washingtontimes--2020-08-09--Amateur photographers take to Instagram to document movement

RICHMOND , Va. ( AP ) - Eric Foster had just taken a photo that would later earn him over 1,000 likes on his Instagram account , thepreppyeric , when police shot the 23-year-old Black photographer in the leg with a tear gas canister .
It was Friday , May 29 , the first night protesters in Richmond took to the streets in response to Minneapolis police killing George Floyd several days prior .
Protesters rushed over to Foster to make sure he was OK , but he was too filled with adrenaline to care that he was hurt .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ works as a photographer , primarily taking portraits or pictures of houses and real estate for home sales listings , but his dream is to become a conflict photographer - someone who documents conflicts like wars and riots .
So , earlier that evening , when he had seen a mass of protesters marching on West Broad Street past the office where he had just wrapped up a photo shoot , he knew he had to join the fray .
It was the first time he ’ d photographed anything so dangerous .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ photographer during his four-year service in the Marines , he never shot combat photos .
Rather , as the youngest person in his unit , he was put in charge of updating the unit ’ s Facebook page with pictures of events like Family Day .
Foster , who lives in Richmond , had seen protests in the city before , like organized demonstrations that occurred when President Donald Trump was elected in 2016 .
But those were much calmer .
“ People just protested and went home , ” he recalls .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 29 , “ helicopters were flying around , cars were burning , people were throwing rocks at windows .
It was a glimpse of what I would assume ( it would look like ) if the world was ending.
” As nightly protests and demonstrations have taken over Richmond streets this summer , amateur photographers and citizen photojournalists have taken to the streets alongside protesters to document the movement and share the latest on Instagram , the popular image-based social media platform .
Rather than simply searching for the most aesthetically pleasing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves to create a new kind of public record .
“ I can ’ t wait to flex on my grandkids , because this is probably going to be in their textbooks , ” Foster said .
When Destyni Kuhns-Gray , a rising senior studying early elementary education at Virginia Commonwealth University , brings her camera to protests , she aims to document the emotions of the people present .
Capturing different people ’ s expressions helps to tell the story of Richmond ’ s ongoing protests as more than just a series @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how the events are influencing individuals - frustrating them , hurting them , uplifting them .
“ People are yelling , people are chanting , people are making music , ” she said .
“ It ’ s not only anger and raw emotion , but it ’ s ( also ) community and loving emotion.
” Of course , she follows the protocol recommended by some journalism news sites of asking anyone whose full face she photographs if they ’ re OK with her putting their image on her Instagram account , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followers .
Most people say yes , but they often ask who she ’ s working with , a question the longtime amateur photographer , who works independently , always feels awkward answering .
Kuhns-Gray , a mixed-race Williamsburg native , first picked up the hobby in the eighth grade and worked in a clothing store in Colonial Williamsburg as a teenager to raise money for a good-quality digital camera .
Her work has mainly focused on portraiture , so photographing the action and movement of the protests has required her to develop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months , Kuhns-Gray has captured so many pictures that she can ’ t name a favorite .
“ Wherever I am , whatever I ’ m doing … I get that one picture that ’ s like , ‘ That ’ s the one .
That ’ s going to stand out , ’ ” she said .
Darrell Booker sees his photography , which he shares with more than 1,200 followers on Instagram at darrellbooker , not only as a historical record but also as a way to keep those who can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ In prior times , you just had to totally rely on conventional media .
But with the boom of social media , we no longer have to fear that someone has twisted the story , ” Booker says .
“ There ’ s a huge population of people that , this is how they ’ re being connected to this particular movement.
” Booker , 42 , feels deeply connected to the civil unrest in Richmond .
He was born in the city and moved to Chesterfield at the age of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black family on his street .
He raised his children in this city and has driven past Confederate monuments all his life .
As a native of the area , he didn ’ t see the protests as merely one leg of a national movement , but rather as a response to Richmond ’ s unique problems with racial inequality .
That ’ s why he felt a sense of responsibility to capture pictures of the unrest .
The first night he attended the protests was May 30 .
He , his 21-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Park after the throng of protesters had already begun moving down Broad Street .
He remembered feeling disheartened by the size of the crowd - until they eventually caught up with the rest of the group at the State Capitol .
“ In that moment , it felt like what I saw on CNN the night before , ” says Booker , referring to footage he had seen of protesters in Atlanta on the night of May 29 .
“ The police were in riot gear in front of us .
The crowd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they were throwing stuff .
And I just started snapping.
” Later in the night , they made their way to the police station , where police pepper-sprayed and tear-gassed the protesters .
But after briefly dispersing , nearly the entire crowd recovered from the attack and made its way back in front of the station , Booker recalled .
“ In that moment , I just felt so proud that black , white and especially young ( people ) were fighting for us , ” he says .
Booker took as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to memorialize the powerful moment .
As he snapped picture after picture , he thought about the powerful affect that images of the Civil Rights Movement had had on him when he was growing up , and how he wished there was an even greater visual record of that time .
“ That night , it was kind of like , ‘ This is my duty , ’ ” he says .
Like Kuhns-Gray and many others who photograph the protests , Booker is not a professional photographer .
His day job at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he ’ s been doing over the past two months , however .
He is the newly appointed program manager for the tech company ’ s new five-year initiative to bring the resources and support Microsoft has long offered big-name nonprofits , such as the Gates Foundation , to community organizations .
His photography and his work with the program feed into each other .
“ Being out and photographing and being on the ground really helps me to inform the work that we do at Microsoft , ” he says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ job , photographing the protests doesn ’ t feel like work to him .
He characterizes the work he usually does - shooting things like graduation portraits and real estate - as boring compared to the meaningful , action-filled shots he ’ s gotten during the protests .
Foster has also been getting contacted about freelance work because of the images he ’ s posted on Instagram , where he has over 3,200 followers .
A drone shot he took of protesters gathered around the Lee Monument graced the cover of the July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a great time - I hate to say it - to get noticed , because it ’ s an odd subject to get noticed on .
But everyone ’ s just watching , ” says Foster , who went out almost nightly for the first few weeks of protests .
He is now hoping to travel to other American cities , possibly New York or Chicago , to document the protests there .
Meanwhile , Booker and Kuhns-Gray are among the many photographers still attending and shooting protests and other events @ @ @ @

