Daily Archives: January 3, 2022

For months, editors at People magazine had been zeroing in on Betty White for an end-of-year cover article. Her 100th birthday was coming up on Jan. 17, and readers always seemed to warm to her self-deprecating, slightly naughty observations. As the toast of social media in recent years, Ms. White appealed to old and young.

By mid-December, Liz McNeil, a 29-year-veteran of the magazine, and a new colleague, Dory Jackson, were collaborating on the piece, with Ms. White responding to questions via email, according to Wendy Naugle, Peoples deputy editor. On Dec. 23, editors closed the issue. It hit newsstands on Wednesday and began arriving in subscriber mailboxes on Friday.

Next to a glossy photograph of Ms. White, her eyes twinkling, the People trumpets sounded: Betty White Turns 100!

Ms. White died on Friday morning. She was 99.

As tributes began to wash across Twitter, with fans celebrating Ms. Whites comedic performances on The Golden Girls and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, People also began to trend. Some fans blamed the magazine for jinxing Ms. White. (In addition to its weekly issue, People also marked her impending centennial with a commemorative issue entirely devoted to her seven-decade career.)

Others were pleased that Ms. White, known for her devilish sense of humor and impeccable comedic timing, had seemed to have pulled off one last laugh.

Dan Wakeford, Peoples editor, was in London when he got the word that Ms. White had died, turning his cover into a Hall of Fame example of the risk of reporting something that hasnt quite happened yet. (The most infamous example remains the Chicago Daily Tribunes decision in 1948 to mistakenly announce that Dewey Defeats Truman.)

Perhaps adding insult to injury, a competing celebrity news outlet, TMZ.com, broke the news of Ms. Whites death, citing anonymous law enforcement sources.

Still, People was able to get the first official confirmation from her agent, Jeff Witjas, who had helped arrange the interview. Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever, Mr. Witjas told the magazine. I will miss her terribly and so will the animal world that she loved so much.

People then posted a comment from Mr. Wakeford on its Twitter account. We are deeply saddened by the news of Betty Whites passing, he said. We are honored that she recently chose to work with People to celebrate her extraordinary life and career.

Speaking by phone, Ms. Naugle said she and other staffers were all in shock. Ms. White, she noted, on Tuesday had shared an image of her 100th-birthday cover with her 1.3 million Twitter followers. People Magazine is celebrating with me! the post read.

It turned out to be Ms. Whites last post. In one from Dec. 15, she promoted a documentary, Betty White: 100 Years Young, which was scheduled to be shown in theaters on Jan. 17. Im going BIG for my birthday right to the BIG SCREEN! Ms. White had said.

The films producers, Steve Boettcher and Mike Trinklein, said the film will come out as scheduled. Betty always said she was the luckiest broad on two feet to have had a career as long as she did, they said in a statement. And honestly, we were the lucky ones to have had her for so long.

Asked to reconcile the sadness of Ms. Whites death with the whoops of the cover, Ms. Naugle looked on the bright side. I think fans will be touched to know that she was funny and in good spirits right until the end, she said.

Ms. White had quipped to People, for instance, that her longevity could be attributed, in part, to her diet. I try to avoid anything green, she said. I think its working.

See more here:
People Magazines Premature Cover Toasts Betty Whites 100th Birthday - The New York Times

We asked 18 area residents from the newly named Colorado Teacher of the Year and local government leaders to first responders, community organizers, health care professionals, a student and other personalities what they think will be the top issues facing our local communities in the new year.

Heres what they had to say:

Autumn Rivera, Glenwood Middle School science teacher/Colorado 2022 Teacher of the Year

As we ready ourselves for 2022, it is important to first look back on 2021. The first half of the 2021-22 school year has been one of the hardest in teaching. Trying to yet again reinvent the wheel, while helping students feel safe in an ever-changing world, plus all the other regular duties that come with being a teacher, is exhausting. Continuing to support all our educators in the new year will be crucial to the success of the rest of the year.

However, this is not the largest issue I see facing our community in the upcoming year. The largest area of growth in education in our community is to continue focusing on equity in our classrooms, schools and beyond. Students need to learn in an area where they feel safe and they belong. Things as small as which students are represented on the walls of our classroom, to larger institutionalized decisions such as access to resources, must be examined in order to ensure all our students are able to learn to the best of their ability.

We have begun work in this area, but I know we still have a long way to go. In the words of Maya Angelou, Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.

Debra Figueroa, Glenwood Springs city manager

When it comes to infrastructure, a citys work is never done. Whether building a bridge over the Roaring Fork River, digging a tunnel under Colorado Highway 82 or replacing water lines beneath Red Mountain, Glenwood Springs has a sizable project list for the new year.

The design phase for South Bridge, the proposed evacuation route for south Glenwood residents, is slated to be complete by spring. That will allow the city to move forward acquiring the right of ways and easements needed for the project, but funding the $58.1 million infrastructure package remains a challenge.

