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Whatever Happened to Common Sense?

Lately schools seem to be “giving out suspensions like they’re pencils,” says Jacqueline Burt at The Stir, with arguably well-meaning students being punished for a smorgasbord of what critics are calling trite and ridiculous reasons, ranging from giving hugs to Tebowing.

Here are a plethora of examples:

A creative haircut. Patrick Gonzalez, a 12-year-old student at Woodlake Hills Middle School in San Antonio, recently received an in-school suspension after his enthusiasm for NBA star Matt Bonner went too far. Gonzalez had the San Antonio Spurs forward’s likeness shaved into his hair, which school officials claimed was a violation of the school dress code. To return to school, Gonzalez had to shave his head bald, removing traces of the tribute. But all was not for naught: Bonner was so flattered by Gonzalez’s devotion that he called it “the nicest thing a fan has ever done for me,” and sent the middle schooler playoff tickets and autographed swag.

Hugging a friend. Florida middle schooler Nick Martinez thought nothing of giving his best friend, a female student, a quick hug between classes – until he was suspended for the embrace. As it turns out, Southwest Middle School in Palm Bay has a strict no-hugging policy, in order to prevent harassment and keep students focused on learning.

Tebowing. Matt Bonner isn’t the only athlete indirectly responsible for a student’s suspension. A group of high schoolers in Riverhead, N.Y., was suspended after mimicking NFL quarterback Tim Tebow’s “Tebowing” stance in the hallway of Riverhead High School. Four boys struck the kneeling pose between classes, inspiring upwards of 40 other classmates to join in. School officials cited the quartet for causing a traffic jam in the hallway, an apparent violation of school rules.

Growing hair for charity. Michigan teen J.T. Gaskin is a leukemia survivor, and he knows firsthand the crucial confidence that a wig from the Locks of Love charity can give an ailing cancer patient who has gone bald. After hearing that a friend’s sister had been diagnosed with cancer, Gaskin decided to grow the 10-inch ponytail required by Locks of Love for a donation in her honor. But Gaskin was only able to grow his hair about 2.5 inches before he was suspended by his school, Madison Academy, for violating a dress code stipulation that boys’ hair be “off the collar, off the ears, and out of the eyes.” Despite the punishment, Gaskin said he has no plans to stop growing his hair in preparation for a donation.

Singing a hit song. Hip-hop group LMFAO’s popular single “I’m Sexy and I Know It” is “so catchy, even a 6-year-old boy can pick it up, says Amanda Sloane at HLN TV. That’s what happened in Colorado, where young D’Avonte Meadows started singing the tune – which includes lyrics like “Girl, look at that body” – to a classmate in his school’s lunch line, and was promptly suspended for sexual harassment. While the lyrics were undeniably inappropriate, it’s easy to see how the student is familiar with the track. After all, it’s featured in a frequently aired M&M’s commercial, and was parodied by Elmo on Sesame Street.

Calling a teacher ‘cute’. A 9-year-old North Carolina boy was also suspended for arguably dubious claims of sexual harassment, only his offense was calling a teacher “cute.” A substitute teacher overhead Emanyea Lockett give out the compliment chatting with a friend and reported him.

Chivalry. A student at Southampton Middle School in Virginia was given a one-day suspension for holding an exterior door open for an adult who had her hands full. The student knew the adult, but the school has a policy that prohibits letting a visitor in before he or she is vetted by a security camera. According to the school district’s superintendent, the strict rule is essential to ensure that the high-tech security system is effective.

Disarming a would-be shooter. In February 2013, three high school students were suspended from school for disarming a would-be shooter on the school bus. The teens, all students at Cypress Lake High School in Fort Myers, Florida, were on a school bus when two students got into a heated argument. One of them then pulled a loaded .22 caliber revolver on the other, and aimed it at his head. The three unnamed students didn’t wait to watch someone die. Instead, they tackled and disarmed the suspect, who was later arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The three students who prevented a possible murder did not receive a hero’s welcome at their school. Instead, they were suspended for the remainder of the week because they were involved in a gun “incident.”

Brandishing a pizza slice. A ten-year-old boy at the David Youree Elementary School in Smyrna, Tennessee, was punished with social isolation at lunch time because he brandished a pizza slice at his school friends. It wasn’t just any pizza slice, of course. As Nashville’s News 2 Investigates reported, it was a half-eaten slice of pizza that vaguely looked like a gun. When a fellow student commented on the slice’s resemblance to a gun, the 10-year-old picked it up and pretended to fire shots into the air. School officials suspended him.

Strawberry mountains. Josh Welch, 7, got in trouble at Baltimore’s Park Elementary School when he tried to make a strawberry mountain. Josh, who has ADHD decided that it would be fun to mash up his strawberry tart and sculpt a mountain. Being only 7, things didn’t go quite as planned. As Josh explained, “All I was trying to do was turn it into a mountain but, it didn’t look like a mountain really and it turned out to be a gun (kind of).”