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Eric Foster had just taken a photo that would later earn him over 1,000 likes on his Instagram account, thepreppyeric, when police shot the 23-year-old Black photographer in the leg with a tear gas canister.
It was Friday, May 29, the first night protesters in Richmond took to the streets in response to Minneapolis police killing George Floyd several days prior. Protesters rushed over to Foster to make sure he was OK, but he was too filled with adrenaline to care that he was hurt.
Foster was in his element. He works as a photographer, primarily taking portraits or pictures of houses and real estate for home sales listings, but his dream is to become a conflict photographer - someone who documents conflicts like wars and riots.
So, earlier that evening, when he had seen a mass of protesters marching on West Broad Street past the office where he had just wrapped up a photo shoot, he knew he had to join the fray.
It was the first time he’d photographed anything so dangerous. Though he got his start as a photographer during his four-year service in the Marines, he never shot combat photos. Rather, as the youngest person in his unit, he was put in charge of updating the unit’s Facebook page with pictures of events like Family Day.
Foster, who lives in Richmond, had seen protests in the city before, like organized demonstrations that occurred when President Donald Trump was elected in 2016. But those were much calmer. “People just protested and went home,” he recalls.
In contrast, during the protests on May 29, “helicopters were flying around, cars were burning, people were throwing rocks at windows. It was a glimpse of what I would assume (it would look like) if the world was ending.”
As nightly protests and demonstrations have taken over Richmond streets this summer, amateur photographers and citizen photojournalists have taken to the streets alongside protesters to document the movement and share the latest on Instagram, the popular image-based social media platform.
Rather than simply searching for the most aesthetically pleasing shot, these locals have talent upon themselves to create a new kind of public record.
“I can’t wait to flex on my grandkids, because this is probably going to be in their textbooks,” Foster said.
When Destyni Kuhns-Gray, a rising senior studying early elementary education at Virginia Commonwealth University, brings her camera to protests, she aims to document the emotions of the people present. Capturing different people’s expressions helps to tell the story of Richmond’s ongoing protests as more than just a series of events. Instead, it emphasizes how the events are influencing individuals - frustrating them, hurting them, uplifting them.
“People are yelling, people are chanting, people are making music,” she said. “It’s not only anger and raw emotion, but it’s (also) community and loving emotion.”
Of course, she follows the protocol recommended by some journalism news sites of asking anyone whose full face she photographs if they’re OK with her putting their image on her Instagram account, destyyyxx, where she has over 1,200 followers.
Most people say yes, but they often ask who she’s working with, a question the longtime amateur photographer, who works independently, always feels awkward answering.
Kuhns-Gray, a mixed-race Williamsburg native, first picked up the hobby in the eighth grade and worked in a clothing store in Colonial Williamsburg as a teenager to raise money for a good-quality digital camera. Her work has mainly focused on portraiture, so photographing the action and movement of the protests has required her to develop new skills.
Over the past two months, Kuhns-Gray has captured so many pictures that she can’t name a favorite. “Wherever I am, whatever I’m doing … I get that one picture that’s like, ‘That’s the one. That’s going to stand out,’” she said.
Darrell Booker sees his photography, which he shares with more than 1,200 followers on Instagram at darrellbooker, not only as a historical record but also as a way to keep those who cannot attend the protests informed and connected.
“In prior times, you just had to totally rely on conventional media. But with the boom of social media, we no longer have to fear that someone has twisted the story,” Booker says. “There’s a huge population of people that, this is how they’re being connected to this particular movement.”
Booker, 42, feels deeply connected to the civil unrest in Richmond. He was born in the city and moved to Chesterfield at the age of 8, where his was the only Black family on his street. He raised his children in this city and has driven past Confederate monuments all his life.
As a native of the area, he didn’t see the protests as merely one leg of a national movement, but rather as a response to Richmond’s unique problems with racial inequality.
That’s why he felt a sense of responsibility to capture pictures of the unrest. The first night he attended the protests was May 30. He, his 21-year-old son and his brother met near Monroe Park after the throng of protesters had already begun moving down Broad Street. He remembered feeling disheartened by the size of the crowd - until they eventually caught up with the rest of the group at the State Capitol.
“In that moment, it felt like what I saw on CNN the night before,” says Booker, referring to footage he had seen of protesters in Atlanta on the night of May 29. “The police were in riot gear in front of us. The crowd, they were tearing down the barricades, they were throwing stuff. And I just started snapping.”
Later in the night, they made their way to the police station, where police pepper-sprayed and tear-gassed the protesters. But after briefly dispersing, nearly the entire crowd recovered from the attack and made its way back in front of the station, Booker recalled.
“In that moment, I just felt so proud that black, white and especially young (people) were fighting for us,” he says.
Booker took as many pictures as he could, compelled to memorialize the powerful moment. As he snapped picture after picture, he thought about the powerful affect that images of the Civil Rights Movement had had on him when he was growing up, and how he wished there was an even greater visual record of that time.
“That night, it was kind of like, ‘This is my duty,’” he says.
Like Kuhns-Gray and many others who photograph the protests, Booker is not a professional photographer. His day job at Microsoft does tie in to the work that he’s been doing over the past two months, however. He is the newly appointed program manager for the tech company’s new five-year initiative to bring the resources and support Microsoft has long offered big-name nonprofits, such as the Gates Foundation, to community organizations.
His photography and his work with the program feed into each other. “Being out and photographing and being on the ground really helps me to inform the work that we do at Microsoft,” he says.
Though photography is Foster’s full-time job, photographing the protests doesn’t feel like work to him. He characterizes the work he usually does - shooting things like graduation portraits and real estate - as boring compared to the meaningful, action-filled shots he’s gotten during the protests.
Foster has also been getting contacted about freelance work because of the images he’s posted on Instagram, where he has over 3,200 followers. A drone shot he took of protesters gathered around the Lee Monument graced the cover of the July issue of Richmond Magazine.
“It’s a great time - I hate to say it - to get noticed, because it’s an odd subject to get noticed on. But everyone’s just watching,” says Foster, who went out almost nightly for the first few weeks of protests. He is now hoping to travel to other American cities, possibly New York or Chicago, to document the protests there.
Meanwhile, Booker and Kuhns-Gray are among the many photographers still attending and shooting protests and other events across the city.


washingtontimes--2020-08-09--Virginia teens see pandemic-related shifts in summer jobs

ROANOKE , Va. ( AP ) - Teenagers were not spared from the dwindling job opportunities that pervaded the nation due to COVID-19 .
Restrictions on pools , day cares and food services made many typical summer jobs for students impossible this year .
According to a June report from Challenger , Gray & Christmas Inc. , a global outplacement and career transitioning firm , employed teens are at the lowest level since the 1960s , despite gaining almost 600,000 jobs in May .
“ Many businesses that primarily employ teens , like retail stores , amusement parks , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer , ” Andrew Challenger , the firm ’ s senior vice president , said in the report .
“ Many other businesses , such as movie theaters and summer youth programs , are not seeing the demand to add jobs or even reopen.
” The Roanoke region does not seem to be an exception to the slowdown in teen summer jobs .
The Grandin Theatre in Roanoke , which closed in March , furloughed all of its teen employees , said Ian Fortier , the theater ’ s executive director .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capacity , but Fortier said the essential staff does not include any teenagers .
Other summer closures , especially pools , greatly affected job opportunities for teens .
Chris Smith , 18 , a student at Northside High School , said he was looking forward to lifeguarding outside at Green Ridge Recreation ’ s Splash Valley Water Park .
But Splash Valley is closed for the summer , and all returning lifeguards were hired to work indoors only .
Smith has worked at both the indoor and outdoor pools at Green Ridge since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said he likes outdoor work better .
Most lifeguards at Green Ridge prefer to work at the outdoor water park , said aquatics supervisor Jen Ewan .
Indoors , there is less excitement , especially because all the water attractions are taped off .
The indoor pool at Green Ridge opened for recreation and exercise on July 18 .
“ The biggest difference is probably the crowd , ” Smith said .
“ It ’ s been pretty relaxed , not super busy.
” Layla St. Peter , 16 , is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Green Ridge .
She said she started working during the off-season last year , so she ’ s never worked outdoors .
With Splash Valley closed , it ’ s no longer an option for St. Peter this summer .
Swimmers with the Virginia Gators Swim Club , a year-round competitive team , weren ’ t as lucky .
Team members usually help manage Roanoke ’ s Fallon Park pool , said coach Brett Fonder .
“ We have a lifeguarding clinic every spring to get the kids certified , ” Fonder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way to make money over the summer.
” Normally , the pool has about 20 people on the staff , 15 of whom are kids on the swim team , he said .
But city pools are closed this summer due to the pandemic and related city budget cuts .
This means many of the swimmers are out of a job this year .
Some got a job at other pools , said Fonder , but have greatly reduced hours because of pool restrictions .
The YMCA of Virginia ’ s Blue Ridge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the summer .
Jennie Weeks , vice president of human resources , said the Y is employing lifeguards and Stay and Play child care workers , who are mostly high school students .
Weeks said they need lifeguards right now , as applications have slowed down in the past months .
Blue Cow Ice Cream , another typical summer job for students , has had the opposite issue .
Owner Carolyn Kiser said she ’ s seen an increase in applications , although Blue Cow hasn ’ t needed to hire as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ice cream shop typically employs a lot of students .
“ Our applications have really increased this month - I think people just want something to do , ” Kiser said in late June .
“ In the past we ’ ve done a lot of events in the summer , we ’ ll take our truck out to a festival or something .
… But because we ’ re not doing the events , we don ’ t need maybe as much people as we did last year.
” Blue Cow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first months of the pandemic and has since opened up for in-person orders , although dining inside is still prohibited .
Breanna Anderson , a student at Radford University who worked curbside , said she chose Blue Cow this summer because of its scheduling flexibility .
She said she wanted to be employed by someone who would work with her if school picked back up .
Kroger also emphasized its ability to work with students around their uncertain schedules and has also seen an increase in applications this summer .
“ Grocery stores @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic moved quickly to beef up their staffs , and in many cases , those positions were filled by teen workers , ” Challenger said in the teen jobs report .
Allison McGee , spokeswoman for Kroger ’ s Mid-Atlantic Division , said Kroger ’ s workforce has grown by 5,000 people since March .
“ That may sound like a lot , but we still have hundreds of openings , ” McGee said .
She said Kroger always hires all ages , but because school patterns changed , “ a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work.
” Kroger hires employees as young as 14 with a work permit , McGee said .
Kroger will work with students to schedule shifts around their classes and provides tuition assistance for college students , McGee said .
“ The great thing about retail is we can be very flexible with schedules , ” she said .

