 13 & 20, 2012 on PBS Watch a clip — select below

• A Scandal In Belgravia (1:18)
  May 6, 2012
• The Hounds of Baskerville (:30)
  May 13, 2012
• The Reichenbach Fall (:30)
  May 20, 2012

In three thrilling new episodes, consulting detective Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch, The Last Enemy, War Horse) teams up with former army doctor and beleaguered friend John Watson (The Hobbit, The Office UK) to solve a dizzying array of crimes with his signature deductive reasoning and his stunning lack of social grace. From Belgravia mansions to windswept moors, the dynamic, if dysfunctional duo battles diabolical — and greatly-anticipated — villains, including a computer-savvy arch-villain who wants to rule the world and a hound from the hinges of Hell. Co-created by Steven Moffat (Doctor Who, Coupling) and Mark Gatiss (Doctor Who, The League of Gentlemen), season 2 of Sherlock also stars Lara Pulver (True Blood), Russell Tovey (Little Dorrit) and Andrew Scott (Lennon Naked).

Episodes of Sherlock Season 2

May 6, 2012
A Scandal in Belgravia
Picking up from season 1's gripping cliff-hanger, the whip-smart Irene Adler (Lara Pulver, True Blood) takes on Sherlock in a game he is ill-prepared to fight...love.

May 13, 2012
The Hounds of Baskerville
Sherlock and Watson track a gigantic hound to Baskerville, where the military is conducting top-secret experiments. But whether demonic or dubious, something is stalking the moors...

May 20, 2012
The Reichenbach Fall
The crime of the century is just a prelude for the unhinged criminal mastermind, Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott, Lennon Naked), when he poses the diabolical and inescapable "final problem" to Sherlock.

! Feliz Cinco de Mayo ! (remarks at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC) -- May 3 in advance

www.whitehouse.gov/

For Immediate Release

May 03, 2012

Remarks By The President At Cinco De Mayo Reception

Rose Garden

5:12 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Hola, hola! (Applause.) Gracias y bienvenidos. I am honored to welcome you to Cinco de Mayo at the White House. (Applause.) Even though it’s only tres de Mayo. We just like to get the fiesta started early around here. (Laughter.)
It is a pleasure to be joined by so many Latinos and Latinas -– and those who wish they were Latino and Latina. (Laughter.) I knew you wouldn’t miss an opportunity for great music and dancing at the White House, especially with the outstanding Ballet Folklórico from Georgetown University. Give them a big round of applause. (Applause.)
Our great friend Ambassador Arturo Sarukhán and his lovely wife Veronica are here. I’m honored to welcome Hispanic Americans serving at every level of my administration, including Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis. (Applause.) I want to recognize Charlie Gonzalez, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. As all of you know, Charlie’s birthday is on Cinco de Mayo, so don’t forget to wish him a feliz cumpleaños.
Finally, thank you to the White House Hispanic Summit steering committee for your hard work to engage thousands of Latino leaders across the country this year. Good job. Your work demonstrates that this celebration is all about pride in the heritage and contributions of Hispanics in all aspects of American life.
Cinco de Mayo marks a singular moment in Mexican history. Exactly 150 years ago, General Zaragoza and his ragtag band of patriots made a brave stand against the invading forces of a world-renowned European army. Sounds familiar. And the story goes that after these heroic citizens and soldiers beat the odds and turned back the invaders, General Zaragoza found time to sit down and write a brief note to the war minister. He celebrated the glory of the national army, noting that they never turned their backs. And today, we honor their valor.
When the news of the Mexican victory at Puebla reached this house, this country was in the midst of its own struggles. But soon after, the U.S. lent assistance to help Mexico definitively expel the French from their land. And ever since, the United States and Mexico have lived intersecting and overlapping histories. Our two countries share the ties of history and familia and values and commerce and culture. And today, we are more united than ever -- in friendship and in common purpose.
Right now, there are more than 50 million Americans of Latino descent -- one sixth of our population. You’re our neighbors, our coworkers, our family, our friends. You’re starting businesses. You’re teaching in classrooms. You’re defending this country. You’re driving America forward.
And for our part, we know that securing our future depends on making sure that all Americans have the opportunity to reach their potential. And that’s why we’ve worked hard over the last
three and a half years to create jobs; to make sure you get the care you need when you get sick; to make college affordable for everybody; to ensure that no matter where you are, where you come from, what you look like, what your last name is -- even if it’s Obama -- (laughter) -- you can make it if you try. Applause.)  
These are victories for Latinos, but they’re, more importantly, victories for America. We could not have come this far without you. Of course, there is still plenty of unfinished business, including fixing our broken immigration system. And it is long past the time that we unleash the promise of all our young people and make the DREAM Act a reality. (Applause.)
A lot of you remember, over a year ago, we brought the DREAM Act to a vote in Congress, thanks to the hard work of many of you. And it passed the House and a majority of votes in the Senate. Unfortunately, we had some on the other side of the aisle that got together and blocked it. But we didn’t come this far just to let partisan politics stand in our way.
So we’re going to keep fighting for this common-sense reform -- not just because hundreds of thousands of talented young students depend on it, but because ultimately America depends on it. “No” is not an option. I want to sign the DREAM Act into law. I’ve got the pens all ready. I’m willing to work with anybody who is serious to get this done, and to achieve bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform that solves this challenge once and for all. (Applause.)
It’s worth remembering, America is and always will be a nation of immigrants. We are richer because of the men and women and children who have come to our shores and joined our union. So as we mark Cinco de Mayo, on both sides of the border, we pay tribute to our shared heritage and our future partnership.
We honor what brings us together. We are mothers and fathers of a great generation, and we’re going to keep on making sure that our sons and daughters have every opportunity to realize the American Dream. That’s what drives me every day. That’s what I know drives a lot of you. And I look forward for us making future progress together.
So with that, let’s party. Let’s have a good time. Feliz Cinco de Mayo.  

