Michael Lemire was fishing with family off Plum Island Saturday afternoon when he spotted a dark silhouette moving toward their boat. But instead of a finding a large fish near his line, he soon realized it wasnt something he wanted to catch.

I was just trying to figure out what it was at first, Lemire said. Being that close to shore, I didnt expect to see a shark that close. But its the ocean and you know there are sharks around.

A young great white shark that was about 6 to 8 feet long was circling the boat Lemire and his father, brother, and nephew were fishing on. The shark left after it took a pass around the vessel and the familys submerged fishing lines, but came back about 15 minutes later.

Lemire got up on the boats bow and took a video of the shark, which he later sent to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy.

Shark spotting right off of plum island.. confirmed by the Atlantic White Shark Conservatory a 8 foot Great White Shark Michael Lemire

A picture is worth a thousand words. You can say you saw something but no one will believe it unless they see it, too, Lemire said.

The shark never touched their baited lines and left soon after. Lemire said he didnt try to follow it.

We knew we werent going to catch any striped bass with a shark in the water, he said.

This was the second shark sighting off Plum Island within three days, said John Chisholm, a shark researcher who works closely with the Division of Marine Fisheries. Another great white shark that was about 8 feet long was seen in the same spot on Thursday.

It makes sense that they saw the sharks there because there is a lot of bait and striped bass up there right now, and we typically see these smaller sharks feeding on schools of fish, Chisholm said.

Only a few credible shark sightings are documented off the North Shore each year, compared to the dozens of sharks that are often spotted off Cape Cod in the summer alone.

This partly has to do with more seals living in the Cape, where adult great white sharks between 12 and 20 feet long are frequently seen between May and late November each year.

Chisholm said more sharks are attracted to the Cape because of a larger concentration of seals there. But he has received reports of seals with shark bites washing up on Plum Island over the years.

This is a good reminder that all of Massachusetts coast is home to great white sharks, Chisholm said. From Buzzards Bay to Cape Cod and up to the North Shore, thats all great white habitat.

Lemire lives in Ipswich and fishes in the area often. This was the first time hes seen a shark while on the ocean.

Its something you might only see once in a lifetime, especially being in a boat with your family, Lemire said. We didnt catch anything that day, but its one of those experiences well always have.

If you see a shark, Chisholm said to keep your distance, take pictures if you can, and report the sighting on the Conservancys Sharktivity app. You can also email the sighting to Chisholm directly at masssharks@gmail.com.

Caroline Enos can be reached at caroline.enos@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @CarolineEnos.

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Family on fishing trip spots great white shark off Plum Island - The Boston Globe

Step aside K.K. Slider, Tove Lo is the new Animal Crossing star.

The singer took to Instagram on Thursday (July 16) to reveal that, like the rest of us, she's been "hooked" on the Nintendo game since the beginning of quarantine because "its cute animals and tropical islands lol."

In celebration, Tove Lo announced that she will be inviting six villagers to come "party like it's pre COVID" on her island with a Animal Crossing New Horizons DJ set on Saturday (July 18).

So, how does one get a Dodo code to head to Tove Lo's island? "you gotta dress to impress to enter," she wrote. "Design an outfit for your#ACNHcharacter and post with#ToveLoAnimalCrossingto enter.Ill pick my favorites on Friday and send winners a dodo code for entry."

See the full announcement (and Tove's characteristically cool ANCH character) below.

See original here:

Tove Lo Is Inviting Fans to Her Animal Crossing Island for a DJ Set - Billboard

Ever since it opened to the public as a park in 2003, Governors Island has been one of the city's best getaways, a minutes-long ferry ride to a largely undeveloped, 172-acre oasis. Over the years, the Governors Island Trust has spruced up the joint, adding "attractions" like Slide Hill, Hammock Grove, and overnight glamping via Collective Retreats (which is up and running, you can make reservations here). But there's still an untamed spirit about the place, and it remains an ideal destination for an easy, unscripted adventure.

This year, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the seasonal opening of Governors Island by about two months, but this week the public was finally allowed back onto the mid-harbor haven, and I must say that in all my years of coming here, it has never felt so relaxing and restorative. Some things have changed, and not everything has reopened, so here's what to expect if you make the journey there.

The Governors Island ferries, whether from Manhattan's Battery Maritime Building, or, new this year, from Brooklyn's Atlantic Basin in Red Hook, are limiting entry to about a third of their usual capacity of 1,200, requiring advance reservations for e-tickets which are scanned before boarding. Four hundred people on a ferry may sound like a lot, but the ferries are large, and on opening day only a handful of folks were on all the boats that I witnessed disembark and/or rode.

At this point no one on the planet should need to be told that masks are required on the ferries, and also whenever you're around other people on the island (or anywhere), but in case you forgot about the virus that has killed tens of thousands of New Yorkers since March, here's your reminder: wear your mask, keep it on the whole time, make sure it's covering both your mouth and nose, don't pull it down when you speak.

If you don't bring your own lunch there are plenty of food options out here this summer, including three new vendors worth getting excited about. The butchers at Meat Hook have joined the Threes Brewing with a menu of sausage sandwiches (think Serrano Cheddar, Green Chorizo, or Classic Beefy Boy) and (coming soon) a burger or two. Fauzia's from the Bronx is slinging their famous Jerk Chicken and other Caribbean delights. And Yard Pizza shipped over two massive new ovens to fire up both Neapolitan pies and Sicilian-style slices.

Other dining choices include Island Oyster and Taco Vista, looking out toward Lower Manhattan; Venezuelan hot dogs from Perros Y Vainas; Sea Biscuit's barbecue, which comes with views of the Statue of Liberty; Little Eva's crowd pleasers like Mac & Cheese and Island Salads; sweet treats from People's Pops, Melt Bakery, Wafels & Dinges, and Everything About Crepes; and a Joe Coffee booth which now also scoops four flavors of Oddfellows ice cream.

The great Urban Farm will be open for "passive visits" on the weekends this year. Although they had to cancel their public school programming in the spring, the Learning Garden, which is managed by GrowNYC, has remained active, donating their crops some 4,000 pounds of vegetables so far to the Black Feminist Project in the Bronx and the Brooklyn-based Chilis on Wheels. And don't forget to check out the composting chickens!

There's cool public art throughout the park, the huge lawns are extra-plush from lack of use (this makes for excellent nap material), the tattered-but-stately old buildings are as charming as ever, and the island's signature red Adirondack chairs, scattered about by the dozens, make it a breeze to secure a quiet, extremely distanced spot for reading or chatting or whatever you want.

Once you're on the island you can't go inside Fort Jay and Castle Williams, which are closed, nor let your kids run wild in the free-form, "junk"-filled playground called The Yard, which is mostly emptied and completely overgrown. The indoor gallery spaces in Nolan Park and along Colonels Row are also closed to the public.

While you can't go inside of the old buildings, you can give yourself a little walking tour of them here's a guide to the abandoned buildings of Governors Island.

The bathrooms are open, the water-bottle refilling faucets are running, and not only are there sanitizer dispensers in key locations, there's even a whole hand-washing station, complete with soap and running water, near Slide Hill.

The Island will be open daily, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends.

Manhattan ferries will continue to run out of the Battery Maritime Building at 10 South Street. Brooklyn ferries, which are usually located in Brooklyn Bridge Park, have relocated to Red Hook's Atlantic Basin.

