Category Archives: Waveland

It was honestly the most pandemic meeting ever. Ten minutes into the 18th annual (and first-ever virtual) Wrigley Field Community Meeting the only things that had been communicated were instructions on muting, unmuting, whose audio was garbled, whose audio was incoherent, and, finally, instructions to turn off cameras in order to spare the bandwidth. No one was immune. I could only hear every fifth word of 44th Ward Alderman Tom Tunneys opening remarks, but I imagine if there was any critical information there he repeated it later when his audio situation cleared up a bit.

Before I jump into information from the meeting Id like to comment that the City of Chicago and the Cubs would do well to offer virtual access to this meeting in the future. I have attended this meeting for Bleed Cubbie Blue for the last five years. In fact, its one of the last in-person events I attended before everything shut down due to COVID-19 in 2020. Ive never counted the number of people in attendance but Id estimate its in the 20-30 range. Thats including reporters, the Cubs staff members in attendance and various city representatives. The one exception was 2017 when the 19th Police District was standing room only, but Im 90 percent sure that was just because the World Series Trophy made an appearance. This years meeting shattered that record with a reported 285 people on the call. Just as importantly, there were representatives from all adjoining Wards (44th, 46th, 47th and 32nd) on the call at least initially. No Ward representatives, including Ald. Tunney, were on later in the call when they were called.

The meeting began appropriately with a COVID-19 update from Dr. Rachel Bernard of the Chicago Department of Public Health. Dr. Bernard noted that they are carefully monitoring the COVID positivity rate which has crept up from 2.9 percent to 3.4 percent in the city in the last two weeks. She noted that increase is concentrated in younger populations so they do not expect a spike in hospitalization or death rates as a result of the increase. She also offered some optimistic news on vaccine rates in the city, although if youve been trying and failing at scoring an appointment for yourself or someone you love you likely feel like the vaccine process looks a lot more like this:

Ald. Tunney then began his remarks keeping in the spirit of 2021 with Can you hear me now? We could and he thanked everyone for their participation in the meeting before turning it over to representatives from the Cubs.

In previous years Assistant Director of Government and Community Affairs, Heather Way Kitzes, has taken the lead on this call. She was present and actively involved this year as well although the bulk of the Cubs initial comments were presented by Senior Vice President of Operations David Cromwell.

The Cubs are looking forward to welcoming fans back to the Friendly Confines and reiterated their four pillars of community engagement, specifically their commitment to keep the neighborhood safe, informed, clean and vibrant.

There is a lot more detail on all of the Cubs initiatives at the Cubs fan portal and honestly, I cannot stress enough how much you should visit that webpage before you head to Wrigley Field this year. I will get into some of the new procedures below, but pretty much every question you can imagine, and some you likely havent thought of yet, are on the Cubs fan portal.

While there will not be temperature checks to enter Wrigley Field this season, there will be pretty much everything else COVID-related, and most of it will require the MLB Ballpark App. Fans will need to attest they are symptom free prior to entry and paper tickets are a thing of the past, your phone is your ticket to the ballpark this year. Additionally, every ticket will include entry gate information. While this information was available to fans in previous years in 2021 it will be non-negotiable. One of the ways the Cubs will control crowds at Wrigley Field is by ensuring fans enter and exit through their preassigned gates. Your ticket will also include an entry time before the game. I was lucky enough to score a single ticket for the first homestand and you can see what that information looks like here:

As an aside, the prices were quite reasonable for the opening homestand, although that face value was bumped up considerably by fees and taxes in Chicago.

One other key change here: Gates at Wrigley Field used to open two hours before game time, that has been cut back to 90 minutes before game time.

As Al wrote earlier this week the magnetometers at Wrigley Field have been completely replaced by machines from Evolv Technology. You should check out the whole piece, but here are the specifics:

I had a chance to speak with Anil Chitkara, co-founder of Evolv Technology. He told me that these systems can screen up to 3,600 people an hour, 10 times what a traditional metal detector can screen. That will help the Cubs keep lines moving and in social distancing people coming to games, which is why you have a time of entry on your ticket if you have tickets for the opening homestand.

In addition to the ability to screen a lot more people per machine, these machines should allow fans to keep their cell phones and keys in their pockets. Bags are now limited at Wrigley Field to a 9x 5 purse with the only exceptions being medial and diaper bags. Fans should not need to empty these bags of small metal items, which is a relief for those of us who always worried about losing our keys taking them in and out of our pockets and bags as we entered the park.

One other element you might have noticed on the above ticket are the zone assignments. In order to keep congestion at restrooms and concession stands down fans are supposed to stay in their designated zone during the game. Speaking of concessions, the way you get your nosh on at the ballpark will be a bit different in 2021. The Ballpark App isnt just your ticket, its also your way to order delicious food and drink from your seat. From the Cubs fan portal:

All fans over two years old will be required to wear masks when they are not actively eating or drinking and social distancing will be enforced. Cromwell noted that Wrigley will be staffed for well over the 25 percent capacity it is set to open at (note, even as of the meeting that number was stated as 20 percent, but it appears to have gone up as Al wrote here.) That will help the Cubs manage the additional responsibilities of enforcing COVID protocols, including social distancing, in the stands and the concourse and in-seat concessions.

There was no new information on any events that might or might not happen at Wrigley Field and/or Gallagher Way this season. Cromwell said the Cubs are focused on 81 home games and currently have no plans for other announcements. That does not mean concerts, farmers markets and food trucks will never return to Wrigley Field, but the Cubs want to make sure theyve got the baseball part of the equation right first.

The vast majority of this meeting is usually an update on baseballs impact on the neighborhood followed by a question-and-answer period from residents focusing on their most pressing concerns. With such a limited 2020 schedule those updates were not really relevant or helpful, although Ald. Tunney did request 2020 numbers on parking tickets in the neighborhood and those should be up on the 44th Ward website soon. I have no idea why this information is helpful, unless Tunney would like to know what it would look like if the Cubs ever stop playing baseball in the 44th Ward. He should probably ask the businesses in the neighborhood how they feel about that before going too far down that road, but I digress.

One change visitors to the area should be aware of revolves around signage. In previous years Wrigley Field night game and event dates were posted on signs in and around the neighborhood. Those dates were not available when the signs were printed, so that signage will not exist in 2021. If you plan to drive down to the ballpark and will be parking in Lakeview or Uptown youd do well to check the parking regulations before you arrive.

There will also be additional oversight of bars and restaurants near Wrigley to ensure they are complying with capacity and social distancing requirements. Even as Chicago slowly expands capacity and reopens the city wants to be clear that local establishment owners will be diligent as (limited) crowds return to Wrigley Field.

At this point the question and answer period of this meeting is basically always the same. Someone will ask about trash cleanup, the Cubs will tout their additional investments into cleaning up the neighborhood. Someone will ask about street closures, the Cubs and/or the city will discuss the standard procedures there. None of this changed in 2021.

There are still a lot of concerns about delivery trucks arriving early in the morning on Waveland. As a person who routinely walks by Wrigley Field in the morning I can attest those trucks are loud, although since Im not an early morning person (unless I absolutely have to be) I can neither confirm nor deny that those trucks are routinely there before 7 a.m. as some residents claim.

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The 2021 Wrigley Field Community Meeting: Can you hear me now? - Bleed Cubbie Blue

Jared McMurry | jmcmurry@jrpress.com

When the tone goes off, dozens of volunteer first responders across Montgomery County answer the call.

And that hasnt changed during the COVID-19 pandemic instead making their job that much more important.

You do have to appreciate people who are willing to go help people, Waveland fire chief Nathan Poynter said. Weve got a good group of people and that goes for every department across this county. The tone goes off and people come to help. They know they may not come back, let alone get sick or whatever. There cant be enough said about that for anybody.

When the pandemic first started in March 2020, departments scrambled for personal protective equipment, including N95 masks, hand sanitizer and Tyvek suits.

The Valero Ethanol plant in Linden made hand sanitizer, and the Indiana Emergency Management Agency eventually provided PPE.

The state EMA has been gracious enough to keep us in full gear, Coal Creek Township fire chief Darren Foreman said.

In the early going, many departments tried to mimic some of the protocols Crawfordsvilles fire department put into place.

On a medical call, we put in a protocol that kind of mirrored Crawfordsville, but with the focus on more what we do, Foreman said. Where we have one emergency responder enter the home on every call despite what it comes in as, and they evaluate is this a COVID restriction kind of a case or do we feel like theres not much of a COVID chance.

And even a year into the pandemic, each department is still evaluating every call for service to determine if COVID-19 is a threat.