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) - Teenagers were not spared from the dwindling job opportunities that pervaded the nation due to COVID-19. Restrictions on pools, day cares and food services made many typical summer jobs for students impossible this year.
According to a June report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., a global outplacement and career transitioning firm, employed teens are at the lowest level since the 1960s, despite gaining almost 600,000 jobs in May.
“Many businesses that primarily employ teens, like retail stores, amusement parks, and restaurants, are slowly reopening for the summer,” Andrew Challenger, the firm’s senior vice president, said in the report. “Many other businesses, such as movie theaters and summer youth programs, are not seeing the demand to add jobs or even reopen.”
The Roanoke region does not seem to be an exception to the slowdown in teen summer jobs.
The Grandin Theatre in Roanoke, which closed in March, furloughed all of its teen employees, said Ian Fortier, the theater’s executive director. The theater is back open in a reduced capacity, but Fortier said the essential staff does not include any teenagers.
Other summer closures, especially pools, greatly affected job opportunities for teens.
Chris Smith, 18, a student at Northside High School, said he was looking forward to lifeguarding outside at Green Ridge Recreation’s Splash Valley Water Park. But Splash Valley is closed for the summer, and all returning lifeguards were hired to work indoors only.
Smith has worked at both the indoor and outdoor pools at Green Ridge since he started lifeguarding in 2018, but he said he likes outdoor work better.
Most lifeguards at Green Ridge prefer to work at the outdoor water park, said aquatics supervisor Jen Ewan. Indoors, there is less excitement, especially because all the water attractions are taped off.
The indoor pool at Green Ridge opened for recreation and exercise on July 18.
“The biggest difference is probably the crowd,” Smith said. “It’s been pretty relaxed, not super busy.”
Layla St. Peter, 16, is also a student at Northside and a lifeguard at Green Ridge. She said she started working during the off-season last year, so she’s never worked outdoors. With Splash Valley closed, it’s no longer an option for St. Peter this summer.
Swimmers with the Virginia Gators Swim Club, a year-round competitive team, weren’t as lucky. Team members usually help manage Roanoke’s Fallon Park pool, said coach Brett Fonder.
“We have a lifeguarding clinic every spring to get the kids certified,” Fonder said. “It’s their way to make money over the summer.”
Normally, the pool has about 20 people on the staff, 15 of whom are kids on the swim team, he said.
But city pools are closed this summer due to the pandemic and related city budget cuts. This means many of the swimmers are out of a job this year. Some got a job at other pools, said Fonder, but have greatly reduced hours because of pool restrictions.
The YMCA of Virginia’s Blue Ridge is also open in a reduced capacity for the summer. Jennie Weeks, vice president of human resources, said the Y is employing lifeguards and Stay and Play child care workers, who are mostly high school students.
Weeks said they need lifeguards right now, as applications have slowed down in the past months.
Blue Cow Ice Cream, another typical summer job for students, has had the opposite issue. Owner Carolyn Kiser said she’s seen an increase in applications, although Blue Cow hasn’t needed to hire as many workers as usual. She said the ice cream shop typically employs a lot of students.
“Our applications have really increased this month - I think people just want something to do,” Kiser said in late June. “In the past we’ve done a lot of events in the summer, we’ll take our truck out to a festival or something. … But because we’re not doing the events, we don’t need maybe as much people as we did last year.”
Blue Cow was open for curbside pickup during the first months of the pandemic and has since opened up for in-person orders, although dining inside is still prohibited.
Breanna Anderson, a student at Radford University who worked curbside, said she chose Blue Cow this summer because of its scheduling flexibility. She said she wanted to be employed by someone who would work with her if school picked back up.
Kroger also emphasized its ability to work with students around their uncertain schedules and has also seen an increase in applications this summer.
“Grocery stores experiencing massive demand during the onset of the pandemic moved quickly to beef up their staffs, and in many cases, those positions were filled by teen workers,” Challenger said in the teen jobs report.
Allison McGee, spokeswoman for Kroger’s Mid-Atlantic Division, said Kroger’s workforce has grown by 5,000 people since March.
“That may sound like a lot, but we still have hundreds of openings,” McGee said.
She said Kroger always hires all ages, but because school patterns changed, “a lot of teens have been more available to work.” Kroger hires employees as young as 14 with a work permit, McGee said.
Kroger will work with students to schedule shifts around their classes and provides tuition assistance for college students, McGee said.
“The great thing about retail is we can be very flexible with schedules,” she said.


washingtontimes--2020-08-09--World's sole Vitrolite installer at work in WV's Statehouse

CHARLESTON , W.Va. ( AP ) - Vitrolite , a form of pigmented structural glass made only in West Virginia , had a sensational run while it lasted .
Its production began in 1908 in Vienna , Wood County , in a factory operated by the Meyercord-Carter Co. Six years later , the company reorganized as the Vitrolite Co. and moved to a new factory covering 18 acres in nearby Parkersburg .
As demand for the product increased , the company and its production plant were bought in 1935 by the glass giant Libbey-Owens-Ford .
The product became a mainstay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools of architecture , creating a demand for 5 million square feet of Vitrolite and its main competitor , Carrara glass , by 1929 .
By the end of World War II , though , demand for Vitrolite cratered and , in 1958 , production ceased .
“ From the mid-1920s to the mid-1930s , it was all the fashion , ” said Tim Dunn , owner-operator of St. Louis-based Vitrolite Specialist , a company that salvages and restores Vitrolite .
“ Back then , anyone who had money to spend to update @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Dunn , perhaps the only person in the world now making a living exclusively from Vitrolite .
“ It went into a lot of theaters , storefronts and restaurants .
In the St. Louis area , there are neighborhoods where 100 % of the homes have Vitrolite in their bathrooms and kitchens.
” During the Great Depression , Dunn said , a number of business owners took advantage of a low-interest “ Modernize Main Street ” loan program offered by the federal government to get cash for Vitrolite upgrades .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of vogue and GIs home from the war were interested in low-cost tract homes , in which there was no place for panels of thick , durable plate glass , by then available in 32 colors .
This week , Dunn is restoring Vitrolite wall panels in a pair of ground-floor public restrooms in the West Virginia Capitol , where architect Cass Gilbert ordered them installed nearly 90 years ago .
He is using undamaged Vitrolite sheets salvaged from 11 other Statehouse restrooms to complete the work .
Originally marketed as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ durable and lower-cost alternative to marble , Vitrolite ’ s earliest applications typically involved kitchens , countertops and bathrooms .
Gilbert , apparently an early fan of the West Virginia-made structural glass , also ordered Vitrolite panels installed in restrooms in the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank , which he designed five years before beginning work on the West Virginia Statehouse .
In 1913 , Gilbert ordered Vitrolite - although some accounts say Carrara glass - installed in the restrooms of the 60-story Woolworth ’ s Building in New York , then the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s work recently took him to another Gilbert-designed structure , the U.S. Supreme Court building .
There , he refurbished Vitrolite in the bathroom and kitchenette of Chief Justice John Roberts ’ living quarters .
“ All the justices have their own apartments where they stay when they are working long hours on opinions , ” he said .
“ Guards were with us at all times and , every morning , my van was checked by an explosives-sniffing dog.
” Dunn said he saw Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg during that project , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Roberts .
Among other noteworthy Vitrolite jobs , Dunn includes a 39-day restoration project at the Hoover Dam involving the control room , restrooms and other facilities .
Since going into the Vitrolite restoration and salvage business full time , Dunn has worked on projects from California to Toronto .
He is no stranger to Charleston , having done extensive restoration work on the exterior of the Quarrier Diner , the former State Theater on Washington Street East and a Kanawha Boulevard apartment building .
Dunn learned the ropes of the Vitrolite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had kept the art of Vitrolite installation and restoration alive since 1964 as a solo practitioner .
Starting in 1985 , Dunn , then a general contractor , worked with Caviecy on number of Vitrolite projects , going into the business full time in 1997 , following his mentor ’ s retirement .
Dunn is now the nation ’ s only full-time Vitrolite restoration and installation specialist .
And he is recognized by the federal government as the sole contractor capable of fulfilling project requirements .
“ I ’ m the one-man Walmart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pause in his work at the Statehouse .
“ The work can be tedious at times , but interest in Vitrolite restoration is growing .
People call from all over the world .
It ’ s pretty nice having no competition .
”

