STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- State officials continued their campaign against bars and restaurants violating coronavirus mandates Tuesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during a Wednesday press call.

In total, the state issued violations to 29 businesses -- three of which are on Staten Island, Cuomo said. A spokesman for the governors office said formal charges had not yet been filed against the Staten Island businesses, so they could not be identified.

Cuomo also said the state had issued 12 summary suspensions for licenses issued by the State Liquor Board Authority. Two Brooklyn businesses had their licenses suspended, along with one in the Bronx, three in Manhattan and six in Queens.

Since the start of the pandemic, 57 businesses have had their liquor licenses suspended -- none have been on Staten Island.

While New York states COVID-19 numbers continue to steadily decline, there are alarming increases in states across the country and now is not the time to let our guard down, Cuomo said.

Local governments need to do their job, but the state is supplementing their efforts in every way we can. Noncompliance will lead us right back where we were just a few months ago -- so we must continue to crack down on the bad actors who violate the law and risk everyones health and safety, he continued.

This week, the states multi-agency task force, led by the SLA and state police, has done 1,131 compliance checks, observing violations at 55 establishments, according to a media release from the governors office.

Businesses found to be in violation face fines of up to $10,000 per violation, and those that receive suspensions can have those licenses permanently revoked.

SLA Chair Vincent Bradley said the rules put in place by the governor will continue to be aggressively enforced. Cuomo has pointed to social distancing shortcomings as cause for concern, along with rising rates around the country.

The health and safety of New Yorkers should be everyones priority, and we will continue to weed out those who are not taking this pandemic seriously, Bradley said.

Of the 62,276 tests conducted Tuesday, the state found an infection rate of 1.1%. Five New Yorkers died Tuesday with the virus, and 619 of the states residents remained hospitalized.

See the rest here:

State issues COVID violations to 29 additional businesses; 3 on Staten Island - silive.com

OAK ISLAND, NC (WWAY) Crews were called to the scene of a fire at a beach home in Oak Island Tuesday afternoon.

The fire was located at a home in the 1600 block of E. Beach Drive. A neighbor says she called 911 at 3:56 p.m.

The area on E. Beach Drive was blocked off for several hours as crews worked to put the fire out.

Dozens of people on the beach and nearby neighbors watched as the home burned to the ground. One woman who was renting a house just one property over from the fire says the home went up in flames in a matter of minutes.

I was sitting on the corner and I looked over to the right front corner of the house and smoke was coming out of it and I thought, oh theyre doing their laundry but then I was like its black colors, Tina Belmaggio said. That doesnt make sense so i kept looking and then all of sudden i saw the first flame come up, i jumped up ran, got my phone and called 911.

Another neighbor says he was on the beach when they saw people pointing at something, and he turned around to see the house fully engulfed in flames.

Id say within probably 6 to 8 minutes, that house was gone, David Capilupo said. I was Id say 100 yards away and you could feel the heat. and it was intense.

Several bystanders say the wind blew the flames towards several other houses. The house where the fire appeared to start was destroyed, and three homes surrounding it also suffered damage.

Its a tragedy, neighbor Brian Smith said. It was in pretty close proximity to some other houses and so the fire damage was affecting some of the other areas.

Southport Fire Department posted online that they were assisting Oak Island Fire Department with three homes on fire. There were dozens of other fire and EMS crews assisting from all over Brunswick County, including Winnabow, Shallotte, Bolivia and Brunswick County EMS.

Neighbors who saw the home go up in flames say the windows were boarded up, and it appeared to be abandoned.

Theres no word yet what caused the fire, or whether there were any injuries.

Read the rest here:

Fire crews respond to homes on fire in Oak Island - WWAY NewsChannel 3

To get to the remote Isle of Rum, visitors can hop on a scenic train ride, fly in via helicopter, or take a ferry ride.

The Scottish island is an ideal destination to escape. People can explore the isle's mountains, discover the Kinloch Castle, encounter wildlife, and cycle through winding paths.

For many, the Isle of Rum is a destination to add to a growing bucket list. For others, it could be a dream place to live.

If you fall into the latter category, you're in luck. The community is hoping to entice new permanent residents to move to the island.

The community "is looking for dynamic individuals or families who are keen to fit into the island way of life and help drive positive change for this young and growing community," according to the Isle of Rum Community Trust's website.

The trust states that two of the biggest fears people face when considering moving to the island are not being able to find a home or a job onthe island.

To entice prospective islanders, the trust is building foureco-friendly homes for future residents.

The construction of the homes is set to be complete in two months. However, the community is still looking for homeowners to settle on the island. The application for a home on the Isle of Rum closes on Friday, and the trust is hoping to price the rent at about $584 a month.

The trust stated that it'sprioritizing applicants who have either young children or skills not currently found in the community.

"With only one child in nursery and two in our primary school, we need more families to fill our school, as well as to be the next generation of islanders," Isle of Rum resident Lesley Watt told the local Scottish news outletSTV News.

View post:

A Scottish island is aiming to boost its population of 30 people - Insider - INSIDER

GIGLIO ISLAND, Italy (AP) Stranded on a tiny Italian island, a cancer researcher grew increasingly alarmed to hear that one, and then three more visitors had fallen ill with COVID-19.

Paola Muti braced for a rapid spread of the coronavirus to the 800 closely-knit islanders, many of whom she knows well. Her mother was born on Giglio Island and she often stays at the family home with its charming view of the sea through the parlors windows.

But days passed and none of Giglios islanders developed any COVID-19 symptoms even though the conditions seemed favorable for the disease to spread like wildfire.

The Gigliesi, as the residents are known, socialize in the steep alleys near the port or on the granite steps that serve as narrow streets in the hilltop Castle neighborhood, with densely packed homes built against the remnants of a fortress erected centuries ago to protect against pirates.

More on the Global Outbreak:

Dr. Armando Schiaffino, the islands sole physician for around 40 years, shared Mutis worry that there would be a local outbreak.

Every time an ordinary childhood illness, like scarlet fever, measles or chicken pox strikes, within a very few days practically all get infected on Giglio, he said in an interview in his office near the port.

Muti, a breast cancer researcher at the University of Milan where she is an epidemiology professor, decided to try to find out why it wasnt happening this time.

Were residents perhaps infected but didnt show symptoms? Was it something genetic? Something else? Or just plain luck?

Dr. Schiaffino came to me and told me, Hey, look, Paola, this is incredible. In this full pandemic, with all the cases that came to the island, nobody is sick. So I said to myself: Right, here we can do a study, no? I am here, Muti said.

By then, Muti was trapped on the island by Italys strict lockdown rules. What was especially puzzling to her was that many of the islanders had had close contact with the visitors.

Giglios first known COVID-19 case was a man in his 60s who arrived on Feb. 18 a couple of days before Italys first native case would be diagnosed in the north. The man came to Giglio for a relatives funeral, and had been coughing all the way though the service, Muti said.

The virus is mainly spread through droplets when someone coughs, sneezes or talks. The man headed back on the ferry the same day to the mainland and died three weeks later in a hospital.

On March 5, four days before the national lockdown was declared, three more visitors came from the mainland and would test positive on the island. One of them was a German man from northern Italy, the initial epicenter of Europes outbreak. He socialized for several days with longtime friends in Giglio, including in public eateries. After a week, due to a bad cough, he was tested on the island and the result was positive. He self-isolated in a house on Giglio.

There were other known cases, including an islander who had lived in Australia for two years before slipping back onto Giglio in mid-March during lockdown to see his parents. Three days after arriving on Giglio, he developed a mild fever and tested positive, Muti said. He self-isolated at his parents home.

No other case has surfaced on Giglio, including since lockdown was lifted in early June, and tourists from throughout Italy have been arriving.

Giglio is part of Tuscany, and its health office quickly sent over kits to test for antibodies to see if others may have had COVID-19. In late April, just before the first lockdown travel restrictions would be eased, the islanders had their blood tested, lining up outside the islands school and doctors office.

