Monthly Archives: February 2020

RIP, MarCO! The world’s first cubesats to Mars are gone for good – Space.com

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In September 2019, NASA started the second half of an epic game of Marco Polo; early this month the agency declared it over for good.

On Feb. 2, NASA formally ended the Mars Cube One mission. MarCO, as it was known, consisted of two tiny cubesats that hitchhiked along with the agency's InSight lander that reached the Red Planet in November 2018. The twin MarCO satellites were the first cubesats to leave Earth orbit, and they aced their goal of reporting on InSight's perilous landing to scientists on Earth.

"WALL-E and EVE performed just as we expected them to," MarCO chief engineer Andy Klesh, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, said in a statement at the time, referring to the cubesats by their nicknames taken from the 2008 film "WALL-E." "They were an excellent test of how cubesats can serve as 'tag-alongs' on future missions, giving engineers up-to-the-minute feedback during a landing."

Related: How the tiny exoplanet-hunting ASTERIA satellite showed scientists what cubesats can do

As NASA expected, the MarCO satellites fell silent in January 2019 because of how far their orbits carried them from the sun. There was a chance that the agency would be able to reestablish communications with the plucky twins in the second half of 2019. But attempts to do so, which began in September 2019, were unsuccessful, according to a new NASA statement.

NASA will be releasing data from the twin cubesats over the next year, the agency added. That data should help future interplanetary cubesat designers to tap into MarCO's success. Among the earliest of those successors will be launching on NASA's first Artemis mission, an uncrewed flight orbiting the moon.

One such cubesat, dubbed Lunar Flashlight, is designed to contribute to lunar science by identifying ice in craters at the moon's south pole that never receive sunlight. That's the same region where the culminating Artemis mission will land astronauts in 2024, according to NASA plans.

Email Meghan Bartels at mbartels@space.com or follow her @meghanbartels. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

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RIP, MarCO! The world's first cubesats to Mars are gone for good - Space.com

Here’s your chance to design equipment for NASA’s proposed Venus rover and win $15,000 – CNN

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"With a surface temperature in excess of 840 degrees Fahrenheit and a surface pressure 90 times that of Earth, Venus can turn lead into a puddle and crush a nuclear-powered submarine with ease," NASA said.

"While many missions have visited our sister planet, only about a dozen have made contact with the surface of Venus before quickly succumbing to the oppressive heat and pressure."

Don't have an engineering degree? Doesn't matter. Never seen a spacecraft in real life? No problem.

"JPL is interested in all approaches, regardless of technical maturity," NASA said.

Great. What's the catch?

"Current state-of-the-art electronics fail at just over 250 degrees Fahrenheit and would easily succumb to the extreme Venus environment. That is why NASA is turning to the global community of innovators and inventors for a solution."

But the sensor has to be more than just ridiculously rugged.

That sounds tough. Why bother going to Venus?

"This is an exciting opportunity for the public to design a component that could one day end up on another celestial body," said Ryon Stewart, challenge coordinator for the NASA Tournament Lab.

"NASA recognizes that good ideas can come from anywhere and that prize competitions are a great way to engage the public's interest and ingenuity and make space exploration possible for everyone."

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Here's your chance to design equipment for NASA's proposed Venus rover and win $15,000 - CNN

NASA provides first evidence of marsquakes – Big Think

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Stirrings detected from deep below the surface of the Red Planet indicate, for the first time ever, that Mars is geologically active. It's alive!

A trove of new data is in from the NASA InSight lander's stay on Mars revealing new discoveries above and below the planet's terrain. One of the most fascinating findings is that the planet experiences marsquakes. According to mission lead Bruce Banerdt, a planetary scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, this is the first time scientists have been able to establish that Mars is a moderately seismically active planet, reports Science News.

Image Credit: IPGP/Nicolas Sarter

The InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) is a spacecraft equipped with sensory technology. It arrived on Mars in November of 2018 for a two-year quest to study the deep interior of the Red Planet. It's investigating Martian tectonic activity and meteorite impacts seeking to answer one of science's biggest mysteries: How were the rocky planets in the Milky Way formed?

"This is the first mission focused on taking direct geophysical measurements of any planet besides Earth, and it's given us our first real understanding of Mars' interior structure and geological processes," said geologist Nicholas Schmerr of the University of Maryland. "These data are helping us understand how the planet works, its rate of seismicity, how active it is and where it's active."

This week in Nature Geoscience and Nature Communications, mission scientists presented results from the lander's first 10 months. However, it's too soon to know what the breaking revelations mean.

"We're really in the same situation as geophysicists were for Earth in the early 1900s," Banerdt said in a press briefing last week. "We're in the wild west of understanding what's going on."

One major discovery made by the InSight is the occurrence of marsquakes. The InSight's Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) instrument, a seismic prob similar to a stethoscope, detected rumblings beneath the planet's red surface. As of September, the lander recorded 174 of those (very gentle) quakes. Interestingly, 24 of those were low-frequency rumbles with spectral shapes that follow the same scaling laws as earthquakes according to a paper summarizing the results. This led the team of scientists to infer that they are of tectonic origin. Planetary geologists had previously thought that the planet's days of tectonic activity were long gone. But this changes things. Moving tectonic plates, by the way, is what produces much of the Earth's high seismic activity.

What is exciting about this discovery is that the quakes could potentially give seismologists insights into the interior composition of the planet. If the tremors are strong enough they can behave a bit similar to a massive ground-penetrating radar, but using seismic waves rather than electromagnetic waves. As the waves ripple through Mars, they could slow down as they move through or reverberate off certain materials. This would allow scientists to guess what might lie deep under the surface.

Two of the quakes seemed to have originated from Mars' Cerberus Fossae region where a group of fissures created by faults that split the crust apart can be found. The region's landscape, which includes landslides, ancient volcanic flows, and dried up water channels, suggests it was tectonically and volcanically active less than 10 million years ago. (Fairly recent in rock-years.)

In addition to evaluating its quake-factor, InSight is measuring Mars' atmosphere and the surrounding geology of its landing site. We already knew that atmospheric gravity waves (ripples in gases and liquids) sometimes occur on Mars. A new paper on the Martian atmosphere outlines the variety of such waves InSight detected.

"From these measurements, we have discovered Martian infrasound and unexpected similarities between atmospheric turbulence on Earth and Mars," wrote the researchers. "We suggest that the observations of Mars's atmosphere by InSight will be key for prediction capabilities and future exploration."

New findings about the planet's magnetic field were also discovered. It had been thought that Mars has a weak field, but the results of yet another article suggests this wasn't always the case. The researchers infer that under the surface of the landing site are magnetized rocks "consistent with a past dynamo with Earth-like strength."

