The UA will host its third annual 10-hour dance marathon in April for
community members to help draw awareness and funds for a Tucson-based
foundation.
The Courage in Motion 10-Hour Dance-a-Thon will take
place at the Student Recreation Center on April 6 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
and will help raise funds for Beads of Courage, an organization that
supports children living with serious and complex medical conditions.
Participants who have registered to dance have asked sponsors to support
them for hour-long dance increments. The event will honor children
receiving treatment at The University of Arizona Medical Center Diamond
Children’s Center.
Erika Colombi, a graduate student in the UA
School of Dance, said she came upon the idea to merge music and dancing
as a form of therapy and fundraising into her service with Beads of
Courage.
“My hope is to start some movement intervention for the
children,” Colombi said. “The music and the movement gives [the
patients] a connection with their body. Everybody can hear music and
anybody can move in any way they want and it’s hard to not gain some
enjoyment out of that.”
The donations raised from Courage in
Motion will go to Beads of Courage, which was founded by UA alumna Jean
Baruch. Registered participants in the dance marathon will wear two
beads made by glass artists. At the end of the event, one bead will
remain with the participant and the other will be gifted to children
receiving treatment at Diamond Children’s.
“[Beads] run deep
within our human nature,” Baruch said. “Humans have been adorning
themselves for over hundreds of thousands of years in beads. They are
not disposable and the kids in our program are very proud of them, as
they should be, because they are symbols of their day to day courage.”
Colombi
choreographed an original piece, which will be performed by several UA
dance students during a portion of the dance marathon.
“I hope
the audience will make the connection between the dance and the Beads of
Courage foundation,” said Ashley Hammond, a dance freshman who is
performing in the dance choreographed by Colombi. “We are representing
these children performing this dance, and it will be beautiful with a
little bit of pain. I hope the audience makes the connection that the
children really need their funds because they are trying to find
happiness in the pain they are experiencing.”
The Beads of
Courage Program is currently implemented in more than 150 children’s
hospitals throughout the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Japan and
the United Kingdom. Beads of Courage currently supports more than 30,000
children with its programs. Margaret Zinser, a local glass artist and
volunteer on the board of directors for Beads of Courage said that
working with such an organization puts her work into better context.
“Providing
enrichment in treatment for children with serious illnesses is a good
feeling,” Zinser said. “It doesn’t cost much to get beads through and it
helps out in a very significant way.”
2013年3月26日星期二
Each bead relates to a procedure or experience Kate
She is learning to ride a quad bike, loves swimming and cooking, and
can't wait to go to Matamata Primary like her big brother Fletcher.
It's a long way from where she was less than two years ago.
Kate was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in August 2011, three months after her third birthday.
In the first year she spent more time in hospital than at home, facing treatment most adults would struggle to deal with.
Kate has earned 1005 beads of courage - provided by the Child Cancer Foundation - that represent the huge mountain she has had to climb to get well again.
Each bead relates to a procedure or experience Kate has had, including nights in hospital, chemotherapy, scans, injections and trips to theatre.
"She knows what she has been through to get them so that makes them special for her," said mum Jackie.
"She's quite proud of them."
Kate had been feeling unwell for about six weeks and had numerous visits to the doctor before she was finally given a blood test.
"Worst nightmare," is the only way Kate's parents can describe the moment they were told Kate had leukaemia.
Jackie took Kate to Auckland's Starship Hospital the next day, and within 24 hours she was in theatre having a PICC line put in her arm, a lumbar puncture and a bone marrow aspirate.
After a week in hospital, Kate and Jackie moved into Ronald McDonald House for another six weeks so Kate could start chemotherapy.
Since then, they have made regular trips to Starship for treatment, as well as to Waikato Hospital when Kate picks up an infection.
Spending so much time in hospital with Kate was hard on Jackie, who had two other children, Fletcher, aged five, and Jessie, aged 16 months at the time.
"It was heartbreaking, every time Kate and I would have to leave for the hospital, I would look back and see their sad little faces in the rearview mirror."
Jackie's husband Marc, who is a sharemilker on his parents' farm on Tower Rd, stayed behind to keep the farm running and take care of the other kids.
"We wanted to try and keep one of us with the other kids at all times," said Jackie.
"All of our energy has gone into making sure all three kids were taken care of best as possible and to get Kate better."
Friends and family - particularly Marc's parents Janette and Cliff - were a massive help, offering relief milking, dropping off meals and helping to look after Fletcher and Jessie.
"If it wasn't for them we would have had to sell our cows and move to Auckland," said Jackie.
Neighbours pitched in, cultivating their maize paddock and mowing their hay and silage, meaning Marc could spend some time with Kate in hospital and Jackie could come home to see the other kids.
"I hope people know how much we appreciate their help and generosity," she said.
Kate is now in the maintenance phase of her treatment and is looking forward to starting school in May.
"It makes you really grateful for what you have and to appreciate all the small things," said Jackie.
"We just love being together as a family."
The Child Cancer Foundation had been "wonderful" for the last 19 months, providing support for the family, including a much-needed holiday in Taupo and food and petrol vouchers.
It's a long way from where she was less than two years ago.
Kate was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in August 2011, three months after her third birthday.
In the first year she spent more time in hospital than at home, facing treatment most adults would struggle to deal with.
Kate has earned 1005 beads of courage - provided by the Child Cancer Foundation - that represent the huge mountain she has had to climb to get well again.
Each bead relates to a procedure or experience Kate has had, including nights in hospital, chemotherapy, scans, injections and trips to theatre.
"She knows what she has been through to get them so that makes them special for her," said mum Jackie.
"She's quite proud of them."
Kate had been feeling unwell for about six weeks and had numerous visits to the doctor before she was finally given a blood test.
"Worst nightmare," is the only way Kate's parents can describe the moment they were told Kate had leukaemia.
Jackie took Kate to Auckland's Starship Hospital the next day, and within 24 hours she was in theatre having a PICC line put in her arm, a lumbar puncture and a bone marrow aspirate.
After a week in hospital, Kate and Jackie moved into Ronald McDonald House for another six weeks so Kate could start chemotherapy.
Since then, they have made regular trips to Starship for treatment, as well as to Waikato Hospital when Kate picks up an infection.
Spending so much time in hospital with Kate was hard on Jackie, who had two other children, Fletcher, aged five, and Jessie, aged 16 months at the time.
"It was heartbreaking, every time Kate and I would have to leave for the hospital, I would look back and see their sad little faces in the rearview mirror."
Jackie's husband Marc, who is a sharemilker on his parents' farm on Tower Rd, stayed behind to keep the farm running and take care of the other kids.
"We wanted to try and keep one of us with the other kids at all times," said Jackie.
"All of our energy has gone into making sure all three kids were taken care of best as possible and to get Kate better."
Friends and family - particularly Marc's parents Janette and Cliff - were a massive help, offering relief milking, dropping off meals and helping to look after Fletcher and Jessie.
"If it wasn't for them we would have had to sell our cows and move to Auckland," said Jackie.
Neighbours pitched in, cultivating their maize paddock and mowing their hay and silage, meaning Marc could spend some time with Kate in hospital and Jackie could come home to see the other kids.
"I hope people know how much we appreciate their help and generosity," she said.
Kate is now in the maintenance phase of her treatment and is looking forward to starting school in May.
"It makes you really grateful for what you have and to appreciate all the small things," said Jackie.
"We just love being together as a family."
The Child Cancer Foundation had been "wonderful" for the last 19 months, providing support for the family, including a much-needed holiday in Taupo and food and petrol vouchers.
2013年3月24日星期日
This is the kind of stellar deal I was looking for
It's been a year since my last Spanish class, and while I attempted to
take classes twice a week while I was working at an office job in
Barcelona last year, the attempt lasted little more than a month. The
job proved to be too unpredictable as far as hours were concerned, and I
could rarely make it to class by the 7:45pm break, let alone the 6:30pm
starting time.