Of the 800 or so year-round residents, 723 volunteered to be tested.

We all wanted to do it, to be tranquil about any possible infection, but also to help science, said Simone Madaro, who had been working at the cemetery while the infected man had gathered with fellow mourners.

The Rev. Lorenzo Pasquotti, the priest who conducted the service for around 50 mourners, and who himself was tested recalled: After the funeral, there were greetings, hugging and kissing, as is the custom. Then came the procession to the cemetery, where there were more hugs and kisses.

Of the islanders tested, only one was found to have antibodies, an elderly Gigliese man who had sailed on the same ferry to the island with the German visitor, Muti said.

Intrigued about why the virus didnt seem to interact with the islands native population, Muti hadnt reached any conclusions by the time she was preparing to leave the island this month. She plans to write up up her study for eventual publication.

Its possible, Muti guessed, that islanders werent exposed to enough COVID-19 to get infected.

That possibility was also voiced by Massimo Andreoni, head of infectious diseases at Romes Tor Vergata hospital. He noted some patients are simply less capable of spreading the disease for reasons that are still unclear.

Chance might have played a role, said Daniel Altmann, a professor of immunology at Imperial College London. It could be something more or less trivial nobody got infected because through good luck there was little contact, he said in an email exchange.

Or, Altmann also noted that it could be something important and exotic, such as a genetic variant common among the islands population.

With many of the Gigliesi intermarrying through generations, Muti would like to do a genetic study someday if she could obtain funding.

Giglio lies in pristine waters in a protected regional marine sanctuary, and the islanders voice relief that they live in a natural environment they like to think is good for health, whatever Mutis study might determine.

As an island, as the environment goes, were OK, no? said Domenico Pignatelli, as the elderly man kept company with friends in chairs placed on a stony street atop Giglio.

Continued here:

Luck? Genetics? Italian island spared from COVID outbreak - The Associated Press

CHICAGO (CBS) Its birth place for tens of thousands of Chicagoans.

A building so famous, it was even home to a hit TV show. But now, the old Cook County Hospital has been repurposed as a hotel.

CBS 2s Vince Gerasole got a first look inside.

How many people can proudly say they were born at Cook County Hospital? Thousands. The building was falling apart. Its roof famously leaking, squatters broke in. Today, its impressive on the inside, but its on the outside where it really shines.

Its nickname was Chicagos Ellis Island, providing medical care often to citizens without means, but by the early 2000s Cook County Hospital was a historic, but empty, aging structure.

From the street its easy to see how the elegant 106-year-old Beau Arts building now shines in its rebirth, part of a $1 billion multi phase project that opened Tuesday with a 210-room Hyatt Hotel.

We have preserved a lot of the work on the building, said General Manager Milesh Pandey.

The gentile terracotta flourishes were decaying, but today they look majestically out on the street below.

We had to recreate the terracotta, Pandey said.

Over 4,000 pieces in all, restored and recommissioned. Combined with preserving the wooden framed windows, that price tag alone was $18 million. Step through what were once emergency doors and youll be surrounded by a towering lobby. Its gleaming stone terrazzo floors dating back to 1914 continue throughout the hotel.

The hallways are about 11 feet wide for a reason.

The hallways are super wide because they were meant to have hospital beds move through it, Pandey said.

The facade famously served as an inspiration for the television drama ER. Not all of the hotel space has been restored. The top floor surgical theater where thousands of med students observed procedures over the years, remains marred by taggers.

But from the polished marble staircases, to the clubby second floor lounge a storied hospital and historic landmark seems to have recovered.

It may seem like a difficult time to open a hotel, but the primary market for clients is the surrounding medical district and hospitals, which in normal times, attracts about 50,000 visitors daily.

Theres about 342,000 square-feet being redeveloped. The Hyatt Hotel is only a portion of that. A food court, daycare, hospital museum and Cook County health offices are also about to debut.

See the article here:

From Chicagos Ellis Island To Stylish Hotel: The Rebirth Of The Old Cook County Hospital - CBS Chicago

Photos by Scott H. Shook | June and Tony DeLucia stand next to the banner honoring Tony at the Marco YMCA.

City Manager Mike McNees reads an official proclamation honoring Tony DeLucia.

Rarely has the departure of anindividual affected so many on the island.A literal Whos Who of Marco Island came by to say goodbye to TonyDeLucia, the popular Marco YMCA Community Engagement specialist and Marco Police Department Community Relations officer on July 22 in the Ys front parking lot.

It seems only fitting that the wordcommunityis part ofDeLuciastitle at both the YMCA and the City of Marco Island.Through a seemingly endless list of functions thatDeluciahas lent his trademark voice to, he has become affectionately known asThe Voice of Marco Island.

City Manager Mike McNees made a special trip to the Marco Y to presentDeLuciawith an officialproclamation honoring his many contributions to the island.

As McNees read the proclamation to the assembled crowd, the list of functionsDeLuciahas contributed his voice and considerable efforts to seemed almost endless.

TheProclamation to Commend AnthonyDeLuciafor Community Servicerecognized him as theVoice of the Island for charitable causes.

Theproclamation mentioned thatDeLuciahas served as organizer, announcer, and stage manager in events including Tour de Marco, Mutts & Martinis, the Marco Island Car Show,the Marco Island Seafood and Music Festival, theSouper Bowl fundraiser, Island Rocks Concert, the Fire Foundations Chili Cookoff, the American Cancer Societys Relay for Life, Taste of Marco and theCivitan Pizza Party for Camp Able.

Of course,DeLuciawas also a fixture at sporting events and school functionsislandwide.He was even the ring announcer for boxing events.Infact,itwould beaccurate to say that it was unusual to attend an event on the islandthatDeLuciawasnota part of.And more often than not,DeLuciavolunteered his efforts.

When news ofDeLuciasreturn to his Northeast Ohio roots circulated through the community, many received the news withdisbelief and sadness.A reaction ofWhat are we going to do? was common.

The person most affected byDeLuciasdeparture, the Marco Ys CEO Cindy Love,delivered aheartfelt goodbye to the person she counted on.

Tony DeLucia enjoys a humorous moment provided by .

Youve done anenormous amount of work for our whole community, Love toldDeLuciain front of the crowd gathered at the Y.Youreirreplaceable.I dont know what were going to do.I think we all feel that way.Youre the C in Community, as they say.Youre calm, collected, you never get riled outsidemaybe inside, but not outside.Youre just that person that we all go to for all kinds of stuff.To be a bus driver, whatever it might be.You just jump in.You never say no to anybody.Thats probably why you work a million hours a week.We just really, really, thank you.Youre going to be missed more than youll ever know.

Love also recognized Tonys wife, JuneDeLucia, for all she does in the background to support both Tony and the Y.

Several individuals were happy to go on record with their appreciation ofDeLucia.

Tony has been the voice of Marco Island, said GeorgeAbounader, former longtimePrincipal and CEO of the Marco IslandCharter Middle School.Hes always there when you need him.Anytime we needed someone to either be a DJ and bring some music or be an emcee at an event, he was there.A lot of people know him from the seafood festival, because hes the voice all weekend on the microphone, announcing everything and organizing the bands that come to the seafood festival.Hes just alegend here on the island.Were going to miss him.Our loss is Ohios gain.Ohios going to be blessed to have him back.

Marco Island is going to miss Tony so much, said Linda Sandlin,President of the Rotary Club of Marco Island Noontime.He has given his talents, his treasures, to you name it, to every good cause on this island.And we all know him for his incredible talents that weve enjoyed so much.He makes every event more fun, more exciting, more successful.I want to especially thank Tony, who worked with me to put together the Flags for Heroes, which is a joint project between theRotaryClub of Marco Island Noontime and the YMCA to sell sponsorships for 5 x 7 American flags to fly on the bigvacant property by the YMCA.This project honors the heroes in your life. The heroes on our island, of which we have so many today.The money for the sponsorship, which is just $50 for the sponsorship of a flag foryour hero, will all go back to serve our communitys critical needs.So many of which the YMCA addresses.So Tony wasmyhero in organizing this event.He is an expert in events.Sowere going to miss him.