The two-year-long reconstruction of South Midland Avenue, with a price tag of about $13.2 million, is slated to wrap up by summer.

The city also plans to partner with the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority and the Colorado Department of Transportation, breaking ground on the 27th Street pedestrian tunnel under Highway 82.

This project is being headed up by RFTA. It will increase pedestrian safety as they cross Highway 82, and could relieve some of the traffic pressure at that signal.

The city could pay up to $1 million of the projects $10 million estimated cost.

Joseph Deras, Glenwood Springs Police chief

Glenwood Springs Police Department is ramping up its recruitment strategies in 2022. Staffing shortages continue to be a challenge. Weve established a robust recruitment and retention strategy that I think will really pay off in the coming months.

GSPD officers are reaching out to police academies, posting on social media and talking with other law enforcement departments in an effort to attract more applicants.

The department has received about 100 applications for its 10 open positions.

On the community relationship side, the Police Explorer program kicked off in 2021 and has experienced some success with teens around the Glenwood Springs area.

All of our spots are full for that program. Were excited to see so much interest in the program. Theyll be able to help supplement us for some of the community events in 2022.

The department could also acquire some new vehicles in the new year, introduce upgrades to less-lethal restraint devices like the BolaWRAP and provide training to officers focused on handling mental health crises.

Jonathan Godes, mayor of Glenwood Springs

Addressing affordable housing, planning for climate change and updating the citys comprehensive plan are high on Glenwood Springs City Councils to-do list.

We have a lot on our plate in 2022. With all the snow out the window, everyone is sighing in relief that the snowpack will likely be decent this year.

City Council is slated to update its climate plan, which summarizes the citys intentions in relation to building codes and development, water conservation and progressive energy rates.

The search for funding for the South Bridge Project also continues, but its not the only council project in need of revenue flows.

We came very close to putting an attractions tax on the 2021 ballot to fund a robust affordable housing program. The council decided to wait a year, allowing time for a large ad hoc committee to be formed and outline the communitys needs as well as spending priorities for potential attractions tax revenues.

Fire evacuation planning is another big-ticket item. Every year we dont dont do something like this, were playing with fire literally.

Crystal Mariscal, New Castle trustee, Latino Community organizer

You dont have to be an economist to realize that the labor shortage is going to be a topic trend in our valley for 2022.

Businesses struggling with hiring and retaining their employees can have many reasons, including the cost of living, the COVID-19 vaccine, child care and the work environment. Also, it may be that our younger generation is focusing more on graduating with a degree and looking for better opportunities, something that may offer health benefits and/or the opportunity to keep growing. And thats great.

However, the cleaning, construction, kitchen and landscaping jobs (to mention some) are less attractive but as much needed as a CEO or executive director position. Plus it is hard to compete with the ski towns salaries for the season.

As a New Castle councilor, I see many local businesses being impacted by this issue, but as a Latina and resident of this valley, I can see this issue in a different perspective, because the majority of laborers in the hospitality industry are Latinos. This can be a puzzle for many, trying to solve pieces around. The solution is going to create another political debate.

Even though this is going to be a national issue, my intention is definitely to highlight the importance of facing this problem at a local level. In the meantime the local economy is going to struggle.

Ben Bohmfalk, Carbondale trustee

The top issue facing Carbondale and the Roaring Fork Valley in 2022 is workforce housing. While housing affordability has long been a pressing concern here, the cost increases during the pandemic have fundamentally altered the dynamics. Rents are skyrocketing past anything we thought was possible just months ago, and single-family homes under $1 million are fading into Carbondales history books.

Add in a national labor shortage, and you have serious limitations on local employers ability to attract enough employees to stay open. In 2022, we need to come together to consider every strategy to address the housing crisis on both a local and regional basis. In Carbondale, this may include regulations to prevent workforce housing from being converted to short-term rentals, adjustments to our codes to encourage more affordable housing and dedicating staff time to focus intently on this issue.

Some may consider the high demand for housing to be a good problem to have; we live in a great place, and many others want to live here, too. But when local businesses cant expand, police departments are critically understaffed, and artists, immigrants and retirees are getting pushed out of the communities they helped define, we must address this threat to our economy and community.

Leif Sackett, Colorado River Fire Rescue chief

What started out as a year of adapting to a new normal due to the ongoing pandemic and continued uncertainty due to financial constraints, ended on a positive note and a sense of excitement for the future of the Colorado River Fire District. 2021 found CRFR focused on securing future financial stability through community engagement.

CRFR will start 2022 with a fresh outlook and new direction thanks to our communities support in passing a mill levy increase. Members of CRFR have always been and will continue to be service-minded while fulfilling our mission of Protecting Life, Home, and Property through Leadership, Education, and Partnerships. Our continued pursuit of excellence, combined with high level service, sets CRFR and the communities of New Castle, Silt, Rifle and surrounding areas up for success.

