Daily Archives: February 6, 2021

Whats in a name? An international diplomatic scuffle, apparently.

In 2003, when the United States was readying to go to war with Iraq ostensibly vowing to destroy Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and end Saddam Husseins regime France expressed its firm opposition to that action. In response, Republican U.S. Rep. Walter B. Jones Jr. suggested to Rep. Bob Ney, who was House Administration Committee chairman and thus in charge of congressional cafeterias, that french fries be renamed freedom fries in the U.S. Capitol.

What was envisioned as a lighthearted gesture in a small ceremony by the representatives involved became a media sensation. At a Capitol Hill cafeteria, journalists watched as Ney and Jones, who did not eat fries himself, held up a plaque that read, ***Update*** Now Serving. In All House Office Buildings FREEDOM FRIES.

The renaming didnt stop there. A number of restaurants around the U.S. followed suit.

CNN reported the french fry story in 2003 and also pointed out that french toast would henceforth be known as freedom toast:

Jones said he was following the example of a local restaurant owner in his North Carolina district. I represent a district with multiple military bases that have deployed thousands of troops, Jones said in a statement. As Ive watched these men and women wave good-bye to their loved ones, I am reminded of the deep love they have for the freedom of this nation and their desire to fight for the freedom of those who are oppressed overseas. Watching Frances self-serving politics of passive aggression in this effort has discouraged me more than I can say.

The name change was criticized by one young man in a House cafeteria.

Thats completely ludicrous to me, he said.

In 2006, Congress quietly changed the name of the food product back to french fries, but anti-French sentiment had grown in the U.S. According to the Pew Research Center, around 60% of Americans held an unfavorable opinion of France in 2003, but a Gallup poll in the same year also found that majority of Americans thought replacing the adjective french with freedom was a silly idea.

Ironically, Jones later changed his stance on freedom fries because he regretted his support for the Iraq war, eventually becoming one of its loudest critics.

No matter how strange it may seem today, given that freedom fries were once actually a thing at least in the halls of Congress we rate this claim True.

Excerpt from:

Did Congress Rename Their French Fries to 'Freedom Fries' Before the Iraq War? - Snopes.com

Like a chocolate-covered cherry, theres more to the 56-foot seiner Freedom than meets the eye.

Theres actually a 48-foot Chignik seiner inside of that boat, says Bruce Marifern, of Petersburg. As the story goes, the Freedom began its life as the jig for a mold that eventually became a shallow-draft seiner synonymous with the salmon fishery at Chignik on the Alaska Peninsula. What transpired in the years since Marifern acquired it was a stretch job, which brought it to 53 feet.

We went back to Delta to look for a 53-footer, and we couldnt find one, he says. So we lengthened it.

But Marifern says the stretch job, which put the boat at 53' x 15' compromised its stability. Two years later, in 2013, they added sponsons, which widened the boat out to 20 feet.

It brought stability to our family, says Marifern.

Marifern adds that the family operation includes his wife, Barbara; their son, David; and daughter, Sam.

My two kids put themselves through college on that boat, he says. And lately a lot of neighbor kids have been doing the same.

More:

Boat of the Month: Freedom - National Fisherman

I would like to bring some attention to the false claims that have been circulating through the town of Freedom regarding tax reductions and road repair the claims being they are entirely dependent upon the installation of wind turbines.

In fact, the certificate for the turbines to be built is in limbo as the New York State Siting Board and the developer, Invenergy, are in litigation in the 4th Appellate Court.

The Cattaraugus County town of Freedom is facing yet another critical election in 2021. Any claims by any candidate to have school or county taxes reduced or roads improved are false. At this time, town taxes would NOT be fully eliminated because of the wind project.

Per Exhibit 27 of the application revision Invenergy submitted to the state Department of Public Service in July 2019, Invenergy is only expected to give Pioneer Central School District $268,000 toward the districts $58.6 million budget (2020-2021). That is only 0.4% of Pioneers budget.

How likely is it that the Pioneer Board of Education going to reduce taxes and how many dimes do you think it would add up to?

Per Exhibit 27 of the application revision, Invenergy would only give Cattaraugus County $360,000 toward its $250 million budget (2020), only 0.1% of the countys budget. How is that pathetic percentage going to provide for a tax reduction for county residents?

Per the Host Community Agreement signed by Town Supervisor Randy Lester and voted for by Ron Ashworth and Ann Marie Dixon of the former Freedom Town Board, the town would receive $3,800 per megawatt generated, while Farmersville, Centerville, Rushford and Arcade all signed for $5,950 per megawatt.

This only allows for approximately $429,000 in host community payments to the town of Freedom. However, the 2021 Freedom tax levy is $522,000. There will still be town taxes to pay to have the largest turbines on land in the entire United States near our homes, which will ultimately reduce our property values and cause up to 107 hours of shadow flicker and noise above World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.