Linda and Alan Sandlin at Tony DeLucias retirement party.

TonyDeLuciawas a mainstay, said Val Simon,Publisher of the Coastal Breeze News.He emceed all the events.Tonys voice is well known in these parts for always being upbeat and engaging.Every organization came to rely on him.He is going to be greatly missed in this community.Tony, were hoping you hurry up and grow wings and come back as a snowbird.And, thank you for all youve done!

We told Tony what we wanted to do in the community and right away he offered to be the president of the club,said Nery Kircher of the Civitan Club.Nery and her husband Bob are the founders of the Marco Civitan Club.He has been very dedicated to the plans and programs weve had since 2014.Hes surely going to be missed.

PeterSottong, the YsHead ofMaintenance,delivered a humorous salute toDeLucia, whose radio name is Steve Reynolds.The two names sometimes cause a bit of confusion around the island.

Anthony, Steve, or Steven, Tony.One is true, the otherphony.Reynolds,DeLucia, Tony, Steve.One is real, one ismake-believe.Is this a man who has lost direction or just someone who has gone into witness protection?Were sorry that youre moving so farwell miss you, man,whoever you are.

Sottongmay be more well known as an artist.He creates replicas of the Key Marco Cat and ancient Calusa masks that are available for sale at the Marco Island Historical Society.

Tony DeLucia with his proclamation from the City of Marco Island.

WhenDeLuciatook over the microphone, heimmediately recognized Cindy Love.

One person stands out in the crowd,DeLuciasaid, and thats Cindy LoveAbounader.She took a chance on me way back when.Other than my wife, shes the only other woman in my life I try not to disappoint.

DeLuciareflected on his time spent on Marco Island after the ceremony.

The Y gave me a nice thank you card, a nice goingaway present.I got some nice cards from people around the island.I wasrealsurprised to see bothpolice captains, the police chief, the fire chief, the head of the chamber.

Its been fun.I like to get involved in the community.My wife Junes got involved in theCivitan Club.She got involved in Relay for Life, Taste of Marco.

TheDeLuciasdecision to return home to Northeast Ohio, Youngstownspecifically, was a decision they wrestled with.

We had a lot of chats, June and I,DeLuciasaid.I miss myfamily;I miss my kids.My grandkids are getting bigger.

Im leaving on good terms.As simple as that.You do what you can, help out, have the best time of your life, make the most out of it and go on from there.Weve had a fun time here.Weve enjoyedourselves; weve enriched ourselves, made a lot of new friends, got involved inactivities and have some really nice memories. Its bittersweet.It really is.Were ready for the next chapter.Everybodys excited about us coming up north.The kids, the grandkids, my friends, Junes friends.

Read the original:

Marco Honors "Voice of the Island" - coastalbreezenews.com

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The following is a roundup of obituaries published onSILive.com. Viewing times and guestbooks can be foundhere.

Marie Delpriore, a Port Richmond High School graduate who had a decades-long career working as a legal secretary working on high profile cases, has died.

Henry F. Keoughan, 88, a devout Christian who said the Rosary every day and served as an usher at mass for many years, and was also a proud member of the Knights of Columbus, died July 22, 2020.

Dorothy McCormack (nee Polowitz), 86, of Meiers Corners, a retired New York City intermediate school teacher who led school productions such as Fiddler on the Roof and Oklahoma, died July 26, 2020.

Marie Mercogliano, 84, whose vigor for civic engagement led to her serving as a State Committee Woman and a run for NYS Assembly in 1973, died April 13, 2020.

YESTERDAYS OBITUARIES:

Robert Louis Bocignone, 88, a native Staten Islander who was a Korean War veteran and a retired FDNY firefighter, died July 13, 2020.

Carl J. Waite, 74, a NYPD officer from 1973 to 1997, who later retired from the District Attorneys Office in St. George, where he assisted with investigations, died July 25, 2020.

Link:

Staten Island obituaries for July 29, 2020 - SILive.com

Eric Ginnard file photo eginnard@shawmedia.com

Caption

Metra is adding express trains in response to growing ridership and expectations of riders returning to its Rock Island Line.

The new express services are set to begin Monday, according to a news release.

On the Rock Island Line, Metra will add two inbound and two outbound express trains to its weekday schedule. The lines travels through Joliet, New Lenox and Mokena to the LaSalle Street stop in Chicago.

Metra CEO and Executive Director Jim Derwinski said in the release that the disruption in commuter travel brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic gave the agency an opportunity to rethink its schedules.

This means looking for opportunities to provide new express services or change stopping patterns to better meet demand, Derwinski said in the release. Its our hope that these changes as well as other changes weve made to respond to the pandemic will provide a level of confidence and convenience that bring riders to our trains.

Metra has worked to make riding safer amid the pandemic. The agency is asking its passengers to practice physical distancing, wear a face covering, and not crowd the aisle or vestibules.

For more information and a complete schedule, visit metrarail.com.

See the original post:

Metra to add express service to Rock Island line - The Herald-News

Award-winning writer Vince Beiser is the author of The World in a Grain: The Story of Sand and How It Transformed Civilization.

Plagued by a shortage of land on which to house its swelling population, Hong Kong has come up with a simple-sounding solution: make more! That's the central idea behind "Lantau Tomorrow," a plan to build 1,700 hectares (17 sq. kilometers) of artificial land with housing for up to one million people in the ocean waters off of Lantau.

The project's multibillion-dollar price tag and its potential impact on local residents and the environment have sparked plenty of controversy. Much less attention is being paid to the crucial question of where and how to obtain the project's most vital component: sand.

Trivial though it seems, sand is actually the most important solid substance on Earth. We humans consume 50 billion tonnes of this natural resource every year -- more than any other except water. It is the main ingredient inthe concrete and glass that our cities are made of, and the silicon chips that our computers and cellphones run on. And it is the go-to raw material for building artificial land, a practice that is surging all around the world.

In recent years, advancing technology has enormously increased our power to "reclaim" land by dredging titanic volumes of sand and silt from the ocean floor to create new land where there was no land before.

For coastal megalopolises long on population but short on physical space, land reclamation offers an easy way to make room and profits. Dubai's famous palm-tree shaped "islands" are the most famous example, but cities from Lagos to Copenhagen to Singapore are similarly expanding their physical footprints. All told, according to the Dutch research group Deltares, since 1985 human beings have added 5,237 sq. miles (13,563 sq. kilometers) of artificial land to the world's coasts -- an area about as big as Jamaica.

China is a major contributor to that total. From 2006 to 2010, cities on China's coast built an average of 700 sq. kilometers of new land each year. In 2010 alone China created the equivalent of two Manhattans worth of new real estate. Hong Kong has a long history of land reclamation. The international airport, the local Disneyland, and the 34-mile bridge connecting Hong Kong to the mainland all sit on human-made land. In fact, some 6% of Hong Kong's total area, housing one-quarter of the population, was reclaimed from the sea.

Development Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun has claimed that locally sourced construction waste will provide "a considerable percentage of the amount of fill" for the Lantau land. That seems unlikely, given that Hong Kong produces only enough construction waste each year to reclaim about 60 hectares (0.6 sq. kilometers). Sand dredged from the ocean will have to provide most of the rest. All told, the Lantau project will require an estimated 260 million cubic meters of material.

Sucking that much sand from the ocean floor can inflict calamitous damage on the environment. First off, the habitat of whatever marine life was living down there will be annihilated. The stirred-up sediment also clouds the surrounding water, which can suffocate fish, crustaceans, and other creatures, and block sunlight from reaching plants below the surface. All of which can affect people, too. Fishers and environmentalists in Indonesia are currently trying to shut down a sea-sand mining operation they fear will wipe out local fish stocks.

