washingtontimes--2020-11-22--Virginia shoe repairman plies an ancient, struggling trade

VIRGINIA BEACH , Va. ( AP ) - Gnarled fingers .
Stained smock .
The smell of leather .
Piles of shoes .
Like a scene from Dickens , 90-year-old Alex Bredologos is in his workshop , a cobbler bent to an ancient and struggling trade .
Alex ’ s Shoe Repair in Virginia Beach is a relic of a bygone age - a time when things got fixed instead of tossed .
Expect no décor .
No froufrou .
No cream or sugar for the coffee brewing in the back .
And in the half century he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no remodeling .
Same brown carpet .
Same vintage machines for stitching and finishing .
Same iron tools and hand-written receipts and dusty displays of shoestrings , polish and cleaner .
A calendar on the wall is from 1988 .
The shoes are all that matter , and they ’ re everywhere .
Stacked in boxes to the ceiling .
Crowded onto countertops .
Waiting on shelves and work benches .
A jumble of boots , heels and oxfords kept in orderly procession inside his head .
“ Some days I think I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sounds of his native Greek still heavy in his speech .
“ Then I think , no .
To work is good.
” He holds up a fine , Italian-made shoe .
“ Quality .
This is what I like .
Good leather.
” He ’ s remarkably healthy for his years , with a straight back and strong hands , even a full head of silver hair .
His labor in this humble shop supported his family and put both of his kids through dental school .
The 10-hour days he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are a cutback .
His daughter and son , in dental practice together on Laskin Road for 30 years , spent much of their childhoods helping at the store .
“ If we didn ’ t , we didn ’ t see him , ” Maria Mendrinos said .
“ He was gone when we got up and he was still gone when we went to bed.
” Her brother , Stelianos “ Steve ” Bredologos , remembers being “ so small that Dad had to put a box at the counter so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But “ he never pressured us to follow in his footsteps , ” Steve Bredologos said .
“ He always just wanted us to do something that made us happy.
” That ’ s typical these days , said Jim McFarland , president of the Shoe Service Institute of America , a trade group of about 500 cobblers .
“ This is a hard business where you ’ re standing up all day , ” he said .
“ People don ’ t really want that for their kids.
” McFarland figures half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ age 50 and about a quarter are 75-plus .
The industry has been dwindling for decades , a victim of mass-produced footwear that became cheap enough to replace instead of repair .
Shop counts have fallen from 120,000 in the 1930s to about 5,000 now .
An exact number in Hampton Roads is hard to come by , but an internet search turns up less than 20 .
“ A lot of people don ’ t even know cobblers still exist , ” McFarland said .
All those shoddy shoes wind up in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pairs a year , ” he said , “ and they ’ re mostly manmade materials that ’ ll take hundreds of years to degrade.
” Bredologos learned his craft long before the throwaway era .
He was a teenager living in the shadow of World War II in Greece when a shoemaker near his family ’ s house offered to teach him the trade .
In 1967 , he and his wife plus a handful of family members immigrated to the U.S. , heading to Hampton Roads , where a relative lived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repair shop in Virginia Beach , opening his own in the early 1970s .
At the Hilltop West Shopping Center , “ he ’ s the only original tenant left in their original spot , ” Steve Bredologos said .
Leanne Stone , a longtime nurse who lives in Bay Colony , has been a customer for years .
“ I used to go in there with my parents , ” she said .
“ It just reminds me of when I was a kid - just a basic , old store - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bit.
” At its peak , the shop hummed enough to keep two assistants busy in addition to family .
“ While other kids were at football practice or out playing we were at work , ” his son said .
“ But we didn ’ t mind .
We never even thought about it .
It ’ s just what you did to help the family.
” After sister and brother went off to college , their mother , who died in 2015 , filled in .
Business slowed along with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swings open often enough to keep their father occupied .
The parade was steady on a recent day : men in need of new soles for classic shoes that never go out of style ; women picking up boots that Bredologos had tailored to fit their narrower or wider calves .
One job called for him to install zippers in a pair of cowboy boots to make them easier to get on for the wearer , who ’ d been disabled in an accident .
Another request : restore a $ 2,000 pair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on by a dog .
“ I fixed them for $ 55 , ” he said , grinning as he described how “ the lady was so grateful she said ‘ I could kiss you !
’ ” Lee Ann Smith was among the flow of customers .
She ’ s a regular , bringing purses and belts in addition to family shoes .