So now that I am working mostly from home and can manage my own time again, I am back in the classroom 2 hours a day, four times a week, practicing the subjunctive tense and common phrases I don't use but should. The bad thing about reaching a level of proficiency where you can handle basic communication (as long as it doesn't get too technical) is that you tend to get stuck at that level. I'd like to be able to have a phone conversation where I don't have to process what the person has said until after they hang up.
But I didn't have much money to spend. I've attended five different schools over the course of three and a half years and none of them were cheap. Sure, some schools are cheaper than others, but I don't have the 100+ euros per week that even the cheapest courses charge. Somehow, in my search for discounted Spanish class, I came across a course advertised as "nearly free Spanish lessons" at a well-known language school in Barcelona's centre, International House. (In fact, I likely typed that exact phrase into my preferred search engine, so kudos to the SEO manager, your search terms work).
This is the kind of stellar deal I was looking for: 40 euros for eight hours a week for three weeks. I had to take a verbal test for placement to sign up, with no guarantees the class would be held. But here it is, the end of the second week and I am more than happy with my cheap-o class. It is a teacher-training course, so a new teacher rotates from the back of the classroom every 20 minutes or so. Some of them are good, some of them suck, and honestly, if I were learning some of the things they cover for the very first time, I might be a bit lost. But it's all review for me and if I don't like a particular teacher, I just tune out for 20 minutes until the next one takes the front of the class.
And finally there is me, the perfectionist, who won't speak if she doesn't know the correct way to say something. Which, of course, isn't a good thing and I should know that making mistakes is just part of learning. Which is why I am back in the classroom, to try to push through some of that.
But at least I can pride myself on a good accent. One big secret to sounding more fluent (perhaps more fluent than you actually are) in any language is to imitate the accent. While my limited vocabulary clearly shows I'm not a native speaker, no one can ever place me as an American.
So now that I am working mostly from home and can manage my own time again, I am back in the classroom 2 hours a day, four times a week, practicing the subjunctive tense and common phrases I don't use but should. The bad thing about reaching a level of proficiency where you can handle basic communication (as long as it doesn't get too technical) is that you tend to get stuck at that level. I'd like to be able to have a phone conversation where I don't have to process what the person has said until after they hang up.
But I didn't have much money to spend. I've attended five different schools over the course of three and a half years and none of them were cheap. Sure, some schools are cheaper than others, but I don't have the 100+ euros per week that even the cheapest courses charge. Somehow, in my search for discounted Spanish class, I came across a course advertised as "nearly free Spanish lessons" at a well-known language school in Barcelona's centre, International House. (In fact, I likely typed that exact phrase into my preferred search engine, so kudos to the SEO manager, your search terms work).
This is the kind of stellar deal I was looking for: 40 euros for eight hours a week for three weeks. I had to take a verbal test for placement to sign up, with no guarantees the class would be held. But here it is, the end of the second week and I am more than happy with my cheap-o class. It is a teacher-training course, so a new teacher rotates from the back of the classroom every 20 minutes or so. Some of them are good, some of them suck, and honestly, if I were learning some of the things they cover for the very first time, I might be a bit lost. But it's all review for me and if I don't like a particular teacher, I just tune out for 20 minutes until the next one takes the front of the class.
And finally there is me, the perfectionist, who won't speak if she doesn't know the correct way to say something. Which, of course, isn't a good thing and I should know that making mistakes is just part of learning. Which is why I am back in the classroom, to try to push through some of that.
But at least I can pride myself on a good accent. One big secret to sounding more fluent (perhaps more fluent than you actually are) in any language is to imitate the accent. While my limited vocabulary clearly shows I'm not a native speaker, no one can ever place me as an American.
Defending champion Sam Horgan out sprinted national triathlon
Cyclists from Australia, Canada, Germany Britain, and all over New Zealand, faced off in a gruelling 100-kilometre race from Christchurch to Akaroa on Saturday, but it was one of Christchurch's own who took the top spot.
Michael Vink, 21, was first to cross the finishline in a time of 2hr 31min.
Vink, a talented road racing and track cyclist, leaves for Belgium tomorrow for an overseas campaign with the BikeNZ men's track squad.
On the road, Vink has won the national under-23 time trial three times in the past four years and has been the under-20 road champion twice. He won the elite road race outright in 2012 and was runner-up in the under-23 category earlier this month and seventh overall in a quality field.
It was the second time Vink has won the Le Race - he also won in 2010.
James Early, who finished second, gave Vink a good run for his money. "At the bottom of the Hill Top climb things split up," Vink said.
"I rode quite hard and James and I got away and then I attacked over the top. I was going for the KOM [King of the Mountain] points but that's also the place I normally feel the best as I know there's a big downhill to recover afterwards."
Vink was pleased with the win but said the racing he would face in Europe, including the under-23 Tour of Flanders in two weeks, would be "very different".
"It's a flat race with lots of cobbles and it is certainly different to Le Race. But good form is good form and I'm really happy I'm in good shape."
Early said the racing was fast from the start, but once Vink applied the pressure in the last quarterhe couldn't match his climbing speed.
"He was strong and when he went I just couldn't stay with him, it was an impressive ride," Earl said.
Defending champion Sam Horgan out sprinted national triathlon representative Tom Davison to claim third with 16-year-old Daniel Whitehouse finishing fifth.
Sharlotte Lucas won the women's event in 3hr 2min, over four minutes clear of Laura Fairweather from Southland.
Fairweather won gold on the track and smashed the world record in the tandem pursuit as a pilot for Phillipa Grey at the London Paralympics, but said the hills "got to her" in the end.
Michael Vink, 21, was first to cross the finishline in a time of 2hr 31min.
Vink, a talented road racing and track cyclist, leaves for Belgium tomorrow for an overseas campaign with the BikeNZ men's track squad.
On the road, Vink has won the national under-23 time trial three times in the past four years and has been the under-20 road champion twice. He won the elite road race outright in 2012 and was runner-up in the under-23 category earlier this month and seventh overall in a quality field.
It was the second time Vink has won the Le Race - he also won in 2010.
James Early, who finished second, gave Vink a good run for his money. "At the bottom of the Hill Top climb things split up," Vink said.
"I rode quite hard and James and I got away and then I attacked over the top. I was going for the KOM [King of the Mountain] points but that's also the place I normally feel the best as I know there's a big downhill to recover afterwards."
Vink was pleased with the win but said the racing he would face in Europe, including the under-23 Tour of Flanders in two weeks, would be "very different".
"It's a flat race with lots of cobbles and it is certainly different to Le Race. But good form is good form and I'm really happy I'm in good shape."
Early said the racing was fast from the start, but once Vink applied the pressure in the last quarterhe couldn't match his climbing speed.
"He was strong and when he went I just couldn't stay with him, it was an impressive ride," Earl said.
Defending champion Sam Horgan out sprinted national triathlon representative Tom Davison to claim third with 16-year-old Daniel Whitehouse finishing fifth.
Sharlotte Lucas won the women's event in 3hr 2min, over four minutes clear of Laura Fairweather from Southland.
Fairweather won gold on the track and smashed the world record in the tandem pursuit as a pilot for Phillipa Grey at the London Paralympics, but said the hills "got to her" in the end.
2013年3月19日星期二
Champion XC rider targets NZ selection
National cross-country mountainbike champion Scott Barr is gearing up
for a long stretch of secondary schools competition on the bike.
The 15-year-old, year 12 Waimea College pupil will head into three upcoming events with confidence and form after recently claiming the under-17 New Zealand Cross Country Cup.
This weekend, along with other competitors from the Tasman secondary schools catchment area, Scott will head to Dunedin to defend his South Island secondary schools mountainbike title.
Early next month the Tasman secondary schools mountainbiking competition takes place on April 10 at Codgers MTB Park in Nelson. That will be followed closely by the New Zealand secondary schools mountainbiking individual champs in Hunua, Auckland, where Scott will be looking to repeat his success of 2012.
The NZ MTB Cup was a series event, with riders assigned points in each of three races, and their results are tallied to give an overall score.