Gail Schwartz, Habitat for Humanity Roaring Fork Valley president

Will we address the affordable housing crisis in our region as communities are being transformed by unprecedented appreciation rates in home prices, coupled with demand for affordable rentals and homes that continues to outpace supply?

This year has been a game changer for cities in western Garfield County, which historically have been the affordable communities for the upper valleys workforce, as they are now grappling with their own workforce housing issues.

If we can generate consensus regionally on a range of policies and advocate for them at the state as they deploy $400 million, we can begin to address the housing crisis.

Funding for land banking in impacted rural cities and counties

Funds for local governments to develop housing policies for affordable ownership and rental development

Provide businesses with grants, state tax incentives/ credits to provide housing for their employees

Expand the housing stock through coalitions and convert units from the free market and protect with deed restrictions

The Western Slope needs our fair share. If we agree that these tools will help us address this crisis over the next decade, then with the help of our legislators, we can work together to address this crisis.

Dr. Kevin Coleman, Grand River Health chief medical officer

You ask what the biggest threat to health care is in 2022? My answer is battle fatigue. Medicine is all consuming in a normal year, and now for two years running add COVID-19 and all the societal intricacies it brings beyond the workday. Hard work deserves a reward beyond money or recognition. The best reward would be an end.

The biggest threat to health care in 2022 isnt access, quality or cost. Its making sure health care has the workforce to continue caring for its communities. It is estimated that one in five health care workers has left the profession since the beginning of the pandemic, based on a study from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Health care workers want to help patients, and their inability to adequately do so is taking its toll. Providers arent exiting the field because they cant handle their jobs theyre quitting because they cant handle being unable to do their jobs, it states in an article in the November 2021 issue of The Atlantic. The article states that many health care workers believed vaccines would ease the traumas endured in initial surges. However, plateauing vaccination rates, lifted mask mandates and the delta variant, and now omicron, undid such hopes. The unrealized promise of some sort of normalcy has made the feelings of exhaustion and frustration worse, said Amanda Bettencourt, PhD, president-elect of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

In a recent internal survey conducted by Grand River Health, findings showed there is still a strong level of commitment to mission and purpose by the staff in their work with their patients and co-workers. It is also good to report that many are continuing to enter the health care workforce in large numbers and through our strong partnerships with Colorado Mountain College and Colorado Mesa University. Grand River is seeing a new workforce entering the market locally, eager to make a difference in the lives of the people they will serve in the community.

Kathryn Kuhlenberg, Roaring Fork School District Board of Education president

In my opinion, the biggest issue we face in 2022 as a community is adequately supporting families and children. The issues facing families in our valley are complex and all encompassing the incredibly high cost of housing, the accessibility of early childhood education and the infant/toddler care crisis, the inability of families to take time off to care for new babies and themselves after birth, the impacts of COVID-19 on education and work, and the astronomical costs of insurance and health care in our valley, just to name a few.

The continued success of our community is dependent on families and children being able to live and work here comfortably. As our elected leaders (myself included) push forward and make important policy decisions, it is imperative we not only consider these issues but that we prioritize them for the health and longevity of our citizens, our businesses and our community.

Hannah Feeney, Glenwood Springs High School student

The biggest issue that has faced our community and with which we continue to struggle is the spread of misinformation.

Community on every level is hindered by not being able to agree on solutions to issues or the fact that were facing issues at all.

If we could decide on what information is reputable, I feel confident in our communitys ability to overcome any challenges we face.

Theresa Hamilton, Garfield Re-2 director of communications

As we look toward 2022, three things rise to the top for the Garfield Re-2 School District.

The main priority for Garfield Re-2 is to keep students learning in-person and teachers teaching in front of students in-person. We know students learn best when they are in school, in person with their teacher, reaping the benefits of all the love and support that our staff can provide. This has been a challenge, not only due to the issues created by the pandemic but also because of the nationwide teacher shortage. School districts, just like private businesses, have had to fight daily for teachers and staff members to support our schools.

The issue of recruitment and retention of staff will also be a high priority for Garfield Re-2. All positions within the educational system are integral to providing support for our families, students, teachers and staff. The affordability of housing and cost of living in our valley does not help us in our efforts to recruit and retain staff. Our district will be conducting a review of all positions in the coming months to help develop a plan to keep our dedicated staff and recruit talented people to join us in loving and supporting our students, families, staff and communities.

Finally, we will continue to focus on helping each and every student close the achievement gaps that have developed in the last 18 months.

Our administrators, teachers and staff continually seek the resources to provide academic and mental health support to meet the individual needs of each and every student and help them become the best learners and leaders they can be.

Crista Barlow, Roaring Fork High School athletic director

Unfortunately, 2022 is starting a lot like 2021 did, the rise of another COVID-19 strain that is looming over us as we come back from winter break. I worry about our students and our sports programs. The previous two years took a toll on our school spirit and the general well-being of our school community. Students and athletes that lack a strong support system have struggled to get back into the swing of school and the responsibilities of being a student.