Where and how the sand gets dumped back in the water to create new land can also be devastating. Land reclamation along China's coasts has decimated fish and bird populations, increased water pollution, and destroyed mangrove forests.

Those hazards can be reduced by carefully scouting out less vulnerable areas of the ocean from which to dredge. But the further the sand has to be transported, the more it costs. So where will Hong Kong's sand come from, and at what cost -- both financial and environmental? The nonprofit news agency Factwire recently reported that Guangxi Province, one potential source relatively nearby, is currently facing its own shortage of marine sand, which could send the cost of the Lantau project skyrocketing. The bill to mine and haul the sand alone could reach $60 billion Hong Kong dollars ($8 billion), according to Factwire.

That increases the temptation for unscrupulous developers to traffic in grayer markets. The Philippines has long accused Chinese dredgers of stealing their sand. And a recent report by the U.S.-based Center for Advanced Defense Studies found that Chinese ships are likely dredging sand from North Korean waters in violation of international sanctions.

If Hong Kong really needs to build new land -- and there's a strong argument that it doesn't, with more efficient and smarter use of existing territory able to provide plenty of space for more housing -- it must do so carefully, without inflicting the kind of damage to the environment that so many other such projects have. Lantau Tomorrow must not come at the expense of the ocean today.

Go here to see the original:

Hong Kong wants a massive new island, but where will it get the sand? - Nikkei Asian Review

LIHUE County of Kauai Managing Director Michael Dahilig testified that the temporary four-day, 10-hour work schedule was an operational decision necessary to reduce movement and the spread of coronavirus yesterday in a Hawaii Labor Relations Board hearing on merits via Zoom.

The board heard opening statements and from two witnesses in Hawaii Government Employees Association v. Mayor Derek Kawakami of Kauai.

In May, HGEA filed a prohibited-practices complaint against the county with the board. Now, HGEA must prove that the county willfully and intentionally violated collective-bargaining laws in Chapter 89, Hawaii Revised Statutes, which states the county must consult and negotiate provisions affecting changing employee work conditions and work toward a mutual consent and agreement by changing to a temporary four-day, 10-hour workweek.

Stacy Moniz, Advocacy Chief for the HGEA, argued that a change from a five-day, eight-hour workweek to a modified four-day, 10-hour day changes working conditions, overtime and work hours was made without merit, formal negotiations and mutual consent and agreement on these terms.

In opening statements, Deputy County Attorney Mark Bradbury argued the county did not act in willful defiance and did engage in discussion with HGEA and took its considerations into account and added an exemption process, but that HGEA wanted more negotiations.

Bradbury said the county administration had to act swiftly in the face of the pandemic, consulted Chapter 89 and statewide emergency orders, and found the temporary modified schedule was reasonable to mitigate the spread coronavirus by up to 20%, for about 400 county employees, and limiting interaction with other residents. Moniz argued there is no scientific evidence of this. The county cited stay-at-home orders and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urging social distancing.

The county contacted HGEA regarding the temporary work schedule on April 16 and sent proposals of the temporary work schedule. The county also pushed back the implementation of the schedule from April 27 to May 4 to allow HGEA time to reach out to members, but that wasnt enough time or formally negotiated, according to the union.

Kaulana Finn, Kauai division chief for HGEA, testified that the county has gone through similar negotiations before and the processes were laid out.

In August 2019, the county approached HGEA about moving to a 9-80 work schedule, which would require eight nine-hour days, one eight-hour day then one day off in a 14-day cycle. HGEA reached out to members, and reported an overwhelmingly negative reception to this.

Moniz said negotiations with the county and HGEA took place recently to change Ocean Safety Bureau members to a four-day, 10-hour work schedule, effective June 25 of this year.

The county has since gone back to a 5-day work week, with employees working eight hours Monday through Friday. But some employees, notably in the Finance Department, requested continuing the 4-10.

These employees have since signed agreements with HGEA and the county to remain on this schedule. Negotiations lasted about a week and were signed Tuesday, according to Moniz.

Dahilig said he was not intimately aware of these most recent discussions and if discussions last August were done incorrectly.

Last week, the board ruled that Iges emergency proclamations did not suspend HRS Chapter 89 in its entirety. The board also ruled that this trial will be bifurcated, meaning it would be split between Chapter 89 and the merits of Chapter 127A, if the board moves in that direction.

Were not against the idea of modifying work schedules so long as the parties mutually agree to the terms and conditions of the modified work schedule; but, were strongly opposed to the way this administration refused to bargain and unilaterally implemented changes on county employees which violated their collective bargaining agreements, HGEA said in a statement last week.

HLRB will continue the hearings on case no. 20-CE-03-946a-c Wednesday morning.

Sabrina Bodon, public safety and government reporter, can be reached at 245-0441 or sbodon@thegardenisland.com.

Read the original here:

HLRB hears temporary workweek trial - Thegardenisland.com

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Much like everything else, the world of filming came to a halt during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

With New York City now in Phase 4, Broadway Stages is looking to slowly get back to work.

The film studios borough location at the former Arthur Kill Correctional Facility in Charleston closed its doors at the beginning of the pandemic and the parking lot is still roped off to the public. When asked when it would reopen, Broadway Stages personnel said that staff will likely resume work around September.

Despite the approximate timeline, representatives said it is still finalizing details with film studios and production companies to bring future projects to Staten Island.

In addition to Staten Island, Broadway Stages has locations in Brooklyn and Queens. According to the Hollywood Reporter, productions that film at Brooklyn Broadway Stages -- namely CBSs Blue Bloods -- will incorporate germ-zapping disinfecting robots to ensure safety on set. Broadway Stages representatives say the Staten Island location will not receive the same treatment.

Broadway Stages is continuing to follow protocol and recommendations of the CDC in ensuring the health and safety of the crew at each stage and we will continue to do so going forward, a representative wrote to the Advance/SILive.com. However, these robots are the decisions of each production, not Broadway Stages.

Broadway States' borough location at the former Arthur Kill Correctional Facility in Charleston closed its doors at the beginning of the pandemic. (Staten Island Advance/ Victoria Priola)

COMING SOON: ANOTHER STAGE?

Broadway Stages said it is on track to build several more stages and studio facilities on the Charleston property. The pandemic has reportedly slowed construction work on the site, but plans to continue soundstage production are moving ahead in the coming weeks.

Broadway Stages Charleston location will reportedly open at the same time as its Brooklyn and Queens facilities. CDC guidelines will be followed once it does, such as limiting the personnel on set, proper distancing and operation sanitizing.

We will have whatever sanitizing and protection are needed, even more than required, and we will be following the best practices guidelines for all work being conducted in order to keep our staff, film crews, actors and our facilities safe, a representative wrote. We want people safe and for work to begin and continue, so we will be ready to make sure they are and it does.

THE BACKSTORY OF S.I.s BROADWAY STAGES

Staten Islands Broadway Stages location is an offshoot of the thriving production studios based in Brooklyn, where they film everything from Veep and Broad City to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Marvels The Defenders.

It took years to get cameras rolling at Broadway Stages on Staten Island.

When the state selected Broadway Stages to develop the land in 2014, company founder Tony Argento predicted that Broadway Stages could build the five sound stages and open the studio in just a few months.

The state finally sold the former prison site to Broadway Stages in August 2017.

Broadway Stages had invested at least $2 million in the property even before the deal went through. The money has been spent on security, utility service and general maintenance. The company planned on revamping parts of the prison for the additional sound stages, while keeping other areas intact to give films and TV shows that authentic prison backdrop.

Broadway Stages is located at 2911 Arthur Kill Road. In 2018, it welcomed Netflix titles The Good Cop, a dramedy crime series starring Josh Groban and Tony Danza; Marvels Daredevil, and Orange Is The New Black.

Read more:

Broadway Stages: When will the Staten Island film studio reopen? - SILive.com

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Two additional Staten Island library branches will reopen for grab-and-go service on Monday, Aug. 3.

