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Ordinary Folks Extraordinary in 9/11 Crisis

The actions of a planeload of passengers and a town full of wonderful people on 9/11 are a testament to the human spirit. Here’s an abbreviated account of what happened in Gander, Newfoundland, and nearby communities in the wake of the terrorist attack. It is a true story, written by a flight attendant on Delta Flight 15.

On the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 11, we were about five hours out of Frankfurt, flying over the North Atlantic. I was told to go to the cockpit, immediately. On arrival the captain handed me a printed message from Delta’s main office in Atlanta. It said: “All airways over the continental United States are closed to commercial air traffic. Land ASAP at the nearest airport. Advise your destination.”

The captain determined that the nearest airport was 400 miles behind us in Gander, Newfoundland. He requested and immediately received approval for a route change from Canadian traffic control. A few minutes later word came from Atlanta about the hijackings. We told the passengers the plane had a simple instrument problem and that we needed to land at the nearest airport to have it checked out. We promised to give more information after landing.

When we landed about 40 minutes later, we found there were already about 20 other airplanes on the ground from all over the world. After we parked, the captain made the following announcement: “Ladies and gentlemen, you must be wondering if all these airplanes around us have the same instrument problem as we have. The reality is that we are here for another reason.” He then explained the little we knew about the situation in the U.S. There were loud gasps and stares of disbelief. The captain informed passengers that ground control in Gander told us to stay put.

The Canadian Government was in charge of our situation and no one was allowed to get off the aircraft. No one on the ground was allowed to come near any of the planes. Only airport police would come around periodically, look us over and go on to the next plane. In the next hour or so more planes landed and Gander ended up with 53 airplanes from all over the world, 27 of which were U.S. commercial jets.

Meanwhile, bits of news started to come in over the aircraft radio and for the first time we learned that airplanes were flown into the World Trade Center in New York and into the Pentagon in DC. People were
trying to use their cell phones, but were unable to connect due to a different cell system in Canada . Some did get through, but were only able to get to the Canadian operator who would tell them that the lines to the U.S. were either blocked or jammed.

Sometime in the evening the news filtered to us that the World Trade Center buildings had collapsed and that a fourth hijacking had resulted in a crash. By now the passengers were emotionally and physically
exhausted, not to mention frightened, but everyone stayed amazingly calm. We had only to look out the window at the 52 other stranded aircraft to realize that we were not the only ones in this predicament.

We had been told earlier that they would be allowing people off the planes one plane at a time. At 6 p.m. Gander airport told us that our turn to deplane would be 11 a.m. the next morning. Passengers were not happy, but they simply resigned themselves to this news without much noise and started to prepare themselves to spend the night on the airplane.

Gander had promised us medical attention, if needed, water, and lavatory servicing. And they were true to their word. Fortunately we had no medical situations to worry about. We did have a young lady who was 33 weeks into her pregnancy. We took really good care of her. The night passed without incident despite the uncomfortable sleeping arrangements.

About 10:30 on the morning of the 12th a convoy of school buses showed up. We got off the plane and were taken to the terminal where we went through Immigration and Customs and then registered with the Red Cross.

After that the crew and passengers were separated. The crew was taken in vans to a small hotel. We had no idea where our passengers were going. We learned from the Red Cross that the town of Gander has a population of 10,400 people and they had about 10,500 passengers to take care of from all the airplanes that were forced into Gander! We were told to just relax at the hotel and we would be contacted when the U.S. airports opened again, but not to expect that call for a while.

We found out the total scope of the terror back home only after getting to our hotel and turning on the TV, 24 hours after it all started. Meanwhile, we had lots of time on our hands and found that the people of Gander were extremely friendly. They started calling us the “plane people.” We enjoyed their hospitality, explored the town of Gander and ended up having a pretty good time.

Two days later, we got that call and were taken back to the Gander airport. Back on the plane, we were reunited with the passengers and found out what they had been doing for the past two days. What we found out was incredible.

Gander and all the surrounding communities (within about a 75 kilometer radius) had closed all high schools, meeting halls, lodges and any other large gathering places. They converted all these facilities to mass lodging areas for all the stranded travelers. Some had cots set up, some had mats with sleeping bags and pillows set up. All the high school students were required to volunteer their time to take care of the “guests.” Our 218 passengers ended up in a town called Lewisporte, about 45 kilometers from Gander where they were put up in a high school. All the elderly passengers were taken to private homes.