May 2012 is "National Foster Care Month" (Proclamation for current year and efforts across America)

www.whitehouse.gov/

Childhood is a time for our young people to grow and learn, protected by their families and safe in their homes. But for almost half a million children who are unable to remain at home through no fault of their own, childhood can be a time of sadness, pain, and separation. These children need and deserve safe, loving, and permanent families who can help restore their sense of well-being and give them hope for the future.
During National Foster Care Month, we recognize the promise of America's children and youth in foster care, and we commend the devotion and selflessness of the foster parents who step in to care for them. We also pay tribute to the professionals nationwide who work to improve the safety of our most vulnerable children and assist their families in addressing the issues that brought them into the child welfare system. In communities across America, dedicated men and women -- in schools, faith-based and community organizations, parent and advocacy groups -- volunteer their time as mentors, tutors, and advocates for children in foster care. We all have a role to play in ensuring our children and youth grow up with the rich opportunities and support they need to reach their full potential.
My Administration is committed to increasing positive outcomes for every infant and child in foster care, and to promoting a successful transition to adulthood for older youth. We are working to increase permanency through reunification, adoption, and guardianship; to prevent maltreatment; to reduce rates of re-entry into foster care; and to ensure all qualified caregivers have the opportunity to serve as foster parents. Through the Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act, we are granting States more flexibility in supporting a range of services for children in foster care, including health care and treatment of emotional trauma. And through the Affordable Care Act, beginning in 2014, every State will be required to extend Medicaid coverage up to age 26 for former foster youth.
This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the Children's Bureau, an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services that carries forward a legacy of protecting our Nation's children and strengthening families through programs like the Permanency Innovations Initiative. Over 5 years, this initiative is investing $100 million in new strategies to identify permanent homes for youth in long-term foster care, including more than 100,000 children awaiting adoption, and to reducing time spent in foster care placements.
National Foster Care Month is a time to reflect on the many ways government, social workers, foster families, religious institutions, and others are helping improve the lives of children in foster care, and it also serves as a reminder that we cannot rest until every child has a safe, loving, and permanent home. Together, we give thanks to those individuals from all walks of life who have opened their hearts and their homes to a child, and we rededicate ourselves to ensuring a bright and hopeful future for America's foster youth.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 2012 as National Foster Care Month. I encourage all Americans to observe this month by dedicating their time, love, and resources to helping youth in foster care, whether by taking time to mentor, lending a hand to a foster family, or taking an active role in their communities.

Join others to pray on National Day of Prayer -- May 3 -- Proclamation

www.whitehouse.gov/

Prayer has always been a part of the American story, and today countless Americans rely on prayer for comfort, direction, and strength, praying not only for themselves, but for their communities, their country, and the world.
On this National Day of Prayer, we give thanks for our democracy that respects the beliefs and protects the religious freedom of all people to pray, worship, or abstain according to the dictates of their conscience. Let us pray for all the citizens of our great Nation, particularly those who are sick, mourning, or without hope, and ask God for the sustenance to meet the challenges we face as a Nation. May we embrace the responsibility we have to each other, and rely on the better angels of our nature in service to one another. Let us be humble in our convictions, and courageous in our virtue. Let us pray for those who are suffering around the world, and let us be open to opportunities to ease that suffering.
Let us also pay tribute to the men and women of our Armed Forces who have answered our country's call to serve with honor in the pursuit of peace. Our grateful Nation is humbled by the sacrifices made to protect and defend our security and freedom. Let us pray for the continued strength and safety of our service members and their families. While we pause to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice defending liberty, let us remember and lend our voices to the principles for which they fought -- unity, human dignity, and the pursuit of justice.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 3, 2012, as a National Day of Prayer. I invite all citizens of our Nation, as their own faith directs them, to join me in giving thanks for the many blessings we enjoy, and I call upon individuals of all faiths to pray for guidance, grace, and protection for our great Nation as we address the challenges of our time.