“ My husband has a pair he ’ s had for 30 years , ” she said .
“ He just keeps getting the soles and heels replaced.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said more folks are coming around to that kind of thinking .
Before the pandemic hit , repair shops were enjoying a revival .
“ I never thought I ’ d see this come back in my lifetime , but young men have started investing in really good shoes all of the sudden , ” he said .
Well-made men ’ s leather shoes , which can range from several hundred to several thousand dollars , “ have become , like , a fashion thing again , ” McFarland said .
“ In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ d never seen numbers like we were doing.
” COVID quashed it .
Shops were closed for months .
Work and dress shoes are idled in closets .
“ I hope these shops can make it , ” McFarland said .
“ There ’ s a lot of promise for the ones that survive.
” Bredologos seems equipped with patience .
He collects when the work is done - no credit cards , please - and he ’ ll hold shoes for up to a year waiting for owners to return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ computer , ” his daughter said .
“ He knows exactly where everything is in here and what belongs to who .
He knows who ’ s military and might go away for a long time before they can get back to pick up their shoes.
” As many as 300 pairs a year wind up abandoned .
He gives them to charities or the needy who sometimes show up hopeful at his doorstep .
Forgotten single shoes - not everyone brings in both - aren ’ t much use to anyone .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ shelf has a message that makes even the loners seem a bit magic : One shoe can change your life … Cinderella .

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) - Gnarled fingers. Stained smock. The smell of leather. Piles of shoes.
Like a scene from Dickens, 90-year-old Alex Bredologos is in his workshop, a cobbler bent to an ancient and struggling trade.
Alex’s Shoe Repair in Virginia Beach is a relic of a bygone age - a time when things got fixed instead of tossed.
Expect no décor. No froufrou. No cream or sugar for the coffee brewing in the back. And in the half century he’s been in this small Hilltop storefront, no remodeling.
Same brown carpet. Same vintage machines for stitching and finishing. Same iron tools and hand-written receipts and dusty displays of shoestrings, polish and cleaner. A calendar on the wall is from 1988.
The shoes are all that matter, and they’re everywhere. Stacked in boxes to the ceiling. Crowded onto countertops. Waiting on shelves and work benches. A jumble of boots, heels and oxfords kept in orderly procession inside his head.
“Some days I think I might retire,” Bredologos said, the sounds of his native Greek still heavy in his speech. “Then I think, no. To work is good.”
He holds up a fine, Italian-made shoe. “Quality. This is what I like. Good leather.”
He’s remarkably healthy for his years, with a straight back and strong hands, even a full head of silver hair. His labor in this humble shop supported his family and put both of his kids through dental school. The 10-hour days he does now - closed only on Sundays- are a cutback.
His daughter and son, in dental practice together on Laskin Road for 30 years, spent much of their childhoods helping at the store.
“If we didn’t, we didn’t see him,” Maria Mendrinos said. “He was gone when we got up and he was still gone when we went to bed.”
Her brother, Stelianos “Steve” Bredologos, remembers being “so small that Dad had to put a box at the counter so I could work the cash register.”
But “he never pressured us to follow in his footsteps,” Steve Bredologos said. “He always just wanted us to do something that made us happy.”
That’s typical these days, said Jim McFarland, president of the Shoe Service Institute of America, a trade group of about 500 cobblers.
“This is a hard business where you’re standing up all day,” he said. “People don’t really want that for their kids.”
McFarland figures half of today’s cobblers are over age 50 and about a quarter are 75-plus.
The industry has been dwindling for decades, a victim of mass-produced footwear that became cheap enough to replace instead of repair. Shop counts have fallen from 120,000 in the 1930s to about 5,000 now. An exact number in Hampton Roads is hard to come by, but an internet search turns up less than 20.
“A lot of people don’t even know cobblers still exist,” McFarland said.
All those shoddy shoes wind up in landfills, “more than 300 million pairs a year,” he said, “and they’re mostly manmade materials that’ll take hundreds of years to degrade.”
Bredologos learned his craft long before the throwaway era. He was a teenager living in the shadow of World War II in Greece when a shoemaker near his family’s house offered to teach him the trade.
In 1967, he and his wife plus a handful of family members immigrated to the U.S., heading to Hampton Roads, where a relative lived. He went to work for a repair shop in Virginia Beach, opening his own in the early 1970s.
At the Hilltop West Shopping Center, “he’s the only original tenant left in their original spot,” Steve Bredologos said.