Image Credit: Wikimedia

The big story here provided by this slew of new information is that once upon a time, Mars was a radically different kind of planet. These findings could assist potential crewed missions to the planet by letting them know what to expect on Mars, and where to look to uncover more of its mysteries.

The InSight mission is planned to continue for another year, so stay tuned for more potential discoveries coming in from the Red Planet.

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NASA Airstrip Deep In The Mojave Desert Has Been Turned Into A Military Drone Base – The Drive

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Today, DSS 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, and 27 are all inactive. Buildings at DSS 12 now house administrative offices. DSS 13 has been repurposed for research and development activities. DSS 14, 24, 25, and 26 all continue to support NASA's Deep Space Network mission. The complex still helps track dozens of spacecraft across the solar system, including the various Mars rover missions. You can find a full list of the programs it presently supports here.

Throughout all of the expansions and additions at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex (GDSCC), Goldstone Airport offered a valuable way for Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) personnel and contractors to make both routine and emergency trips to the remote complex. Since its founding in 1936, the official address of JPL's headquarters has been in Pasadena, California, though the bulk of its main campus is now technically inside the limits of the city of La Caada Flintridge.

The straight distance between JPL and GDSCC, which lies to the northeast, is around 110 miles, but the actual distance by ground transport, at least as of 1977, was approximately 175 miles. The distance between Burbank Airport, where NASA staged many of the flights, and Goldstone Airport is around 115 miles.

In its 1978 Fiscal Year budget request, NASA asked for $150,000 to extend the runway at Goldstone airport from 4,760 feet to 6,000 feet and widen it from 60 feet to 100 feet to better support these activities. Paved turnarounds and a small ramp at the north end of the runway were also part of the request, which Congress ultimately approved.

"There is a constant requirement for JPL technical personnel to travel to Goldstone on routine or emergency projects for short periods of time," an official budget document explained. "Consequently from 25 to 100 people are flown to and from Goldstone Daily."

These upgrades brought the runway at Goldstone to its present dimensions. They remained the extent of major improvements there for decades.

It's not entirely clear when NASA officially transferred control of Goldstone Airport to the Army. As of 2005, it was still using it for flights to the GDSCC.

David Acton, a Ball Aerospace engineer who worked on the Deep Impact mission, which sent a probe to study the comet Tempel 1 that year, arranged for a tour of the complex for himself and a number of others. A NASA Beechcraft King Air flew them to Goldstone from Burbank.

However, in October 2014, the Army activated Company B, 229th Aviation Regiment at Goldstone Airport, marking the beginning of the drone training mission there. Early that same year, in its budget request for the upcoming 2015 Fiscal Year, the service asked for $45 million to build the new 52,100-square-foot hangar and associated infrastructure for Company B. The unit originally operated out of temporary structures.

Despite its training focus, Company B actually deployed for combat operations in Afghanistan in support of the U.S.-led coalition there in late 2015, with the idea that it would take up residence at the new facilities at Goldstone when it returned. The Army broke ground on the hangar and associated construction in January 2016.

One can see in the recent satellite imagery of Goldstone that the runway is marked "UAS," the abbreviation for "Unmanned Aircraft Systems." This would indicate that it is only approved now for use by unmanned aircraft, which could preclude any further fixed-wing shuttle flights to the airport by the Army, NASA, or anyone else without some sort of prior approval and coordination. Helicopters could still potentially fly to and from the airport.

With its new facilities at Goldstone Airport, Company B continues to fly training missions in support of activities at the nearby National Training Center. The airstrip is an ideal location for drone operations due to its remote location, combined with the general nature of the rest of GDSCC, which significantly reduces the amount of potential outside signal interference. This is one of the reasons why JPL decided to construct its space communications systems and radio telescopes in this area in the first place.

Company B has also remained available for operational deployments, as necessary. In November 2017, the unit deployed to Iraq supporting the U.S.-led coalition fighting ISIS.

Goldstone's isolated location could also make a good place for testing more sensitive upgrades for the Gray Eagle or new, advanced unmanned platforms. In addition to its primary mission as a training facility, the NTC also supports various test and evaluation activities.

With its space race origins, Goldstone Airport and the rest of the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex has had a fascinating history already. That lineage has taken a new twist with the Army moving in and creating a key drone base out of the once very basic airstrip. The little remote base now looks set for years of further use supporting Army drone activities at the nearby National Training Center.

Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com and tyler@thedrive.com

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NASA Airstrip Deep In The Mojave Desert Has Been Turned Into A Military Drone Base - The Drive

Global Micro-Supercapacitors Market Size Is Anticipated To Witness Over XX% CAGR Up To 2024 Nanotech Energy, Maxwell, Panasonic, Ningbo CRRC New…

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Global Micro-Supercapacitors Market Size Is Anticipated To Witness Over XX% CAGR Up To 2024 Nanotech Energy, Maxwell, Panasonic, Ningbo CRRC New...

Life, Liberty, and Basic Income | Opinion – Harvard Crimson

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We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

The Founding Fathers penned these words in the Declaration of Independence and laid forth a vision of what America could be. There is hope in these words hope for a world in which all people have their basic needs met, have the freedom to make their own choices, and have the opportunity to pursue a meaningful life in their own way. We have not yet met this vision, but I believe that we have both the ability to achieve it and a moral obligation to do so. We need universal basic income in order to guarantee these rights to all Americans.

UBI advocate Scott Santens has noted that Poverty is a legal status Poverty is being legally excluded from having sufficient access to resources to exist. The existence of poverty is an unnatural violation of peoples right to life. It should not exist and it does not have to. In the United States today there is enough food for people to eat and there are enough beds for people to sleep in. The issue is that basic needs like these cost money. Survival costs money. As a society, we have decided that those without money should not survive but we can change that. We have a moral duty to change that. Not only do humans deserve, as a right, the basic necessities of survival, but furthermore, nobody has the right to come between a person and what they need to survive. A universal basic income can eliminate poverty entirely by giving people the ability to acquire their basic necessities and ensure the right to life for all Americans.

But survival is not enough; someone in prison has their basic needs taken care of, but that life is not enviable. People also have a right to liberty, defined here as freedom from coercion. In other words, it is the ability to say no. The choice between work and starvation is not a choice at all. That is not freedom. We have decided to structure our society such that most people have no choice but to sell their labor in order to survive. When a persons life rests in the hands of their employer, they are not free. While we have many protections for workers, we have not abolished this one-sided relationship and the unjust coercive power that comes with it. UBI liberates people from financial dependence on others in every kind of relationship: freedom from exploitative work, abusive partners, and more. Critics of UBI claim that it would reduce peoples desire to work, but that very criticism reveals that much opposition to UBI comes from those who stand to lose their coercive power over others. If someone would quit a job once their basic needs were met, they were only working that job to meet their basic needs to survive. Therefore, they were coerced into the job by the threat of poverty and did not take the job by their own free will. UBI gives people the chance to be truly free.