It is possible for the town of Freedom to adopt another towns Host Community Agreement in its entirety to be able to obtain the same $5,950 per megawatt; however, Randy Lester and Dustin Bliss, who were notified on Jan. 27, 2020, that they were able to get more money for the town, failed to acknowledge the appropriate procedures to obtain that increase. Freedoms agreement remains at $3,800 per megawatt.

You may request copies of the Host Community Agreements at each of the town clerks offices to verify.

There have been false claims related to Freedom receiving new roads should the wind turbines be installed. What Bliss, Lester, Art Baker and other pro-wind candidates have failed to mention is that Invenergy would only repair the small section of town road they would use to haul to at least the condition that existed prior to the Commencement of Construction.

When will Invenergy consider the beginning of Commencement of Construction?

The uses of town roads by the following vehicles shall not trigger the Commencement of Construction: pickup trucks or similar light duty vehicles, drilling rigs used for geotechnical inspections, trucks delivering excavators or other earthmoving equipment.

If you have five potholes in your road and then Invenergy causes there to be 10 potholes after they truck in excavators and other earthmoving equipment, Invenergy can choose to leave 10 potholes in your road when they are done because the Road Use Agreement contract signed by Lester will only repair and reconstruct the Haul Roads ... to at least the condition that existed prior to the Commencement of Construction.

The only road repairs would be to about 14 miles of Freedom town roads out of the 49 centerline miles of Freedom town roads, per the state Department of Transportation. You may request a copy of the Road Use Agreement from the Freedom town clerks office to verify.

Anyone with further questions or concerns may contact me at freedomandjustice1776@gmail.com.

(Stephanie Milks lives in the town of Freedom.)

Follow this link:

RTW: Be skeptical of candidate claims in the town of Freedom - Olean Times Herald

The eagle has landed.

Freedom, a bald eagle that made headlines in 2016 after he was daringly rescued on July 4th by a U.S. Army veteran, has a new home.

He took flight Thursday by airplane to New Jersey, where he will reside as an exhibition bird at the Turtle Back Zoo.

He may have moved to the Garden State, but Freedom's thrilling story will remain part of Minnesota lore.

It begins in Chisago County, July 4, 2016. A young eagle was found dangling from a 75-foot pine tree for 2 days. His foot had been caught in fishing wire and baling twine that had gotten lodged in the branches during one of the fledgling's first flights. No ladder was tall enough to reach the bird, who was presumed dead.

Jason Galvin, a sharpshooter who had done two tours in Afghanistan, thought otherwise. He sent 150 bullets toward the branches, chipping away at the branch and twine until the bird fell to safety.

Freedom, as the eagle was dubbed by his rescuer, became an instant celebrity.

He spent a year in recuperation at the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota. During that time, his talons fell off, which meant he wouldm't survive if he returned to the wild. Instead, he got a coveted job at the center, where birds with disabilities reside and educate visitors about their species.

Three and a half years later, he has landed a new gig.

"Freedom has been an amazing education ambassador bird here at the center," said Victoria Hall, executive director of the Raptor Center. "When people come in to the center, he's great to look at from his enclosure. But he hasn't adapted as well to coming out of his enclosure and doing programs on the glove. He gets more nervous than we like to see, indicating that he's not settled into that role."

Freedom might have been content to stay inside, but interaction is a key component in the life of an educational bird. "It gives them new sights and experiences," Hall said. "It's important for their welfare."

When the center realized Freedom might be happier to be purely on exhibit, officials sought a new home for him, one with more space for him to spread his wings.

They found a match in West Orange, N.J. The Turtle Back Zoo had just launched a free-flighted eagle exhibit and needed a bird.

"Freedom is going to join their brand-new exhibit, where he can fly and continue telling the stories of eagles to the public," Hall said.

To get there, Freedom took a commercial flight from MSP airport. A volunteer for th Raptor Center made a custom crate for him that would allow him to stretch his wings while in the plane's cargo hold. Because of the forecast of extreme cold temperatures in Minnesota, the trip had to be moved up so it would be safe for Freedom to travel.

Center officials dropped Freedom off at the airport Thursday morning, and he arrived in New Jersey to meet his new handlers in the afternoon.

The departure was bittersweet. Freedom was the center's biggest name bird, with a one-of-a-kind story of rescue and resilience.

"He has a great personality and he's a magnificent bird," Hall said. "He's going to live another 20 to 30 years, so we wanted to find the absolute best environment to make sure we give him the best quality of life.

"We're definitely going to miss Freedom," she added. "But we're so excited."

Sharyn Jackson 612-673-4853 @SharynJackson

Continued here:

A Minnesota sharpshooter rescued an eagle caught in tree. Now the raptor has found a forever home. - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Dion Diamond grew up in Petersburg, Va. a totally segregated town for the first 18 years of his life.