The young pregnant lady was put up in a private home right across the street from a 24-hour urgent care facility. There was a dentist on call and both male and female nurses remained with the crowd for the duration.

Phone calls and e-mails to the U.S. and around the world were available to everyone once a day. During the day, passengers were offered “excursion” trips. Some people went on boat cruises of the lakes and harbors. Some went for hikes in the local forests. Local bakeries stayed open to make fresh bread for the guests. Food was prepared by all the residents and brought to the schools. People were driven to restaurants of their choice and offered wonderful meals. Everyone was given tokens for local laundry mats to wash their clothes, since luggage was still on the aircraft. In other words, every single need was met for those stranded travelers.

Passengers were crying while telling us these stories. Finally, when they were told that U.S. airports had reopened, they were delivered to the airport right on time and without a single passenger missing or late. The local Red Cross had all the information about the whereabouts of each and every passenger and knew which plane they needed to be on and when all the planes were leaving. They coordinated everything beautifully. It was absolutely incredible.

When passengers came on board, it was like they had been on a cruise. Everyone knew each other by name. They were swapping stories of their stay, impressing each other with who had the better time. Our
flight to Atlanta looked like a chartered party flight. The crew just stayed out of their way. It was mind-boggling. Passengers had totally bonded and were calling each other by their first names, exchanging phone numbers, addresses and email addresses.

And then a very unusual thing happened. One of our passengers approached me and asked if he could make an announcement over the PA system. We never, ever allow that. But this time was different. I said “of course” and handed him the mike. He picked up the PA and reminded everyone about what they had just gone through in the last few days. He reminded them of the hospitality they had received at the hands of total strangers. He continued by saying that he would like to do something in return for the good folks of Lewis Porte.

He said he was going to set up a trust fund under the name of Delta 15 (our flight number). The purpose of the trust fund is to provide college scholarships for the high school students of Lewis Porte. He asked for donations of any amount from his fellow travelers. When the paper with donations got back to us with the amounts, names, phone numbers and addresses, the total was for more than $14,000!

The gentleman, a doctor from Virginia, promised to match the donations and to start the administrative work on the scholarship. He also said that he would forward this proposal to Delta Corporate and ask them to
donate as well.

Today the trust fund is at more than $1.5 million and has assisted 134 students in college education.

I just wanted to share this story because we need good stories right now. It gives me a little bit of hope to know that some people in a faraway place were kind to some strangers who literally dropped in on them. It reminds me how much good there is in the world.

Generations Forged By Events of Their Time

Each of the four major generational groups in America – Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Millennials – have been forged by varied influences and have greatly different values and expectations.

Traditionalists, those born from 1900 to 1945, were shaped by the Great Depression, two world wars and the dawn of the space age. They lived through or were shaped by parents who survived the Great Depression. The Traditionalists experienced hard times while growing, were followed by times of prosperity.

Baby Boomers, born 1946 to 1964, were shaped by the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution and the Cold War. They include the post-war babies who grew up to be the radicals of the 70s and yuppies of the 80s. As children they were promised “the American dream” and they pursue that promise. As a result they are seen as being greedy, materialistic and ambitious.

Generation X, born 1965 to 1980, were forged by Watergate, the energy crisis, dual income and single parent families. They are the first generation of latchkey kids and have been influenced by the end of the Cold War, working mothers and an increased divorce rate. They are considered to be the first generation that will not do as well financially as their parents did.

Millennials, born 1981 to 2000, grew up in an era of AIDS, 9/11, terrorist attacks and school shootings. They were more sheltered than previous generations as parents strived to protect them from the evils of the world. They came of age in a period of economic expansion and were the first generation of children with schedules.

While Traditionalists considered education a dream, Baby Boomers looked on it as a birthright, Generation X saw it as a way to get there and the Millennials think of it as an incredible expense.

Traditionalists focused on family and community, the Boomers zeroed in on success, Generation X worried about time and the Millennials seem to be all about individuality. Traditionalists dealt with money by paying cash and emphasizing saving, while Baby Boomers believed in buy now, pay later. Generation X returned to cautious spending and savings emphasis, while Millennials simply earn to spend.

