Randall Waszynski

In an effort to diminish or eliminate the presence of certain chemicals in drinking water on Long Island, Suffolk County Water Authority plans to construct an additional 56 wells featuring the authoritys Advanced Oxidation Process

Each new AOP must be pilot tested and approved by the NYS Department of Health before it can be put in service, said CEO Jeff Szabo, adding that SCWA is in constant contact with the state Department of Health regarding the process.

The advanced treatment of water will have the ability to remove 1, 4-Dioxane from the water. Additionally, the chemicals PFOA and PFOS common in things like stainmaster carpet, firefighting foam and once used in Teflon pots have been documented to have concerning levels in the drinking water. Seth Wallach, the community outreach coordinator for SCWA, said it is one of the most heavily used products in the building industry and commercial products.

Fortunately, SCWA already had the technology in place at a slew of locations for treating this but for other purposes. It is called Granular Activated Carbon treatment.

We already had carbon in place for that. The good fortune is that that same carbon that was in place for that also takes out the PFOS and PFOA. We have quite a few wells that are impacted by that, Wallach said, adding an additional 20 GACs (bringing the total to 155) would bring SCWA within compliance with the new regulations for PFOS and PFOA. When it comes to this emerging contaminant, we feel that the county's water supply is in pretty good shape. We are going to be able to have everything in service. Right now, we are using a strategy of turning off wells if they are impacted or if we don't have treatment of them. By the time we start turning wells back on for the next summer peak, which is how we kind of operate. In the fall and winter, people are not consuming water. If we had an impacted well, we had the good fortune to be able to turn it off for now.

SCWA currently has $13.3 million in acquired grant funds allocated toward this project. However, the capital for the project (not to mention operational expenses) will require hundreds of millions of dollars.

We are suing the polluters, Wallach said. We have two different litigations going right now: one for PFOA and PFOS and one for 1, 4-Dioxane.

Wallach explained that the damages associated with the lawsuits will go directly toward this cause. The idea is to have the companies that contaminated the water in the first place to essentially pay for the extensive chemical removal process. It is noteworthy, however, that the project moving forward is not contingent on collecting damages from the two suits.

SCWA anticipates applying for state grant funding to construct 14 additional wells, with each well estimated to cost $2.5 million just in capital cost, but that number varies based on the characteristics and location of the well.

The cost that these grants cover is really the capital cost of construction, Wallach said. There is an additional cost of operating these systems over their lifetime. That really isn't contemplated by the grants.

Szabo furthered Wallachs point.

You have to factor in 30 or 40 years of operational cost. All of these wells are going to require more carbon. They are going to require more manpower to operate these filtration systems. The equipment has to be changed out as it wears out, Szabo said. This really escalates the finish cost of it.

Implementing the drinking water standards immediately is difficult, Szabo explained, because of the extensive state permitting process and construction of treatment systems at 76 sites that will take five to six years to finish. SCWA has approximately 600 total wells.

In January 2020, a Water Quality Treatment Charge was instituted by SCWA to pay for the cost to install new water treatment systems throughout our distribution system. The $20 charged to each customer per quarter equates to $0.22 per day. This charge remains necessary, though that may be subject to change, considering an upcoming review of the general charge.

It was key for SCWA to receive approval from the state DOH in 2018 that pioneering AOP treatment system, which, combined with use of GAC filtering, can remediate the contamination issues.

Lastly, SCWA officials say that the NYS Assembly is awaiting the passing of an upcoming piece of legislation that would provide for the reimbursement of emerging contaminant grants by the responsible parties. It has already passed in the Senate and is awaiting action in the Assembly. Tens of millions of dollars could potentially be returned to state coffers in this case.

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SCWA plans to build 56 wells - Long Island Advance

There is increasing concern that electricity generation from fossil fuels contributes to climate change and air pollution. In response to these concerns, governments around the world are encouraging the installation of intermittent electricity generation projects including Industrial Wind Turbines (IWTs).

But Whoa,Nelly! NIMBYs (Not-In-My-Backyard) around the globe from Germany to Australia, California, New York, and Massachusetts are speaking loudly, and acting, to put a halt to the invasion of noisy wind farms in their backyards.Following numerous reports from Maryland to Canada to France on wind turbine noise, the NIMBYs are becoming energized (no pun intended).

Despite the political obsession for intermittent electricity generated from wind turbines, NIMBYs are alive and well! Here is a sampling of NIMBYs around the globe from Germany to Australia, California, New York, and Massachusetts that are stepping up to stop the installation of those monstrosities in their backyards:

In Germany, thousands are being driven mad by practically incessant, turbine generated low-frequency noise and infra-sound, and are fighting back with a fury and energy which has rattled the wind industry. There are now hundreds of anti-wind industry groups across Germany. And many of those groups and individuals have launched litigation against developers and government to either prevent wind farms from being built, or to seek substantial financial compensation for the loss of the use and enjoyment of their homes. In Germany, locals expressed their opposition in no uncertain terms voting 25 to 1 against a giant wind project proposed for their patch of paradise.

The list of the NIMBY resistance goes on and on at locations like New York, Wisconsin, and Scotland, etc.

Before too hastily pursuing those wind turbines for the generation of intermittent electricity, politicians should read the numerous published reports from Maryland to Canada to France about the effects of wind turbine noise, and listen to their NIMBY constituents that are rejecting those monstrosities in their backyards.

This piece first appeared and CFACT.org.

Ron Stein is an engineer who, drawing upon 25 years of project management and business development experience, launched PTS Advance in 1995. He is an author, engineer, and energy expert who writes frequently on issues of energy and economics.

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NIMBY's Are Making More Noise Than Wind Turbines - newgeography.com

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Buying a car is a large, emotional decision fraught with layers of research and deep thinking. Finding the right accessories to complement said vehicle can be an equally dizzying process, whether it be for adventuring or just daily maintenance. Layer on the shifting circumstances of 2020, and theres a whole new list of must-have accessories that pacify problems previously not considered, such as batteries that drain from disuse. Different times, different priorities.

Most people dont keep tabs on battery tender or roof rack technology, but in the coronavirus affected year of 2020 cars are parked for longer periods of time and road travel is ever more important for weekends and vacation days. Thats why we compiled a list of 10 all-star products that provide lots of value to a wide range of drivers during such unprecedented times.

Many are practical additions to any driving universe that will come in handy right away and you dont have to be a car enthusiast to appreciate or need them.

Cold weather drains batteries, as does leaving a car sitting unused. Classic car owners often use battery maintainers to keep infrequently-used vehicles charged with a low but constant supply of power. The past year unexpectedly disrupted the driving habits of thousands of commuters, keeping vehicles parked in driveways or garages for longer periods of time, suddenly highlighting the benefit and necessity of owning a maintainer.

Deltrans Battery Tender brand of chargers and maintainers are among the best, and the 1.25 Amp charger a standout. The Deltran Battery Plus 1.25 Amp unit is strong enough to maintain large pickup batteries and also adjusts voltage to compensate for temperature, ensuring even charging and prolonging battery life. Once it fully charges a battery the system sets itself on trickle mode, replenishing charge that naturally dissipates.

The Battery Tender Plus 1.25 Amp retails for $50, but Deltran also has a range of models for lighter and heavier duty applications.

Road trips have increased in popularity this year with the shrinking availability (and higher risk) of air travel. Spending more hours in the car can mean more mess inside it. Floor mats are a good solution to keeping a vehicles native carpet clean, but a few provide superior protection such as WeatherTechs Custom-Fit Floor Liners. WeatherTechs liners dont come cheap relative to other manufacturers, but they have many advantages in construction, fitment and variety.