Leanne Stone, a longtime nurse who lives in Bay Colony, has been a customer for years.
“I used to go in there with my parents,” she said. “It just reminds me of when I was a kid - just a basic, old store - and he hasn’t aged one bit.”
At its peak, the shop hummed enough to keep two assistants busy in addition to family.
“While other kids were at football practice or out playing we were at work,” his son said. “But we didn’t mind. We never even thought about it. It’s just what you did to help the family.”
After sister and brother went off to college, their mother, who died in 2015, filled in. Business slowed along with the national trend, but the door still swings open often enough to keep their father occupied.
The parade was steady on a recent day: men in need of new soles for classic shoes that never go out of style; women picking up boots that Bredologos had tailored to fit their narrower or wider calves.
One job called for him to install zippers in a pair of cowboy boots to make them easier to get on for the wearer, who’d been disabled in an accident. Another request: restore a $2,000 pair of Christian Louboutins that had been chewed on by a dog.
“I fixed them for $55,” he said, grinning as he described how “the lady was so grateful she said ‘I could kiss you!’”
Lee Ann Smith was among the flow of customers. She’s a regular, bringing purses and belts in addition to family shoes.
“My husband has a pair he’s had for 30 years,” she said. “He just keeps getting the soles and heels replaced.”
McFarland, at the trade association, said more folks are coming around to that kind of thinking. Before the pandemic hit, repair shops were enjoying a revival.
“I never thought I’d see this come back in my lifetime, but young men have started investing in really good shoes all of the sudden,” he said.
Well-made men’s leather shoes, which can range from several hundred to several thousand dollars, “have become, like, a fashion thing again,” McFarland said. “In the first few months of 2020, we’d never seen numbers like we were doing.”
COVID quashed it. Shops were closed for months. Work and dress shoes are idled in closets.
“I hope these shops can make it,” McFarland said. “There’s a lot of promise for the ones that survive.”
Bredologos seems equipped with patience. He collects when the work is done - no credit cards, please - and he’ll hold shoes for up to a year waiting for owners to return.
“His mind is like a computer,” his daughter said. “He knows exactly where everything is in here and what belongs to who. He knows who’s military and might go away for a long time before they can get back to pick up their shoes.”
As many as 300 pairs a year wind up abandoned. He gives them to charities or the needy who sometimes show up hopeful at his doorstep. Forgotten single shoes - not everyone brings in both - aren’t much use to anyone.
But a knickknack spotted on an cluttered shelf has a message that makes even the loners seem a bit magic:
One shoe can change your life … Cinderella.


washingtontimes--2020-11-22--After cancer scare, Virginia woman opens her dream yarn shop

HARRISONBURG , Va. ( AP ) - When Amy Strunk had a cancer scare this summer , it chilled her to the bone .
For anyone who ’ s had to sit in a starchy office and hear the dreaded words fall out of a doctor ’ s mouth , they know the feeling , but the news was an even harder pill for Strunk to swallow .
At 25 , she was diagnosed with cervical cancer , but the diagnosis came after eight months of symptoms and trips in and out of doctors ’ offices .
When the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of the cards and she went through vicious rounds of chemotherapy and radiation to rid her body of the sickness .
Thus , a recurrence of cancer would ’ ve been the end .
“ I got a pretty strong dose of radiation , so they told me if I got it again , they couldn ’ t put me in radiation , ” she said .
“ So , I got this idea I ’ d be dying soon.
” At 20 some years old , Strunk had dreams for what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fantasy was opening a yarn shop after retiring because the business held fond memories in her heart .
Suddenly , the future was dark and felt limp and resigned .
Fortunately , it was only a scare , but Strunk learned the hard lesson that everything could be snatched away at a moment ’ s notice , and she cast aside the idea of waiting for acting and living in the moment .
“ I thought why am I waiting ?
Maybe I ’ ll never retire , maybe retirement isn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if I want to do it , I should just do it , ” Strunk said .
“ Then I found there was a space in Agora , and it felt like all the stars were aligning.
” On Tuesday , Rocktown Yarn opened inside the Agora Downtown Market in Harrisonburg .
Strunk learned to knit and crochet when she was 7 years old , and her grandmother passed down her sewing skills when Strunk was 10 .
Whenever her family traveled growing up , Strunk said , her mother , Julie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find a yarn shop .
What others might see as rows of knitting needles and bundles of cloth , her mother knew was a treasure trove of kind faces and welcoming characters , wherever they were going , regardless of where they were from .