What will people do with their newfound freedom? Anything they want. Many people will keep their jobs; people often enjoy the structure, community, purpose, or extra income that comes with a job. Some, once they receive the financial security of UBI, will still work, but will quit their second or third job or limit their hours in order to do more of whatever they enjoy. Others will stop working entirely because those jobs are dangerous, exploitative, or otherwise unpleasant, as they should have the right to do. This reduction of work should be celebrated; our society can function perfectly well without much of the work that people are forced into today. Many people will then have more time to pursue the activities they find most meaningful. UBI recipients will spend more time with their kids and families. They will care for elderly and sick relatives. They will volunteer and start businesses. They will become artists and writers, journalists and students, dreamers and doers. We waste untold potential and systematically crush the human spirit because we force people into needless drudgery just to stay alive. We deny an integral part of the human experience by denying people the chance to create, to explore, and to pursue happiness.

Critics have disparaged UBI as free money or a gimmick. What they fail to realize is that money is not the point of UBI. Money is a means to an end: freedom. Freedom from poverty, freedom from coercion, and freedom to strive for self-actualization. Basic income is not charity or welfare. It is a right. We have both the ability and the obligation to end poverty, ensure liberty, and give every American the chance to find their own version of success. We can finally live up to the ideals of the Declaration of Independence and secure these natural rights. There is no reason to wait. The time for universal basic income is now.

Matthew B. Gilbert 21 is a Computer Science concentrator in Adams House. His column appears on alternate Thursdays.

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Staten Island Councilman With Multiple Speeding Tickets Explains Why Speed Cameras Are Bad – Gothamist

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Six pedestrians -- including two children -- were killed by drivers this week in New York City.

Meanwhile, a Staten Island councilman continued his online campaign criticizing NYC speed limits and speed cameras -- part of the Mayor Bill de Blasio's Vision Zero plan to improve street safety -- as ineffectual and an attack on drivers.

Councilmember Joe Borelli has publicly blasted the Reckless Driver Accountability Act, which requires drivers who rack up five red light tickets or 15 school speed zone violations within a one year period to take a safe driving course. If they fail to do so, the NYC Sheriff can seize and impound their vehicles. But drivers whose vehicles are seized can get them back once they complete the course.

Borelli also tweeted in support of a guerilla campaign on Staten Island to alert drivers to the presence of speed cameras with yellow ribbons tied around nearby poles and trees. "If a person is aware of a camera and slows down, thats a win for everyone by my measure," he tweeted of the yellow ribbons, and wondered if the cameras were "punishing the driver" in an appearance on NY1.

In a phone interview, Borelli said he's supportive of traffic safety measures in general -- but he doesn't buy into rhetoric that demonizes his car-bound constituents.

"At the end of the day, Staten Islanders require their cars to get from point A to point B," Borelli said Friday. "There's just no two ways about that. And to hear people constantly talk about the need to break car culture and to ban cars is insulting to the few New York City residents in perhaps the one borough that has no other choice...call me crazy. But inconveniencing your constituents is not something that most people hope government does."

Streetsblog revealed Thursday that Borelli's vehicle has received five speed-camera-issued tickets.

"I don't deny I went over the speed limit," Borelli said. "That's wrong, and I apologize for it. You know, I'm not someone who's going to live in ignorance of my own violations and pretend like they didn't happen." He went on to say the borough needs more sidewalks and alternatives to driving as real solutions for street safety.

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson said the yellow ribbon campaign "defeats the purpose" of speed cameras in comments at a recent Council meeting.

"If you are alerting people to where the speed cameras are...people will know, 'well, I can't speed here, but I can speed here.' And it defeats the purpose of us trying to get people to slow down across the board, to go with the speed limit," Johnson said Thursday. "Because we know that people are losing their lives.

"The program was put in place for a reason -- it was to save lives," Johnson added. "And if you remember, the reason why it was expanded was to save lives of children in your schools. We need to keep taking measures to save people. There is an epidemic of traffic violence in New York City."

The man behind the yellow ribbon campaign, artist Scott LoBaido, told the Staten Island Advance that these invasive, money sucking cameras are just a big F U to Staten Island." LoBaido also had volunteers standing by 80 speed camera locations holding posters of Mayor Bill de Blasio with horns and money signs adorning his head last weekend.

Studies have shown that lower speed limits have direct correlation to pedestrian survival rates in collisions. The city DOT has said that speed cameras are "highly effective at deterring speeding. Speeding during school hours at typical fixed camera locations drops 63 percent. Despite the fact that the City is prohibited from using speed cameras during the majority of the year, injuries at these locations have dropped 17 percent." The deterrence factor also works outside of school zones -- roughly 80 percent of drivers who receive a speed camera violation don't get a second ticket within three years, according to the DOT.

So far this year, 22 pedestrians have been killed by drivers, according to the NYPD.

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Staten Island Councilman With Multiple Speeding Tickets Explains Why Speed Cameras Are Bad - Gothamist

Staten Island community board meetings this week – SILive.com

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Community Board 3 will hold a land use public hearing Tuesday, March 3, to consider the possible establishment of a 24-Hour Fitness center at 280 Marsh Ave., New Springville.

An application has been filed for a special permit for the facility to be established in a C4-1 general commercial district. It will be discussed at the 7:30 p.m. meeting, to be held in the New Dorp Moravian Parish Hall, New Dorp.

Community Board 1s Youth Committee will meet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3, in the board office, 1 Edgewater Plaza, suite 217.

Community Board 3 will host a Quality of Life Committee meeting on Tuesday, March 3, at 7:30 p.m., in the board office, on the second floor of 1243 Woodrow Rd., Woodrow. On Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., the Community Board 3 Traffic and Transportation Committee will meet in the board office.

Community Board meetings are open to the public. They provide an excellent opportunity for residents to learn about happenings in their community.

Below is more information about the Islands three Community Boards:

Community Board 1

Arlington Castleton Corners Clifton Concord Elm Park Fort Wadsworth Graniteville Grymes Hill Livingston Mariners Harbor New Brighton Port Richmond Randall Manor Rosebank St. George Shore Acres Silver Lake Stapleton Sunnyside Tompkinsville West Brighton Westerleigh

Community Board 1 meets in Building P on the grounds of Snug Harbor Cultural Center, Livingston. The district manager is Joseph Carroll. The board chairman is Nicholas Siclari. The telephone number is 718-981-6900.

Community Board 2

Arrochar Bloomfield Bulls Head Chelsea Dongan Hills Egbertville Emerson Hill Grant City Grasmere High Rock Lighthouse Hill Midland Beach New Dorp New Springville Oakwood Ocean Breeze Old Town Richmond South Beach Todt Hill Travis.