WeatherTech uses digital laser measurements to create floor liners (not mats) that overlay the vehicles carpet from wall-to-wall, and in some cases even up the sides of the footwells for a higher level of protection. The liners are made from a durable, patented plastic and typically are deep enough to retain liquid from major spills. In most cases theyre available in multiple colors.

Floor liners from WeatherTech range in cost, but most models range from $170 to $200 range and come with a limited lifetime warranty.

Often times road trip destinations require bulky equipment that demand the cargo space of a large SUV or truck. For drivers that want to transport kayaks, surfboards or stand-up paddle boards but dont want to compromise interior space or who operate a smaller vehicle, an affordable, flexible rack attachment is key. Its also important to find one that works with various crossbars, even the factory-installed kind.

The Inno Long Board/SUP/Kayak carrier securely and easily stows one kayak or canoe, two longboards or three short surfboards. They also have a locking mechanism for overnight storage. Easily maneuverable straps and a ratchet-type fastener make it easy to for one person to load and unload. Installing the system on the crossbars also is a cinch.

Inno makes other rack attachments which can hold larger loads, but the 445 is a versatile and high-quality piece for quick weekend trips, especially for solo weekend warriors or those that travel in small packs of two or three. The 445 retails for $191 on Amazon.

You never can be sure what youll need to haul, and in 2020 more time at home means more home projects. For many do-it-yourselfers, that translates to moving oddly-shaped items back (and forth) from the home improvement store, or hauling mounds of cardboard boxes or old junk to the dump.

To effectively carry unusually-shaped loads on the roof of a vehicle or to secure items to the bed of a pickup, quality strapslike the Yakima 8005006 Heavy-Duty Strapsare a must. They also will work with a naked roof, making them extra versatile. One of the major pitfalls of most roof rack straps is that the ends are made of metal. Inevitably the roof or sides of your vehicle will take a beating. This $33 set of straps conveniently encases the metal parts in soft rubber.

A 16-feet long, Yakimas heavy duty straps are made of box-stitched polypropylene webbing. The cam-type steel buckles are easy to feed the straps through for a secure fit and easily detach when unloading without the use of pliers or screwdrivers. Notably, these arent ratchet straps, so theyll need one good final tug before starting your journey.

Carrying a high-quality flashlight in a glovebox or console is never a bad idea for road trips or daily commutes. Even if you never wind up peering into the engine bay in December darkness, the Coast G19 LED inspection beam flashlight is a well-made and durable pen light.

Like a tiny Hollywood-style spotlight, the G19 gives a perfectly circular, high-intensity beam that illuminates only what you want to see. Its usefulness extends to travel, providing overnight flight or back-seat passengers nighttime visibility with little disruption to others, and serves many purposes for outdoorsy types. The G19 illuminates objects 65 feet away and runs for two and half hours on a single AAA battery. The case is water and impact resistant.

The G19 runs just $14 on Amazon. For those with more space in the glovebox, look to the similar 2-AAA Coast G20 inspection beam light, which offers a longer battery life.

Fuel economy, safety, ride quality: theyre among the many to reasons keep tires topped up and at optimum pressure. And in 2020, with vehicles just sitting around or getting less use than is normal (especially in regions with large temperature swings) keeping tires inflated is even more important. The Viair 88P portable compressor / tire inflator is a cheap, easy-to-use and reliable portable compressor that can help maintain your tires wherever you store your vehicle.

The 88P is a tad more expensive and heavy-duty compared with other inflators, but in a world increasingly populated with SUVs, it can fill tires up to 33 inches in size. The compressors long cords make moving around the vehicle mostly hassle-free.

Some tire inflators can be powered through interior 12V outlets, but they usually need more power than these outlets can provide. The 88P connects to the vehicles battery terminals, providing it plenty of juice without any risk to internal systems. The Viair 88P sells for $66 and comes with a one-year warranty.

In 2020, road trips have become a much needed escape from the house. That means lots of people want to take their pets with them, especially if theres nobody at home to watch them. This brings up a familiar dilemma: how to take your pup on a trip without ending up with mud, fur, or other debris on your seats. Its also important for your dog to be secure and comfortable, not sliding around or nervous.

The solution is a durable, hammock-style seat cover, which adds a forward flap to standard rear-seat covers. The 4Knines Dog Seat Covers are durable and easy-to-use hammocks that come in 54- or 60-inch widths. The straps quickly latch around your front and rear headrests and form a semi-enclosed pen for your pooch with Velcro openings for seat belts.

The hammock covers are made of heavy-duty, colorfast polyester and are free of any heavy chemicals or harmful dyes. Theyre soft and comfy but tough, and easy to clean with a moist towel or in a washing machine. 4Knines regular-size hammock seat cover costs $60 on Amazon.

Not everybody feels confident enough to do their own vehicle service, but in 2020 some people have taken to do doing basic maintenance tasks at home. Every D-I-Y mechanic really wants a $3,000 shop-style garage lift, but if you cant swing one of those, these durable Race Ramps RR-40 ramps can greatly alleviate some of the hassles of working under a vehicle, and safely too. Ramps are safer and easier to use than jack stands when you need to get under a car, but choosing the right ramp is important.

Race Ramps products are made of high-density foam. They can bear lots of weight and are rock tough, but are easy to move around and store. At 6 pounds each, theyre 80 percent lighter than equivalent steel ramps and more stable when a vehicle rolls onto them thanks to their grippy foam construction.

The $160 RR-40 ramps provide 7 inches of vehicle lift, support 1,500 pounds each, and can accommodate tires up to 8 inches wide. Theyre well suited to a wide range of vehicles, but Race Ramps also offer larger models for bigger machinery.

As with kayaks and paddle boards, bikes are a popular items for road tripping or just a daylong jaunt to the trailhead. In August Americans took 37% more road trips in 2020 than they did in 2019, according to the Department of Transportation. With such limited travel options this year, more people are using their bikes to get back to nature.

The hitch-mounted, American-made 1Up USA heavy-duty bike rack has an industrial look and isnt cheap at $569, but its strength and durability make it a good investment.This rack works with vehicles that have a 2-inch trailer hitch mount. 1Up USA also makes racks for 1.25-inch mounts on smaller vehicles.

The rack itself weighs 46 pounds and it can support up to 200 pounds of weight, enough for a pair of very brawny e-bikes with wheelbases up to 54 inches. Its made of anodized aluminum, so it wont rust, and folds out of place when not in use. 1Up USA also includes a re-usable storage box, and offers attachment to expand its capabilities.

Youre out driving on a mountain road and hear a grinding noise from your left rear wheel and pull over. Youve only got one bar of signal on your phone. Maybe youll reach someone.

Wilsons WeBoost Drive Reach system, about $500, consists of internal and external antennas and a signal amplifier inside your car, can provide up to 50dB of signal gain. It also has quite a bit more uplink and downlink signal power than earlier signal boosters including Wilsons own Drive X. These abilities can turn one bar into two and allow your phone to work more effectively as a mobile hotspot. Multiple phones also can use the system simultaneously.

The amplifier box and antennae are easy to install on your own, but you may be more satisfied in the long running spending an extra $100 or so to have the amplifier and cables installed out of sight.