The New York Public Library (NYPL) announced that it will reopen 22 additional neighborhoods for limited, grab-and-go service -- expanding its initial opening of eight branches on July 13.

With these additional locations -- which were temporarily closed since March 16 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) -- the NYPL system will have 30 branches open for grab-and-go service.

On Staten Island, New Dorp Library and Stapleton Library will reopen Monday -- joining the already open Richmondtown Library and Todt HillWesterleigh Library.

The reopenings expand on the 22 total branches that the NYPL, Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) and Queens Public Library (QPL) reopened July 13 across the five boroughs with guidelines patrons must follow during the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The Queens Public Library will reopen eight more branches for to-go service on Monday, Aug. 10 -- increasing the total number of open branches to 15. The Brooklyn Public Library plans to reopen more branches Aug. 10, but those locations have not yet been announced.

The citys libraries will reopen in phases to ensure a safe transition back for employees and visitors.

*** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK ***

In the first phase of the library reopening plan, New Yorkers will be able to access a small area of the open branches to pick up and return checkouts placed online or on the phone, which will be a contactless process.

Guests must wear masks, physically distance from staff and other patrons, and respect capacity limits at open branches.

Patrons must leave the library as soon as their pick-ups or returns are complete. At this stage, there will be no browsing, in-person reference, or computer use.

Fines have been temporarily suspended for all items checked out before the temporary closure or during phase one of the reopening. At NYPL, fines will not accrue until Oct. 1 at the earliest.

Patrons can continue to access programming, e-books, research databases, classes, and more virtually, via enhanced digital offerings that will remain in place. For now, in-person programs and classes will not be held in branches.

The NYPL said it is taking precautionary cleaning measures and making a few accommodations for patron accounts during this period of service. Each open library will undergo enhanced cleaning protocols and will have equipment, such as sneeze guards, installed. All returned materials will be quarantined for 72 hours, per expert recommendations.

New Yorkers with NYPL digital library cards -- which are usually only able to check out digital materials -- will be able to use them to check out physical materials.

All three systems are working toward opening more branches and adding services in a safe and thoughtful manner in later phases of the citys reopening.

Heres a look at the NYPL that will be open:

Staten Island (New York Public Library)

Branches open as of Aug. 3:

Branches open as of July 13:

Manhattan (New York Public Library)

Branches open as of Aug. 3:

Branches open as of July 13:

Bronx (New York Public Library)

Branches open as of Aug. 3:

Branches open as of July 13:

Hours for most branches will be 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday; 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The only exception is the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library, which will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Brooklyn (Brooklyn Public Library)

Hours will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday.

Queens (Queens Public Library)

Branches that will be open as of Aug. 10:

Branches that have been open since July 13:

Hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday (with a one-hour closure from 1 to 2 p.m. for cleaning); 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday; and 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday (with a one-hour closure from 3 to 4 p.m. for cleaning).

FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.

Originally posted here:

2 additional Staten Island library branches will reopen Aug. 3 - SILive.com

This was supposed to be the busiest summer yet for Governors Island. After 15 years of careful redevelopment, a semi-abandoned isle off the southern tip of Manhattan had blossomed into a lush day-trip destination.

There were plans for a new tram, ferries designed to shuttle in a thousand people at a time, and field trips for hundreds of city children to scramble around a one-acre teaching garden on the islands southeastern shore, one of its last unrenovated parcels. Then the city shut down.

Now its crazy quiet, said Shawn Connell, who manages the seven-year-old garden on behalf of the environmental organization GrowNYC. You can hear the water and the boats.

It was just before noon one recent weekday, and his three seasonal staffers were packing pints of berries, tying beets into bunches and cooling down several hundred pounds of just-picked greens in the shade of a gazebo. All it of was headed to emergency food distributions in the Bronx, Harlem and central and eastern Brooklyn.

Those staffers were hired to wrangle students on field trips from April to November, but during lockdown they became farmhands. And they say the farm transformed them. If they couldnt use it to teach, they would use it help the one in four New Yorkers who now need food.

Mr. Connell and his team reimagined their mandate and converted their land with its fruit trees and its 50-foot demonstration farm rows into a victory garden for New York City.

Six months on, their shift has been so successful that it has changed their whole approach, and it even has the potential to alter the future of this piece of the island, perhaps to the dismay of any developers still hoping to turn it into a Hudson Yards in the harbor.

We were so preoccupied in past seasons by the work of engaging with these young people that we never gave much thought to producing food, said Mr. Connell, 37, one of a handful of people who ferry to work on the island year-round.

Most of what they grew was eaten by students, Mr. Connell said. Some was left to wither and die in order to show the life cycle of a plant.

We knew in past seasons wed been able to grow 10,000 pounds of food, and we thought, You know, thats a good number to shoot for, he said. Were certainly on track to produce more than that twice that, he added, and thats not even factoring in the extra beds planted this spring with squash and potatoes.

His staff also put out feelers to the network of organizations already connected to GrowNYC which also runs greenmarkets and builds community gardens to find neighborhood groups that were giving out food.

The Black Feminist Project in the southeastern Bronx, for example, was eager to work with the farm. Since June, the group has been taking deliveries every other week from the teaching farm 400-pound parcels with red-leaf lettuce, hand-tied sprays of basil, freshly picked eggplant. All of it goes to the free or low-cost coronavirus relief food boxes the group has been preparing for families in the area.

There is plenty of free food from other sources, said Tanya Fields, the groups founder, but it usually arrives in cans or boxes, lacking in both nutrients and in dignity. There is this belief that when we provide things to working-class people, Ms. Fields said, they should just be happy with what they get.

The quality of the produce from the garden on Governors Island, she maintains, is better than the food you find at a farmers market.

The collard greens are big and beautiful and abundant and green and not full of holes, said Ms. Fields. The mint was like Ive not seen mint like that except when were growing it. People, particularly older people, they recognize how fresh it is as well. It triggers memories for them of being in Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic, or folks who did subsistence farming down South.

Margaret Chin, a city councilwoman whose Lower Manhattan district includes Governors Island, has seen similar reactions from her constituents when theyve received extra produce from the island.

Some have even grown their own at a public garden run by Earth Matter, a composting organization on Governors Island that is also donating everything its growing this year, most of it to Lower Manhattan soup kitchens in Ms. Chins district.

The city really needs to look at, how do we look at this, how do we use urban agriculture? said Ms. Chin, who also sits on the board of the Trust for Governors Island, which manages the land.

Updated July 27, 2020

Theres money for emergency food, she added. How can we use some of that money to support fresh produce?

The United States Department of Agriculture has already made a move in that direction: In May, it announced $3 million in grants to support urban agriculture projects this year.

That urban farming is being considered as a way to feed large numbers of New Yorkers is a big shift, even to urban growers like Mr. Connell, who has been able to hire an extra employee this summer through city funds for emergency food distribution.

Until the pandemic, he always believed the best use of large city farm projects was education, because that reaches the largest number of people.

This kind of turned that on its head, he added.

Everything has changed for Mr. Connell: When students do return, he has decided that his staff will continue to produce as much food as they can on their acre, which still has room to expand. And in addition to lesson plans built around an appreciation of the environment and where food comes from, Mr. Connell is also going to teach students how and why to grow produce.

Before the pandemic, the future of Governors Island looked a lot less agrarian. In addition to hosting a growing glamping scene and huge parties like Pinknic, the Trust for Governors Island has been actively searching for income-generating real estate developers for its last two undeveloped parcels.

One of those is the half-empty 26-acre plot with a row of crumbling old residential buildings once called Brick Village. This is where Earth Matter and GrowNYC lease about three acres of space.

James Yolles, a spokesman for the Trust for Governors Island, said that both organizations which share a crescent-shaped piece of land the trust calls the Urban Farm will be a part of the islands future. We are committed to providing space for both of them on the island for the long term, regardless of any development plans, he wrote in an email.