I told all of the department, if youre in doubt at all, suit up and take all the precautions. Its better to be safe than sorry, Madison Township fire chief Earl Heide said.

Poynter said they try and treat all symptomatic calls the same.

Anything that is flu-like symptoms we protect ourselves to think that it is something that is highly contagious, he said. Weve had our fair share of COVID cases. We had five in seven days.

In the early going Coal Creek banded together with Waynetowns fire department to supply boxed lunches for students that were in need of daily meals after schools were closed. There have been some unexpected costs in the last year and several lost fundraising opportunities, but Foreman says Coal Creek, which is the largest township in Montgomery County, is hanging in there financially.

Our fundraising is not our lifeblood, he said. We are not a poor township, but we have a lot of rural area, so not a whole lot of tax-base there, so we would supplemental our non-essential stuff by doing fundraisers. So far our township trustee and town boards have been gracious enough to help us when they could.

Coal Creek, Madison and Waveland all saw fluctuation in calls for service in the last year. Poynter attributes a 10-15% decrease in calls to a lost spring of hiking at Shades State Park, while Heide said at the height of COVID, they only received calls for COVID-19 related symptoms or someone who desparately needed 911. Foreman said Coal Creak has seen a slight uptick in calls.

The biggest change has come in the increase in the length of medical and fire runs.

The big difference is, usually we come back and we do our paperwork and we are out of there, but when you have to come back and de-contaminate one or two people and the rescue truck and all of our equipment, it put a lot more tax on the volunteers, Foreman said. These folks are volunteering their time. Ive got an amazing crew at Coal Creek. Not once did anybody not make a run, not once did anyone complain.

As COVID-19 numbers continue to decline across Montgomery County with a corresponding incline in vaccinations, Heide said Madison Township has played its part in encouraging residents to get the shot that is now available to all Indiana residents ages 45 and older.

Weve talked to a lot of people in our community and theyre getting their shots, he said. We were one of the first departments around that starting getting shots. And you know how scared everybody was of taking their shots, we didnt get no computer chip and we didnt turn green or anything like that. Its just a precautionary shot just like any other that you take.

In every facet of life, society has adjusted in the last year and that has extended to first responders giving everyone a new perspective.

It didnt really bring on things that we should start doing, it made us aware of things that we needed to be doing from day one, Poynter said. I think awareness is the best thing that its done to help our department.

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Answering the Call - Journal Review

Wayne Thomas Bell, 86, of Waveland passed away Friday morning, Feb. 19, 2021, at St. Vincent Hospital, Indianapolis.

He was born March 1, 1934, at Roachdale, to the late Dory and Bertha (Myers) Bell. He married Magnollie Sturman on his 20th birthday. She preceded him in death Sept. 21, 2009.

Wayne worked as a tool and dye machinist. He retired from California Pellet Mill in 1970. He was a member of the Browns Valley Missionary Baptist Church. He enjoyed spending time in the woods, hunting ginseng and mushrooms, woodworking and spending time with his family. He will be greatly missed by many.

He is survived by his grandchildren, Staci (Rob) Smith, Dennis (Trisha) Barker Jr. and Kara Kellerman; step-son Dennis (SueAnn) Barker; nine great-grandchildren; several great-great-grandchildren; three foster children, Douglas Meagher (Jeff Barnett) Starlah (Daniel) Meagher Smith and Rex (Dana Ann) Meagher; and several nieces and nephews.

Wayne was preceded in death by his parents, wife and siblings.

Funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24 at Machledt & Servies Funeral Home, 301 E. Green St., Waveland, with Pastor Rodney Coffman officiating. Burial will follow in Old Union Cemetery. Friends are invited to visit with the family 3-7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23 at the funeral home. We ask that all in attendance wear masks and practice social distancing.

You are invited to visit http://www.machledtservies.com where you may share a memory or leave a condolence for the family.

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Wayne Thomas Bell - Journal Review

The snow. It just wont stop. Leave me alone. Nobody wants you here anymore.

David Ross confirmed that Rowan Wicks intercostal injury (ribs) is related to the oblique strain that ended his 2020 season, which is mildly concerning, even as hes right that its early (Cubs.com): It was feeling better and then he started throwing. Its just still a little bit uncomfortable. Theres just literally zero reason to rush anything right now, and we want that guy to be healthy. As important as Wick can be for the Cubs this year, its important to remember that guys might not be able to pitch a full six months (plus postseason) anyway this year. So with an overload of possible bullpen options for the Cubs this year (some without minor league options remaining), it really wouldnt be the worst thing in the world for Wick to begin the season on the IL anyway. In fact, if there arent long-term concerns, bringing him along slowly and pushing back his season debut may actually wind up the best thing for the team and his own performance.

Speaking of the bullpen overload and roster decisions, the Brandon Workman signing is official as of this morning, and the Cubs DFAd infielder Sergio Alcantara to make room on the 40-man roster. The Cubs will have a week to trade, release, or waive Alcantara. Given the need to keep some middle infield depth around especially a guy who can play top-tier defense at shortstop if needed I expect the Cubs to waive Alcantara, hope he clears, and then outright him to Iowa. The Cubs will need to soon clear out one more 40-man spot for Jake Marisnick.

On Workmans terrible 2020 after a dominant 2019:

Adding to that, Workman got wrecked on his curveball in 2020, which is probably why he started throwing it less often as the year went on but you also always wonder about how the whole pitch mix is working together. Its not always just that a guy doesnt have a single pitch for a season.

Kyle Hendricks on the return of Jake Arrieta: We both kinda said it was weird, like no time ever passed. I dont know where those three years went, but its almost like he never left. Me and him have had an awesome relationship since day one. One thing thats great about the two getting back together is that theyre both such cerebral, hard-working, dig-in-behind-the-scenes types and now both such long-standing successful veterans that their comfort in helping each other, maybe even with things the other isnt seeing, is probably going to be huge.

Folks:

Fernando Tatis, Jr.s massive extension is, as you might have guessed, tremendously backloaded:

Given how much its backloaded, the lack of opt-outs may not really matter, as he wouldve been a lot less likely to exercise one. That said, the fact that its hugely backloaded AND hes getting full no-trade rights means that he is now entirely in control of his career going forward. If there ever comes a time when the Padres decide they need to get his contract off the books, then Tatis is going to get to dictate that process. So, even without the opt-outs, Tatis still has a lot of control here.

Random, indeed:

The podcast I do over at The Athletic is back on our regular schedule for Spring Training, so go ahead and find Onto Waveland wherever you get your podcasts, and smack that subscribe button:

This *might* be my favorite locker room picture in the history of baseball. Emphasis on history:

This ends tonight at midnight:

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Alcantara DFA'd, Wick's Injury, Hendricks and Arrieta, Tatis Particulars, Wilkins, and Other Cubs Bullets - bleachernation.com

BEAUFORT, S.C. (WSAV) A dangerous side effect of COVID-19 is the greater chance for child abuse and domestic violence.

South Carolina has been in the top 10 states for domestic violence rates for nearly two decades.

The Palmetto States domestic homicide rates are nearly 1.5 times the national average.

Its a problem Hopeful Horizons has been battling for years, and one experts say isnt going away anytime soon.

We have seen a significant increase in people who are dealing with domestic violence, explained Hopeful Horizons CEO Kristen Dubrowski. We served approximately 50% more people in our shelter program this year than in prior years. Thats more folks than we have served in a single year.

We have seen a lot more situations that have seemed more lethal. More physical abuse and more threats of violence, she added.

In South Carolina, more than 41% of women and 17% of men will experience domestic violence, abuse as a child or adult, or stalking.

We are already working with victims who have already experienced trauma, and then theres the trauma of the pandemic on top of that, said Dubrowski.

Hopeful Horizons works to address victims basic needs of housing or transitional housing. The organization is also focused on victims who are having trouble reaching out for assistance because of the pandemic and close quarters it has created their abusers.

Its more difficult for people to reach out for help, Dubrowski said. Victims being trapped at home with abusers, there is no respite for them.

Dubrowski says Hopeful Horizons has already seen more than 1,300 victims or people in need of help this year.

There has been a decline in the number of kids they have seen for child abuse. But that could be a sign of more kids out of school and learning at home. Already as students return to class, those numbers are going back up to close to pre-pandemic levels.

Hopeful Horizons is helping victims in five different Lowcountry counties and looking for different ways to do it.

One way is by turning their crisis line into a 24-hour protection line, so people know to call 843-770-1070 before its too late.

Another is offering more intimate and anonymous group sessions and online services.

Its easier for them to access online counseling through telehealth services, said Dubrowski, and not have to travel to get counseling services. For a lot of people, its been very beneficial.