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Forbes Wheels 10 Best Car Accessories For Holidays And 2021 Travel - Forbes

THIS PAST MAY,the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, was briefly in the public eye for being the first major American museum to reopen after the initial wave of coronavirus-related lockdowns. Come November, the debut of the final component of a $450 million expansion projectthe Nancy and Rich Kinder building, which boasts 164,000 square feet of exhibition space dedicated to international modern and contemporary artcoincided with the onset of what promises to be the pandemics deadliest season yet. Despite the grim winter forecast, museum leadership, armed with the blessing of Governor Abbotts Strike Force team (of which Nancy Kinder is a member) to reopen Texas, blithely pushed through the launch of this game changer for the Houston art world. Thus, a highly curated behind-the-scenes press stratagem competed with Instagram posts by @ChangeTheMuseum that challenged official accounts of virus-free opening weeks and high staff morale with reminders that the buildings security guards continue to work for nine dollars an hour, and that some staff have indeed become infected.

In public remarks, director Gary Tinterow has emphasized the long view, remaining laser-focused on celebrating how the Steven Holldesigned expansionalmost unparalleled in modern timesnearly doubles the MFAHs available exhibition space while also unifying an undeniably impressive fourteen-acre campus that includes two preexisting exhibition buildings, a Noguchi-designed sculpture garden, conservation lab, public plaza, and studio school (also a recent build by Steven Holl Architects). Touted as well is the fact that this massive piece of cultural infrastructure, aimed at an audience that is 92 percent local, was supported entirely through private donations and incurred zero debt. As it stands now, the MFAH is outflanked in both endowment and square footage only by the Getty and the Met. Where it is still sprinting to catch up is in the quantity of its holdings, although a $450 million boost to the endowment from oil heiress Caroline Wiess Law in the mid-2000s has driven a buying spree, especially of twentieth- and twenty-first-century art. Hence the need for the Kinder, whose namesake patrons also drew their fortune from the oil industry, specifically through pipeline and storage developments.

For those not ready to venture indoors, there is much to appreciate from the outside. The facade is a carapace of milky-white half-cylinders in glass, which modulate the climates double-whammy of bright daylight and heat. Small reflecting pools notch the buildings footprint and add visual interest in ways similar to Tadao Andos Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. The graceful roof pattern is choreographed by a series of massive concave arcs, as if the building had been embossed by a canopy of low-hanging clouds. Inspired by Texass grand skies, the motif has become a new trademark for Holl, appearing in contemporaneous designs for Princeton University and Franklin & Marshall College. The edifice may be at its most alluring by night, when the glass tubes catch interior light and disperse it as an otherworldly glow, recalling the lantern-like structures that comprise the architects Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Stepping inside, a brilliantly white, three-story atrium that clearly riffs on Frank Lloyd Wrights Guggenheim primes visitors for experiences of aesthetic awe. While the building footprint is technically a trapezoid, the interior impression is of a wedge with rounded edges, an incandescent slice of birthday cake. Eyes are drawn upward by an Alexander Calder mobile and a multipaneled Gerhard Richter painting hanging on the top floor. Both secondhand commissions rejected from their intended homes, they are nevertheless stunning accents that elevate the gaze to Holls enchanting ceiling, which evokes overlapping sheaves of paper. The gaps between the curved planes let in just the right amount of soft radiance, a theme carried throughout the buildings lighting concept, which for the most part achieves a warm elegance. Yet the overzealous addition of glowing panels to the rotunda balconies walls illuminate the artworks opposite them about as appealingly as would an open refrigerator. Gracious touches include handsome wood-tiled flooring throughout most galleries and springy carpeting in the photography, prints, and drawings rooms, while the ground-floor terrazzo thoughtfully quotes Ludwig Mies van der Rohes Law building across the street (now accessible via an art-filled tunnel). Narrow stairwells create pinch points that hurry visitors between the buildings three floors. Statement sculptures and immersive installations occupy the ground level (Kusama, Turrell, and a retrofuturistic Gyula Kosice); the second is divided discretely between curatorial departments, with starkly different display strategies to boot; and the third floor presents a series of themed arrangements of intermixed collections, mostly post-1960.

Unfortunately, with its bland #GetModern-at-the-MFAH marketing campaign, the museum misses an opportunity to trumpet a truly unique success: It now clearly stands as a preeminent institution internationally in its ability to articulate broad-reaching historical and geographic narratives about modern and contemporary art of the Americas that are authentic and deep. How this plays out curatorially in the galleries is invigorating, and honors South-facing local, national, and transnational histories as well as urgent demands to bring more women artists and artists of color into the room. An arresting moment in the twentieth-century European and American art galleries, for example, juxtaposes sorrowful tableaux by Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Kathe Kllwitz, and Texas artist John Biggers. Meanwhile, the emergence of geometric abstraction is most commandingly illustrated in galleries devoted to artists working in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Venezuela, where that aesthetic flame has arguably held out longest. This provocative recalibration makes the Mondrian hanging back in the European galleries look, well, old. Throughout floors two and three, thoughtfully placed reappearancesof works by Lygia Clark, Hlio Oiticica, Antonio Berni, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Ettore Sottsass, Dorothy Hood, Fred Eversley, Sam Gilliam, Carrie Mae Weems, Viola Freyforge conversations between disparate galleries and mediums.

The Kinders top floor is currently dominated by anodyne formalist arrangementsColor into Light, Light into Space, Line into Space (the latter architected around extensive holdings of works by Gego)whose generic appeal thankfully does not diminish the impact of individual works. The scope and quality of the collection is excellent, and to see so much of it laid out in one place is one of the buildings true unadulterated pleasures. One hopes the inaugural crowd-pleasing installations (including an LOL! gallery) will soon be refreshed with more conceptually probing displays like that found in Border, Mapping, Witness, which includes a room centered on work thematizing the USMexico border. Engrossing photographs of migrant laborers by Alejandro Cartagena and detention and border infrastructure by David Taylor are joined with Camilo Ontiveross gut-wrenching Temporary Storage, 2009/2017, a precariously balanced bundle of all the abandoned possessions of Juan Manuel Montes, Trumps first DACA deportee.

The building is also decorated with a number of spectacular site-specific commissionsby Cruz-Diez, Olafur Eliasson, Ai Weiwei, Byung Hoon Choi, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Cristina Iglesias, and El Anatsui (whose metallic curtain is, as of this writing, still en route from Lagos). Over time, these will securely index the building to its origins in the early twenty-first century. Happily, much of this self-consciously photogenic art occupies exterior and below-ground passageways, which may mitigate against aspirant influencers clogging the galleries. Iglesias is the only woman of the lot, but her kinetic pool, Inner Landscape (the lithosphere, the roots, the water), 2020, is most highly visible in its location at the Main Street entrance. This sculpture-slash-water-feature, which empties and refills roughly by the hour, represents in muddy bronze a rocky pool crisscrossed with roots and decaying vegetation. In essence, it simulates the very geologic processes that over millennia have produced the high-carbon fossil fuels that, since the Industrial Revolution, have enabled anything like modern and contemporary art and its museums to exist. Admittedly I, like most Houstonians who have visited the Kinder, immediately and instinctively loved it, and am thrilled to imagine the kinds of cultural experiences it will enable the citys public to have. I do not, however, love the petromodernity that it glorifies. Here lies the inadvertent brilliance of Iglesiass Inner Landscape, an appropriately ambivalent monument that will literally and figuratively ground every visit to the MFAHs new building with an acknowledgment of the extractive industriesoil, financethat have funded this seemingly debt-free gift to humanity.

Natilee Harren is an art historian and critic and the author of Fluxus Forms: Scores, Multiples, and the Eternal Network (University of Chicago Press, 2020)and Karl Haendel: Knights Heritage (LAXART, 2017). She teaches at the University of Houston School of Art.