Last week, the trust finally reopened Governors Island to the public. People can tour the garden in small groups at set times on weekends.

After months alone in the fields, Mr. Connell and his farmers at last had a few curious visitors to show around. But he still misses his kids.

One of my greatest regrets about this season, he said, is that as the teaching garden literally blossoms in ways it never has before, our students arent able to be here with us to see the impact that this little sliver of New York City soil is having.

Read the original:

How This N.Y. Island Went From Tourist Hot Spot to Emergency Garden - The New York Times

STATEN ISLAND N.Y. -- It was the love for his wife that helped Robert Callas, 35, of Westerleigh overcome his lengthy battle with the coronavirus.

Callas admitted himself into Staten Island University North Campus in Ocean Breeze after suffering from flu-like symptoms throughout March.

Little did he know that itd be the last thing he remembered for over 40 days.

His wife Melissa Callas, patient care assistant or PCA at SIUH North was luckily able to keep her eye on him for the duration of his treatment.

However, she explains that leaving her husband at the hospital to go home to an empty house was one of the hardest parts.

I was a wreck by the time Id get home. Ive spent days crying wondering why this happened, said Melissa.

Robert who was intubated twice, put on a ventilator and also received many other forms of treatment before waking up from his heavily sedated state was discharged from SIUH after 47 days and transported to Carmel Richmond Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Dongan Hills where he spent another 41 days.

I wanted to come home to Melissa, thats all I cared about and I feel like it made me fight harder, said Robert.

The close-knit family was unfortunately struck by another tragedy after Robert returned home.

Roberts father, Michael Callas died due to a long-term heart condition in early July.

While Robert was not able to have a proper goodbye he found comfort in knowing that Melissa and his mother were able to be by his side during his final moments.

I feel like he waited for me to come home and then he knew it was time, so he just went to sleep and never woke up, said Robert.

Though times have been tough, the couple has a hopeful outlook on the future.

Robert hopes to be able to return to his job at Amtrack and Melisa continues to report to work at SIUH daily.

Watch the video above to learn more about their touching story.

Read more:

A Staten Island mans 88 day battle with COVID-19 - SILive.com

Watch Now: Analysis: Khabib Nurmagomedov To Fight Justin Gaethje For Lightweight Title (6:24)

From the time UFC president Dana White announced he had "secured an island," the concept of Fight Island became larger than life. While it was impossible for Fight Island to live up to the expectations of fights in an Octagon on the beach of a jungle island, the unique conditions of a world experiencing a global pandemic and the UFC securing a chunk of land on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on which they created a fighting paradise made plenty of memories for fight fans.

The promotion held four events on Fight Island over three weeks, starting with a massive UFC 251 card that saw three title fights top the card and ending with a Fight Night clash between former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and rising contender Darren Till. Scattered across those four cards on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi were plenty of memorable moments and incredible performances.

Let's take a look at five of the biggest, most memorable moments from the UFC's ambitious Fight Island experiment.

1 . Jorge Masvidal proves he's the BMF: The end result may not have been the thrilling performance some fans wanted, but Jorge Masvidal stepping up on six days' notice during a global pandemic to fly halfway around the world and fight the best welterweight on the planet solidified his Baddest Motherf--k-er credentials. An unfortunate dispute with the UFC over financial details moved Masvidal behind Gilbert Burns in the welterweight title challenger line. But when Burns tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of UFC 251, Masvidal was willing to jump through an increasingly complicated series of hoops, including several COVID tests, an international flight, mandatory quarantine and the need to lose 20 pounds in a matter of days, all to take his shot at an elusive world championship.

In the cage, Masvidal was unable to overcome the lack of preparation and the solid, if unexciting, gameplan of Kamaru Usman; life isn't an inspirational sports movie, after all. But there was no more memorable way to kick off the UFC's trip to Fight Island than for Masvidal to roll the dice on his shot at glory.

2. The rise of Khamzat Chimaev: When Khamzat Chimaev ran through John Phillips on July 16 on Fight Island, it felt like we all were witness to a new UFC star. Two takedowns, easy passing on the ground and a second-round submission, all while absorbing a total of one strike in 6:12 of cage time. Chimaev then turned around 10 days later to face Rhys McKee and somehow was even more impressive. Chimaev blew through McKee in just 3:09, this time landing 40 strikes while McKee landed zero. 9:21 in cage time over 10 days and Chimaev out-struck his opponents a combined 83-1.

With such impressive performances, it's no wonder UFC president Dana White said the promotion will try to grant Chimaev his request to fight again in mid-August, and even said he might be ready for a fight with Usman. "We were sitting in here this morning trying to figure out what we think is next," White said. "If you ask this kid, he's ready to fight Usman. You know what I mean? Is he ready for Usman? The way he looks, who knows? Maybe."

3. Petr Yan takes over the bantamweight division: There were plenty of reasons to question the UFC's decision to insert Jose Aldo into a fight with then-bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo. Those questions remained after Cejudo retired and Aldo was matched with heavy-hitting Petr Yan. Aldo did plenty to prove he deserved to be in the cage with Yan, giving as well as he received until Yan utilized an all-out blitz to finally put Aldo away late in Round 5.

Yan was the man who truly deserved the shot at Cejudo prior to the former champ's retirement, and now the division is his to guide. The 135-pound division is fast becoming a minefield, with established contenders and fast-rising potential stars -- not to mention the looming threat of Cejudo potentially returning to try to reclaim his throne. Yan, though, is dangerous enough to potentially fend off all those threats for a very long time.

4. New king emerges at flyweight: Deiveson Figueiredo was already the uncrowned UFC flyweight champion, having knocked out Joseph Benavidez in a battle for the vacant title back in February. Figueiredo only had himself to blame for not leaving that night as champion, though, having missed weight and left ineligible to win the title. The rematch was set up for Fight Island, and Figueiredo had to win both on the scales and in the Octagon to not experience a similar level of disappointment.

Figueiredo did just that, completely dominating the rematch with Benavidez after making weight successfully. While Benavidez could blame the first loss on an accidental headbutt that left him rocked or the fact that Figueiredo didn't drain himself completely to make weight, there were no excuses the second time around. Figueiredo blew through Benavidez en route to a rear-naked choke victory before the first round even came to a close, erasing any doubt and presenting the flyweight division with an undisputed champion once again.

5. Jiri Prochazka makes a big impression:With 24 knockouts in 27 career wins, there was little doubt of Jiri Prochazka's ability to finish a fight. Of course, many of those victories came against lower-tier opponents or name fighters who were on the back-side of their careers. Volkan Oezdemir was an established product as a former light heavyweight title challenger, so it was easy to see why the veteran entered the cage as a slight favorite.

Prochazka immediately established himself as a unique talent, taunting the always-dangerous Oezdemir and throwing powerful strikes while occasionally striking a karate pose. After a wild first round, Prochazka lashed out in the opening minute of Round 2, crumbling Oezdemir and immediately announcing himself as a new force to be reckoned with in the 205-pound division.

Follow this link:

UFC Fight Island: Five memorable takeaways from the cards on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi - CBS Sports

Temperatures neared the triple-digits in the metro area

by: Jennifer Dowling, KOIN 6 News Staff

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) With temperatures soaring, many took off for the beach and the mountains Sunday to beat the heat. Sauvie Island was a popular spot for those who didnt want to venture too far from the metro area.

The island has such a long beach that folks were able to keep their distance while enjoying the water. Folks on the beach said they were very aware of the need to stay six feet away from one another. Most people said that everyone was polite and mindful of the space.

This place is great. If you look around, everybody is distancing and we are staying safe and enjoying the water and just enjoying being outside and thats what we were looking for, said Roger, who was out on the island Sunday.

I like to come hereits always a good time, said Molly, who was at the beach with Roger.

A lot of people said that getting out to the beach on Sunday was the best option, compared to staying in stuff homes or apartments with no air conditioning, as temperatures neared triple-digits.