In races held in July and February, Scott came first in the Bluff competition, first in Wellington and took second in Auckland. This was enough for an overall victory.
Attending the same races was Nayland College's Olivia Miller. The 16-year-old, year 12 student came third overall, while the senior rider in the Nelson group, Tim Miller, finished in first place overall (Master 3).
At the one-off New Zealand Championship event held in Rotorua, Scott finished second and Olivia fourth. With regard to his recent success, Scott said he had been lucky in his young career to have other talented Kiwis of his generation on hand.
"I've been for a few casual rides with Anton Cooper and he has just won the world champs for New Zealand, and Nelson guys like Tom Filmer and all of them as well.
"It is quite good. With me being quite young and those guys having been off to the world champs they sort of give me advice and tell me what to do and what not to do."
The sponge for MTB knowledge said he believed his chosen pursuit was a growing sport in this country.
However he said the similarities and the crossover endurance traits for athletes makes it a perfect poaching ground for road cycling, as athletes look to make a career on the bike.
"New Zealand is quite strong in mountainbiking, we have some pretty good riders.
"But the only thing is there is not as much money in it as there is in road cycling and once people get to the top of under-19 age group, a lot of mountainbikers switch to the road. They just want to make a career."
Scott said his long-term goal was to make a career out of mountainbiking and to make the New Zealand Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games teams.
Scott said this year was about building his resume, so the New Zealand selectors would "take a look" at him for the under-19 team next year so he can attend some world cup events and build experience.
With titles in every event from regional to national secondary schools, the New Zealand champs and mountainbike cup, Scott is certain to be on the radar already.
The 15-year-old, year 12 Waimea College pupil will head into three upcoming events with confidence and form after recently claiming the under-17 New Zealand Cross Country Cup.
This weekend, along with other competitors from the Tasman secondary schools catchment area, Scott will head to Dunedin to defend his South Island secondary schools mountainbike title.
Early next month the Tasman secondary schools mountainbiking competition takes place on April 10 at Codgers MTB Park in Nelson. That will be followed closely by the New Zealand secondary schools mountainbiking individual champs in Hunua, Auckland, where Scott will be looking to repeat his success of 2012.
The NZ MTB Cup was a series event, with riders assigned points in each of three races, and their results are tallied to give an overall score.
In races held in July and February, Scott came first in the Bluff competition, first in Wellington and took second in Auckland. This was enough for an overall victory.
Attending the same races was Nayland College's Olivia Miller. The 16-year-old, year 12 student came third overall, while the senior rider in the Nelson group, Tim Miller, finished in first place overall (Master 3).
At the one-off New Zealand Championship event held in Rotorua, Scott finished second and Olivia fourth. With regard to his recent success, Scott said he had been lucky in his young career to have other talented Kiwis of his generation on hand.
"I've been for a few casual rides with Anton Cooper and he has just won the world champs for New Zealand, and Nelson guys like Tom Filmer and all of them as well.
"It is quite good. With me being quite young and those guys having been off to the world champs they sort of give me advice and tell me what to do and what not to do."
The sponge for MTB knowledge said he believed his chosen pursuit was a growing sport in this country.
However he said the similarities and the crossover endurance traits for athletes makes it a perfect poaching ground for road cycling, as athletes look to make a career on the bike.
"New Zealand is quite strong in mountainbiking, we have some pretty good riders.
"But the only thing is there is not as much money in it as there is in road cycling and once people get to the top of under-19 age group, a lot of mountainbikers switch to the road. They just want to make a career."
Scott said his long-term goal was to make a career out of mountainbiking and to make the New Zealand Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games teams.
Scott said this year was about building his resume, so the New Zealand selectors would "take a look" at him for the under-19 team next year so he can attend some world cup events and build experience.
With titles in every event from regional to national secondary schools, the New Zealand champs and mountainbike cup, Scott is certain to be on the radar already.
Indian officials say there is no need for alarm
Danish tourist Judith Jensen has a long list of don’ts to help her feel safe during her holiday in India.
She won’t hail a taxi off the street, she won’t stay in an obscure hotel and she won’t go out after dark—all decisions made in response to the growing reporting of sexual crime in the country.
“I have read and heard so much about rape in India that now I feel this persistent sense of danger,” Jensen, 42, told AFP as she walked through a popular market in downtown Delhi.
The tourism ministry’s ubiquitous Incredible India marketing campaign has helped raise the number of foreign visitors over the past decade to around 6.6 million a year—albeit still way behind the likes of China and Malaysia.
But that push is now hampered by a growing sense that India is simply not a safe destination, particularly for women.
The fatal gang-rape of an Indian student in December shone a disturbing light on the level of sexual violence and a series of subsequent attacks on foreigners has added to the sense of unease.
A British holidaymaker in the northern city of Agra, home to the Taj Mahal, suffered a leg injury when she jumped out of a hotel window before dawn on Tuesday.
Police said she feared a sex attack after two men tried to enter her room.
Last Friday a Swiss woman was gang-raped while on a cycling holiday in central India. Her husband was tied up by the gang, which is also accused of stealing a laptop, a mobile phone and 10,000 rupees ($185).
On the same night a group of men in a city near Delhi briefly kidnapped an Indian male executive working for the French engineering giant Alstom.
Other incidents reported since the December gang-rape include that of a South Korean student who said she had been raped and drugged by the son of the owner of the hotel where she stayed during a holiday in January.
A Chinese woman working in Gurgaon, a town bordering the Indian capital, was also reportedly raped by an acquaintance last month.
Indian officials say there is no need for alarm, pointing out that foreigners are victims of crime the world over and the vast majority of visitors experience no safety problems.
But travel advice from a host of countries stresses the need for visitors to take care.
An advisory from the Swiss foreign ministry, issued before Friday’s attack, urged men and women visiting India to travel in large groups and with guides.
The US State Department’s website asks female travelers to “observe stringent security precautions” and “avoid traveling alone in hired taxis, especially at night.”
Britain’s foreign office updated its advisory for India on Tuesday, warning female tourists to “exercise caution when traveling in India even if they are traveling in a group.”
In a notorious case five years ago, 15-year-old British schoolgirl Scarlett Keeling was raped and left to die on a beach in the tourist resort of Goa.
Jensen, who stands out in an Indian crowd with her blonde hair, recalled how she spent a carefree week backpacking around southern India a decade ago.
But now, traveling with her 10-year-old daughter, it is a different story and her husband texts her several times a day to check on their safety.
“There is no question that these stories will have an impact on foreign visitors,” she said.
“Women will prefer to visit other places like Singapore or Bali or Thailand, where safety is not such a big concern.”
At the Delhi office of the Indian Association of Tour Operators, executive director Gour Kanjilal said it was unfair to portray India as dangerous.
“Our industry is the first casualty when crime against foreigners is reported in India, but the reporting does not always reflect the truth,” he told AFP.
“Tourists should be responsible. They should follow some do’s and don’ts.”
A state minister in Madhya Pradesh, where the attacks on the Swiss and South Korean tourists took place, told reporters on Sunday that travelers must inform local police officials whenever they move from one town to the next.
That suggestion is hardly realistic for most tourists like 26-year-old Peruvian Marilu Labarthe, who squeezed in visits to seven cities during a two-week trip to the country.
Labarthe, shopping for ethnic trinkets in Delhi on the last day of her vacation, traveled to the country with 11 other women.
She won’t hail a taxi off the street, she won’t stay in an obscure hotel and she won’t go out after dark—all decisions made in response to the growing reporting of sexual crime in the country.
“I have read and heard so much about rape in India that now I feel this persistent sense of danger,” Jensen, 42, told AFP as she walked through a popular market in downtown Delhi.
The tourism ministry’s ubiquitous Incredible India marketing campaign has helped raise the number of foreign visitors over the past decade to around 6.6 million a year—albeit still way behind the likes of China and Malaysia.
But that push is now hampered by a growing sense that India is simply not a safe destination, particularly for women.
