Nearly 1,000 Students to Participate in WSSU Commencement on May 15

WINSTON-SALEM, NC -- Christina Wareâs story is one of the many inspiring testimonials of the nearly 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students from near and afar who are expected to participate in Winston-Salem State Universityâs commencement ceremony on Friday, May 15, at 9:45 a.m., at Bowman Gray Stadium, 1250 South Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive.

Academy Award-winning recording artist, activist and actor Common will be the keynote speaker. There are no guest limits or ticket requirements for the ceremony.

It is conceivable that Wareâs story of work ethic, undeniable spirit and enthusiasm encapsulates the sentiment of her graduating 2015 classmates.

Ware, 43, of Winston-Salem, is quite active on and off campus as a mentor to other students, a member of the non-traditional student organization, the first president of Epsilon Chapter 130 of Tau Sigma National Honor Society at WSSU, a wife and proud mother of two. She is also legally blind. She wants to blaze trails, set examples and raise the bar for others with disabilities.

âIn 2007, I lost my eyesight. After a six-month pity party, I decided to continue my education and make a difference for others. Since 2008, I have spent every day of my life proving to society that having a disability does not mean we are weak. I am now an advocate for persons with disabilities,â Ware, a business major, said, "We are not handicapped, we are handy capable!"

Ware, who can be described as always pleasant and having an unlimited enthusiasm for life, says every day alive is like Christmas. She demands to be treated like everyone else and has been noted to say, âI may physically fall, but mentally I can get back up and pull a 4.0 semester.â After graduation she wants to start a Kosher/Halal foods business and become active on community boards.

The China Connection

From the City of Harbin, the capital and largest city of the Heilongjiang province of the People's Republic of China, WSSU Master of Arts in the Teaching of English as a Second Language and Applied Linguistics students Yaowen Xing and Chunling Zhang have found a second home at WSSU and in Winston-Salem. They perhaps have come the farthest distance attend the university.

With a population of more than five million people, Harbin is situated in the northeast region of China so close to Russia that only the Songhua River separates the two countries. Nicknamed the Ice City, the average winter temperature is -3.5 °F with annual lows hitting -31.0 °F. Itâs no wonder the students say the warmer weather here in the Piedmont Triad has not been lost in translation with them and itâs one of the things they enjoy.

âWe really love the weather in North Carolina, especially the long summer time, since our hometown is so cold with snow for almost 6 months of the year,â Xing, 30, noted. âWe also love the people at WSSU and the faculty who all are nice and it has been a really good experience.â

Xing and Zhang, 35, are in America as part of a Chinese education immersion program to help exchange the cultures between China and America. They enjoy working as cultural ambassadors to students in both the cultures. The two came to the U.S. in 2013 and have been teaching at Konnoak Elementary school during the early hours and studying and researching later in the day. âComing to America was a dream for me after learning about it through books, movies and music, and my time here it has been amazing,â Xing said.

Zhang, said she didnât know much about WSSU or Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUâs), but after a short time here she knew WSSU would be was special part of life. âI have met many African- Americans who have been friendly and helpful. I now can say I truly have many black friends,â Zhang said. She and Xing have taken advantage of the HBCU experience. They have been often seen attending evening lectures and presentations, sports events, musical and visual arts events. With their WSSU master degrees they will return to China one day in the future to make an impact on teaching and the quality of education there.

The All-In Approach

Olivia N. Sedwick, 21, a political science major from Indianapolis, has taken âthe all-in approach" to her WSSU experience. The current WSSU student government president (SGA), honorâs student and champion athlete, chose WSSU over other schools she could have attended.

Featured in a USA Today article highlighting the HBCU experience released last June, Sedwick is quoted as saying about WSSU, âI fell in love with the school.â She says, âWe talked about things that I had never had the chance to before coming from a predominantly white high school.â

Liking the intellectual and social environment, she was comfortable becoming involved around campus. In her first year, a walk-on athlete for the womenâs track and field team, she was a 2013 CIAA Indoor Womenâs Track and Field All-Conference competitor and the WSSU womenâs shot put record holder until earlier this year, although she never competed in the throws until coming to college. In her second year she served as the sophomore class vice president while also being appointed to serve on many committees throughout the university. In that same year, she was a delegate to the UNC Association of Student Governments (UNCASG), representing WSSU students on a state-wide level. At the end of that year, she became the first African-American female elected senior vice president of UNCASG and served in that capacity for the entirety of her third year while being active as the chief of staff for the WSSU student government association that year also. Toward the end of her term in UNCASG, she decided to run for student body president and has served as the voice of the students for the duration of her last year. With all of her activities, she has maintained a 3.95 GPA throughout her time in college.

Sedwick has been selected as a UNC General Administration Presidential Intern, which begins in July. Upon completion of the prestigious one-year appointment, Sedwick plans to attend Howard University School of Law.

A Drum Major who will March for a Noble Cause

Willie Davis, 22, a social work major from Fayetteville, N.C., who has led WSSUâs Red Sea of Sound Marching Band as a drum major for his senior year, will now march to lead the charge for helping veterans and their families cope with typical and unique challenges of serving in military. Davis will be one of four Cadets with the distinct honor of being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant U.S. in the U.S. Army during this yearâs commencement ceremony. Despite that professionally Davis will help vets, military and families with things like dealing with emotions, he said, âI donât think I will be ready for the commissioning part (of commencement) emotionally.â

Readiness for Davis is an understatement. The youngest of three siblings, who was age 10 when his father died, Davis has been an A average student throughout life. He was in the top ten of his high school class and the first generation in his family to attend college. At WSSU, besides maintaining high academic achievement and serving in the U.S. Army ROTC, Davis has been active with the WSSU Band, the University Choir, a Campus Ambassador, a mentor to freshmen students, vice president of the WSSU chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, a Veterans Helping Veterans Heal intern and a member of Galilee Missionary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem.

After graduation, Davis is going to graduate school at the University of South Carolina. He plans to complete that program in one year and begin his military duties. As a clinical social worker, his responsibilities may range from clinical counseling, crisis intervention, disaster relief, critical event debriefing, teaching and training, supervision, research, administration, consultation and policy development in various military settings. He wants to specialize in helping military veterans who suffer from different traumas such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), paranoid schizophrenia and other conditions.

It's now become part of our travelling calendar - we go on a city break for Jayne’s birthday in January - no presents for birthday's and Christmas, we travel instead. This year it was Seville. We had to drive 180 miles south to Stansted to fly there though, Friday afternoon on the A1, such fun... It was a really good drive down in actual fact, the best day for months, glorious blue sky and a fantastic sunset- and I was in a car. We got stung for tea and drinks in the Radison Blu but we were overnighting and leaving the car so we didn't have much choice. Ryanair aagh! Again no choice. To be fair to the abrasive Irish man O Leary things are better than they used to be and it was an acceptable flight.

We were hoping for better weather than we got- don't you always? It was. cold, windy and after some initial beautiful sun on our first afternoon, it was mostly grey. The wind died but so did the sun. The other little problem was that it was my turn for the awful cold that Jayne had been trying to get over. I was under the weather in more ways than one all week, it was only a cold but it was the worst I've had for ages and it didn't help my mood, particularly when the sun was absent. We had a few hours of really nice light here and there and I made the most of it - I think!

Seville has miles and miles of narrow cobbled streets, they seem to go on for ever. They are almost random in layout and it is extremely difficult to find your way around, it's easier to just keep walking and see what you find. So we did! The architecture is stunning and the history is fascinating. Aside from the ancient history the two events that seem to have had a massive recent influence are the Expo's of 1929 and 1992. The incredible buildings or 'Pavilions' that were built for a one off event are now part of the reason that people visit the city. The 1929 pavilions are fantastic, each one is a story in itself and a destination in its own right but there are a lot of them in Parque Maria Luisa. Plaza Espana, built by the hosts of course, is the biggest and I would imagine that you could make a project out of photographing the individual ceramic tile displays around it on their own. These incredible buildings really need the light to be right to get images that people want to see, flat bright light from bright grey skies is good for certain things but dramatic architecture deserves better - or maybe I'm looking for the easy way option. The other discovery that we made, we found just down the road from the hotel, about an hour into the trip – The Metropol Parasol. A giant lattice work parasol, apparently called ‘The Mushrooms’ locally and apparently the world’s largest wooden structure. You have to look twice, having discovered that it is wood. Only later did we discover that we could get to the top and there is an extensive walkway around the top of it. It is built on top of ancient ruins, ( still intact and viewable) a food market and bars etc. and has a plaza around it and on it, that is buzzing on weekend evenings. Walking around the top, the first people up it one day and being back to watch the sunset later was one of the highlights of the trip for me.

The 1992 Expo also covered a massive area but left behind lots of modern - and some very strange - buildings and arenas. Some are of a temporary nature and get dismantled others find a new use. The land used was on an island between two branches of the River Guadalquivir – Isla de la Cartuja. The branch that goes through the city is now a canal, blocked at its northern end by a barrier with a motorway on it, and is used extensively for water sports, mainly rowing. Many of the buildings are now used by private companies as headquarters , others have a very derelict look. The whole area- even though it is home to the theme park- which was shut for the winter, has a neglected air about it. There are weeds growing everywhere but fountains are switched on, which seemed odd. Unlike the city a short distance away, there are no cafes or bars or other people around for that matter, just us meandering through. The car park that was created for the event is massive, it stretches for miles, and I really mean miles. Totally derelict, just the odd person or dog walker around. There is even a railway line terminating here, in the middle of nowhere a modern and apparently unmanned station, like a ghost station. At this point, across the river proper is open countryside, much flatter than I expected and very easy for local walkers and cyclists to get to - also very calm and quiet, a place to linger and enjoy the peace.

As usual I researched and discovered as we walked, we averaged around 13 miles a day and tried to get off the beaten track. We were out around 8.15, before sunrise, and had orange juice, coffee and Tostada with the locals for breakfast. The trouble is that there are many miles of walking in a relatively small area, some streets are only a few feet wide so there are a lot of them to explore. Incredible ancient churches and squares are around every corner- it's a very religious place - Catholicism rules in Spain. Unfortunately many are only a few feet away from the building next to it and it is difficult to get a decent shot of them. Seville is also famous, historically, as a producer of ceramic tiles. A building isn’t complete without a tile display of some sort and it would be very easy to make a project out of tiles alone. It may be a little boring for any companions though!

We walked the length of the embankment a couple of times, it has graffiti from end to end, several miles of massive concrete walls covered in everything imaginable, from marker pen scribbling to works of art. It was suggested to me that allowing people to paint here might prevent them from daubing property and monuments in the city- it hasn't! Most alleyways and shutters have been attacked to a greater or lesser degree. Spain has very high youth unemployment and maybe this plays a role. To be truthful though we haven't seen a city that's free of graffiti. The other problem is dogs- or what they produce, it's everywhere, absolutely everywhere, in a week we saw only one person remove his dogs mess. Fortunately the city streets are cleaned exceptionally well, some of the cleanest we have come across, men (and a lot of women) and machines are washing and sweeping endlessly.

Having had the wettest winter on record at home - almost three months of rain - we didn't want more rain but we got it. The upside was the water and the reflections that it created made photography on the cobbled streets more interesting, particularly at night. I usually find that it takes me a while to get into the groove on a trip and this one was no different, I didn't start shooting with total disregard - street shots- for a couple of days. Whilst the locals wore quilted jackets and scarves we got down to tee shirts at times, the warmer afternoons would be welcome in summer, never mind January, in Huddersfield. I envied the cyclists, being able to train in temperatures like this in winter - I wish! You need a lot less willpower to get out there and train hard in pleasant weather.

From a photography point of view I had a frustrating time, I never felt to get to grips with the place- other than on the streets at night. Writing this on my phone on the flight home, I haven't a clue what I've got to work with when I get back. I usually edit first and write later. Generally I have a first look, I'm disillusioned, I then revisit and see things differently- thankfully! Architectural shots with a grey sky could be destined for the monochrome treatment, we'll soon see. I'm still editing stuff from our London trip before Christmas, it's getting decent views in black and white and I quite enjoy looking at them myself.

We visited most of the notable tourist destinations, and went up anything that we could. Seville doesn't have a high point-it's flat! Nothing really stands head and shoulders above the city. The Cathedral tower is over 300 feet but the Cathedral itself fills a lot of the view on some aspects. Being square and having to look through bars in recesses you don't really get a completely open aspect. A new 600 foot tower is close to being finished, it's an office block and I couldn't find any mention of it being a viewing point in the future.

Oranges were the last thing on my mind when I suggested going to Seville. There are 25000 orange trees in Seville and now is the time that they are laden with big-and sour- Seville oranges, they are everywhere, apparently they are the property of the city authorities and will be harvested and sent to the UK to be made in to marmalade at some point in the near future. These trees will soon be covered in fragrant blossom, the city will smell beautiful for a couple of months. Studying the surrounding area it would be good to tour in March or April I would think, the scents, longer days and better weather would make for a fantastic trip. One for the future. The sunrise on our final morning was the best of the week, this was what we had looked forward to, we had to leave for the airport at 9.00...... Needless to say it was raining hard as we drove the last twenty miles home. Nothing new there then.

As usual I have aimed to present a pretty extensive collection of photographs of our chosen destination, some, at first glance will be pretty mundane shots of everyday life on the streets, often though, close inspection will reveal something humorous, something that needs a bit of thought. Others are definitely just people going about their holiday or work. Travelling with someone else it wouldn’t be fair to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to nail the perfect long exposure or HDR image of a cathedral or similar in perfect light – the one stunning shot to add to the portfolio- it’s not really my thing, I go for an overview of the place in the time available. Looking at the postcards locally it becomes obvious that stunning shots of some of these buildings are hard to come by. Heavily corrected converging verticals were quite obvious – and most likely will be in my own shots. As the owner of tilt and shift lenses I never travel with one – ever! My knees are already creaking from the weight of the bag.

Expect to see the Pagani Zonda R at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.

At the end of what had been a fine winter's day, the clouds rolled in from the west and the light faded to flat.

At the end of another long dead end lane, St Nicholas sits overlooking the valley below, looking squat and unhappy under a leaden sky.

We parked some distance from the church and walked up, I expected it to be locked, it looked so unfriendly, but the door opened easily and we went inside.

It was pleasant enough inside, even if I could not find the lights to illuminate the gloom. It features the largest aumbry I have seen, as well as a nice war memorial in a blocked up north doorway. But best of all is some ancient glass on the south side, showing images of two saints.

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A large sturdy tower overlooks the valley dividing Kent and Sussex some distance from its village. It dates, as does much of the church, from the fourteenth century. The arcades are of dumpy octagonal pillars which have lancet clerestory windows set into the walls above. There are some notable fragments of medieval glass in the south aisle, together with an excellent twentieth century etched glass window. The tower is flanked by the aisles (see also Wickhambreux). The north aisle displays the original entrance to the rood loft staircase. At the west end is a nice octagonal sandstone font with a series of decorated window designs enlivening its panelled sides.

www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Sandhurst

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IS the next parish eastward from Hawkhurst. The manor of Aldington claims over some part of this parish, as does the manor of Acrise over another part of it.

THIS PARISH lies on the southern edge of this county, adjoining to Suffex, from which it is separated by the stream called the Kennet, or more usually Kent Dyke, which rises near Tysehurst, in that county, and just below that place falls into the river Rother. It is near four miles from east to west, and near three from north to south. The soil of it in the north-east and southern parts of this parish is a stiff and heavy tillage land, which has underneath plenty of marle, in which parts there is much iron ore; the western part being more hilly, is a light and gravelly soil. The church stands nearly in the centre of the parish, on the knoll of a hill, and the parsonage-house at no great distance northward from it. Between the parsonage and the church is a large forstal, containing the principal part of the estate mentioned below, called Twisden borough. It was formerly a playstool, or common play-ground for the parishioners, and a fair was kept on it; but the Turners, lords of the manor, laid claim to it, and it has been for some time accounted their property, and now accordingly belongs to Mr. Blackburn. The great high road from the western parts of this county, through Newenden, to Hastings and the county of Suffex, leads through this parish south-eastward, on it are situated three greens, Field green, Cowbeach-green, and Ringlecrouch-green; on the former is a house and estate, which has been for many years the residence of the Wardes, who bore for their arms, In chief, a lion, rampant; in base, a cross story, a crescent for difference; the last of them, Mr. John Warde, died in 1778, leaving three sons and a daughter Elizabeth, married to Mr. John Collins, by whom she had a son Mr. Edward Collins, who has since taken the name of Warde, to whom his grandfather by will, disinheriting his three sons, gave the whole of his estates, among which were this at Field-green, and the manor of Riseden, in this parish, which formerly belonged to John, earl of Ewe, (who died in 1171); for it appears by the register of Horton priory, that he by his charter, without date, gave all his land of Rysdenne, in Sandhurst, which Goldwin held of him, to that priory; and by another charter, Adelize his wife confirmed the same; and by another, Canon, then prior of that house, and the convent of it, quit-claimed to Alexander de Spondenne, the property of a certain drosdenne, in the denne of Risedene, in this parish; Mr. Edward Collins Warde is the present owner of them. The farm of Ringlecrouch, near the green of that name, was the property of Thomas Blackmore, esq. of Hertfordshire, who died in 1789, and his heirs now possess it. On this green there is a meeting-house for baptists, the congregation of which is very large; and a little further eastward is a capital messuage called Frenchurst, and formerly Frinchinburst, to which formerly belonged the mill called Hope mill here, and it appears by the escheatroll anno 4 Henry VII. that Thomas Pulter then died possessed of a capital messuage, called Frechinghurst, and one water-mill, called Hope-mill, in Sandhurst, held of the prior of Christ-church, in Canterbury; the former of them belongs now to Mr. John Collins, and the latter to the earl of Thanet. And farther on the same road is Hernden manor, belonging to John Peckham, esq. of Salehurst.

In this parish is an estate, called Silverden, belongin to the Rev. Mr. Hudson; and in the south-east part of it two farms, called Upper and Lower Boxhurst, the former belonging to Mr. Joseph Fowle, the latter to Mr. Thomas Burt, both of Sandhurst; and in the western part of it next to Hawkhurst, is a seat, called Downgate, which belonged to the Turner estate, and afterwards to Mr. Blackburn.

A fair is annually held here on May 25, for cattle and pedlary wares. It was till within these few years held on Dec. 6, St. Nicholas's day, the patron saint of the church.