Traditionalists believe in hard work, respect for authority and put seniority and company first. Baby Boomers are driven to be workaholics with long hours and a solid work ethic. Generation X believes in working smarter, not longer and are more self-reliant while Millennials are into multitasking and have an entrepreneurial bent.

Traditionalists think of Hoover Dam when considering technology. Baby Boomers think of the microwave, while Generation X thinks of what they can hold in their hand – a cell phone or PDA. Millennials consider technology to be more intangible and communicate via the internet, picture phones and e-mail.

Traditionalists are more likely to communicate one-on-one or by writing a memo. Boomers grew up with touch-tone phones and a call me anytime attitude, while Generation X has cell phones and a cal me only at work attitude.

Traditionalists are likely to be discrete, Boomers diplomatic, Generation X blunt, direct and immediate and Millennials are polite and rely on voice mail and e-mail as primary tools, though they will communicate in person for very important messages.

What motivates the generations? For Traditionalists it is respect and security. Baby Boomers want to be valued and needed and see money as the ultimate reward. Generation X wants freedom, no rules and time off. Millennials are motivated by time off and want to work with other bright people.

Family and work are compartmentalized and kept separate by traditionalists, while Baby Boomers and Millennials work to live, not live to work. Millennials value their lifestyle over upward mobility and will reject work promotions that will upset their lifestyle.

How American Homes Have Evolved Since 1994

In 20 years, the American home has evolved quite a bit – it now has more bedrooms and bathrooms, fewer fireplaces, greater outdoor features and it’s a lot more expensive. The average sales price in 1994 was $154,500 compared to the $345,800 average sales price in 2014. A lot has changed in two decades.

SelfStorage.com provided a look at the evolution of newly constructed homes.

More Space. In 2004, 28% of new homes ranged from 1,800 to 2,399 finished square feet. In 2014, 26% of homes fell into that range.

Fewer Fireplaces. In 1994, 59% of new homes had at least one fireplace, in 2014, 49% had no fireplace.

More Bedrooms. In 1994, 58% of new homes had three bedrooms. In 2014, 46% had four or more bedrooms.

More Baths. In 1994, 40% of new homes had two bathrooms. In 2014, 36% had three or more bathrooms.

More Outdoor Features. In 2010, 24% of new homes had a porch or patio. Just four years later 28% had a porch or patio.

More Air Conditioning. In 1994, 79% of new homes had air conditioning. In 2014, that percentage stood at 91%.

Forest Fires Pose CO2 Danger

Wildfires are tearing across Alaska and western Canada at a record-breaking rate this summer. Stands of blackened trees and cross-continental plumes of smoke are only the most visible signs of damage from the 300 or more fires currently raging. The smoke has been evident in the American Midwest for some days now. The biggest concern, however, may be what’s happening below ground.

Globally, soils contain more carbon than above ground vegetation and the atmosphere combined. In warmer parts of the world, soil microorganisms chew through dead plants and animals very quickly, cycling their organic carbon back to the atmosphere as CO2. But in the boreal forests, peatlands and tundra that stretch across our planet’s high latitudes, long winters and short growing seasons slow microbial decomposition, allowing carbon-rich organic matter to accumulate. That’s why, even though boreal forests cover a slightly smaller area than tropical forests, they sequester nearly three times as much carbon in their soils. Canada’s boreal forests cover nearly 60% of the nation’s land area.

Much of that centuries-old carbon is now going up in smoke, in what could represent a major new source of heat-trapping CO2 to our planet’s atmosphere. Climate Central, a nonprofit news organization that analyzes and reports on climate science, says the prevailing dogma used to be that carbon-rich peatlands simply didn’t burn. Shifting weather patterns and unprecedented drought are quickly changing that:

As warming dries out forests and precipitation patterns change, the water table is dropping in once swampy areas. That makes peat susceptible to burning and when it does catch fire, centuries’ worth of carbon can burn up in the span of a few hours if fires are intense enough. Peat fires are also notoriously resilient, smoldering for days, weeks or even popping up again after a winter of smoldering beneath the surface.

