Freedom High School girls soccer team edges rival Liberty in overtime

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As the Liberty High School girls soccer team attended to an injured player, Freedom was planning its final push to tie the game.

"When the injury happened (and the clock was stopped with 4:50 to go), we had a team huddle," freshman midfielder Kerry Callaghan said, "and Coach (Jamie Halper) told us to crash the net. And that's what we did."

"I told them to keep up the pressure and make short passes," Halper said. "In overtime, I think they wanted it more. They had the momentum."

Callaghan scored the tying goal with 1:56 on the clock by heading a Giselle Sanchez cross inside the left post.

"I saw her open," Sanchez said. "All I could think was to kick it to her."

Then riding the high from that equalizer, Freedom won the Lehigh Valley Conference East Division match 2-1 just 32 seconds into overtime.

Junior midfielder Carli Markle knocked in a rebound after Erica Barrett's shot had been parried by Liberty keeper Amelia Sapirman. Freshman Jaiden Coyne had started the play by moving the ball forward and finding Barrett inside the box.

"Erica's shot hit the keeper," Markle said. "She (Sapirman) got her hands on the ball, but when she hit the ground the ball came loose, came right to me and I put it in with my left foot."

It was Freedom's first win of the season and came at a crucial time, according to Halper.

"We've had a rough couple of days," she said. "We didn't play well against Becahi (5-1 loss) after we had played so well against Easton (2-1 defeat). So, hopefully, this will be the start of something for us."

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Freedom High School girls soccer team edges rival Liberty in overtime

Freedom Flotilla to West Papua: We Are Unarmed

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Freedom Flotilla to West Papua: We Are Unarmed

One small yacht, the Pog, has set sail west from Thursday Island towards West Papua. Her crew, a dedicated group of six from Australia, New Zealand, Kenya and West Papua are determined to complete their mission to build global solidarity and highlight the abuses of human rights and land rights carried out under the Indonesian occupation of West Papua.

Freedom Flotilla co-founder Izzy Brown responded to statements made to Fairfax yesterday by Captain Goeroh Ardianto, Indonesian Navy Spokesperson suggesting that the Freedom Flotilla may potentially be armed, We come in peace, bearing no arms. We have been absolutely clear about this from the beginning of our journey at the sacred mound springs of Lake Eyre in Arabunna country. We are letting them know our location via our satellite tracker which is available for the world to see up on our website.

If one unarmed yacht carrying six people justifies a military response from Indonesia, what would they have done if their country was invaded by tens of thousands of paratroopers, marines and army personnel as happened to our land West Papua in Operation Trikora in 1962?, questioned Jacob Rumbiak last night.

Ruben Blake responded to claims from Captain Ardianto that the 2,500 troops reported to have been shipped into Merauke on August 28th, 2013 was just a normal rotation, What kind of normal situation is a constant military presence of atleast 5000 military personel in a town of 80,000? The massive troop numbers are there to be mobilised against the local population, and clearly they are on alert at the moment not only to stop our boat, but to be ready to crack down against any peaceful demonstrations or welcoming ceremonies taking place.

The troops arrived in Merauke on the same day locals gathered to prepare a welcome ceremony and garlands of flowers to present to the Freedom Flotilla participants, and the same day that in Sorong four customary leaders were arrested and charged with treason after organising a congregation to pray for the safe passage of the Freedom Flotilla.

Captain Ardianto stated further to Fairfax yesterday that if the group was unarmed, well try to have some dialogue with them. Izzy Brown responded last night, We are unarmed and we very much welcome the opportunity for dialogue. We have satellite phones and a UHF radio on board The Pog and we want very much to have an open dialogue whereby we can request safe passage to Merauke to bring the sacred mound spring water from the Australian desert to West Papua.

The Pog is expected to reach the West Papuan border in the coming days. Daily updates are being recorded direct via satellite by 3CR Community Radio in Melbourne and are available as Pogcasts on the website, http://www.freedomflotillawestpapua.org

ENDS

Scoop Media

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Freedom Flotilla to West Papua: We Are Unarmed

Paramus comes together to remember at Freedom Walk

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The tradition of the Paramus Freedom Walk continued Sept. 8, even after its founder left for college.

PHOTO/RICHARD FORMICOLA

The Freedom Walk Committee, including Chairman Joey Rizzolo (left), place flowers at Howland Memorial Grove in honor of the seven Paramus residents who died on 9/11.

The candlelight walk, which starts and ends at the Paramus Bandshell behind the library's main branch, honors troops, first responders and the 2,977 victims of the 9/11 attacks. Chairman Joey Rizzolo returned from college to lead the seventh annual event. Rizzolo started the event when he was a middle school student.

"Over the past seven years we have come together as a community to remember those who passed in the tragic events of 9/11," Rizzolo said. "Tonight we continue to remember those first responders, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and friends that we lost on that day."