“ I was always going into yarn shops , ” Strunk said of her early adventures .
When she moved away from home and tried to find her way in a new state , she turned once more to the place her mother taught her to look .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ yarn shops had cool stuff , but what I didn ’ t realize until 2017 was there was this really robust community that came along with yarn shops , ” she said .
“ You make friends and make connections .
It ’ s people of all trades .
It ’ s not just people your age .
It ’ s younger people .
It ’ s older people .
Ideally , it ’ s a good mix of men , women , different races.
” As the idea of establishing her own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mind this summer , Strunk knew creating that same welcoming feel for all people was essential .
“ When I opened my own shop , I wanted to really emphasize this idea of inclusivity , ” she said .
While there are supplies for nerdy and feminine crafters as well as novice to expert stitchers , Strunk is working to bridge her business with different communities and agencies across Harrisonburg to make the most of every thread .
“ Whether that ’ s providing the right supplies or the space to work , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ends , people can come in and do their crafting , ” she said .
“ People who knit and crochet small items like scarves , hats , gloves , and they ’ re easy to make , they ’ re pretty quick .
So , if people are willing to donate those items , then we can give those items.
” Inside , Rocktown Yarn is lined with boxes of knitting kits to bring classic characters from franchises like Harry Potter and Star Wars to life , as well as rows of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amid the baskets and cubbies of glitter , neutral or bold style yarns are several brands , including Rockingham County ’ s own Simple Hill Farms .
Heidi Lantz-Trissel owns the local fiber farm on the outskirts of Harrisonburg and shares more than a professional relationship with Strunk .
She ran a shop similar in name , Rocktown Yarns , from 2005 to 2008 near the wooden bridge on Water Street .
When she learned Strunk planned to open Rocktown Yarn in Agora , she said their meeting seemed inevitable , and she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Strunk has in store for Harrisonburg .
“ There ’ s definitely a big community of people who are interested in knitting and crocheting and fiber .
I think there ’ s possibly a resurgence in interest right now with people looking for ways to entertain themselves in their homes , ” she said .
Shoppers can find Simple Hill Farms ’ 100 % fine , naturally colored merino yarn at Rocktown Yarn among other high-quality brands .
Lantz-Trissel said it ’ s exciting her business is in its first year producing yarn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ ll be great to collaborate and promote fiber arts together in this area , ” Lantz-Trissel said .
“ It ’ s hard to buy yarn online .
It ’ s not the same as being able to go in and see it and feel it and get expert advice from people in the store.
” Strunk said big-box craft stores carry affordable , entry-level supplies , but the quality is lesser and staff may not know what a beginning knitter needs .
“ They have cheap , mass-produced yarn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
“ You walk into Michaels , and they ’ ve got a ton of yarn , but if you ’ ve never done this before , where do you even start ?
… That ’ s something that we want to be able to do.
” Rocktown Yarn is not the only new face in Agora Market .
After Timeless Toys and Isles Candle Co. moved out of the market earlier this year , Shenandoah Hemp Supply joined the shopping center and Charlie Rose Boutique expanded to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also be moving out at the end of the year and moving into nearby retailer WithSimplicity .
Agora Market manager Allie Motyka said the retail hub is somewhat always changing and welcoming new , unique offerings from local retailers , and Rocktown Yarn has already crafted a home to welcome and excite guests .
“ We weren ’ t looking for a yarn store , and Amy reached out to us , and we think it ’ s a great fit .
It ’ s something we don ’ t already have , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Her space is really cozy .
It just looks really inviting .
… I think it ’ ll be for a variety of people.
” During the pandemic , Strunk said , knitting can offer a resolution for mitigating the stresses of life , and the community associated can be as quiet or conversational as they ’ d like .
“ I get stressed , and boy , it takes a lot out of me .
It gets to the point where it feels like I can ’ t be around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There ’ s a really robust online knitting community , so it was a very good thing for me in a very lonely , depressed time in my life.
” Whether looking for a hand-dyed , locally sourced spool of yarn or simply a listening ear , Rocktown Yarn is open , offering curbside and online options during the pandemic , as well as virtual classes .
“ My grandmother was a huge inspiration for this .
… She passed away in February , ” Strunk said of her mom ’ s mom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Her last gift to me was making it all work out .
… It ’ s been a weird , awful year , but there ’ s been beautiful things coming out of the chaos .