RICK STEELHAMMER, The Charleston Gazette-Mail

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Vitrolite, a form of pigmented structural glass made only in West Virginia, had a sensational run while it lasted.
Its production began in 1908 in Vienna, Wood County, in a factory operated by the Meyercord-Carter Co. Six years later, the company reorganized as the Vitrolite Co. and moved to a new factory covering 18 acres in nearby Parkersburg. As demand for the product increased, the company and its production plant were bought in 1935 by the glass giant Libbey-Owens-Ford.
The product became a mainstay of the Art Deco and Streamline Moderne schools of architecture, creating a demand for 5 million square feet of Vitrolite and its main competitor, Carrara glass, by 1929.
By the end of World War II, though, demand for Vitrolite cratered and, in 1958, production ceased.
“From the mid-1920s to the mid-1930s, it was all the fashion,” said Tim Dunn, owner-operator of St. Louis-based Vitrolite Specialist, a company that salvages and restores Vitrolite.
“Back then, anyone who had money to spend to update their home or business bought Vitrolite,” said Dunn, perhaps the only person in the world now making a living exclusively from Vitrolite. “It went into a lot of theaters, storefronts and restaurants. In the St. Louis area, there are neighborhoods where 100% of the homes have Vitrolite in their bathrooms and kitchens.”
During the Great Depression, Dunn said, a number of business owners took advantage of a low-interest “Modernize Main Street” loan program offered by the federal government to get cash for Vitrolite upgrades.
But by the 1950s, Art Deco was out of vogue and GIs home from the war were interested in low-cost tract homes, in which there was no place for panels of thick, durable plate glass, by then available in 32 colors.
This week, Dunn is restoring Vitrolite wall panels in a pair of ground-floor public restrooms in the West Virginia Capitol, where architect Cass Gilbert ordered them installed nearly 90 years ago. He is using undamaged Vitrolite sheets salvaged from 11 other Statehouse restrooms to complete the work.
Originally marketed as a less porous, more sanitary, more durable and lower-cost alternative to marble, Vitrolite’s earliest applications typically involved kitchens, countertops and bathrooms.
Gilbert, apparently an early fan of the West Virginia-made structural glass, also ordered Vitrolite panels installed in restrooms in the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank, which he designed five years before beginning work on the West Virginia Statehouse. In 1913, Gilbert ordered Vitrolite - although some accounts say Carrara glass - installed in the restrooms of the 60-story Woolworth’s Building in New York, then the world’s tallest building.
Dunn’s work recently took him to another Gilbert-designed structure, the U.S. Supreme Court building. There, he refurbished Vitrolite in the bathroom and kitchenette of Chief Justice John Roberts’ living quarters.
“All the justices have their own apartments where they stay when they are working long hours on opinions,” he said. “Guards were with us at all times and, every morning, my van was checked by an explosives-sniffing dog.”
Dunn said he saw Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg during that project, while his assistant was invited to lunch with Roberts.
Among other noteworthy Vitrolite jobs, Dunn includes a 39-day restoration project at the Hoover Dam involving the control room, restrooms and other facilities.
Since going into the Vitrolite restoration and salvage business full time, Dunn has worked on projects from California to Toronto. He is no stranger to Charleston, having done extensive restoration work on the exterior of the Quarrier Diner, the former State Theater on Washington Street East and a Kanawha Boulevard apartment building.
Dunn learned the ropes of the Vitrolite restoration trade from Don Caviecy, who had kept the art of Vitrolite installation and restoration alive since 1964 as a solo practitioner. Starting in 1985, Dunn, then a general contractor, worked with Caviecy on number of Vitrolite projects, going into the business full time in 1997, following his mentor’s retirement.
Dunn is now the nation’s only full-time Vitrolite restoration and installation specialist. And he is recognized by the federal government as the sole contractor capable of fulfilling project requirements.
“I’m the one-man Walmart of Vitrolite,” he said during a pause in his work at the Statehouse. “The work can be tedious at times, but interest in Vitrolite restoration is growing. People call from all over the world. It’s pretty nice having no competition.”


washingtontimes--2020-08-09--Holocaust education now law in Delaware

Holocaust education now law in Delaware

DOVER , Del .
( AP ) - As a first-generation American and the child of parents who escaped Nazi Germany , state Rep. Debra Heffernan ’ s perspective has impacted her understanding of how atrocities like the Holocaust happened .
“ It really did change how I understood the scariness of how the Holocaust could happen to others in present time if we ’ re not careful , ” she said .
“ And yet , other people … didn ’ t find out about it until they maybe learned about it in high school .
They didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ horrors and how careful we had to be and how it ’ s everyone ’ s job to stand up for others.
” But now , that will be part of curriculum in Delaware .
Rep. Heffernan , D-Bellefonte , sponsored House Bill 318 , which requires school districts and charters to implement curriculum on the Holocaust and genocide for students in grades 6 through 12 .
The bill was signed into law last month and is set to begin for the 2021-22 school year .
Sen. Harris McDowell , D-Wilmington , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As Holocaust survivors are getting older - and with this year ’ s 75th anniversary of the freeing of Auschwitz , the largest German Nazi concentration camp - Rep. Heffernan said this is the perfect time to make the bill a law , to ensure there ’ s no lapse in remembering history .
The bill becoming law codifies what has been a yearslong effort from the Jewish and interfaith community in Delaware , Rep. Heffernan said .
The bill passed with bipartisan support in the House and Senate , with no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jaffe , a Holocaust survivor living in Delaware , for speaking to the House and Senate about her experiences .
“ I have devoted the last 40 years of my life sharing my experience as an eyewitness to the true events of the Holocaust with thousands of Delaware students , ” Ms. Jaffe said in a prepared statement .
“ My message to them through the years resonates with hope that we must learn to cultivate love and conquer hatred .
Today , I feel reassured that the millions of individuals who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Rep. Heffernan ’ s mother was from Berlin , Germany , and her father from a rural part of the country .
As children , her parents separately took journeys from Nazi Germany to eventually end up in the United States .
Her mother and her twin sister first went to Cuba and her father to Holland , before they were able to immigrate to the United States .
The two met later .
While she grew up with an understanding of what had happened overseas , that wasn ’ t always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of hers , for instance , hadn ’ t heard about the Holocaust until he was a sophomore in high school , learning about it in his history class , she said .
In Delaware , there are schools that are already teaching about the Holocaust , but the state lacked consistency across the board .
“ The only way to make sure that something like this never happens again - and to understand all of the times this has happened ever since the Holocaust in areas around the world - is for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Rep. Heffernan said .
Each school district will be able to develop its own curriculum for each grade level , so lessons will be appropriately tailored for the age of the students .
The Halina Wind Preston Holocaust Education Committee will be able to “ provide guidance , academic content assistance , resources and assistance with curricula development to deliver quality Holocaust and genocide education , ” according to a news release .
“ Today , we continue to grapple with challenges that have plagued society for ages : anti-Semitism , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis and racial bias , ” Steve Gonzer , chair of the Halina Wind Preston Holocaust Education Committee , said in a prepared statement .
“ Provisions in HB 318 will aid in the development of students ’ respect for cultural diversity , prepare students to learn about other genocides in history and prepare students to confront the immorality of racism , prejudice and intolerance .
We must teach future generations the true facts of history and allay the voices of those who strive to deny the truth.
” Starting the education in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students not to stand idly by , Rep. Heffernan said .
“ ( This education ) can help understand the Holocaust , and what happened to not only the Jews , but to many other marginalized groups that were targeted and other genocides that have happened in our lifetime , ” she said .

DOVER, Del. (AP) - As a first-generation American and the child of parents who escaped Nazi Germany, state Rep. Debra Heffernan’s perspective has impacted her understanding of how atrocities like the Holocaust happened.
“It really did change how I understood the scariness of how the Holocaust could happen to others in present time if we’re not careful,” she said. “And yet, other people … didn’t find out about it until they maybe learned about it in high school. They didn’t know and grow up understanding the horrors and how careful we had to be and how it’s everyone’s job to stand up for others.”
But now, that will be part of curriculum in Delaware.
Rep. Heffernan, D-Bellefonte, sponsored House Bill 318, which requires school districts and charters to implement curriculum on the Holocaust and genocide for students in grades 6 through 12. The bill was signed into law last month and is set to begin for the 2021-22 school year. Sen. Harris McDowell, D-Wilmington, was the lead Senate sponsor for the bill.
As Holocaust survivors are getting older - and with this year’s 75th anniversary of the freeing of Auschwitz, the largest German Nazi concentration camp - Rep. Heffernan said this is the perfect time to make the bill a law, to ensure there’s no lapse in remembering history.
The bill becoming law codifies what has been a yearslong effort from the Jewish and interfaith community in Delaware, Rep. Heffernan said. The bill passed with bipartisan support in the House and Senate, with no dissenting votes.
Rep. Heffernan credits Ann Jaffe, a Holocaust survivor living in Delaware, for speaking to the House and Senate about her experiences.
“I have devoted the last 40 years of my life sharing my experience as an eyewitness to the true events of the Holocaust with thousands of Delaware students,” Ms. Jaffe said in a prepared statement. “My message to them through the years resonates with hope that we must learn to cultivate love and conquer hatred. Today, I feel reassured that the millions of individuals who were targeted for genocide will not be forgotten.”
Rep. Heffernan’s mother was from Berlin, Germany, and her father from a rural part of the country. As children, her parents separately took journeys from Nazi Germany to eventually end up in the United States. Her mother and her twin sister first went to Cuba and her father to Holland, before they were able to immigrate to the United States. The two met later.
While she grew up with an understanding of what had happened overseas, that wasn’t always the case for others. A friend of hers, for instance, hadn’t heard about the Holocaust until he was a sophomore in high school, learning about it in his history class, she said.
In Delaware, there are schools that are already teaching about the Holocaust, but the state lacked consistency across the board.
“The only way to make sure that something like this never happens again - and to understand all of the times this has happened ever since the Holocaust in areas around the world - is for kids to be aware and to understand,” Rep. Heffernan said.
Each school district will be able to develop its own curriculum for each grade level, so lessons will be appropriately tailored for the age of the students. The Halina Wind Preston Holocaust Education Committee will be able to “provide guidance, academic content assistance, resources and assistance with curricula development to deliver quality Holocaust and genocide education,” according to a news release.
“Today, we continue to grapple with challenges that have plagued society for ages: anti-Semitism, xenophobia, genocide, an ongoing refugee crisis and racial bias,” Steve Gonzer, chair of the Halina Wind Preston Holocaust Education Committee, said in a prepared statement. “Provisions in HB 318 will aid in the development of students’ respect for cultural diversity, prepare students to learn about other genocides in history and prepare students to confront the immorality of racism, prejudice and intolerance. We must teach future generations the true facts of history and allay the voices of those who strive to deny the truth.”
Starting the education in middle school is important because it teaches students not to stand idly by, Rep. Heffernan said.
“(This education) can help understand the Holocaust, and what happened to not only the Jews, but to many other marginalized groups that were targeted and other genocides that have happened in our lifetime,” she said.