Ferry ticket reservations can be made at govisland.org. Tickets cost $3 for adults, children under 12 ride free, as do all NYCHA residents and seniors 65 and over. Additionally, ferries are free to all on weekends before noon.

Once you're there, you can walk around, or get some wheels. Thankfully, the bike rental place is open, and Citi Bike still has their three big docks here, so it's easy to get out to Picnic Point and back, or take in the expansive views from atop The Hills.

View original post here:

Your Complete Guide To The Newly Reopened Governors Island - Gothamist

Just five years after completing his dream home on Belvedere Island just outside of San Francisco, venture capitalist Todd Chaffee is putting the one-of-a-kind property up for sale.

Hes listed the 7,500-square-foot house on Belvedere Avenue with Golden Gate Sothebys Lydia Sarkissian and William Bullock, with an asking price of $29.5 million.

Completed by architectural firm Aidlin Darling in 2015, the sleek, modern abode incorporates natural materials like stone, leather, bronze, and reclaimed oak. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame exquisite views of downtown San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, the hamlets of Sausalito and Mill Valley, along with towering Mount Tamalpais.

The houses formal dining and living spaces are located on the ground floor, along with three bedrooms, a workout room, and an Infinity pool and sun deck. The master suite upstairs is worthy of a five-star resort, according to the listing.

An outdoor seating area in a Marin County, California home now on the market for nearly $30,000,000.

In all, the house includes six bedrooms, six bathrooms, and two offices one for Chaffee and one for his wife, Kat.

Creating indoor-outdoor spaces suitable for entertaining was a prime concern for the couple. Guests can congregate in an interior courtyard or nestle around a fire pit right off the living room.

Like the house, the furniture is all custom-made, and comes with the house if someone wants it, Chaffee said.

Less than one square mile around, Belvedere Island was first developed in the 1890s as a summer getaway for well-to-do San Franciscans, today its one of the wealthiest enclaves in the U.S., with just over 2,000 residents.

Architectural styles range from Queen Anne and Mission Revival to Mediterranean and mid-century modern and beyond, and several properties are listed on the National Register of Houses.

The areas tranquil character is preserved by strict construction codes that prevent major alterations to the landscape. There are no stores or restaurants, either residents hop over to nearby Tiburon for shopping and dining, or to catch the ferry to San Francisco.

The magic of Belvedere Island is that its an unbelievable place and a world-class location, Chaffee told Bloomberg. The luxury of it is I can pop to the city for meetings, pop up to wine country, or Im two minutes away from going sailing.

A view of the hillside on Belvedere Island outside of San Francisco, California.

He praised the locale as an understated, friendly, conscious community.

Chaffee can credit his investment savvy for enabling him to live so large. Hes put money into tech-winners like Netflix, Kayak, Yahoo, and Pandora and was an early investor in Twitter. His company's $44 million investment in the social media platform ultimately delivered a return of nearly $5 billion, according to Forbes.

Though most venture capitalists put down stakes in San Francisco or Silicon Valley, Chaffee has lived in three different houses on Belvedere Island since 2000. This current home sits on nearly 27,000 square feet of meticulous gardens and landscaping, including a courtyard lined with imported olive trees.

Theres also a two-car garage and carport, and a separate 800-square-foot guest house for overnight visitors.

Chaffee and his family are decamping for Southern California, but he hasnt lost his passion for new construction. Their new home in Tahoe will also be built from the ground up.

Should he get his asking price, Chaffee should make a tidy profit off of his island paradise: Construction, landscaping and the land itself cost him about $25 million.

More:

Venture Capitalist Todd Chaffee Puts His $30 Million Island Mansion on the Market - Architectural Digest

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- On Staten Islands South Shore sits a rich piece of history, and a Staten Island woman has created a Change.org petition to make it a required part of the New York public school curriculum.

Sandy Ground, located in Rossville, was an oystering village established, in part, by people who were freed from enslavement in 1827.

It is the oldest continuously inhabited free settlement for persons of African descent in the United States; is believed to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad; and is now home to landmarked historic structures and the Sandy Ground Historical Society.

The woman who created the petition, who asked to be identified by her first name, Renee, was disappointed to see that the iconic piece of Staten Island history wasnt included in her sons fourth grade social studies curriculum.

The 39-year-old Rosebank mom said that part of the fourth grade curriculum set by the Department of Education (DOE) is the history of New York.

We got [my sons] social studies textbook in the mail from the DOE, Renee told the Advance/SILive.com. The book is actually really good, and it has the history of Irish, Italian, Jewish immigrants, Native Americans, and some Black history, too. It just made me think -- hey, what about Sandy Ground?

Sylvia DAlessandro, executive director and founding member of the Sandy Ground Historical Society, is a descendant of the original families of the community and grew up there.

It should be told as a part of Staten Islands story, DAlessandro said. This community made significant contributions to Staten Island since it began. Its an important part of New Yorks history as a whole.

Public historian Debbie-Ann Paige, whose expertise is in the history of communities of color on Staten Island, agrees that Sandy Ground is a vital part of New Yorks past.

If youre telling the story of New York, you would have to include Sandy Ground, as a free community that is still in existence, said Paige. The community carries through all of the nuances in terms of the history of Black people in the nation.

A SHARED HISTORY

Renee says she first learned about Sandy Ground 20 years ago while attending the College of Staten Island, when a friend who is a descendant of the settlement taught her about it.

For her kids, and for the diverse youth on Staten Island, Renee says learning about Sandy Ground will allow them to claim ownership and be proud of their home borough.

My kids were born and raised on Staten Island, and I want them to have that type of pride in the borough that theyre from, she said. I think having history thats relevant to the kids in New York City is important. The kids of New York City are from all different backgrounds.

Connecting students to the settlements history is among the goals of the Sandy Ground Historical Society -- the Society hosts onsite field trips, mainly for Staten Island students from third to fifth grade, though schools in Brooklyn and Manhattan have started visiting in recent years, DAlessandro said.

It should be taught in the schools, by the teachers, in the textbooks as they talk about Staten Island and its growth, said DAlessandro. All of the people that make the community up need to be included.

Learning about people from diverse backgrounds also helps tackle racism at its root, says Paige.

Its not just that children of African descent need to see themselves reflected in school literature, but children who have been racialized as white -- which most of us have been -- and identify as white need to see the importance and the contributions of people of African descent to the nations founding and continuous history, Paige explained.

Students need to learn that everybody is included in the greatness of the United States. We are all shared in that history, Paige added.

WHERE BETTER THAN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM?'

The time is right to seek change, says Renee.

Across the nation, there has been a reinvigorated conversation about racial equity and justice, following the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis on Memorial Day.

If were going to make a lot of changes, where better than the education system? Renee asked.

She also wants to break down barriers on Staten Island.

Everyone has the stereotype of Staten Island, that its a certain type of way, she told the Advance/SILive.com. And the truth is that its not like that, and it has never been like that.

Its not just a new thing that Staten Island [is] diverse; its always been diverse, she added.

DAlessandro agrees.

Staten Island is not presented as a place that is particularly diverse, she said. This gives a different perspective of Staten Island. The [Sandy Ground] community was allowed to continue and exist here on Staten Island through the turmoil that the country went through.

Paige says records exist as far back as the 18th century that illustrate the boroughs diversity. The 1790 Census shows 20-25% of the people who lived on Staten Island at that time were of African descent, she said.

Over the years, people have come to assume that the South Shore has always been a white community, and it just happened to have this enclave of people of African descent living there, but historical documents show thats not so, Paige explained.