Accidental teacher touching. Seventh grader Je’Terra Bowie was suspended for 180 days from Wilkinson Middle School in Detroit for allegedly accidentally touching her teacher as she reached back to stretch, WDIV reports. “I didn’t know she stopped behind me,” Bowie told the station. “She stopped, and I stretched back. I turned back and said, ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to.'” After the teacher demanded Bowie leave the classroom, other students wrote letters asserting the incident was an accident. The teacher maintains the poke to her inner thigh was not an accident.

Check what you buy. Jack Persyn, 13, was in chess club before class when he discovered a short knife in the bag he brought to his Georgia school, station WXIA reports. Persyn’s aunt had bought the bag from a yard sale, and gave the purchase to the teen without checking inside first, the Atlanta-Journal Constitution reports. After Persyn told his Lanier Middle School teacher that he accidentally brought the weapon to class, the teen received four days of in-school suspension, a punishment his father Bill Persyn says is excessive.
“There was never a safety issue,” Persyn told WXIA. “No harm was done. It was a genuine honest mistake, yet he got pulled out of class for four days. I can see a one-hour detention if they had to do something, but this is nonsensical.”

Failure to report bullying. Essance McDougald, a student at Lithonia High School in Lithonia, Ga., claims she was suspended for not reporting to school officials that she was being bullied, CBS Atlanta reports. McDougald alleges two female students sent her threatening letters and locked her in a school bathroom.
WSBTV reports that the student wrote a three-page letter to her school counselor, but was still suspended for two days. McDougald’s grandmother told WSBTV that since her granddaughter is too afraid to return to school, she is considering home-schooling the teen.

Pink (as for cancer) hair. South Carolina mother Denise Sargent is upset that her daughter Rheanne was suspended for dying her hair pink to support National Breast Cancer Awareness month. The Belton Middle School student tells WYFF that she wanted to recognize those who have battled cancer. But the school’s assistant principal said she was violating the dress code, which prohibits non-human hair color, and placed Rheanne in in-school suspension.

The butter knife. A Massachusetts middle school student was suspended after she brought a butter knife to school in her lunch, Fox 25 Boston reports. According to the 13-year-old’s mother, Morgan LaPlume was taken to the office and handed a one-day suspension after Wamsutta Middle School’s assistant principal spotted the butter knife, the Sun Chronicle reports. LaPlume packed the butter knife with her lunch in order to cut a pear, explaining to Fox 25 that she can’t bite into the fruit because of her braces.

Digital Library Opening in November

A technology lovers dream is coming to Omaha. And it’s all free to the public. Expectations are that Do Space, a philanthropic funded digital library, will open Nov. 7 on the southwest corner of 72nd & Dodge – Omaha’s prime crossroads intersection.

Do Space DigitalLibrary will offer a plethora of computers – Macs and PCs – along with high-speed Internet access, 3D printers, digital TVs and desktop work stations equipped with dual monitors. Rounding out the offerings will be the latest software from basic Photoshop to advanced computer-assisted drawing. Do Space will include a 3D printing lab, surrounded by glass, where people can learn how to use the printers and make inventions come to life.

Sue Morris, president of Heritage Services, the nonprofit group behind the project, says Do Space will be open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Heritage Services raised the funds for the project with donations led by ome of Omaha’s top philanthropists. The funds are expected to pay for renovating the former Borders bookstore at a cost of around $5 million, plus $2 million in technology and operations for four years.

The Community Information Trust, a private nonprofit corporation, was established to run Do Space.

Do Space is being wired for internet access with the capacity for hundreds of people to use it at a time, on Do Space equipment or their own, without slowdowns. “We will offer the public free access to ultrafast gigabit bandwidth,” said Rebecca Stavick, executive director of Do Space.

The facility also will have video gaming equipment for teen-agers with an interest in learning how to create games. Users will have access to normally expensive software. The space is intended to be useful to a wide range of people, Stavick said – “little kids, families, seniors, middle schoolers, job seekers, working people looking to upgrade their skills.” There will be a hangout space for teens, a tech help desk and a conference room that can be reserved, plus other group work spaces.

Young children can have high-tech story time with parents. Bigger kids are likely to have a workshop in which they learn how to use 3D printers by making their own creations.

“Like a public library, we serve everybody,” Stavick said. “From someone who has never used computers before, to an advanced programmer who knows three programming languages and wants to learn more.”
Metro Community College will offer classes and computer user training on the building’s second floor, beginning in January. Conversations also are under way with public school officials.

Users do not have to be from Douglas County to use Do Space. The digital library will issue Do Space cards.

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.