washingtontimes--2020-08-09--School official under fire for Black Lives Matter support

CENTREVILLE , Md .
( AP ) - An email message that Andrea Kane , the superintendent of schools in Queen Anne ’ s County , sent to parents at the end of the 2019-2020 school year started out unremarkably , listing achievements for the year and the dates of coming events .
Then it pivoted into less familiar terrain , at least on Maryland ’ s largely conservative Eastern Shore .
Kane called for more and better dialogue on racism in the county and voiced support for Black Lives Matter .
Those calls have left Kane , the county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in controversy and fighting for her job .
A Facebook group with more than 2,000 members , the Kent Island Patriots , accuses her of breaking the law .
Many are angrily calling for her removal .
The county school board , an all-white group of five , has largely been silent on the controversy .
Kane says she ’ ll enter the school year with her usual enthusiasm “ for all students , no matter their background , ” but she has no idea where the dispute will lead over the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her four-year contract .
“ It ’ s a difficult and divisive time in Queen Anne ’ s County , ” she said in an interview with The Baltimore Sun , her voice both somber and resigned .
“ It ’ s beyond unfortunate .
It doesn ’ t have to be this way.
” The controversy began June 5 , the last day of school , when Kane hit the “ send ” button on the six-paragraph email .
A Baltimore native now in her 30th year in education , Kane says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ duty to encourage conversation about race and racism , particularly during this period many have termed a time of national reckoning in the wake of the deaths of Breonna Taylor , George Floyd and other Black Americans at the hands of police this year .
In the email , she mentioned instances of racism she and her children have experienced and saluted “ Black and White people coming together in nonviolent protests against the mistreatment of and discrimination against Black people and people of color.
” She also wrote that “ racism is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in Queen Anne ’ s County , and our schools , ” and cited a UCLA sociology professor , Tyrone Howard , who urged Americans to “ stop challenging Black Lives Matter , as it only exacerbates the marginalization.
” Some in the county objected to those assertions and more .
Among her critics was Gordana Schifanelli , an attorney , financial adviser and mother of three who lives in Stevensville .
Schifanelli , a native of communist Yugoslavia who has lived on Kent Island for 22 years , saw the introduction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bizarre ” and “ divisive.
” In an interview with The Sun , she said Kane ’ s comments were inappropriate because Queen Anne ’ s County - a mostly rural place of nearly 50,000 people , about 85 % of them white - “ has no significant problem with racial hatred.
” To the 49-year-old self-described conservative , that means the superintendent has introduced a polarizing subject without cause .
Worse , she argues , Kane has done that and more in her role as head of the public schools , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rallies and attending two herself .
That , Schifanelli says , means Kane has broken Article I , Section 301 of Maryland code on local government law , which bars government employees from “ engag ( ing ) in political activity while on the job during working hours.
” She formed Kent Island Patriots in response , and the Facebook group grew rapidly .
“ Dr .
Kane is absolutely entitled to her opinion , but promoting her political views by using her public school platform and her position is in direct violation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her to stop , ” Schifanelli says .
“ We opposed the radical indoctrination of children in our schools.
” Kane acknowledges the activities Schifanelli mentions , including her participation in rallies in the county that all agree were peaceful .
But to say that she views them differently would be an understatement .
She “ absolutely ” supports Black Lives Matter , she says , “ not as a political movement but as a human movement.
” According to Kane , 55 - whose resume includes a successful 22-year stint in Anne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s part of her responsibility to promote such dialogue , in part to support the many “ Black and brown ” children who have told her in private meetings of experiencing hurtful microaggressions , deliberate or otherwise , at the hands of schoolmates and teachers .
But it ’ s also important , she says , to facilitate conversation with the 85 % of students who are white , if only to help them learn what behaviors might make minority schoolmates feel as if they ’ re being excluded or viewed as second-class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to talk about people ’ s experiences with racism in a safe way , it ’ s not just children of color that are involved in that , ” she says .
“ All children are involved in that.
” That , Kane says , is one reason she lent the county school system ’ s support to a voluntary online discussion on race led by outside contractors last month - a meeting that drew student participants both Black and white .
“ I can not begin to imagine why anyone would think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encourage our children to talk about their experiences with racism , ” she says .
“ That ’ s happening even in neighboring counties in Maryland .
It ’ s happening all over the country.
” Nonetheless , commentators on the Patriots website objected , some on the grounds that the county had not sufficiently vetted the facilitators , one of whom , known for his work with Students Talking About Racism , or STAR , has domestic violence arrests on his record , public records confirm .
Many on the site write @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a national Black Lives Matter leader , Patrisse Cullors , that she received training as a Marxist activist .
Others have posted videos displaying what appear to be acts of violence by anti-racist protesters .
Several group members have signed an online petition in opposition to what they term Kane ’ s “ radicalization ” of the county ’ s public school children .
One member , Mike Katrinas , says such views in no way amount to racism or white supremacy , as some critics suggest .
“ To my knowledge , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racist , and if they were I would ask them to be removed immediately , ” says Katrinas , 74 , of Queenstown , who owns Annie ’ s Paramount Steak and Seafood House in Stevensville .
“ I will stand strongly behind our group until our children are given the opportunity to think for themselves and not be indoctrinated by the political and ideological views of others.
” Many on the site agree with its administrator , Schifanelli , that racism is an insignificant issue in the county .
Lee Franklin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s County , and her husband , Jeff , both white , lead a group called the Sunday Supper Community that hosts gatherings for residents who want to discuss matters of race in the county .
Between 60 and 120 people have attended each of seven gatherings so far , she says , all in an effort to “ enhance racial understanding , awareness , and respect through open conversation.
” Franklin , 71 , a 36-year county resident who lives in Stevensville , says there ’ s no doubt there have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school system .
She points to a “ race equity ” audit the state education department conducted of Queen Anne ’ s County Schools in 1994 .
Investigators found , among other things , that discipline of minority students was more severe than that for white children for similar offenses .
Their recommendations - including that “ the superintendent and each principal set a tone of openness and action by regularly sponsoring open discussions on the issue of race and education ” - were never adopted , Franklin says .
Last month , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board in support of Kane on the supper club ’ s behalf and an online petition to similar effect .
The petition - which refers to criticism of Kane ’ s efforts as “ slander ” and “ misinformation ” - has received more than 3,300 signatures .
“ It would be irresponsible for the superintendent of any school district to ignore or dismiss the need to actively engage the students , staff , and community in addressing ( these ) pressing topics in our communities and our country , ” one petitioner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks , the school board had little to say .
On Wednesday it issued a carefully worded statement in response to questions from The Sun .
It said board members “ have not received any notification from the Superintendent regarding any racial issues or incidents in the public school system ” and had “ not received a petition to recall Dr. Andrea Kane ’ s employment … “ The members do fully support Dr. Kane with her efforts to bring awareness of injustice and discrimination , ” the statement added .
Andrea Bulgaris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County kindergarten teacher , is among those offering strong support for the superintendent .
She views Kane as a “ dynamic ” leader who visits the schools frequently , spends time with students and teachers alike , and keeps lines of communication open .
“ Social justice and anti-racism education are a human issue , not a political issue , and the only way conditions in our world are going to improve is through communication and education , ” she says .
The controversy shows no signs of abating - a microcosm , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American electorate as a presidential election looms .
Kane is “ not surprised ” at the pushback she has received in a largely conservative county - Queen Anne ’ s has voted Republican in nine of the past 10 presidential elections - but says the level of “ hateful ” speech in some emails and on social media platforms has been “ disturbing.
” Schifanelli says she has been branded a racist , a charge she denies , and that one critic has taken misleadingly edited screenshots of comments by posters on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the U.S .
Naval Academy , in an effort to get her fired .
A multiracial group of backers held a community meeting in support of Kane at a local church , and Bulgaris says many spoke on her behalf at a virtual meeting of the school board Wednesday night .
The Kent Island Patriots are planning a rally in Queenstown next month .
Kane says her tenure has featured many triumphs , including , most recently , “ green ” accreditation by the state of all its schools and numerous advances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the performance gap between white students and students of color .
However the current contretemps plays out , she says , she ’ ll be moving on when her contract expires .
“ Why would I stay ?
” she says .