And there is so much more, too, for students to learn about the rich history of communities of color on Staten Island, from North Shore stops on the Underground Railroad to early integrated communities in Stapleton.

Of the Underground Railroad on Staten Island, Paige says she sometimes refers to the borough as The Gateway to Freedom.

When we talk about Staten Island, were talking national and international history, Paige explained. If you talk about the history of people of African descent in New York, you have to include Staten Island in it.

REPRESENTATION, ACCURACY AND DIVERSITY

Renee is pushing to get as many signatures as she can on the petition she started. As of Thursday, nearly 700 people had signed.

All NYC children have the right to learn their history, the petition reads. All NYC children need culturally relevant history. The history of NYC is incomplete without teaching about Sandy Ground and the rich history of African Americans on Staten Island.

Currently, the petition is addressed to the DOE, NYC Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza, Mayor Bill de Blasio, and District 31 Executive Superintendent Anthony Lodico.

We are demanding that Sandy Ground and the robust African American history of Staten Island be a required part of NYC DOE Curriculum for all students, the petition says. Representation, accuracy and diversity is paramount in teaching history.

After sending an initial letter, Renee plans to get her petition and message in front of different schools, parent-teacher associations and anyone who will listen and help.

DAlessandro said that if action is taken from the petition, the Sandy Ground Historical Society will absolutely coordinate with the DOE to help create educational materials.

I believe that they are open to these things, and I believe that we can make this change, Renee said. I think this is a victory that can be easily won once brought to the DOEs attention.

While not a required part of DOE curriculum, a spokesperson for the agency said that their Passport to Social Studies program encourages curriculum that explores the citys diverse people and cultures.

Weve made unprecedented strides to foster culturally responsive education for all our students, and weve worked to ensure DOE-created curricula includes a diverse range of communities and topics, said DOE spokeswoman Danielle Filson.

Our Passport to Social Studies curriculum recommends a field trip to Sandy Ground and while schools choose their own curricula, we encourage them to integrate important local history like this into their lessons, she said.

The Passport to Social Studies curriculum -- which includes lesson plans about different ethnicities, the LGBTQ+ community, and more -- has been adopted by 80% of elementary and middle schools, according to Filson.

MORE ON THE RICH HISTORY OF SANDY GROUND

Ferry boat operator Capt. John Jackson became the first person of African descent to own property on Staten Island at Sandy Ground on Feb. 23, 1828, seven months after slavery was abolished in New York.

Sandy Ground was settled by other persons of African descent who were oystermen from Chesapeake Bay fleeing the restrictive industry laws of Maryland. Within walking distance of the Princes Bay docks and the abundant oyster beds of the Raritan Bay, they found prosperity and freedom from persecution there.

Once a flourishing community of more than 150 families of African descent, a collection of historic structures are still found at Sandy Ground, five of which are designated as New York City landmarks, including a church, three residential structures and the cemetery.

Historians have suggested that the center of the community, the A.M.E. Zion Church, may have been a stop on the Underground Railroad, as Capt. Jackson brought people who were enslaved to Staten Island and New Jersey aboard the ferry boat he owned and operated. Descendants of Sandy Ground settlers still worship at the church.

Original post:

Staten Island mom petitions for Sandy Ground to be required in DOE curriculum - SILive.com

Padre Island National Seashore's highly acclaimed sea turtle recovery program is to be scaled back by the National Park Service, which says it's too costly/Rebecca Latson file.

Editor's note: This adds National Park Service comments, reaction from the Center for Biological Diversity, along with additional details from the review report.

A National Park Service review of the renowned Kemp's ridley sea turtle recovery program at Padre Island National Seashorein Texasis calling for substantial funding cuts and programmatic changes that would greatly hamstring the program and amount to "conservation malpractice," Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility charged Thursday.

Thecuts are called for in a June report that reviewed the history of the recovery program. While the review noted the Sea Turtle Science and Recovery Program has drawn widespread acclaim for its work in boosting numbers of Kemp's ridley turtles, the most endangered of the five species of sea turtles, it said that funding for the program "is disproportionately high compared to the number of partners involved and the percentage of the turtle population being addressed."

"The program should not rely on additional parkwide base fund allocations or short-term project funding to cover long-term operational costs," it added.

The report also questioned how the program has been run, called for a "formal 5-year strategic plan," and said the recovery program should focus on protecting turtle nests and not an incubation program. It also expressed concern about the amount of overtime accrued by the program staff, and said that fuel charges constituted "possibly as much as half of the parkwide fuel used in a season."

Dr. Donna Shaver, who long has overseen the program and is considered one of the world's leading sea turtle experts, was under a gag order and could not discuss the review or the funding cuts.

At the National Park Service's Intermountain Region Office in Denver, which signed off on the review document and its recommendations, spokesperson Vanessa Lacayo said the recommendations will improve the turtle program.

"The National Park Service review not only underscores the importance of this program to the park, but also outlines goals to strengthen its mission, clarify its priorities, and expand opportunities for the programs shared stewardship," she said in an email. "The National Park Services only plan forward is to strengthen the program, which is built by the support of our employees and volunteers."

That perspective was dismissed by Kieran Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity.

"Slashing the National Park Services sea turtle research and conservation program is a disaster. Totally unacceptable," said Suckling. "There would be no Kemps ridley sea turtles in the United States were it not for Park Services incredibly successful, incredibly popular reintroduction program starting in 1978. The Kemps population is steadily growing and has started to expand into Alabama, but its still endangered with just 262 nests in Texas this year. The Park Service should be increasing its sea turtle budget to get the Kemps turtle over the line to full recovery, not pulling back."

"The bureaucrats argument that they need to slash the budget now, when funding is healthy, because funding might decline in the future makes no sense at all," Suckling added. "Its a cover for the Trump administrations attack on science and conservation within all federal agencies."

PEER said it was acting on Dr. Shaver's behalf by filing a legal complaint under the federal Information Quality Act demanding that the review of the sea turtle program "be retracted due to many misleading findings, inaccuracies, and actions that violate law as well as NPS policy. One of many issues is new restrictions placed on the scope of sea turtle research, in violation of the agencys Scientific Integrity Policy."

The National Park Service has 60 days to respond to the complaint and Dr. Shaver may appeal any denial of her demand for retraction.

Within its 28-page complaint PEER said the review's recommendations to scale back the turtle recovery program are contrary to the Park Service's mission to work to recover species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

The Kemp's ridley sea turtle has been listed as endangered since 1970. The green and loggerhead sea turtles, which also appear at Padre Island National Seashore, also are listed as endangered.

"NPS personnel have a duty to proactively protect these species with practicesthat are proven to be successful here and elsewhere in the world, contrary to the conclusions ofthe review," PEER's filing said.

The review, however, maintained that the national seashore's practice of incubating eggs from green and loggerhead sea turtles at the seashore and then releasing them into the Gulf of Mexico isn't warranted and should be discontinued.

"There seems to be no conservation reason tomaintain this practice, and no (environmental assessment), (Biological Opinion), or other directive exists to support this managementaction. The majority of organizations interviewed suggested that this practice should stop," said the 51-page document signed off on by Michael Reynolds, the director of the Park Service's Intermountain regional office.

The document also said the turtle recovery program's$2,196,055budget represents nearly a quarter of the national seashore's entire annual budget, to the detriment of other programs.