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Natilee Harren on the Kinder building at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston - Artforum

SHABWA You will meet the beekeepers late at night on the roads, stacks of wooden lockers stowed in the back of their pick-up trucks. In war-torn Yemen, with its endless checkpoints and occasional explosions, no one travels as much as the beekeepers migrating with their hives, chasing the flowers.

Honey is a serious business in Yemen. In this sparsely industrialized country, with its dizzying winding mountain roads, this liquid gold is reputed to be one of the best in the Middle East, if not the world. There is no need to engage in the national debate about which region holds the prize for the finest honey.

The soldiers at the roadblocks are clued into the situation: beekeepers can make a very handsome living, but it would be unwise to put a ransom on these farmers. "In any case, they are afraid of our bees. We usually pass by unchecked," laughs Sad Al-Aulaqi, 40, a beekeeper in Shabwa, in the south of the country.

This little man, full of energy and good humor, is eager to take his bees from his region and this valley, a few kilometers from the departmental capital, Atak. The flowering season is over here, so he must bring his hives elsewhere. But, for the time being, "that is not possible ," he says, grumbling. Battles between the army and the Houthi rebels prevent him from taking the road linking Marib, the large tribal town in the north, to the mountains that surround the capital, Sanaa.

"When you're on the move, bees become unpredictable: it's hard to guess what they need," explains Farea Al-Muslimi, a hive owner in Wessab.

Sad Al-Aulaqi has a method for traveling with a bit more certainty: he carries his bees at night while they sleep. If he isn't settled by dawn without having installed them properly, they could flee, disoriented. If he keeps them locked up in the hives, the heat would put their wax to the test.

Beekeepers travel in pairs or trios, but they need to talk to everyone.

The beekeeper stays up-to-date with the situation the war's front lines by way of WhatsApp groups. There is a very strong community spirit in this trade. Beekeepers travel in pairs or trios, but they need to talk to everyone else to find out where flowering is good, whether rain is causing flooding in the valleys, and where it's okay to congregate since the bees circulate between the hives. Al-Aulaqi also warns his neighbors when he gives sugar or medicine to his bees: they will either take advantage of it or choose to move away.

Photo: Mohammed Dahman Xinhua/ZUMA

On his WhatsApp group, Al-Aulaqi dissuades colleagues from joining him in a place where there are already too many of them. Today, he's looking for jujube trees, a thorny tree bearing a kind of bland and chalky type of date fruit.

Farea Al-Muslimi, founder of an independent think tank, the Sana'a Center, and beehive owner in the village of Wessab, says the more time one can stay in the same location, the better you can manage your bees. "But when we move around, the bees become unpredictable: it's hard to guess what they need," explains

In the summer, the beekeepers move to the Ibb Mountains in Dhamar, Al-Bayda. Winter is spent on the southern coast, near the ports of Aden, Moukalla or Bir Ali. In order to find a place that is not too cramped, that is away from livestock and from recent pesticide sprays, Sad Al-Aulaqi and his companion, Adel Saleh Saber, don't speak with political authorities but instead with tribal chiefs. "Travellers are welcome, especially in the North, where tribal traditions are still strong," Al-Aulaqi said. "They are not racist towards people from the South."

The war has introduced new complications for these relationships. At the start of the conflict in 2015, Sad Al-Aulaqi joined the fight against the Houthi rebels, who are originally from the North and who had taken control of Sanaa. They were heading towards his hometown of Assaib in the south and so the beekeeper left everything behind his family, his hives to join the fight on the frontline.

Wounded, Al-Aulaqi was immobilized for many weeks. "I lost 300 bees, they died without my care. It took me two years to recover," he says, lamenting "these useless wars."

Since then, he has been focused on trying to modernize his craft, which he learned on the job with his uncle. He admits he covets the more productive European beehives and is hoping to attain a higher quality honey in the large market of Atak, an important region in the south that enjoys relative peace.

The stings don't even make my skin swell anymore.

Sad Al-Aulaqi's low-grade honey market segment is now becoming crowded. Throughout Yemen, men are leaving the cities, where jobs are scarce, to become farmers and beekeepers. "The market is flooded and our bees don't have enough to eat," says Al-Aulaqi. Prices have fallen by one third since the beginning of the conflict in 2015, according to merchants in Atak. Hei now sells his production at 200 Saudi riyals per kilogram (44 euros), while better quality honey can be exported to Saudi Arabia at up to 130 euros per kg.

On this November day, he and Saber are harvesting their second crop of the year, following the one in early spring. They open their small wooden crates, which they keep out of the sun under a blanket, a carpet, and a braided mat. They keep the bees apart with branches of oiled grass, smoking them with a mat rolled into a stick and set on fire like a big cigar.

Both men work unprotected. "The stings don't even make my skin swell anymore," says Al-Aulaqi, stretching out his uncovered arm. "I'm immune."

At night, alone under breathtaking skies, the two bee business partners talk politics and personal plans. Saber, who is 28, is counting on this harvest to finance his marriage to a woman from the neighboring province of Abyane. Al-Aulaqi, for his part, says he sees his wife and five children only about once a month. But, he adds: "It's better than working in Saudi Arabia."

See more from Food / Travel here

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Yemen's Nomadic Honey Traders Face The Sting Of Civil War - Worldcrunch

There is increasing concern that electricity generation from fossil fuels contributes to climate change and air pollution. In response to these concerns, governments around the world are encouraging the installation of intermittent electricity generation projects including Industrial Wind Turbines (IWTs).

But Whoa, Nelly! NIMBYs (Not-In-My-Backyard) around the globe from Germany to Australia, California, New York, and Massachusetts are speaking loudly, and acting, to put a halt to the invasion of noisy wind farms in their backyards. Following numerous reports from Maryland toCanadatoFranceon wind turbine noise, the NIMBYs are becoming energized (no pun intended).

Despite the political obsession for intermittent electricity generated from wind turbines, NIMBYs are alive and well! Here is a sampling of NIMBYs around the globe from Germany to Australia, California, New York, and Massachusetts that are stepping up to stop the installation of those monstrosities in their backyards:

The list of the NIMBY resistance goes on and on at locations likeNew York,Wisconsin, andScotland, etc.

In California, the state with the least reliable electrical power system in the nation, between 2008 and 2017,theGolden State experienced far more individual outageswith almost 4,297 individual outages in the ten-year period, more than 2.5 times as many as its closest rival, Texas. The state continues shuttering most of the in-state natural gas and nuclear power plants that have been providing continuous uninterruptible electricity, in favor of intermittent electricity from wind and solar while adding EV charging loads onto the grid. Power outages are now commonplace in California with more to follow for the Golden state.

Before too hastily pursuing those wind turbines for the generation of intermittent electricity, politicians should read the numerous published reports fromMarylandtoCanadatoFranceabout the effects of wind turbine noise, and listen to their NIMBY constituents that are rejecting those monstrosities in their backyards.

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NIMBY's Are Making More Noise Than Wind Turbines - OpEd - Eurasia Review

The Dyson model is thought to make top-of-the-line vacuums due to its highly effective suction, progressive filter, and high quality design. The one draw back to the favored model might be the value, which is why we have put collectively a listing of the most affordable Dyson gross sales and offers which might be presently out there.

We have rounded up the most well-liked Dyson vacuums that embody a number of totally different fashions and kinds with a wide range of options. All Dyson vacuums are constructed with highly effective motors and have a patented cyclone know-how for a singular filtration system. The principle variations in fashions are if the vacuum is cordless or not, and totally different options embody attachments, suction energy, bin measurement, and extra.