Still, Dubrowski says there are the victims who have limited to no access to technology or internet.

Hopeful Horizons has begun sending fliers out to the community with the phone number for help on them to make it easier.

The agency also plans to continue its prevention work in middle and high schools. Hopeful Horizons says its been very difficult to reach as many students as normal because of the pandemic, but the hope is as things loosen up, catching these kids early will identify victims or teach them early about the dangers of becoming an abuser themselves.

That abusive behavior is passed on from one generation to the next, explained Dubrowski. The good news is we have a lot stronger dialogue in schools than 11 years ago when we started prevention efforts in those classes.

That has helped take some of the stigma away, and giving victims hope for their future.

Victims feel ashamed about feels like it is their fault and a lot what we do at Hopeful Horizons it to let them know its not their fault, let them come together voice to it, Dubrowski said. It is in that darkness and silence that this abuse is allowed to exist.

The agency is doing all of this while dealing with funding issues.

For two straight years, their biggest fundraiser has been canceled. In addition, the funding from the victims of crime act was cut by 10% last year and 18% in 2020.

That is a more than $300,000 shortfall that funds the bulk of their services.

Grants have helped pick up some of the slack, but fundraisers they can do, like this weekends race, are key to allowing everyone to do their jobs and offer as much aid as possible.

The 2021 Hopeful Horizons Walk4Love Candlelight Walk will start at First Presbyterian Church, 1201 North Street, in downtown Beaufort. Starting time is 5:15 p.m. on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Race4Love will start at 9 a.m. on Saturday. Organizers say the course is flat and quick and offers a pleasant trip through the scenic neighborhoods and Sanctuary Golf Course on Cat Island located at 8 Waveland Ave. in Beaufort.

The Race4Love fee is $30 with a $2.50 sign up fee.

Masks and physical distancing will be required at the events. Participants are also asked to pre-register.

To sign up for either of these races, visit here before the registration period ends on Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 7:59 p.m.

If you are signing up with a group of five or more, click the multi-person tab on the page to get the discounted price.

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Domestic violence and abuse agency changing approach during the pandemic - WSAV-TV

Theres a squirrel in my shed.

Well, Im not 100% sure on that. He might still be in there, or he might not, since I got up on a ladder and stapled a bunch of old screen up in the eaves.

For the last few months, Ive had an ongoing saga with this squirrel. Actually theres a history that goes back years, but the most recent episodes are worth noting, specifically because theres not much else going on at the moment.

Were mid-February in the pandemic winter, and even for those most willing to get outside, life has come to a bit of a standstill. Now, Im not comparing this to the standstill of last April, which was for all intents and purposes about 63 nerve-wracking days long. That was far more stressful, with a far greater fear of the unknown. But were certainly dealing with some tedium.

While were not out of the woods yet, Id say there are faint signs of hope. First, the most vulnerable are getting stabbed in the arm, albeit slowly. Second, we saw how infection rates dropped last summer. And third, frankly, everyone under 60 has had the damn virus at this point. So I guess you could say, as awkward as it sounds, these are all lights at the end of the tunnel.

Unfortunately, that light is so far off and uncertain that it almost seems best to keep your head down, support a local business, focus on what you can and not count too much on when we might emerge from the darkness. Plus, its winter on LBI. Were all broke. That doesnt help.

Consequently, I am focused on this squirrel. I actually considered opening Liquid Lines this week with 10 paragraphs about how dangerous Saturday night felt when everything iced over. Six-foot noreaster swell in 39-degree water is routine for some of us. But that ice glaze was terrifying.

But the squirrel has made an awful mess, knocking things off the shelves, spilling things onto the second-hand rug and tearing up paper bags, cardboard and even bits of wood for nesting. Truth is I would have a soft spot for him (or her) if there werent so much crap everywhere.

Years ago, I had a squirrel problem. I put up chicken wire inside the eaves of the shed, which worked for a while. They still got into the plant food and made a whole disarray of some rags I had stored under an overhang behind the shed, but at least they werent in the shed.

However, as the weather turned on us this year, every time I go into my shed to grab one of my surfboards, covered with that gross, dark-colored winter wax, I would awaken the squirrel somewhere on a high shelf between old fishing gear I will never use and windshield wiper fluid. (Sidenote: I am using a lot of wiper fluid this year and wary of Cool Blue Gatorade.) Mr. Squirrel bangs around, makes his escape and, as I poke my head back out the door to get a look at him, I just see the tree branches move on his getaway route.

Im not so sure why I want to see this menace. Perhaps Im curious if its the same guy I had evicted a few years ago. Not that I would recognize him. And Im not the type to stop anyone and ask for their name or ID. How long do squirrels live, anyway?

And I fully realize why Im a target for this small woodland mammal. I have these odd things in my yard called trees. Makes my property look totally strange on this island that is going full bore in its war on plants.

But yes, this is what I think about, the little problems that I can hopefully solve.

And I have to wonder what stage of the pandemic everyone else is in around here. Chilly winters have a way of pushing us indoors. Even for the hardcore surfers, skiers, sledders, gearheads, bird watchers, hikers, etc., we do our outdoor thing and then head right for the comforts of four walls and a heat vent. And with the virus shutting down or limiting most public indoor options, weve been forced inside our own homes for long stretches. I know weve all jumped straight into home improvement projects. You probably redid your bathroom last April. Have you reached the point of spackling all the popped nail holes in your ceiling? Anyone else sanded down their rusted baseboard heaters and restored them with Rustoleum and a clear coat?

Theres evidence for cautious optimism. New cases in New Jersey are down to half of what they were in January, and even more on the national scale compared to when the Pancake Patriots stormed the Capitol.

But nothing is going to really change this month. And then we have March and well celebrate/mourn the one-year anniversary of the day the world shut down. So maybe we just have to keep controlling what we can control until the third week of March, in which the first crocus will pop up and, within a few days, snow will fall on said crocus. And our friends will complain that it doesnt really feel like spring because they forget every year that its just the start of late winter. Maybe you should just cross the occasion off the calendar for March 20 and move it to May 20. And then continue controlling what you can because it will still feel a lot like February as soon as the wind comes onshore.

But it does make sense to get rid of your squirrels, paint your dinettes and redo your backsplash now. Because if we really are mostly out of the woods by summer, there will be no time for such quaran-tedium. Youll be outside, having fun again.

Winter Waveland: This winter has been cold, but you cant really complain too much about the surf, especially if youre a 9-to-5 worker, as most of the favorable conditions have been falling on Saturdays and Sundays.

Looking back on Super Bowl Sunday weekend, there were two separate swells as we had lows getting spat past us pretty regularly. The first was an offshore low, and the wind died just before dark on Saturday. Then that Sunday, we had a little snowfall and north winds blowing up some swell. When everyone was preparing for the big game, there was a brief period of north/northwest winds that clocked just enough for some clean ones. Both sessions were short-lived, but there were clean waves nonetheless.

The surf was either tiny or junky for the following week, although there were a few tiny onshore waves during last weeks snowstorm. These were not anything worth surfing, save for the fact that surfing in the snow is still really fun. We also havent had a significant accumulation in two years, so it was just kind of fun to see snow on the beach again. I watched kiteboarder Todd Page out kiting on the beach with a snowboard, and it looked pretty epic.

The surf picked up again with Saturday nights sleet storm, and Sundays winds were north, but light enough for the South End to work. The sand isnt as good as it was a few weeks ago and it wasnt fully clean; nevertheless, there were some really long, quality lefts for those who wanted to get after it.

A tiny bit of swell stuck around, and Tuesday threw us a little south combo swell that unfortunately came with southwest winds, making most of LBI undesirable.

State of Our Beaches: Giant winter noreasters get a lot of fanfare in New Jersey. Its likely the intersection of solid waves with snow and cold that gets people outside of the Northeast and outside of the core surf crowd interested. Obviously, photographers and writers have ridden that for a good 30 years or so. Snow and surfing are such a novel juxtaposition to the rest of the world.

But yes, we love them here. Yet on post-jetty LBI, I have to ask how great they are in the long run. Noreasters do a serious number on our beaches and sandbars. Lets take a look at Winter Storm Orlena, for example.

Throughout January, I reported on a few swells that were pretty good and rated even higher on a fun meter because they were rideable at more than just a few select spots. More spots working means the ability to surf with fewer people, hence more waves and better surf experiences.

The reason for this was because the sand was set up well. Good sand in the winter means there are healthy sandbars in tight to the beach, as opposed to that narrow strip of sand way offshore. Scientists call the drop just off the beach the trough, a trademark of a winter beach profile. In less technical circles, you might call it a hole, but be sure to use quotation marks. Either way, it means the waves lurch up and break on the bar and then fizzle out in the hole for shorter or non-existent rides. The hole generally fills in for summer and develops again after an August noreaster or a close tropical storm.