THE MANOR OF SANDHURST was given by Offaking of Mercia, in the year 791, to Christ Church in Canterbury, and was, soon after the time of the conqueror, held of the archbishop by knight's service, by the family of Criol; of them it was, in the reign of king Edward II. held again by Hugo de Combe, whose successor in it was John de Betherinden, whence it came to be called the manor of Sandhurst, alias Betherinden, and in the east window of the north chancel here were formerly the essigies and arms of one of this family, and in Downe church, was once a memorial for John Bederenden, once citizen, woollen-draper, and chamberlain of London, who died in 1445. By a female heir of this name it came into the family of Fitzherbert, alias Finch, in which it continued till the beginning of the reign of queen Elizabeth, when Herbert, son of Vincent Finch, who lies buried in this church, (fn. 1) sold it, with the antient mansion of Sandhurst-place, now usually called OLDPLACE, (at present only a farm-house) to Pelham, from which name it was alienated to Fowle, who bore for his arms, Argent, a chevron gules, on a chief of the second, three mullets pierced of the first. In which one of them, Sir John Fowle, of Sandhurst, in his will, proved 1637, mentions certain lands which he had here, called the Coomes, which were his grandfather's, whereon was a house, since his death built, which were held of the king by knight's service, (fn. 2) and in his family it remained till it was passed away to Turner, whose descendant Robert Turner, esq. in 1784, passed it away by sale to John Blackburn, of London, esq. the present owner, of it. A court baron is held for this manor.

ALDRINDEN. which lies at the north west part of this parish was once accounted a manor of some note here, being held of the manor of Acrise, and had owners of the same firname, in which it continued till Roger de Aldrinden, as appears by the private deeds of it, leaving and only daughter and heir Christian Aldrinden, she passed it away by sale, in the 22d year of king Edward III. to John Selbrittenden, who not long after alienated it to Thomas atte Bourne, and he held it, as appeared by an old court-roll in the 1st year of Richard II. and from him it descended down to John Bourne, who dying in the 4th year of king Edward IV. settled it by will on Joane his female heir, married to Thomas Allard. They had one son, Henry, whose son John Allard, alienated his right in it by sale, in the 30th year of Henry VIII. to John Twysenden, or Twisden, gent. as the name soon afterwards was spelt, whose ancestors resided at TWISDEN BOROUGH, upon the denne of Twisden, in this parish, a place noted for having been, in very early times, the inheritance of this family, who resided here at the time they were stiled in Latin deeds, according to the quaint language of those times, de Denna Fracta, and from them this place obtained their name, by which it is called to this day.

His descendant Mr. William Twisden, about the beginning of king James I.'s reign, sold it to Thomas Downton, esq. who died possessed of it in 1623, and was buried in this church, and his descendant Richard Downton, esq. owned it at the restoration of king Charles II. and bore for his arms, Argent, on a chief indented, sable, three goats heads, erased. After which it passed into the family of Dunk, and from thence to Richards, whence by Anne, only daughter of William Richards, esq. it went in marriage to George Dunk, earl of Halifax, who soon afterwards sold it to Collier, and his daughter marrying Mr. Henry Jackson, of Hastings, in Sussex, he is, in her right, the present possessor of it.

Charities.

SIR JOHN FOWLE, of this parish, in 1632, gave by deed to the poor of it a piece of ground, with a malt-house on it, since burnt down, and now called the Malt-house Platt, containing three quarters of an acre upon Ringlecrouch-green, on which it has a right of common. It is now let at 34s. per annum, and is vested in trustees, the produce of which is distributed by the directions of the donor, once in two or three years in cloaths, chiefly in gowns, to poor widows of this parish.

Thomas Downton, Esq. of Sandhurst, devised by will to the poor of this parish 10l. to be lent to them by the direction of four of the sufficientest men of it, giving security for the paying of it again, at such time as they should appoint, so to continue to the parish for ever.

THERE IS AN ALMS-HOUSE, consisting of three or four dwellings, by whom given is not known, but supposed by one of the family of Fowle.

The poor constantly relieved are about one hundred and sixty, casually fifty.

SANDHURST is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Charing.

The church, which is dedicated to St. Nicholas, is built of sand stone. It consists of two isles and two chancels, with a square tower, in which are five bells. It was part of the antient possessions of the see of Canterbury, and continues so at this time, his grace the archbishop being the present patron of it.

It is a rectory, and valued in the king's books at twenty pounds, and the yearly tenths at two pounds.

In 1578 here were communicants two hundred and eighteen, in 1640, two hundred and eighty. When it was valued at 110l.

¶There are about ten acres of glebe land. The parsonage-house has lately been handsomely repaired, and sitted up by the present rector Mr. Hussey.

www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol7/pp158-163

Before March 2 2015, please come here to nominate the entire Chinatown as the historic site to be preserved, don't expect City of Vancouver to save Chinatown when the Council approved more condo to be built in Chinatown at rapid rate to destroy the Chinatown.

www.heritagebc.ca/blog?articleid=162

Chinese Historic Places Recognition Project

THE HERITAGE BATTLE FOR CHINATOWN

Historic Vancouver neighbourhood is being redeveloped, raising fears it will lose its character.

By JOHN MACKIE, VANCOUVER SUN November 15, 2014

The marketing line for the Keefer Block condo development in Chinatown is “Heritage Meets Modern.”

But just how much heritage will be left after a wave of modern developments washes over the historic district is a matter of debate.

A new proposal for the 700-block of Main Street would demolish the last three buildings from Hogan’s Alley, a once-notorious back lane that was the longtime home of Vancouver’s black community.

Another condo development at 231 Pender would replace a funky, Chinese-themed garage that is listed on Canada’s Register of Historic Places. Angelo Tosi’s family has owned their building at 624 Main since 1930. It may date back to 1895, and looks it — the fixtures and shelving are as old as the hills.

But Tosi is 82, and will probably sell when the price is right. He doesn’t expect his store to survive.

“It’ll be gobbled up by the monstrous buildings,” said Tosi. “And then they’ll take it all, and it’s finished. They won’t keep the heritage on the bottom, they’ll put down whatever they want.”

His fatalistic attitude reflects the changes in Chinatown, which is undergoing a development boom after zoning changes by the City of Vancouver.

The protected “historic” area of Chinatown is now Pender Street, while much of Main, Georgia and Keefer can now be redeveloped, with heights of up to 90 feet (nine storeys). A few sites can go even higher.

Two towers are going up at Keefer and Main — the nine-storey, 81-unit Keefer Block, and the 17-storey, 156-unit 188 Keefer. Up the street at 137 Keefer, a development permit application has just gone in for a new nine-storey “multi-family building.”

None of them has stirred up much controversy. But a recent public meeting about a 12-storey, 137-unit condo to be built on an empty lot at Keefer and Columbia got people riled up.

“There was a lot of angry people that night,” said Henry Yu, a UBC history professor who feels a “vision plan” the Chinatown community worked on with the city for several years is being ignored.

“The vision plan gets passed, (but it has) no teeth,” said Yu. “Actually (there is) no policy, it’s a wish list of ‘Oh, we’d like seniors housing, we’d like to do this, we’d like to do that.’

“Almost immediately, the two (highrise) buildings in the 600-, 700-block Main go up, and they’re just basically Yaletown condos. Not even Yaletown — Yaletown has more character.

“These are straight out of the glass tower (model), no (historic) character, obliterating everything in terms of tying it to the kind of streetscape of Chinatown. You’re going to split the historic two or three blocks of Chinatown with a Main Street corridor of these glass towers.”

Yu says Chinatown has historically been small buildings on 25-foot lots, which makes for a jumble of small stores that gives it a unique look and character. But the new developments are much wider, and just don’t look like Chinatown.

“The two 600-, 700-block buildings have a rain shield that’s an awning, a glass awning that runs the whole block,” said Yu. “That’s the design guideline for the city as a whole, but it was nothing to do with Chinatown, (which is) narrow frontages, changing awnings.

“We said that (to the city planners), we raised it and raised it, but the planners just shoved it down our throat.”

Kevin McNaney is Vancouver’s assistant director of planning. He said the city changed the zoning in parts of Chinatown to help revitalize the neighbourhood, which has been struggling.

“We have been taking a look across Chinatown,” said McNaney. “What we’re finding is that rents are dropping, and vacancies are rising. And that’s a big part of the strategy of adding more people to revitalize Chinatown.

“There are only 900 people currently living in Chinatown, many of them seniors. It’s just not the population base needed to support businesses, so a lot of the businesses are going under. Along Pender Street you see a lot of vacancies right now.

“So at the heart of this plan is to bring more people to revitalize Chinatown, and also use that development to support heritage projects, affordable housing projects and cultural projects.”

Henry Yu disagrees. “The idea that you need density in Chinatown itself, that you need your own captive customer base, is moronic,” he said.

“Where else in the city would you make that argument, that nobody can walk more than two blocks, that no one is going to come in here from somewhere else?

“They will. People go to the International Summer Market in Richmond in an empty gravel field. Ten thousand people at night come from everywhere in the Lower Mainland, because there’s something worth going to.

“The problem isn’t that you need a captive audience that has no other choice but to shop in Chinatown — that’s just stupid, there’s plenty of people in Strathcona. The problem is, is there something worth coming to (in Chinatown)? And that has to do with the character, what the mix is, what kind of commercial.”

Ironically, all the new construction comes just as Chinatown seems to be undergoing a bit of a renaissance. Several new businesses have popped up in old buildings, attracted by the area’s character and cheap rents.

The très-hip El Kartel fashion boutique recently moved into a 6,000 sq. ft space at 104 East Pender that used to house Cathay Importers. It’s on the main floor of the four-storey Chinese Benevolent Association Building, which was built in 1909.

Across the street at 147 East Pender is Livestock, a runner and apparel store that is so cool it doesn’t even have a sign. “We were in Gastown at the corner of Cordova and Abbott, (and) just felt a change was needed,” said store manager Chadley Abalos.

“We found the opportunity in Chinatown, so we decided to move here. We feel it’s one of the new spots that are booming. You see a lot of new businesses — restaurants, clothing stores, furniture. We see the potential in it growing.”

Russell Baker owns Bombast, a chic furniture store at 27 East Pender. But he is not new to the neighbourhood — Bombast has been there for 10 years.

“I think (Chinatown is) one of the most interesting parts of the city,” he said.

“It’s still got some variety, some texture, architecturally, socially, economically. A lot of what’s happened to the downtown peninsula (in recent years) constitutes erasure. This is one of the places that still sort of feels like … it feels more urban than some parts of downtown. I would say downtown is a vertical suburb.

“If you like cities, Chinatown feels like one. That’s why we’re here.”

Baker said he expected Chinatown to happen a lot sooner than it did. Retailers that do well there still tend to be destinations, rather than stores that rely on heavy street traffic. “The buzz is that Chinatown is happening, but it’s really strategic, what’s happening,” he said. “Fortune Sound Club, that’s a niche market that’s destination. That’s the kind of thing that works down here. We’re destination, Bao Bei (restaurant) is destination.”

The new businesses make for an interesting mix with the old ones. The 200 block East Georgia Street is hopping with hipster bars (the Pacific Hotel, Mamie Taylor’s) and art galleries (Access Gallery, 221A, Centre A). But it also retains classic Chinatown shops like the Fresh Egg Mart and Hang Loong Herbal Products.

The question is whether the small businesses will be displaced as the area gentrifies. Real estate values have soared — Soltera paid $6.5 million for the northwest corner of Keefer and Main in 2011, Beedie Holdings paid $16.2 million for two parcels of land at Columbia and Keefer in 2013.

That seems like a lot for a site that’s two blocks from the troubled Downtown Eastside, but Houtan Rafii of the Beedie Group said that’s what land costs in Vancouver.

“It is a significant, substantial amount of money, but compared to most every area in Vancouver, it’s not dissimilar, whether you’re in Gastown, downtown, Concord-Pacific, even on the boundaries of Strathcona or on Hastings close to Clark or Commercial,” said Rafii. “It’s not an obscene amount of money, it’s market.”

Rafii said the Beedie Group met with local groups for a year about its development, and was surprised at the reaction it got at the public meeting, which was held because Beedie is looking to rezone the site to add an additional three storeys.

Yu doesn’t have a problem with the Beedie proposal per se, but feels it’s on a key site in Chinatown, and should be developed accordingly.

“It’s not the building’s fault,” said Yu.

“People are going ‘What’s wrong with this glass tower, it’s working everywhere else, and Chinese people love buying this stuff if it’s UBC.’

“That’s not the point. There’s plenty of room around the city to build glass towers (that are) 40 storeys, 50 storeys, whatever. Why do they need to be in this spot?

“This one is right in the heart (of Chinatown). Across the street is the Sun Yat-sen (garden), the Chinese Cultural Centre. On the same street is the (Chinese workers) monument. Next door is the back alley of Pender.”

Yu said a recent study found there will be a need for 3,300 income-assisted senior housing beds in the Lower Mainland over the next 15 years. He said the Columbia and Keefer site would be perfect for a seniors project.

“There’s a particular kind of resonance to the idea this is a traditional place where a lot of Chinese seniors can retire to,” he said.

“There is a five-year waiting list for the Simon K.Y. Lee Success long-term care home, so there’s huge demand, huge need, this is a place where they want to go. (Building a seniors home) would actually would help revitalize (Chinatown), because seniors bring sons, daughters, grandsons and granddaughters into a community.

“That’s the Chinatown vision plan, that’s what’s in there, that’s what those discussions were about. And yet what we’ve got is 137 luxury condo units for hip youngsters. That’s the Beedie proposal, and that’s what the last two towers (on Main) were. It’s not just insulting, it’s the thwarting of the very promise (of the vision plan).”

Wu would like to see a moratorium on new developments in Chinatown “until design guidelines are actually built to create a zone that respects the (area’s special) character.”

Retired city planner Nathan Edelson agrees. Which is significant, because he worked on the Chinatown vision plan for over a decade.

“My suggestion is that there should be a moratorium on the rezonings, for sure, until they can get an assessment of what the current new development is,” said Edelson. “To what degree are they contributing to, or harming Chinatown, the historic character of Chinatown? And it’s not an obvious answer.”

Read more:

www.vancouversun.com/business/Battle+Chinatown/10384991/s...

The festival celebrates the finest in both gardening and food. Visitors can expect stunning show gardens and nursery displays alongside a bounty of food producers, shopping and top tips from garden experts and celebrity chefs.

Set against the picturesque Malvern Hills, show gardens are always a number one destination, with five designers being awarded with RHS Gold Medals in 2016.

The Floral Marquee is bursting with examples of the finest nurseries in the UK and abroad, with many old favourites and new varieties on sale.

The foodie hotspot, Festival Food and Drink Pavilion, is a lively market of food producers offering a variety of artisan produce. At the heart is a Kitchen Theatre where celebrity guests and local producers showcase their skills and produce.

Other festival favourites include the School Gardens, Get Going Get Growing pavilion and Family Day (Sunday).

RHS Malvern Spring Festival is a joint partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society and Three Counties Agricultural Society.

An entirely new vision brings RHS Malvern Spring Festival into full bloom for 2017, taking inspiration from the event’s Spa town heritage. The landmark four-day spectacle, taking place from Thursday 11 – Sunday 14 May at the Three Counties Showground, welcomes all new features and exhibits and a vibrant line up of the finest in gardening, food and lifestyle.

Jane Furze, Head of RHS Malvern Spring Festival, said: “We are so excited to share the glorious plans that are afoot for RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2017. It really is going to be a sensational year for our leading event with plenty for everyone. Whether you’re a newcomer to gardening, a veteran horticulturalist or simply looking for a family day out, RHS Malvern Spring Festival has it all. We look forward to welcoming visitors to our stunning showcase of spring in May.”

The new vision for RHS Malvern Spring Festival takes inspiration from Malvern Spa’s Victorian heyday as a fashionable health resort – a place where day-trippers descended to take advantage of the clean air and to enjoy the health giving waters amongst the romantic beauty of the hills and into a town of pleasure gardens, assembly rooms and numerous eating-places.

Promising a bountiful day out for everyone, visitors can expect:

NEW FOR 2017

FLORAL MARQUEE

RHS Malvern Spring Festival boasts the UK’s longest Floral Marquee at over 195 metres – the equivalent length of four Olympic swimming pools. The Floral Marquee welcomes more than 65 leading UK and international nurseries, setting the horticultural standards with impressive displays of prized blooms and new varieties. Exhibitors in the Floral Marquee represent the very best in plants and advice available. Here visitors can browse and buy from the very best.

JOE SWIFT’S PLANT HUNTER PARLOUR

BBC Gardeners’ World presenter and acclaimed garden expert, Joe Swift brings to life a new centerpiece of the Floral Marquee – Joe’s Plant Hunter Parlour. This immersive experience like no other features daily talks from award winning nurseries and welcomes budding gardeners big and small to discover, learn and indulge their inner plant hunter.

LIVE WELL

Newly introduced for the very first time, this dedicated zone interprets and explores the theme of health and wellbeing in the 21st century.

JEKKA MCVICAR’S HEALTH & WELLBEING GARDEN

The centrepiece of the Live Well zone, British Queen of Herbs, Jekka McVicar designs and builds a specially commissioned permanent garden, bringing to life the role gardens continue to play in our health and sense of wellbeing. Jekka’s garden is a living working space for mind, body and senses.

The garden is both a tranquil seating space where visitors can spend time amongst the aromatic herb beds, and a place to learn and explore what living well meant in yesteryear and what it means today. Visitors are invited to join daily ‘herbal conversations’ with Jekka herself and explore the awe-inspiring world of alternative therapies. The garden is in support of Pathways, a day service for adults with learning disabilities and difficulties.

GROW

A horticultural experience by Jon Wheatley, RHS Gold Medal winning gardener and Chairman of RHS South West in Bloom, Grow takes inspiration from interactive Country gardens and wildflower borders, showcasing a variety of edible beds and bountiful Grow To Show competitions.

SPA GARDENS

A brand new category introduced for the very first time to RHS Malvern Spring Festival, offering a unique platform for emerging gardening talent. Glorious gardens from up and coming designers bring to life the new vision and reflect the thirst for knowledge, new horizons and innovative technology at the heart of Malvern’s Victorian heritage. Gold Medal winning Chelsea garden designer, Jo Thompson is mentoring the new talent as they embark on this exciting new challenge. The Spa Gardens category also features one garden from an international designer supported by the esteemed Moscow Flower Show. This is part of a newly introduced exchange programme, which in return offers one selected British Spa Garden designer the once in a lifetime chance to showcase at Moscow Flower Show in July.

INDOOR SHOPPING ARCADES

A premium quality shopping experience, it is here that visitors can pick up unique pieces in fashion, furniture, homewares, horticulture, gifts and more from independent designers, craftsmen, artisans and artists.

PLANT ARCADES

An exciting open-air shopping experience with over 35 nurseries, each showcasing a wonderful array of plants. Plant steals aplenty can be found here, especially during the famous sell-off on Sunday.

MAKING A WELCOME RETURN

FESTIVAL GREEN

The heart of RHS Malvern Spring Festival featuring a colourful array of pleasure gardens, a bandstand of live music, an impressive collection of classic cars, an array of global flavours from the International Street Food Market, and plenty of places to picnic. It is here visitors rediscover the Victorian love of amusement, surprise and delight, alongside enjoying unique show gardens unlike any other.