So how do you identify what Dyson vacuum is finest for you? That can rely in your cleansing wants, preferences, and the way a lot you wish to spend. That can assist you resolve we have listed the cordless fashions first, adopted by the upright corded vacuums. Well let you understand the most effective options for every vacuum, specs, and most significantly the most effective on-line costs.

Spectacular efficiency and run time

Weight: 10lb | Cost time: four.5hrs | Run time: : 60 minutes | Bin Quantity: zero.75L | Handheld mode: Sure

Screens efficiency in real-time

Three totally different cleansing modes

As much as 60 minutes of run time

Costly

The most recent addition to the Dyson vacuum lineup is the Dyson V11 Torque Drive. The V11 stands aside from the V10 by together with new options like a built-in LCD display screen that reveals present efficiency together with energy mode, run time, filter upkeep reminders and blockage stories. The V11 additionally contains a torque cleaner head that may detect the variations in ground floor and can robotically modify motor speeds, maximizing battery time and suction.

The Dyson V11 is powered by 7-cell lithium-ion batteries and contains 5 totally different handy attachments.This vacuum is Dysons most superior cord-free system but, and its price ticket displays that presently retailing for $699.

Picture credit score: Dyson

Deep cleans on a number of surfaces

Weight: 6.68lb | Cost time: four.5hrs | Run time: : As much as 60 minutes | Bin Quantity: zero.75L | Handheld mode: Sure

Nice for pet hair

Multi-surface cleansing

Long term time

Costly

The Dyson V11 Animal contains the identical options because the V11 Torque Drive however is barely shorter and contains 4 attachments as a substitute of 5. It is also considerably decrease in worth, presently retailing for $599. The cordless Animal options the identical excessive torque cleaner head that adjusts to surfaces and contains the LED display screen that shows mode and machine upkeep alerts.

Excellent for pets, the excessive torque cleaner head is fabricated from stiff nylon bristles that drive deep into flooring to take away floor dust and hair. The V11 Animal delivers a long-lasting battery of as much as 60 minutes and contains an improved hygienic bin that makes it simpler to empty.

Picture credit score: Dyson

Highly effective suction at a lowered worth

Weight: 5.88lb | Cost time: three.5hrs | Run time: : 60 minutes | Bin Quantity: zero.76L | Handheld mode: Sure | Suction energy: As much as 150AW

Unimaginable suction

Nice on carpets and arduous flooring

Costly

Till the V11 got here alongside, Dyson claimed the V10 supplied probably the most highly effective suction of any cord-free vacuum. The V10 Absolute is powered by the Dyson digital motor V10 and contains a torque drive cleaner head that removes 25% extra mud than the Dyson V8. Regardless of its small measurement, the V10 additionally options a big bin measurement and an extended battery life.

The V10 Absolute can shortly remodel to a handheld vacuum and effectively cleans hardwood flooring and carpets with a smooth curler cleaner head and direct drive cleaner head. The Absolute additionally comes with a choice of quick-release gadgets like a crevice device, mini smooth dusting brush, and mini-motorized device. As a result of the V10 was launched final 12 months, you may usually discover discounted costs on the cordless vacuum.

Picture credit score: Dyson

Weight: 5.86lb | Cost time: three.5hrs | Run time: : 60 minutes | Bin Quantity: zero.76L | Handheld mode: Sure | Suction energy: As much as 150AW

Nice at selecting up pet hair

Cheaper than the opposite V10 fashions

Handheld modes helpful for fast cleans

For those whore in search of a less expensive different to the V10 Absolute, the Animal is a unbelievable possibility.The Dyson V10 Animal is just like the Absolute as a result of it options the highly effective Dyson digital motor V10 and features a substantial bin. The Animal (therefore the title) is designed particularly to suck up pet hairs out of your carpets and furnishings. The Animal contains a torque drive cleaner head that dives deep to drive dust and hair from carpets.

Whereas the Dyson Animal lacks a smooth curler brush, it does provide three energy modes to select from for various duties on hardwood or carpet flooring. The Dyson Animal additionally features a mixture device, crevice device, mini motorized device, and a smooth dusting brush.

Picture credit score: Dyson

Highly effective suction at a terrific worth

Weight: 5.75lb | Cost time: 4hrs | Run time: : 40 minutes | Bin Quantity: zero.54L | Handheld mode: Sure | Suction energy: 28AW / 115AW (on Max mode)

Usually discounted now

Nonetheless pretty highly effective

Multi-surface

The Dyson V8 Absolute is an earlier model of the V10 with a barely smaller bin measurement and fewer energy. The cord-free V8 contains a direct-drive cleaner head and an extra smooth curler cleaner head so you may effectively clear each carpet and hardwood flooring. The V8 vacuum can shortly remodel right into a handheld and comes with attachments that embody a mixture and crevice device and a mini motorized device. As a result of the V8 is an older model, you may sometimes discover discounted costs at on-line retailers.

The most cost effective cord-free Dyson

Weight: 5.64lb | Cost time: 4hrs | Run time: : 40 minutes | Bin Quantity: zero.54L | Handheld mode: Sure | Suction energy: 28AW / 115AW (on Max mode)

Picks up pet hair with ease

Nice for normal use too

Removable for handheld use

Just like the V8 Absolute above, you may sometimes discover the Dyson V8 Animal on sale for as little as $300. That is the lowest worth we have seen for a cord-free Dyson Vacuum. The V8 Animal has the identical energy and battery lifetime of absolutely the however lacks a smooth curler cleaner head. The smooth curler head is made for arduous surfaces, so in case you simply want a vacuum for carpeted flooring, then the Animal is a unbelievable possibility.

The cordless V8 is designed to deep clear properties with pets that includes a filtration system that captures allergens and expels contemporary air. The V8 Animal is powered by the Dyson digital motor V8 and might remodel right into a handheld vac.

Picture credit score: Dyson

Weight: three.77lb | Cost time: three.5hrs | Run time: : 30 minutes | Bin Quantity: zero.54L | Handheld mode: Sure | Suction energy: 21AW / 100AW (on Max mode)

Cheaper than common cordless Dysons

Simple to retailer

Restricted use on carpets

For those whore fascinated with a handheld possibility for automobiles and arduous to succeed in areas, Dyson has come out with the V7 Set off. The hand held Dyson supplies as much as 30 minutes of fade-free suction and is powered by the digital V7 motor that options 100 Air Watts of suction. The cord-free Dyson is light-weight and simple to retailer and contains three totally different attachment instruments.

Highly effective suction at an inexpensive worth

Weight: 15.6 lbs | Twine size: 31ft | Most Attain: 40ft | Handheld mode: No | Suction energy: 250 AW

Excessive suction energy

Simple to maneuver

Works throughout carpets and arduous flooring

Not cordless

The Dyson Ball Multi Ground 2 is one in every of Dysons strongest vacuums, offering excessive suction on any ground floor. The upright vacuum options a powerful suction energy of 250AW and claims to seize extra microscopic mud than every others cyclone.

The Multi Ground 2 can be straightforward to maneuver due to the ball base design that enables the vacuum to navigate furnishings and corners with a easy flip of the wrist. The Dyson contains a self-adjusting cleaner head that seals in suction throughout carpets and arduous flooring so you may by no means have to modify modes or vacuum heads. The Multi Ground 2 features a wand and long-reach hose so you may clear stairs and arduous to succeed in areas. As a result of this Dyson mannequin is not cord-free, you may discover it at a extra inexpensive worth than the above cordless choices.