We consider this a post-jetty issue because back when we had big groins, they would hold that sand in place better. Until the late 2000s, we had far more surf spot options. Any surfer over the age of 30 can remember the way certain spots in Harvey Cedars used to break. Now the sand off the beach is much more susceptible to moving around in winter storms.

We had a sweet mid-period swell the last weekend of January. It wasnt huge, but the sets were pushing head high. The sand was set up amazingly, allowing for good surf at select spots and fantastic surf at one particular spot. The surf was coming from a modest offshore low, not a heavy, local storm with extreme winds. These swells are rare, but they afford us a lot of waves without rearranging the sand.

Then came Winter Storm Orlena, which wrecked those sandbars. Orlena did more than that, actually. The angry seas cut the dunes at some spots on the South End and mid-Island into sheer cliffs. It was so severe that we had NBC New York reporting on the situation.

So the steep cliffs and loss of beach are certainly a problem. Nature should return some of that sand with the spring and summer. The question is will more noreasters further scarp away the beach and dunes? Thats something the towns are contending with.

But there also begs the question about how good a big noreaster really is for surfing in the winter. Of course, we get that day of six- or eight- or maybe 10-foot sets. And yes, thats exciting as hell if you get a bunch of waves. The reality is that after the storm, our sandbars are completely morphed, so the next swell is always weird. If you get more significant northeast blow, then you stick with those deep troughs. Bottom line is you have to wonder how much that day of great waves is worth, compared to lessening of the wave quality for the weeks after.

As for the general state of the beaches, there is still debris at a lot of spots, and beaches are certainly on the skinny side. Even two weeks later, if youre on the beach in certain parts of Holgate, youre not getting back up across the dunes without an extension ladder. I should note that despite that huge storm surge, Ship Bottom is as wide as ever.

THE PART OF LIQUID LINES THAT USED TO HAVE UPCOMING EVENTS: Its been a long time since we had an event to mention here. But dont lose hope. And remember this in summer when you can take advantage of every gathering there is.

Back on Saturday, Feb. 6, a few dozen folks who were closest to recently deceased surfer Jack Ryan had a little paddle-out gathering to honor his life. This was a mostly private affair. There is a bigger memorial being planned at the Alliance for a Living Ocean LBI Longboard Classic in August, but his tightest circle felt they needed closure on his life. Despite swell and whipping south winds, it was a beautiful tribute to a truly unique local.

Once again, Science Saturdays at the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences are virtual, as they will be all season. The Zoom meetings are $5, and free for Foundation members. This Saturday, Richard J. Buckley, director of the Rutgers Plant Diagnostic Laboratory, will discuss the invasive Spotted Lanternfly from China and the risks it poses to agriculture, logging and tourism in our area of the country.

On Feb. 27, Rutgers Kathleen Kerwin, M.S. and Chris Crosby, Ph.D. student, will discuss Coyotes of New Jersey. If ever there were a timely topic, this is it. Coyotes reportedly have been seen all over the state and, most locally, around the Island. I expect this one to be well virtually attended.

As we get through this week, I should mention the ocean has dropped a few degrees again to the mid-30s. Surf temps havent been this low in a few years, so make sure to gear up with the appropriate thicker wetsuits, boots and gloves.

One might think this would take the water longer to warm up as we get into April and May, but we have learned in the past few mild years that it hasnt warmed up faster. So I would say expect the normally cold spring, but fear not a terribly cold one.

Friday looks to be a fun day of waves with some south and east combo swell on offering. Lets hope the winds maintain more west than southwest and we could see some overhead bombs. And get cracking on all those home projects. No one wants to still be inside painting when the weather finally turns.

joncoen@thesandpaper.net

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Lost in 'Quaran-tedium' Projects - The SandPaper

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Understanding cancer patients and their families views and preferences (PVPs) regarding treatment and care helps improve the quality of services provided to them. It is important to collect a wide range of PVPs regularly, consistently and in a timely manner, to develop policies and treatment responses accordingly. This study explored a new approach for collecting PVPs regarding cancer treatment and care, by surveying medical staff about the PVPs they encountered in clinical practice. This is the first step to establish a sustainable nationwide system to collect cancer-related PVPs and to utilize them in clinical practice.

The medical staff provided information not only regarding the PVPs related to five different topics (including types, signs, and symptoms of cancer) they had encountered, but also regarding their actual responses to these PVPs. The PVPs encountered differed according to the topic and staff specialty. Content analysis of one of the five topics as representative, namely tingling/numbness/pain, led to the development of clinical questions asked by many patients/families, and the provision of such answers to the public by abstracting keywords and concrete means of expression from PVPs. Despite being an indirect way of collecting PVPs, this method was useful for identifying the most commonly encountered PVPs for each specified topic, as well as any gaps in the information available to the medical staff for responding effectively to these PVPs.

To enhance patients adherence to treatments and their subsequent satisfaction, it is crucial for health professionals to understand the patients and families views and preferences (PVPs).13 Understanding PVPs allows health professionals to provide patients and their families (patients/families) with the necessary information and appropriate treatments and care. However, PVPs vary in terms of treatment-related topics, such as the treatment plan,4 possible side effects,5 psychosocial topics,6,7 daily activities,8 and personal values.9 In the rapidly progressing medical environment, health professionals are likely to be required to respond to novel PVPs without any supporting information.10 Therefore, it is important to understand current PVP trends and to collect comprehensive information on these trends consistently and in timely manner. Furthermore, collecting PVPs in clinical practice is expected to enhance the quality of medical environments because it will lead to developing new approaches to unmet PVPs, resulting in effective and reliable communication between medical staff and patients/families. Utilizing the collected PVPs to raise clinical questions in various medical fields will also lead to new evidence regarding medical conditions.

However, it is difficult to collect PVPs in timely manner or at a national level through nationwide or wide-range questionnaire surveys. It is also necessary to collect PVPs repeatedly to develop and evaluate a national policy for specific diseases such as cancer.11,12 Collecting PVPs through nationwide disease-specific medical staff who take care of patients/families within clinical practice is one possible solution to the aforementioned problems. In actual clinical practice, the symptoms, distress, burdens, or problems are not always explicitly expressed by patients/families,5 but they are more likely to be expressed during casual conversations or interactions with medical staff.13 The expressions of concern are likely accompanied by discussions regarding patients/families experiences in their daily activities, and their views and preferences.14 The interactions between patients/families and medical staff can occur in various settings such as at the reception, in examination areas, or in outpatient or inpatient settings, and may range from short conversations to long discussions. Any medical staff member, including physicians, has the opportunity to meet and interact with patients/families in various clinical settings. Medical staff should be sensitive to, and aware of, patients/families symptoms and burdens and adequately guide them toward further symptom management or care.14

Nevertheless, collecting PVPs promptly and widely from various patients has not yet been researched. In addition, a specific method to utilize PVPs in a nationwide clinical practice has not been examined sufficiently. The most appropriate group from whom cancer-related PVPs can be promptly and widely collected are medical staff working in nationwide cancer-specialized hospitals, which are designated based on the governments national cancer policy and execute advanced cancer treatment and care. These medical staff are required to adequately and precisely respond to such PVPs. The aim of this study is to develop a new system for appropriately collecting PVPs regarding cancer from nationwide medical staff and consider the potential utilization of PVPs in clinical practice. We obtained PVPs expressed to various medical staff in the nationwide hospitals designated by the Japanese government (designated cancer care hospitals: DCCHs). At the initial stage of this study, we chose five cancer-related topics that were anticipated to be associated with a diversity of PVPs. We also selected one of the five topicsthe sensation of tingling, numbness, and pain (henceforth, tingling/numbness/pain)to qualitatively analyze the content of the expressed PVPs in detail and to discuss the potential utilization of PVPs in clinical practice.

We conducted a web-based multicenter cross-sectional questionnaire survey of medical staff in DCCHs in Japan during the period of July to September 2018. Participants were recruited from two groups of staff. The first consisted of medical staff (physician, pharmacist, nurse, physical/occupational/speech therapist, radiation/clinical laboratory technologist, dietitian, clinical psychologist, social worker, cancer counselor, and medical clerk) from 32 hospitals belonging to the Japanese Association of Clinical Cancer Centers (JACCC) among 434 DCCHs in Japan.15 The second consisted of cancer counselors in Cancer Information and Support Centers (CISCs) located in all DCCHs. One of the unique features of the CISCs as compared to other typical hospital functions is that anyone, regardless of holding a hospital identification number or not, can access a CISC and obtain reliable cancer-related information and support for adequate referrals without any charge.16 Cancer counselors with predominately nursing and social-work backgrounds are stationed in the CISCs. In this study, we considered cancer counselors as a separate medical staff category from other medical specialties.