”

HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) - When Amy Strunk had a cancer scare this summer, it chilled her to the bone. For anyone who’s had to sit in a starchy office and hear the dreaded words fall out of a doctor’s mouth, they know the feeling, but the news was an even harder pill for Strunk to swallow.
At 25, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer, but the diagnosis came after eight months of symptoms and trips in and out of doctors’ offices. When the disease was identified, a minor procedure was out of the cards and she went through vicious rounds of chemotherapy and radiation to rid her body of the sickness. Thus, a recurrence of cancer would’ve been the end.
“I got a pretty strong dose of radiation, so they told me if I got it again, they couldn’t put me in radiation,” she said. “So, I got this idea I’d be dying soon.”
At 20 some years old, Strunk had dreams for what the future promised ahead. One such fantasy was opening a yarn shop after retiring because the business held fond memories in her heart.
Suddenly, the future was dark and felt limp and resigned. Fortunately, it was only a scare, but Strunk learned the hard lesson that everything could be snatched away at a moment’s notice, and she cast aside the idea of waiting for acting and living in the moment.
“I thought why am I waiting? Maybe I’ll never retire, maybe retirement isn’t in the cards for me. So, if I want to do it, I should just do it,” Strunk said. “Then I found there was a space in Agora, and it felt like all the stars were aligning.”
On Tuesday, Rocktown Yarn opened inside the Agora Downtown Market in Harrisonburg.
THREADS OF LIFE
Strunk learned to knit and crochet when she was 7 years old, and her grandmother passed down her sewing skills when Strunk was 10. Whenever her family traveled growing up, Strunk said, her mother, Julie, would always stop and ask to find a yarn shop. What others might see as rows of knitting needles and bundles of cloth, her mother knew was a treasure trove of kind faces and welcoming characters, wherever they were going, regardless of where they were from.
“I was always going into yarn shops,” Strunk said of her early adventures.
When she moved away from home and tried to find her way in a new state, she turned once more to the place her mother taught her to look.
“I knew a lot of local yarn shops had cool stuff, but what I didn’t realize until 2017 was there was this really robust community that came along with yarn shops,” she said. “You make friends and make connections. It’s people of all trades. It’s not just people your age. It’s younger people. It’s older people. Ideally, it’s a good mix of men, women, different races.”
As the idea of establishing her own yarn shop began gaining focus in her mind this summer, Strunk knew creating that same welcoming feel for all people was essential.
“When I opened my own shop, I wanted to really emphasize this idea of inclusivity,” she said.
While there are supplies for nerdy and feminine crafters as well as novice to expert stitchers, Strunk is working to bridge her business with different communities and agencies across Harrisonburg to make the most of every thread.
“Whether that’s providing the right supplies or the space to work, we have a table and once COVID ends, people can come in and do their crafting,” she said. “People who knit and crochet small items like scarves, hats, gloves, and they’re easy to make, they’re pretty quick. So, if people are willing to donate those items, then we can give those items.”
FAMILIAR PATTERNS
Inside, Rocktown Yarn is lined with boxes of knitting kits to bring classic characters from franchises like Harry Potter and Star Wars to life, as well as rows of threads and tools of all fashions. Amid the baskets and cubbies of glitter, neutral or bold style yarns are several brands, including Rockingham County’s own Simple Hill Farms.
Heidi Lantz-Trissel owns the local fiber farm on the outskirts of Harrisonburg and shares more than a professional relationship with Strunk. She ran a shop similar in name, Rocktown Yarns, from 2005 to 2008 near the wooden bridge on Water Street.
When she learned Strunk planned to open Rocktown Yarn in Agora, she said their meeting seemed inevitable, and she’s grown excited by the ideas Strunk has in store for Harrisonburg.
“There’s definitely a big community of people who are interested in knitting and crocheting and fiber. I think there’s possibly a resurgence in interest right now with people looking for ways to entertain themselves in their homes,” she said.
Shoppers can find Simple Hill Farms’ 100% fine, naturally colored merino yarn at Rocktown Yarn among other high-quality brands. Lantz-Trissel said it’s exciting her business is in its first year producing yarn in sync with Rocktown Yarn opening.
“It’ll be great to collaborate and promote fiber arts together in this area,” Lantz-Trissel said. “It’s hard to buy yarn online. It’s not the same as being able to go in and see it and feel it and get expert advice from people in the store.”
Strunk said big-box craft stores carry affordable, entry-level supplies, but the quality is lesser and staff may not know what a beginning knitter needs.