Light-weight and simple to maneuver

Weight: 12lb | Energy provide: Corded | Twine size: 9.4m | Bin capability: zero.9L | Suction energy: 86AW

Conventional upright design

Giant bin capability

Simple to retailer

For those whore in search of a light-weight vacuum that also gives highly effective suction, then the Dyson Small Ball is for you. The Dyson weighs simply 12 kilos however nonetheless supplies 150W of highly effective suction. The compact vacuum claims to avoid wasting as much as 50% extra space for storing than a conventional full-size upright. The Small Ball contains a self-adjusting cleaner head that robotically adjusts from carpets to arduous flooring, and the ball know-how permits for straightforward maneuvering round troublesome locations. Due to its small measurement, you may discover the Small Ball priced decrease when in comparison with different Dyson upright vacuums.

Robust, highly effective suction with no filters

Weight: 19.18lb | Energy provide: Corded | Twine size: 10.8m | Bin capability: 2.18L | Suction energy: 250AW

Very highly effective

The biggest capability

Made for properties with pets

Very costly

For those whore in search of high of the road energy, then the Dyson Cinetic Massive Ball is the vacuum for you. The upright vacuum is made for pet homeowners and options 120AW of suction energy and spectacular 2.18-liter bin. Because of the Dyson Cinetic science, the Dyson Massive Ball is totally, so it by no means loses suction, and you do not have to fret about washing or changing the filter. The Dyson vacuum gives ball know-how and contains six extra instruments for environment friendly and handy cleansing.

Spherical up of right nows finest offers

Dyson V11 Torque Drive

Dyson V11 Animal Cordless

Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute

Dyson Cyclone V10 Animal

Dyson V8 Absolute (Yellow)

Dyson V8 Animal Twine-Free

Dyson V7 Set off Cordless

Dyson Upright Vacuum Cleaner,

Dyson Cinetic Massive Ball Multi

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The best cheap Dyson Vacuum sales and deals for November 2020 - Best gaming pro

A right-wing protester rests his hand on a pistol on October 30, 2020 in Vancouver, Washington.Photo: Nathan Howard (Getty Images)

America is not a civilized country.

While, compared to most countries, we have an abundance of toilets, street lights and wifi hotspots, the so-called United States also boasts more intentional homicides, gun violence and is more politically unstable than most of the developed world (or as one slightly jaundiced geopolitical expert calls them the shithole countries).

The prospect of civil unrest and violence over the 2020 election is real. And, according to the Justice Department, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security Independent studies and state and local law enforcement agencies, the violence is likely to come from far-right extremist groups. Militia groups have said as much. We have already seen it happening.

And then theres history.

White Americans suppressing, terrorizing, threatening and killing non-white people because of their votes is more commonplace in America than free and fair elections (To be fair, Black people are still waiting for the first free and fair American election.) But because our social studies curriculum teaches us about cherry tree-chopping, states rights and other forms of American exceptionalism, we are left with an inability to contextualize this current political climate.

No, my friends, America is not better than this.

Here is an incomplete history of white Americas historical responses to the threat of Black people participating in democracy.

G/O Media may get a commission

October 1, 1742: In a not-so-rare incidence of white-on-white violence, city and county officials in Philadelphia beg residents not to bring weapons to the polls on Election Day. But during a dispute over who will serve as voting inspectors, sailors with clubs and sticks attack the local crowd and Anglican vs. Quaker violence ensues.

No oatmeal was harmed in Philadelphias Bloody Election Riot of 1742.

June 14, 1788: Americas first presidential election almost didnt happen because America almost didnt happen. Concerned that free Black Americans would join the new federal army and instigate a national slave revolt, Virginias powerful elite refuses to ratify James Madisons proposed Constitution unless he addresses their concerns. Madison concedes to the slaveowners demands by amending the Constitution with one sentence that will serve as gasoline for future sparks for centuries to come:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

July 11, 1804: Alexander Hamilton breaks the 1800 Electoral College deadlock, making Thomas Jefferson the third president of the United States and angering first runner-up Aaron Burr in the process. Convinced that Jefferson would drop him from the ticket in 1804, Burr runs for governor of New York instead. When Hamilton campaigns against Burr for the second time, the two decide to take their dispute to the streets. Burr kills Hamilton in the ensuing duel.

Someone should write a movie about this. Or at least a musical.

November 1854-1860: To sway a referendum on whether Kansas would become a free state or a slave state, thousands of pro-slavery Border Ruffians invade the Kansas territory, inciting a series of armed attacks that would last until the Civil War. During the six-year debate over slavery, pro-slavery Congressman Preston Brooks takes a cane and beats anti-slavery Sen. Charles Sumner to a bloody pulp on the Senate floor.

July 20, 1866: Shortly after they win the right to vote, Black Louisianans attend their states Republican convention. Of course, Black people in New Orleans cant just walk anywhere. They parade to the meeting at the Mechanics Institute with bands, music and dancing. New Orleans white ex-Confederates witness this display of unbridled Black joy and...

You know what? Ill just let historian Rob Chernow describe the New Orleans Massacre as he did in his book, Grant:

The whites stomped, kicked, and clubbed the black marchers mercilessly. Policemen smashed the institutes windows and fired into it indiscriminately until the floor grew slick with blood. They emptied their revolvers on the convention delegates, who desperately sought to escape. Some leaped from windows and were shot dead when they landed. Those lying wounded on the ground were stabbed repeatedly, their skulls bashed in with brickbats. The sadism was so wanton that men who kneeled and prayed for mercy were killed instantly, while dead bodies were stabbed and mutilated.

September 19, 1868: Georgias Black voters elect three Black state senators and 30 state representatives, called the Original 33. White supremacists flock to Georgia, expel the Black elected officials and engaged in a brutal campaign to kill them. During a peaceful protest, whites ambush the Black marchers in Camilla, Ga., and open fire. The incident was so egregious that Georgias admission to the Union was revoked, making Georgia the first and only state to be kicked out of America twice for being too racist.

One-quarter of the Original 33 were killed by racial violence.

September 28, 1868: The White Knights of the Camelia (not related to the previous racists) slaughter at least 200 Black people in St. Landry Parish, La., for trying to join a political party in a neighboring town. The Opelousas Massacre lasted for a month and Klan members traveled from across the country to join in on the nigger hunt.

No one was ever convicted.

December 1870: When Black North Carolinians joined white Republicans to elect William Woods Holden governor in 1870, the Ku Klux Klan raised a militia with the express purpose of overthrowing the Democratically elected governor. The white supremacists arrest Holden, take over the government and install their own governor.

The Kirk-Holden War will not be the last time white supremacists overthrew a state government.

October 25, 1870: In Eutaw, Ala.s 1868 election, Black citizens overwhelmingly support Republican candidate Ulysses Grant, catapulting him to a 2,000 vote margin in the county. Days before the 1870 midterm election, Klansmen opened fire at a rally of 2,800 Black people, killing many and causing hundreds to stay home on Election Day.

The Republican governor wins the county by 43 votes.

April 13, 1873: Black people in Colfax, La., knew that white racists would kill them to keep them from voting so they literally occupied the courthouse. On Easter Sunday, Knights of the White Camelia, Klansmen and Confederate sympathizers surround the courthouse force the African American occupiers to surrender. Still not satisfied, the white supremacists open fire, burn the victims bodies and throw the corpses in a nearby river.

The bloodiest single instance of racial carnage in the Reconstruction era, the Colfax massacre taught many lessons, writes historian Eric Foner. Including the lengths to which some opponents of Reconstruction would go to regain their accustomed authority.