Measuring soil carbon stocks and fluxes is a labor-intensive business. It will be some time before scientists have good idea just how much carbon this summer’s fires blew skyward. But with bad wildfire seasons like this one becoming the new normal, and soil carbon stocks taking decades to centuries to rebuild, the outlook for one of our planet’s most important natural carbon sinks is looking pretty grim.

Happy Birthday Canada & USA

It’s birthday week in North America.

Canada Day, celebrating the anniversary of the Constitution Act of 1867, will be observed by Canadians around the world on Wednesday, July 1. And on Saturday, July 4, Americans celebrate the Declaration of Independence issued in 1776 which led to the separation of the original 13 American colonies from England.

Canada Day was known as Dominion Day until it was renamed in 1982. The Constitution Act, originally known as the British North America Act, united Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the Province of Canada into a single country called Canada within the British Empire. The Province of Canada was split into Ontario and Quebec in the process.

Canada became a kingdom in its own right on July 1, 1867, though the British parliament and cabinet kept limited rights of political control over the new country that were shed by stages over the years until the last vestiges were surrendered in 1982 when the Constitution Act patriated the Canadian constitution.

Most communities across the United States and Canada will celebrate the national birthdays with public events such as parades, carnivals, festivals, barbecues, air and maritime shows, fireworks, and free musical concerts.

Folklorama Festival Aug. 2 – 15

Celebrate life and culture with world-class entertainment, delicious authentic food and beautiful cultural displays at the 46th annual Folklorama in Winnipeg this August. Folkorama is the largest and longest-running multicultural festival of its kind in the world.

The Folklorama Experience
Expect to taste delicious, authentic food and exotic beverages, meet friendly ambassadors dressed in traditional cultural attire and experience dynamic performances – all while learning about cultures and countries from around the world.

Tips for First-timers
Many visitors to the Festival plan to visit three pavilions in an evening and at least three to six pavilions in each week of the two-week festival. Bring an appetite and try an appetizer at the first pavilion, dinner at the second and a dessert at your last stop of the night

How Folklorama Works
Folklorama is a two-week multicultural festival featuring more than 40 pavilions during the first two weeks of every August. Half of the Festival’s pavilions operate in Week 1 of the festival and the other half operate in Week 2. The Folklorama Travel Guide is your most important festival planning tool. Printed copies of the Travel Guide are available at Manitoba Liquor Marts, Cambrian Credit Union branches, Vickar Automotive Group dealerships, 7-Eleven locations, leading Manitoba hotels and attractions, as well as the Folklorama office. The festival takes place during evenings, though there are some afternoon shows on the weekends. All show times are listed in the Travel Guide. A fold-out map in the center of the Folklorama Travel Guide displays the locations of pavilions across Winnipeg.

It takes 20,000 visitors to serve the roughly 400,000 people who attend this annual festival. Tour groups from across Canada and the United States, as well as from a many other nations descend on Winnepeg each year to take part in the events. August is a comfortable time to visit Winnepeg with average daily high temperatures in August ranging from 74 to 80 degrees, while lows range from 56 to 62 degrees.

Dino’s Storage is proud to operate a self-storage facility in Winnepeg and to be a part of such a vibrant, friendly community.

You can learn more about the festival on the web at www.folkorama.ca

Dino’s Congratulates Paws & Effect

Paws & Effect has just opened its new facility at 2629 Beaver Ave. in the Beaverdale neighborhood of Des Moines as it celebrates nine years of training service, therapy and othe animals. The new space features an office, training space, a community blackboard wall and a reading room and lending library for both pets and handlers.

Established in 2006, Paws & Effect is a Des Moines, Iowa-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that raises, trains and places service dogs with military veterans and children diagnosed with medical needs. The group also registers therapy animals through Pet Partners, and regularly hosts NADAC-sanctioned dog-agility events for fun and fund raising.

“As we gallop toward our 10th anniversary next year, establishing our own training and meet-up space was the next natural milestone for our organization,” says Nicole Shumate, executive director for Paws & Effect. “We’re building and sustaining our communities – puppy-raisers, dog trainers, Pet Partners, Dog Scouts, military veterans, allies and others – people and animals working together, for our mutual good.”