Warm weather is upon us so I went out to Sauvie Island Beach to see how peole are dealing with the heat. Ive never seen so many cars out here! Zero Parking, long traffic lines. Maybe avoid this area today and try somewhere less crowded. Many ppl are turning around. #heat #beach pic.twitter.com/LgPKKFd0Ht

We biked out here to Sauvie from downtown Portland, sand another beach-goer. Beautiful weather, wanted to catch the breeze.

Locals know that summers in Oregon are fleeting, so they have to take advantage of the sunshine before its gone and the rain starts up again.

Follow KOIN 6 for the latest news and weather

Continued here:

Locals try to escape the heat, flood Sauvie Island - KOIN.com

Concerns about the imminence of asecond wave continue to swirl in Torontothis week asCOVID-19 restrictionslift and young people either misunderstand or blatantly disregard orders to practice social distancing.

As is often the case on sunny, sweaty-hot weekends in the summer, Hanlan's Point Beach was packed with party people on Saturday.

Photoand video footage from the popular, clothing-optionalbeach on the Toronto Islands shows hundreds, if not thousands of people hanging out in close proximity along the roughly one-kilometre-long stretch of sand.

Scorching temperatures drove many beachgoers into the water as well, where dozens of boats, jet skis and giant floatieshosted even more bodies.

Few masks were observed among the masses, which irked some observers though it's important to note that facial coverings are only required indoors under the City of Toronto's mandatory face mask bylaw.

Indoors or outdoors, however, all people are required to maintain a distance of two metres between themselves and anyone who doesn't live with them or appear in their 10-person social circle.

Under Stage 3 of the provincial government's economic reopening plan, gatherings of up to 100 people are permitted outdoors, but the crowds observed at Hanlan'son Saturday appeared to exceed this number.

Furthermore, Toronto isn't in Stage 3 yet. Under current regulations, no gathering is allowed to exceed 10 people.

Like Trinity Bellwoods Park, Cherry Beach and several King West bars before it, Hanlan's has become the target of intense scrutiny among people who seem to hate millennials.

We do know that cases of COVID-19 have been rising among Ontario residentsbetween the ages of 20 and 39 over the past few weeks.

"I must urge all Canadians, particularly younger adults, to not give in to COVID-19 fatigue," said Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam of the phenomenon late last week. "Younger age groups are not invincible against COVID-19."

Premier Doug Ford warned similarly last week that young people need to better heed the advice of public health officials (not to mention actual emergency orders) and stop partying.

The City of Toronto itself has taken steps to crack down on the massive beach gatherings and park parties that have been springing up since summer weather settled in.

In addition to sending out officers to warn offenders, city officials are nowrestricting parking at local beacheson weekends to help prevent crowding and slow or stop the spread of COVID-19.

There doesn't appear to be much social distancing enforcement on the Islands just yet, however, as some who were at or passed Hanlan's Point Beach on Saturday pointed out.

The Islands don't exactly have public parking lots to block off, as the only way over (for those who don't live there) is by taking thepublic ferry or a private taxi service.

The recently-relaunched ferry isonly running at half capacity, though water taxis seem busier than ever, shuttling people back and forth across Lake Ontario.

We've yet to see any COVID-19 spikes related to young people partying at Hanlan's Point Beach, but Toronto Police say aman did tragically drown in the area on Saturday night.

The rest is here:

Toronto's wildest island beach was dangerously crowded this weekend - blogTO

A wind advisory is in effect for Maui and Hawaii island, with strong trade winds expected through tonight, forecasters said today.

The wind, however, isnt related toTropical Storm Douglas, which continues to weaken on its path further west of the main Hawaiian Islands.

At 11 a.m. today, Douglas was about 715 miles west-northwest of Honolulu, and 150 miles west-northwest of French Frigate Shoals, with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. Douglas was moving west-northwest at 18 mph.

A tropical storm warning remains in effect for portions of Papahanaumokuakea, from French Frigate Shoals to Maro Reef to Lisianski.

In the main isles, meanwhile, breezy to locally windy trades, with passing windward and mauka showers will continue for the rest of the week due to a strong, high-pressure ridge to the north.

A wind advisory has been issued for the Kohala district of Hawaii island, as well as central Maui, Lanai and Kahoolawe, starting at 6 a.m. today, and lasting through 6 a.m. Wednesday.

Northeast winds of 25 to 35 mph, with localized gusts over 45 mph are expected through Wednesday morning. Winds this strong are capable of downing trees and causing power outages. Motorists should use extra caution while driving.

A small craft advisory for all Hawaiian waters also remains in effect through 6 a.m. Wednesday.

Todays forecast for smaller isles is mostly sunny and windy, with scattered showers throughout the day, and highs from 90 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Tonights lows are from 72 to 77 degrees.

Tradewinds of 15 to 30 mph continue through today and tonight.

Surf is low for all sides of Oahu except for the east shores, where strong trades will maintain rough surf of 5 to 7 feet today, before lowering to 4 to 6 feet Wednesday.

Surf along north shores is expected to remain at 2 to 4 feet through Wednesday. Surf along south and west shores will remain at 1 to 3 feet through Wednesday.

No significant swells are expected through the weekend, which forecasters say will be sunny, with a typical summer trade wind pattern.

Read the original post:

Wind advisory in effect for Maui and Hawaii island - Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Zaha Hadid Architects Creates Residential Project for the Island of Roatn, Honduras in the Caribbean

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Whatsapp

Mail

Or

Zaha Hadid Architects has just unveiled Roatn Prspera Residences, its latest project with AKT II and Hilson Moran. Located on the island of Roatn in the Caribbean, the largest of the Bay Islands of Honduras, the project takes on specific ecological and social criteria, to develop homes for the island.

+ 23

Generating a digital architectural platform to create homes for Roatn Prspera, the first Economic Development Hub is built on the Prospera Platform, a zone for economic development and employment, integrated with local communities and have semi-autonomous governance and regulation, within Honduras.Integrating local vernacular tradition of timber construction, climatic appropriateness and spatial experience with new digital design, engineering, and construction techniques, the design of Roatn Prspera Residences responds directly to the climate, terrain and culture challenges. Relying on a comprehensive approach of the context, and working with existing local materials, craftsmanship, and manufacturing facilities to support the local economy, the initiative aims to blend completely with the territory. In collaboration with AKT II, the structural elements are made from local sustainable timber.

With the use of digital information technologies, waste, pollution, carbon footprint and energy can be reduced to a minimum; while better construction quality can be achieved,with off-site fabrication. In fact, the modular system developed of kit of parts, quickly assembled on-site, is a cost-controlled solution specifically tailored to local supply chains, transportation, and installation. Working towards providing local craftsmen, tradesmen and construction teams with a new kind of experience, working and using innovative technological tools, the design process aims to build lasting relationships between homeowners and the local community that will help new residents to integrate with the local culture.

Moreover, through this digital configuration platform, home-owners can plan their homes, according to their spatial needs and connect with local suppliers. Applying parametric design software developed by the Computational and Design Group at ZHA (ZHCODE) and the Computational Engineering Team at AKT II, (P.ART), the platform ensures that each residence is developed specifically to the configuration defined by each future resident.

In fact, a principle underpinning the configuration platform is three-dimensional property rights with homeowners acquiring occupational and exclusion rights for units of 3D space called volume-pixels or voxels. Their residences will be algorithmically computed to fit within their chosen arrangement of voxels. Each voxel is 35 square meters in plan-area and 4 meters high. Residential units vary from 35 sq.m studios (1 voxel) to 175 sq.m family homes (5 voxels). Owners can customize their layouts with this platform to fit their preferred number of voxels, with at least 15,000 different variations to configure the maximum of 5 voxels.