FESTIVAL THEATRE

Hosted by RHS Malvern Spring Festival favourite and award winning writer and broadcaster, James Alexander-Sinclair, the Festival Theatre plays host to a lively line up of leading experts and familiar faces. Visitors may take a seat and enjoy demonstrations, talks and exciting features as personalities share their knowledge and passion for all things gardening and food. Confirmed experts include Carol Klein, Joe Swift, Jekka McVicar and Jon Wheatley with plenty more to be announced soon.

SHOW GARDENS

The highest standard of garden design is showcased in the Show Gardens of RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2017. Leading designers create awe-inspiring gardens as they compete for prestigious RHS accolades including Gold medals and the coveted Best In Show. RHS Malvern Spring Festival is famed as the show that raises the bar for design and horticultural talent with numerous RHS Gold medals awarded in 2016. This year is tipped to be no exception.

FOOD & DRINK PAVILION

A foodie hotspot, the Food & Drink Pavilion is a magnificent celebration of British tastes with bountiful offerings from the country’s best-loved artisan producers. Expect the freshest field produce, big cheeses, bread of heaven, specialty gins, decadent bakes and more.

KITCHEN GARDEN THEATRE

This animated live kitchen, hosted by Mark Diacono, showcases a line up of delicious cookery demonstrations from culinary experts and the country’s top chefs. Mark shares advice from his home farm cookery school, Otter Farm and experience as head gardener at River Cottage.

YOUNG GARDENER

A hive of activity tailored to inspire the next generation of gardeners and horticulturalists with fun hands-on activities to help children learn and explore the wonderful world of plants and gardens.

FAMILY DAY

Budding gardeners great and small are invited to get green fingered with a dedicated Family Day on the Sunday of RHS Malvern Spring Festival. This exciting and educational day with plenty of hands on activities is the ideal opportunity to engage children in the fun of gardening and the great outdoors. Expect Kids Cookery demonstrations, make and take crafts, Kids Plant and Grow workshops with BBC Blue Peter Gardener, Chris Collins and more.

SCHOOL GARDENS

RHS Malvern Spring Festival is one of the only RHS Shows in the UK to have a collection of Show Gardens designed and built entirely by young people. This year sees over 12 schools and educational groups from across the three counties taking part, led by BBC Blue Peter Gardener, Chris Collins.

RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2017 will take place from Thursday 11 May until Sunday 14 May. For more information, please call 01684 584900 or visit

British Queen of Herbs, Jekka McVicar will unveil the first ever specially commissioned permanent garden at RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2017. A magnificent centrepiece of the celebrated event’s all-new Live Well zone, Jekka’s garden will bring to life the contribution horticulture continues to make to our health and wellbeing in today’s bustling modern world. The Health & Wellbeing Garden will be launched when the show opens its gates on Thursday 11 May at the Three Counties Showground.#

RHS Ambassador for Health through Horticulture, Jekka McVicar said: “I am delighted to have been asked to create a lasting garden for RHS Malvern Spring Festival. I want the Health & Wellbeing Garden to be a usable and beautiful space that is embraced by people of all ages – a space for growth, education and reflection. With the Malvern Hills as a dramatic backdrop, RHS Malvern Spring Festival is such a beautiful place and because it’s at the start of the summer, it’s always a time of such optimism. It is a real privilege to bring this garden to life as part of such a dynamic and exciting show.”

Jekka’s Health & Wellbeing garden, as the focus for the new Live Well Zone, is inspired by the increasing need for reflection and escape from the stresses of modern life. It also seeks to preserve and share the vital knowledge of how horticulture and its associated therapies can help the mind, body and soul. The garden will be a living, working space with a tranquil seating area, where visitors can immerse themselves amongst the aromatic herb beds, and also educate themselves on the place that herbs and horticulture play in today’s society.

Head of RHS Malvern Spring Festival, Jane Furze said: “It is a real pleasure to be working with Jekka to build a garden not only for this year’s event, but also for the future. Jekka’s designs look spectacular and we cannot wait to see these brought to life and shared with our many visitors. The Health & Wellbeing Garden will no doubt be a real highlight of RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2017 and for many years to come.”

Throughout the 4-days of RHS Malvern Spring Festival, Jekka will host daily ‘herb conversations’ in the garden, unearthing hidden gems from the world of alternative therapies, food and gardening. Jekka will also provide insights into herbs as the foundation of modern medicine, seeking to preserve the knowledge that over time is danger of being lost.

The Health & Wellbeing Garden is in support of Pathways, a work-focused day service for adults with learning disabilities and difficulties. Pathways use gardening and the environment as an educational tool to introduce young adults to the working world. Clients of Pathways benefit from gaining vital skills for entering the working world, these include trust, communication, interaction with peers, taking direction and responsibility for themselves and others.

Leaving a legacy, Jekka’s garden will provide Pathways with a nurturing space to continue their works in encouraging clients to grow. Throughout the show times, Pathways will sell plants and refreshments from the garden. Funds raised from these sales go towards covering the costs of the residential trip taken twice each year for clients of Pathways, a vital retreat for clients that contributes to their sense of wellbeing. Outside of show days, Pathways and local schools will host sessions in the garden. The garden aims to inspire visitors of all ages and abilities with engaging elements tailored for all.

Jekka’s design will incorporate the unique and flexible WoodBlocX system, specially selected to provide permanent raised bed structures to house the garden’s vast selection of herbs and edibles. The centrepiece of the garden contains four large planted sections featuring smooth curves constructed from the unique WoodBlocX system. WoodBlocX use sustainable, long-lasting, organic and FSC accredited wooden bricks, which can be used to create any shape such as the naturally fluid curves seen in Jekka’s elegant design.

Considered an unmatched expert by the UK’s top chefs and horticulturalists, Jekka McVicar is an enterprising British herb grower, organic gardening expert, author and broadcaster. Jekka’s Herb Farm, in nearby South Gloucestershire, boasts the largest collection of culinary herbs in the UK with more than 500 different varieties.

Alongside her RHS Ambassadorship for Health through Horticulture, Jekka’s accolades include 62 RHS Gold Medals, Garden Media Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and the RHS Lawrence Medal for the best exhibit shown at any RHS show in 2009. Jekka is also a Vice President of the RHS, Vice President of the Herb Society, is a founder member of the RHS Herb advisory group, and a member of the RHS Three Counties Agricultural Society Joint Committee. Jekka has herself exhibited at RHS Malvern Spring Festival since 1993 and has been a vital contributor to the team at Three Counties for over a decade.

RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2017 will take place from Thursday 11 May until Sunday 14 May. Tickets are now on sale. For more information and to book tickets, please call

Nearly 1,000 Students to Participate in WSSU Commencement on May 15

WINSTON-SALEM, NC -- Christina Wareâs story is one of the many inspiring testimonials of the nearly 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students from near and afar who are expected to participate in Winston-Salem State Universityâs commencement ceremony on Friday, May 15, at 9:45 a.m., at Bowman Gray Stadium, 1250 South Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive.

Academy Award-winning recording artist, activist and actor Common will be the keynote speaker. There are no guest limits or ticket requirements for the ceremony.

It is conceivable that Wareâs story of work ethic, undeniable spirit and enthusiasm encapsulates the sentiment of her graduating 2015 classmates.

Ware, 43, of Winston-Salem, is quite active on and off campus as a mentor to other students, a member of the non-traditional student organization, the first president of Epsilon Chapter 130 of Tau Sigma National Honor Society at WSSU, a wife and proud mother of two. She is also legally blind. She wants to blaze trails, set examples and raise the bar for others with disabilities.

âIn 2007, I lost my eyesight. After a six-month pity party, I decided to continue my education and make a difference for others. Since 2008, I have spent every day of my life proving to society that having a disability does not mean we are weak. I am now an advocate for persons with disabilities,â Ware, a business major, said, "We are not handicapped, we are handy capable!"

Ware, who can be described as always pleasant and having an unlimited enthusiasm for life, says every day alive is like Christmas. She demands to be treated like everyone else and has been noted to say, âI may physically fall, but mentally I can get back up and pull a 4.0 semester.â After graduation she wants to start a Kosher/Halal foods business and become active on community boards.

The China Connection

From the City of Harbin, the capital and largest city of the Heilongjiang province of the People's Republic of China, WSSU Master of Arts in the Teaching of English as a Second Language and Applied Linguistics students Yaowen Xing and Chunling Zhang have found a second home at WSSU and in Winston-Salem. They perhaps have come the farthest distance attend the university.

With a population of more than five million people, Harbin is situated in the northeast region of China so close to Russia that only the Songhua River separates the two countries. Nicknamed the Ice City, the average winter temperature is -3.5 °F with annual lows hitting -31.0 °F. Itâs no wonder the students say the warmer weather here in the Piedmont Triad has not been lost in translation with them and itâs one of the things they enjoy.

âWe really love the weather in North Carolina, especially the long summer time, since our hometown is so cold with snow for almost 6 months of the year,â Xing, 30, noted. âWe also love the people at WSSU and the faculty who all are nice and it has been a really good experience.â

Xing and Zhang, 35, are in America as part of a Chinese education immersion program to help exchange the cultures between China and America. They enjoy working as cultural ambassadors to students in both the cultures. The two came to the U.S. in 2013 and have been teaching at Konnoak Elementary school during the early hours and studying and researching later in the day. âComing to America was a dream for me after learning about it through books, movies and music, and my time here it has been amazing,â Xing said.

Zhang, said she didnât know much about WSSU or Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUâs), but after a short time here she knew WSSU would be was special part of life. âI have met many African- Americans who have been friendly and helpful. I now can say I truly have many black friends,â Zhang said. She and Xing have taken advantage of the HBCU experience. They have been often seen attending evening lectures and presentations, sports events, musical and visual arts events. With their WSSU master degrees they will return to China one day in the future to make an impact on teaching and the quality of education there.

The All-In Approach

Olivia N. Sedwick, 21, a political science major from Indianapolis, has taken âthe all-in approach" to her WSSU experience. The current WSSU student government president (SGA), honorâs student and champion athlete, chose WSSU over other schools she could have attended.

Featured in a USA Today article highlighting the HBCU experience released last June, Sedwick is quoted as saying about WSSU, âI fell in love with the school.â She says, âWe talked about things that I had never had the chance to before coming from a predominantly white high school.â

Liking the intellectual and social environment, she was comfortable becoming involved around campus. In her first year, a walk-on athlete for the womenâs track and field team, she was a 2013 CIAA Indoor Womenâs Track and Field All-Conference competitor and the WSSU womenâs shot put record holder until earlier this year, although she never competed in the throws until coming to college. In her second year she served as the sophomore class vice president while also being appointed to serve on many committees throughout the university. In that same year, she was a delegate to the UNC Association of Student Governments (UNCASG), representing WSSU students on a state-wide level. At the end of that year, she became the first African-American female elected senior vice president of UNCASG and served in that capacity for the entirety of her third year while being active as the chief of staff for the WSSU student government association that year also. Toward the end of her term in UNCASG, she decided to run for student body president and has served as the voice of the students for the duration of her last year. With all of her activities, she has maintained a 3.95 GPA throughout her time in college.

Sedwick has been selected as a UNC General Administration Presidential Intern, which begins in July. Upon completion of the prestigious one-year appointment, Sedwick plans to attend Howard University School of Law.

A Drum Major who will March for a Noble Cause

Willie Davis, 22, a social work major from Fayetteville, N.C., who has led WSSUâs Red Sea of Sound Marching Band as a drum major for his senior year, will now march to lead the charge for helping veterans and their families cope with typical and unique challenges of serving in military. Davis will be one of four Cadets with the distinct honor of being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant U.S. in the U.S. Army during this yearâs commencement ceremony. Despite that professionally Davis will help vets, military and families with things like dealing with emotions, he said, âI donât think I will be ready for the commissioning part (of commencement) emotionally.â

Readiness for Davis is an understatement. The youngest of three siblings, who was age 10 when his father died, Davis has been an A average student throughout life. He was in the top ten of his high school class and the first generation in his family to attend college. At WSSU, besides maintaining high academic achievement and serving in the U.S. Army ROTC, Davis has been active with the WSSU Band, the University Choir, a Campus Ambassador, a mentor to freshmen students, vice president of the WSSU chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, a Veterans Helping Veterans Heal intern and a member of Galilee Missionary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem.

After graduation, Davis is going to graduate school at the University of South Carolina. He plans to complete that program in one year and begin his military duties. As a clinical social worker, his responsibilities may range from clinical counseling, crisis intervention, disaster relief, critical event debriefing, teaching and training, supervision, research, administration, consultation and policy development in various military settings. He wants to specialize in helping military veterans who suffer from different traumas such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), paranoid schizophrenia and other conditions.

A1(M) Bramham 22/06/2017

The Michigan Municipal League’s 2021 Convention is set to take place in Grand Rapids, Sept. 22-24, 2021 with more than 400 municipal officials from throughout the state expected to attend. Numerous safety protocols and precautions related to COVID-19 were put in place in an effort to make the in-person event safe for attendees, guests, and League staff. The Convention is the League’s premiere annual event and it was the first in-person Convention since 2019 due to the pandemic. The Convention focused on Community Wealth Building and Trust and Belonging. The League defines community wealth building as strategies that build community and individual assets, creating resilient and adaptable systems to address social and economic needs.

Our community wealth building pillars are tied together by two things: trust and belonging. An essential part of any community, trust and belonging represents inclusive, supporting communities where every member feels proud of where they live. The League will work with our partners to provide thought leadership, training, advocacy, resources, and best practices to build community wealth. The six pillars of Community Wealth Building are arts and culture, sustainability, public health and safety, financial security, infrastructure, and lifelong learning. All education sessions, local educational tours, and related events were tied to Community Wealth Building and those pillars.

During the event, League members also will select the 2021 Community Excellence Award (CEA) winner, the 2021-22 MML Board President and Vice President, and the new members for the MML Board of Trustees.

For the annual CEA competition there are four finalists among 25 communities entries this year – a record since the program began in 2007. The four finalists with links to their projects are Delta Charter Township – Delta and Lansing township’s Waverly Pathway; East Lansing – The Daytime, Nighttime, Anytime, Place Project; Rochester Hills – Reimaging, Reinventing, and Renewing Auburn Road; and Sterling Heights – REcreating Recreation in Sterling Heights. League members attending the Convention will hear presentations from officials from the four communities and then vote for their favorite project. The winner will be announced Friday, Sept. 24, at the conclusion of the Convention.

View all the details of this year’s Convention, which session topics and issues, here: Michigan Municipal League Home Page (mml.org).

This year’s planned speakers, moderators, and educational tour guides are: League President William Wild, mayor of Westland; Teresa Lynn Weatherall Neal, President and CEO of LEAD 616, a leadership development company; Rosalynn Bliss, Mayor, Grand Rapids; Sheri Welsh, Pres. & CEO, Welsh & Associates; Bobby Hopewell, Pres. & CEO, Mobile Health Resources, Former Mayor, Kalamazoo; Mark Washington, City Manager, Grand Rapids; Deb Stuart, City Manager, Mason; Tim Dempsey, Vice President, Public Sector Consultants; Craig Searer, Executive Director, ArtPrize; Katie Moore Exhibitions Manager, ArtPrize; Mark Miller, Managing Director of Planning and Design Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc.; Lynée Wells, Founder & CEO, Aligned Planning; Andrew Moore, Executive & Planner, Williams+Works; Christopher Germain, Senior RRC Planner, MEDC; Roberto Valdez, Village President, Blissfield; ohn Schrier, Attorney, Parmeter Law; Robert La Fave, Village Manager, L’Anse; Minya Irby, Cooper Irby Brewster Professional Services; Theresa Rosado Nanasy, Owner, Casa de Rosado Galeria; Ryan Soucy, Senior Economic Development and Community Planner, Central Upper Peninsula Planning & Development Regional Commission; Marilyn Vlach, Treasurer, Central Neighborhood, Traverse City; Jamiel Robinson, Founder/CEO Grand Rapids Area Black Businesses; Ana Jose, Program Manager, Transformando West Michigan; Minya Irby, Agency Principal, Cooper Irby Brewster Professional Services; Eric Hufnagel, Mayor, St. Johns; Executive Director, Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness; David Anderson, ISK’s Director of Housing; Member of Kalamazoo County Public Housing Commission; Mayor of Kalamazoo; Lyn Raymond, Director of the Lakeshore Housing Alliance at Greater Ottawa County United Way; Kathy Winczewski, Councilmember, Ludington; Dr. Timothy Scarlett, Associate Professor of Archaeology, Department of Social Sciences, Michigan Technological University; Veronica Paiz, Councilmember, Harper Woods; John Willis, Chief Equity Officer, City of Jackson; Cardi DeMonaco, Jr., Councilmember, Eastpointe; Rob McCarty, Managing Partner, The Image Shoppe; Colleen Brown, Mayor, City of Montrose; Matt Naud, Resource Recycling Systems

Julie Staveland, MI Department of EGLE; Amy Tweeten, City of Petoskey; Mike Coyne, Account Executive, Dewpoint; Mike McGowan, Systems Engineer, Dewpoint; Ross Gavin, Councilmember, Berkley; Linh Song, Councilmember, Ann Arbor; Eric Hufnagel, Mayor, St. Johns; Executive Director, Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness; Ryan Kilpatrick, Executive Director, Housing Next (Ottawa County); Yarrow Brown, Executive Director, Housing North (Northwest Lower Peninsula); Rock Abboud, President Pro Tem, Beverly Hills; Steve Robbins, Founder and Owner of S.L. Robbins & Associates; Sean Beckman of Professional Rower Services; John J. Gillooly, Attorney, Garan Lucow Miller; Nick Curcio, Attorney, Curcio Law Firm; Leslie Dickinson, Attorney, Foster Swift; Stephanie Adams, Friends of Grand Rapids Parks; Amy Brower, Executive Director, Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association; Ryan VerWys, President & CEO Inner City Christian Federation, Grand Rapids; Jan van der Woerd, Vice President, Real Estate Development & Management, Inner City Christian Federation; Robert LaFave, City Manager, Community Solar Array, City of L’Anse; Mark Vanderpool, City Manager, City of Sterling Heights; and Glenn Wilson, President & CEO, Communities First, Inc.

Also speaking were League staff Chris Hackbarth, director of state and federal affairs; John LaMacchia, assistant director of state and federal affairs; Shanna Draheim, Policy Development Director, Michigan Municipal League; Helen Johnson, MML Foundation; Jennifer Rigterink, Legislative Associate, Michigan Municipal League; and Herasanna Richards, Legislative Associate, Michigan Municipal League.

We stumbled upon All Saints en route to a different church, and as all those seen thus far on this day had been small and plain, not much was expected. But I saw the tower from along the main street, and looked impressive. and once parked we found it unlocked and welcoming.