We provide Pet Partners for animal-assisted activities and animal-assisted therapy. Our pet partner programs include our Abilities Through Agility Program at ChildServe. This program integrates dog agility with physical, occupational, and speech therapy in a group environment.

Dino’s Storage is proud to be a partner in Paws & Effect’s programs across Iowa.

The organization has Pet Partner programs at facilities across the state and is the host of Dog Scouts Troop 232 in southeast Iowa and Missouri.

For more information about Paws & Effect, you can write them at:
Paws & Effect
P.O. Box 41442
Des Moines, Iowa 50311

Or you can contact Nicole Shumate at:
nicoleshumate@paws-effect.org or by phone at (515) 822-5285.

And, of course, for your storage needs, Dino’s has locations in Omaha, Winnipeg and at these three Des Moines metro locations:

Southeast Des Moines
5327 SE 14th Street
Des Moines IA 50320

Des Moines North
2725 2nd Avenue
Des Moines IA 50313

Bondurant
411 Brick Street SE
Bondurant IA 50035

Winnipeg Folk Fest July 9-12

“It’s a meeting of old friends and new friends, the peaceful ambiance of the place … A community of like-minded people who enjoy having fun and being nice to each other.”

And it’s time to make your plans to be in attendance at Winnipeg’s ever-popular summer festival. Folks from across Canada and from the States will be there. You should be to.

“It introduces me to new music every year, which is why I keep coming back. What the Folk Fest means to me is world-class music, wonderful music!”

It’s the moment you walk down the forested path and see Snowberry Stage. It’s dancing with your toes in the soft grass. It’s kicking back on your tarp with your hat tipped over your eyes, listening to the music while the sun warms your cheeks. It’s running into old friends and making new ones. It’s discussing the music, in-depth and openly. It’s taking the time to enjoy each other’s company and appreciate the things that are truly important in life.

“It’s in my heart; it’s in my soul; it’s part of my life. I don’t know what I’d do without my dose of folkiness in the summertime.” ~ Jane Graham, Volunteer

Here’s the lineup of folk and fan favorites for this summer’s festival at Birds Hill Provincial Park: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Wilco, José González and Jenny Lewis will lead the new folk revival, while classic favourites including Arlo Guthrie and famed folk-rock band Steeleye Span will take their place as Folk Fest legends.

“With this lineup, we are honoring folk music by embracing the evolution of folk while staying true to the traditions of Folk Fest,” said Artistic Director Chris Frayer. “Modern folk artists are playing with the genre and pushing it in new directions and this lineup will be an exciting representation of that.”

2015 Main Stage highlights include:
Psychedelic indie-folk ensemble Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (Los Angeles, CA) – led by Golden Globe-winner Alex Ebert – draws on a wide breadth of genres including roots and gospel.

Soulful singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis (Los Angeles, CA) will share her timeless vocals, which fans first heard during her stint in popular indie bands, Rilo Kiley and The Postal Service.

Grammy Award-winning experimental folk group Wilco (Chicago, IL), led by festival favourite Jeff Tweedy, will bring their gritty sound to the Main Stage for the first time as a full band.

Guitar virtuoso José González (Sweden), will showcase music from his first solo album in seven years, which was released in February to great fanfare.

Hot on the heels of his sold out Winnipeg show, Bahamas will be returning to the festival with his new album.

Multi award-winner Jason Isbell will play his achingly beautiful Americana music, including songs from his much-lauded album, Southeastern.

Renowned for its one-of-a-kind workshops and concerts, Folk Fest kicks it up a notch for 2015. The great Arlo Guthrie will be doing a special performance of the iconic 18-minute and 34-second monologue “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” for its 50th anniversary. Another not-to-be-missed performance will see legendary English troubadour Robyn Hitchcock join Canada’s premier roots-rock band The Sadies and other special guests to perform The Band’s Stage Fright album, in honor of the anniversary of its 1970 release.

World music will be as diverse as ever at this summer’s festival. World-music collective and activists Nahko and Medicine For The People (OR/HI), Tuareg blues masters Tamikrest (Mali), the incandescent voices of Dehli’s Barmer Boys (India), and the musical brilliance of Söndörgo (Hungary) will have audiences on their feet throughout the weekend. One of the world’s only double violinists Gingger Shankar (Los Angeles, CA), who scored the feature film Passion of the Christ and toured with the Smashing Pumpkins on their 20th anniversary tour, will bring her unique Indian electronica music to the festival stages.