The fatal gang-rape of an Indian student in December shone a disturbing light on the level of sexual violence and a series of subsequent attacks on foreigners has added to the sense of unease.
A British holidaymaker in the northern city of Agra, home to the Taj Mahal, suffered a leg injury when she jumped out of a hotel window before dawn on Tuesday.
Police said she feared a sex attack after two men tried to enter her room.
Last Friday a Swiss woman was gang-raped while on a cycling holiday in central India. Her husband was tied up by the gang, which is also accused of stealing a laptop, a mobile phone and 10,000 rupees ($185).
On the same night a group of men in a city near Delhi briefly kidnapped an Indian male executive working for the French engineering giant Alstom.
Other incidents reported since the December gang-rape include that of a South Korean student who said she had been raped and drugged by the son of the owner of the hotel where she stayed during a holiday in January.
A Chinese woman working in Gurgaon, a town bordering the Indian capital, was also reportedly raped by an acquaintance last month.
Indian officials say there is no need for alarm, pointing out that foreigners are victims of crime the world over and the vast majority of visitors experience no safety problems.
But travel advice from a host of countries stresses the need for visitors to take care.
An advisory from the Swiss foreign ministry, issued before Friday’s attack, urged men and women visiting India to travel in large groups and with guides.
The US State Department’s website asks female travelers to “observe stringent security precautions” and “avoid traveling alone in hired taxis, especially at night.”
Britain’s foreign office updated its advisory for India on Tuesday, warning female tourists to “exercise caution when traveling in India even if they are traveling in a group.”
In a notorious case five years ago, 15-year-old British schoolgirl Scarlett Keeling was raped and left to die on a beach in the tourist resort of Goa.
Jensen, who stands out in an Indian crowd with her blonde hair, recalled how she spent a carefree week backpacking around southern India a decade ago.
But now, traveling with her 10-year-old daughter, it is a different story and her husband texts her several times a day to check on their safety.
“There is no question that these stories will have an impact on foreign visitors,” she said.
“Women will prefer to visit other places like Singapore or Bali or Thailand, where safety is not such a big concern.”
At the Delhi office of the Indian Association of Tour Operators, executive director Gour Kanjilal said it was unfair to portray India as dangerous.
“Our industry is the first casualty when crime against foreigners is reported in India, but the reporting does not always reflect the truth,” he told AFP.
“Tourists should be responsible. They should follow some do’s and don’ts.”
A state minister in Madhya Pradesh, where the attacks on the Swiss and South Korean tourists took place, told reporters on Sunday that travelers must inform local police officials whenever they move from one town to the next.
That suggestion is hardly realistic for most tourists like 26-year-old Peruvian Marilu Labarthe, who squeezed in visits to seven cities during a two-week trip to the country.
Labarthe, shopping for ethnic trinkets in Delhi on the last day of her vacation, traveled to the country with 11 other women.
2013年3月17日星期日
The trial opened last week as a contest
Steubenville High School students Trent Mays and Ma'Lik Richmond were
sentenced to at least a year in juvenile jail, capping a case that came
to light via a barrage of morning-after text messages, social media
posts and online photos and video.
Mays was sentenced to an additional year in jail on a charge of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material, to be served after his rape sentence is completed.
The two teens broke down in tears after the verdict was read and later apologized to the victim and to the community. Both were emotional as they spoke, and Richmond struggled at times to talk through his sobs. Richmond's father, Nathaniel, also asked that the victim's family "forgive Malik and Trent for the pain they put you through."
Mays, 17, and Richmond, 16, were charged with digitally penetrating the West Virginia girl, first in the back seat of a moving car after an alcohol-fueled party on Aug. 11, and then in the basement of a house.
The case roiled the community amid allegations that more students should have been charged - accusations that Ohio's attorney general pledged to look into - and led to questions from a much wider audience online about the influence of the local football team, a source of a pride in a community of 18,000 that suffered massive job losses with the collapse of the steel industry.
Protesters who sought guilty verdicts stood outside the courthouse Sunday morning, their arms linked, some wearing masks. Later, prosecutor Marianne Hemmeter criticized the efforts by the hacker collective Anonymous to publicize the case, saying the extra attention led to a chilling effect on those willing to testify.
The trial opened last week as a contest between prosecutors determined to show the girl was so drunk she couldn't have been a willing participant that night, and defense attorneys soliciting testimony from witnesses that would indicate that the girl, though drunk, knew what she was doing.
The teenage girl testified Saturday that she could not recall what happened the night of the attack but remembered waking up naked in a strange house after drinking at a party. The girl said she recalled drinking, leaving the party holding hands with Mays and throwing up later. When she woke up, she said she discovered her phone, earrings, shoes and underwear were missing, she testified.
The girl said she believed she was assaulted when she later read text messages among friends and saw a photo of herself taken that night, along with a video that made fun of her and the alleged attack. She said she suspected she had been drugged because she couldn't explain being as intoxicated as defense witnesses have said she was.
Evidence introduced at the trial included graphic text messages sent by numerous students after the night of the party, including by the accuser, containing provocative descriptions of sex acts and obscene language. Lawyers noted during the trial how texts have seemed to replace talking on the phone for contemporary teens. A computer forensic expert called by the state documented tens of thousands of texts found on 17 phones seized during the investigation.
In sentencing the boys, Judge Thomas Lipps urged everyone who had witnessed what happened in the case, including parents, "to have discussions about how you talk to your friends, how you record things on the social media so prevalent today and how you conduct yourself when drinking is put upon you by your friends."
The girl herself recalled being in a car later with Mays and Richmond and asking them what happened.
In questioning her account, defense attorneys went after her character and credibility. Two former friends of the girl testified that the accuser she was drinking heavily that night, had a history of doing so and was known to lie.
"The reality is, she drank, she has a reputation for telling lies," said lawyer Walter Madison, representing Richmond.
The accuser said that she does not remember being photographed as she was carried by Mays and Ma'Lik Richmond, an image that stirred up outrage, first locally, then globally, as it spread online. Others testified the photo was a joke and the girl was conscious when it was taken.
After the trial, the accuser's mother rebuked the boys for "lack of any moral code."
"You were your own accuser, through the social media that you chose to publish your criminal conduct on," she said.
The photograph led to allegations that three other boys, two of them members of Steubenville High's celebrated Big Red team, saw something happening that night and didn't try to stop it but instead recorded it themselves.
Mays was sentenced to an additional year in jail on a charge of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material, to be served after his rape sentence is completed.
The two teens broke down in tears after the verdict was read and later apologized to the victim and to the community. Both were emotional as they spoke, and Richmond struggled at times to talk through his sobs. Richmond's father, Nathaniel, also asked that the victim's family "forgive Malik and Trent for the pain they put you through."
Mays, 17, and Richmond, 16, were charged with digitally penetrating the West Virginia girl, first in the back seat of a moving car after an alcohol-fueled party on Aug. 11, and then in the basement of a house.
The case roiled the community amid allegations that more students should have been charged - accusations that Ohio's attorney general pledged to look into - and led to questions from a much wider audience online about the influence of the local football team, a source of a pride in a community of 18,000 that suffered massive job losses with the collapse of the steel industry.
Protesters who sought guilty verdicts stood outside the courthouse Sunday morning, their arms linked, some wearing masks. Later, prosecutor Marianne Hemmeter criticized the efforts by the hacker collective Anonymous to publicize the case, saying the extra attention led to a chilling effect on those willing to testify.
The trial opened last week as a contest between prosecutors determined to show the girl was so drunk she couldn't have been a willing participant that night, and defense attorneys soliciting testimony from witnesses that would indicate that the girl, though drunk, knew what she was doing.
The teenage girl testified Saturday that she could not recall what happened the night of the attack but remembered waking up naked in a strange house after drinking at a party. The girl said she recalled drinking, leaving the party holding hands with Mays and throwing up later. When she woke up, she said she discovered her phone, earrings, shoes and underwear were missing, she testified.