Star of the show is the northern chapel, given over to the Culpepper family, with a fabulous tomb in the centre. On the walls, dozens of blank shields show what had been planned to be the family mausoleum for centuries, but things changed, the family moved away and the chapel has just three shields decorated.

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There was considerable damage caused to this church in an earthquake of 1382. The medieval accounts survive so we know that 48s 2d was spent on the rebuilding. Little can have changed to the structure since that time, except for the construction of a north chapel in 1638. This chapel has a charming pattern of flint flushwork triangles in a horizontal course below the battlements. It contains one of the most interesting seventeenth-century monuments in Kent - to commemorate Lady Elizabeth Culpepper (d. 1638), carved and signed by the Court Sculptor Edward Marshall. The detail is amazing and the cord that connects her ring and wrist is always pointed out to visitors. The rest of the church was restored early in the career of George Gilbert Scott Jr in 1876 (see also Frinsted) and retains its patina of age unimaginable in a restoration by Scott Sr. The pulpit is early seventeenth century and dates from a few years after the much crocketed font cover. There are three signed monuments by Rysbrack and a tall crownpost roof of good construction in the nave.

www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Hollingbourne

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HOLLINGBORNE.

THE next parish north-westward from Harrietsham is Hollingborne, called in Domesday, Hoilingeborde, and in later records, Holingburnan and Holingeburne. It probably took its name from the spring which rises in the vale underneath the hill, in this parish.

THE PARISH of Hollingborne is situated much the same as that of Harrietsham last described, close to the great ridge of chalk hills, at the foot of which is the village called Hollingborne-street, in which at the south end of it stands the church and vicarage, and near them a well-looking brick mansion, of the time of queen Elizabeth, which by its appearance must have had owners of good condition in former times, but what is remarkable the rector of Hollingborne claims some rooms in this house in right of his rectory at this time. The road through Newnhambottom from Ospringe and Canterbury passes through Hollingborne-street, and thence through Eyhorne, commonly called Iron-street, in this parish, where there are two good houses, one belonging to Robert Salmon, esq. who resides in it, and the other built not many years since by Mr. John Weeks, who died possessed of it in 1785. Hence the road leads on, and joins the Ashford high road through Bersted to Maidstone. The southern part of this parish consists mostly of a deep sand, the whole of it below the hill is well watered by some small streams, which running southward join the Lenham rivulet in its way to Maidstone. Nearer the street the soil becomes a chalk, which continues to the summit of the hill, at the edge of which stands Mr. Duppa's house, whence the remaining part of this parish northward, situated on high ground, and exposed to the cold bleak winds, is but a wild and dreary country, with thick hedgerows, and frequent coppices of wood, mostly of hazel and oak, and small unthriving trees of the latter dispersed among them; the soil a deep tillage land, wet and very poor, being a red cludgy earth, covered with quantities of flint stones. On Eyhorne green, or as it is commonly called Broad-street, in this parish, in October yearly, two constables are chosen, one for the upper, the other for the lower half hundred of Eyhorne, each of which district consists of the twelve adjoining parishes, the borsholders in which, and the several boroughs in them, except such as are chosen at the different court leets, are chosen here likewise.

This parish, with the manor of Elnothington in it, together with the rest of the hundred of Eyhorne, was antiently bound to contribute to the repair of the sixth pier of Rochester bridge.

ÆTHELSTAN ETHELING, son of Ethelred II. gave by his will in 1015, to Christ-church, in Canterbury, his lands at Hollingborne, with their appurtenances, excepting one plough-land, which he had given to Siserth. In the MSS. in Bennet college library, Cambridge, of the evidences of Christ-church, Canterbury, intitled Thorn, printed in Decim. Script. f. 2221, this gift is said to have been made in 980; a very improbable circumstance, the king, his elder brother, at that time being but fourteen years of age.

These lands he had bought of his father, and gave them, with his consent, to Christ-church, L. S. A. that is, free from all secular service, excepting the trinoda necessitas, in like manner as Adisham had been given to it.

The manor of Hollingborne remained part of the possessions of the church of Canterbury at the time of the conquest, when the revenues of it were enjoyed as one common estate by the archbishop and his convent; but archbishop Lanfranc, after the example of foreign churches, separating them, in the partition Hollingborne fell to the share of the monks, and was allotted for their subsistence, (or ad Cibum, as it was usually termed) and it is accordingly thus entered in the book of Domesday, under the general title of Terra Monachorum Archiepi, i. e. the land of the monks of the archbishop.

The archbishop himself holds Hoilingeborde. It was taxed at six sulings. The arable land is twenty-four carucates. In demesne there are two, and sixty-one villeins, with sixteen borderers, having twenty-three carucates. There is a church, twelve servants, and two mills, and eight acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of forty hogs. In the whole, in the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth twenty pounds, and now it is worth thirty pounds. To this manor there adjoins half a suling, which never paid scot, this the bishop of Baieux rents of the archbishop.

At this time, the whole of the above premises seems to have been valued at thirty pounds.

King Henry II. granted to the monks of Christchurch a charter for their lands at Hollingborne upon the Hills. In the 10th year of king Edward II. the prior obtained a charter of free-warren for his manor of Hollingborne, among others; about which time it was, with its appurtenances, valued at 46l. 9s. 8d. King Henry VI. by his letters patent, in his 25th and 26th year, granted to the prior a market, to be held at this place weekly on a Wednesday, and a fair yearly on the feast of St. Anne. (fn. 1)

William Selling, who was elected prior in the next reign of king Edward IV. anno 1472, during the time of his holding that dignity, greatly improved the prior's apartments here. After which, it seems to have undergone no material alteration till the dissolution of the priory, which was surrendered into the hands of king Henry VIII. in the 31st year of his reign.

The manor of Hollingborne did not remain long in the hands of the crown; for the king settled it, by his dotation charter, in his 33d year, on his newerected dean and chapter of Canterbury, part of whose possessions it now remains.

There is a court-leet and court baron regularly held by the dean and chapter for this manor, which extends likewise into the adjoining parishes of Hucking, Bredhurst, and Harrietsham, the quit-rents of it called Beadle-rents, being about forty-two pounds per annum.

¶BUT THE DEMESNE LANDS of this manor have been from time to time leased out by the dean and chapter at a reserved rent of 10l. 9s. The year after the grant of it to them, they demised them by lease to I. Reynolde, as they did anno 19 Elizabeth to William Puresoy, in whose family they remained till the beginning of king James I.'s reign. After which the Fludds held them in lease, and continued so to do, till their interest in them was passed away to W. Alabaster, D. D. After which these premises were held in succession by Bargrave, Boys, Farewell, and Gookin, till the year 1684, when Sir Thomas Culpeper, had a lease of them, in whose family they continued till John Spencer Colepeper, of the Charterhouse, passed away his interest in them to the Hon. Robert Fairfax, who held them in 1758, and then alienated his lease to Francis Child, esq. banker in London, whose brother Robert Child, esq. of London, banker, dying in 1782, the trustees of his will, Robert Dent and John Keysel, esqrs. are now in the possession of his interest in the lease of these demesnes, under the dean and chapter, besides which the dean and chapter have several other lands and woods here leased out by them to different persons.

HOLLINGBORNE is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deaury of Sutton; and is exempt from the jurisdiction of the archdeacon.

The church, which is dedicated to All Saints, is a handsome building, consisting of three large isles, with a chancel at the end of the middle one, and a square tower at the west end. The chancel is much enriched with the monuments of the family of Culpeper, of Greenway-court, and for two of the lords Culpeper, one of them by Rysbrack; on the north side is one for Sir Martin Barnham and his two wives, in 1610, their three figures kneeling at a desk, and underneath their children. At the east end of the north isle there is a small neat chapel, raised up several steps to give room for a vault underneath, in which lie the remains of all this branch of the Culpeper family. The sides of the chapel are filled with black escutcheons, and square tablets of black marble alternately, only two of these among the numbers of them are filled up, and those with younger branches of the family settled elsewhere, a proof of the disappointment of the vain endeavours of the builder to transmit the memory of his descendants to posterity. On the middle of the pavement is a beautiful raised monument of white marble, and the figure of a lady, lying at full length, in the habit of the times, of exceeding good sculpture, in memory of Elizabeth, lady of Sir Thomas Culpeper, daughter of John Cheney, esq. of Sussex, obt. 1638. In the isle a monument for Nich. Chaloner, esq. obt. 1706. Against the north wall of the north isle for two of the family of Duppa, and at the lower end of the church, for the Plummers, Collins's and Dykes. In the middle isle a stone, on which have been the figures of a man and woman in brass, but two shields of arms remain, being quarterly, first and fourth, A chevron, engrailed on a chief, three sleurs de lis; second and third, Three fishes, wavy, sessways, in pale.

There is belonging to this church, a most superb altar-cloth, and a pulpit-cloth and cushion, of purple velvet, ornamented with different figures of fruits of pomegranets and grapes, wrought in gold, the needlework of the daughters of Sir John Colepeper, afterwards created lord Colepeper, who employed themselves for almost the space of twelve years in the working of them, during their father's absence abroad with king Charles II.

The communion plate is very handsome, and an swerable to the above-mentioned furniture, being mostly the gift of the family of Colepeper, and some of it of Baldwin Duppa, esq.

John Eweyn, by his will proved in 1527, gave a table of alabaster, to stand upon the altar of St. John the Baptist in this church; and money to the repair of St. John's chapel in it. John Aleff, parson of Hollingborne, as appears by his will in 1537, was buried in the way beside the porch-door, on the right hand, and that there was set in the wall, nigh his grave, a stone with a plate of sculpture, mentioning where and when he was buried. He had before been vicar of Little Chart, and of St. Laurence Wolton, as he was then of St. John's Sherburne, in Hampshire.

The church of Hollingborne, to which the chapels of Hucking and Bredhurst were antiently annexed, is a sinecure rectory, with a vicarage endowed. The rector of Hollingborne is at this time patron of the perpetual curacy of the chapel of Bredhurst. The archbishop is patron both of the rectory and of the vicarage of Hollingborne, the vicar of which is collated to this vicarage, with the chapel of Hucking annexed.

The vicarage was endowed before the year 1407, in which year Arthur Sentleger, the rector, granted to William Maunby, vicar of this church, a messuage, with its appurtenances in this parish, for the habitation of himself and his successors for ever. (fn. 5) In archbishop Chichele's register, at Lambeth, there is an unauthenticated writing of a composition, made about the year 1441, for it is without date, between William Lyeff, then rector here, and John Fsylde, vicar, upon the assignation of a proper portion for the endowment of this vicarage in future times.

The rectory of Hollingborne is valued in the king's books at 28l. 15s. 5d. and the tenths at 2l. 17s. 6 1/7d. The vicarage is valued in them at 7l. 6s. 8d. and the yearly tenths at 14s. 8d. The vicarage in 1640 was valued at eighty-six pounds, and the communicants were then 271. It is now of the yearly certified value of 70l. 16s. 8d.

The vicarage was augmented twenty pounds per annum, by lease between Ralph Staunton, rector, and Sir Thomas Culpeper, of this parish.

¶The name of Culpeper, or Colepeper, is so variously spelt in different deeds and records, that it is impossible to keep with any rule to either spelling; on all the monuments, and in the parish register, (excepting in two instances in the last) it is spelt Culpeper.

www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol5/pp460-478

Didnt expect the light off the lid , thus the halo.

Expecting twins! At Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

I couldn't see what else was in with the tree. But a nice concept.

Fotoreportage van Hester nog een paar weken te gaan... Inmiddels al één dag over tijd...

Thank you very much for your visit. Please leave your comments / suggestion / advice.

From ESPNU - When two of the nation's top three-ranked squads square off, a fantastic game with a fantastic finish can be expected. That's exactly what the fans at Blake Arena saw when FAB 50 No. 1 St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) took on No. 3 Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) in the marquee contest of the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass., on Monday...St. Patrick was down 42-34 at the half, but used a scintillating second-half performance from Duke-bound point guard Kyrie Irving to get back in the game. He scored on a variety of jump shots and acrobatic moves in the lane, but it was two free throws by Irving with one second left that put the Celtics in position to tie the game and force overtime...With St. Patrick trailing 71-69, Irving nailed the first, but the game-tying free throw was off target. Teammate Michael Gilchrist, who was nursing knee and ankle injuries, came up with the offensive rebound, but had his put back attempt blocked by a trio of swarming Findlay Prep defenders as the buzzer sounded. With its 71-70 victory, coach Michael Peck's club from Findlay Prep (22-1) will move up to No. 2 in the next ESPN RISE FAB 50 Rankings. The No. 3 ranked Pilots lost by one point to current No. 2 Northland (Columbus, Ohio), which is set to take over the top spot in the national rankings following Saturday's win over No. 9 Oak Hill Academy at the Hoophall Classic...Irving, the No. 6 player in the ESPNU 100 and a Mr. Basketball USA candidate, finished with a game-high 30-points for St. Patrick (10-1). Findlay Prep's counter part at the point guard position, Cory Joseph, finished with a team-high 23-points, on 8-of-16 shooting, with nine boards. Joseph, ranked No. 30 in the ESPNU 100, is another Mr. Basketball USA candidate. He battled leg cramps in the second half after scoring 16-points and helping his team build a first half cushion...It was uncertain if Gilchrist, the No. 1 prospect in the ESPNU Super 60, was going to play in this game after suffering a knee injury in a game against Union (Union, N.J.) on Jan. 5. Gilchrist gave a valiant effort and even made contributions after suffering a sprained ankle in the first quarter. He finished with 19 points...Findlay Prep forward Tristan Thompson finished with eight points before fouling out, but wing Nick Johnson picked up the scoring slack for his Texas-bound teammate with 16 points. Johnson is the nephew of former Boston Celtic guard Dennis Johnson and the son of California playground legend "Jumping" Joey Johnson...Monday's marquee at the Hoophall Classic was a matchup of two great point guards and two great teams, but unfortunately time ran out on St. Patrick, which suffered its first loss on the year.

Shot at ISO 3200, Aperture of 2.8, Shutter speed of 1/320 and Focal Length of 70.0 mm

Taken with a Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm F2.8 ZA SSM (SAL-2470Z) lens and processed by Adobe Photoshop Lightroom on Wednesday January-20-2010 08:18 EST AM

Firefighters are known for their bravery and quick problem solving ability. They are expected to deal with all types of emergencies and disasters at unexpected times. Sometimes, they will encounter emergencies, while traveling to and from their fire stations.

On a Thanksgiving Day in 2018, a L.A.F.D. Paramedic Rescue Ambulance had transported an elderly woman to an Emergency Room of a Los Angeles Hospital... Coincidentally, this Hospital was undergoing a re-model.

When, suddenly while getting ready for their next emergency dispatch, these Firefighter / Paramedics came upon an emergency inside the very Emergency Room they were in. A construction worker was working in the concealed attic space above them and he was electrocuted.

One of the Paramedic Team members without hesitation made a quick assessment for his personal safety and went up into the attic space to find a person in cardiac arrest. At great risk to himself he crawled in and lowered that worker down to a waiting ER team below that was able to resuscitate him.

Also due to the electrical hazard that existed, all power was cut to the Emergency Department while building engineers determined the cause of the electrocution and isolated its source. An LAFD team arrived to supply electricity to the Emergency Department, while the Hospital enacted their emergency power supply plan. Our LAFD team supplied lighting and power to their life saving equipment.

Thanks to the actions of one heroic Firefighter / Paramedic and an entire team of LAFD Firefighters and Paramedics that responded that afternoon, no unexpected loss of life happened at that hospital on that Thanksgiving Day.

The LAFD Administration would like to recognize the following LAFD Firefighters / Paramedics for performing their duties so well every day and especially well on one Thanksgiving Day in 2018 in particular:

•Firefighter III / Paramedic, Derek S. Cook,

•Captain II, Eric L. Thompson

•Captain I, Michael T. Coffey

•Apparatus Operator, Michael E. Pagliuso

•Engineer, Warren B. Worcester

•Engineer, Daniel B. Johnson

•Firefighter III / Paramedic, Blake W. Pearson

•Firefighter III, Kyle J. Cawdrey

•Firefighter III, Diego P. Gutierrez

•Firefighter III, Tyler J. Elmore

•Firefighter III, Antonio M. Barassi

•Firefighter III, Matthew Lacount

•Firefighter III, Jose A. Davalos

We want to especially highlight one Firefighter / Paramedic who heroically risked his life to save an electrocuted worker. Thanks to his quick and bravery, this worker was able to walk out of the hospital weeks later.

Photo Use Permitted via Creative Commons - Credit: LAFD Photo | Alex Gillman

Board of Fire Commisioners Meeting: 031919

Connect with us: LAFD.ORG | News | Facebook | Instagram | Reddit | Twitter: @LAFD @LAFDtalk

As the world entered the supersonic age, the US Air Force had to assume that the Soviet Union was designing jet bombers. The subsonic interceptors then in service, such as the F-89 Scorpion, would not be adequate. Accordingly, the USAF issued a requirement in 1949 for what was simply called the “1954 Interceptor,” as that was the expected in-service date. Unlike earlier aircraft, however, the new aircraft would be designed around the fire control computer (the Hughes MX-1179) and would incorporate all-missile armament.

Of 18 proposals sent to the USAF, the service chose Convair’s Project MX-1554 in late 1951. This proposal incorporated then radical delta wings, a powerful Wright J67 turbojet, and an internal missile bay that was also equipped with rockets, along with the MX-1179 fire control system. Problems arose with both the engine and fire control system, however, and the USAF decided to go ahead with production of what was now the F-102A Delta Dagger, the third aircraft of the Century Series of fighters in the 1950s. The F-102A was considered as interim until the more advanced F-102B could come online later; emphasis was getting a supersonic interceptor into service as soon as possible, even if it used a less powerful Pratt and Whitney J57 and a simpler M-9 fire control computer. The first YF-102 flew in October 1953.

It was a failure. The YF-102 could not even reach supersonic speeds, its ceiling was below that of even the F-89, and the prototype crashed only a week after its first flight. Convair went back to the drawing board, this time using the recently discovered area rule principle, changing the fuselage from a conventional round shape to a more streamlined “coke bottle,” lengthening and narrowing the nose, and adding shock blisters around the engine. The redesigned YF-102A flew in December 1954, and was able to meet the USAF’s requirements, though it was still slower and had a lower ceiling than the USAF would have liked. Since the F-102A was again only supposed to serve as an interim for the F-102B, which would later become the F-106 Delta Dart, the USAF was willing to overlook the shortfall in performance. The first F-102 entered service in 1956.

In service, the “Deuce,” as it became known, got mixed reviews. The fire control system was improved with an infrared turret forward of the cockpit, and it had comparatively heavy armament in the form of four AIM-4 Falcons and 24 rockets carried in the weapons bay doors. The aircraft were also re-winged with a more efficient design in 1957. Later F-102s had the rockets removed to allow carriage of two AIM-24 Nuclear Falcons.