Community Board 2 is located at 900 South Avenue, Third Floor, Suite 28, Bloomfield. The phone number is 718-568-3581. The fax number 718-568-3595. The chairman is Robert J. Collegio, P.E. The district manager is Debra A. Derrico.

Community Board 3

Annadale Arden Heights Bay Terrace Charleston Eltingville Great Kills Greenridge Huguenot New Dorp Oakwood Pleasant Plains Princes Bay Richmond Valley -- Richmond -- Rossville -- Tottenville -- Woodrow.

All committee meetings take place at the Community Board 3 office, located on the second floor of 1243 Woodrow Rd. All general board meetings take place at the Woodrow Methodist Church Hall located at 1075 Woodrow Rd. The office phone number is 718-356-7900. The board chairman is Frank Morano; the district manager is Charlene Wagner.

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Century 21 Department Store to open on Staten Island – SILive.com

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- After Sears shuttered its last foothold in the Staten Island Mall after 46 years in September, Century 21 Department Store has announced it will occupy the first-floor space in the New Springville shopping center.

A sign displayed at the former Sears entrance on Saturday announces the pending opening of Century 21 Department Store, which is known for high-end merchandise at discount prices.

A spokesperson for Century 21 didnt immediately have details about the opening.

But this is not the first time the department store brand was available in the Mall.

A pop up" Century 21 EDITION opened in 2018, offering a large selection of womens accessories -- mainly high-end designer handbags. The retailer had partnered with LXRandCo to offer shoppers an assortment of vintage designer bags, accessories, jewelry and watches from top brands such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Hermes.

Century 21 is a 55-year-old iconic department store to which Staten Islanders have long traveled to locations in Brooklyn, Manhattan and New Jersey to snag bargains on designer clothing.

THE DEMISE OF SEARS

The Sears closure was the result of Sears Holdings filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2018. At this time, only the lower level was still occupied by Sears. Primark -- a 50-year-old company founded in Dublin -- opened one of its first U.S. stores in the second-floor space formerly occupied by Sears in 2017.

Primark saw an opportunity to expand in the United States as part of Sears downsizing operation. The retailer occupies 55,000 square feet -- the entire second floor of the former Sears -- in the Mall.

Sears first started its downsizing in the Mall when it closed its auto body shop in 2016, which had been open since March 1973. The 23,000-square-foot space became the new home of a Container Store, which opened in May 2016.

MALL RENOVATION

The Malls changing face is part of its 242,000-square-foot expansion, which was unveiled two years ago. Among the new retailers at the Mall are an AMC Movie Theater, and Lidl, a supermarket with German roots.

Eateries that opened as part of the renovation include Shake Shack, Dave & Busters, The Melt Shop and Chipotle Mexican Grill, Tommys Tap + Tavern, Chick-fil-A and more.

In addition, P.F. Changs -- a worldwide chain restaurant known for its Asian-style wok cooking -- plans to open its first Staten Island location in September in the Mall.

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Century 21 Department Store to open on Staten Island - SILive.com

Staten Island St. Patricks Parade 2020: What you need to know about street closures – SILive.com

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Drivers should avoid Forest Avenue and surrounding streets on Sunday. And if you plan on driving to the St. Patricks Parade in West Brighton, be prepared to have a nearly-impossible time finding a parking spot in the neighborhood.

The following roads along the parade route will be closed from around 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.:

In addition, there will be no cross traffic on seven side streets: Bard Avenue, Bement Avenue, North Burgher Avenue, Broadway, Clove Road, Manor Road and Jewett Avenue.

HERES WHY

Rain or shine, the 56th annual parade begins at the intersection of Forest Avenue and Hart Boulevard on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Parade-goers, decked in holiday attire, will step dance their way down Forest Avenue to Jewett Avenue.

This years Miss Hibernia will be Taylor OHalloran, who is reaching the end of her MBA program and is pursuing a career in business operations.

The parade will be led by Grand Marshal Dr. Bob Griswold, a Concord dentist and West Brighton resident known for his commitment to the community. His charitable work includes a dedication to the Staten Island chapter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and fundraising for the Forest Avenue parade.

FOREST AVENUE MILE

The Staten Island Athletic Club will host its Forest Avenue Mile, which has taken place for over 20 years, at 12:10 p.m. At the finish line, the Staten Island St. Patricks Day Parade will kick off with a serenade of pipe and drum bands, a float, and performances by step dancers.

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Staten Island St. Patricks Parade 2020: What you need to know about street closures - SILive.com

How do you run cattle and sheep in a swamp? This farm has done it for five generations – ABC News

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Posted February 29, 2020 07:34:05

Mundoo Island Station, the last property on the Murray-Darling river system, is a place like no other in Australia.

A working beef cattle property, the 4,000-hectare station spans several islands, bordered by both fresh river water and salt water.

It is also home to three of the five barrages at this end of the river concrete and steel barriers through which fresh water passes, mixing with the saltwater of the Coorong before flowing out to the Southern Ocean via the Murray's mouth.

Established seven years after the colony of South Australia was proclaimed, five generations of the Grundy family has farmed here.

"Mundoo Island is our main island; we farm on Hindmarsh Island, Long Island, Ewe Island and some other smaller islands scattered in among that," owner Colin Grundy said.

"So [we're] just farming islands really, flat swampy land.

"It's very similar to farming any paddock except just completely different."

This is where the 2,500-kilometre Murray River finally meets the sea, a place of great significance to the Ngarrindjeri people.

It borders the internationally recognised Coorong wetlands and would be forever changed if calls from some irrigators upstream were heeded.

In December last year, a group of mostly New South Wales farmers, fuelled by the desperation of drought and low river flows in the northern reaches of the river, rallied at Parliament House in Canberra.

They demanded a new lock be established downstream from Blanchetown in South Australia to withhold the river for irrigators.

It would mean the barrages would have to be removed to allow seawater to replace the fresh water flowing into the shallow Lower Lakes, Coorong wetlands and farming properties such as Mundoo Island Station.

"It would spell the end of farming here, of course," Mr Grundy said.

"The problem we have is that when people see the water going past their front gate, they feel entitled to it," said Sally Grundy, who co-manages the property with husband Colin.

"Every river needs to flow from the top to its mouth, where it exits out to sea.

"If you don't have a river flowing, you don't have a healthy system and without a healthy system you don't have the ability for all these farmers and towns to rely on the river."

The Grundys farm around 300 black Angus cattle, a few hundred Dorper meat sheep and a herd of wild horses a legacy of previous generations.

In late spring, they move pregnant cattle from the drying pastures on slightly higher ground across swamps and waterways to island wetlands to graze on fresh green feed, sometimes neck-deep in water, as they seek out aquatic plants.

"Angus do the best in this country, they are just tough little nuggets," Mr Grundy said.