"No Courts, No Justice, No Freedom" -- 2012 Law Day (Presidential Proclamation)

from White House dot-gov

When President Dwight D. Eisenhower established Law Day in 1958, he proclaimed it "fitting that the people of this Nation should remember with pride and vigilantly guard the great heritage of liberty, justice, and equality under law which our forefathers bequeathed to us." Today, we celebrate that enduring legacy and renew our commitment to a democracy sustained by the rule of law.
This year's Law Day theme, "No Courts, No Justice, No Freedom," recalls the historic role our courts have played in protecting the fundamental rights and liberties of all Americans. Our courts are the guarantors of civil justice, social order, and public safety, and we must do everything we can to enable their critical work. The courthouse doors must be open and the necessary services must be in place to allow all litigants, judges, and juries to operate efficiently. Likewise, we must ensure that access to justice is not an abstract theory, but a concrete commitment that delivers the promise of counsel and assistance for all who seek it.
Today, let us reflect upon the role generations of legal and judicial professionals have played in building an America worthy of the ideals that inspired its founding. The timeless principles of equal protection and due process remain at the heart of our democracy, and on Law Day, we recommit to upholding them not just in our time, but for all time.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, in accordance with Public Law 87-20, as amended, do hereby proclaim May 1, 2012, as Law Day, U.S.A. I call upon all Americans to acknowledge the importance of our Nation's legal and judicial systems with appropriate ceremonies and activities, and to display the flag of the United States in support of this national observance.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/05/01/presidential-proclamation-law-day-usa-2012

Test-tube Grandchildren (twins) born to Romney extended family -- Gestational Surrogate had borne other offspring for Romneys

Announced via POLITICO (6:50 p.m. Eastern Time May 4, 2012) :

Tagg Romney, Mitt and Ann Romney’s oldest son, announced the birth of twin boys Friday — born through a surrogate.
It’s not a rare practice for much of the country, but it could raise some eyebrows with parts of the anti-abortion movement — and some in the Mormon church.

“Happy 2 announce birth of twin boys David Mitt and William Ryder. Big thanks to our surrogate. Life is a miracle,” Tagg Romney tweeted late Friday.

He added in a Facebook post that he and his wife, Jen, used a “gestational surrogate” to carry the babies — meaning that Jen and Tagg Romney are the genetic parents, but the embryos were implanted in and carried by another woman.
“A special thanks to our gestational surrogate who made this possible for us. Life truly is a miracle, and we feel so blessed to be able to celebrate the arrival of these precious boys into our family. For those keeping score at home, these are grandchildren numbers 17 and 18 for my parents.”
ABC News dot-com newsletter "The Note" reported that the couple used the same surrogate for their youngest son, Jonathan, born in August 2010. Their other three children were not born via surrogacy.
Neither in vitro fertilization — which is one step in a gestational surrogacy pregnancy — nor the surrogacy itself are uncommon nowadays. But to some parts of the anti-abortion movement, they remain controversial because “excess” fertilized embryos can be destroyed. The Catholic Church opposes IVF.
An official handbook of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not rule out IVF for a married couple. It does say the church “strongly discourages surrogate motherhood.”
That single sentence, however, doesn’t explain how the church is defining surrogacy, or necessarily how it would regard this particular case.
Sometimes, like in the famous “Baby M” case, a surrogate mother is also the biological mother. She is artificially inseminated, the egg is hers, and she carries the baby to birth.
But the term can also refer to a “gestational carrier,” as in the Romneys’ case.
Michael Purdy, a spokesman for the LDS Church, told the Associated Press that, while the church discourages surrogate motherhood, it leaves the decision to individual members.
A campaign official said the babies were born Friday and that Tagg Romney “made the bishops in his church aware of his family’s plans.”
Asked whether Mitt Romney had publicly expressed views on IVF or surrogacy, Romney campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul emailed his position on stem cell research. He has repeatedly voiced support for stem cell research using excess embryos from IVF under “appropriate ethical boundaries.”
According to a biography written by a distant Romney relative, Ronald B Scott, a former Time Inc writer, at least three of five Mitt Romney’s sons (actually the couples do this) have used in vitro fertilization.


Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0512/75939.html#ixzz1twpEsctB