September 14, 1874: 5,000 or so members of the Crescent City White League, a white supremacist organization in New Orleans, successfully organizes a coup detat of the local government. They installed John McEnery and Dafute Penn as governor and lt. governor, murdering dozens of Black citizens in the process. The Battle of Liberty place was commemorated with a monument that reads:

McEnery and Penn having been elected governor and lieutenant-governor by the white people, were duly installed by this overthrow of carpetbag government, ousting the usurpers, Governor Kellogg (white) and Lieutenant-Governor Antoine (colored). United States troops took over the state government and reinstated the usurpers but the national election of November 1876 recognized white supremacy in the South and gave us our state.

December 7, 1874: Mississippis White League demands the resignation of Peter Crosby, Vicksburg, Miss.s first Black sheriff. When even the governor cant quell the white rioters, Black people stream into Vicksburg to protect the county. Whites travel to Mississippi from nearby states and attack the Black towns defenders. Unable to stop themselves, the whites eventually massacre about 300 Black people in the area.

Compromise of 1877: States rights advocates refuse to count Black votes in the 1876 election while other states simply appoint electors who will go along with the will of the white citizens. To settle the disputed presidential election, 14 white men agree to hand the presidency to Rutherford B. Hayes in exchange for allowing Southern states to do whatever they want to their Black citizens.

Whatever they want becomes known as the Jim Crow era.

February 22, 1898: William McKinley keeps one of his campaign promises after the 1896 election by appointing Black postal workers, including Lake City, S.C.s Frazier B. Baker. Soon after he took his post, a white mob burns Bakers house to the ground. Fraziers wife Lavinia and four of their children escape with gunshot wounds.

Frazier Baker and his infant daughter are burned and shot to death.

November 8, 1898: White men attack Thomas Tolbert as he collects affidavits from disenfranchised Black citizens in Greenwood, S.C., who want to vote. Then they attacked the Black voters. Then they just attacked Black people in general.

No one is ever charged with a crime.

November 10, 1898: Poor white farmers band with African-American residents to form the Fusion Party in majority-Black Wilmington, N.C. After a yearlong political campaign literally called the White Supremacy Campaign, racist Red Shirts lose and the Fusion Party remains in power. Angered by the loss, Congressmen William Kitchin declares: Before we allow the Negroes to control this state as they do now, we will kill enough of them that there will not be enough left to bury them.

Whites form an armed mob and run the Black people out of town, turning Wilmington N.C., into a majority-white city forever.

Kitchin eventually becomes governor.

May 12, 1906: 1,000 citizens of Omaha, Neb., surround the courthouse and demand that two Democratic City Councilmen be seated. The Democratic councilmembers had won fair-and-square...

After they threw out all of the Black votes.

July 1919: To prevent a large population of Black voters from swaying the election, Alabama redraws the city limits of Oxford, Ala., to exclude the Black part of town. Years later, the all-Black town is incorporated as Hobson, Ala., but when Hobson elects Newman Oneal, a Black man, as mayor, Oneal receives an anonymous letter from the white supremacist Black Hand threatening his life. After numerous assaults, Oneal leaves town and spends the rest of his life in exile.

The acting mayor receives the same letter

November 2, 1920: The day after the presidential election, a white mob in Ocoee, Fla., killed a man who they thought was housing Mose Norman, a Black man who had tried to vote. They hung his body from a light post and the police helped the mob kill 50-60 more Black people just to make their point.

Mose Norman and every single Black resident flee the city, transforming Ocoee into an all-white town for the next 50 years.

June 21, 1964: Neshoba County law enforcement officers, the Ku Klux Klan, the White Citizens Council and Mississippis State Sovereignty Commission conspire to murder activists James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner for registering Black Mississippians to vote. Klan organizer Edgar Ray Killen was eventually convicted for the three deaths...

Forty-one years later.

February 18, 1965: Perry County, Ala., officers arrest James Shackdaddy Orange on charges of contributing to the delinquency of minors by organizing them for voter registration drives and having them sing freedom songs. Convinced that he will be lynched, civil rights volunteers march to the jail to visit Orange when the street lights suddenly go dark. As state troopers open fire, 23-year-old Jimmie Lee Jackson drapes himself over his mother and grandfather to protect them and is shot and killed by Corporal James Bonard Fowler

Three weeks later, residents plan to march from Selma to Montgomery and confront segregationist governor George Wallace to ask if he ordered the street lights turned out but Alabama state troopers show up again as the marchers cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

The event becomes known as Bloody Sunday.

August 5, 1965: After becoming one of the first Black women to pass Kentuckys bar exam, Alberta Odell Jones begins renting voting machines to teach Black Kentuckians how to vote. Shortly after a newly elected district attorney appoints her Jefferson Countys first female prosecutor, she is beaten to death with a brick and her body is thrown into the Ohio River.

Her murder remains unsolved.

November 10, 1966: Dallas County Sheriff Jim Clarkwho was curiously on the scene for Jimmie Lee Jacksons death (even though it was out of his jurisdiction) and ordered his officers to attack protesters on Bloody Sundayshows up to the polls to intimidate voters at the first election after the passage of the Voting Rights Act. After he loses, Clark manages to get 1,600 votes thrown out due to irregularities.

A court order restores the votes, ousting Clark from law enforcement forever.

1968: After riots erupted in American cities over the death of Martin Luther King Jr., former Vice President Richard Nixon invokes law and order for his 1968 presidential campaign while third-party candidate George Wallace invokes outright racism. Meanwhile, a pandemic some called the Hong Kong flu killed 100,000 Americans. The Democratic convention is marred by violence from the Youth International Party, a counterculture movement that resembles todays antifascist movement in many ways.

August 3, 1980: Republican presidential nominee Ronald Reagan becomes the first national political candidate to speak at the Neshoba County State Fair. His speech is filled with dog-whistles on states rights, government interference and local sovereignty.

Most political experts believe it was no coincidence that Reagans choice of location is just a stones throw from the Philadelphia, Miss., site where James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner were murdered in cold blood for registering Black Mississippians to vote.

November 1, 1982: The Republican National Committee agrees to stop deploying intimidating poll watchers after the party launched the Ballot Security Task Force in 1981. The Republican Party paid armed, off-duty police law enforcement officers who challenged and questioned voters at the polls and blocked the way of some prospective voters in Black and Hispanic neighborhoods.

In 2018, the RNC convinced a federal judge to let the consent decree expire, making the 2020 election the first presidential race since 1980 that the GOP will be allowed to again conduct poll security activities.

April 29, 1983: Chicago elects Harold Washington, the citys first Black mayor. Chicagos white residents protest, declaring they want a new mayor. Hate crimes surge in Chicagos whitest neighborhoods and rapidly diversifying Marquette Park becomes a regular site for violent Klan rallies.

November 6, 1990: Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) wins a fourth term by defeating Charlottes Black mayor, Harvey Gantt. Two years later, Helms signs a consent decree with the Department of Justice acknowledging that his 1990 campaign sent 125,000 official postcards telling voters that they would be thrown in jail if they voted. 97 percent of the fliers were sent to Black voters. Thomas Farr, the lawyer who spearheaded the racist campaign, would spend decades targeting Black voters with what a federal court called surgical precision.

Donald Trump has unsuccessfully nominated Thomas Farr for a federal judgeship twice.

November 22, 2000: Rep. John E. Sweeney (R-N.Y.) and hundreds of paid Republican operatives attack election officials and law enforcement officers in an effort to delay, obstruct and eventually stop Miami-Dade County, Fla., election officials from counting votes in the 2000 presidential election before a court-imposed deadline.

They were successful.

November 2008-March 2009: After the election and inauguration of Barack Obama, Nevada lawyer Stewart Rhodes forms the Oath Keepers. The paramilitary militia organization encourages members of the military and law enforcement to pledge not to follow certain hypothetical orders from the federal government, including directives to put American citizens in detention camps and disarm citizens. Meanwhile, right-wing extremist Mike Vanderboegh organizes the III Percenters.