After giving birth, the cattle are returned to the drier country pastures for winter and the weaned calves sent to market.

Cattle weren't always the mainstay at Mundoo Island Station.

When Mr Grundy's ancestors ran the place, wool was the main commodity and was transported along with sheep around the islands by barges, boats and paddle steamers.

The barrages built between 1915 and the 1930s were a game-changer.

They allowed for the salt and fresh water to be separated and provided a roadway for trucks and other vehicles.

Wool could get to market in a day instead of weeks by boat.

When liver fluke disease swept down the river in the 1950s and affected sheep flocks, the Grundy family turned to cattle, silencing the old stone shearing sheds.

Today, the rusty shearing combs, tins of lubricating oil and the wooden wool press remain exactly as they were.

Living on isolated islands with a philosophy of making do and recycling, generations of Grundys haven't been keen on throwing things out.

The cattle yards bolted together from fallen timber, parts of old vehicles, decking from a 1940s barrage and even the bulkhead of an old paddle steamer are the most obvious examples of a desire to not waste a thing.

"Grab whatever you can and hope it holds, is how I look at it," Mr Grundy said.

Their 16-year-old son Jack, with a love of technology, especially drones, might have different ideas and that's OK with his parents, who say when he takes over he will need to do things his way.

"There were things I did my dad didn't like," said Mr Grundy, who started running the station in his twenties and couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

"But he wants bloody sheep!"

Watch this story on ABC TV's Landline this Sunday at 12:30pm or on iView.

Topics:rural,livestock,beef-cattle,environment,water,water-management,water-supply,community-and-society,history,sa,australia,hindmarsh-5007

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How do you run cattle and sheep in a swamp? This farm has done it for five generations - ABC News

The UnXplained season 2 premiere: Searching for buried treasure on Oak Island – AL.com

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The UnXplained host William Shatner returns for a new season on Saturday, Feb. 29, at 9 p.m. EST on History. Viewers can also live stream it on fuboTV and Hulu + Live.

In the season two premiere, Shatner and his crew explore whether a tiny island in the North Atlantic, Oak Island, might be home to some buried treasure. For 200 years, treasure hunters have tried their luck but none have been able to find it. Six men have even died trying. Brothers Rick and Marty Lagina explore whether the treasure could be tied to a deadly curse while Shatner coaches from the war room, according to TV Insider.

In an interview with TV Insider previewing the second season, Shatner says evidence points to the possibility that treasure on Oak Island could have financed the American Revolution.

The Star Trek actor provides voiceovers and also serves as an executive producer.

You can find which channel it is by using the channel finders here: Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV and Dish.

Hulu + Live ($54.99/month)

Hulu + Live allows you to live stream shows and sports from a variety of networks. You also get access to Hulus library of content.

FuboTV ($54.99/month)

FuboTV offers you access to your favorite TV shows, live sports events and much more. Theres a 7-day free trial when you sign up.

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The UnXplained season 2 premiere: Searching for buried treasure on Oak Island - AL.com

Staten Island’s Best Dressed: Hearts of Hope Gala and more – SILive.com

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- For this week's Best Dressed column, we are featuring a few of the over 300 guests at the Third Annual Hearts of Hope Foundation Casino Night Fundraiser, which took place on Feb. 15 at the Hilton Garden Inn, Bloomfield.

Hearts of Hope is a Staten Island non-profit founded in honor of Christina Datello, who died from a drug overdosein 2015, after a long battle with her addiction.

Datello was a loving, vivacious, caring and giving person, who always enjoyed helping others and she would have turned 30 years old this month.

For more info please visit:

Scroll down for more photos of dapper ladies and gents at local happenings.

Dr. Gracelyn Santos/Staten Island Advance

Cheryl and Joe Martinelliat the Hearts of Hope of Staten Island Gala. (Dr. Gracelyn Santos/Staten Island Advance)

Dr. Gracelyn Santos/Staten Island Advance

Nicole O'Donnell, at left, and Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis at the Hearts of Hope of Staten Island Gala at the Hilton Garden of Staten Island. (Dr. Gracelyn Santos/Staten Island Advance)

Courtesy Sophia Mekhail

Enisa Perashi and Sophia Mekhail.

Dr. Gracelyn Santos/Staten Island Advance

Joann Cristiano, Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, and Joe Christiano at the Hearts of Hope of Staten Island Gala. (Dr. Gracelyn Santos/Staten Island Advance)

Dr. Gracelyn Santos/Staten Island Advance

Erin Dailey and Colleen Datello at the Hearts of Hope of Staten Island Gala. (Dr. Gracelyn Santos/Staten Island Advance)

Courtesy Mary Anne Semon

Devon Sveva, at left, Nicole Gervasi, Margaret Semon and Joseph Gervasi.

Dr. Gracelyn Santos/Staten Island Advance

Theresa and Rob Capolongo at the Hearts of Hope of Staten Island Gala. (Dr. Gracelyn Santos/Staten Island Advance)

Courtesy Joan Springstead

The Staten Island Ballroom Dancers held their annual Valentine's dance on Sunday at The Crystal Room, South Beach. Couples Jim and Maria Dolce and Bob and Diane Addinizio are pictured here. (Courtesy Joan Springstead)

Dr. Gracelyn Santos/Staten Island Advance

Brigid Elliott and Nicholas Barone at the Hearts of Hope of Staten Island Gala. (Dr. Gracelyn Santos/Staten Island Advance)

Courtesy Mary Anne Semon

Recently engaged Joseph Gervasi of Bulls Head and Margaret Semon of West Brighton.

Dr. Gracelyn Santos/Staten Island Advance

Bianca Benfante and John Pleszewicz at the Hearts of Hope of Staten Island Gala. (Dr. Gracelyn Santos/Staten Island Advance)

Courtesy Sophia Mekhail

Matteo Mchail and Sophia Mekhail.

Dr. Gracelyn Santos/Staten Island Advance

Nicholas Barone and Gabriella Parisat the Hearts of Hope of Staten Island Gala at the Hilton Garden of Staten Island. (Dr. Gracelyn Santos/Staten Island Advance)

Courtesy Mary Anne Semon

The future groomsmen of Joe Gervasi pose for a photo. His father, Nick, will be the Best Man. Front row, left to right: Richard DiPietro, James Sweeney, Nicholas Gervasi, Joseph Gervasi. Back row, left to right: Anthony DiPietro, Robert Semon, Donald Semon, Christopher Ryan, Robert Bosco, Salih Velija.

Courtesy Sophia Mekhail

Kayla Cruz and Sophia Mekhail are looking beautiful.

Courtesy Mary Anne Semon

Margaret Semon and her future maid of honor, Deena Farrell.

Matteo Mcphail & Sophia Mekhail

Curtis High School students Osagie Noruwa and Sophia Mekhail.