"The Science and Resources Management divisions budget ($248,670 in FY20), which isused to manage all other natural and cultural resources science and stewardship, planning andcompliance, and Native American relations, is only 4.3 percent of the parks base budget," it noted. "The perception of some park staff is that most natural and cultural resource managementprograms have been largely ignored as a result of the intense and disproportionately highallocation of financial and staff resources applied to the sea turtle program."

Although the turtle program has a 20-year record of successfully landing grants and other funding, the review document said those sources can't be expected to continue forever and so the program's budget should be reined in by 30 percent. At the same time, the document suggested the park look to friends groups and outside non-governmental organizations for financial support.

Padre Island is cannibalizing one of its best and most important programs for bureaucratic reasons having nothing to do with the recovery of sea turtle populations, said Jeff Ruch, PEER's Pacific director. The steps Padre Island is now pursuing will result in many needless sea turtle deaths.

See more here:

UPDATED | Funding Cuts Imperil Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle Program At Padre Island National Seashore - National Parks Traveler

The following is an excerpt from an article that was previously posted on SILive.com in 2011:

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- If its possible to conjure a more picturesque scene than cars jamming up at traffic lights on Victory Boulevard or Richmond Terrace, imagine orange and red open-air trolleys cruising along those roads.

Trolley fever, known in some local circles as delirium electricum, was raging on Staten Island just after the turn of the 20th Century.

On July 1, 1892, Staten Islands first trolley line opened, transporting eager riders along a route from the former Bergen Point Ferry entrance, near the intersection of Richmond Terrace and Richmond Avenue in Port Richmond, to Prohibition Park in what is now Westerleigh.

The line was run by the parks management, which wanted to draw crowds to its 4,000-seat auditorium for lectures, exhibitions and movies.

On Independence Day of that year, 5,000 people rode the orange cars that were powered by overhead wires fed from a power plant.

In the early 1930s, the city ordered trolleys to be eliminated from the Island, and the lines were gradually replaced by buses. The last Island trolley ran from Clove Road to St. George on Jan. 26, 1934.

***

View the short video above to see vintage images of trolleys and trains that have crossed Staten Island streets in the past.

If you have any visuals to share, please send them to my email at jsomma@siadvance.com. Vintage photos and video clips are welcome! Also, please let me know if there are any places you'd like to see highlighted in an upcoming installment of "Flashback Staten Island."

A playlist of past Staten Island flashbacks is available on YouTube.

Read more:

Flashback: Early days of trolleys and trains on Staten Island - SILive.com

DAUFUSKIE ISLAND, S.C. (WSAV) Sallie Ann Robinson has been fighting to preserve and share the history of Daufuskie Island for years.

Her efforts caught the attention of Oprah Winfrey, or Miss O as Robinson calls her, and she was featured in a spread for the July/August edition of O Magazine.

Robinson describes having a sheltered childhood growing up on the island as a sixth-generation native in a large Gullah family.

We just thought we were doing everything people was and wasnt, said Robinson.

As she got older, she left the island and lived in Philadelphia and Savannah.

Her time away from Daufuskie allowed her to develop not only a stronger affection for her home but also sparked her desire to share the Gullah culture that is ingrained in the island.

She has written several of her own cookbooks, sharing traditional Gullah recipes, and has appeared in a number of other publications.

Regardless of where she went in life, she says the spirit of her ancestors kept bringing her back to the island.

I would say, Whew, why me? And the spirit would say, Why not you?' she said. The spirits guide me here.

WSAV.com NOW spent the day with Robinson on the island to learn more about her effort to protect, save and share the history and culture of Daufuskie.

Much like the song, her journey started in the summer of 1969. That year, Pat Conroy came to Daufuskie to teach 18 native children on the island.

Robinson was one of his students and says it was a treasure to have him as their teacher.

She says that living on this island a few miles away from mainland South Carolina made them unaware of the outside world.

Growing up on Daufuskie was a blessing and a curse because you were able to isolate yourself from certain things, but it was detrimental when we went out in the world, she said.

Conroy, in her opinion, taught them lessons they had never learned and gave them new experiences so they were prepared to eventually leave the island.

He took the students to Beaufort to go trick-or-treating, he taught them about the Great Lakes and he even brought them to Washington D.C.

Her experiences in Conroys class and living on the mainland made her realize how important it was to share the culture and history of the island with the world.

Im doing it so that the generations to come will have some idea or some information so they can understand the time before their time, said Robinson.

She moved back to Daufuskie about four years ago and has since started her own tour, called Sallie Anns Authentic Gullah Tour.

The three-hour tour takes passengers to the only Gullah cemetery, the old schoolhouse and to other areas all across the island.

Robinson says her biggest fear is that people only see the island as a tourist destination and do not respect it for its rich culture and history.

[The tourists] put us in jeopardy, she said. You get to go back to where you live. We have to stay here and deal with the situations they cause.

She says she hopes the tours remind people there is still a community living on the island and that she can get enough money from the tours to restore some of the old Gullah homes that have fallen into disrepair.

I know that I have a mission, that Im going to continue until I cant anymore, she said. My Pop used to say, A house stays alive based on peoples breath. Minute you take it away, it starts to depreciate.'

Aside from the tours, interviews for publications, recent features on shows for Netflix and work on Daufuskies historic foundation, Robinson works to take care of the only Gullah cemetery on the island.

She and other natives do all they can to preserve the cemetery, but she admits she needs help.

Still, whenever shes asked about why she does all she does, she has one response.

The spirits wont let me not do it.

More:

The spirits guide me here: Daufuskie Island native describes fight to save her home in O Magazine spread - WSAV-TV

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Staten Island Academy in Dongan Hills is anticipating opening its campus for a full in-person learning experience for its students in pre-K3 to 12th grade for the 2020-2021 school year.

Eileen Corigliano, assistant head of school, said the school will be able to serve all of its students for in-person learning on campus, while also following social distancing procedures in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

One of the benefits for us is that we were already a small school, she said. So our class sizes can be as small as one student to 15 to 16 students and thats always been the case for us, even before all of this. That was one of the appeals to us -- the small class sizes. When I say one [student], we have children who are studying something that they were really passionate about, so we created a course for them -- but I would say on average our classes are anywhere from six to 15.

Large classrooms and already small class sizes will allow students to social distance when they return to class this fall, according to the school. Desks will be spaced apart and the school is looking at other safety options -- such as personal protection dividers or partitions.

Students and staff will also be required to wear a face mask during the school day.

Additionally, students and faculty will take advantage of the schools 12 acres of property. Outside spaces will be used for instruction and lunch -- weather-permitting. Staten Island Academy will also be putting up tents outside for additional coverage to provide an open-air learning experience.

We will be spending more time outside than usual, Corigliano said. Weve taken advantage of our campus always, everything from science outside, to reading with little kids outside, to obviously playtime and recess outside, but really pushing that even further.

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

And for those who may be high-risk for severe illness in the case they contract the coronavirus, there will be options for remote learning, Corigliano said.

We understand that there may be students or faculty who may not be well, have immune deficiencies or compromised immune systems that wont allow them to attend campus, so were in the process of wiring all of our classrooms with cameras and sound capability so that a child and/or a faculty member who is unwell -- or for any restrictions for quarantining or whatever reason -- can still engage in the learning process remotely, although we will be on campus, said Corigliano. So that will hopefully provide an opportunity where people dont have to miss out in a day and age that they may be missing more school than normal.

The seven different buildings on campus will each have air purification -- whether it is installed in air conditioning units or systems, or stand-alone purification systems. Screens have been added to windows to provide fresh air circulation, as well.