The seven Paramus residents who died that day - Jack D'Ambrosi Jr., Deborah Kaplan, Paul Laszczynski, Joseph Navas, Dominique Pandolfo, Thomas Sinton and Julie Lynne Zipper - were given special recognition, with the procession stopping for a ceremony at the plaques placed in their honor at Howland Memorial Grove.

"Our town, Paramus, felt this loss close to home with the passing of seven members of our community," Rizzolo said.

The soldiers who died in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, who number more than 9,000, received special recognition from Mayor Richard LaBarbiera.

"Obviously the freedoms we enjoy every day and sometimes, regretfully, take for granted, come with a heavy price," LaBarbiera said. "These lives are fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends, neighbors and above all Americans that made the ultimate sacrifice, for which we are forever indebted."

The entire event was free and open to the public, with hamburgers provided by Suburban Diner and grilled by the Paramus Elk's Club. Bahama Breeze, Paramus Boy Scouts and the Paramus Public Library also volunteered support for the event.

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Freedom Flotilla Makes Sail for West Papua

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Freedom Flotilla Makes Sail for West Papua as Military Amass in Merauke and Daru

The Freedom Flotillas flagship the Pog is set to sail for West Papua on this mornings tide. A military buildup in the Flotillas destination port of Merauke has been confirmed, with 2500 troops having arrived on the 28th of August to bolster numbers at the Indonesian border.

Undeterred, the core crew of activists have committed themselves to carrying out their peaceful mission to conduct a ceremony sharing the Sacred Waters from the mound springs of Lake Eyre, and the ashes of Sacred Fires from Aboriginal Tent Embassies across Australia.

The additional troops are suspected to have been deployed to crack down on a welcome ceremonies planned for the Freedom Flotilla. Locals from across Merauke district gathered on the 28th of August as the military reinforcements sailed into harbour, preparing garlands of flowers to welcome the Indigenous elders and crew to their land.

On the same day, four organisers of a congregation held in Sorong to pray for the safety of the Freedom Flotilla were arrested and charged with treason.

Indonesian Navy Patrol boats have also been photographed and sighted patrolling the Indonesian border.

The Freedom Flotilla has decided to sail directly to Merauke, rather than via the PNG port of Daru. Locals in Daru have reported Australian Defence Force personnel arriving in the past weeks, with pictures confirming 7 zodiacs and 21 personnel arriving in a Hercules aircraft. Fisherman also reported the presence of an Australian Navy vessel near the maritime border. A Papua New Guinea Defence Force helicopter was also sighted circling the island. Freedom Flotilla organiser Ronny Kareni said the sudden military presence is highly unusual, it surprised and terrified the villagers on the island who had been organising for a peaceful welcome."

Australias incoming foreign minister Julie Bishop, has stated that the Indonesian military may do whatever it wishes against the Freedom Flotilla. The Indonesian military has not ruled out the use of lethal force. Greens Senator Richard di Natale accused the new minister of inciting military action against peaceful protest in the Guardian on the 5th of September. He stated that her comments were not befitting somebody who is likely to become the next foreign minister."

Izzy Brown stated on the freedomflotillawestpapua.org Pogcast (8/9/13) that now the worse of two evils had won the Australian election, there was all the more reason to challenge both the Australian and the Indonesian Governments jurisdiction over these waterways.

The Flotilla expects to arrive at the Indonesian border in the two to five days.

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Freedom Flotilla Makes Sail for West Papua

Catholics and eugenics: a little-known history

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This week on "Interfaith Voices," we are airing an interview that deals with a topic from Catholic life I had never heard of before: the Catholic struggle against the eugenics movement in the first half of the 20th century. It is a conversation with Sharon Leon, author of a new book, An Image of God: The Catholic Struggle with Eugenics.

This is a legacy of which Catholics should be proud.

The eugenics movement of the first half of the 20th century touted the idea that the human species could be improved if the "right" people reproduced and the "unfit" did not. ("Unfit" included: "feeble-minded," "imbeciles," diseased, those who were the wrong color or ethnic group.) It was an attempt at "selective breeding" to control heredity.

The worst of it was epitomized in forced sterilizations of women who were institutionalized in some way. Many state laws permitted that, and a landmark Supreme Court case, Buck v. Bell in 1927, ratified those laws. (For the record, Buck v. Bell h has never been overturned).

Interestingly, much of the original movement was not aimed at African-Americans. According to Leon, the system of racial segregation in the U.S. was such that most eugenics advocates did not perceive a "threat." Rather, it was aimed largely at the immigrants from southern and eastern Europe who came to the U.S. in great numbers between about 1880 and 1924. These were largely Italians, Poles and Slavic peoples. And of course, most were Catholic. Interestingly, they were classified in those days as "races" rather than "ethnic groups."

In a certain sense, Catholic leaders were defending their own from southern and eastern Europe, but World War II gave their actions a broader meaning. When the Nazi atrocities against the Jews became public, the importance of Catholic leadership against eugenics became clear. The "science" behind the movement had been undermined for years, so the eugenics movement went quiet -- at least the negative movement, which advocated forced sterilizations, etc.