“They have cheap, mass-produced yarn, and most of it is acrylic,” she said. “You walk into Michaels, and they’ve got a ton of yarn, but if you’ve never done this before, where do you even start? … That’s something that we want to be able to do.”
Rocktown Yarn is not the only new face in Agora Market. After Timeless Toys and Isles Candle Co. moved out of the market earlier this year, Shenandoah Hemp Supply joined the shopping center and Charlie Rose Boutique expanded to the vacant window front. New Creation will also be moving out at the end of the year and moving into nearby retailer WithSimplicity.
Agora Market manager Allie Motyka said the retail hub is somewhat always changing and welcoming new, unique offerings from local retailers, and Rocktown Yarn has already crafted a home to welcome and excite guests.
“We weren’t looking for a yarn store, and Amy reached out to us, and we think it’s a great fit. It’s something we don’t already have, which is great,” Motyka said. “Her space is really cozy. It just looks really inviting. … I think it’ll be for a variety of people.”
During the pandemic, Strunk said, knitting can offer a resolution for mitigating the stresses of life, and the community associated can be as quiet or conversational as they’d like.
“I get stressed, and boy, it takes a lot out of me. It gets to the point where it feels like I can’t be around people,” she said. “There’s a really robust online knitting community, so it was a very good thing for me in a very lonely, depressed time in my life.”
Whether looking for a hand-dyed, locally sourced spool of yarn or simply a listening ear, Rocktown Yarn is open, offering curbside and online options during the pandemic, as well as virtual classes.
“My grandmother was a huge inspiration for this. … She passed away in February,” Strunk said of her mom’s mom, whose go-with-the-flow personality encouraged her. “Her last gift to me was making it all work out. … It’s been a weird, awful year, but there’s been beautiful things coming out of the chaos.”


washingtontimes--2020-11-22--W. Virginia pastry chef opens shop, helps others celebrate

LEWISBURG , W.Va. ( AP ) - Amy Mills says she wasn ’ t sure just what she wanted to do with her life 30 years ago as a student at what was then Hinton High School .
Long-term plans aren ’ t always easy for teenagers , after all .
She did know what she enjoyed though .
“ I cooked when I was a teenager , ” she recalls of a job at Pipestem State Park , “ and my mother and my grandmother always cooked and were very crafty , so I loved to paint and do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was those influences that came into play when it was time to decide her future .
“ It was either cooking school or interior design , ” she says .
“ It got down to the wire and I picked cooking school and I ’ m glad I did.
” Decisions have come a bit easier for Mills in the years since .
After high school , she attended Johnson & Wales University in Charleston , S.C. , for a general culinary degree and quickly discovered a love of pastry .
So , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1992 , she received a second degree in baking and pastry one year later .
“ I just kind of fell in love with it , ” she says .
She had a plan , too , as she returned to West Virginia and took a job at the old Court Street Bakery in Lewisburg .
“ I wanted to work at The Greenbrier , ” she says .
“ That ’ s the place to go when you live close by and you have a desire to cook .
That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goals .
That ’ s the crème de la crème.
” And it wasn ’ t long before she was doing just that , starting as a pastry helper , working her way up to pies and cakes and finally as a cake decorator when she left after 10 years to take the job as the executive pastry chef at The Greenbrier Sporting Club .
It was in that position , she says , where she really worked on her craft .
Instead of cooking for 1,000 guests , Mills explains she cooked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ You got to refine what you learned all those years and kind of hone in on it even tighter , ” she says .
But as much as she says she enjoyed that experience , she always had another plan in the back of her mind .
“ They always ask you when you ’ re in school , ‘ what ’ s your 10-year plan ?
’ she says .
“ Mine was to open a bakery.
” Her 10-year plan was more like a 24-year plan , but when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presented itself in 2016 , she took it .
“ I had always talked about doing it and I never did , ” she says .
“ And finally , I said , ‘ You know what , if I ’ m going to do this , I might as well do it now .
I ’ m 40-something years old and I just need to do it or quit thinking about it.
” Mills didn ’ t dive headfirst into her new business , Amy ’ s Cakes and Cones , now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She purchased the downtown Lewisburg bakery and ice cream shop when the previous owner decided to sell .
Although she wasn ’ t the first owner , she quickly made it her own , and with the recent move to nearby non-profit space Montwell Commons , there ’ s no indication whatsoever that the business ever belonged to anyone other than Mills .