And there will be more efforts when it comes to cleaning and disinfecting the campus.

Weve historically had a maintenance staff during the day and a cleaning crew at night, so our staff is on campus from 7 a.m. to midnight prior to COVID in cleaning and disinfecting the buildings and the campus all year round. But of course, were upping that, were switching and making sure we have some cleaning crew people on campus during the day to just be constantly cleaning handrails and doorknobs -- and obviously bathrooms and any places where kids are eating , Corigliano said.

The schools cleaning crew is working with the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, as well as safety guidelines and regulations.

In-class instruction is whats best for our kids -- but doing it safely, so were trying to make sure that we can tick both sides of those boxes, Corigliano said. For the kids who cant come to the school, theyll have the opportunity to attend classes remotely.

FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.

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Staten Island Academy re-entry plan: Full in-person learning experience to be offered - SILive.com

OCRACOKE, N.C. -- When Hurricane Dorian pounded the wisp of earth that is Ocracoke Island, a wall of Atlantic seawater flooded Bob Chestnuts home, surf shop and four vehicles.

Seven months later, his shop was ready for business. But the coronavirus pandemic kept the doors locked. Now, as the abbreviated summer season shifts into high gear, Chestnut is focused on economic survival, welcoming crucial tourists while hoping the potentially deadly virus never arrives.

Since we already lost the fall season and the spring season, this is it," a masked Chestnut said on the steps of his shop, Ride the Wind. This is the one time period that we've got a shot to make some money.

This secluded tourist destination on North Carolinas Outer Banks is recovering from the most damaging hurricane in its recorded history while in the midst of one of the worlds worst pandemics.

Virus-related restrictions on visits were lifted in May. But just over half of the hurricane-ravaged businesses have reopened, welcoming tourists like a smile with missing teeth. The island is now also casting a wary eye toward August, which is when the hurricane season is expected to heat up again.

Ocracoke is a paradise on good days, said Tom Pahl, a Hyde County commissioner who lives here. But when things go bad, they go really bad. And we're aware of that. We dig in, and we help each other get through it.

He added: This has been an unprecedented level of really bad.

Hurricane Dorian struck Ocracoke on Sept. 6 and launched a 7-foot (2-meter) storm surge over parts of the island's village, which measures about a square mile.

About 400 of the island's nearly 1,000 year-round residents were forced out of their homes, many of which had flooded for the first time. Dozens of structures have had to be demolished.

Many people are still displaced or waiting for houses to be raised higher off the ground. The island's one school, serving about 170 students, is being rebuilt. Metal debris containers remain in some yards, while backhoes and bulldozers still share roads with golf carts and beach cruisers.

Chip Stevens, whose Blackbeards Lodge hotel is still being rebuilt, expressed various worries, including the loss of tax revenue from both the hurricane and the pandemic-related business closures.

We have a big reckoning coming, he said.

The island has attracted the likes of singer Jimmy Buffett over the years. And its businesses rarely require shoes. Now theyre requiring masks.

Ocracoke is reachable only by plane or boat, and the island has reported no confirmed cases of the virus. But people are arriving from places where COVID-19 remains a deadly reality and is even surging.

Kari Styron, rental manager for Ocracoke Island Realty, said even at a reduced capacity, the island is very busy right now.

And yet Ocracoke remains an ideal destination during a pandemic, boasting miles of undeveloped beaches as well as spaced-out rental homes and a handful of mostly quaint hotels.

Visitors have included Mark Aaronson, 46, who lives in the Philadelphia suburbs and has been visiting Ocracoke since he was a kid.

We can do the whole social distancing thing with a much better view, he said in late June outside a coffee shop with his family.

For the first time in months, Aaronson said he was able to sit at a bar, in Howard's Pub, albeit spaced out from other customers. It felt liberating" and prompted him to send photos to friends.

Aaronson said the pandemic was never going to interfere with his vacation plans. But he said he was a little freaked out at times by the lack of mask wearing on parts of Ocracoke compared to what he sees back home.

Since then, North Carolina's governor has imposed a statewide mask requirement, which took effect June 26. The following week, North Carolina saw a new high in coronavirus cases in other parts of the state.

Meanwhile, island residents like Chestnut are trying to adjust and survive. For his shop, that means teaching surfing classes in the age of social distancing.

People can spread out on the beach for the beginning part of the lesson, but instructors still need to hold the back of a customer's surfboard while in the water.

People want to come here, Chestnut said. I'm encouraged by it. But we're in hurricane season already. Another storm that takes out the road for a couple weeks is just not going to be pleasant.

Even if a hurricane does blow through, Scott Bradley said he and his family won't evacuate their island home unless it's a Category 4 or Category 5 storm.

Where would you go with the virus out there? asked Bradley, who is president of the nonprofit Ocracoke Foundation, which supports community projects and aims to preserve the island's maritime heritage. This is probably the safest place to be.

Read the rest here:

Outer Banks island ravaged by storms and virus restrictions - ABC News

Can the stars of reality shows like Real Housewives work with just a barebones crew, and learn how to properly light and mic themselves to film a new season in this coronavirus world? Housewives producers think so, and this is what theyre banking on as shows prepare to resume shooting after being shut down for four months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

On Wednesday, the College of Communication and the Alumni Association cohosted a virtual talk with three alums working in reality production, development, and management who shared their predictions for the future of the industry. Those reality shows that have continued to air through the pandemic are posting higher viewership numbers this summer, no doubt because people are stuck at home due to coronavirus.

The trio chatted during the hour-long Dealing with a New Reality: Whats Next for Reality TV? Part of the popular, newly launched COMTalk virtual speaker series, which brings together experts to talk about how professionals are approaching communication issues today, the event was moderated by Mariette DiChristina (COM86), dean of COM, and featured Ashleigh Di Tonto (COM06), senior vice president at Trailblazer Studios, Jessica McWilliam (COM14), a freelance producer, and Adam Wescott (COM06), partner at Select Management Group.

In the seemingly unreal world caused by the pandemic, reality TV offers more than an escape, DiChristina said during her introduction. It offers a chance to connect with other humans as they strive to grapple with challenges, get fit, flip a house, or even find love. At the same time, these unscripted programs have had to undergo a number of changes because of the pandemic.

BU Today listened in on the conversation. Below are some highlights:

Breaking through the noise is increasingly difficultin May 2020, more than 60 reality shows premiered. I think the networks are looking for escapist programming and loud ideas. What is their Tiger King? Di Tonto said, referring to the runaway Netflix hit miniseries about outlandish, fighting zookeepers that debuted in March. Everyone wants to break through the noise.

McWilliam said her work on Temptation Island (a show that sends several couples to live with singles in order to test their relationships), sent her to Mauiwhere she carried the casts belongings. She jumped on board a helicopter ride with the shows stars, and rode a zip line through the rain forest while listening to the casts conversations on her headset, mentally making notes for editing. During the virtual panel, she showed a picture of herself sitting on the ground in West Hollywood the first night Lisa Vanderpumps Tom Tom bar opened, taking field notes.

Some shows in production were recently nixed if they appeared tone-deaf to the times, Di Tonto said. But that means there are holes to fill with new shows starring people of color, and networks want them quickly. Anyone in our world realizes you have to pivot and move, she said. The perk of working in reality TV is that you can learn to move quickly and change. This year has been crazier than ever.