All this aside, the delta winged design proved to be tricky to get used to, and the F-102 suffered a high accident rate. TF-102A conversion aircraft were built, which involved a radical redesign of the Delta Dagger from the intakes forward, as the TF-102 had side-by-side seating. This adversely affected performance, giving the TF-102 its moniker of “Pig.” Nonetheless, the F-102 was to perform yeoman service throughout the late 1950s and 1960s as an interceptor, supplementing the earlier F-101 Voodoo and its replacement, the F-106. As the Delta Dart entered service, more and more F-102s were relegated to Air National Guard units, where the Deuce would serve until 1976.

F-102s would see wartime service as well. As North Vietnam had a number of Ilyushin Il-28 Beagles in service, F-102s were deployed in detachments to USAF bases in South Vietnam to guard against a surprise attack. These aircraft were drawn from both active duty units and Air National Guard units under Operation Constant Guard. As the Il-28 threat never materialized, the F-102s were used as escorts for USAF missions in Laos or EB-66 jammer aircraft supporting Rolling Thunder sorties. In this capacity, the F-102 would see at least one air-to-air combat with MiG-21s, but came off second best with the loss of aircraft and pilot. Other F-102s were used as ground support aircraft, a role to which the Deuce was completely unsuited, for a brief time and with poor results—though the F-102’s infrared sensors gave it all-weather capability that at that time was matched only by the F-4D Phantom II.

Truly lacking a role, the F-102 detachments were withdrawn from Southeast Asia in 1968. F-102s were exported to Turkey and Greece in the mid-1960s, and these were used in the 1974 Cyprus Crisis; none were reported lost on either side, though rumors persist of Turkish F-102s either shooting down or being shot down by Greek F-5A Freedom Fighters.

All F-102s, foreign and domestic, were withdrawn from service by 1979. In the US, nearly all were converted to QF-102 drones and expended as targets, ending in 1986. Of approximately 900 Delta Daggers produced, at least 35 remain today in museums.

F-102A 53-1804 joined the 37th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Ethan Allen AFB, Vermont in 1957. It would then go on to serve with the 82nd FIS (Travis AFB, California), the 18th FIS (Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota), the 460th FIS (Portland, Oregon), and the 68th FIS (Itazuke, Japan) before being passed on to the 144th FIG (California ANG) at Fresno, sometime around 1970. During its time with the 68th FIS, it may have been involved with the Pueblo Crisis of 1968; there is no record that 53-1804 ever went to Southeast Asia. It was retired in 1973, and retained for the 144th's airpart at Fresno International Airport.

Unfortunately, due to coronavirus, the airpark is currently closed to non-military visitors, but we were able to get permission to take a few quick long-distance shots through the fence. This was the best I could do for 53-1804, which looks to be in the middle of a repaint: the aircraft was for awhile displayed with inaccurate markings in the wrong font (the tail numbers still are). Because of the angle, we could not get a good shot of the airpark's F-4D or F-86D.

My 2nd maternity shoot. Tried a few without the backdrop this time as the colours looked pretty good. Also, there wasn't loads of room to set up the backdrop due to the shape of the room.

For the shots without the backdrop I used both my Sony F42 flashguns with white shoot-through umbrellas.

For the backdrop shots I had a bare flash behind the backdrop and one camera right with a reflector on the floor aiming back up into Matt & Kiley.

This is probaby what a lot of my friends were expecting I'd see when I said I was going on a tour of "Soviet architecture": factory-cast concrete panels and framing members, craned into place on site, fast and cheap. Such techniques were explored across Europe (including the USSR) before the war, but it took the full mobilization of centralized postwar bureaucracies to achieve the promised economies of scale. This took place in the West as well, notably in the Netherlands, but has come to be associated principally with the Iron Curtain states, with East Germany's Plattenbauten perhaps being the most infamous. There are tons in the Soviet Union itself, typically low-rise affairs (to cut out costly elevator equipment) but with some massive slabs like this one in bigger, denser cities. The new approach was pushed heavily by Khruschev even before he became the General Secretary and announced an overall shift of architectural priorities towards highly engineered, efficient construction - hence the Russian name for such structures: "Khrushchyovka." Many of these were built under the pretense that they were a temporary stopgap to manage the housing shortage, and they have not aged well. This is maybe not a typical example, but I really wanted to have at least one shot of this kind of thing; keep this in your mind as we look at the somewhat zestier and stylistically varied public buildings that characterize the final decades of Soviet architecture.

Apartment building on Leningradsky Prospekt, directly opposite Dinamo Stadium. Architect and dates unknown; probably 1970s.

Here is what I've been working on! I have wanted to make a Blythe scale antique shop for so long now and I'm finally finished! I've been around antiques my whole life as my mom and dad are avid collectors and have definitely passed the passion on to my husband and I! We all scour every corner of the globe for what we love, so I thought it would be fitting for the girls to have their own shop as well! Paris Antiques now open for business!!! We are expecting many shoppers over the next few days!

Carlos Eduardo Correa, ministro de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible, dijo ayer que el Reino Unido es un gran aliado de Colombia, no solo como donante, sino también en cooperación técnica para la lucha contra la deforestación, alianza que el país ve fortalecida con la campaña Artemisa, un componente de seguridad que se ejecuta en los territorios y que le ha permitido al Gobierno Nacional retomar el control de 14.000 hectáreas para su restauración.

Correa lo dijo en un conversatorio de la Asamblea del BID que por esta semana se desarrolla en Barranquilla, en el que participó junto a su homólogo del Reino Unido, Zac Goldsmith, con quien habló sobre cambio climático y biodiversidad, un evento moderado por José Manuel Acevedo, director de Noticias RCN.

“El año 2020 fue difícil para todos los países, los temas sociales y económicos. Eso hizo que las personas se conectaran mucho más con la naturaleza, que tuvieran mayor sensibilidad por el cuidado de nuestros recursos. En Colombia trabajamos por el cuidado de la biodiversidad. Lo que va a trascender a las próximas generaciones es un componente de educación ambiental. Crearemos una escuela por la sostenibilidad para el cuidado de nuestros recursos naturales”, dijo el ministro Carlos Eduardo Correa.

A su turno, Zac Goldsmith, afirmó: “el ministro Correa es un gran líder de la sostenibilidad. Colombia, como país, es uno de los líderes con su agenda ambiciosa, bien revisada y su liderazgo para restaurar el mundo natural. Tengo muchas expectativas de trabajar estrechamente con Colombia”.

El ministro de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible reafirmó en la Asamblea del BID la aspiración de Colombia de neutralizar el carbono al año 2050. Expresó que hay un norte claro, un camino y un liderazgo que desde este Gobierno se ha dado y que trascenderá hasta las próximas generaciones.

“Nuestra meta va a llegar a las empresas, a nosotros como ciudadanos. Tenemos un compromiso con la humanidad y aquí lo podemos ver con el Reino Unido, entre otros, con los más de 190 países que firmaron el Acuerdo de París”, dijo Correa.

Algo que hace el Reino Unido, que es prometedor, es que está cambiando el sistema para el uso del suelo. “En lugar de pagarle a los dueños por tener tierra, que ha sido convertida para ganadería en el futuro, cualquier dinero gastado va a estar condicionado por unas buenas prácticas ambientales; es algo que ocurre en todo el mundo, allí tendríamos una solución. Quisiera felicitar al ministro (Correa) por todo lo que ha dicho. Cuando me uní a ustedes me di cuenta de que Colombia es un líder mundial, y ya sabemos por qué”, expresó Goldsmith. / Mar. 18, 2021. (Fotografía Oficial Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible / Emilio Aparicio Rodríguez).

Esta fotografía oficial del Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible está disponible sólo para ser publicada por las organizaciones de noticias, medios nacionales e internacionales y/o para uso personal de impresión por el sujeto de la fotografía. La fotografía no puede ser alterada digitalmente o manipularse de ninguna manera, y tampoco puede usarse en materiales comerciales o políticos, anuncios, correos electrónicos, productos o promociones que de cualquier manera sugieran aprobación por parte del Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible.

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So last week, the world was still reeling from the Mystery Figma draws. I tried my luck as well, coming up with D.Va, Griffith and this lovely lady, Catwoman, from the Batman Ninja film.

Batman Ninja figures, from what I can tell, didn't sell particularly well. I imagine it had a lot to do with Japanese companies expecting people on this side of the world to pitch in and do our part. Pricing did it's part, I'm sure, but another interesting point is that many people I've read comments from HATED the movie because of its climactic battle involving an anime staple, mecha.

I guess suspension of your disbelief for a time traveling guy dressed as a Batman with his merry band of rogues is OK,.

But giant robots? ?!??! Mind. Blown.

So unsurprisingly, Catwoman was the second easiest to obtain Mystery Figma (according to the sample size I took).. Luckily for me, I've got a soft spot for the ladies, and Catwoman has always been a favourite of mine, regardless of source material.

Released in 2019, and retailing for 7,944 Yen, which isn't exactly mindblowing these days. Contents are fairly typical for Figma release I'd say. You get the figure, an additional winking face and a separate head that allows you display the face with her mask up, two clawed hands, a coiled whip/belt, an uncoiled whip, four additional hands (whip holding, closed fists) and the typical Figma stand.

So I've yet to watch Batman Ninja myself, and Figma isn't exactly known for making custom bodies for each character, but the overall aesthetic appears to match the promotional art that I've quickly glanced at. There is some nice texturing on the suit, like on the Figuarts Endgame Black Widow.

The biggest selling point is, unsurprisingly, the face sculpts. A smidgen long in the chin, but otherwise, top notch in terms of accuracy. I suppose an angry sculpt would have been nice, but I'm glad there was a playful one included. Besides, it's not like she loses her cool that often.

Her uncoiled and coiled whips are multi segmented and can rotate, which allows for some additional posing there as well. This is particularly nice for her coiled whip piece, as the segmented parts make up a tail of sorts.

Articulation wise, Catwoman has a few more tricks up her sleeves compared to the typical Figma in a catsuit. You get the standard Figma ankles with pivot and tilt, single jointed knees, dedicated thigh twist, hips, , mid torso joint, standard Figma shoulders with some lateral movement, upper arm rrotation, single jointed elbows, full wrist joints, and standard head joint.

In addition to the thigh twist, Goodsmile decided to toss in another surprise - hip extension to allow for greater range of leg movement. There is also a strange lack of toe movement.

Please, however, don't be like me. The hip extension works by pulling up the abdomen area, which allows for the groin piece to slide up. I mistakenly thought that this was the piece your pulled up on to get the belt on so I kind of sheared off the peg inside. Luckily it still holds. The torso separates from the waist area much easier now but on the plus side, I've now given her waist movement.

Paint wise, the applications are generally sharp and smoothly done, with the exception of the really fine grey apps on the main trunk of the body. Decals are nice and crisp, and applied appropriately, as one expects from a Figma release. Flesh tone is evenly applied, leaving no streaks or shiny plastic parts.

Build quality wise its generally good, just some anomalies. To me, the joints felt much stiffer on this figure compared to any others I remember handling. The open palms also seem to be a bit more rectangular than they need to be. Anal retentive parts aside, you get the crisp finishes, good material qualities and tight assembly of parts one expects.

So, my own stupidity aside, a solid entry into the line. Of course, Figma generally don't sell due to source material, rather than actual issues with the toy itself.

While more posable compared to your typical Figma, it would have been nice if they'd gone all out like with those Yowamushi Pedal Figma or Figuarts style - Catwoman deserves all the joints she needs to look all slinky. Still, a very stylish figure and by far my favourite of the Mystery Figma I received.

Now if only Songoku Batman would go on sale...

Auryn Piers decides not to push the subject at this point, sighing as Tarin insists on moving about. She locates and fills a glass full of water before sitting it on the table in front of her. “Well, hopefully you got it all outta your system.” She was, of course, referring to the drinking.

Tarin Perian looks at the water and then picks it up and takes a swallow. "There's some...gatorjuice crap in the fridge....I think." She rests her forehead in her hand. "Everything fucking hurts...even numb, it hurts.."

Auryn Piers: “Drink the water.” The command was a softly-spoken one as she settles into the nearby chair. Despite humankind’s efforts when it came to hydration, nothing quite beat good ol’ H2O.

Tarin Perian works on getting the water down already starting to sober up. "Hate this..." she mumbles and then slides a hand over to Auryn. "I'm glad you're here."

Auryn Piers offers a weak smile as she allows her hand to be taken. “Well, you’re definitely a girl that needs looking after.” The words are offered in half jest as brows are comically lifted.

Tarin Perian finishes the glass of water and pushes it aside. "Now..can I have some of th'juice?" She grins at Auryn and her smile flickers and fades. "I'm sorry. I am. But...it was so scary...and it all happened so fast..."

Auryn Piers: “Yeah.” She collects the glass before rising, sliding her hand from beneath the other. “I really am sorry you had a rough time of it.” She tosses the statement over her shoulder while finding and then filling the container with the desired beverage. She returns to the table and places it neatly before Tarin. “Musta shook you up pretty bad.” She reclaims her seat while casting a concerned glance in the woman’s direction.

Tarin Perian drinks about a third of the glass as soon as it's set down, then closes her eyes and leans back. 'Better...thanks for this. I mean it. And yeah...I can't say much about it, but...basically, someone that was...well..family...was so very -not-. And it got messy..and...when it was all done...everyone had somewhere to be...someone to be with..."

Auryn Piers: “Bad stuff happens fast. Then again, so does the good stuff.” She lifts slender shoulders into a shrug. “That’s life, I guess.” Fingers absently trace the table’s surface as she listens, head adopting a shallow cant as green eyes remain upon the other’s features. She finds herself unsure of what to say, lips forming a thin line as she considers. “No matter what happens or doesn’t happen with us, you have a friend in me, okay? You need someone after something bad like that? Gimme a call.”

Tarin Perian glances over at Auryn and then back down at the table. "Sounds a lot like I'd just be using you when the bad shit happened. Then again, in this place...that's been about once every couple of weeks on an average."

Auryn Piers: “Eh. Different people mean different things to each other. A friendship is a friendship, right? ‘Sides, I’m sure you’d do the same for me.” She begins to fidget, weight shifting within the chair.

Tarin Perian nods a little. "Yeah...I'd do the same for you in a heartbeat. I guess...I'm just fumbling my way. See...I never...saw relationships. Or...anything...really. I mean..I have some vague memories from when I was like..five..but after that, for the next twelve years, I lived in Facilities. Labs." She looks down at the glass, now about half empty. "I'm kinda learning as I go here. We weren't around a wide variety of people, or a large number of them."

Auryn Piers: “Yeah, I kinda figured that.” She leans backward in her chair, fingers lacing behind her neck as a swiveling of her head allows for a sideways glance. “I’ve lived on the streets and in-” She cuts off the statement, debating the wisdom of being so forthcoming. “Let’s just say I may not be all that older than you or anything but I’ve had my share of.. Uh… experiences. I don’t mean sex.. ’though there’s that. I just mean with people. I know who I am. It’s something I had to figure out for myself and that’s something you’re gunna have to do.”

Tarin Perian nods a little. "I know. And...I don't want you to think I don't...appreciate you. Or care for you. Or find you amazing. But...you're like..light years ahead of where I'm at with being sure about things. Me? Give me an arsenal to strip down and reassemble, or a tactical situation to analyze, and I'm fine..." No..no real signs of being drunk now that she's drinking the 'juice'. "...but put me in a club or a party? I panic. I don't know how to behave, or react, or..." She sighs. "I couldn't even live in a family. I had to leave."

Auryn Piers: “You’ll find your way, darlin’” A genuine smile finds her lips as she continues to indulge in the backward lounge. “People ain’t all that hard to figure out and once you been around them for awhile, you’ll start to see who you really are.” Auryn was young, yes, but did have an uncanny insight into human behavior. Most of which was born of a necessity, a tool required for survival. “Can’t really rush these things. Takes time.”

Tarin Perian tips her head and looks at her, resting one bruised cheek in her hand. "You think you've got patience enough to deal with me? That Judge guy....he's used up every last ounce of patience in his bucket, I swear."

Auryn Piers had noted her sudden lack of intoxication and inwardly puzzles but chooses not to currently address it. “Depends on whatcha mean by patience. Will I stick around and be your friend? Sure. Confused straight girl or not, you’re still worth knowing.” This is followed by a quick wink. “Will I stand around and chew on my guts while you figure stuff out?” She slowly shakes her head. “Naw, that I ain’t gunna do.”

Tarin Perian nods a little. "Guess that's fair." She drains the last of the 'juice' and leans back gingerly, closing her eyes a moment. "Hopefully, you won't think it's too big a waste of your time."

Auryn Piers: “People worth knowing ain’t ever a waste of time. Can’t be everything to everybody, right? See, I know what I want outta life.” She falls silent a moment, chest rising and falling as she issues a lingering sigh. “Ain’t had much in the way of family myself and what I’m looking for is to be good enough for someone, you know?” The question is punctuated by an arch of a single brow. “Right now, that ain’t you.” She shrugs, allowing arms to slide forward in order to fold upon the table. “Nothing to feel bad about or nothing. What is.. Is.”

Tarin Perian murmurs. "And I'm not 'straight'. I'm definitely bi." She looks at Auryn carefully. "Very definitely bi. But...I'm not going to jerk you around. You are good enough...maybe too good." She grins a little and moves slowly to get up, injuries still present if the blessed whiskey haze isn't. She puts the glass in the sink and runs water on her hands, then wets her face, twisting her hair back with a damp hand before finding a towel and drying up. "So much for numb."

Auryn Piers: “Mebbe. Mebbe not.” She also rises, watching Tarin for a moment before squaring her shoulders in quiet determination. “You seem pretty okay now. Think I’ll just be headed on my way.” She jerks her head toward the door while wearing a small smile. “Need anything else before I take off?”

Tarin Perian turns and one hand lifts...then falls. "No...the juice stuff works pretty well. I'll be fine. Thank you, though. I mean it."

Auryn Piers: “Sure. I meant it too. Anything I can ever do for you, lemme know. You have my number.” She pats her pocket in emphasis before walking toward the door, fingertips hovering over the knob as she hesitates a long moment. She sighs, tapping the metal with her knuckles before finally opening the door. “See ya, Tarin?” She cranes her neck in order to cast a glance over her shoulder.

Tarin Perian watches her go and lets out a soft breath. "Yeah...see ya, Auryn." She waits until the door is closed, then moves to flip the lock, resting her head against the cool metal and closing her eyes. It had taken all her willpower to not kiss her or touch her - but she was right. It wasn't fair. She hit the button on the coffee pot and sat down in front of the computer. Maybe some work...