Courtesy Mary Anne Semon

Robert Semon, Margaret Semon, Joseph Gervasi, Kimberly and Donald Semon.

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Staten Island's Best Dressed: Hearts of Hope Gala and more - SILive.com

Harvey Weinstein Is in for a Rude Awakening on Rikers Island – The Daily Beast

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As an inmate who was moved from the federal lockup in downtown Manhattanwhere I got to know both Paul Manafort and Jeffrey Epsteinto Rikers Island just three months ago, I have a pretty fair idea what Harvey Weinstein is in for.

I suspect the shock of being found guily of rape in the third degree and sexual assault in the first degree Monday and immediately cuffed and taken into custody by court officers is what led to the heart palpitations that caused the ambulance transporting him to Rikers to be diverted to the prison ward of Bellevue Hospital. Weinstein, whod avoided any time behind bars until now, should steel himself; there are more shocks to come once he recovers from his post-conviction fit of the vapors.

When I left the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) for Rikers, I was handcuffed, shackled at the ankles, and placed in a tiny, claustrophobic plastic cubicle in the back of a Ford van to bump and bruise my way to the inmate island. He should hope hes tied to his seat and not given a rough ride like I was.

Intake at Rikers is not fun. Initially, the process seems civilized: I suspect Weinstein will see a doctor quickly, and even be screened for what meds he might need during his stay. Rikers really is attentive to inmate medical needs, in my experience. After that, his celebrity profile may spare him from the shared holding facility where arrestees might sit and wait for hours or days.

When I suffered this indignity, one man whose walker resembled Weinsteins complained of having been left in that holding cell for over a day, the result of his needing to be housed in the hospital unit. Watching him hobble over to the partially open urinal to relieve himself was not a pretty sight. He was in distress. And it wasnt fake.

After intake, Weinsteinwho has a hired a prison consultant to advise him on how to handle life on the inside even as his lawyers fight to get him out on bail ahead of his sentencing and to appeal his convictionis expected to end up in in a private cell in the NIC (North Infirmary Command) facility for infirm inmates, in the building that houses up to 263 patients "who require extreme protective custody because of their notoriety or nature of their cases, or for inmates with HIV or AIDS-related conditions."

If he leaves the NIC, theres no chance that hell be placed in general population. Instead, the felled mogul would likely end up in the protective custody unit, which, coincidentally, was situated right next to where I was housed initially.

Protective custody at Rikers is not as bad as what Jeffrey Epstein or Michael Avenatti experienced at MCC federal, where it housed many of the worst-behaved prisoners. On the island, the PC unit is comprised mostly of sex offenders, gay men, trans people, and snitches, along with infamous gangbangers and the occasional high-profile inmate. The chosen few are locked in their own unit at all times with the exception of rec time, when they can go to the yard for an hour with the general population early in the morning.

Weinstein would still have his own cell there, that he would be locked into at night (usually from 9:30 p.m. to 6 a.m.) and for at least some of the day. He would be fed in the unit (as opposed to most other inmates, who walk to the cafeteria), which means hed be eating lukewarm-at-best food that is decidedly subpar with respect to quantity and quality. I found myself eating meals I would never have touched on the outside simply to fill my belly.

Inside of MCC and the Tombsthe notorious downtown Manhattan jailan inmate could live comfortably enough without commissary items. But not so much at Rikers. I bought a ton of trail mix to have something healthy to fill in with.

While at Rikers, Weinstein will have a lot of time to think about his life past, present and future. Hed better have people to bring him reading material; in my 18 days at Rikers, I do not remember one inmate ever going to the library. Personally, I was deprived of my reading glasses and simply could not see well enough to read. So to make a request in that arena would have been a waste of breath.

While calls for rec and medical were sparsely attended, key time (when inmates received their methadone) saw the unit virtually empty out. There were a lot of heroin addicts on Rikers Island. With respect to recreational drugs in the jail, I was invited to smoke pot in the bathroom within 30 minutes of my arrival. And inmates hunted around to see whod been prescribed Lyrica, hoping to score a few tabs that they would then crush and snort to get high.

With respect to his safety, Weinstein should manage to avoid physical intimidation. While there might be a few predators in protective custody, officers are on the lookout for that kind of activity. One CO whom I befriended told me that when he drew duty in that unit, the officer was diligent in his effort to prevent predators from preying on weak individuals. And of course, when you spend most of your time alone in a single cell, nobody can get near you to exercise that predation.

Like Epstein, Weinstein might go into a depression and end up in a suicide cell where, as I understand it, one inmate watches many suicidal brothers with the help of an attending officer. The one-on-one approach used in federal facilities is not the program at Rikers. Theres no indication that Weinstein is a suicidal man. But that could change after he faces the realities of incarceration on Rikers Island.

Rikers isnt the Ritz, and Weinstein is in for a rude awakening.

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Harvey Weinstein Is in for a Rude Awakening on Rikers Island - The Daily Beast

Rea blasts Sykes over Phillip Island contact – Motorsport.com, Edition: Global

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Poleman Sykes was leapfrogged by the Kawasaki rider off the line, with Rea leading the field through the opening handful of corners.

Sykes got a run on Rea through the Hayshed section of the circuit and carved up the inside of him on the way into the Lukey Heights left-hander.

But the BMW rider made contact with Rea and forced him off circuit, with Rea rejoining down at the back of the field after a lurid trip through the gravel.

Rea said it wasnt the first time something like this has happened referencing the pairs clash at Brno in 2018 when they were Kawasaki teammates and claims it wont even be the last time.

Tom arrived inside [of me] Turn 4, then I responded to his overtaking, said Rea. "The only thing I really know is that I was hit from behind.

But I don't understand, they were the first laps of the first race of the season.

But it is not the first time he has behaved this way, he has already done it in the past and when it happened in Brno in 2018 it went wrong.It won't even be the last time he does it.

Rea managed to recover into the points after a handful of laps, but eventually crashed at the fast Hayshed section and retired.

Explaining the tumble, he said: When I tried to pass [Barnis Michael Ruben] Rinaldi, I lost the front and the rear together and I ended up on the ground.

It's frustrating, because we weren't doing badly until then. Maybe I didn't react the best in the comeback, so I learned something for myself.

Rea will start from third again in Sundays Superpole sprint race.

Sykes led the race until lap 12, after which he dropped off the lead group and ended up 11.9 seconds off the lead in ninth.

The Yorkshireman was apologetic for the contact with Rea, but claims Kawasaki didnt let him in to see the world champion to apologise in person.

In the first laps we fought a bit and we came together in a couple of turns, one was at Turn 3, where we almost touched each other," he said. Then he came back to a point where I was slower and I was unable to pull my bike up, so there was a contact.

I'm sorry, because it's never nice to touch each other, especially when you're fast. It's a shame he didn't manage to finish the race.