The girl said she believed she was assaulted when she later read text messages among friends and saw a photo of herself taken that night, along with a video that made fun of her and the alleged attack. She said she suspected she had been drugged because she couldn't explain being as intoxicated as defense witnesses have said she was.
Evidence introduced at the trial included graphic text messages sent by numerous students after the night of the party, including by the accuser, containing provocative descriptions of sex acts and obscene language. Lawyers noted during the trial how texts have seemed to replace talking on the phone for contemporary teens. A computer forensic expert called by the state documented tens of thousands of texts found on 17 phones seized during the investigation.
In sentencing the boys, Judge Thomas Lipps urged everyone who had witnessed what happened in the case, including parents, "to have discussions about how you talk to your friends, how you record things on the social media so prevalent today and how you conduct yourself when drinking is put upon you by your friends."
The girl herself recalled being in a car later with Mays and Richmond and asking them what happened.
In questioning her account, defense attorneys went after her character and credibility. Two former friends of the girl testified that the accuser she was drinking heavily that night, had a history of doing so and was known to lie.
"The reality is, she drank, she has a reputation for telling lies," said lawyer Walter Madison, representing Richmond.
The accuser said that she does not remember being photographed as she was carried by Mays and Ma'Lik Richmond, an image that stirred up outrage, first locally, then globally, as it spread online. Others testified the photo was a joke and the girl was conscious when it was taken.
After the trial, the accuser's mother rebuked the boys for "lack of any moral code."
"You were your own accuser, through the social media that you chose to publish your criminal conduct on," she said.
The photograph led to allegations that three other boys, two of them members of Steubenville High's celebrated Big Red team, saw something happening that night and didn't try to stop it but instead recorded it themselves.
It took until yesterday to discover the bodies
Their bodies were found by rescue services near Europe's highest peak, Mont Blanc, yesterday morning.
Mr Saunders, who is believed to be from Buckinghamshire, had called for help at 2pm local time on Saturday after Charlie fell down a cliff on a mountain trail in the Chamonix Valley. It is thought he died trying to rescue his son.
A statement issued by their family last night said: "Peter and Charlie Saunders had flown to the French Alps for a short weekend of adventure in the Chamonix Valley. They were to have a half day walking followed by a full day skiing.
"Charlie was always full of life, had a really happy temperament and loved spending time with his father. Peter was fantastic at making things happen, resourceful, with a positive approach to life. They will both be sorely missed by friends and family alike."
The family also thanked the French rescue services and asked for its privacy to be respected.
After flying into Geneva airport in Switzerland, the pair had set out on a hike known as Le Couloir des Bossons on Saturday morning. The trail, described by police as "very steep" with slippery rocks, is not recommended to be climbed in winter.
They are thought to have fallen "several hundred metres" to their deaths at an area of the valley known as "La Jonction".
According to French media, the father and son took a chairlift from Bossons village to the bottom of the Bossons Glacier at around 4,500ft.
They then began ascending La Jonction between the Bossons and Taconnaz glaciers – the route taken by the first Frenchmen to climb the 15,780ft Mount Blanc in 1786. The rescue centre at Annecy, in South-eastern France, received a brief call from the father at around 2pm on Saturday, saying that his son had fallen and disappeared.
"We think the father tried to find his son after he called us and asked for rescue. We believe he fell as he tried to find his son," Capt Patrice Ribes, the deputy commander of the mountain rescue gendarmerie at Chamonix, said. Moments later, before the man could give precise details of his location, the call was cut off.
Initial reports suggest the father had fallen to his death while on the telephone with rescue services. Both were said not to be wearing climbing equipment on the snowy trail.
It took until yesterday to discover the bodies due to the huge search area involved, Capt Ribes said.
The boy appeared to have fallen 300 metres while his father fell around 200 metres, investigators said.
Capt Ribes said: "They had equipment for a day's hiking with trekking-type shoes but not suited to the winter mountains with snow and ice."
Mountain guides said the routes around Mont Blanc had been covered in snow over the weekend.
"The footpaths usually don't get that many people out at this time of year because they are much more difficult to navigate," said Richard Mansfield, a guide who has worked at Chamonix.
Mr Saunders, who is believed to be from Buckinghamshire, had called for help at 2pm local time on Saturday after Charlie fell down a cliff on a mountain trail in the Chamonix Valley. It is thought he died trying to rescue his son.
A statement issued by their family last night said: "Peter and Charlie Saunders had flown to the French Alps for a short weekend of adventure in the Chamonix Valley. They were to have a half day walking followed by a full day skiing.
"Charlie was always full of life, had a really happy temperament and loved spending time with his father. Peter was fantastic at making things happen, resourceful, with a positive approach to life. They will both be sorely missed by friends and family alike."
The family also thanked the French rescue services and asked for its privacy to be respected.
After flying into Geneva airport in Switzerland, the pair had set out on a hike known as Le Couloir des Bossons on Saturday morning. The trail, described by police as "very steep" with slippery rocks, is not recommended to be climbed in winter.
They are thought to have fallen "several hundred metres" to their deaths at an area of the valley known as "La Jonction".
According to French media, the father and son took a chairlift from Bossons village to the bottom of the Bossons Glacier at around 4,500ft.
They then began ascending La Jonction between the Bossons and Taconnaz glaciers – the route taken by the first Frenchmen to climb the 15,780ft Mount Blanc in 1786. The rescue centre at Annecy, in South-eastern France, received a brief call from the father at around 2pm on Saturday, saying that his son had fallen and disappeared.
"We think the father tried to find his son after he called us and asked for rescue. We believe he fell as he tried to find his son," Capt Patrice Ribes, the deputy commander of the mountain rescue gendarmerie at Chamonix, said. Moments later, before the man could give precise details of his location, the call was cut off.
Initial reports suggest the father had fallen to his death while on the telephone with rescue services. Both were said not to be wearing climbing equipment on the snowy trail.
It took until yesterday to discover the bodies due to the huge search area involved, Capt Ribes said.
The boy appeared to have fallen 300 metres while his father fell around 200 metres, investigators said.
Capt Ribes said: "They had equipment for a day's hiking with trekking-type shoes but not suited to the winter mountains with snow and ice."
Mountain guides said the routes around Mont Blanc had been covered in snow over the weekend.
"The footpaths usually don't get that many people out at this time of year because they are much more difficult to navigate," said Richard Mansfield, a guide who has worked at Chamonix.
2013年3月13日星期三
who was walking with a limp Wednesday afternoon
City Councilor Eric Sanders had almost made it to his driveway after finishing his first outdoor bike ride of the season last Friday afternoon when a suspected drunken driver hit him from behind, launching him onto the car’s windshield and then to the ground.
Sanders was badly hurt in the hit-and-run accident, suffering from a mangled ear, a broken vertebrae in his back, bruises and more. But he already has received clearance from his doctor to participate in this June’s Trek Across Maine, his fifth time riding in the 180-mile charitable bike event for the American Lung Association.
“He’s tough as a boiled owl,” Belfast Police Chief Mike McFadden said earlier this week about Sanders, who spent seven hours being treated and having his ear reconstructed at Waldo County General Hospital in Belfast just after the accident.
McFadden said police are focusing their investigation on one suspect but have yet to make an arrest.
Meanwhile, community members wanted to do something special for the 53-year-old, who energetically serves on local boards and committees and has been a longtime volunteer coach for children’s soccer, basketball and baseball programs. That’s why Greg Purinton-Brown and other members of the Belfast Bicycle Club had the idea to use the Internet to raise $1,200 to buy the cycling enthusiast a new bike to replace the one destroyed in the accident.
One day later, the effort already has raised that money — and then some. The showed Wednesday afternoon that 43 people had raised more than $1,500 to “get Sanders back on his bicycle.”
“The community has blown me away,” Purinton-Brown said. “It’s really just a testament to Eric and what a great guy he is. … I did not expect within 24 hours to have exceeded the goal.”
Sanders, who was walking with a limp Wednesday afternoon and who had a cheerful demeanor despite his injuries, said that things could have gone “much worse” for him.