The landscape of Manitoban music will also be richly represented on the nine Folk Fest stages; featuring the genre-bending Royal Canoe, the Mexican stylings of The Mariachi Ghost, one-man band The Reverend Rambler, Anishinaabe ‘rez poet’ Leonard Sumner and singer-songwriter Slow Leaves.

New Index Shows Preference for Urban Cores

A new index, seeking to measure the walkability of commercial sectors to help better determine value and potential investment opportunities, shows strong consumer preference for urban cores.

Real Capital Analytics Inc., an international data and analytics firm focused on commercial real estate investment markets, announced a new collaboration with WalkScore, a private company providing a numerical index of community walkability via websites and a mobile app. The companies called the RCA & Walk Score Commercial Property Price Indices (CPPI) “the first of its kind to quantify the price value of walkability for commercial properties.”

“Prices for commercial properties in highly walkable locations show significantly greater appreciation trends than car-dependent locations,” said RCA Founder Robert White in a release accompanying the announcement. “The findings cut across both urban and suburban locales, large and small markets and each of the office, retail and apartment sectors.”

RCA says the first-quarter results for this year will be released next month. The current release analyzes data through December 2014. RCA says the data “supports growing evidence that demographic shifts and preferences have shifted back to urban locations and more dynamic live/work/play environments.”

They found that over the past decade, prices for properties located in central business districts have risen 125 percent, while comparable properties located in car-dependent areas have risen only around 20 percent during the same time period. And properties don’t have to be located in purely urban areas to benefit; the index finds that prices for suburban properties that are also considered highly walkable are up 43 percent.

Bargain Hunting On the Web

If you enjoy bargain hunting, going to garage sales or attending live auctions, www.StorageBattles.com just might be your cup of tea. On the site you have the opportunity to bid on the contents of storage units at hundreds or self-storage facilities across the nation. The site includes photos and brief descriptions of the contents of each unit up for auction.

Dino’s Storage, which has facilities in the Omaha and Des Moines metro areas, is mong the facilities using the site for its auctions. Currently, Dino’s has more than a dozen auctions posted from its Des Moines area facilities.

You can bid with confidence on the website since all units posted on StorageBattles must have a locking ID tag which guarantees the unit has not been tampered with any time after the auction was posted. You also avoid the hassles of crowded live auctions, have plenty of time to research unit contents and avoid the crowds, traffic and bad weather conditions.

Once you regiter at www.StorageBattles.com you will receive Emails of new auctions posted, auctions ending soon and weekly auction updates. You can search the site for auctions near you and create a database of auctions you would like to keep your eye on.

When you win an auction, the buyer’s premium of 10% of the bid will be charged to your credit or debit card. There is no annual fee, or membership fee. The full amount of a winning bid will be paid directly to the facility, in cash, when you go to the facility to remove the contents of the storage unit. Winning bidders are charged a refundable cleaning deposit and any applicable taxes.

Immediately at the close of each storage auction, an Email is sent to the winning bidder. This email will contain the unit number and the final bid price, as well as the facility name, address, phone number and manager’s name. Please make initial contact with the facility as soon as soon as possible and let them know when you expect to pick up the contents of that storage unit. The winning bidder will have 72 hours to clean out the storage unit. The winning bidder is responsible for the entire contents of any storage unit won. All contents are to be removed.

Unless otherwise stated, storage auctions posted on www.StorageBattles.com are lien sales, meaning a tenant has fallen behind in their rent, and the contents of their storage unit are being auction to pay the delinquent rent. When a tenant pays their lien, the auction for their storage unit is cancelled. The tenant has up until the sale is complete to pay their lien. The legal definition of sale is the transfer of goods in exchange for money. Until the winning bidder has physically paid the full amount of the bid to the facility, the tenant can still pay the lien, even if the bidding has ended unless otherwise stated by state lien laws or storage facility policy.

Bidding times could vary from several days to several weeks. The storage facilities post their own auctions on www.StorageBattles.com and choose their end time, according to the time and date on the lien notices that are sent to tenants.