I haven't talked to Jonathan. I wanted to go a few times, but his team told me to give him some time.I just wanted to apologise to him for what happened.

But I was advised not to go at that moment, it is understandable that maybe he doesn't want to talk to me.Maybe I'll try to talk to [him] later.

Tom Sykes, BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, Jonathan Rea, Kawasaki Racing Team, Toprak Razgatlioglu, Pata Yamaha

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

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Rea blasts Sykes over Phillip Island contact - Motorsport.com, Edition: Global

Overturned truck spills fuel on Staten Island Expressway to N.J. – SILive.com

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- An overturned truck spilled fuel on the New Jersey-bound Staten Island Expressway Friday morning, causing extensive delays for commuters.

Emergency responders received a call for an overturned truck at 5:32 a.m. on the westbound side of the expressway near the Bradley Avenue exit, an FDNY spokesman said.

An overturned truck is causing extensive delays on the Staten Island Expressway on Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. (Google Maps)

There are no injuries reported, according to the spokesman.

FDNY officials on the scene could be seen putting down sand to absorb spilled gasoline.

The truck is on its side, blocking the shoulder and the right lane. Traffic is being funneled in one lane around the emergency response.

The crash is causing extensive delays on the expressway heading to New Jersey and on access roads leading to the highway.

There are also delays on the Brooklyn-bound side of the highway near the crash, presumably due to rubbernecking.

Motorists should consider alternate routes and allow for additional travel time, a Notify NYC alert advises.

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Overturned truck spills fuel on Staten Island Expressway to N.J. - SILive.com

Three honored Thursday for outstanding contributions to the Staten Island community – SILive.com

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Honorees Elijah Scott-Pyle, LRaye Means and Robert Perkins are flanked by Dorcas Meyers and Dr. Jacqueline Wilson at the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Three people were honored Thursday night at Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference, a Black History Month event at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton.

Hosted by the African American community and the JCC Beacon program, the event's honorees were Minister Robert Perkins, receiving the Community Service Award; LRaye Means, Entrepreneurship and Community Service Award; and Elijah Scott-Pyle, Youth Community Service Leader Award.

It feels great!" Perkins said of being honored. "However, not in the form of recognition, but in the form that I believe there is someone who will be there who will be inspired to do more.

Perkins has for decades been involved in a broad range of initiatives that support and improve the Staten Island community, from spending his Thanksgivings hosting dinner for people in need to his current roles as Outreach Specialist for Fatherhood Matters and Regional Director for The Edge Foundation.

He started a barbershop and clothing store business in West Brighton in 2001 that was more than a shop -- it was a food pantry, shelter and a place where he taught people how to cut and earn employment.

I have been blessed...by caring, genuine people, and it has caused me to do the same in the form of giving back to those who may face similar challenges as myself, Perkins continued.

"To whom much is given, much is required, he added.

Means, who was honored for her entrepreneurship, is the owner and chief designer for Mugshots Figment, a company that personalizes everything from invitations to sculptures, trophies, journals and engravings.

In 2015, Means launched the Melanin Positive Line, featuring what she calls wearable art, with imagery and artwork of strong black women on shirts, jackets, tote bags and more.

I feel greatly honored and appreciated in being recognized for this prestigious award, Means said. I am a background type of person and seldom accept such honors mainly because my satisfaction comes from the quality service I give my clients. Their trust in my designs is my greatest joy.

My philosophy is if you can support an effort, give it your all, Means added.

Scott-Pyle, a Curtis High School student and the president of the NAACP Youth Council on Staten Island, said he was humbled by being honored.

I dont do what I do for the recognition of it, but to be appreciated and know that I have made sacrifices that have helped make impact in my community really make me feel good. It makes it all worth it, Scott-Pyle said.

The Youth Council has also been recently honored, with the highest award possible in the New York State Youth & College Division during the 83rd New York State NAACP Conference last October.

I keep doing what I do, and use my voice and platform to continue to make a difference. Whether Im here or away at college or an adult with a family, that doesnt really change.

>> Scroll for photos from Thursday's event. <<

(Derek Alvez/Staten Island Advance)

Scenes from the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez).

Scenes from the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez).

The Elite Squad danced at the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Scenes of a dancer from the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Scenes from the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Scenes from the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Public Administrator Edwina Martin spoke at the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Scenes from the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Derek Alvez

NWS UNSUNG

Dr. Jacqueline Wilson was the Mistress of Ceremony at the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Dr. Jacqueline Wilson and Dorcas Meyers at the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Scenes from the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Scenes from the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Scenes from the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Malik Thomas performed at the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

The Elite Squad danced at the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Scenes from the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Scenes from the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Scenes from the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Scenes from the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Scenes from the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez).

Setonji Agosa and LRaye Means at the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Uptown Dance Academy danced at the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Scenes from the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Scenes from the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Scenes from the Celebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Derek Alvez

Dr. Jacqueline Wilson presents Robert Perkins with an award at theCelebrating Unsung Community Leaders Making a Difference at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton. February 27, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

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Three honored Thursday for outstanding contributions to the Staten Island community - SILive.com

Rikers Island, Harvey Weinstein’s new home, is a byword for prison brutality – The Guardian

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Harvey Weinstein, feted for decades at Hollywood parties and galas, is set to become one of about 7,000 people held at the notorious Rikers Island jail in New York.

One of the largest correctional facilities in the world, Rikers has become a symbol of brutality in the largest US city. Investigations by reporters and government watchdogs have identified problems with how the jail treats the mentally ill, juveniles and anyone who falls sick.

Last year, Layleen Polanco, a transgender woman, was found dead in her cell two months after being sent to Rikers because she could not afford $500 in bail.

Most inmates at Rikers are awaiting trial and cannot afford bail. The population is mostly poor and black or Latino.

The most notorious case in recent history at the complex is the death of Kalief Browder, a teenager from the Bronx who was accused of stealing a backpack.

For three years, Browder was held at Rikers, waiting for a trial. He spent half that time in solitary confinement and was beaten by corrections officers. He attempted to kill himself multiple times before his case was dropped and he was released in 2013. He killed himself two years later, at 22.

A year after Browder was released, the Associated Press detailed how medical care at the jail, or the lack of it, had been cited as a factor in at least 15 deaths in five years.

Advocates have complained that Rikers is ill-equipped to handle people with mental illness, who in 2014 made up 40% of its population. In 2014 a homeless ex-marine essentially baked to death in a hot cell, a week after an arrest for trespassing.

Also in 2014, the US justice department found that facilities for juveniles at Rikers were extremely violent and unsafe. A DoJ report said teenage inmates were subject to rampant use of unnecessary and excessive force.

In October 2019, New York politicians voted to close the jail by 2026.

It is possible Weinstein could be held at Rikers until it closes, though a number of factors will affect the length of his stay.

