Syrian Priest / Hermit killed in cross-fire of Rebel attack (June 23, 2013)

Online news posted by Cindy Wooden (CNS) at National Catholic Reporter dot-org website: A 49-year-old Syrian priest and hermit was killed Sunday, apparently when a group of rebels attacked the Franciscan Convent of St. Anthony in Ghassanieh, a village in the north near the Turkish border. Franciscan Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the head of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, told Vatican Radio on Monday (June 24, 2013) that Fr. Francois Murad was not a Franciscan, but had taken refuge in the convent when it became clear he was not safe at the Syriac Catholic hermitage he was building nearby. Syriac Catholic Archbishop Jacques Behnan Hindo of Hassake-Nisibi told Fides, the news agency of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, that Murad "sent me several messages which showed he was aware of living in a dangerous situation and was willing to offer his life for peace in Syria and the world." Pizzaballa told Vatican Radio that Ghassanieh -- "like other Christian villages -- has been almost completely destroyed and is almost totally abandoned." He said he believes the only people left in Ghassanieh "are the rebels with their families, rebels who are not from Syria and who are extremists." "The only thing we can do, other than pray for Father Francois and all the victims, is pray that this folly ends soon and that no more weapons are sent to Syria because that would only prolong this absurd civil war," Pizzaballa said. The Franciscan leader said Syria is a "battleground, and not just between Syrian forces, but also for other Arab countries and the international community. The ones paying the price are the poor, the small and the least, including the Christians." http://ncronline.org/news/global/syrian-priest-killed-during-rebel-attack-franciscan-convent

Moon's relationship to Planet Earth (Space dot-com posting)

excerpt from longer posting at www.space.com/ (Space and NASA News) Orbit/Earth Relationship Tidal effects The moon's gravity pulls at the Earth, causing predictable rises and falls in sea levels known as tides. To a much smaller extent, tides also occur in lakes, the atmosphere, and within the Earth's crust. High tides are when water bulges upward, and low tides are when water drops down. High tide results on the side of the Earth nearest the moon due to gravity, and it also happens on the side farthest from the moon due to the inertia of water. Low tides occur between these two humps. The pull of the moon is also slowing the Earth's rotation, an effect known as tidal braking that increases the length of our day by 2.3 milliseconds per century. The energy that Earth loses is picked up by the moon, increasing its distance from the Earth, which means the moon gets farther away by 3.8 centimeters annually. The moon's gravitational pull might have been key to making Earth a livable planet by moderating the degree of wobble in Earth's axial tilt, which led to a relatively stable climate over billions of years where life could flourish. Eclipses During eclipses, the moon, Earth and sun are in a straight line, or nearly so. A lunar eclipse takes place when Earth gets directly or almost directly between the sun and the moon, and Earth's shadow falls on the moon. A lunar eclipse can occur only during a full moon. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon gets directly or nearly directly between the sun and Earth, and the moon's shadow falls on us. A solar eclipse can occur only during a new moon.

On "Seminary Ridge" -- new museum opens Monday -- Faith and the Civil War era (1861 - 1865)

on campus of Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg, PA July 1, 2013: GRAND OPENING! 150 years to the day after the Battle of Gettysburg began. Special events, a ribbon cutting ceremony and more surprises are planned. The new Gettysburg Seminary Ridge Museum opens July 1, 2013, and will feature 20,000 square feet of interactive exhibit galleries and educational programming to interpret three major areas of emphasis—none of which are the focus of any other museum in Gettysburg: 1. the pivotal first day of the Battle of Gettysburg on Seminary Ridge; 2. the care of the wounded and human suffering within Schmucker Hall during its use as a Civil War field hospital; 3. the moral, civic, and spiritual debates of the Civil War era. http://www.seminaryridgemuseum.org/about/

July 1 -- Annual holiday -- Canada Day (federal holiday)

according to "Free Dictionary" dot-com definition: __________________________________________________ observed in Canada in commemoration of the formation of the Dominion in 1867. On that date 146 years ago, Canada became the first colony of the British empire to receive dominion status

July 1 - 3 Living History Anniversary Observance (Gettysburg National Park) - Civil War

from NPS dot-gov // gett/plan your visit July 1-4 National Park Service Ranger Programs for 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg During the days of the battle anniversary, with July 4 focusing on the battle's aftermath, the park will offer the following interpretive program opportunities, free of charge: Living History Camps - Two full battalions of Union and Confederate infantrymen accompanied by artillery and other supporting units will present demonstrations and programs near the Pennsylvania Memorial and at Pitzer's Woods throughout the day to illustrate the life of the Union and Confederate soldier and demonstrate the tactics used by both armies in the Battle of Gettysburg. (PLEASE NOTE living history events are July 1-3 only.)* http://www.nps.gov/gett/planyourvisit/150th-anniversary-events-2013.htm

36 Mile Tractor Drive (Hartford, MI Club - Cass County Fairgrounds)

Event held in 2013 on June 29 -- 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time for Registration; 10 a.m. begins the drive (a fundraiser towards Alzheimer's patient G.P.S. bracelets. Contact Hartford Tractor Club (269 - 580-1250) for details -- this event begins at Cass County (Michigan) Fairgrounds in Cassopolis, MI. Lunch Provided for freewill donation.

Band Students (Niles Community Schools) -- Fundraiser Saturday June 22, 9 a.m., Ring Lardner

Details (Final specific ones in Press Release): The Niles Michigan Community Schools Band Department will be holding a "rummage sale" Fundraiser from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Saturday June 22, 2013. That one-day event will be held in the Ring Lardner Middle School Cafeteria, 801 N. 17th Street, Niles, Michigan 49120 (Telephone 269 - 683-6610). A "bag sale" (one price for items bagged up together) will run from 3 - 4 p.m. that same day.