Reality TV doesnt require the elaborate (and expensive) sets, makeup, and special effects that Game of Thrones required, so there are ways to produce it even in quarantine. You are trying to find the next best way to work around the hiccups, McWilliam said. There is a pandemic and its not going away. We have to use our creative liberties to still get people feeling and thinking things. Reality TV is a little pandemic proof because now more than ever we need stories, and because of iPhones, computers, tech, we can get those stories told.

TLCs 90 Day Fiance, for instance, works because the couples can do the interviews over Zoom, from their homes, the panelists said. But The Bachelor takes place on a very controlled set. [For] Temptation Island, there is no way we could have cast members hooking up with each other right now, McWilliam said. But TLC recently announced that cast and crew will quarantine together for the new season.

Shows are hiring coronavirus compliance officers to help ensure show sets remain safe, instilling guidelines for use of masks, enforcing social distancing whenever possible, and providing heavy cleaning. On some shows, cast and crew will quarantine together in a hotel before they start shooting for the season, McWilliam said. And networks are now paying the insurance premiums that they didnt want to at the start of the pandemic.

Fans of reality TV should rest assured that producers are working overtime to think of new creative ways to keep churning out the shows, albeit with tweaked formats and less exotic locations than what theyre used to.

Can you use animation? Di Tonto said. What can you do with interviews? Westcott predicted game shows could be something we see more of, too.

Half the battle is making sure whoever is on your show is a character, Di Tonto said. Their sound bites are going to come through. It needs to be an authentic story, but if the character isnt there, theres only so much you could do.

The panelists joked about how the Kardashians are still filming at home. Theyre still in hair and makeup, Westcott said. Theyre quarantined with their entire squads, I guarantee it.

Everyone has their own timeline, said Di Tonto. So, give yourself the grace and patience to figure out what it is that you want to do and it might not be the first job, but maybe it is.

And dont be afraid to make your own stuff while in quarantine, Westcott said. We have the ability to be out there, creating, whatever the platform is, he said.

Originally posted here:

Can Vanderpump Rules and Temptation Island Still Exist in a Coronavirus World? - BU Today

NANAIMO, B.C. The Port Angeles Lefties and the rest of the West Coast League learned the name of their newest Vancouver Island rival during a name unveiling ceremony Wednesday evening.

The newest WCL summer baseball team will be named the Nanaimo NightOwls with team colors of navy, gold and white.

General manager Jim Swanson said the name recalls the Nanaimo Owls baseball team that was champion of the regions City League in 1921, and Night is a tribute to the city of Nanaimos work to install lighting at Serauxmen Stadium.

The NightOwls will begin play in 2021 as the 13th WCL franchise. The teams field is located 73 miles north of the MV Coho ferry landing in downtown Victoria.

Lefties owner Matt Acker said the teams addition will help with league travel as teams can circuit through Nanaimo to Bellingham via the Vancouver, B.C., ferry or take the MV Coho between Victoria and Port Angeles.

The NightOwls also unveiled an alternate Nanaimo Bars logo to be emblazoned on alternate gold uniforms for matinee games. Swanson said the club has partnered with Save-On-Foods on a plan to ensure concession stands are stocked with Nanaimo bars for road games.

Future Riders survey

PORT ANGELES The Port Angeles Future Riders Youth Football program is gauging the interest of the community in offering flag football instead of tackle football this fall.

The one-question survey is available at tinyurl.com/PDN-FlagFB.

Ms seat fleet

SEATTLE Seattle Mariners fans can still take a seat at T-Mobile Park this season through the teams Seat Fleet promotion.

Fans can submit individual photos to be used on personalized seat cutouts that will be placed throughout the park as the club observes social distancing practices this summer.

The cost is $30 and a portion of proceeds will be donated to COVID-19 relief efforts.

For more information, visit http://www.mlb.com/mariners/fans/seat-fleet.

Originally posted here:

AREA SPORTS BRIEFS: Lefties have new Vancouver Island rival - Peninsula Daily News

LOVE Island star Molly-Mae Hague has shown off her gorgeous figure while launching her very own shoe collection.

Molly, 21, was snapped clutching a branded bag from the EGO range as she stepped out in Manchester.

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Showing off her enviable figure in a low-cut white bodysuit, Molly looked stunning as she made her way down the street in her new home city.

The star, who found fame in the 2019 series of Love Island, was also showing off a super-long crimped ponytail.

Holding her mobile phone in her other hand, Molly - who is building up a healthy bank balance thanks to all her latest endeavours - looked like she meant business.

Beauty blogger Molly has hand-picked her Molly Mae x EGO range and couldn't wait to slip into them herself.

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In a new set of photos, the blonde reality babe can be seen showing off the heels, boots and mules in a series of sensational photographs.

Shot at a warehouse in Manchester, Molly teamed her footwear range with oversized shirts, tight bodysuits and even a trench coat.

One picture shows the star crouched on the floor while wearing a low-cut white shirt and camel-coloured cargo pants.

She can be seen wearing a neutral sparkly catsuit in another, a full black outfit in one photo and a pair of sexy nude thigh-high boots in another.

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Molly-Mae has also shown off her perfect pins in a series of other shots, including one where she is wearing black leather shorts.

Speaking about her edit with the brand, Molly said: "I have a LOT of shoes and when collaborating with EGO to create my own collection I wanted to make statement pieces as well as keeping it simple with heels that can be worn from day to night.

"My favourite pair is definitely the thigh high sparkly nude boots. It feels so good to be able to share with you all what I have been working on for the last few months and I hope that my new shoe collection gives people confidence like it does for me."

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The new photos of Molly come after she was forced to slam cruel trolls who made hurtful jibes about her weight.

Not only was the stunner branded "lardy", she was also told to "go on a diet" after being snapped on a beach in Ibiza.

Molly, who was whisked to the White Isle for a last minute holiday with boyfriend Tommy Fury, raged: "I would genuinely love to know who writes these comments? Like how can you actually write s*** like that and sleep at night? Beyond me."

Original post:

Love Islands Molly Mae shows off her curves in a plunging top as she launches new shoe range - The Sun

The Town of Grand Island is just the wrong place for this massive industrial complex, said Duchscherer, speaking at Mondays Planning Board meeting shortly before the vote.

He also said he wants to know the tenants identity, the length of the lease and how much the property owner would pay in taxes or in lieu of taxes under an incentive agreement.

Rayhill said she believes more people will oppose the project as they learn more about it. Within the last two weeks, she helped organize a group of opponents who met on a Zoom video call last Friday to strategize.

I firmly believe in the voice of the people, said Rayhill, who wants the question settled by a formal public vote.

Anti-Amazon lawn signs also are sprouting up on the island.

But does this vocal opposition reflect the views of average islanders?

Supervisor John Whitney said Project Olive inspires strong feelings on both sides.

He said the Town Board is stillgathering data from consultants it hired to assess the projects effect on traffic, wildlife and plant life, wetlands, infrastructure and other areas.

Within the next month, Whitney said, the Town Board could vote on whether it thinks the project would significantly harm the environment and whether to grant the rezoning request.

Excerpt from:

Grand Island Planning Board deals blow to project believed to be Amazon - Buffalo News

Satellites have spotted ash and lava spewing from the young, remote island of Nishinoshima in the Pacific Ocean.

Nishinoshima is a volcanic island located approximately 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) south of Tokyo, Japan. Volcanic activity has picked up at Nishinoshima, one of the Ogasawara Islands, since late-May, according to a statement from NASA Earth Observatory.