“I could have died, been a vegetable, gotten paralyzed,” he said. “None of that happened, thank God.”
He said that since the accident he has been amazed at the love and support he has received from the Belfast community. People have been calling him, sending him cards, dropping off honeybuns, offering to help with yard work and more, in addition to the fund drive for his new bike. His eyes welled briefly with tears as he described the outpouring of care.
“It restores your faith in society,” Sanders said. “It makes you feel wonderful, to know these people. Their actions are the stuff of life. It’s mind-boggling that people care so much. We couldn’t be more grateful.”
He had some words for the world in the wake of his accident.
“Count your blessings,” he urged. “Count them every day.”
In addition to the people who have contributed money to Sanders’ new bike, Michael McDonald of Belfast Bicycles is helping by procuring the Cannondale bicycle essentially at cost.
“Eric’s a customer. He’s also a public servant and a member of the [bike] club,” McDonald said. “It’s just something I think would be nice to make him whole again.”
According to Purinton-Brown, who said that he has been hit twice by motorists while out riding his bike, the hit-and-run accident that injured his friend is just another reminder that it can be dangerous for cyclists.
“Just thinking about it makes me angry,” he said. “Stuff like this hits close to home. … The danger is very real.”
Since they’ve already raised enough for a new road bike, fundraisers are planning to get Sanders a new helmet, too, to replace the one that was wrecked in the accident.
“It looks like it was burned, melted, twisted and the inside was cracked,” Sanders said. “If I hadn’t been wearing the helmet, I’d be dead.”
He wrote on his Facebook page that he has been touched by the fundraising effort.
“You made me cry,” he wrote. “Folks, bless your hearts for this new bike thing going around. What a community we live in, huh?”
Sanders was badly hurt in the hit-and-run accident, suffering from a mangled ear, a broken vertebrae in his back, bruises and more. But he already has received clearance from his doctor to participate in this June’s Trek Across Maine, his fifth time riding in the 180-mile charitable bike event for the American Lung Association.
“He’s tough as a boiled owl,” Belfast Police Chief Mike McFadden said earlier this week about Sanders, who spent seven hours being treated and having his ear reconstructed at Waldo County General Hospital in Belfast just after the accident.
McFadden said police are focusing their investigation on one suspect but have yet to make an arrest.
Meanwhile, community members wanted to do something special for the 53-year-old, who energetically serves on local boards and committees and has been a longtime volunteer coach for children’s soccer, basketball and baseball programs. That’s why Greg Purinton-Brown and other members of the Belfast Bicycle Club had the idea to use the Internet to raise $1,200 to buy the cycling enthusiast a new bike to replace the one destroyed in the accident.
One day later, the effort already has raised that money — and then some. The showed Wednesday afternoon that 43 people had raised more than $1,500 to “get Sanders back on his bicycle.”
“The community has blown me away,” Purinton-Brown said. “It’s really just a testament to Eric and what a great guy he is. … I did not expect within 24 hours to have exceeded the goal.”
Sanders, who was walking with a limp Wednesday afternoon and who had a cheerful demeanor despite his injuries, said that things could have gone “much worse” for him.
“I could have died, been a vegetable, gotten paralyzed,” he said. “None of that happened, thank God.”
He said that since the accident he has been amazed at the love and support he has received from the Belfast community. People have been calling him, sending him cards, dropping off honeybuns, offering to help with yard work and more, in addition to the fund drive for his new bike. His eyes welled briefly with tears as he described the outpouring of care.
“It restores your faith in society,” Sanders said. “It makes you feel wonderful, to know these people. Their actions are the stuff of life. It’s mind-boggling that people care so much. We couldn’t be more grateful.”
He had some words for the world in the wake of his accident.
“Count your blessings,” he urged. “Count them every day.”
In addition to the people who have contributed money to Sanders’ new bike, Michael McDonald of Belfast Bicycles is helping by procuring the Cannondale bicycle essentially at cost.
“Eric’s a customer. He’s also a public servant and a member of the [bike] club,” McDonald said. “It’s just something I think would be nice to make him whole again.”
According to Purinton-Brown, who said that he has been hit twice by motorists while out riding his bike, the hit-and-run accident that injured his friend is just another reminder that it can be dangerous for cyclists.
“Just thinking about it makes me angry,” he said. “Stuff like this hits close to home. … The danger is very real.”
Since they’ve already raised enough for a new road bike, fundraisers are planning to get Sanders a new helmet, too, to replace the one that was wrecked in the accident.
“It looks like it was burned, melted, twisted and the inside was cracked,” Sanders said. “If I hadn’t been wearing the helmet, I’d be dead.”
He wrote on his Facebook page that he has been touched by the fundraising effort.
“You made me cry,” he wrote. “Folks, bless your hearts for this new bike thing going around. What a community we live in, huh?”
2013年3月11日星期一
The tour takes in coastal scenery of Northland
Waipu's London 2012 Paralympic bronze medallist Fiona Southorn will be back on the bike as the BDO Tour of Northland starts on Thursday.
Southorn, Northland's Sportswoman of the Year, will enjoy the rare chance to get out and experience Northland's picturesque scenery over the four-day race.
"It's a fun event," said Southorn, who will line up beside 475 riders, of which about 50 were elite. "Quite serious when you're on the bike, but when you're off it's quite social too."
The seasoned cyclist said that while she would use the event to build her base fitness and endurance, she's looking forward to catching a glimpse of of Northland scenery.
"[My favourite part is] going through the Waipoua Forest (where Tane Mahuta is located), it's pretty cool. Actually, no, Helena Bay because it's the last climb," laughed the 45-year-old.
"I'm not much of a roadie [road racer]. The last few years I've done it as training, a bit of endurance, and that's what this year is again. Normally I don't get much of a chance to get out on the road and race."
Like any top-class athlete, Southorn said the event came with personal goals of winning her age group, having fun, and staying upright.
Tour sponsor BDO will also sponsor Southorn during the tour along with Advanti, who will make sure her bike is in top shape.
The tour takes in coastal scenery of Northland, heading west along the Twin Coast Discovery Trail on day one and up the Kauri Bush Trail on day two.
Riders then cut from the west to the east through the rural Northland country side, before returning to Whangarei on day four down the Coast to Coast flyer. By the end, riders will have cycled 340km over the four days.
"Daily distances are achievable," said Stephen Cox, director of Dynamo Events and former New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games cycling representative.
"With accommodation options along the tour we are limited, but we are exploring other options for the next event which would see numbers lift," he said.
It is this achievable distance that Cox credits to the success of the event, with it reaching near capacity each year.
Organisers have called for the support and understanding from other road users during the four days.
Drivers need to expect a few holdups here and there as 475-plus cyclists - 50 more than last year - sharing the road will cause some minor delays.
Southorn, Northland's Sportswoman of the Year, will enjoy the rare chance to get out and experience Northland's picturesque scenery over the four-day race.
"It's a fun event," said Southorn, who will line up beside 475 riders, of which about 50 were elite. "Quite serious when you're on the bike, but when you're off it's quite social too."
The seasoned cyclist said that while she would use the event to build her base fitness and endurance, she's looking forward to catching a glimpse of of Northland scenery.
"[My favourite part is] going through the Waipoua Forest (where Tane Mahuta is located), it's pretty cool. Actually, no, Helena Bay because it's the last climb," laughed the 45-year-old.
"I'm not much of a roadie [road racer]. The last few years I've done it as training, a bit of endurance, and that's what this year is again. Normally I don't get much of a chance to get out on the road and race."
Like any top-class athlete, Southorn said the event came with personal goals of winning her age group, having fun, and staying upright.
Tour sponsor BDO will also sponsor Southorn during the tour along with Advanti, who will make sure her bike is in top shape.
The tour takes in coastal scenery of Northland, heading west along the Twin Coast Discovery Trail on day one and up the Kauri Bush Trail on day two.
Riders then cut from the west to the east through the rural Northland country side, before returning to Whangarei on day four down the Coast to Coast flyer. By the end, riders will have cycled 340km over the four days.