To recruit medical staff, an email was sent to the secretariat division of the JACCC, and each hospital secretariat division forwarded the email to medical staff in each hospital. To recruit the cancer counselors, an email was sent to directly to the cancer counselors of 434 CISCs through a mailing list. Only medical staff and cancer counselors who agreed to participate in the study responded to the web-based questionnaire, whose data were transferred directly and anonymously to the Cancer Information Service Division, Center for Cancer Control and Information Services, the National Cancer Center (NCC-CIS), Japan.

In this study, we operationally defined PVPs as questions, values, desires, and experiences expressed to medical staff by patients/families in various medical situations. To collect PVPs, we developed three questions for medical staff based on their interaction with patients/families17 that were used to investigate each topic, as follows. (1) Within the past year, did you receive any questions from your patients and/or their families about each of the five topics described below? Yes or No? If the answer was Yes, they were further asked to (2) describe the question or share information in an open-ended manner and were asked (3)Did you have any source of information such as clinical practice guidelines, booklets published by a public organizations or companies, etc. on responding to the patient/family regarding the topic? Yes or No? We designed the questions to be as simple as possible and to represent minimal burden on the participants.

As this study focused on the indirect experiences of medical staff rather than direct collections of PVPs, we needed to understand if this process was sufficiently sensitive to collect PVPs depending on the topic. Therefore, at the initial stage of the study, we chose five topics that were anticipated to have diverse PVPs and collected the PVPs for each topic indirectly. Regarding cancer sites, we chose colorectal cancer and esophageal cancer. Colorectal cancer is the most prevalent cancer type in Japan; there is an associated national screening program and this type of cancer has a relatively favorable prognosis. Esophageal cancer is a type of cancer with the worst prognosis, and there is no cancer screening program for this cancer site in Japan.18 These differences create differences in public knowledge and resultant PVPs. We chose three symptomslymphedema, urinary symptoms, and tingling/numbness/painto assess the effectiveness of collecting the PVPs through medical staff because the symptoms involved different degrees of difficulty in their assessment by a third person.

This study used a quantitative and qualitative mixed-methods design. The number of medical staff who encountered PVPs and those who had related information on the topics were compared among the five topics. Then, we statistically compared the medical staffs experience of PVPs and possession of available information on each topic by their medical specialties using the Chi-square method.

In this report, we analyzed the statements regarding tingling/numbness/pain qualitatively, as representative of the potential utilization of PVPs. Free-text statements were analyzed by two authors (TT and RY) with expertise in cancer care and heath communication perspectives. The statements of the patients/families reported by the participants were analyzed using an inductive approach via conventional content analysis,19 as follows. (1) The statements were repeatedly read by two researchers to obtain a sense of the whole and the statements were divided into several sentences as necessary, if the free-text answers had more than one meaning. (2) Each statement was qualitatively coded by capturing its core meaning, and those with similar meanings were organized into subcategories based on how they were related. Seven categories were abstracted from the subcategories inter-relationships with reference to several preceding studies of unmet needs or patients preferences with respect to cancers.5,20,21 (3) Each statement was categorized one of seven categories: 1) cause and prevention, 2) symptoms, 3) prognosis, 4) treatment, 5) self-management, 6) daily life, and 7) unclassified statements, such as those referring to thoughts, hopes, emotions, and so forth. The frequencies of responses in each category were calculated. All responses were then independently double-coded. In case of discordance in double codes, discussion and negotiation between the two authors continued until a consensus was reached. A total of 940 statements were coded into 44 initial categories, subcategorized into 23 categories, and classified into the seven final categories.

Sociodemographic information was also collected, including sex, age, length of clinical experience, and medical profession. We also investigated the time required to complete the questionnaires from login to logout times on the medical staffs personal computers to judge the future sustainability of this survey.

We developed clinical questions to produce questions and answers (Q & A) regarding tingling/numbness/pain primarily for patients newly diagnosed with cancer or who had recently received treatments. Based on the PVPs related to tingling/numbness/pain identified by the qualitative content analysis, clinical questions for which patients/families strongly desired answers but which were difficult for medical staff to answer were developed by members of the NCC-CIS including two authors (TT and MH). The NCC-CIS provided the public with these questions and corresponding answers through the largest cancer information site in Japan (https://ganjoho.jp/public/index.html). We considered that the questions with higher priority should cover a wide range of categories, high frequency of PVPs, and PVP content that patients/families find difficult to discuss with medical staff, even if infrequently expressed. Concrete words or expressions from PVPs were included in the questions to the extent possible.

This study was conducted in accordance with the Ethical Guidelines for Medical and Health Research Involving Human Subjects of Japan. Medical staff belonging to the JACCCs and cancer counselors of the CISCs were informed of this study in writing. Their voluntary responses to the questionnaire were regarded as consent to participate in the study. The Medical Ethical Committee of the National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan, ruled that no formal ethical approval was required for this study (reference number 6000017).

We collected a total of 904 responses; Table 1 illustrates the demographic and clinical characteristics of respondents. Approximately 70% of the respondents were female, and 40% had more than 20 years of clinical experience. The largest proportion of the respondents were nurses (one-fourth), followed by physical/occupational/speech therapists and radiation/clinical laboratory technologists, physicians, and cancer counselors. The average duration required to complete the questionnaires was 15.8 minutes (standard deviation = 23.8), and the median time was 9 minutes, suggesting the survey was sustainable.

Table 1 Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Respondents

Table 2 illustrates the medical staffs experiences of receiving PVPs and the presence/absence of available information related to the PVPs. Among the five topics, the most number of PVPs were about tingling/numbness/pain, and the least were related to urinary symptoms (63.3% and 35.1%, respectively). More than 70% of the medical staff had some available information regarding colorectal cancer and lymphedema when they needed to respond to patients/families, whereas only half or less of them had information regarding urinary symptoms and tingling/numbness/pain.

Table 2 Medical Staffs Experience of Patients Views and Preferences and Possession of Available Information on the Topic

The frequency of experiencing PVPs according to medical specialty of the staff is illustrated in Table 3. The frequencies of PVPs varied by topic depending on the medical specialty (p < 0.0001). For example, the PVPs regarding colorectal and esophageal cancers were most frequently expressed to dietitians; PVPs regarding lymphedema and tingling/numbness/pain were most frequently expressed to cancer counselors and pharmacists, respectively; while urinary symptom PVPs, although rarely encountered, were most frequently expressed to nurses and cancer counselors. Cancer counselors received PVPs on all topics with relatively high frequencies. Table 4 illustrates the presence/absence of information resources that the medical staff used practically when they received PVPs according to their specialty. The percentage of the presence of information resources by topic varied depending on the medical specialty (p < 0.0001). Among the eight medical specialties, cancer counselors most frequently had information available on all five topics. However, only 63.8% of cancer counselors had information available on urinary symptoms.

Table 3 Medical Staffs Experience of Patients' Views and Preferences on Each Topic by Their Medical Specialty

Table 4 Medical Staffs Possession of Available Information by Medical Specialty When Patients Views and Preferences Were Expressed

Table 5 illustrates the results of the content analysis of the tingling/numbness/pain PVPs. Among the seven categories of this topic, patients/families expressed their PVPs the most and the second most frequently regarding prognosis and self-management, respectively. Representatives of PVPs in each category are also illustrated in Table 5. Although unclassified and infrequent, there remained important PVPs, such as How much must I endure numbness to continue treatment? and Will this numbness be a trade-off for life?

Table 5 Representative Patients Views and Preferences for Each Category Under Tingling/Numbness/Pain

Table 6 shows nine questions developed from the tingling/numbness/pain PVPs, consisting of 1 to 3 questions in each of six categories, except the unclassified category. The Q & A was uploaded to the NCC-CIS website in Japanese.22

Table 6 Questions Developed from the PVPs Concerning Tingling/Numbness/Pain

It is important to collect PVPs reflecting issues at a specific time regularly, consistently, and continuously, considering the current circumstances of the rapid appearance of a broad range of new medicines and treatment options. Therefore, we obtained cancer-related PVPs, including questions, values, desires, and experiences, via medical staff with different specialties in nationwide cancer-specialized hospitals. In this study, we collected cancer-related PVPs across five topics and observed differences in staff experiences of PVPs, depending on the topics and the medical specialty of the staff member.