Two NASA satellites have captured aerial views of the island, tracking its growth over the last few months, as well as vigorous plumes of ash and lava. The satellites have observed that the island is experiencing a growth spurt following this recent volcanic activity.

Related: Huge Philippines volcano eruption blasts ash 9 miles up (video)

The Landsat 8 satellite, a joint effort of NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey, captured a striking photo of the island on Sunday (July 4). The false-color image combines shortwave infrared and visible wavelengths, revealing a heat signature showing erupting lava and the relative coolness of the dark ash plume as it blows north across the ocean.

The Landsat 8 satellite image also shows bright purple clouds over the island, which represent either steam from the volcano or lava from vaporizing seawater, according to the statement.

On July 3, the Japan Coast Guard reported massive volcanic plumes that rose as high as 15,400 feet (4,700 meters) above sea level. Those plumes grew drastically in size by the next day.

Reports from July 4 revealed that volcanic bombs, or larger fragments of solid and molten material, were ejected up to 1.6 miles (2.5 km) and clouds of ash reached up to 27,200 feet (8,300 meters) the highest altitude recorded since the volcano emerged in 2013, according to the statement.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASAs Aqua satellite also captured a stunning view of the island's volcanic activity on Monday (July 6). The natural-color image shows a volcanic plume stretching hundreds of kilometers to the north and several thousand meters into the sky.

Nishinoshima erupted above sea level in November 2013, generating lava flows that remained active through November 2015. Frequent volcanic activity has fueled the growth of the island.

Volcanic activity on Nishinoshima started to pick up again in late May 2020, triggering a vigorous growth spurt by mid-June. Reports from the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan suggest the southern shore of the island grew by at least 492 feet (150 meters) between June 19 and July 3, according to the statement.

You can see the growth of Nishinoshima and the evolution of the island's volcanic activity online at NASA Earth Observatory. NASA satellite images of the island date back to 2013.

Follow Samantha Mathewson @Sam_Ashley13. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

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Volcanic island spewing ash and lava spotted from space - Space.com

Today (Thu.) we drove down many of the roads on the island (Bois Blanc, where we are spending 3 days). The roads vary from gravel to muddy two-track. The clouds cleared out around sunrise and we had a mostly sunny day. Fortunately, I had plenty of sun screen and bug spray. For much of the day, my car thermometer said 73 degrees. Most of the puddles on the roads the day before were gone by midmonring.

Above was our favorite spot, a fishing pier with a pair of picnic tables at Lake Thompson, an inland lake on the island. Lake Thompson has an islandso, theres an island in the lake on an inland in a lake. It was so quiet here, with little wind then we heard the unmistakable call of the loon. We didnt seen the loons, but their call echoed across the lake. As with many of the places we visited today, we were the only ones there.

The above pic. is the boat launch at Twin Lakes, a 680-acre lake on Bois Blanc, The lake, which consists of two almost-completely-separated lakes bisected by a near-isthmus. The lake contains several smaller islands. Twin Lakes is in the eastern half of the island, located north of the Bois Blanc island dock. When we were there, a soft, gentle west wind made low ripples in the water.

Twin Lakes is surrounded by wetland. About 75% of the lakes shoreline is owned by the State of Michigan, largely as siltland or lowland brush. The lake is relatively shallow, with a maximum depth of 11 feet. The lake contains large quantities of panfish, with the most common species being pumpkinseed sunfish. Brown bullhead and walleye were noted.

We saw deer a handful of times as we drove around the island. Twice I had to break to avoid hitting a deer. I took this pic. of one of the two deer that came out of the woods into the back area of the B & B where we are staying. A worker came out into the yard with an untethered pit bull. After an initial glance, the pit bull showed no interest in the deer, but instead started earnestly sniffing around the yard. The deer was motionless as the dog came up to within about 40 feet of him, then went over to eat at some chicken feed that the worker had left in the center of the yard (the B. & B has a few chickens.

We saw probably a couple dozen monarch butterflies today. This one let me get real close. There was also a kind of tan-gray moth that is common on the island.

This is a typical road on the island. Some are narrow enough that two vehicles wont fit on the road at the same timeone of the two has to find a place to safely pull off the road to allow the other to pass. Much of the island is thick forest which is almost like going through a tunnel with the trees growing over the road. Some trees on the island are up to 200 feet high.

Heres a mother duck with (best I could count) 10 ducklings. We also saw a snake at the edge of the watera small one about 16 long. We watched the snake for a little bit. Did you know there are rattlesnakes on Bois Blanc Island?

This is the island school. Its technically kindergarten to eighth grade, but according to this website, had only 4 students last year for one teacher. Note the old playground with see saws (teeter-totters) and a slide that was too hot to go down. For high school, kids have to move to the mainland.

This is a view from the west point of Bois Blanc Island. That is Round Island to the left, one of the four islands in the Strait of Mackinac. Round Island is uninhabited. There are two kinds of clouds high cirrus clouds at the top of the picture, made up of ice crystals and fluffy cumulus clouds that were in a line along the north shore of Lake Huron in the U.P. Can you see the sailboat?

This is the island airport. The runway was paved and extended in 2005. Its interesting that there is a paved runway, but no paved roads on on the island. We did not see any airplanes at the airport, but there were about 10 hangers. Nice cirrus clouds above the runway.

We saw only a handful of piers on the island. Storms generate big waves and there are occasional strong currents. Winter ice is a factor. This is one pier we sawas you can see, its seen better days.

At the end of Bible Road (named after a guy named Bible not the Good Book), you can see Mackinac Island. The Grand Hotel is toward the middle of the pic. I zoomed in as far as I could with my phone camera to get this shot. Also at the end of Bible Road this is a small primitive campground and when I say primitive, I mean primitivenothing but a place to pitch a tentno water, no outhouse, nothing. There were at least 3 tents up there.

There were several teepees (tipis) that people had constructed on the beach. Gayle thought it would be fun if I crawled inside one. There was also a lean-to that someone(s) had spent some time constructing.

This was sunset on the beach at the B & B. Look real close and you can see a flag just left of the end of the land thats where the ferry lands. Not much beach here with the high water and the beach has rocks, not sand.

Heres another view of the sunset with the dominant orange color when you zoom in again with a few cirrus clouds. Not in the picture, but there were some Canada geese floating nearby and an occasional gull.

The adventure continues tomorrow.

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Exploring the Island - WOODTV.com

BIVN graphic features the number of active cases according, to the Hawaii Department of Health update issued at noon, and a DOH map showing zip code areas with reported cases having onset dates in the past 28 days.

(BIVN) Two (2) new cases of COVID-19 were reported on Hawaii island by the Hawaii Department of Health in a noon update on Wednesday, part of the twenty-nine (29) new cases reported statewide.

Once again, the bulk of the new cases were identified on Oahu. Of the total 1,292 cases counted statewide since the start of the pandemic, 951 have been released from isolation. 137 have required hospitalization, and 22 have died.

Also at noon, the Hawaii Department of Health reported 96 of the 107 cases on the Big Island have been released from isolation, indicating that the number of active cases is eleven (11). This morning, the Hawaii County Civil Defense reported the number of active cases at nine (9), before the states noon announcement of two (2) new cases on the Big Island. In that time, four (4) people on Hawaii island have required hospitalization.

A new Hawaii health department zip code area map of reported cases with onset dates in the past 28 days shows new cases have been identified in two different South Kona zip code areas.