When Obama announced his candidacy, there were 50 militia groups in the U.S. By the end of Obamas first year in office, there were 200, reports the ADL.

February 27, 2009: Conservatives and libertarians organize the first of many anti-Obama demonstrations. The movement would eventually become known as the Tea Party and would be marked by spitting, sporadic violence, racial slurs and hanging Obama in effigy.

November 9, 2009: Attorney General Eric Holders Department of Justice voids Shelby County, Ala.s elections after one town gerrymanders away its only majority Black district. In the do-over, the city of Calera re-elects Ernest Montgomery as its only Black city council member, instigating a legal fight that would eventually gut the Voting Rights Act and become known as Shelby v. Holder.

November 22, 2015: Activist Mercutio Southhall Jr. is kicked and punched after yelling Black Lives Matter at a rally for Donald Trump in Birmingham, Ala. The incident would become the template for dozens of violent occurrences at Trump rallies during the 2016 election season.

January 20, 2017: Donald J. Trump becomes the 45th president of the United States.

November 3, 2020: Militia groups, the Proud Boys, Bill Barr, the Republican Party, the Department of Justice, and America prepares to stand down and stand by.

We ready.

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An Incomplete History of White Election Violence - The Root

MONROE, CT Nina Bartlomiejczyk walked into the breezeway inside Edith Wheeler Memorial Librarys main entrance Tuesday afternoon, and rang a doorbell to gain entry into the building.

Director LornaRhyins made sure Bartlomiejczyk was wearing a mask. Then Bartlomiejczyk rubbed her hands together with hand sanitizer, as Rhyins turned on the automatic glass double-doors.

After months of being limited to curbside service and remote programming amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the libraryopened its doors to the public for walk-in browsing on Oct. 13.

The library has been adding hours and services incrementally since it first closed its doors in March, Rhyins said. Instead of moving ahead with a splash, we are continually finding new ways to make services available safely to our patrons.

While making these decisions, Rhyins has been working closely with First Selectman Ken Kelloggs office and Health Director Nancy Brault.

Rhyins said the computer station is open by appointment with 45 minute time slots and library staff cleans the workspaces whenever a computer has been used.Patrons can use the nearby copier machine too, though they must bring their own change or dollars. Copies can also be made remotely for people to pick up.

Library computers can be accessed by making an appointment on the towns online calendar.

Safety measures are in place throughout Edith Wheeler Memorial Library to protect the health of patrons and staff.

Rhyins said a scanner will soon be setup by the computers for visitors to use.

Hours are still limited, but have recently been expanded to include Saturday mornings, according to Rhyins.

The library is open for walk-in browsing from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

Curbside Service, Best Sellers

Edith Wheeler Memorial Library Director Lorna Rhyins shows off the best selling book collection outside the front entrance.

In addition to opening the building, Edith Wheeler Memorial Library is continuing both itsLibrary-to-Go curbside service and bestseller patio browsing for those who prefer to access their library materials remotely.

Shelves of best selling books outside the library entrance may be checked out by patrons using their library cards. Cards inside each book are filled out, then dropped into a box.

Well check them out later, Rhyins said of adding the transactions into the librarys computer system. While scanning the shelves, she added, this is a good selection and we have puzzles.

Puzzles can be borrowed on an honors system and one shelf has materials for crafts-to-go.The library also offers wifi outside with 24/7 access, so people can use their electronics in their cars in the parking lot.

EWMLs online services have been active since the pandemic began.

We invested in extra downloadable books this year, so that collection is larger and more accessible than in the past, Rhyins said.

EWML programs, which have operated successfully via Zoom since March will stay in an online format for the time being. Rhyinssaid a Connecticut Humanities grant has allowed the library to continue its robust programming.

One program, United States in WWII: Perspectives on History with a Modern-Day Context, is an eight-session series presented by Arthur Gottlieb on Zoom. Rhyins said the series, which is co-sponsored by the Monroe Historical Society,is meant to appeal to older men.

Health precautions

Edith Wheeler Memorial Librarys staff work behind acrylic dividers as a measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

New rules are in place to ensure the safety of patrons and staff. Masks are required, the building has undergone a thorough cleaning, and high-touch surfaces are being wiped down on a regular basis.

The entrance to the childrens library at the buildings lower level has the same setupas the main entrance does, with a doorbell and hand sanitizer dispensers.

Inside, the childrens library may not be accessed from the stairs on the upper level to avoid people walking by each other. AndRhyins said use of the elevator is limited to those with disabilities, because it is an enclosed space.

Social distance markers are on the library carpet, along with directional arrows, and acrylic dividers were installed on desks and countertops, in accordance with the governors guidelines.

Markers inside the library promote social distancing.

Chairs have been removed and common spaces have been shutdown because extended visits to meet, work or study are not yet allowed. This means the librarys meeting rooms, makerspace, and caf remain closed. On the childrens level, toys have been stored away to prevent the spread of germs.

Rhyins said returns are quarantined for a few days, before going back into circulation.

Reuniting with patrons

Rhyins said she and her staff members are happy to have patrons walking through their doors again after having been remote since March.

Its been really sad not seeing all of our patrons, so its gratifying to be able to see peoples faces again, say hello and see how theyre doing, she said.

Bartlomiejczyk, of Monroe, aSouthern Connecticut State University studentpursuing a Masters of Science degree in library and information science, was doing research for a paper online when she stumbled upon the news of Edith Wheeler Memorial Librarys reopening.

Ive been waiting. Im very excited to be back in the library, she said. I understand why they dont have seating. I used to enjoy being able to sit and have coffee while doing my homework, but Im just glad that it reopened.

Edith Wheeler Memorial Library is located at 733 Monroe Turnpike.

Lorraine Riedel, president of Friends of the Edith Wheeler Memorial Library, was among the steady stream of foot-traffic at the library Tuesday.

I was so excited to be able to come in again and see the books and all the lovely librarians, she said with a smile.

For the most recent updates at Edith Wheeler Memorial Library, visit its website.

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Edith Wheeler Memorial Library is open for in-person browsing - The Monroe Sun

OCONOMOWOC After a few months of vacancy, the former Arbys building at 662 E. Wisconsin Ave. is set to have a new occupant starting in December.

Oconomowoc City Planner Jason Gallo said the new business will be called Lake House Cafe.

Gallo said the cafe will be a family restaurant and the owner plans on painting the interior and exterior, replacing the carpet and the sign out front.

Daniel Gutierrez, son of owner Gustavo Gutierrez, said the family owns the Mukwonago Family Restaurant as well, but that Gustavo wanted to open a new business while the Mukwonago Family Restaurant undergoes repairs due to an electrical fire.

We owned that restaurant in Mukwonago for about two years ... but the repair is taking too long and my dad wanted to get something going right away, Gutierrez said. We found this location in Oconomowoc and it seemed like a really nice area so we got it.

Gutierrez said Lake House Cafe will mainly serve American food including burgers, omelettes and other breakfast foods.

Furthermore, Gutierrez said the restaurant will make use of the drive thru window for patrons who dont want to come inside.

Our drive thru will be open in the morning and afternoon and then we will close our dining room in the evening to have dinner served through the drive thru, Daniel said.

In addition, new greenery will be added to replace old bushes and a new patio will be installed.

Daniel said the construction on the patio will begin in the spring.

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New cafe coming to former Arby's | Business | gmtoday.com - Greater Milwaukee Today