CENTREVILLE, Md. (AP) - An email message that Andrea Kane, the superintendent of schools in Queen Anne’s County, sent to parents at the end of the 2019-2020 school year started out unremarkably, listing achievements for the year and the dates of coming events.
Then it pivoted into less familiar terrain, at least on Maryland’s largely conservative Eastern Shore. Kane called for more and better dialogue on racism in the county and voiced support for Black Lives Matter.
Those calls have left Kane, the county’s first Black superintendent, embroiled in controversy and fighting for her job.
A Facebook group with more than 2,000 members, the Kent Island Patriots, accuses her of breaking the law. Many are angrily calling for her removal. The county school board, an all-white group of five, has largely been silent on the controversy.
Kane says she’ll enter the school year with her usual enthusiasm “for all students, no matter their background,” but she has no idea where the dispute will lead over the next 12 months, the last ones in her four-year contract.
“It’s a difficult and divisive time in Queen Anne’s County,” she said in an interview with The Baltimore Sun, her voice both somber and resigned. “It’s beyond unfortunate. It doesn’t have to be this way.”
The controversy began June 5, the last day of school, when Kane hit the “send” button on the six-paragraph email.
A Baltimore native now in her 30th year in education, Kane says she sees it as part of her duty to encourage conversation about race and racism, particularly during this period many have termed a time of national reckoning in the wake of the deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and other Black Americans at the hands of police this year.
In the email, she mentioned instances of racism she and her children have experienced and saluted “Black and White people coming together in nonviolent protests against the mistreatment of and discrimination against Black people and people of color.”
She also wrote that “racism is alive in our country, our state, in Queen Anne’s County, and our schools,” and cited a UCLA sociology professor, Tyrone Howard, who urged Americans to “stop challenging Black Lives Matter, as it only exacerbates the marginalization.”
Some in the county objected to those assertions and more.
Among her critics was Gordana Schifanelli, an attorney, financial adviser and mother of three who lives in Stevensville.
Schifanelli, a native of communist Yugoslavia who has lived on Kent Island for 22 years, saw the introduction of race into the message as “bizarre” and “divisive.”
In an interview with The Sun, she said Kane’s comments were inappropriate because Queen Anne’s County - a mostly rural place of nearly 50,000 people, about 85% of them white - “has no significant problem with racial hatred.”
To the 49-year-old self-described conservative, that means the superintendent has introduced a polarizing subject without cause.
Worse, she argues, Kane has done that and more in her role as head of the public schools, including advocating that children attend Black Lives Matter rallies and attending two herself.
That, Schifanelli says, means Kane has broken Article I, Section 301 of Maryland code on local government law, which bars government employees from “engag(ing) in political activity while on the job during working hours.”
She formed Kent Island Patriots in response, and the Facebook group grew rapidly.
“Dr. Kane is absolutely entitled to her opinion, but promoting her political views by using her public school platform and her position is in direct violation of the law, and we want her to stop,” Schifanelli says. “We opposed the radical indoctrination of children in our schools.”
Kane acknowledges the activities Schifanelli mentions, including her participation in rallies in the county that all agree were peaceful. But to say that she views them differently would be an understatement.
She “absolutely” supports Black Lives Matter, she says, “not as a political movement but as a human movement.”
According to Kane, 55 - whose resume includes a successful 22-year stint in Anne Arundel County Public Schools - it’s part of her responsibility to promote such dialogue, in part to support the many “Black and brown” children who have told her in private meetings of experiencing hurtful microaggressions, deliberate or otherwise, at the hands of schoolmates and teachers.
But it’s also important, she says, to facilitate conversation with the 85% of students who are white, if only to help them learn what behaviors might make minority schoolmates feel as if they’re being excluded or viewed as second-class citizens.
“If we are going to talk about people’s experiences with racism in a safe way, it’s not just children of color that are involved in that,” she says. “All children are involved in that.”
That, Kane says, is one reason she lent the county school system’s support to a voluntary online discussion on race led by outside contractors last month - a meeting that drew student participants both Black and white.
“I cannot begin to imagine why anyone would think that it’s not OK to encourage our children to talk about their experiences with racism,” she says. “That’s happening even in neighboring counties in Maryland. It’s happening all over the country.”
Nonetheless, commentators on the Patriots website objected, some on the grounds that the county had not sufficiently vetted the facilitators, one of whom, known for his work with Students Talking About Racism, or STAR, has domestic violence arrests on his record, public records confirm.
Many on the site write with harsh disapproval of an admission by a national Black Lives Matter leader, Patrisse Cullors, that she received training as a Marxist activist. Others have posted videos displaying what appear to be acts of violence by anti-racist protesters.
Several group members have signed an online petition in opposition to what they term Kane’s “radicalization” of the county’s public school children.
One member, Mike Katrinas, says such views in no way amount to racism or white supremacy, as some critics suggest.
“To my knowledge, not one person in this organization is racist, and if they were I would ask them to be removed immediately,” says Katrinas, 74, of Queenstown, who owns Annie’s Paramount Steak and Seafood House in Stevensville. “I will stand strongly behind our group until our children are given the opportunity to think for themselves and not be indoctrinated by the political and ideological views of others.”
Many on the site agree with its administrator, Schifanelli, that racism is an insignificant issue in the county.
Others disagree.
Lee Franklin, a retired longtime teacher in Queen Anne’s County, and her husband, Jeff, both white, lead a group called the Sunday Supper Community that hosts gatherings for residents who want to discuss matters of race in the county.
Between 60 and 120 people have attended each of seven gatherings so far, she says, all in an effort to “enhance racial understanding, awareness, and respect through open conversation.”
Franklin, 71, a 36-year county resident who lives in Stevensville, says there’s no doubt there have long been problems around race in the school system.
She points to a “race equity” audit the state education department conducted of Queen Anne’s County Schools in 1994.
Investigators found, among other things, that discipline of minority students was more severe than that for white children for similar offenses.
Their recommendations - including that “the superintendent and each principal set a tone of openness and action by regularly sponsoring open discussions on the issue of race and education” - were never adopted, Franklin says.
Last month, Franklin wrote a letter to the school board in support of Kane on the supper club’s behalf and an online petition to similar effect.
The petition - which refers to criticism of Kane’s efforts as “slander” and “misinformation” - has received more than 3,300 signatures.
“It would be irresponsible for the superintendent of any school district to ignore or dismiss the need to actively engage the students, staff, and community in addressing (these) pressing topics in our communities and our country,” one petitioner commented.
As the controversy roiled for weeks, the school board had little to say. On Wednesday it issued a carefully worded statement in response to questions from The Sun.
It said board members “have not received any notification from the Superintendent regarding any racial issues or incidents in the public school system” and had “not received a petition to recall Dr. Andrea Kane’s employment …
“The members do fully support Dr. Kane with her efforts to bring awareness of injustice and discrimination,” the statement added.
Andrea Bulgaris, a veteran Queen Anne’s County kindergarten teacher, is among those offering strong support for the superintendent. She views Kane as a “dynamic” leader who visits the schools frequently, spends time with students and teachers alike, and keeps lines of communication open.
“Social justice and anti-racism education are a human issue, not a political issue, and the only way conditions in our world are going to improve is through communication and education,” she says.
The controversy shows no signs of abating - a microcosm, perhaps, of the divided state of the American electorate as a presidential election looms.
Kane is “not surprised” at the pushback she has received in a largely conservative county - Queen Anne’s has voted Republican in nine of the past 10 presidential elections - but says the level of “hateful” speech in some emails and on social media platforms has been “disturbing.”
Schifanelli says she has been branded a racist, a charge she denies, and that one critic has taken misleadingly edited screenshots of comments by posters on the website to one of her employers, the U.S. Naval Academy, in an effort to get her fired.
A multiracial group of backers held a community meeting in support of Kane at a local church, and Bulgaris says many spoke on her behalf at a virtual meeting of the school board Wednesday night. The Kent Island Patriots are planning a rally in Queenstown next month.
Kane says her tenure has featured many triumphs, including, most recently, “green” accreditation by the state of all its schools and numerous advances in academic performance, including a narrowing of the performance gap between white students and students of color.
However the current contretemps plays out, she says, she’ll be moving on when her contract expires.
“Why would I stay?” she says.


washingtontimes--2020-08-09--No parties, no trips: Colleges set COVID-19 rules for fall