CARES Act Grant Award To Help Hawaii Farmers

Today, Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce awarded $649,000 in CARES Act funds to the Feed the Hunger Foundation.

The foundation is a certified Community Development Finance Institution that provides loans in Hawaii to help farmers and food entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses, Gabbards office says.

With the COVID-19 pandemic still in full force and Hawaii seeing positive case rates similar to what we were seeing at the outset of this crisis, we need to ensure that our families and communities continue to get the support they need, said Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. These resources will help during this short-term crisis and the long-term in two ways helping to create a more sustainable food infrastructure and better food security while bolstering efforts to engage more people in the local food economy.

Passenger Arrivals By Air

From the Hawaii Tourism Authority:

Yesterday, 2,307 people arrived in Hawaii. During this same time last year approximately 35,000 passengers arrived in Hawaii daily, including residents and visitors. The states mandatory 14-day self-quarantine started on March 26th for all passengers arriving in Hawaii from out of state. This table shows the number of people who arrived by air from out of state yesterday and does not include interisland travel. This data was collected from the Hawaii Department of Transportations (DOT) Mandatory Travel Declaration Form.

The rest is here:

Hawaii COVID-19 Updates For Wednesday, July 15th: Two New Big Island Cases - Big Island Video News

Hvar

14 July 2020 Leading US-based travel magazine Travel + Leisure have announced the winners of its 2020 Worlds Best Awards.

Every year for theirWorlds Best Awardssurvey,Travel + Leisureasks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe to share their opinions on the top cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more.

Readers rated the top 20 islandsin Europe according to their activities and sights, natural attractions and beaches, food, friendliness, and overall value.

The island of Hvar (& Dalmatian islands) has come in at No.5 on the list of the best islands in Europe. Hvar and the Dalmatian islands received a score by readers of 88.35 out of 100.

The view out to the islands from Fortica on Hvar

Readers voted the Greek island of Paros as the best in Europe, followed by Milos, also in Greece. The Italian island of Sicily was ranked third with Azores in Portugal just one place ahead of Hvar (& Dalmatian islands.

Travel + Leisure Top 20 islands in Europe

1. Paros, Greece

2. Milos, Greece

3. Sicily, Italy

4. Azores, Portugal

5. Hvar & Dalmatian islands, Croatia

6. Crete, Greece

7. Ischia, Italy

8. Mallorca, Spain

9. Madeira, Portugal

10. Rhodes and the Dodecanese, Greece

11. Santorini, Greece

12. Orkney Islands, Scotland

13. Shetland Islands, Scotland

14. Gozo, Malta

15. Sardinia, Italy

16. Canary Islands, Spain

17. Skye and the Hebrides, Scotland

18. Corfu and the Ionian Islands, Greece

19. Capri, Italy

20. Mykonos, Greece

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World's Best Awards: Croatian islands among TOP 5 in Europe - Croatia Week

NEW YORK, July 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Amplifyer, the company that connects Fortune 1000 advertisers to the most innovative startups in the world, today announced two key hires to its North American sales organization.

Based in Los Angeles, Kimberly Island-Johnson joins as Amplifyer's Regional Vice President of Sales and Head of West Coast. Prior to joining Amplifyer, Island-Johnson held senior sales positions at Quantcast and ADARA, where she worked alongside Amplifyer CEO and Founder Mike Aronow.

Rachel Saunders joins Amplifyer in Boston as Senior Sales Director. With over two decades of digital sales and marketing experience, Saunders has held leadership positions at Winstar as SVP of National Sales and FUOR Digital as COO/Managing Director before it was acquired by Kelly, Scott and Madison. She also co-founded the Chicago Interactive Marketing Association and worked within the sales organizations of CNN, Gannet and Questech.

"Kimberly and Rachel are fantastic additions to our North American team," said Aronow. "Both are highly respected industry veterans with a wide breadth of experience. They will provide meaningful innovation, expertise and revenue-generation for our partners."

These hires expand Amplifyer's North America sales organization following the recent announcements of the company's partnerships with Chalice Custom Algorithms and Mint Measure.

About Amplifyer

Amplifyer is a digital consultancy and rep firm hybrid that connects the world's most innovative startups to Fortune 1000 brands. Headquartered in New York City, Amplifyer provides leading marketers and advertising agencies with access to curated product suites and thought leaders in the digital space.

Contact:

Debbie Wentz, Head of Marketing and Analytics

[emailprotected]

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SOURCE Amplifyer

https://amplifyer.com/

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Amplifyer Announces Key Hires, Kimberly Island-Johnson and Rachel Saunders, to Expand Its North American Sales Organization - PRNewswire

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- This precious moment comes but once a year in our neck of the woods -- when a tomato picked from the vine is still warmed from the sun. Perfectly ripe and juicy, plucked from those peppery-scented leaves this bit of goodness deserves nothing but the best. So, take advantage of its classic beauty and dress it well -- but simply.

Vinny Gerardi at Gerardis Farmers Market in New Brighton says the Jersey crop will be ready by the end of this week. In the refrigerators at his familys farm stand are containers of fresh burrata cheese for that day of arrival.

Our garden delivered its first cherry versions born the on Fourth of July. We served those few with a bit of truffle oil and ground black pepper.

Soon the St. George Greenmarket and the Greenmarket at the Staten Island Mall will feature a riot of sunny nightshades. If you strike heirlooms just right then horizontal slices can yield splashes of orange or green. These varietals are just too pretty to do much more than add a few basil leaves, a hunk of supple, fresh mozzarella -- possibly still warm -- from pretty much any borough pork store, salumeria or grocer pulling the cheese from scratch.

- Fresh yellow tomatoes and mozzarella with basil makes a yummy summer appetizer. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)(Staten Island Advance/Pamela Si

Cherry tomatoes are sensational with goat cheese. Although just fine left in a solid state, its worth the effort to halve or quarter them. That way the toms tangy juices mingled with a little brine from olives (plus the olives themselves) or feta crumbles combine beautifully with fresh herbs like oregano or lemon thyme.

Cherry tomatoes, baby! (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)(Staten Island Advance/Pamela Si

Vinegar and lemon juice will cook the tomato a bit and detract from its natural sweetness. The resulting tang can be an arguably unpalatable effect, depending on your tolerance for tart.

On another note, a fine way to coax the sugars from our celebrated fruit is to roast them whole in a casserole dish at 300 degrees for about one hour in a good coating of vegetable or olive oil. Sprinkle that preparation with a little salt, finely chopped rosemary, the whole herb sprigs themselves and/or a few unpeeled garlic cloves or the whole head of garlic itself. Give the casserole a shake a few times while they blister in the heat. You can squeeze out the contents of the garlic cloves onto Italian bread slices -- use it like butter -- if the garlic is left tender after roasting.

Those roasted tomatoes make a nice side for roast pork or smoky barbecued ribs, smashed onto a Martins potato bun in lieu of ketchup on a burger or used instead of sauce over a modified eggplant parm.

Burrata cheese with roasted tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and pesto from Pastavino at Urby in Stapleton (Staten Island Advance/ Pamela Silvestri)Pamela Silvestri

The takeaway from our annual gift from the garden or local farms: dont overthink the Solanum lycopersicum at the peak of summer. Its really the only time of the year when a tomato tastes just like a tomato.

Have a recipe or garden photos to share? Tell us your town and send them on over to silvestri@siadvance.com or through @stateneats on Instagram.

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Look out, Staten Island! Here come the killer tomatoes - SILive.com