Auryn Piers wears something of a grim expression as she leaves the apartment, one hand thrust deeply within her pocket. She’d done as she’d intended and put the skids on anything romantic between the two of them. Even though she’d done it early and preferably before she got too attached, it still stung. In fact, more so than she’d expected.

Day 2 of 2017 Mid-Season Invitational Group Stage at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 11 May 2017.

Be Inspired

Work continues on the OR 217 auxiliary lane project

I was last here on a cold and grey day at the beginning or March.

Graveney stretches along the road, but All Saints sits on a quiet bend, and felt wonderfully isolated.

And not at all friendly, I have to say. It was locked, as expected, so I took aome outside shots and we moved on eatwards, but somehow I really wanted to see inside here, just to see if it could be warmer than it felt on that March morning.

I parked beside the road, I saw the door of the porch open, and a light filled space beyond.

Looked good....

The church was a hive of activity, with some people getting a table-top sale ready, others boiling the kettle and unpacking cakes for refreshments, whilst two others greeted me, and I was given my own tour.

Nooks and crannies everywhere, including an alcove in the north chapel, which must have held a figure, now as an artwork of the cross made my medieval nails found during restoration work.

Two panels of the original rood screen were still inside, though hidden away, and one had rings of concentric circles, to confuse the devil, I was told.

------------------------------------------

The Victorians did not leave too much of a mark here, for the mellow red tiles, box pews and ledger slabs remain. There is a heavy medieval rood screen and the empty north and south aisles allow us to appreciate the building as it might originally have appeared. In the north aisle is a memorial brass to John Martyn (d. 1436) with cathedral-like proportions, being over 56 in long.

www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Graveney

-------------------------------------------

GRAVENEY

LIES the next parish north-westward from Hernehill. It was called in the time of the Saxons, Graven-ea, and afterwards, by corruption of language, Gravenel, in like manner as Oxney, Pevensey, and Rumency, were corruptly called Oxenel, Pevensel, and Rumenel; (fn. 1) the name of it denoting its low and watery situation, and it is now, by contraction, usually called Grainey.

IT LIES about two miles from the high London road, on the north side of it, at the 48th mile-stone, the parish of Goodnestone intervening, in a low country adjoining the marshes, of which there is a large quantity, both fresh and salt within it, Faversham creek and the Swale being the western and northern boundaries of it. The soil of it various, there being in the level part some rich tillage land, and on the rises or small hills in it, a light soil of both sand and gravel. The church stands in the eastern part of the parish, having Graveneycourt, with an antient gateway, and numerous offices, singularly built round it, well worth observation, as denoting its former respectable state. In the western part is Nagdon, adjoining to Faversham creck, having a decoy for wild fowl, and a large quantity of marsh land belonging to it. There is but little thoroughfare here, and no village, the houses being interspersed straggling throughout it. Upon the whole though unhealthy, it has not an unpleasant aspect, being well cloathed with trees, especially elm, which are very thriving here, and in great plenty; the roads are remarkably well taken care of, as are the poor, and the whole parish seems to thrive well under the care of the inhabitants of Graveney-court. There are some parts of this parish separated from the rest by those of Faversham and Goodneston intervening.

There are several scarce plants observed by Mr. Jacob in this parish, and enumerated in this Plantæ Favershamienses.

THE ARCHBISHOP'S paramount manor of Boughton claims over the whole of this parish, as being within that hundred, subordinate to which is the manor of Graveney.

In the year 811, Wlfred, archbishop of Canterbury, purchased this place of Cenulph, king of Mercia, who had made the kingdom of Kent tributary to him, for the use of Christ-church, Canterbury, as appears by the leiger book of that priory, and that it was given L. S. A. that is, Libere Sicut Adisham, with the same liberties, immunities, and privileges that Adisham was. Soon after which, one Werhard, a powerful priest, and kinsman to the archbishop, found means to gain possession of it, and kept it till that prelate's death in 830, when Feogild succeeding to the see of Canterbury, though he sat in it but three months, yet in that time he compelled Werhard to restore Gravene then computed at thirty-two hides of land, to the church; and it was afterwards confirmed to it in anno 941, by king Edmund, Eadred his brother, and Edwyn son of the latter; (fn. 2) and it remained part of the revenues of Christchurch at the coming of archbishop Lanfranc to that see in 1070, when on his division of them, between himself and the monks of his church, this manor fell to his share, of whom it was afterwards held by knight's service. In which state it continued at the time of taking the survey of Domesday, anno 1080, in which it is thus entered, under the general title of Terra Militum Archiepi, that is, land held of the archbishop by knight's service.

In Boltune hundred the same Richard (who owed fealty to the archbishop) held of the archbishop Gravenel. It was taxed for one suling. The arable land is. In demesne there is one carucate, and eight villeins, with ten borderers having two carucates. There are five servants, and ten acres of meadow, and four saltpits of four shillings. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth one hundred shillings, now six pounds, of these the monks of Canterbury have twenty shillings.

Who this Richard was I do not find, though Somner calls him Ricardus Constabularius; however, it is not improbable, but he might afterwards adopt the surname of Gravene, from his having the possession of this place; certain it is, that it was afterwards held by a family who took their name from it. William de Gravene held it in the reign of king Henry III. of the archbishop, as one knight's fee. John de Gravene died possessed of it in the 56th year of the same reign, after which it became the property of the family of Feversham.

Thomas de Feversham died possessed of it in the beginning of the reign of king Edward III. leaving Joane his wife surviving, and in the window of the north chancel were formerly the arms of Feversham, A fess chequy, or, and gules, between six crosses, bottony, or; and underneath, Thomas Feversham, susticiar, & Johanna Uxor. ejus; on the pavement is a stone with two half-figures in brass for them, with an inscription round it in old French, part of which is gone; probably that which Weever mentions. (fn. 3) She afterwards entitled her second husband Sir Roger de Northwood to this manor, during her life; accordingly he paid aid for it in the 20th year of that reign, as one knight's see, which he held in right of his wife, of the archbishop, which was formerly held by Richard de Gravene. After her death her son Richard de Feversham succeeded to this manor, of which he died possessed in 1381, and was buried in this church, having married the daughter of Robert Dodde. His tomb, of Bethersden marble, remains against the south wall. In the south chancel, on the top, were two figures, and four coats of arms, the brasses gone; round the edge is this inscription, in brass, Ora pro aibs Roberti Dodde & Rici de Feuersham filii sui quonda dni de Gravene obiit, &c. Above the tomb, is a recess in the wall, with an antient carved arch above it. He had a daughter Joane, who became his heir, and married John Botiller, esq. and in her right became entitled to this manor, she died in 1408, and was buried in the south chancel here, her figure in brass on her gravestone is gone, but the inscription still remains. By her he had a son of his own name. Either he or his father was sheriff anno 22 king Richard II. John Botiller, esq the son, was knight of the shire in the 1st year of king Henry V.'s reign. They bore for their arms, Sable, three covered cups, or, within a bordure, argent; and John Botiller, probably the father, was esquire to archbishop Courtney, and mentioned in his will, proved anno 1396, being the 20th of Richard II.

There is a gravestone in the south chancel here, which most probably was for John Botiller the son; on it was his figure in brass, now gone, and four coats of arms; the two first are gone, the third Botiller, the fourth Feversham, a fess chequy, between six crosses, bottony, or. The inscription was remaining in Weever's time. This stone, I am informed, was some years ago removed out of the north chancel hither, and in the window of this chancel is this coat of arms, quarterly, first, Botiller, as above; second and third, a fess chequy, or, and gules, in chief three crosses, bottony, or; the bottom part being broken, the fourth is likewise broken. Underneath are these words remaining, Johes er, & Jonna ux ejs. Joane his wife was daughter and heir of William de Frogenhall, by whom he had a daughter and sole heir Anne, who carried it in marriage to John Martyn, judge of the common pleas, the son of Richard Martyn, of Stonebridge, who built much at his seat of Graveney court, where he partly resided. (fn. 4) He died in 1436, leaving his widow surviving, who then became again possessed of this manor in her own right. She afterwards married Thomas Burgeys, esq. whom she likewise survived, and dying in 1458 was buried beside her first husband in the north chancel of this church. His gravestone is of a very large size, and is most richly inlaid with brass, which is well preserved, having the figures of him and his wife, and other ornaments over the whole of it. There were four coats of arms, only the second of which, that of Boteler, is remaining. He bore for his arms, Argent, on a chevron, gules, three talbot bounds, passant, or. Her second husband Thomas Burgeys died in 1452, and was buried in the same chancel, where his gravestone remained till within these few years. At the upper end of the stone are two coats in brass, first Boteler impaling Frogenhall; second, a fess chequy impaling the like. Another coat, at the bottom, is gone, as is his figure.

In the descendants of Judge Martyn, residents at Graveney-court, this manor continued down to Robert Martyn, who likewise resided here, and died in the first year of Edward VI. (fn. 5) leaving his two daughters, Joane, married to Richard Argall, and Elizabeth to Stephen Reames, of Faversham, his coheirs. From them this manor was passed away by sale to John Pordage, of Rodmersham, in whose name it continued till it was at length sold to Daniel Whyte, esq. of Vinters, in Boxley, whose descendant of the same name, about the beginning of king George II.'s reign, alienated it to Mr. Edward Blaxland, who afterwards resided here, and bore for his arms, on a fess, three falcous volant, jessed and belled. He died in 1739. This occasioned this manor to be separated in several divisions and again afterwards in further subdivisions, among his descendants, in which state it now remains; but those of the male line of the name of Blaxland, still continue to reside at it. From the beginning of the last century to the middle of it, the Napletons, a family of good account in these parts of the county, were lessees of Graveney-court, and resided at it; and from that time to the latter end of it, the Houghhams were occupiers of it, and resided here. Many of both families lie buried in this church, as do all the Blaxlands, since their coming to the possession of this estate.

NAGDEN, formerly spelt Negdon, is a noted estate in the north-west part of this parish, consisting mostly of marsh land, which was once part of the endowment of the abbey of Faversham, and continued amongst the revenues of it till its final dissolution in the 30th year of Henry VIII. at which time it was valued at eight pounds per annum.

This estate thus coming into the hands of the crown, was granted by the king next year to Sir Thomas Cheney, lord warden, to hold in capite, who alienated it, in the 36th year of that reign, to Robert Martyn, of Graveney-court, who died in the first year of king Edward VI. (fn. 6) leaving his two daughters his coheirs, Joane, married to Richard Argall, and Elizabeth to Stephen Reames, who jointly possessed this estate. After which both these moieties seem to have been conveyed to Ciriac Petit, of Colkins, in this neighbourhood, who died possessed of the entire see of it in 1591, and in his descendants it continued down to Mr. William Petit, who in 1709 conveyed it by sale to dame Sarah Barrett, of Lee, widow, who died in 1711, upon which this estate came to her only son by her first husband, Sir Francis Head, bart. who died possessed of it in 1716. (fn. 7) He left four sons, who became entitled to this estate on their father's death, as coheirs in gavelkind. On the death of the eldest Sir Richard Head, bart. in 1721, his share devolved to his three brothers. James Head, esq. died afterwards intestate in 1727, and unmarried, on which Sir Francis Head, bart. and John Head, D. D. became possessed of it in undivided moieties, and the latter that same year conveyed his moiety of it to the former, who in 1745 sold the entire fee of it to John Smith, esq. of Faversham, who has since conveyed it to his son, John Smith, junior, esq. of Ospringe, the present possessor of it. The estate of Nagden pays nine shillings per annum, on Lammas day, to the vicar of Graveney, in lieu of tithes.

Charities.

On a tablet in the church, the benefactions of several pieces of land are recorded, amounting in the whole to upwards of four acres. These are put up as benefactions to the church; but by the information of the clerk, they belonged to the poor, to whom the yearly produce of them was distributed till of late. It is now applied to the repairs of the church.

The poor constantly relieved are about ten, casually 25.

GRAVENEY is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Ospringe.

The church is dedicated to All Saints, and consists of three isles and a high chancel, and two side ones formerly called chapels, the south one being dedicated to St. John, and the north one to the Virgin Mary. The steeple, which is a tower, stands at the north-west corner. In it are three bells. The antient gravestones in this church have been removed from where they originally laid, to make room for the present ones. Thus that of John Martyn, as I am informed, has been removed out of the north into the south chancel. In this north chancel they have been likewise still further displaced; there are now two rows of gravestones in it, lying three and three. In the west row are now, the first southward, Judge Martyn's; the second, Mr. Edward Blaxland's, who died in 1739; and the third, Thomas Burgeys, esq. For the making room for Mr. E. Blaxland's, Judge Martyn's stone was removed from the middle or second place to the first, where before his son's lay, till removed to the south chancel. This practice, of disturbing the ashes of the dead, as is but too frequent in churches of late, calls loudly for some authority to prevent it in future.

The church of Graveney, with the advowson of the vicarage, was in very early times part of the possessions of the priory of St. Mary Overies, in Southwark, with which it continued till the final dissolution of it in the 31st year of king Henry VIII. when it came into the hands of the crown, together with all the revenues and estates belonging to it.

The parsonage remained in the crown some years longer than the advowson of the vicarage, as will be mentioned hereafter, that is, till the 3d year of queen Elizabeth, when the queen granted this rectory, being then valued at 7l. 6s. 8d. yearly rent, to archbishop Parker and his successors, in exchange for other premises. (fn. 8) Since which it has continued part of the possessions of the see of Canterbury to this time.

This parsonage has been from time to time demised on a beneficial lease, at the above yearly rent. In 1643 Mrs. Elizabeth Robinson, widow, was tenant of it. John Baker, esq. of St. Stephen's, near Canterbury, is the present lessee of it.

But the advowson of the vicarage did not continue so long in the crown, for it was granted, among others, in 1558, to the archbishop and his successors, (fn. 9) with whom it now continues, his grace the archbishop being now patron of it.

This vicarage is valued in the king's books at fifty pounds, and the yearly tenths at 1l. 4s. per annum. In 1578 there were communicants here ninety. In 1640 the communicants were sixty-five, and it was valued at sixty pounds per annum.

In the year 1244 archbishop Boniface, on the presentation of the prior and convent of St. Mary Overies, as appears by an antient book belonging to it, instituted Ralph, the curate of Gravene, to the perpetual vicarage of this parish, so that he should receive and take in the name of it, all fruits and oblations, with all other things belonging to the church, excepting two sheaves of the tithe, and should take the same to his own use.

In the same manuscript, on a dispute between the prior and convent, rectors of this church, and Richard, lord of Gravenel, concerning tithes in this parish, it was decreed in 1283, before the rural dean of Ofpringe, that the vicar should receive, in the name of the religious, as well as in his own right, all tithes arising in future from the feedings and pastures in his own marshes, called North-marsh and Leved-marsh, which should be paid to him without any cavil or exception. (fn. 10)

The vicar has a house and two acres of glebe land.

¶The vicarage is worth about fifty pounds per annum. He is entitled, by the above composition, to all tithes, excepting the two sheaves mentioned in it, and by prescription likewise; which third part of the corn tithes is now usually known by the name of the vicar's third sheaf. But the impropriator's lease being for all the tithes of the parish, without any such exception, has occasioned many quarrels and disputes about this third sheaf, which are now entirely subsided, and the vicar is accustomed to take one shock out of every thirty shocks of corn, in right of his vicarage.

www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol7/pp28-38

..novas expectativas.

Com a cabeça bem longe da minha rotina...

Mi amiga Ali va a ser mamá, y yo tuve el placer de hacerle una sesión de fotos...Gracias Alii !!!!

January 28, 2022 - Melville - At a press briefing in Melville, Long Island, Governor Kathy Hochul today declared a State of Emergency effective at 8 p.m. due to heavy snowfall expected downstate as a coastal storm system will arrive Friday evening bringing more than a foot of snow and gusty winds to parts of Long Island and up to 10 inches of snow in New York City and the lower Hudson Valley. Winds gusting up to 55 mph at times will likely impact travel in several locations and could potentially cause power outages. Governor Hochul is advising New Yorkers in these locations to stay off the roads this weekend to avoid any dangerous travel conditions and allow emergency response crews to complete their missions. Governor Hochul also announced an extension on face masks in businesses and schools until February 10th. (Kevin P. Coughlin / Office of Governor Kathy Hochul )

Although the autumn season in Vancouver has its share of rainy days, the trees changing colour is phenomenal and easily makes up for the wet weather! Last week, I had the chance to work with this gorgeous yummy mommy Elena, lead organizer of Meetup.com’s Pregnant and Fabulous Group for Vancouver’s pregnant ladies. At 8 months into her term, Elena booked her maternity photo session with me at Vancouver’s gorgeous Queen Elizabeth Park.

www.sandycanvas.com/elena-is-expecting/

waiting for the perfect date for dinner.

caucasian couple expecting baby smiling cheerful isolated studio on white background

Wasn't expecting to see this in Dover Today!, and this vehicle had brought school groups to Dover, however further shots were not possible as this vehicle did not go to Dover Castle like I expected it to.

And be sure to check by my other acount: www.flickr.com/photos_user.gne?path=&nsid=77145939%40..., to see what else I saw Very Recently!!

Nearly 1,000 Students to Participate in WSSU Commencement on May 15

WINSTON-SALEM, NC -- Christina Wareâs story is one of the many inspiring testimonials of the nearly 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students from near and afar who are expected to participate in Winston-Salem State Universityâs commencement ceremony on Friday, May 15, at 9:45 a.m., at Bowman Gray Stadium, 1250 South Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive.

Academy Award-winning recording artist, activist and actor Common will be the keynote speaker. There are no guest limits or ticket requirements for the ceremony.

It is conceivable that Wareâs story of work ethic, undeniable spirit and enthusiasm encapsulates the sentiment of her graduating 2015 classmates.

Ware, 43, of Winston-Salem, is quite active on and off campus as a mentor to other students, a member of the non-traditional student organization, the first president of Epsilon Chapter 130 of Tau Sigma National Honor Society at WSSU, a wife and proud mother of two. She is also legally blind. She wants to blaze trails, set examples and raise the bar for others with disabilities.

âIn 2007, I lost my eyesight. After a six-month pity party, I decided to continue my education and make a difference for others. Since 2008, I have spent every day of my life proving to society that having a disability does not mean we are weak. I am now an advocate for persons with disabilities,â Ware, a business major, said, "We are not handicapped, we are handy capable!"

Ware, who can be described as always pleasant and having an unlimited enthusiasm for life, says every day alive is like Christmas. She demands to be treated like everyone else and has been noted to say, âI may physically fall, but mentally I can get back up and pull a 4.0 semester.â After graduation she wants to start a Kosher/Halal foods business and become active on community boards.

The China Connection

From the City of Harbin, the capital and largest city of the Heilongjiang province of the People's Republic of China, WSSU Master of Arts in the Teaching of English as a Second Language and Applied Linguistics students Yaowen Xing and Chunling Zhang have found a second home at WSSU and in Winston-Salem. They perhaps have come the farthest distance attend the university.