Our athletes are students first, and their performance as a student determines their eligibility to play a sport. Many of our athletes have been ineligible to play during parts of their seasons, and a few have been unable to play at all. School spirit and peer support influences our student athletes desire to stay on track within the classroom and in competition.

Our challenge is to continue to get our students and athletes to be successful in academics, and their ability to participate and compete in sports will follow. We need to find ways to support the students who have little support at home. The continuing issues around COVID-19 threaten to reverse the progress we have made to regain some sense of normalcy for our students and athletic programs.

Gabe Cohen, Discovery Cafe executive director

Traditionally, a person receives support when they are in crisis and finds that the support is removed once they begin to experience stability. That model of emergency intervention and abandonment sets one up for a roller-coaster existence. That is not only cruel in that it locks one into a cycle of intense suffering and failure, it is expensive, ineffective and a waste of human potential. We are embracing a more effective and compassionate system of care at the Discovery Caf.

I see the top mental health issues in our community as the lack of affordable housing, the ripple effect of the pandemic and the increasing fentanyl-related overdoses (rose by 50% from 2019-2020, and, according to the national data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more Americans died of drug overdoses last year than in car crashes and gun violence deaths combined.)

Discovery Caf has a model that meets people where they are on the recovery continuum, engages them for a lifetime of managing their disease, focuses holistically on a persons needs and empowers them to build a life that realizes their full potential. This person-centered system of care supports a person as they establish a healthy life and recognizes that we all need a meaningful sense of membership and belonging in community.

Since February 2021 we have opened in Rifle and Basalt and will start in the Rifle Correctional Center in mid-January 2022.

Our peer-to-peer recovery, nonclinical support system is making a great impact on many lives in our community, and we hope to continue to grow in order to help transform lives throughout the Western Slope of Colorado.

Samuel Bernal, Radio Tricolor host

I see mental health as one of the top issues facing our communities in 2022. It is a national matter, but in rural communities like ours, it gets more complicated due to the lack of efficient services, not to mention the extra challenges one would face if you are undocumented and/or speak only Spanish.

Inflation, housing, lack of workforce, climate change, COVID-19 they all have something in common: stress. Although stress is a normal response to everyday pressures, chronic stress is proven to lead to mental health problems.

Mental Health America claims that our state has the nations highest rate of adult mental illness and the lowest access to care. This was underlined in a recent investigation by Colorado News Collaborative that also found that state officials stated they dont know what happens to tax dollars centers received for services they end up not providing, according to journalist Susan Greene.

Stephanie Keister, director of public relations, Mind Springs Health

The biggest challenge facing Mind Springs Health in 2022 is one that is similar to most employers in Colorado staffing. We have a number of open positions, from clinical positions working directly with clients to support and administrative positions, such as customer service, finance, billing and human resources.

The shortages across the state (and country) in businesses of all types and sizes are putting increased pressure on existing staff. Consumers are frustrated with service issues, whether shopping at the local market or sitting on hold with their bank or waiting for an appointment with a psychiatrist. Increased demands on workers and amplified pressures (work, family, school) on the general population leads to more anxiety and stress.

As a community, well need to support each other and be kind to one another in the year to come. In moments of frustration, take a deep breath. Take another deep breath. Then remember that were all human, were all in a similar boat, and we all need to respect one anothers individual trauma and stressors.

As individuals, we need to remember the importance of self-care. Looking out for your own mental and physical wellness is truly important in todays chaotic world.

Angie Anderson, Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association president and CEO

As the pandemic trudges into its third year, tourism and local business leaders are focused on balancing health precautions while engaging the areas visitors with a return to pre-pandemic events.

We are planning to get back to as normal as possible while we remain as vigilant and take precautions as much as we can.

Some of the events being planned include the Spring Gala and Strawberry Days, which is scheduled for summer.

Visitation was high in 2021, despite natural disasters interfering with travel plans. Through October, accommodations tax receipts were up about 18% over 2019 cumulative, and sales tax was up about 18% year-to-date compared to 2019.

This year was a bit of an anomaly, because there was so much pent up tourism demand. We think it could level out in 2022, but its too early to tell yet.

Bill Kight, Glenwood Springs Historical Society

The biggest issue facing our community in 2022 cannot be distilled into one word. Scientifically it is known as carrying capacity.

What Ive determined, from the majority of people I speak with about the issues we are contending with locally, is that theyre as concerned as I am about the quantity of people that our region can support without environmental degradation. Think about our water, air, infrastructure, traffic and more; the resulting social degradation is just as perilous.

What it means to live in the place we call home, our sense of place, differs for every one of us. However, when people feel their individual or collective sense of place is threatened and theyre not being heard, they will push back. And the result, more often than not, isnt pretty.

Do we have the ability to agree on what kind of future we want in order to effect change before its too late? If the people who stock and check out our groceries, the nurses dedicated to caring for us, those taking our garbage to the landfill if people in service to others cannot afford to live where we live, what kind of community have we wrought?