"Daily distances are achievable," said Stephen Cox, director of Dynamo Events and former New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games cycling representative.
"With accommodation options along the tour we are limited, but we are exploring other options for the next event which would see numbers lift," he said.
It is this achievable distance that Cox credits to the success of the event, with it reaching near capacity each year.
Organisers have called for the support and understanding from other road users during the four days.
Drivers need to expect a few holdups here and there as 475-plus cyclists - 50 more than last year - sharing the road will cause some minor delays.
2013年3月7日星期四
The causing of such pain and the taking of life
Other voices spoke boldly Thursday on behalf of a voice silenced after only 18 short years.
Malcolm Astley and Mary Dunne, parents of Lauren Astley, spoke up on behalf of their murdered daughter, poignantly reminding Judge Peter Lauriat what they lost when Nathaniel Fujita took her life.
With his victim impact statement, Malcolm Astley told Lauriat "We need to acknowledge all of the fear, pain and distrust that resulted as collateral effects of the taking of [Lauren Astley's] life."
"The causing of such pain and the taking of life has to be marked by significant consequences for the agent of the pain or society falls apart and so does the agent, I believe, in a vacuum."
As Astley and Dunne spoke, Fujita sat quietly with his head bowed as he had throughout much of his three-week trial. The vicitms' impact statements were given prior to sentencing even though the state mandates a penalty of life without the possibility of parole for the crime of murder in the first degree.
Though 20-year-old Fujita has now been sentenced to life behind bars, Malcolm Astley took the opportunity in his victim's impact statement to implore that Fujita's life be one that turns now to doing what he can to make amends.
"He can step by step with resting and support and determination slowly acknowledge openly what he did; he can apologize for it deeply and repeatedly; he can grieve for Lauren ..."
Astley continued to add that Fujita can pursue opportunities to create understanding of how to address inner pain in order to prevent violence, especially violence against women.
"If he has the courage and will to pursue this path of his own design, it would all be a notable gift of atonement in Lauren's memory," Astley said. "He could help provide a lot of understanding, help other men like himself, prevent pain and loss and help make up for what he has set off."
Following Astley's remarks, Dunne stepped to the podium and told the judge that "shock, grief, disorientation, unrest and longing are mainstays of daily life," since her daughter's death.
"I am Lauren Dunne Astley's mother," Mary Dunne said. "But never again will I be called mom, mommy or mother.
"Lauren, who was my only child brought instant light and joy into my life. Whether singing or pleading for a new pair of shoes ... her voice was lovely, but now there is silence.
"Lauren does not have the privilege of re-entering the world, and it seems fair that Nathaniel should not either," Dunne concluded.
Lauriat ultimately sentenced Fujita to the state-mandated life in prison without the possibility of parole and a concurrent nine to 10 years for each of two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and 2.5 years for assault and battery.
Malcolm Astley and Mary Dunne, parents of Lauren Astley, spoke up on behalf of their murdered daughter, poignantly reminding Judge Peter Lauriat what they lost when Nathaniel Fujita took her life.
With his victim impact statement, Malcolm Astley told Lauriat "We need to acknowledge all of the fear, pain and distrust that resulted as collateral effects of the taking of [Lauren Astley's] life."
"The causing of such pain and the taking of life has to be marked by significant consequences for the agent of the pain or society falls apart and so does the agent, I believe, in a vacuum."
As Astley and Dunne spoke, Fujita sat quietly with his head bowed as he had throughout much of his three-week trial. The vicitms' impact statements were given prior to sentencing even though the state mandates a penalty of life without the possibility of parole for the crime of murder in the first degree.
Though 20-year-old Fujita has now been sentenced to life behind bars, Malcolm Astley took the opportunity in his victim's impact statement to implore that Fujita's life be one that turns now to doing what he can to make amends.
"He can step by step with resting and support and determination slowly acknowledge openly what he did; he can apologize for it deeply and repeatedly; he can grieve for Lauren ..."
Astley continued to add that Fujita can pursue opportunities to create understanding of how to address inner pain in order to prevent violence, especially violence against women.
"If he has the courage and will to pursue this path of his own design, it would all be a notable gift of atonement in Lauren's memory," Astley said. "He could help provide a lot of understanding, help other men like himself, prevent pain and loss and help make up for what he has set off."
Following Astley's remarks, Dunne stepped to the podium and told the judge that "shock, grief, disorientation, unrest and longing are mainstays of daily life," since her daughter's death.
"I am Lauren Dunne Astley's mother," Mary Dunne said. "But never again will I be called mom, mommy or mother.
"Lauren, who was my only child brought instant light and joy into my life. Whether singing or pleading for a new pair of shoes ... her voice was lovely, but now there is silence.
"Lauren does not have the privilege of re-entering the world, and it seems fair that Nathaniel should not either," Dunne concluded.
Lauriat ultimately sentenced Fujita to the state-mandated life in prison without the possibility of parole and a concurrent nine to 10 years for each of two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and 2.5 years for assault and battery.
2013年3月4日星期一
what might have been the best Merco
The Bissell Pro Cycling rider thought he would get to spend a little time at home after the team finished its training camp.
Bissell had other ideas, choosing Gaimon as one of its nine team members for the Merco Cycling Classic.
"It's just one of those things," Gaimon said. "When the team tells you to go, you say OK."
Apparently Bissell knew what it was doing.
The 27-year-old went wire-to-wire with the yellow leader's jersey, wrapping up his first Merco title on Sunday morning with a front-of-the- pack finish in the Hilltop Ranch Road Race.
Gaimon entered the day with a comfortable 50-second lead over Ben Jacques-Maynes after finishing 16th in Saturday's McDonald's Grand Prix.
The Bissell team fought to make sure no one could break away and take a run at that lead on the 120-mile course through the Snelling almond blossoms. Gaimon secured his Merco river rock trophy when he avoided the 30-plus bike pileup in the home stretch.
Optum Pro Cycling's Ken Hanson took the Downtown Grand Prix and Dion Hill of Full Circle won today's Hilltop Ranch Road Race.
"I guess I'm glad I came," Gaimon said with a grin.
There wasn't much drama in the final leg of the women's race either.
Evelyn Stevens had been the class of the race through the first three legs.
Her specialized- lululemon teammate Ina-Yoko Teutenberg captured Saturday's Grand Prix for the second straight year, but Stevens' eighth-place showing gave her a very solid 31-second lead going into Sunday.
"I personally would have liked to had a little more than a 31-second lead, because you never can be too comfortable," Stevens said. "You just have to be aware of what's going on.
"We wanted to just control the yellow jersey and the girls raced great today, " she said. "It was a great four-day stage race that we're really grateful to get to be a part of."
Sunday's action concluded what might have been the best Merco Cycling Classic yet, now in its 20th year.
The sport of cycling is struggling in the wake of the Lance Armstrong saga. Fewer teams and sponsorships have forced the cancellation of races that had been U.S. staples.
It would have been hard to tell on Saturday as thousands flocked to downtown Merced to enjoy the racing and the Community Fun Fair.
The cycling community responded by providing possibly Merco's finest field of riders to date.
"The way the economy is going in cycling, riders really need to pick and choose the races that they ride in," Merco founder Doug Fluetsch said. "So to have the caliber of field that we had for the pro men and pro women is pretty astounding.
"It's very encouraging for the future of this race, and the community support continues to be outstanding," he said.
"The numbers on Saturday were incredible," Fluetsch said. "One of the United Way people came by and told me that the Downtown Grand Prix is Merced's best party, which I thought was a pretty cool thing."
Bissell had other ideas, choosing Gaimon as one of its nine team members for the Merco Cycling Classic.
"It's just one of those things," Gaimon said. "When the team tells you to go, you say OK."
Apparently Bissell knew what it was doing.
The 27-year-old went wire-to-wire with the yellow leader's jersey, wrapping up his first Merco title on Sunday morning with a front-of-the- pack finish in the Hilltop Ranch Road Race.