With a population of more than five million people, Harbin is situated in the northeast region of China so close to Russia that only the Songhua River separates the two countries. Nicknamed the Ice City, the average winter temperature is -3.5 °F with annual lows hitting -31.0 °F. Itâs no wonder the students say the warmer weather here in the Piedmont Triad has not been lost in translation with them and itâs one of the things they enjoy.

âWe really love the weather in North Carolina, especially the long summer time, since our hometown is so cold with snow for almost 6 months of the year,â Xing, 30, noted. âWe also love the people at WSSU and the faculty who all are nice and it has been a really good experience.â

Xing and Zhang, 35, are in America as part of a Chinese education immersion program to help exchange the cultures between China and America. They enjoy working as cultural ambassadors to students in both the cultures. The two came to the U.S. in 2013 and have been teaching at Konnoak Elementary school during the early hours and studying and researching later in the day. âComing to America was a dream for me after learning about it through books, movies and music, and my time here it has been amazing,â Xing said.

Zhang, said she didnât know much about WSSU or Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUâs), but after a short time here she knew WSSU would be was special part of life. âI have met many African- Americans who have been friendly and helpful. I now can say I truly have many black friends,â Zhang said. She and Xing have taken advantage of the HBCU experience. They have been often seen attending evening lectures and presentations, sports events, musical and visual arts events. With their WSSU master degrees they will return to China one day in the future to make an impact on teaching and the quality of education there.

The All-In Approach

Olivia N. Sedwick, 21, a political science major from Indianapolis, has taken âthe all-in approach" to her WSSU experience. The current WSSU student government president (SGA), honorâs student and champion athlete, chose WSSU over other schools she could have attended.

Featured in a USA Today article highlighting the HBCU experience released last June, Sedwick is quoted as saying about WSSU, âI fell in love with the school.â She says, âWe talked about things that I had never had the chance to before coming from a predominantly white high school.â

Liking the intellectual and social environment, she was comfortable becoming involved around campus. In her first year, a walk-on athlete for the womenâs track and field team, she was a 2013 CIAA Indoor Womenâs Track and Field All-Conference competitor and the WSSU womenâs shot put record holder until earlier this year, although she never competed in the throws until coming to college. In her second year she served as the sophomore class vice president while also being appointed to serve on many committees throughout the university. In that same year, she was a delegate to the UNC Association of Student Governments (UNCASG), representing WSSU students on a state-wide level. At the end of that year, she became the first African-American female elected senior vice president of UNCASG and served in that capacity for the entirety of her third year while being active as the chief of staff for the WSSU student government association that year also. Toward the end of her term in UNCASG, she decided to run for student body president and has served as the voice of the students for the duration of her last year. With all of her activities, she has maintained a 3.95 GPA throughout her time in college.

Sedwick has been selected as a UNC General Administration Presidential Intern, which begins in July. Upon completion of the prestigious one-year appointment, Sedwick plans to attend Howard University School of Law.

A Drum Major who will March for a Noble Cause

Willie Davis, 22, a social work major from Fayetteville, N.C., who has led WSSUâs Red Sea of Sound Marching Band as a drum major for his senior year, will now march to lead the charge for helping veterans and their families cope with typical and unique challenges of serving in military. Davis will be one of four Cadets with the distinct honor of being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant U.S. in the U.S. Army during this yearâs commencement ceremony. Despite that professionally Davis will help vets, military and families with things like dealing with emotions, he said, âI donât think I will be ready for the commissioning part (of commencement) emotionally.â

Readiness for Davis is an understatement. The youngest of three siblings, who was age 10 when his father died, Davis has been an A average student throughout life. He was in the top ten of his high school class and the first generation in his family to attend college. At WSSU, besides maintaining high academic achievement and serving in the U.S. Army ROTC, Davis has been active with the WSSU Band, the University Choir, a Campus Ambassador, a mentor to freshmen students, vice president of the WSSU chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, a Veterans Helping Veterans Heal intern and a member of Galilee Missionary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem.

After graduation, Davis is going to graduate school at the University of South Carolina. He plans to complete that program in one year and begin his military duties. As a clinical social worker, his responsibilities may range from clinical counseling, crisis intervention, disaster relief, critical event debriefing, teaching and training, supervision, research, administration, consultation and policy development in various military settings. He wants to specialize in helping military veterans who suffer from different traumas such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), paranoid schizophrenia and other conditions.

I was last here on a cold and grey day at the beginning or March.

Graveney stretches along the road, but All Saints sits on a quiet bend, and felt wonderfully isolated.

And not at all friendly, I have to say. It was locked, as expected, so I took aome outside shots and we moved on eatwards, but somehow I really wanted to see inside here, just to see if it could be warmer than it felt on that March morning.

I parked beside the road, I saw the door of the porch open, and a light filled space beyond.

Looked good....

The church was a hive of activity, with some people getting a table-top sale ready, others boiling the kettle and unpacking cakes for refreshments, whilst two others greeted me, and I was given my own tour.

Nooks and crannies everywhere, including an alcove in the north chapel, which must have held a figure, now as an artwork of the cross made my medieval nails found during restoration work.

Two panels of the original rood screen were still inside, though hidden away, and one had rings of concentric circles, to confuse the devil, I was told.

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The Victorians did not leave too much of a mark here, for the mellow red tiles, box pews and ledger slabs remain. There is a heavy medieval rood screen and the empty north and south aisles allow us to appreciate the building as it might originally have appeared. In the north aisle is a memorial brass to John Martyn (d. 1436) with cathedral-like proportions, being over 56 in long.

www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Graveney

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GRAVENEY

LIES the next parish north-westward from Hernehill. It was called in the time of the Saxons, Graven-ea, and afterwards, by corruption of language, Gravenel, in like manner as Oxney, Pevensey, and Rumency, were corruptly called Oxenel, Pevensel, and Rumenel; (fn. 1) the name of it denoting its low and watery situation, and it is now, by contraction, usually called Grainey.

IT LIES about two miles from the high London road, on the north side of it, at the 48th mile-stone, the parish of Goodnestone intervening, in a low country adjoining the marshes, of which there is a large quantity, both fresh and salt within it, Faversham creek and the Swale being the western and northern boundaries of it. The soil of it various, there being in the level part some rich tillage land, and on the rises or small hills in it, a light soil of both sand and gravel. The church stands in the eastern part of the parish, having Graveneycourt, with an antient gateway, and numerous offices, singularly built round it, well worth observation, as denoting its former respectable state. In the western part is Nagdon, adjoining to Faversham creck, having a decoy for wild fowl, and a large quantity of marsh land belonging to it. There is but little thoroughfare here, and no village, the houses being interspersed straggling throughout it. Upon the whole though unhealthy, it has not an unpleasant aspect, being well cloathed with trees, especially elm, which are very thriving here, and in great plenty; the roads are remarkably well taken care of, as are the poor, and the whole parish seems to thrive well under the care of the inhabitants of Graveney-court. There are some parts of this parish separated from the rest by those of Faversham and Goodneston intervening.

There are several scarce plants observed by Mr. Jacob in this parish, and enumerated in this Plantæ Favershamienses.

THE ARCHBISHOP'S paramount manor of Boughton claims over the whole of this parish, as being within that hundred, subordinate to which is the manor of Graveney.

In the year 811, Wlfred, archbishop of Canterbury, purchased this place of Cenulph, king of Mercia, who had made the kingdom of Kent tributary to him, for the use of Christ-church, Canterbury, as appears by the leiger book of that priory, and that it was given L. S. A. that is, Libere Sicut Adisham, with the same liberties, immunities, and privileges that Adisham was. Soon after which, one Werhard, a powerful priest, and kinsman to the archbishop, found means to gain possession of it, and kept it till that prelate's death in 830, when Feogild succeeding to the see of Canterbury, though he sat in it but three months, yet in that time he compelled Werhard to restore Gravene then computed at thirty-two hides of land, to the church; and it was afterwards confirmed to it in anno 941, by king Edmund, Eadred his brother, and Edwyn son of the latter; (fn. 2) and it remained part of the revenues of Christchurch at the coming of archbishop Lanfranc to that see in 1070, when on his division of them, between himself and the monks of his church, this manor fell to his share, of whom it was afterwards held by knight's service. In which state it continued at the time of taking the survey of Domesday, anno 1080, in which it is thus entered, under the general title of Terra Militum Archiepi, that is, land held of the archbishop by knight's service.

In Boltune hundred the same Richard (who owed fealty to the archbishop) held of the archbishop Gravenel. It was taxed for one suling. The arable land is. In demesne there is one carucate, and eight villeins, with ten borderers having two carucates. There are five servants, and ten acres of meadow, and four saltpits of four shillings. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth one hundred shillings, now six pounds, of these the monks of Canterbury have twenty shillings.

Who this Richard was I do not find, though Somner calls him Ricardus Constabularius; however, it is not improbable, but he might afterwards adopt the surname of Gravene, from his having the possession of this place; certain it is, that it was afterwards held by a family who took their name from it. William de Gravene held it in the reign of king Henry III. of the archbishop, as one knight's fee. John de Gravene died possessed of it in the 56th year of the same reign, after which it became the property of the family of Feversham.

Thomas de Feversham died possessed of it in the beginning of the reign of king Edward III. leaving Joane his wife surviving, and in the window of the north chancel were formerly the arms of Feversham, A fess chequy, or, and gules, between six crosses, bottony, or; and underneath, Thomas Feversham, susticiar, & Johanna Uxor. ejus; on the pavement is a stone with two half-figures in brass for them, with an inscription round it in old French, part of which is gone; probably that which Weever mentions. (fn. 3) She afterwards entitled her second husband Sir Roger de Northwood to this manor, during her life; accordingly he paid aid for it in the 20th year of that reign, as one knight's see, which he held in right of his wife, of the archbishop, which was formerly held by Richard de Gravene. After her death her son Richard de Feversham succeeded to this manor, of which he died possessed in 1381, and was buried in this church, having married the daughter of Robert Dodde. His tomb, of Bethersden marble, remains against the south wall. In the south chancel, on the top, were two figures, and four coats of arms, the brasses gone; round the edge is this inscription, in brass, Ora pro aibs Roberti Dodde & Rici de Feuersham filii sui quonda dni de Gravene obiit, &c. Above the tomb, is a recess in the wall, with an antient carved arch above it. He had a daughter Joane, who became his heir, and married John Botiller, esq. and in her right became entitled to this manor, she died in 1408, and was buried in the south chancel here, her figure in brass on her gravestone is gone, but the inscription still remains. By her he had a son of his own name. Either he or his father was sheriff anno 22 king Richard II. John Botiller, esq the son, was knight of the shire in the 1st year of king Henry V.'s reign. They bore for their arms, Sable, three covered cups, or, within a bordure, argent; and John Botiller, probably the father, was esquire to archbishop Courtney, and mentioned in his will, proved anno 1396, being the 20th of Richard II.

There is a gravestone in the south chancel here, which most probably was for John Botiller the son; on it was his figure in brass, now gone, and four coats of arms; the two first are gone, the third Botiller, the fourth Feversham, a fess chequy, between six crosses, bottony, or. The inscription was remaining in Weever's time. This stone, I am informed, was some years ago removed out of the north chancel hither, and in the window of this chancel is this coat of arms, quarterly, first, Botiller, as above; second and third, a fess chequy, or, and gules, in chief three crosses, bottony, or; the bottom part being broken, the fourth is likewise broken. Underneath are these words remaining, Johes er, & Jonna ux ejs. Joane his wife was daughter and heir of William de Frogenhall, by whom he had a daughter and sole heir Anne, who carried it in marriage to John Martyn, judge of the common pleas, the son of Richard Martyn, of Stonebridge, who built much at his seat of Graveney court, where he partly resided. (fn. 4) He died in 1436, leaving his widow surviving, who then became again possessed of this manor in her own right. She afterwards married Thomas Burgeys, esq. whom she likewise survived, and dying in 1458 was buried beside her first husband in the north chancel of this church. His gravestone is of a very large size, and is most richly inlaid with brass, which is well preserved, having the figures of him and his wife, and other ornaments over the whole of it. There were four coats of arms, only the second of which, that of Boteler, is remaining. He bore for his arms, Argent, on a chevron, gules, three talbot bounds, passant, or. Her second husband Thomas Burgeys died in 1452, and was buried in the same chancel, where his gravestone remained till within these few years. At the upper end of the stone are two coats in brass, first Boteler impaling Frogenhall; second, a fess chequy impaling the like. Another coat, at the bottom, is gone, as is his figure.

In the descendants of Judge Martyn, residents at Graveney-court, this manor continued down to Robert Martyn, who likewise resided here, and died in the first year of Edward VI. (fn. 5) leaving his two daughters, Joane, married to Richard Argall, and Elizabeth to Stephen Reames, of Faversham, his coheirs. From them this manor was passed away by sale to John Pordage, of Rodmersham, in whose name it continued till it was at length sold to Daniel Whyte, esq. of Vinters, in Boxley, whose descendant of the same name, about the beginning of king George II.'s reign, alienated it to Mr. Edward Blaxland, who afterwards resided here, and bore for his arms, on a fess, three falcous volant, jessed and belled. He died in 1739. This occasioned this manor to be separated in several divisions and again afterwards in further subdivisions, among his descendants, in which state it now remains; but those of the male line of the name of Blaxland, still continue to reside at it. From the beginning of the last century to the middle of it, the Napletons, a family of good account in these parts of the county, were lessees of Graveney-court, and resided at it; and from that time to the latter end of it, the Houghhams were occupiers of it, and resided here. Many of both families lie buried in this church, as do all the Blaxlands, since their coming to the possession of this estate.

NAGDEN, formerly spelt Negdon, is a noted estate in the north-west part of this parish, consisting mostly of marsh land, which was once part of the endowment of the abbey of Faversham, and continued amongst the revenues of it till its final dissolution in the 30th year of Henry VIII. at which time it was valued at eight pounds per annum.

This estate thus coming into the hands of the crown, was granted by the king next year to Sir Thomas Cheney, lord warden, to hold in capite, who alienated it, in the 36th year of that reign, to Robert Martyn, of Graveney-court, who died in the first year of king Edward VI. (fn. 6) leaving his two daughters his coheirs, Joane, married to Richard Argall, and Elizabeth to Stephen Reames, who jointly possessed this estate. After which both these moieties seem to have been conveyed to Ciriac Petit, of Colkins, in this neighbourhood, who died possessed of the entire see of it in 1591, and in his descendants it continued down to Mr. William Petit, who in 1709 conveyed it by sale to dame Sarah Barrett, of Lee, widow, who died in 1711, upon which this estate came to her only son by her first husband, Sir Francis Head, bart. who died possessed of it in 1716. (fn. 7) He left four sons, who became entitled to this estate on their father's death, as coheirs in gavelkind. On the death of the eldest Sir Richard Head, bart. in 1721, his share devolved to his three brothers. James Head, esq. died afterwards intestate in 1727, and unmarried, on which Sir Francis Head, bart. and John Head, D. D. became possessed of it in undivided moieties, and the latter that same year conveyed his moiety of it to the former, who in 1745 sold the entire fee of it to John Smith, esq. of Faversham, who has since conveyed it to his son, John Smith, junior, esq. of Ospringe, the present possessor of it. The estate of Nagden pays nine shillings per annum, on Lammas day, to the vicar of Graveney, in lieu of tithes.

Charities.

On a tablet in the church, the benefactions of several pieces of land are recorded, amounting in the whole to upwards of four acres. These are put up as benefactions to the church; but by the information of the clerk, they belonged to the poor, to whom the yearly produce of them was distributed till of late. It is now applied to the repairs of the church.

The poor constantly relieved are about ten, casually 25.

GRAVENEY is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Ospringe.

The church is dedicated to All Saints, and consists of three isles and a high chancel, and two side ones formerly called chapels, the south one being dedicated to St. John, and the north one to the Virgin Mary. The steeple, which is a tower, stands at the north-west corner. In it are three bells. The antient gravestones in this church have been removed from where they originally laid, to make room for the present ones. Thus that of John Martyn, as I am informed, has been removed out of the north into the south chancel. In this north chancel they have been likewise still further displaced; there are now two rows of gravestones in it, lying three and three. In the west row are now, the first southward, Judge Martyn's; the second, Mr. Edward Blaxland's, who died in 1739; and the third, Thomas Burgeys, esq. For the making room for Mr. E. Blaxland's, Judge Martyn's stone was removed from the middle or second place to the first, where before his son's lay, till removed to the south chancel. This practice, of disturbing the ashes of the dead, as is but too frequent in churches of late, calls loudly for some authority to prevent it in future.

The church of Graveney, with the advowson of the vicarage, was in very early times part of the possessions of the priory of St. Mary Overies, in Southwark, with which it continued till the final dissolution of it in the 31st year of king Henry VIII. when it came into the hands of the crown, together with all the revenues and estates belonging to it.

The parsonage remained in the crown some years longer than the advowson of the vicarage, as will be mentioned hereafter, that is, till the 3d year of queen Elizabeth, when the queen granted this rectory, being then valued at 7l. 6s. 8d. yearly rent, to archbishop Parker and his successors, in exchange for other premises. (fn. 8) Since which it has continued part of the possessions of the see of Canterbury to this time.

This parsonage has been from time to time demised on a beneficial lease, at the above yearly rent. In 1643 Mrs. Elizabeth Robinson, widow, was tenant of it. John Baker, esq. of St. Stephen's, near Canterbury, is the present lessee of it.

But the advowson of the vicarage did not continue so long in the crown, for it was granted, among others, in 1558, to the archbishop and his successors, (fn. 9) with whom it now continues, his grace the archbishop being now patron of it.

This vicarage is valued in the king's books at fifty pounds, and the yearly tenths at 1l. 4s. per annum. In 1578 there were communicants here ninety. In 1640 the communicants were sixty-five, and it was valued at sixty pounds per annum.

In the year 1244 archbishop Boniface, on the presentation of the prior and convent of St. Mary Overies, as appears by an antient book belonging to it, instituted Ralph, the curate of Gravene, to the perpetual vicarage of this parish, so that he should receive and take in the name of it, all fruits and oblations, with all other things belonging to the church, excepting two sheaves of the tithe, and should take the same to his own use.

In the same manuscript, on a dispute between the prior and convent, rectors of this church, and Richard, lord of Gravenel, concerning tithes in this parish, it was decreed in 1283, before the rural dean of Ofpringe, that the vicar should receive, in the name of the religious, as well as in his own right, all tithes arising in future from the feedings and pastures in his own marshes, called North-marsh and Leved-marsh, which should be paid to him without any cavil or exception. (fn. 10)

The vicar has a house and two acres of glebe land.