Glenwood Springs Post Independent/Citizen Telegram reporters John Stroud, Ray Erku, Ike Fredregill and Rich Allen contributed to this report.

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Looking forward: Locals offer their thoughts on the top issues facing our communities in 2022 - Glenwood Springs Post Independent

Sal Guzman bought a tote bag in 2010 that has not left his side since. Walking around one day through a small London street fair, he spotted a tote with denim blue fabric, sturdy straps, and a simple illustration of the Daunt Books bookstore.

Though he loved the bag, Guzman who was a student at the time thought that at around 10, it was a bit pricey. But he decided to buy it anyway after noticing a really cool label that said the tote was made by a not-for-profit organization that helps people in India earn a living while supporting the environment. For him, that tag made the tote bag transform, becoming not just a way to carry things but a way to express his personal style while helping other communities.

The tote bag was almost like an investment, said Guzman, saying that he loved how it was cool, but also that it was supporting a local bookshop, and that it was made with so much care and was helping people.

For many of us, totes are more than just receptacles for running errands, and have instead become an essential part of our daily lives, bringing us a sense of comfort and connection everywhere from the grocery store to our TikTok feeds. Even the ever-fashion-conscious Carrie Bradshaw will be exchanging her Fendi baguette for an NPR tote bag in And Just Like That, the Sex and the City reboot.

The tote bag didnt become an omnipresent accessory overnight. Over recent decades, however, it has become a go-to bag for so many people, largely because of the easy, functional way it allows for self-expression.

The canvas of a tote bag is, well, a blank canvas. Yours can say a lot about you: what publications you read, where you align politically, what you believe in, what you dream of, or who you love. All of that can live on a single piece of cloth, neutral or brash, simple or complicated. The customizable, mutable nature of this accessory has helped the obsession transcend generations.

There are drawbacks, of course, to a totes simplicity, which is its lack of nuance, in that it becomes easy to talk the talk without walking the walk. Someone might carry a tote bag that declares them to be a feminist, for example, but not actually care for the issues women face in their communities. A tote bag with a slogan will not bring us liberation. But for some of us whose identities are inherently political, the tote can serve as an expression of our stances and identities.

Even when theyre falling off our shoulders every five seconds when wearing our coats in the winter, we still love them. They give each of us the power to say who we are, and to do so in a practical, affordable way. Is it any wonder were obsessed?

The tote bag fits a larger trend of the democratization of fashion, said professor Dicky Yangzom, a cultural and economic sociologist at New York University. Originally, these textiles [like canvas] were meant for labor. Similarly to utility wear in fashion with the rise of the jumpsuit, this wasnt designed for mass fashion. It was more geared toward people who do more manual work, right? So all of these categories are shifting.

Now, tote bags are everywhere: as marketing tools, as merch for artists, and for designers to have a more accessible accessory to sell. A $6 Forever 21 avocado tote, a $15 hand-painted bag from an Etsy seller, the free Vogue or New Yorker canvas carry-all that comes with a subscription to the magazine, and a $3,250 Dior tote bag all fall under the same (fairly lucrative) category: According to market research by Technavio, the tote bag market is worth $334.5 million.

Luxury brands have taken up the idea of the tote itself, which is how capitalism works, Yangzom said. From Dior to Marc Jacobs, high-fashion brands have designed their own version of totes, complete with their branding and elevated price range. A tote bag is one of those things that has so successfully as this mundane, humble object broken through, she explained. Tote bags are here to stay.

Part of the reason for the tote bags longevity is how the item makes us feel. Its like oh, Im an intellectual! Nicki Camberg, a junior at Barnard College, said, referring to the traditional New Yorker tote bag and others used as marketing for literary and journalistic publications.

Camberg calls her own totes her emotional support tote bags. A tote bags utility can be sentimental, as it brings you the comfort of feeling prepared, but it can also be very literal since it can hold everything you could possibly need. I just need a way to have every possession I have on me accessible at all times, she explained, whether shes running errands or just walking around. What if I need 20 hairbands and a pack of gum?

When she was a freshman in college, Camberg found herself drawn to tote bags for their practicality as well as for how they made others see her.

I was like, Well, my back hurts, after using a backpack for a while, she explained. And everyones really judgmental of backpacks, but no one judges a tote bag. Plus I felt like I looked less like a child.

For Julles Hernandez, a fashion writer and stylist from Puerto Rico also known as The Bold Budget, the tote bags she owns are statement pieces that complement her outfits and hold dear memories. I have $1 and designer totes, probably over 25 in total. Theyre my favorite thing in the world, Hernandez said. (She even has an Off-White tote named after her best friend.)

The tote bag has symbolic depths. Yangzom explained that the vital aspect of the tote bag carries a lot of value because of humans history of rituals. In the pre-modern age, she said, people had very strong beliefs about religion and what symbols were aligned with their respective religious practices. These institutions havent entirely collapsed, of course, but the relationship many have with them, and certainly our collective values, has changed and evolved. However, the human need to hold some object dearly is innate.