A difference in the number of PVPs was observed across the five topics, which may be due to several reasons. First, the topics for which the medical staff encountered PVPs less frequently might be those that patients/families felt reluctant or uncomfortable to express. Previous studies have demonstrated that the general public often hesitates to talk about topics such as sexuality and egestion,23 and medical specialists are also reluctant to talk about these topics.24,25 Patients/families are more reluctant to express their symptoms or burdens concerning these topics, even to their physicians and nurses, especially if either group is less prepared to discuss these topics.

Second, the differences in PVP frequencies might be attributable to the characteristics of the symptoms. For example, urinary symptoms are likely caused by a specific kind of cancer or its treatment,2628 as well as by the aging process and other reasons unrelated to cancer.29,30 Therefore, patients may deem it unnecessary to report urinary symptoms to their physician and other medical staff. However, PVPs regarding urinary symptoms were reported by nearly half of nurses and cancer counselors (Table 3), suggesting that these specialties could be expected to collect such PVPs from patients/families by approaching them with awareness of this problem and thereby enhancing patient satisfaction by addressing their queries.

The accessibility of medical staff may be another reason for the difference in PVP frequencies. Cancer counselors at the CISCs had the most experiences of receiving PVPs and had more information available about all five topics than did other medical staff. As regular check-ups become gradually less frequent after the main treatments are completed, it might be difficult for patients/families to maintain frequent contact with their physicians and nurses. Research has also demonstrated that most of patients unmet needs are expressed after their main treatment is completed.5 However, patients/families can use CISCs freely and contact cancer counselors whenever required.16 Thus, this demonstrates that it is important for patients/families to have resources that they can spontaneously access with ease, such as CISCs.

Although the most frequent PVP was tingling/numbness/pain, only half of the medical staff had the necessary information on this symptom (Table 2). This may indicate that the PVPs regarding these symptoms were expressed to a wide variety of medical staff, thereby suggesting that an insufficient response was conveyed to the patients/families. Moreover, it also indicates that there was a lack of adequate information available to the medical staff. This has been indicated in the literature, which has demonstrated that evidence and treatments on this topic are rarely established.31,32 The gap between the high frequency of PVPs and the lack of practical information concerning symptoms identified in this study demonstrates the need to find evidence by developing specific clinical questions, which can then be used to establish evidence-based clinical practice guidelines.

Regarding potential utilization of the PVPs, we developed clinical questions based on the results of qualitative content analysis of the tingling/numbness/pain PVPs. While developing the questions, the frequencies of the PVPs were considered, and it was very useful for both patients/families and medical staff that keywords and expressions from the PVP statements in the Questions and Answers (Q & A) document were included. The resulting Q & A information was made available to the public through a website based on the results of content analysis of the PVPs.22 This is one example of establishing a system to collect and utilize PVPs from nationwide cancer-related professionals who directly interact with patients/families in clinical practice, in a regular, systematic, and timely manner.

Although some electronic collection trials have begun, collecting PVPs directly from patients/families requires considerable effort and is often time consuming.33,34 Furthermore, it is often difficult or sometimes impossible to collect PVPs about common symptoms of various diseases and from patients with rare cancers or in a critical condition. Therefore, although the method is indirect, collecting PVPs via medical professionals, as discussed in this study, is an effective strategy with a high utility value. More importantly, this system enables PVPs to be collected regularly, consistently, continuously, and more importantly, sustainably. As Brouwers et al demonstrated, medical professionals are important stakeholders in healthcare,35 and they are a group of people with significant impact on improving present medical practices and developing new evidence for future medical practices.

Furthermore, a system in which PVPs are collected through a wide variety of medical professionals with different perspectives would enable the collection of a broad range of PVPs simultaneously. This system would be helpful for using PVPs to develop recommendations for clinical practice guidelines and solve the existing nationwide evidence-practice gap.3639 Even more importantly, collecting PVPs through medical staff would enhance their sensitivity in interactions with patients/families about their values, desires, and experiences. This could ultimately lead to better interactions with patients/families and thereby improve their quality of life,40,41 which is not possible through the electronic collection of PVPs from patients/families.

Despite its strengths, this study has some limitations. The first is the indirect way PVPs were collected, as mentioned in the discussion. Medical staff could have emphasized certain PVPs based on their unique concerns and individual medical experiences, while other PVPs that were less related to their medical specialties or interests may have been neglected. Second, collecting PVPs in a simple statement cannot completely capture the backgrounds of patients/families regarding what was happening to them. Although the questionnaires simplicity was intended to reduce the respondents burden, it might have led to a loss of accuracy in the expressed situation. Third, contrary to the second limitation, collecting PVPs in a free text format would involve considerable time with respect to analyses and provision of an overview. Nevertheless, a free text style would enable the collection of the precise voices of patients/families in their clinical settings, even when collected by medical staff.

To enhance patients adherence to treatments and to improve their subsequent satisfaction, it is crucial for health professionals to understand PVPs. It is also important to collect PVPs in timely manner to reflect issues regularly and continuously within a rapidly changing medical environment. This study suggests that collecting PVPs through nationwide cancer-specialized medical staff might be an efficient way to understand the specific requirements of patients/families. It would also be possible to document PVP trends according to changes in the environments of patients/families by collecting PVPs regularly and continuously. PVPs collected could also be utilized for developing cancer information resources for both patients/families and medical staff by suggesting important clinical questions that require answers. This initiative can support more effective patient-clinician communication and improve the healthcare environment for patients/families and medical staff.

PVP, Patients and families views and preferences; CISC, Cancer Information and Support Centers; JACCC, Japanese Association of Clinical Cancer Centers; DCCH, Designated cancer care hospital; NCC-CIS, Center for Cancer Control and Information Services, National Cancer Center, Japan; Q & A, Questions and answers.

All procedures performed in the study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Ethical approval was judged as not necessary by the Medical Ethical Committee of the National Cancer Center (6000-017).

The authors would like to thank the medical staff in the 32 hospitals belonging to the Japanese Association of Clinical Cancer Centers and the Cancer Information and Support Centers in designated cancer care hospitals who participated in this study. The authors wish to acknowledge Ms. Otome Watanabe and Dr. Yoshiko Ikeguchi of the NCC-CIS for their useful discussions regarding developing clinical questions. The authors are also grateful to Dr. Takeo Nakayama for his valuable insights on the manuscript. We would like to thank Editage for English language editing.

This study was funded by the Health and Labor Sciences Research Grant awarded to Tomoko Takayama toward Establishing a sustainable system of cancer information and support center system for the future (H29-CancerControl-005) and to Fumihiko Wakao toward Establishing a system for prompt and timely provision of the evidence-based cancer information to the public (R2-Cancer Control-20EA1008).

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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A guide to Valentines Day 2021 in Lexington, Ky: Where to pre-order, what to eat, what to do?

Valentines Day is Sunday, February 14, 2021.

Eating in for Valentines Day 2021? Eating out? Either way, we have the answers for you. Below is a sampling of Valentines Day themed takeout and pre-order meals, as well as places to eat out all weekend long to the celebrate the holiday in Lexington, Ky in 2021.

The Cattle Drive at Bluegrass Regional Marketplace offers a special Valentines brunch on Sunday, February 14 from 10 am until 3 pm.

Chenault Vineyards hosts a Valentines Dinner featuring music by James Reed on Saturday, February 13 at 5 pm.

Cru Food + Wine Bar hosts a Toast to Your Besties with a tasting + small plate pairing on Thursday, February 11 at 5:30-7:30 pm.

Dudleys offers a three-course Valentines Day menu on Sunday, February 14.

Elixir has dinner with live music on Sunday, February 14 at 6 pm.

Bring your Valentine to Goodwood Lexington from February 11-15 for a special Valentines menu; including two special release Valentines stouts, an appetizer or dessert to share, two side salads, two entrees.

Girls night! Goodwood also hosts a Galentines Special on Wednesday, February 10, featuring half price on wine all day.

J. Renders Southern Table & Bar hosts a Cupid Special featuring three courses available on February 12, 13 and 14. Available dine-in or curbside.

Dine in at Joe Bolognas on Valentines Day and enjoy a heart shaped pizza.

The Kentucky Castle offers a special Valentines menu the weekend of February 12-14 from 5 pm until 9 pm. Available as a three or five course meal, with the option of a wine pairing.

Le Deauville French Bistro has a pre-fix menu for Valentines Day.

Lexington Diner offers Valentines Day specials like a Bomb-Diggity Chocolate Waffle, a Seafood Lover Omelet, and Prime Rib on February 12-14.

Valentines dinner for two from Mirror Twin Brewing and Rolling Oven on Sunday, February 14.