¶The vicarage is worth about fifty pounds per annum. He is entitled, by the above composition, to all tithes, excepting the two sheaves mentioned in it, and by prescription likewise; which third part of the corn tithes is now usually known by the name of the vicar's third sheaf. But the impropriator's lease being for all the tithes of the parish, without any such exception, has occasioned many quarrels and disputes about this third sheaf, which are now entirely subsided, and the vicar is accustomed to take one shock out of every thirty shocks of corn, in right of his vicarage.

www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol7/pp28-38

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Co. E, 12th KS. Infantry

The La Cygne Weekly Journal, Friday, June 28, 1907, Pg 5

In Memoriam.

Francis Marion Conley was born in Indiana March 28, 1840 and departed this life at his home in La Cygne, Kansas June 25, 1907, aged 67 years, 2 months and 27 days. On the 15th day of May 1862 in the bonds of Holy Matrimony to Miss Vienna Mason. To this union was born ten children, three of whom with the wife survive him and mourn his departure to the Spirit World.

On August 18, 1862, just sixty three days after their wedding day, Mr. Conley in response to his country’s call for brave men offered himself as a volunteer and was accepted and enlisted in Company E of the 12 Kansas Infantry, and served his country almost three years, receiving a honorable discharge at Little Rock June 13, 1865.

After the close of the war he returned to his Kansas home where by honesty, industry and good management he has acquired some very desirable property. For the last fifteen years he has been identified with the business interests of La Cygne, conducting very successfully a furniture store. He also held many city and county offices proving himself worthy of the confidence placed in him by his fellowmen. But it was in his judicial administration that he out-shown all his other gifts. He seemed especially qualified for that special work, hence he was commonly spoke of as “Judge”. His apprehensions were very rapid; his development of truth was luminous as its path; his knowledge appeared intuitive, and he, by a single glance, and with as much facility as the eye of the eagle passing over the landscape, surveyed the whole field on controversy—saw in what way the truth might be most successfully defended and how error must be approached. In coming into his presence where he sat as the Judge, oppressed humanity felt a secret rapture, and the heart of the innocent leaped for joy.

Wherever he was—it mattered not in that sphere he moved—the friendless had a friend, the fatherless had a father, the poor man though unable to reward his kindness, found an advocate. It was when the rich oppressed the poor—when the powerful menaced the defenseless, when truth was disregarded or the eternal principles of Justice violated it was on these occasions that he exercised all his strength, and gave him the force and authority of a prophet.

As a patriot, his integrity blessed the scrutiny of inquisition; whose manly virtue never shaped itself to circumstances; who stood amid the varying tides of party, firm like the rock which far from land lifts its majestic top above the waves and remains unshaken by the storms which agitate the ocean.

As a friend, he was true to his promise, his bosom was transparent and deep in the bottom of his heart was rooted every tender and sympathetic virtue. He made it a rule of his life to be upright, clean and pure in all his transactions with his fellowmen.

He has spent more than thirty years in the Church of God. And few men have exercised greater faith in God than did Mr. Conley. He took God at his word and expected the fulfillment of that word. He was not disappointed. Now his illuminated spirit still whispers from heaven with well known eloquence the solemn admonition, “Mortals hastening to the tomb and once the companions of my pilgrimage, take warning, and avoid my errors. Cultivate the virtues I have recommended. Follow the God I have followed. Live for immortality; and would you recite anything from the final dissolution lay it up with God. Thus speaks, me thinks our deceased benefactor. For thus he acted during life. And this more than any other sheds glory on his character. Everything else death effaces. Religion alone abided with him in his

As the world entered the supersonic age, the US Air Force had to assume that the Soviet Union was designing jet bombers. The subsonic interceptors then in service, such as the F-89 Scorpion, would not be adequate. Accordingly, the USAF issued a requirement in 1949 for what was simply called the “1954 Interceptor,” as that was the expected in-service date. Unlike earlier aircraft, however, the new aircraft would be designed around the fire control computer (the Hughes MX-1179) and would incorporate all-missile armament.

Of 18 proposals sent to the USAF, the service chose Convair’s Project MX-1554 in late 1951. This proposal incorporated then radical delta wings, a powerful Wright J67 turbojet, and an internal missile bay that was also equipped with rockets, along with the MX-1179 fire control system. Problems arose with both the engine and fire control system, however, and the USAF decided to go ahead with production of what was now the F-102A Delta Dagger, the third aircraft of the Century Series of fighters in the 1950s. The F-102A was considered as interim until the more advanced F-102B could come online later; emphasis was getting a supersonic interceptor into service as soon as possible, even if it used a less powerful Pratt and Whitney J57 and a simpler M-9 fire control computer. The first YF-102 flew in October 1953.

It was a failure. The YF-102 could not even reach supersonic speeds, its ceiling was below that of even the F-89, and the prototype crashed only a week after its first flight. Convair went back to the drawing board, this time using the recently discovered area rule principle, changing the fuselage from a conventional round shape to a more streamlined “coke bottle,” lengthening and narrowing the nose, and adding shock blisters around the engine. The redesigned YF-102A flew in December 1954, and was able to meet the USAF’s requirements, though it was still slower and had a lower ceiling than the USAF would have liked. Since the F-102A was again only supposed to serve as an interim for the F-102B, which would later become the F-106 Delta Dart, the USAF was willing to overlook the shortfall in performance. The first F-102 entered service in 1956.

In service, the “Deuce,” as it became known, got mixed reviews. The fire control system was improved with an infrared turret forward of the cockpit, and it had comparatively heavy armament in the form of four AIM-4 Falcons and 24 rockets carried in the weapons bay doors. The aircraft were also re-winged with a more efficient design in 1957. Later F-102s had the rockets removed to allow carriage of two AIM-24 Nuclear Falcons.

All this aside, the delta winged design proved to be tricky to get used to, and the F-102 suffered a high accident rate. TF-102A conversion aircraft were built, which involved a radical redesign of the Delta Dagger from the intakes forward, as the TF-102 had side-by-side seating. This adversely affected performance, giving the TF-102 its moniker of “Pig.” Nonetheless, the F-102 was to perform yeoman service throughout the late 1950s and 1960s as an interceptor, supplementing the earlier F-101 Voodoo and its replacement, the F-106. As the Delta Dart entered service, more and more F-102s were relegated to Air National Guard units, where the Deuce would serve until 1976.

F-102s would see wartime service as well. As North Vietnam had a number of Ilyushin Il-28 Beagles in service, F-102s were deployed in detachments to USAF bases in South Vietnam to guard against a surprise attack. These aircraft were drawn from both active duty units and Air National Guard units under Operation Constant Guard. As the Il-28 threat never materialized, the F-102s were used as escorts for USAF missions in Laos or EB-66 jammer aircraft supporting Rolling Thunder sorties. In this capacity, the F-102 would see at least one air-to-air combat with MiG-21s, but came off second best with the loss of aircraft and pilot. Other F-102s were used as ground support aircraft, a role to which the Deuce was completely unsuited, for a brief time and with poor results—though the F-102’s infrared sensors gave it all-weather capability that at that time was matched only by the F-4D Phantom II.

Truly lacking a role, the F-102 detachments were withdrawn from Southeast Asia in 1968. F-102s were exported to Turkey and Greece in the mid-1960s, and these were used in the 1974 Cyprus Crisis; none were reported lost on either side, though rumors persist of Turkish F-102s either shooting down or being shot down by Greek F-5A Freedom Fighters.

All F-102s, foreign and domestic, were withdrawn from service by 1979. In the US, nearly all were converted to QF-102 drones and expended as targets, ending in 1986. Of approximately 900 Delta Daggers produced, at least 35 remain today in museums.

Though marked as 56-1114, this is actually 53-1801 (just below the second lightning bolt, the correct number is marked on the tail). Initially delivered to the 37th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, an active-duty unit at Ethan Allen AFB, Vermont, it spent most of its career in West Germany, with the 86th FIW at Hahn. 1801 finished its career with the 124th FIG (Idaho ANG) before it was retired in 1972. As the South Dakota ANG wanted a F-102 in its airpark to represent Deuces flown between 1960 and 1970, it was restored and went on display at Joe Foss Field in Sioux Falls.

The display colors may or may not be entirely correct. While the 114th FIG's trademark in the F-102 was the double lightning bolts on the tail and red wing fences, the "S. Dak. Air Guard" is nonstandard; most F-102s carried the usual USAF titles. However, 56-1114, possibly because of its tail number, did carry the South Dakota ANG titling in service (along with a red nose), so this is not just for display purposes.

Incidentally, the real 56-1114 still exists and is on display at the March ARB Museum in California, in 144th FIG (California ANG) colors. 53-1801 never actually served with the South Dakota ANG!

They were in the train snatched by the light of the sun, expecting something better...

blogged : allbycathyfong.blogspot.com/2013/09/in-mood-for-scrap.html

Wieliczka

The Wieliczka Salt Mine reaches a depth of 327 meters, and extends via horizontal passages and chambers for over 287 kilometers. The rock salt is naturally of varying shades of grey, resembling unpolished granite rather than the white crystalline substance that might be expected.

Since the 13th century, brine welling up to the surface had been collected and processed for its sodium chloride (table-salt) content. In this period, wells began to be sunk, and the first shafts to be dug to extract the rock salt. In the late 13th to the early 14th century, the Saltworks Castle was built. Wieliczka is now home to the Kraków Saltworks Museum.

King Casimir III the Great (reigned 1333–1370) contributed greatly to the development of the Wieliczka Salt Mine, granting it many privileges and taking the miners under his care. In 1363 he founded a hospital near the salt mine.

Over the period of the mine's operation, many chambers were dug and various technologies were added, such as the Hungarian horse treadmill and the Saxon treadmill for hauling salt to the surface.[5] During World War II, the mine was used by the occupying Germans as an underground facility for war-related manufacturing.

The mine features an underground lake, exhibits on the history of salt mining, and a 3.5-kilometer visitors' route (less than 2 percent of the mine passages' total length) including statues carved from the rock salt at various times.

In 1978 the Wieliczka was placed on the original UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

A legend about Princess Kinga, associated with the Wieliczka mine, tells of a Hungarian princess about to be married to Bolesław V the Chaste, the Prince of Kraków. As part of her dowry, she asked her father, Béla IV of Hungary, for a lump of salt, since salt was prizeworthy in Poland. Her father King Béla took her to a salt mine in Máramaros. She threw her engagement ring from Bolesław in one of the shafts before leaving for Poland. On arriving in Kraków, she asked the miners to dig a deep pit until they come upon a rock. The people found a lump of salt in there and when they split it in two, discovered the princess's ring. Kinga had thus become the patron saint of salt miners in and around the Polish capital.

During the Nazi occupation, several thousand Jews were transported from the forced labour camps in Plaszow and Mielec to the Wieliczka mine to work in the underground armament factory set up by the Germans in March and April 1944. The forced labour camp of the mine was established in St. Kinga Park and had about 1,700 prisoners. However, manufacturing never began as the Soviet offensive was nearing. Some of the machines and equipment were disassembled, including an electrical hoisting machine from the Regis Shaft, and transported to Liebenau in the Sudetes mountains. Part of the equipment was returned after the war, in autumn 1945. The Jews were transported to factories in Litomierzyce (Czech Republic) and Linz (Austria).

The mine is one of Poland's official national Historic Monuments (Pomniki historii), as designated in the first round, 16 September 1994. Its listing is maintained by the National Heritage Board of Poland. In 2010 it was successfully proposed that the nearby historic Bochnia Salt Mine (Poland's oldest salt mine) be added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. The two sister salt mines now appear together in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites as the "Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines". In 2013 the UNESCO World Heritage Site was expanded by the addition of the Żupny Castle.

The mine is currently one of Poland's official national Historic Monuments (Pomniki historii), whose attractions include dozens of statues and four chapels carved out of the rock salt by the miners. The older sculptures have been supplemented with new carvings made by contemporary artists. About 1.2 million people visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine annually.

Notable visitors to this site have included Nicolaus Copernicus, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Alexander von Humboldt, Fryderyk Chopin, Dmitri Mendeleyev, Bolesław Prus, Ignacy Paderewski, Robert Baden-Powell, Jacob Bronowski (who filmed segments of The Ascent of Man in the mine), the von Unrug family (a prominent Polish-German royal family), Karol Wojtyła (later, Pope John Paul II), former U.S. President Bill Clinton, and many others.

There is a chapel, and a reception room that is used for private functions, including weddings. A chamber has walls carved by miners to resemble wood, as in wooden churches built in early centuries. A wooden staircase provides access to the mine's 64-metre level. A 3-kilometre tour features corridors, chapels, statues, and underground lake, 135 metres underground. An elevator (lift) returns visitors to the surface; the elevator holds 36 persons (nine per car) and takes about 30 seconds to make the trip.

Nearly 1,000 Students to Participate in WSSU Commencement on May 15

WINSTON-SALEM, NC -- Christina Wareâs story is one of the many inspiring testimonials of the nearly 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students from near and afar who are expected to participate in Winston-Salem State Universityâs commencement ceremony on Friday, May 15, at 9:45 a.m., at Bowman Gray Stadium, 1250 South Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive.

Academy Award-winning recording artist, activist and actor Common will be the keynote speaker. There are no guest limits or ticket requirements for the ceremony.

It is conceivable that Wareâs story of work ethic, undeniable spirit and enthusiasm encapsulates the sentiment of her graduating 2015 classmates.

Ware, 43, of Winston-Salem, is quite active on and off campus as a mentor to other students, a member of the non-traditional student organization, the first president of Epsilon Chapter 130 of Tau Sigma National Honor Society at WSSU, a wife and proud mother of two. She is also legally blind. She wants to blaze trails, set examples and raise the bar for others with disabilities.

âIn 2007, I lost my eyesight. After a six-month pity party, I decided to continue my education and make a difference for others. Since 2008, I have spent every day of my life proving to society that having a disability does not mean we are weak. I am now an advocate for persons with disabilities,â Ware, a business major, said, "We are not handicapped, we are handy capable!"

Ware, who can be described as always pleasant and having an unlimited enthusiasm for life, says every day alive is like Christmas. She demands to be treated like everyone else and has been noted to say, âI may physically fall, but mentally I can get back up and pull a 4.0 semester.â After graduation she wants to start a Kosher/Halal foods business and become active on community boards.

The China Connection

From the City of Harbin, the capital and largest city of the Heilongjiang province of the People's Republic of China, WSSU Master of Arts in the Teaching of English as a Second Language and Applied Linguistics students Yaowen Xing and Chunling Zhang have found a second home at WSSU and in Winston-Salem. They perhaps have come the farthest distance attend the university.

With a population of more than five million people, Harbin is situated in the northeast region of China so close to Russia that only the Songhua River separates the two countries. Nicknamed the Ice City, the average winter temperature is -3.5 °F with annual lows hitting -31.0 °F. Itâs no wonder the students say the warmer weather here in the Piedmont Triad has not been lost in translation with them and itâs one of the things they enjoy.

âWe really love the weather in North Carolina, especially the long summer time, since our hometown is so cold with snow for almost 6 months of the year,â Xing, 30, noted. âWe also love the people at WSSU and the faculty who all are nice and it has been a really good experience.â

Xing and Zhang, 35, are in America as part of a Chinese education immersion program to help exchange the cultures between China and America. They enjoy working as cultural ambassadors to students in both the cultures. The two came to the U.S. in 2013 and have been teaching at Konnoak Elementary school during the early hours and studying and researching later in the day. âComing to America was a dream for me after learning about it through books, movies and music, and my time here it has been amazing,â Xing said.

Zhang, said she didnât know much about WSSU or Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUâs), but after a short time here she knew WSSU would be was special part of life. âI have met many African- Americans who have been friendly and helpful. I now can say I truly have many black friends,â Zhang said. She and Xing have taken advantage of the HBCU experience. They have been often seen attending evening lectures and presentations, sports events, musical and visual arts events. With their WSSU master degrees they will return to China one day in the future to make an impact on teaching and the quality of education there.

The All-In Approach

Olivia N. Sedwick, 21, a political science major from Indianapolis, has taken âthe all-in approach" to her WSSU experience. The current WSSU student government president (SGA), honorâs student and champion athlete, chose WSSU over other schools she could have attended.

Featured in a USA Today article highlighting the HBCU experience released last June, Sedwick is quoted as saying about WSSU, âI fell in love with the school.â She says, âWe talked about things that I had never had the chance to before coming from a predominantly white high school.â

Liking the intellectual and social environment, she was comfortable becoming involved around campus. In her first year, a walk-on athlete for the womenâs track and field team, she was a 2013 CIAA Indoor Womenâs Track and Field All-Conference competitor and the WSSU womenâs shot put record holder until earlier this year, although she never competed in the throws until coming to college. In her second year she served as the sophomore class vice president while also being appointed to serve on many committees throughout the university. In that same year, she was a delegate to the UNC Association of Student Governments (UNCASG), representing WSSU students on a state-wide level. At the end of that year, she became the first African-American female elected senior vice president of UNCASG and served in that capacity for the entirety of her third year while being active as the chief of staff for the WSSU student government association that year also. Toward the end of her term in UNCASG, she decided to run for student body president and has served as the voice of the students for the duration of her last year. With all of her activities, she has maintained a 3.95 GPA throughout her time in college.

Sedwick has been selected as a UNC General Administration Presidential Intern, which begins in July. Upon completion of the prestigious one-year appointment, Sedwick plans to attend Howard University School of Law.

A Drum Major who will March for a Noble Cause

Willie Davis, 22, a social work major from Fayetteville, N.C., who has led WSSUâs Red Sea of Sound Marching Band as a drum major for his senior year, will now march to lead the charge for helping veterans and their families cope with typical and unique challenges of serving in military. Davis will be one of four Cadets with the distinct honor of being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant U.S. in the U.S. Army during this yearâs commencement ceremony. Despite that professionally Davis will help vets, military and families with things like dealing with emotions, he said, âI donât think I will be ready for the commissioning part (of commencement) emotionally.â

Readiness for Davis is an understatement. The youngest of three siblings, who was age 10 when his father died, Davis has been an A average student throughout life. He was in the top ten of his high school class and the first generation in his family to attend college. At WSSU, besides maintaining high academic achievement and serving in the U.S. Army ROTC, Davis has been active with the WSSU Band, the University Choir, a Campus Ambassador, a mentor to freshmen students, vice president of the WSSU chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, a Veterans Helping Veterans Heal intern and a member of Galilee Missionary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem.

After graduation, Davis is going to graduate school at the University of South Carolina. He plans to complete that program in one year and begin his military duties. As a clinical social worker, his responsibilities may range from clinical counseling, crisis intervention, disaster relief, critical event debriefing, teaching and training, supervision, research, administration, consultation and policy development in various military settings. He wants to specialize in helping military veterans who suffer from different traumas such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), paranoid schizophrenia and other conditions.