Gaimon entered the day with a comfortable 50-second lead over Ben Jacques-Maynes after finishing 16th in Saturday's McDonald's Grand Prix.
The Bissell team fought to make sure no one could break away and take a run at that lead on the 120-mile course through the Snelling almond blossoms. Gaimon secured his Merco river rock trophy when he avoided the 30-plus bike pileup in the home stretch.
Optum Pro Cycling's Ken Hanson took the Downtown Grand Prix and Dion Hill of Full Circle won today's Hilltop Ranch Road Race.
"I guess I'm glad I came," Gaimon said with a grin.
There wasn't much drama in the final leg of the women's race either.
Evelyn Stevens had been the class of the race through the first three legs.
Her specialized- lululemon teammate Ina-Yoko Teutenberg captured Saturday's Grand Prix for the second straight year, but Stevens' eighth-place showing gave her a very solid 31-second lead going into Sunday.
"I personally would have liked to had a little more than a 31-second lead, because you never can be too comfortable," Stevens said. "You just have to be aware of what's going on.
"We wanted to just control the yellow jersey and the girls raced great today, " she said. "It was a great four-day stage race that we're really grateful to get to be a part of."
Sunday's action concluded what might have been the best Merco Cycling Classic yet, now in its 20th year.
The sport of cycling is struggling in the wake of the Lance Armstrong saga. Fewer teams and sponsorships have forced the cancellation of races that had been U.S. staples.
It would have been hard to tell on Saturday as thousands flocked to downtown Merced to enjoy the racing and the Community Fun Fair.
The cycling community responded by providing possibly Merco's finest field of riders to date.
"The way the economy is going in cycling, riders really need to pick and choose the races that they ride in," Merco founder Doug Fluetsch said. "So to have the caliber of field that we had for the pro men and pro women is pretty astounding.
"It's very encouraging for the future of this race, and the community support continues to be outstanding," he said.
"The numbers on Saturday were incredible," Fluetsch said. "One of the United Way people came by and told me that the Downtown Grand Prix is Merced's best party, which I thought was a pretty cool thing."
2013年3月3日星期日
whose son and daughter-in-law own the shop
Now she's training for a 575-mile bike trip that will both raise awareness of affordable housing and give her opportunities to work on several home-building projects en route. She will not only be cycling but also learning her way around a tool chest.
On the way, she and her fellow cyclists plan to stop to help build affordable houses in three locations. The trip is for young people, ages 18 to 25. Minniear, a recent college graduate with a degree in meteorology, moved to Frederick to work as a quality assurance engineer at Bechtel.
Before the trip, she will have put in 300 cycling miles and spent 10 hours working on local affordable housing projects.
Minniear has spent nearly every weekend this winter putting some miles on her bike, no matter how much she needed to bundle up. She rides in rain, but draws the line at riding in sleet and snow.
She and fellow trip participants are set to do a 65-mile training trip later this spring on the mountains west of Frederick. They have planned a route that will involve 8,000 feet of climbing.
"If you asked my friends two years ago if I would be cycling 70 miles in one day, they would have not believed you," she said. It was about two years ago that she began running to stay in shape. She planned a half-marathon, but two days before registration opened, she broke her foot.
Minniear hasn't been a cyclist or a runner for long, but she has played softball, basketball and volleyball for many years. She also enjoys hiking and running with her "crazy hyper" dog. She grew up in Indiana, and most recently lived in Fort Collins, Colo., and Minneapolis before moving to Frederick.
She plans on helping with some local Habitat for Humanity projects before going on the trip. Bike & Build is not affiliated with Habitat for Humanity, but some of the sites Bike & Build participants work in are Habitat projects.
Minniear said she likes to paint, and has joined other Bechtel employees on a home-building project putting in wall frames and doors. One day, she'd like to build her own house or buy an old place and fix it up. She has also volunteered by filling sandbags as a buffer against flooding.
Minniear has been learning about cycling and bike maintenance with the help of The Bicycle Escape, a Frederick bike shop which is sponsoring her. "We reach out to the community to encourage people to cycle," said manager Roger Rinker, whose son and daughter-in-law own the shop. "JoBeth presented us with an opportunity to help in a broader way."
She bought her bike through Bike & Build, and had it shipped to Bicycle Escape. Rinker helped her put her bike together. Then it was time for Minniear to learn to ride with clipless pedals. Clipless pedals allow the cyclist to attach his or her feet to the pedals in order to get more power out of each stroke. Minniear said she fell the first couple of times she rode with the pedals, but with practice has gotten much better at using them.
"She's helping to build houses and to encourage people to cycle," Rinker said. "She's such a fun, happy person." Minnear does the store's organized fun rides, including a Groundhog Day ride and a Valentine's Day Cupid's Revenge ride. On St. Patrick's Day, there will be another ride.
Minniear supports the store through her Facebook page and encourages friends and co-workers to come on the rides. She also plans to come to the store's repair clinics offered the first three Wednesday evenings in March.
Minniear would like to be able to do a cross-country bike ride, if she's ever in a position to take two months off work. She is eager about combining cycling and volunteerism. "I love to volunteer," she said. "The more I read about this, the more I'm looking forward to it."
On the way, she and her fellow cyclists plan to stop to help build affordable houses in three locations. The trip is for young people, ages 18 to 25. Minniear, a recent college graduate with a degree in meteorology, moved to Frederick to work as a quality assurance engineer at Bechtel.
Before the trip, she will have put in 300 cycling miles and spent 10 hours working on local affordable housing projects.
Minniear has spent nearly every weekend this winter putting some miles on her bike, no matter how much she needed to bundle up. She rides in rain, but draws the line at riding in sleet and snow.
She and fellow trip participants are set to do a 65-mile training trip later this spring on the mountains west of Frederick. They have planned a route that will involve 8,000 feet of climbing.
"If you asked my friends two years ago if I would be cycling 70 miles in one day, they would have not believed you," she said. It was about two years ago that she began running to stay in shape. She planned a half-marathon, but two days before registration opened, she broke her foot.
Minniear hasn't been a cyclist or a runner for long, but she has played softball, basketball and volleyball for many years. She also enjoys hiking and running with her "crazy hyper" dog. She grew up in Indiana, and most recently lived in Fort Collins, Colo., and Minneapolis before moving to Frederick.
She plans on helping with some local Habitat for Humanity projects before going on the trip. Bike & Build is not affiliated with Habitat for Humanity, but some of the sites Bike & Build participants work in are Habitat projects.
Minniear said she likes to paint, and has joined other Bechtel employees on a home-building project putting in wall frames and doors. One day, she'd like to build her own house or buy an old place and fix it up. She has also volunteered by filling sandbags as a buffer against flooding.
Minniear has been learning about cycling and bike maintenance with the help of The Bicycle Escape, a Frederick bike shop which is sponsoring her. "We reach out to the community to encourage people to cycle," said manager Roger Rinker, whose son and daughter-in-law own the shop. "JoBeth presented us with an opportunity to help in a broader way."
She bought her bike through Bike & Build, and had it shipped to Bicycle Escape. Rinker helped her put her bike together. Then it was time for Minniear to learn to ride with clipless pedals. Clipless pedals allow the cyclist to attach his or her feet to the pedals in order to get more power out of each stroke. Minniear said she fell the first couple of times she rode with the pedals, but with practice has gotten much better at using them.
"She's helping to build houses and to encourage people to cycle," Rinker said. "She's such a fun, happy person." Minnear does the store's organized fun rides, including a Groundhog Day ride and a Valentine's Day Cupid's Revenge ride. On St. Patrick's Day, there will be another ride.
Minniear supports the store through her Facebook page and encourages friends and co-workers to come on the rides. She also plans to come to the store's repair clinics offered the first three Wednesday evenings in March.
Minniear would like to be able to do a cross-country bike ride, if she's ever in a position to take two months off work. She is eager about combining cycling and volunteerism. "I love to volunteer," she said. "The more I read about this, the more I'm looking forward to it."
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