Old Vine Bistros Valentines Menu is available on Friday, February 12 and Saturday, February 13; including a shareable appetizer, salad, main course, and dessert.

Oscar Diggs has a special Valentines dinner menu on Saturday, February 13 and a Valentines brunch menu available on Sunday, February 14.

Pivot Brewing hosts Woke Junk Vegan Food and Smore Than a Feeling for a special Valentines Day event with several dinner seating times. Includes two entrees, two sides, an appetizer and two flights.

Ranadas Kitchen offers a four-course Valentines Day Dinner on February 12, 13, and 14 with 5:30 pm & 8:30 pm seatings.

Rickhouse Pub and Battle Axes combine to create a Valentines Day date night including drinks, dinner, dessert and axe throwing.

Roulay Restaurant and Bar has a Valentines Day Prix Fixe Dinner on Saturday, February 13 and Sunday, February 14. Champagne toast (or cup of Chicory Coffee is included). Add-ons available including Charcuterie Board for two, Chesapeake Oysters, and Chocolate Covered Strawberries.

Texas Roadhouse in Beaumont has a Valentines Dinner for Two, available for dine-in or curbside, Thursday through Sunday of Valentines weekend.

Tin Roof hosts a Love Stinks, Lets Drink-Emo Brunch on Sunday, February 14. Brunch menu and Bottomless Mimosas available from 11 am 3 pm with themed live music from 12 pm -4 pm.

Coles 735 Main offers two multi-course meal kits (featuring either USDA filet or Black Angus Falls NY strip steak) and a handcrafted artisan chocolates + wine pairings box. Pre-orders taken through February 12.

Dupree Catering + Events offers a Valentines Dinner Package for two.

Good Foods Co-op offers a pre-order meal for $16.99, including your choice of heat-and-eat entree, salad and a roasted garlic semolina loaf. Desserts are 25% off when added to a meal pre-order. Choose day and time for pickup from February 1214. All orders must be placed by Wednesday, February 10, and the order is not be considered placed until payment is received. This same selection of dishes will be available in their grab & go section, as production permits.

Holly Hill Inn has a Valentines Dinner for Two including a trio of bites, a choice of first courses, entres and desserts, and a bottle of bubbly to share.

Jeff Rubys Steakhouse offers special Valentines Day Meal Kits Pre-order and vailable for pickup prior to 4 pm on February 12, 13, & 14 only. Meal Kit features filet mignons, lobster tails, shrimp w/ cocktail sauce, freddie salad, asparagus, mashed potatoes, and more.

Cater a special Valentines feast from Selmas Catering, with options like Beef Filet Oscar Style, Salmon or Grilled Grouper, Breakfast Charcuterie, and more.

Backroads Bakery has a Valentines gift package including two mugs, hot cocoa, 5-piece box of homemade dark chocolate truffles and a mini triple chocolate heart shaped cheesecake. Pre-order by February 10.

Chocolate Holler has chocolate covered strawberries for Valentines Day. Pre-Orders for any amounts of dozens or half dozens. Pick Up Days are February 8, 10, 12, 13 and 14. Orders close at 8 pm two days prior to your selected pick up day.

Crank & Boom Craft Ice Cream released special Valentines flavors, available in scoops & pints at both locations. Flavors include Irish Cream Dreams, Red Velvet Cheesecake, Non Dairy Chocolate Covered Strawberry.

DaRae & Friends Catering offers a Valentine Treat Box.

Martines Pastries offer Valentine Day themed treats including a cookies and cakes.

The Midway Bakery offers a Valentines Day Cookie Box. Each box includes a cookie-size Ruth Hunt milk chocolate heart and five varieties of cookies (four of each): Chocolate Chip, Sorghum, Peanut Butter, Vanilla Cranberry and heart-shaped sugar cookies with pink and red sprinkles.A gift note is included in each box by request. Available for pickup or shipping.

Oh My! Cookie Co.offers Valentines Day cookie boxes.

Pearls is making Valentines Day cookies, customizable to say whatever youd like. Pre-order online and pick up in store on February 12 & 13.

Selmas Catering offers a variety of desserts along with Valentine Hot Chocolate Kits and Valentine Cookie Decorating Kit. Order by February 11.

Thrive Kombucha has a special release bottle of kombucha along with sets of four chocolate covered strawberries available for Valentines Day.

The Amsden hosts a Galentines Day celebration on February 5-7. Friday/Saturday from 7 am to 7 pm; Sunday from 11 am until 5 pm. Featuring special Valentine lattes and hot chocolates, donuts and holiday themed treats. Make-your-own valentine station, a festive backdrop, special cocktails, and grab-and-go Valentine gift sets, and hourly giveaways.

Williams Sonoma has Valentines Day Baking with Brian Hart Hoffman, Sarah Kieffer, and Amy Guittard online on Monday, February 8 at 8 pm.

For a $10 donation, Lexington Humane Society will write your exs name on one of the many litter boxes. Donations accepted through February 12.

Waveland hosts two Valentines Teas on Friday, February 12 at 2 pm and 6 pm. Reservations are required.

Oh My! Cookie Co. has a pop up event at Poppy & Pomelo inside Greyline Station on February 13-14.

Wine + Market hosts their annual Bubbly and Bites Class on Saturday, February 13 at 6 pm; held on Zoom this year. Pick up your kit the day of the event, and that evening sample several bubbly styles each paired with small bites.

The Mad Potter hosts their 19th Annual Valentines Day Event on Sunday, February 14 at 6 pm, online.

Celebrate Valentines Day at The Burl w/ Mama Said String Band & Dark Moon Hollow on Sunday, February 14 at 7 pm.

Lexington Opera House offers a Valentines deal for couples and/or family groups of three or four to play mini golf at the Opera House on February 12-14. The package includes a 90-minute mini-golf session on their Broadway-inspired course, a photo opportunity at the Sweetheart Selfie Station, souvenir golf ball, and a sweet treat to take home. A personalized Valentines message will be posted on the new exterior Opera House Marquee on Broadway during the scheduled tee time.

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Where to eat, what to pre-order for Valentine's Day 2021 in Lexington, KY - Ace Weekly

Source: Nintendo

No one can hide on rollback.

This was Zane Epengu Bhansalis commentary during Haxs Nightclub Season 2 Episode 2 the first large online Melee tournament of 2021. In the idle moment between sets, he and Aziz Hax$ Al-Yami mused about how the rollback era of Melee was an all-new one for hidden bosses.

Hax$ likened Slippi to the tech-skill IRS coming to audit your regions favorite up and comer to see if they were really all that. Prior to Slippi implementing rollback netcode, Melees online play wasnt robust enough for top players to take it seriously. In turn, online results didnt prove much.

However, traveling to a major Melee event is costly, walling unsponsored regional bosses off of the big stage. With rollback implemented and the competition at least close enough to what it once was, the travel john is now gone. In this bold new world of Melee, everyone (except Europeans) have a chance to tweet about beating top 10 players.

In truth, the bold new world probably favors the usurpers. Mang0, Zain, Hungrybox theyre all used to the cadence of offline competition, the hum of CRT setups, the rhythm of crowd noise, the many irritants of travel, all that jazz. Regional bosses are normally used to none of that jazz.

But this article isnt about overcoming cold hands, early morning pools, and venue food. Its about the usurpers.Specifically, its about four players you should watch, not only because theyre on the rise but because theyre entertaining and interesting.

Ive tried to highlight players that havent been on Melees player rankings and dont have too large a following. Ive also tried to break down specifically what makes the player potent and unique.

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The data doesnt exist yet, but the Nordic countries have to be up there when it comes to top esports players per capita. In Melee, Sweden obviously comes to mind first, but right now Finland not only has a strong community but also Europes strongest Puff.

Solobattle currently tops Finlands PR and has a strong case to make for being a top 100 player in the rollback era. While some think of Solobattle as an aggressive Puff, hes more scrappy. Like most Puffs, Solobattle will circle and ledge camp some, especially with a lead. However, he actively seeks trades, stray hits, and bizarre scramble scenarios where his opponent falls off guard and into a tech chase scenario.

That tech chase is where Solobattle thrives. Playing much more off reaction, Solobattle seems to have a flowchart worked out based on what scramble option hit, where his opponent landed, and what tech option they chose. Given that Puff dies early on stages not named Dreamland, this is a high-risk style to run. Even if the rest lands, enough trades can put Puff in a vulnerable position/

However, Solobattles style makes it so he can easily equalize the game, steal the momentum, and fluster the opponent. To top it all of, Solobattle loves Yoshis Island, sometimes opting to go there instead of Dreamland. Though odd at first glance, the close quarters on Yoshis Island increase both his openings and his rewards.