What doesnt change is our need to believe in something and to have our beliefs solidified by an object or a symbol. So before, maybe you worshiped statues or a photograph or something, right, but how is that any different from the tote bag? she explained. The ritual of packing our lives into these bags, taking them with us daily, feeling their weight on our shoulders, having their messages visible to all perhaps has become essential to our every day and to our identities.

As a proud owner of too many tote bags, I have stories and memories for each of them. They represent parts of me and have brought comfort to my college and post-college life, weaving in my experiences through the years.

My favorite tote bag looks simple, but the words written on it represent everything I dream of for my country of Puerto Rico: Repblica del Caribe: Libre, Mgica, Independiente, which translates to Republic of the Caribbean: Free, Magical, Independent in large red letters, designed by an art collective called Macondo Herald. One day at my godfathers apartment, I showed up with the tote bag and his wife said to me, Youre always with that tote bag! I smiled. It has become an extension of me, a reflection of my identity.

The truth is this piece of fabric, a simple sack with two straps, can always hug you as you walk around or as you explore a new place, with all its memories, with the strength to carry anything you put inside it, and the ability to share a little bit of yourself with the world anywhere you go.

Nicole Collazo Santana is a New York City-based journalist and a part of the first cohort of the Vox Media Writers Workshop. Her work has appeared in Refinery29, NPR, 9 Millones, and more.

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How tote bag obsession took over the world - Vox.com

Whenever the topic of horological complications comes up among WIS, they seem to love mentioning which complications are their favorites or to get the debate going which one is the best. People love a debate (NOT) and love to flex horological knowledge.

The usual suspects show up among the favorite useful complications: a power reserve on a manual wind movement for its critical role in preventing a watch from winding down; the perpetual calendar for its extreme longevity before needing to be adjusted; the GMT for the business traveler crossing time zones and doing business internationally; and the ultimately functional chronograph for its wide variety of timing uses.

Someone might say that the best complication is the tourbillon because it was invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet, the patron saint of Swiss watchmaking. This will undoubtedly be challenged as many dont consider the tourbillon a complication and in most tourbillon wristwatches its usefulness is seriously in doubt anyway.

But in every debate, there are complications that dont get mentioned simply because they lack wide acclaim as being very useful to the modern watch aficionado.

You probably wont hear someone make the case for the astrolabe dial or praise the local solar time indication.

Sure, the moon phase might have its fans (me among them), but people arent really claiming it has a critical modern function for anyone other than a technology-averse fisherman who needs to know the tides.

Still, the case could be made for all of these being functional to certain segments of the society, even if it is relatively narrow.

But there are definitely a few complications that have dramatically little to no use for almost any user, especially when it comes to making the watch more functional, accurate, or versatile. Such complications are a novelty among novelties and tend to only show up on grande complications or watches vying for the title of most complicated watch.

But in the real world, some of these complications are pretty useless. Dont think I am saying they arent cool, because they are. Each complication that has little real world application is still pretty darn awesome for some technical reason, and today I want to run through what I think might be the top five most useless complications. Immediately followed by why they are awesome and deserve to be seen in watches more!

So lets get the ball rolling and count down from my first pick for least useful complication.

Like the tourbillon, you probably shouldnt call this a complication because it doesnt add a function. Im getting that out of the way first.

A close look at the Zenith Defy Zero Gs gyroscopic balance module

The gyroscopic balance module is a very rare feature, only found in Zenith watches such as the Defy Zero G, and there have only been a handful of editions over the past decade or so.

The idea is that the balance and escapement are mounted in a gyroscopic gimbal that can rotate in any direction regardless of the position of the watch. It supposedly keeps the balance perfectly flat so that it can eliminate the effects of gravity on a balance constantly changing orientation.

The only problem is that it would be hard to prove that it works in the real world because a gimbal that small simply cannot work as intended. The weight is too near the pivot points, so instead of a steadicam-like motion, you get something akin to a whirling rotor, but in every direction.

Zenith Defy Zero G on the wrist

Ive seen this in action, and it simply spins willy nilly because the weight cannot keep it perfectly level unless the watch is barely moving. The only way it could work would be if the weight was made from a nugget of neutron star, otherwise its just going to flail around and not provide any real stability.

But that doesnt mean the engineering behind it isnt spectacular!

View through the display back of the Zenith Defy Zero G with the Gravity Control escapement module on the left

The mechanism had to allow the balance and escapement to be constantly driven with sufficient torque via a complex set of differentials allowing it move in any direction at any moment. No easy task. And the latest version saw a major reduction in size, meaning that it is even more incredibly complex to engineer and assemble.

Too bad that it probably does very little for what its supposed to do, but I absolutely love it nonetheless.

The chronograph is arguably one of the most useful complications in watchmaking. It allows for precise control over the movement and the ability to time things down to a fraction of a second, some even allowing splits, on-the-go flyback, and high-frequency timing.