Together, the two sex crimes of which the film producer was convicted carry a possible sentence of 29 years. Sentencing is scheduled for 11 March. But Weinstein also faces charges in Los Angeles. It is not clear how prosecutors there will proceed.

Weinstein was meant to go to Rikers, which sits in the East River between the Bronx and Queens, from the courtroom in lower Manhattan. But he was rerouted on Monday night to a prison ward at Bellevue hospital. His lead attorney, Donna Rotunno, told reporters he was sent there because of chest pains, palpitations and high blood pressure.

The judge said he would ask that Weinstein be held in Rikers infirmary, one of eight jails on the 400-acre complex.

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Rikers Island, Harvey Weinstein's new home, is a byword for prison brutality - The Guardian

CHSAA boys basketball: 7 players named to Staten Islands all-division team – SILive.com

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The CHSAA tabbed St. Peters senior Liam Murphy the Staten Island division Player of the Year and six others were named to the boroughs all-division team, the Advance has learned.

In addition to Murphy, the Islands all-division consists of Monsignor Farrells Patrick Gardner and Justin Zieris; St. Joseph by-the-Seas Jaden Casanova and Gerard Nicholson and St. Peters Matt Bedford and Uriah Logan.

St. Peters varsity coach Charlie Driscoll, meanwhile, was named the Islands Coach of the Year for the 8th time.

Murphy, a two-year starter for the Eagles, leads the Island in scoring with a 26.8 points per game average thanks, in part, to 73 three-pointers and frequent trips to the charity stripe. The Columbia University-bound senior is also among the Islands leaders in rebounding and blocks, as well.

Gardner, one of two juniors on the team, is a two-year varsity player who is currently averaging 10.1 ppg. with 20 treys.

Zieris, a senior and one of Gardners backcourt mates, is averaging 19.9 ppg. with 47 treys. He makes frequent trips to the free-throw line and is Farrells assists leader as well.

Casanova, a senior, averaged 11.7 points per game and, despite standing 6-foot-1, he was among the Vikings top rebounders.

Nicholson, a three-year varsity player, is among the Islands top scorers with a 22.7 ppg. average. Although he buried 51 treys this season, the senior also put the ball in the basket by making plenty of visits to the free-throw line.

Bedford is not only St. Peters second-leading scorer with an 11.8 ppg. average, but hes also among the Island leaders in three-point field goals with 49. The senior was often assigned to guard the oppositions top scoring guard/forward.

Logan, a first-year varsity player, is the Eagles floor general and assists leader. The junior is averaging 7.0 ppg. this season.

Driscoll, meanwhile, whos in his 19th season as varsity coach, led the Eagles to a 17-8 mark so far. St. Peters captured its fourth straight SIHSL Tournament and CHSAA Staten Island division crown during the 2019-20 campaign.

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CHSAA boys basketball: 7 players named to Staten Islands all-division team - SILive.com

5000 Year-Old Anatolian Sword Discovered On Venetian Island – Ancient Origins

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A historian has discovered one of the oldest Anatolian swords in existence in a monasterys cabinet of ancient curiosities.

San Lazzaro degli Armeni, or Saint Lazarus Island, is a small islet in theVenetian Lagoonlocated 1.2miles (2kilometers) to the southeast ofVenice and it covers an area of about 7.4 acres (3 hectares). First settled in the 9th century, the island was a leper colony during the Middle Ages and in 1717 AD Venice signed the island over toMkhitar Sebastatsi, an ArmenianCatholic monk who opened the Mekhitarist Monastery.

Saint Lazarus Island and the Mekhitarist Monastery where the sword was discovered. (Centpacrr / CC BY-SA 3.0 )

Now recognized as the most important site of the Armenian diaspora , communities of Armenians outside Armeniawhere they are considered an indigenous population , the monastery holds 3,000 Armenian manuscripts representing the third largest collection in the world. The monastery also contains a large collection of books, journals, and artifacts, and it was in this collection that Dr. Vittoria Dall Armellina, of the Ca Foscari University of Venice , discovered the deeply-ancient sword in a cabinet of medieval artifacts.

When Dall Armellina saw the sword she immediately noticed resemblances with other swords found in the Royal Palace of Arslantepe (Eastern Anatolia) and according to a report on Heritage Daily the scientist knew that the weapon had been incorrectly identified as medieval. Once it was established that the sword was not listed in the museum s catalogue of ancient Middle Eastern objects, Elena Rova, a professor of archaeology at the Department of Humanistic Studies and her supervisor, Dall Armellina, continued the research.

The Anatolian sword recognised after a millennia. ( Ca' Foscari University of Venice )

DallArmellinas suspicions have now been supported by a new scientific study which has dated the sword to having been forged around 3000 BC, making it incredibly rare and one of the oldest swords in the world. And the only reason this newly discovered sword is being called one of the oldest swords in the world is because an extremely similar weapon dating to 3000 BC is kept by the Tokat Museum in Turkey that was discovered in the Sivas Province at the eastern part of the Central Anatolia region of Turkey.

An analysis of the swords metallic composition was carried out in collaboration with Ivana Angelini, professor at the University of Padua , and the CIBA, an interdepartmental center studying and preserving archaeological, historical, and artistic heritage. The weapon was found to be made of a copper and tin alloy frequently used in Anatolia before the Bronze Age and the specialists have dated the sword to between the end of the 6th and start of the 3rd millennium BC.

Analysis of the swords metallic composition. ( Ca' Foscari University of Venice )

Anatolian warriors migrated into central Europe between 4000 and 3000 BC and defused across greater Europe from this time. The researchers say this type of sword was common in a relatively small region in Eastern Anatolia, between the high course of the Euphrates and the southern shore of the Black Sea. And the dating of the sword, around 3000 BC, was a time at which Anatolian and Caucasian warrior elites were buried with grave goods including jewelry and weapons.

Because the sword has no inscriptions, embellishments, or distinctive features, and was in a poor condition, specialists were unable to detect any traces of usage and it is unclear whether the weapon was ever used in combat or if it was a ceremonial sword or a symbolic grave item.

After determining the origins of the sword the researchers focused on how the sword had come to be kept in the monastery museum and what connections it has with the community of the Armenian monks. According to an article in Arts Culture & Style, consulting Father, Serafino Jamourlian, of the Mekhitarist Monastery of San Lazzaro , accessed the archives of the museum and discovered that in the mid-1800s the sword had been gifted by an art merchant and collector, Yervant Khorasandjian, and it had been transported from Trabzon to Venice.

Top image: An ancient Anatolian sword discovered in the cabinet of the Mekhitarist Monastery. Source: Ca' Foscari University of Venice .

By Ashley Cowie

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5000 Year-Old Anatolian Sword Discovered On Venetian Island - Ancient Origins