In the rollback era, Solobattle became one of Europes top competitors. He has a great record against Trif (though he has a big matchup advantage). Hes increasingly matching his bracket demon Professor Pro and hes consistently beating in-region threats like Levingy. And his record with up-and-comers like Pipsqueak is pretty even too.

Though hes yet to crack Leffen, its clear his style has even more room for optimization. There are moments where the flowchart isnt fully built out or where his execution is just that tiny bit off. A scenario that looks fantastic in one second turns into a disaster the next. Such is the nature of Puff.

Solobattle leans into that nature so much that he often exemplifies it. Take his Summit set against Professor Pro, where he attempted a waveland, falling up air, rest at 0 percent. Fox had slightly too little damage to be knocked down and the whiff turned the momentum back into Professor Pros favor.

Some people struggle to see the spirit of Melee in the floaties, but Solobattle shows it well in the high risk, high reward battles he creates. Hes a player to look for if youre tuning into an EU event and feel lost outside of EUs big names. Disregard any region or character bias you may have, and hes a player to watch for his talent alone.

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No list of hype players is complete without a Falcon player.

When I watch Puff upthrow-rest a Marth after eating 17 straight fairs in neutral, I am irate. When I watch a Falcon down throw-knee a Marth after eating 21 straight fairs in neutral, I am elated. I watch I Killed Mufasa on repeat until I pass out of fatigue.

All jokes aside, Falcon embodies the constant give-and-take that germinates from Melees high octane engine. Most things combo Falcon, Falcon combos most things, and combos are exciting to most people. Especially if those combos come from Sufyan Android 0 Hassan.

You might guess Android 0s region just from his play. He carries the creative and stylish legacy of SoCal players like S2J and has landed plenty of impressive hard-read combos in bracket. However, these combos are only the entry point into Android 0s game.

The core is movement.

According to Jeremy Squid Deutsch, one of the first techniques Android 0 mastered was the Hax dash,which allows Falcon to get up and then refresh ledge invincibility before it runs out. In his earlier sets, Android 0 would spam this option along with ledge cancels.

Android 0s weird, frenetic style answers a question which few ever thought to ask: What if Captain Falcon was a bit more like Luigi? This is especially true in the earlier sets Ive watched, including my personal favorite: Android 0 vs Niconics.

This set pays homage to the idea that Melee always has more to show you. In it, Niconics plays a more orthodox Falcon. He just wants to hit Android 0 with some cool combos and tech chase. Meanwhile, Android 0 plays a Falcon that is coated in vegetable oil and he really wants to kill Niconico using a hard read, a special move, or both.

Android 0 slips around the stage getting weird combos and conversions while Scar and Toph question why he didnt just use knee there every thirty seconds. The set is close but for some reason, it never felt like Android 0 was in danger of losing.

Fast forward almost a year after that match and Android 0 has seriously improved! In November he had a number of strong placings and wins over players like Azel, Bones, Kodorin, KJH, bobby big ballz, Kalamazhu, and Ginger.

Because his movement is so clean, hes somewhat a reaction-based Falcon in the school of Wizzrobe. He tech chases very efficiently and gets a lot of percent off a single grab. Unlike Wizzrobe and more like most Falcons, he wants to style on his opponents.

Hell opt for reads more often and hell add difficult extra steps to a kill to make it look cooler. Where Wizzrobe will crouch and stare at his opponent like a computer waiting for input, Android 0 will dance around in advantage as though a forbidden Gamecube controller cursed his hands and he has to move his joystick every 10 frames.

This style makes Android 0 a blast to watch. Melees movement is one of its core tenets and Android 0 clearly has a love for it. To top it off, hes pretty new to the scene and fastly improving, so it feels like theres much more movement to come.

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Bones represents another kind of rising star that doesnt get the attention they deserve: the veteran who hits a breakthrough.

Bones has been around for a while but 2020 is easily his best year. He has wins over Golden, Ben, LSD, bobby big ballz, Ryobeat, Aklo, Gahtzu, Rishi, Llod, Magi, Ginger, and more. These wins came throughout the year as well, offline, on less legitimate delay, and on more legitimate rollback.

As a veteran, Bones' style is knowledgeable, patient, and balanced. He doesnt struggle playing aggressively or defensively as Falco. His conversions can vary wildly from using odd hitboxes or rare glitches to literally just five lasers and an f-smash.

In the way that change is exciting, Bones is too. It feels hard to know exactly what to expect going into his matches. Perhaps because he often takes a risk on an early getup shine or maybe out of raw luck his sets often go back and forth with both sides getting highlights.

Few sets show it better than his 3-2 win over Ginger at LACS 2. These 5 games fly by in under 12 minutes, both Falcos maintaining a relentless pace coupled with fantastic punishes and creative conversions. However, the real star of the set is the laser.

Arguably the best projectile in the game, Falcos laser isnt only potent for controlling space but for creating follow-ups. Very few Falcos have the laser down as well as Ginger and Bones, so the set is an absolute shootout where many other Bones sets are just a shooting gallery. His laser usage is very lethal and very smart, leading to sharpshooter edgeguards and surprising punishes.

Bones is a player you can expect to see around and a player youll want to watch. His Falco has its own unique cadence and only seems to be improving.

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Unless you were tuned into upstate New Yorks Melee scene, you probably didnt know about Jake Jmook DiRado Arvonio until he made his huge run at Haxs Nightclub earlier this month. He earned 5th place by beating Zains surprisingly solid Fox, Aklo, Magi, bobby big ballz, and Bones.

If you are a part of Melees New York scene, then this boss probably wasnt hidden. You could see him coming in the locals upstate, where Jmook quietly became king. As far back as 2016, he was notable, beating iBDW as the future top Fox player was leveling up.

In 2018, you had to fear the name if you were a pro going to upstate New York. He took Alvaro Trif Garcia Moral to game 5 and clean sweeped La Luna.

Jmook made all of these upsets using a very technical, fast, and creative Sheik, which is especially great right now. In the rollback era, Sheik has entered a mini-dark age, with Mew2king retiring and Plup taking a mental health break. While players like Shroomed, Captain Faceroll, and Ben still showing up, the character is far from abandoned but also isnt breaking into a ton of top 8s.

Jmook understands the ins-and-outs of his character very well and seems to know how much extra space Melees tech can afford him. Many of his creative extensions come from simply applying a tech where you wouldnt expect it. In that 2018 3-0, you can see it when he slips from the platform, nairs La Luna, then boost grabs to give Sheik a Marth-esque grab range.

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Super Smash Bros. Melee: No more hidden bosses: 4 Melee talents on the rise in the Slippi era - InvenGlobal

Parts of vehicles associated with the exhaust system may not seem to carry much value, but catalytic converters are being stolen in this and surrounding areas due to the amount a person can get selling them for scrap.

Law enforcement officers with the Pearl River County Sheriffs Department and Picayune Police Department have noticed an uptick in those thefts recently.

Maj. Joe Quave with the Sheriffs Department said that after the devices are cut from the vehicle, the suspects take them to scrap yards where they can get between $50 to $300 per catalytic converter. The devices are valuable because they contain rare metals instrumental in the process to make vehicle exhaust safer for the environment.

So far this year, 11 instances of the devices being stolen from vehicles in this county have been reported to the Sheriffs Department, five of which occurred this month, Quave said.

The cost to replace one of those devices can range from $200 to almost $2,000, depending on the vehicle involved.

Larger vehicles such as church vans, buses and RVs seem to be the hardest hit.

Picayune Police Assistant Chief James Bolton said several businesses and churches in the Picayune area were hit recently, totaling more than 11 thefts since September, where an employee at Paw Paws Camper City reported the theft of a catalytic converter off an RV. On Nov. 4, five more were stolen from RVs at the same business.

Staff at Walkers Collision Center also reported the theft of catalytic converters from five vehicles on Dec. 15. This month, several reports of the devices being stolen off church vans or business vehicles were reported, such as at Anointed Dove Ministries, East Jerusalem Baptist Church, Picayune Funeral Home and Pauls Pastry, Bolton said.

Bolton said his department is working with the Pearl River County Sheriffs Department as well as a number of other agencies in surrounding jurisdictions who are working similar thefts that occurred in those areas, such as St. Tammany Parish, Stone County, Jackson County, Waveland, Gulfport and Wiggins.

Law enforcement officials suggest parking vehicles in secure areas when possible, particularly in a garage. If a garage is not available, its a good idea to park vehicles in areas where there is plenty of light, and where surveillance footage can be captured.

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Catalytic converter thefts on the rise, especially from large vehicles - Picayune Item - Picayune Item