But the one that enters into the realm of useless is the 1/1000th of a second chronograph, most famously exemplified by the TAG Heuer Mikrotimer Flying 1000.

TAG Heuer Mikrotimer Flying 1000

The reason it is useless comes down to biology: human reaction time is, on average, around 0.25 seconds, possibly up to 0.15 seconds in ideal conditions. Did you see how that was measured? With two decimal places because anything more is leaving the realm of significant figures.

Human reaction time is never fast enough to need anything more than 1/100th of a second precision, and in a majority of cases anything over one-tenth of a second is probably too fine to really distinguish for most people.

The level of precision in a 1/1000th of a second chronograph is for no other purpose than because they can: no human can take advantage of the fine graduations after one considers all the factors involved in reacting and pushing a button.

But who cares! The engineering behind such a mechanism is the incredible part: getting components to move that fast . . . starting and stopping and starting again is seriously hard on the tiny components.

The forces engineers had to overcome were significant, including challenges related to power consumption, lubrication, and the high precision tolerances necessary.

Sure, you cant take advantage of it in any appreciable way, but you can watch it fly around the dial and pretend like you actually tried to stop it at a different point each time instead of it being more the result of the interactions of the components and your slow biological processes.

Christians make up 30 percent of the human population, so clearly a lot of people would like to be aware of the date of Easter, one of the religions most important holidays. But since only a handful of machines have ever been created to automatically display this date, it clearly wouldnt be reaching its intended audience.

And since we know the moon phases for the next few millennia due to astronomers calculating this, and we know how to count, we also know the exact days of Easter for a long, long time.

This complications intended use is remarkably slim and definitely not necessary.

But what is interesting is that the date of Easter is one of the most difficult mechanical problems in horology due to the variability that comes from how it is calculated. This makes it a long-time holy grail (pun intended) of mechanical complications.

The date of Easter is based on the lunisolar calendar (moon phases relative to the time of the solar year) and is the first Sunday after the full moon that comes on or after March 21 meaning it can fall anywhere from March 22 to April 25.

So the date of Easter requires combining a perpetual calendar and an accurate moon phase simply to calculate the hopscotching Sunday of Easter.

Patek Philippe Caliber 89 in yellow gold

As I mentioned, crafting a mechanical complication for this is not an easy task and one showing why it is rarely ever attempted. The calculation is known as the Comptus, and as far as I know very few clocks in history have integrated it, and only one watch: Caliber 89 by Patek Philippe.

Konstantin Chaykin made a clock with the date of Easter, though this was also a very complicated four-sided clock with tons of complications. Creating an Easter date complication is a ton of work, and blatantly not necessary.

Konstantin Chaykin Moscow Comptus Clock

Oh, and what makes it even more difficult? Different groups of Christians (namely the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anabaptists, and Christian Berbers) use different calendars to calculate Easter, specifically the Julian calendar (as opposed to the Gregorian calendar everyone else uses), which puts the date 13 days later than the western (Gregorian) date.

So even if you build a complication for one, it would be off for the other unless you added another complication to display the difference.

While it is extremely limited in its use, the mechanical solution is incredibly difficult and supremely cool. Of course Ill still just use my phones calendar.

The hidden-time display, otherwise known as time on demand, is a group of complications that keep either the minutes or hours, or both, hidden from view or from being displayed until a pusher is pressed or in one case, until the watch is oriented in a very specific way.

The complication is often used as a playful take on the time display or as a way to get you to stop focusing on the time in a busy world. Depending on the iteration, you may not even see the hands until the mechanism is activated and they spring out to show you the time.

Genius Temporis by Konstantin Chaykin

An interesting take on this comes from Konstantin Chaykin, who created the Genius Temporis, a watch with a single (double-ended) hand that displays the current hour with the large end of the hand. When a pusher at 2 oclock is pressed, the hand spins around until the small end comes to point at the current minutes.

Maurice Lacroix Aikon Mercury Only Watch 2019

The method for creating this variable on-demand display can differ for every single watch that includes one. Maurice Lacroix recently released the Aikon Mercury in which the hour and minute hands spin freely at all times until the watch is held perfectly upright when you see the hands spin into the proper position to display the current time.

Clearly, this mechanism, while thematically similar to the Genius Temporis, is dramatically different in design and function.

Another variation is a time display that can change to display something else before returning to displaying the current time.

Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Pont des Amoureux Spring

Van Cleef & Arpels has an example of this with the Agenhor-engineered Pont des Amoureux, where the time is displayed via two figures slowly climbing an arched bridge to meet in the middle and kiss at noon and midnight.

The time is always displayed, but you can activate the midnight kiss on demand thanks to a pusher at 8 oclock. Functionally, this is the same intent as the time on demand, but in reverse; it also shows the mechanical creativity possible with such a complication.

But if we are talking about how useful hiding the time is, I cant come up with many practical reasons for it outside of keeping someone from being distracted by not allowing him or her to always check the time.