See original here:

Zaha Hadid Architects Creates Residential Project for the Island of Roatn, Honduras in the Caribbean - ArchDaily

Photo courtesy of Joanne DiBona

I'm often asked what my favorite travel destination is, and that is certainly a hard question to answer. The Italian island of Sicily is always at the top of my response, and more times than not, I always get a blank stare, especially from those who have watched too many "Godfather" movies over the years.

With a history that spans millennia, Sicilys astonishingly preserved ruins from antiquity, breathtaking landscapes and beaches, ancient cities and charming towns, a warm and gracious population, and incomparable wine and cuisine are just a few of the reasons it is among the top of my favorites list.

Photo courtesy of Joanne DiBona

Most travelers to Sicily either begin or end their tour in the ancient city of Palermo, the region's capital founded in 736 BC. Blessed by a perfect climate, an amazing number of ancient and historical buildings, renowned gastronomy and restaurants, a vibrant nightlife as well as an international airport, Palermo has become one of the top tourist destinations in Italy and Europe.

This photo was captured from the top of Monte Caputo in Monreale, overlooking the fertile valley below.

Photo courtesy of Tony DiBona

Speaking of Monreale, you definitely want to include a visit to this historic site during your stay in Palermo. While the towns charming streets and squares are picturesque enough, its claim to glory is its 12th century Norman-Byzantine cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Without exaggeration, the moment you walk through the portals (there is no entrance charge), you will be dazzled by the golden mosaics that line every inch of the walls of the cathedral. It ranks among the worlds most famous cathedrals for these exceptional adornments.

Photo courtesy of Joanne DiBona

As you stroll through the cities and villages of Sicily, you may wonder at the colorful carts you see on the streets, many of them still pulled by donkeys or mules. These hand-painted carts were introduced to the island by the ancient Greeks, and portray scenes from Sicilian history and folklore as well as geometrical designs.

If you're lucky enough to be in Sicily during a religious holiday, you'll be sure to see these carts in a procession. Otherwise, you can visit many museums in Sicily during your travels that display this art form, which has been carried down through the centuries.

Photo courtesy of Joanne DiBona

Italy is known for its flair for fashion, and its island of Sicily is no exception. Youll find a wide variety of shopping options across the island, from high-end boutiques featuring international designer items to local shops offering quite a variety of Italian-made clothing.

Dont forget the local markets along your travels, where you'll be sure to find souvenirs to bring home at bargain prices.

Tip: If you love 100% linen, this is the place to buy it!

Photo courtesy of Tony DiBona

If you're a lover of seafood, youll certainly be in culinary heaven during your travels through Sicily. From the best swordfish you'll ever taste in your life, to exquisite shrimp that are harvested in the deepest depths of the sea, to fresh-caught tuna that melts in your mouth, there's no shortage of delightful eats.

Vegans and carnivores neednt worry either. You can easily find a restaurant or market that offers vegetarian and vegan items, as well as delicious meat entrees, that will more than satisfy any discerning palate.

Photo courtesy of Joanne DiBona

The island of Sicily, due to its strategic location, was occupied by many diverse civilizations over the millennia and monuments to these cultures pepper the landscape of the entire island. Ironically, some of the best-preserved Greek temples in the world can be found in Sicily.

You can marvel at seven monumental 5th century BC Greek temples in the Valley of the Temples within the city of Agrigento, and also explore the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Selinunte.

Our favorite is the temple and theater of Segesta, one of the worlds best examples of Doric architecture, serenely nestled in the rolling countryside in the western tip of Sicily.

Photo courtesy of Tony DiBona

The best way to explore and savor Sicily is by car, and it's definitely a road trip you will never forget. You can circumnavigate the 900 miles around the island in a few days, to be sure, but youll want to take 7 days or more to truly soak in not only the historic highlights, but the life of its people.

In the smaller towns, youll be delighted to see a simple lifestyle that hasnt changed for centuries.

Photo courtesy of Joanne DiBona

The Roman poet Virgil cites Erice in his epic poem, "The Aeneid," so that's a big clue that this ancient hilltop town is definitely a place to visit during your tour of Sicily. Perched high on a cliff overlooking the valley of the eastern Sicilian shoreline, you'll feel as if you've gone back in time as you stroll through the town's ancient streets.

By the way, you'll be walking over cobblestones that were laid by the Romans in 100 BC!

Photo courtesy of Joanne DiBona

We all know that vacation travel should not be a whirlwind event, especially when you try to cram in as many cities and experiences as possible in a few days. In Sicily even in the big cities there are always opportunities to relax and savor the moment.

On a leisurely afternoon in Erice, we stopped at a local caf and were entertained by the owner (and obviously accomplished barista) as he prepared our caffe lattes in grand style. And what a moment we savored: both the delicious latte and the show.

Photo courtesy of Joanne DiBona

One of the most beautiful Sicilian coastal cities you can visit is Cefal, located just an hours drive east of Palermo. Youll find a lovely small city, filled with delightful shops and restaurants, but its history goes back to the 4th century BC. It was captured by the Normans in 1063.

The Norman king Roger II started construction on the truly magnificent Cefal cathedral (a UNESCO World Heritage site) in 1131. For a breathtaking view of this ancient city from above, follow the path (as we did) to the top of the hill for an expansive view over this ancient town.

Photo courtesy of Joanne DiBona

Sicily is famous for its many desserts, the list of which is really too numerous to mention. Marzipan, confections made of ground almonds, are very popular in Sicily, as is granita, a light sorbet-like treat.

But the king of all Sicilian desserts is cannoli, which is made from freshly whipped ricotta cheese flavored with lemon and sugar, and piped into a crisp fried pastry shell. Cannoli have been exported around the world, but its a sure bet the best one you will have ever tasted is during your visit to Sicily.

Photo courtesy of Tony DiBona

As you travel through Sicily, you cant help but notice the image of a three-legged Medusa, which is not only donned on the official Sicilian flag, but is also embedded in many artifacts that can be found in Sicilian shops and markets. Actually, a variation of this symbol dates back to the 3rd century BC. The symbol depicts the three promontories of the island.

Photo courtesy of Tony DiBona

It's obvious an island would have unlimited beachfronts, which Sicily does, but some of the most pristine beaches can be found in the Lo Zingaro Nature Reserve, located a two-hour's drive west of Palermo. Azure blue waters, white sandy alcoves, and a magnificent hiking path make this a trail and beach to remember.

Photo courtesy of Joanne DiBona

As you travel through Sicily, youll be amazed at the photo opportunities that will greet you, especially at sunrise and sunset. Plan to make use of these photographic golden hours for the best images of the glorious scenes you'll encounter as you explore this magnificent island.

Photo courtesy of Tony DiBona

If you're a wine lover, youve come to the right place. Sicilian wines have risen in popularity over the past decade, and no wonder. Many of the grapes that produce these excellent wines have their roots, literally, in the rich lava rock that surrounds the island.

Nero dAvola is one of the most beloved red wines produced on the island, and the whites are equally as delicious. One of the most memorable whites we ever tasted originated on the slopes of Alcamo (and it cost well under $10 in the local grocery store). That being said, if you love wine-tasting, this is the place to do it.

Photo courtesy of Tony DiBona

Views on Etna, Sicilys active volcano, are visible from many areas of the island. This image, taken from the deck of an Oceania cruise ship, shows a scene of the majestic volcano hovering over the ancient town of Naxos.

Photo courtesy of Joanne DiBona

One of the most romantic small towns in Sicily is Taormina, and its easy to see why. Perched on a hilltop above the blue Ionian sea, Taorminas twisting ancient streets take you past imposing palaces, delightful shops and restaurants, and charming squares.

There's no doubt that the Teatro Antico di Taormina, an ancient Greco-Roman theater with awe-inspiring views on Mount Etna, has propelled it to one of Sicilys most visited destinations. It's still used as a concert venue.

Photo courtesy of Tony DiBona

It's a sure bet, once you get a taste of Sicily, you will want to return again and again.

Arrivederci!

See the article here:

Explore the magical island of Sicily on this virtual tour - USA Today 10Best