As they struggle to salvage some semblance of a campus experience this fall , U.S. colleges are requiring promises from students to help contain the coronavirus - no keg parties , no long road trips and no outside guests on campus .
No kidding .
Administrators warn that failure to wear masks , practice social distancing and avoid mass gatherings could bring serious consequences , including getting booted from school .
Critics question whether it ’ s realistic to demand that college students not act like typical college students .
But the push illustrates the high stakes for universities planning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Wide-scale COVID-19 testing , quarantines and plexiglass barriers in classrooms won ’ t work if too many students misbehave .
“ I think that the majority of students are going to be really respectful and wear their masks , social distance , keep gatherings small , ” said incoming Tulane University senior Sanjali De Silva .
“ But I fear that there will be a distinct group of students that will decide not to do that .
And it ’ ll be a big bummer.
” Tulane students have already received a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Orleans , an early pandemic hot spot .
After a summer weekend of large gatherings , Dean of Students Erica Woodley wrote to students , stressing her key point in bold , capital letters .
“ DO NOT HOST PARTIES OR GATHERINGS WITH MORE THAN 15 PEOPLE , INCLUDING THE HOST .
IF YOU DO , YOU WILL FACE SUSPENSION OR EXPULSION FROM THE UNIVERSITY , ” Woodley wrote , signing off with , “ Do you really want to be the reason that Tulane and New Orleans have to shut down again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is part of a broader effort to create safe bubbles on campus even if the virus surges elsewhere .
The University of Texas at Austin is not allowing parties either on or off campus .
In Massachusetts , Amherst College is prohibiting students from traveling off campus except in certain cases , such as medical appointments and family emergencies .
Many universities have spelled out expectations for student behavior in pledges and compacts that cover everything from mask wearing to off-campus travel .
The pledges often cover faculty and staff , too .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules will work .
Critics say the very nature of the college experience - with cramped housing and intense social activity - works against success .
Some colleges are already backing off plans for in-person classes this fall .
“ The majority of kids who go to college are civic-minded , responsible people .
They ’ re also young , ” said Scott Galloway , professor of marketing at New York University .
“ If some of them don ’ t comply , it ’ s a problem .
And I think some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignoring every instinct pulsing through their body at that age that they ’ re supposed to socialize and find mates.
” Galloway plans to teach online this fall and return to campus when there ’ s a vaccine .
Outbreaks involving fraternities have already been reported at some schools , including the University of Southern California , the University of Washington and the University of Mississippi .
The University of California at Berkeley recently decided to begin the fall semester with fully remote instruction after a local flare-up of cases linked to fraternity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very elaborate plan for a hybrid model in the fall , ” officials decided “ it was just too risky to teach face-to-face , ” Chancellor Carol Christ said during a virtual event hosted by the Chronicle of Higher Education .
The pledges apply the advice public health officials have been giving since March for college settings .
Yale ’ s compact includes a commitment to remain in Connecticut during the fall semester through Nov. 21 and a promise not to “ invite or host non-Yale-affiliated individuals ” on campus without permission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Together As Buckeyes Pledge ” includes a promise to conduct daily health checks .
“ We want to be clear : Our return to on-campus operations in the autumn is fully dependent on each member of the university community following all requirements and guidance , ” read a July 24 letter from Ohio State officials .
Cornell University students must agree not to organize , host or attend events that may cause “ safety risks ” to people , under a school compact released this week .
University of Pennsylvania students are warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alcohol and drugs are not an excuse for risky COVID-19-related behavior .
Syracuse University ’ s pledge includes commitments to get a flu shot and to avoid going to social gatherings with more than 25 people .
“ I think that people will really keep each other in check .
I know I will , ” said Suhail Kumar , an incoming Syracuse sophomore .
“ If I see my roommates unmasked or not following protocol , I ’ m definitely going to let them know because I don ’ t want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comply with the pledges will be treated as a disciplinary violation .
Syracuse students can face “ serious consequences ” for violating COVID-19 guidance , and students who host large parties could face sanctions up to suspension and expulsion , according to the school ’ s web site .
At Penn , incoming senior Ben Zhao is optimistic the new rules will be followed .
Zhao , who is from the Chicago suburb of Northbrook , Illinois , is looking forward to being back on campus after an interrupted spring semester , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He misses his friends , the school newspaper , where he is executive editor , and studying with classmates .
“ They ’ re all big things that I don ’ t want to necessarily miss out on for my senior year , ” he said .

As they struggle to salvage some semblance of a campus experience this fall, U.S. colleges are requiring promises from students to help contain the coronavirus - no keg parties, no long road trips and no outside guests on campus.
No kidding. Administrators warn that failure to wear masks, practice social distancing and avoid mass gatherings could bring serious consequences, including getting booted from school.
Critics question whether it’s realistic to demand that college students not act like typical college students. But the push illustrates the high stakes for universities planning to welcome at least some students back. Wide-scale COVID-19 testing, quarantines and plexiglass barriers in classrooms won’t work if too many students misbehave.
“I think that the majority of students are going to be really respectful and wear their masks, social distance, keep gatherings small,” said incoming Tulane University senior Sanjali De Silva. “But I fear that there will be a distinct group of students that will decide not to do that. And it’ll be a big bummer.”
Tulane students have already received a stark warning from the school in New Orleans, an early pandemic hot spot. After a summer weekend of large gatherings, Dean of Students Erica Woodley wrote to students, stressing her key point in bold, capital letters.
“DO NOT HOST PARTIES OR GATHERINGS WITH MORE THAN 15 PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE HOST. IF YOU DO, YOU WILL FACE SUSPENSION OR EXPULSION FROM THE UNIVERSITY,” Woodley wrote, signing off with, “Do you really want to be the reason that Tulane and New Orleans have to shut down again?”
The emphasis on student behavior is part of a broader effort to create safe bubbles on campus even if the virus surges elsewhere. The University of Texas at Austin is not allowing parties either on or off campus. In Massachusetts, Amherst College is prohibiting students from traveling off campus except in certain cases, such as medical appointments and family emergencies.
Many universities have spelled out expectations for student behavior in pledges and compacts that cover everything from mask wearing to off-campus travel. The pledges often cover faculty and staff, too.
It’s unclear how well these rules will work. Critics say the very nature of the college experience - with cramped housing and intense social activity - works against success. Some colleges are already backing off plans for in-person classes this fall.
“The majority of kids who go to college are civic-minded, responsible people. They’re also young,” said Scott Galloway, professor of marketing at New York University. “If some of them don’t comply, it’s a problem. And I think some to many will have a difficult time ignoring every instinct pulsing through their body at that age that they’re supposed to socialize and find mates.”
Galloway plans to teach online this fall and return to campus when there’s a vaccine.
Outbreaks involving fraternities have already been reported at some schools, including the University of Southern California, the University of Washington and the University of Mississippi. The University of California at Berkeley recently decided to begin the fall semester with fully remote instruction after a local flare-up of cases linked to fraternity parties.
“After weeks of developing a very elaborate plan for a hybrid model in the fall,” officials decided “it was just too risky to teach face-to-face,” Chancellor Carol Christ said during a virtual event hosted by the Chronicle of Higher Education.
The pledges apply the advice public health officials have been giving since March for college settings. Yale’s compact includes a commitment to remain in Connecticut during the fall semester through Nov. 21 and a promise not to “invite or host non-Yale-affiliated individuals” on campus without permission. Ohio State University’s “Together As Buckeyes Pledge ” includes a promise to conduct daily health checks.
“We want to be clear: Our return to on-campus operations in the autumn is fully dependent on each member of the university community following all requirements and guidance,” read a July 24 letter from Ohio State officials.
Cornell University students must agree not to organize, host or attend events that may cause “safety risks” to people, under a school compact released this week. University of Pennsylvania students are warned in the school’s compact that alcohol and drugs are not an excuse for risky COVID-19-related behavior. Syracuse University’s pledge includes commitments to get a flu shot and to avoid going to social gatherings with more than 25 people.
“I think that people will really keep each other in check. I know I will,” said Suhail Kumar, an incoming Syracuse sophomore. “If I see my roommates unmasked or not following protocol, I’m definitely going to let them know because I don’t want to jeopardize anything for myself.”
Failure to comply with the pledges will be treated as a disciplinary violation.
Syracuse students can face “serious consequences” for violating COVID-19 guidance, and students who host large parties could face sanctions up to suspension and expulsion, according to the school’s web site.
At Penn, incoming senior Ben Zhao is optimistic the new rules will be followed.
Zhao, who is from the Chicago suburb of Northbrook, Illinois, is looking forward to being back on campus after an interrupted spring semester, even with the prospect of online classes. He misses his friends, the school newspaper, where he is executive editor, and studying with classmates.
“They’re all big things that I don’t want to necessarily miss out on for my senior year,” he said.


washingtontimes--2020-08-09--The Latest: German rescuers end search for Beirut survivors

BEIRUT ( AP ) - The Latest on the explosion in Beirut ( all times local ) : A team of German engineers sent to Lebanon to help search for people trapped in the rubble after last week ’ s explosion in Beirut is returning home , having failed to find any survivors .
Joerg Eger , who heads the THW agency ’ s rapid rescue team in Lebanon , said Sunday that a number of specialist engineers would remain in Beirut until Thursday to assist in determining the safety of buildings affected by the blast .
TWF is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who go on missions are volunteers .
French President Emmanuel Macron said that an international donors ’ conference is aiming to show global support for Lebanon after the devastating Beirut blast .
Over 30 international leaders and government officials were taking part Sunday in the video conference co-organized by France and the United Nations to raise money , including President Donald Trump , Jordan ’ s King Abdullah II and Egypt ’ s President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi .
Officials from China , European countries and Gulf countries were also attending .
Turkey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , are expected to provide aid as well , Macron said in his opening speech .
Macron , who was the first foreign leader to visit Beirut in the wake of the explosion , said emergency aid will focus on providing medicine , care , food and housing .
“ It is important that aid goes as quickly as possible to public and private actors , NGOs and the civilian society , ” under U.N. supervision , he added .
Macron also called on Lebanese authorities to carry out essential political and economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