This is a laudable use for the right people, but I would venture that hardly anyone would need a watch like that for that specific reason. And one could argue that a pocket watch might be a better and easier solution of keeping the time out of easy view.

But, really, it doesnt feel like there is any sufficiently valid reason to have the complication other than because it is interesting and playful.

Mechanically, these are sort of a smorgasbord of creative solutions, each one providing another way to achieve the same goal. But like others on this list, I dont think there is an objective reason for more than a handful of people to ever need something like this.

And finally we reach the complication that I believe is the most useless complication found in a watch today.

Drumroll, please . . .

Unless you are a complication nerd into every type of mechanical complication and very well versed in the odd, you many not initially even know what this is. And that is my first piece of evidence supporting its utter uselessness.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Duomtre Chronographe

The foudroyante is a hand displaying each individual tick of an escape wheel, usually by a wheel that meshes with another toothed wheel attached to the escape wheel.

This foudroyante wheel will have the same number of teeth as the beats per second of the balance, so one rotation of the gear equals exactly one second. This creates a blazingly fast hand that races in circles, but stops completely with every tick, causing a hand that looks like a super-low framerate animation of a spinning hand.

The technical challenges accompanying the foudroyante include rapid power consumption, introducing significant timing inaccuracies, and requiring a very well balanced and lightweight hand to prevent wear or drag on the escapement (part of those timing inaccuracies).

It is an odd thing to watch, somewhat disconcerting because it covers so much distance but stops completely with every beat of the balance. Unlike a sweeping second hand or the dead second display, it doesnt have much use because it simply moves too darn fast.

F.P. Journe Centigraphe Souverain Anniversaire

Visually it is incredibly impressive, and I would say rivals a high-speed chronograph hand or a tourbillon for a feature destined to capture the attention of those glancing at your watch.

Anything moving that fast is bound to grab the gaze, but it really lacks much in usefulness. That is unless it is found on a chronograph and can be stopped. And this is precisely where one might find a foudroyante: as a fraction-of-a-second display for a chronograph function.

And while this might help to determine the fractions of a second that you measured, the regular chronograph second hand will also be able to display this, albeit in a smaller and possibly harder-to-read format, but still as a typical feature of a chronograph.

So the foudroyante is often an addition that isnt entirely necessary in that context, even though it technically makes sense.

But it isnt always used in conjunction with a chronograph, and in that instance I can find no justification for its presence outside of being a quirky feat of mechanical watchmaking. The display moves too fast to be read; it is more of a visual representation of the escapement than anything.

Watches featuring a foudroyante chronograph include the Habring Foudroyante Felix, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Duomtre Chronographe (a semi-useful iteration), and the F.P. Journe Centigraphe Souverain (another chronograph).

The enticing Breguet Classique Chronomtrie Reference 7727

Foudroyante is sometimes called flying seconds, though I personally would say that the name flying seconds should refer to something different, specifically the semi-foudroyante, which displays the rapidly moving second hand but with a rotational period of more than one single second.

Some high-frequency chronographs do this, displaying six seconds or ten seconds so that the display is less jarring. This is also found on the Breguet Classique Chronomtrie 7727, which features a two-second subdial that makes 20 distinct stops in one rotation. But since the subdial is so small, the distance between each stop is miniscule, making it appear much smoother and lacking the dramatic display of a true, one-second foudroyante.

And that is, in my opinion, why it is included on any chronograph or regular wristwatch: drama.

The lightning speed (which incidentally is the origin of the name: foudre is French for lightning) of the start and stop, five to ten times a second, is very alluring. But it is also very negligible to the use of the watch, and unless it is the only measurement of the fractions of a second on a chronograph, it is superfluous put there simply to make reading the fraction displayed elsewhere more visually friendly.

And for that reason, I think it is the most useless complication in a wristwatch, and simultaneously why it is so dang cool.

It has very little reason to exist as it does and makes the movement vulnerable to many issues thanks to its inclusion, but tickles my visual cortex so precisely that I have to stop and ogle.

I mean, this is why we get into mechanical watches in the first place: they are, as a category, wholly impractical and pointless thanks to technological advances over the last century. But they do cool things and that makes us smile, so I guess its even.

* This article was first published on December 15, 2019 at Top 5 Least Useful Horological Complications (And Why They Are Still Awesome).

Zenith Defy Zero G: A Lesson In Miniaturization

A Mechanical Masterpiece By A Mechanical Mastermind: The Konstantin Chaykin Moscow Comptus Easter ClockIn The Face Of Complexity, Simplicity Rules: The Konstantin Chaykin Genius Temporis

Van Cleef & Arpels Iconic Pont Des Amoureux Timepiece Makes A Comeback Paying Tribute To Tales Of Love

Why I Bought It: Breguet Classique Chronomtrie Reference 7727

The 10 Most Accurate Moon Phase Wristwatches Today (Plus Honorable Mention)

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Top 5 Least Useful Horological Complications: And Why They Are Still Awesome - Reprise - Quill & Pad