According to Leon, the 1920s and 1930s were also a time when lay Catholics who opposed eugenics matured politically, learning to use secular arguments (in this case, the faulty science behind eugenics) in the public sphere.

The opposition to eugenics was indeed a proud moment in U.S. Catholic history. Here is the link to the interview.

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Catholics and eugenics: a little-known history

Proposed sea turtle protections could mean more red tape for beaches

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Submitted by Alyssa Rosenberg on Mon, 09/09/2013 - 5:35pm.READ MORE:

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) -- Some federal agencies are stepping up and proposing new ways to protect loggerhead sea turtles. But the possible new regulations are getting strong opposition from area beaches.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will hold two public hearings to discuss whether to designate certain areas of our coast as critical marine habitats for loggerhead sea turtles.

Specific areas include 36 occupied marine areas along the coast that contain nearshore reproductive habitats, winter areas, breeding areas, and migratory corridors.

Supporters say this could mean better protection for our loggerhead sea turtles, but other say they are already doing enough to protect them.

"We already go through the planning, the permitting, the consultation. We do all that now," New Hanover County Shore Protection Coordiator Layton Bedsole said. "We don't understand why this additional layer of regulatory stipulations. Whatever they may be, we don't understand the need for it."

Bedsole is in charge of New Hanover County's beaches. He says more regulations could have an economic impact, but a turtle advocate says she thinks it's a great idea.

"I think we can always do a better job on our beaches," said Nancy Fahey of the Wrightsville Beach Sea Turtle Project. "We already have safety measures in place for the federal projects that go on on our beaches, such as renourishment and the dredging, so I really don't think it's going to have economic impact."

But Bedsole insists that a healthy beach economy means a healthy habitat for turtles.

"People flock to our beaches for various reasons. Many come in hopes of seeing a nest boil. In hopes of seeing the baby turtles come through the sand and make their way to the beach," he said. "A healthy strand for tourism is also a healthy strand for the habitat for the turtles to nest in."

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Proposed sea turtle protections could mean more red tape for beaches

Saving the Liberty Theater in Murphysboro

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The Liberty Theater in downtown Murphysboro opened it's doors nearly a hundred years ago. Now the theater is in need of much needed repairs and renovations.

But, back in 1998 the theater closed it's doors after an 85-year run.

Then city leaders decided to donate the theater to the theater board and now it's alive and growing again.

" It's been a lot of entertainment over the years for a lot of people. And so we hope to keep it," said Lois Murphy.

The roof is in bad need of repairs, along with the heating and air-conditioning system needs to be replaced.

To help raise the much need funds for all the work, the theater board hosted a fried chicken dinner fundraiser.

The Murphysboro Knights of Columbus Council #988did all the cooking and fixings for the meal, with all the proceeds going to The Historic Liberty Theater Fund.

"We can make a difference," said Bob Chambers of Vergennes. "We can all make a difference to keep our community connected from the past to the future, this theater is that. We can continue to share the experience with this generation and the next generation."

That is exactly what the theater board is trying to do, to keep the theater at the center of the community for family entertainment for many years to come.

"We do old movies here which the older people like. We do movies for the kids. We do concerts, weddings, birthday parties, seminars and whatever you can think of. So long as it is family oriented," said Murphy.

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Saving the Liberty Theater in Murphysboro

North Liberty Community Library celebrates grand opening

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The ribbon is cut on at the newly expanded North Liberty Public Library on Sunday, September, 8, 2013 in North Liberty, Iowa. The library has just completed a $3.4 million expansion and has nearly tripled in size. (Adam Wesley/The Gazette-KCRG TV9)

Hushed voices are the typical volume of chatter at most libraries, but on Sunday the newly-expanded North Liberty Community Library was abuzz with families and children relishing the improved space.

Community leaders say the expanded library coincides with the rapidly expanding community and with nearly triple the space of the previous library, theres room for everyone.

Our goal was to have space for everyone and not have everyone on top of each other, said Jennie Garner, assistant library director.

The $3.4 million expansion gave more reading and bookshelf space for patrons of all ages and added a teen lounge, a childrens story time space, meeting rooms, more comfortable seating and additional technology.

Although the library, located in the North Liberty Community Center, had a small opening Aug. 12, a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony was held for the community on Sunday to check out the space while enjoying refreshments and childrens activities including a scavenger hunt and story time with local readers.

Garner said shes seen a stream of locals pop in to check out the nearly 18,000 square feet of space and enjoys their reaction to the upgrade. The librarys previous location was 1,400 square feet of space adjacent to the North Liberty Fire Station.

Its fun to see people just walk in and say wow, she said.

For Janet Peterson and her 5-year-old grandson, Trevor Peterson, the librarys re-opening is a relief.

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North Liberty Community Library celebrates grand opening