But he refused to be limited by that world view, and in 1959 took matters into his own hands, staging his own personal sit-in.

I would go into the local five and dime store, go to the white-only lunch counter, only to be told I couldnt be served, and I would sit, Diamond said at an event Thursday sponsored by Easton, Weston and Redding organizations to kick off their Black History Month programming.

And while hes seen progress with desegregation throughout the country, and noted that Black politicians and police chiefs now serve in places where he was once arrested for protesting and more integrated families are on television, he cautioned there remained work to do.

If you look at racial issues today, dont think that we have made it to the promised land, he said. Youve got to carry the torch again and take it down the road a wee bit more.

Diamond was one of three early civil rights activists known as Freedom Riders who spoke at Thursdays event. The other panelists were Charles Person, who was on the first Freedom Ride, and Joan Browning, who was expelled from her white womens college for attending a Black church and was on one of the last Freedom Rides.

The Freedom Riders were civil activists who rode interstate buses throughout the South during the spring and summer of 1961 to show that a 1960 Supreme Court ruling that made it illegal to segregate public buses, bus terminals and restaurants serving interstate buses wasnt being enforced.

The rides began in May 1961 and lasted seven months. The Interstate Commerce Commission ultimately issued new regulations with fines of up to $500 that eventually ended segregated bus facilities.

The Freedom Rides were important, Person said. It was one of the first major campaigns where, in the end when the edict was passed, it affected every state in the union. That was a good thing because you didnt have to replicate it in each state like we had to do in the sit-ins.

Person got involved while he was studying at Morehouse College, a historically Black college in Atlanta. Before the rides, he was involved in the sit-ins, marches and boycotts. He was arrested in February 1961 and spent 10 days in solitary confinement for singing too loud, he said.

Person said he was trained in nonviolence tactics and so readily applied for the Freedom Rides when the Congress of Racial Equality, or CORE, asked for student volunteers.

At that time, I would have volunteered to go anywhere, any time, to fight segregation, he said.

He was beaten during the first ride in Alabama; the damage included a lump the size of his fist at the base of his skull he carried until it was surgically removed in 1996.

He also said he soon learned the other bus on the ride had been stopped by white protesters and Ku Klux Klan members who smashed the windows, beat the riders and threw a firebomb into the bus.

Diamond was also among the first Freedom Riders. He continued fighting segregation while attending Howard University, a historically Black college in Washington, D.C., which itself wasnt segregated so the students focused on civil rights activities across the river in Virginia. After successful sit-ins and protests, Diamond said he signed up for the Freedom Rides.

On May 24th of 1961, I left school thinking I was going to be gone on a long weekend, he said. That long weekend lasted two years and three months. That was the bus that went into Jackson, Mississippi, from Montgomery.

He was arrested in Jackson.

Once he was released, he stayed to register voters in Mississippi and did sit-ins in Maryland. He was arrested again in Louisiana and charged with seven different crimes as he tried to recruit students to help with voter registration.

I was charged with criminal anarchy. They said that I was trying to overthrow the government of the state of Louisiana, Diamond said. In fact, now that I think about it, I was guilty of that. That state had laws that said segregation was legal and thats what I was trying to overthrow.

All three speakers said activism is built on the work of those who came before, both for them in the 1960s and with Black Lives Matter today.

We didnt come out of nowhere, Browning said. We came out of a long history of resistance.

They said it was important to know the history and build on that.

Dont forget where the history of our country is, Diamond said. Please keep trying to get equal rights for all of us.

They also offered advice for young people organizing Black Lives Matter events: marching designated routes that return to the starting point so participants can return home safely; not having events at night, and making sure there is a clear mission so people know what you stand for. They also cautioned against people trying to hijack the movement.

They said there was a strong sense of community among the Freedom Riders that was fostered from their training and time together which, they said, isnt apparent in some movements around the world today where people organize online.

I would have died for the other Freedom Riders and they would have died for me, Browning said.

Within Connecticut, they said its important for affluent communities to address disparities, especially in terms of schools where they can ensure students have access to the same quality of resources and technology.

Wiley Mullins, one of the events leaders, said the Freedom Riders visited Darien and Bridgeports high schools on their last visit to Connecticut in 2017.

Theres an absolute stark difference, yet all of those kids are asked to compete in the same room, Mullins said.

Browning said her answer for why she, as a white woman, decided to join the Freedom Rides, makes the same point.

Were all limited by not taking advantage of all the skills and all the resources and developing the children to the best they can be, she said. Its not doing something for the less advantageous, its doing something thats good for all of us.

kkoerting@newstimes.com

See the original post:

Carry the torch: Freedom Riders reflect on civil rights and Black Lives Matter movements - Westport News