BEIRUT (AP) - The Latest on the explosion in Beirut (all times local):
10 p.m.
Lebanon’s environment minister has resigned.
Kattar Demianos is the second Cabinet member to step down amid anger in the country following the blast that ripped across the capital of Beirut.
Demianos said in a statement late Sunday that he’s leaving the government in solidarity with the victims. The blast killed 160 people and wounded 6,000.
He described the ruling system in Lebanon as “flaccid and sterile” and says it’s wasted several chances to reform.
Demianos had offered his resignation earlier Sunday but was in talks with Prime Minister Hassan Diab.
People in Lebanon have blamed the explosion on negligence and mismanagement. Angry protests followed amid calls for government officials to resign.
Another Cabinet member stepped down earlier Sunday.
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9:10 p.m.
French organizers say international donors have pledged a total of 225.7 million euros, or $298 million, in emergency aid during conference for Lebanon.
Sunday’s donor teleconference was hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.
International leaders, government officials and international organization participated, including President Donald Trump.
Donors promised to provide emergency aid, focusing on medicine and hospitals, schools, food and housing.
The rebuilding needs of Lebanon are immense, but so is the question of how to ensure the millions of dollars promised in international aid is not diverted in a country notorious for missing money, invisible infrastructure projects and its refusal to open the books.
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7:30 p.m.
Over 30 participants to the international aid conference for Lebanon have pledged help for a “credible and independent” investigation into the Beirut explosion.
They also said that support to the country’s recovery will need to come with reforms demanded by protesters.
International leaders, government officials and international organizations participated Sunday in the teleconference co-organized by France and the United Nations to bring emergency aid to Lebanon. President Donald Trump was among the participants.
They issued a joint statement saying, “In these horrendous times, Lebanon is not alone.”
The conference aimed at mobilizing aid from Europe, the U.S. and regional states to provide medicine, care, food, and housing.
—
6:45 p.m.
The European Commission has pledged additional 30 million euros ($35 million) at an international donors’ conference for Lebanon after deadly Beirut explosion.
The EU’s executive body said in a statement this comes on top of 33 million euros ($39 million) in emergency aid previously announced.
The new EU funding will be channeled to UN agencies, NGOs and international organizations and be strictly monitored, the statement said.
European Council president Charles Michel called during the conference for an “independent and credible” inquiry into the cause of the explosion and said that he European Union and its member states stand ready to assist.
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6:45 p.m.
The head of the International Monetary Fund is warning Lebanon again that it will not get loans from the institution unless it reforms its government.
Kristalina Georgieva made the comments Sunday during a pledging conference after the blast this week at its port damaged large parts of its capital, Beirut.
She said: “Current and future generations of Lebanese must not be saddled with more debts than they can ever repay.”
That’s why she said the IMF requires “debt sustainability as a condition for lending.” She added that “the financial system must be solvent” as well.
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6:45 p.m.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has called for a “transparent and independent investigation” into the blast in Beirut.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan made the comment Sunday during a pledging conference for Beirut.
The Foreign Ministry’s Twitter account later quoted him as saying the kingdom offered its condolences and had sent 290 tons of aid to Lebanon.
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5:40 p.m.
The emir of energy-rich Qatar has said that the Beirut blast is a “dire circumstance” that Lebanon cannot get over on its own.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani made the statement Sunday during a pledging conference for the crisis.
He posted a clip of his comments on Twitter.
Sheikh Tamim said that “strengthening national unity” was needed in Lebanon after the blast. He also said unifying and strengthening the government and society’s response, as well as providing international aid, also was important.
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5:40 p.m.
Cyprus’ president said he’s ready to place the island nation’s sea and airports at the disposal of the international community for conveying humanitarian aid or any other assistance to neighboring Lebanon.
President Nicos Anastasiades says Cyprus will send 40 more tons of medical supplies, generators, clothing and nonperishable food to Lebanon on top of the five tons that have already been dispatched.
Anastasiades said in a statement during Sunday’s Lebanon support teleconference that Cypriot rescue crews and sniffer dogs are already in Beirut and more could be dispatched if Lebanese President Michel Aoun requests it.
Additionally, the Cypriot president pledged 5 million euros in financial aid.
Cyprus is about 130 miles (207 kilometers) from Beirut.
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5:05 p.m.
Spain’s government says it will send emergency aid to Lebanon, including medicine and medical supplies, to help after last week’s massive explosion in Beirut.
The shipment will include 10 tons of wheat donated by the Olof Palme International Foundation. Several containers of wheat were destroyed in the explosion.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in a statement that Lebanon “will need a lot of support to cope with the damage.”
Spain has 610 soldiers on a UNIFIL mission in Lebanon, second only to Italy.
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4:35 p.m.
Britain has pledged 20 million pounds ($26 million) to help feed people in Lebanon after last week’s massive explosion in Beirut.
The U.K. government announced the aid during a virtual international donor conference for the country on Sunday.
It says the money will go to the World Food Program to provide food and medicine for the most vulnerable.
Britain has previously pledged 5 million pounds to Lebanon and is sending specialist medics and a Royal Navy survey ship to Beirut. The ship will help assess damage from the blast fueled by thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate, which leveled Beirut’s port and devastated much of the city.
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4:20 p.m.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas says his country will provide an additional 10 million euros in emergency aid to Lebanon following the explosion that killed more than 150 people and injured thousands more.
In a statement Sunday, Maas said that “even after the worst of the rubble is removed there will remain a lot to do” because even before the disaster Lebanon faced “overwhelming challenges.”
Maas said that “without urgently needed reforms there can be neither sustainable change nor stability.”
Berlin is the second biggest bilateral donor to Lebanon, according to the German Foreign Ministry. Since 2012, Germany has provided more than 1.2 billion euros in development aid to the country, as well as 634 million euros for humanitarian work.
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4:20 p.m.
France is sending a helicopter carrier and a cargo ship loaded with aid and supplies to Beirut as the country is organizing an international donors’ conference for Lebanon.
The French foreign affairs ministry said in a statement that the two ships come in addition to eight flights scheduled since the Beirut devastating blast to bring experts, rescue workers and supplies.
The Tonnerre helicopter carrier, which has a hospital onboard, is leaving on Sunday the port of Toulon, on the French Mediterranean coast. It is carrying medical equipment and staff, engineering forces, construction materials and food aid including flour, baby food and drinking water.
A cargo ship loaded with aid will also leave France in the coming days.
In total, France is sending 18 tons of medical aid including medicines, vaccines and hygiene kits and 663 tons of food aid, the foreign ministry said.
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4:10 p.m.
A top USAID official says $15 million in American assistance in response to the port explosion in Beirut will not be under the control of the government there but is intended to go directly to those who need it most.
Speaking ahead of his departure for Beirut, John Barsa said Sunday that assistance would be directed to medical authorities at the American University of Beirut and the American Lebanese University.
The U.S. is providing money to the World Food Program for emergency meals for about 300,000 people affected by the explosion at the Beirut port in addition to emergency medical kits, U.S. officials said.
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4:10 p.m.
Pope Francis has renewed his appeal for unity within Lebanon and for help from abroad as the nation reels from the devastating explosion in Beirut’s port.
In remarks Sunday to the public in St. Peter’s Square, the pontiff said the “catastrophe calls on everyone, beginning with the Lebanese, to work together for the common good of this beloved country.”
Francis cited what he called Lebanon’s “particular identify,” which has “emerged over the course of time as a model of living together.”
But he acknowledged the fragility of such co-existence in such a trying time. Still, he said. he is praying that, “with God’s help, and everyone genuine participation,” Lebanon may be “reborn free and strong.”
He also appealed to the international community to generously aid Lebanon at this time of tragedy.
___
2:55 p.m.
A team of German engineers sent to Lebanon to help search for people trapped in the rubble after last week’s explosion in Beirut is returning home, having failed to find any survivors.
Joerg Eger, who heads the THW agency’s rapid rescue team in Lebanon, said Sunday that a number of specialist engineers would remain in Beirut until Thursday to assist in determining the safety of buildings affected by the blast.
TWF is a federal agency, but most of the people who go on missions are volunteers.
___
2:35 p.m.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that an international donors’ conference is aiming to show global support for Lebanon after the devastating Beirut blast.
Over 30 international leaders and government officials were taking part Sunday in the video conference co-organized by France and the United Nations to raise money, including President Donald Trump, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. Officials from China, European countries and Gulf countries were also attending.
Turkey and Russia, absent from the conference, are expected to provide aid as well, Macron said in his opening speech.
Macron, who was the first foreign leader to visit Beirut in the wake of the explosion, said emergency aid will focus on providing medicine, care, food and housing.
“It is important that aid goes as quickly as possible to public and private actors, NGOs and the civilian society,” under U.N. supervision, he added.
Macron also called on Lebanese authorities to carry out essential political and economic reforms to fight corruption in the country.