She says she decided to make the move in the spring when she heard the building , previously leased by The Local Café and Grocer , which has since moved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We needed a bigger space , ” she says .
“ We wanted to start making more bread and we were having to turn cake orders down because we didn ’ t have room .
It was hard for me and my employees to function .
When you ’ re cooking breakfast and lunch off of a campfire stovetop burner with butane because you don ’ t have a proper stove to cook with , it ’ s torture.
” That ’ s not the case now , as the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the previous spot .
“ It ’ s a gorgeous building , ” Mills says of the large wooden two-story building beside Hill & Holler Pizza in downtown Lewisburg .
“ It has an open kitchen with a nice oven in it , a stove and a griddle , a huge walk-in ( refrigerator ) downstairs .
It ’ s accommodating to our growing needs.
” So big is the new location that Mills now offers an indoor farmers ’ market - a requirement for anyone who leases the spot .
Mills @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early offerings of the market , but since the opening in July customers have purchased items including melons , new potatoes , cantaloupes , lettuce and cabbage .
“ We ’ re getting more and more items , but it ’ s been hard on the farmers , ” she says of both Covid and a late spring freeze .
The market also offers West Virginia jellies , jams , honey and maple syrup .
Mills says that ’ s not only a convenience for customers who wish to take those products home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also nice for her as she can use them in her kitchen creations .
“ We are able to utilize all the fresh fruits and vegetables for our café menu and we use local syrup for our waffles , ” she says .
Lunch and breakfast items - homemade biscuits , salads , pimento cheese , chicken salad , farm fresh egg salad and croissants - are all popular , but Mills says pastries are the main attraction .
“ Our biggest sellers are our custom cakes , ” she says .
Beyond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up cupcakes in all flavors , all varieties of cookies , lemon bars and various brownies .
“ We try to cover everything , ” she says .
“ We also do some French desserts , pies , cobblers , crisps and things like that .
We try to be your one-stop-shop for everything sweet.
” But because everything is made in small batches , Mills says ordering ahead for large trays of cookies and custom cakes is important .
“ For the really intricate custom cakes , like the Chinese noodle boxes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fish jumping out of water , we ask for two weeks , ” she says .
“ But if somebody comes in at the last minute and I ’ ve got an extra chocolate cake , I ’ ll ice it for them real quick .
We try to accommodate or offer alternatives.
” Mills says she ’ s excited by where her life ’ s adventures have taken her and says she knows she made the right decision with her career path .
“ With baking it ’ s like you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebrations , ” she says .
“ I ’ m helping them get married .
I ’ m helping them have a birthday party .
It ’ s a customer service .
I feel like I ’ m trying to do nice for somebody .
“ Then there ’ s the creative aspect , ” she continues .
“ I always like to learn and grow and try new things and new techniques .
It ’ s just a passion that I ’ ve had for more than 20 years now .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

LEWISBURG, W.Va. (AP) - Amy Mills says she wasn’t sure just what she wanted to do with her life 30 years ago as a student at what was then Hinton High School.
Long-term plans aren’t always easy for teenagers, after all.
She did know what she enjoyed though.
“I cooked when I was a teenager,” she recalls of a job at Pipestem State Park, “and my mother and my grandmother always cooked and were very crafty, so I loved to paint and do things like that.”
Mills says it was those influences that came into play when it was time to decide her future.
“It was either cooking school or interior design,” she says. “It got down to the wire and I picked cooking school and I’m glad I did.”
Decisions have come a bit easier for Mills in the years since.
After high school, she attended Johnson & Wales University in Charleston, S.C., for a general culinary degree and quickly discovered a love of pastry.
So, after she graduated with her first degree in 1992, she received a second degree in baking and pastry one year later.
“I just kind of fell in love with it,” she says.
She had a plan, too, as she returned to West Virginia and took a job at the old Court Street Bakery in Lewisburg.
“I wanted to work at The Greenbrier,” she says. “That’s the place to go when you live close by and you have a desire to cook. That’s a lot of people’s goals. That’s the crème de la crème.”
And it wasn’t long before she was doing just that, starting as a pastry helper, working her way up to pies and cakes and finally as a cake decorator when she left after 10 years to take the job as the executive pastry chef at The Greenbrier Sporting Club.
It was in that position, she says, where she really worked on her craft.
Instead of cooking for 1,000 guests, Mills explains she cooked for crowds of 300 at the most.
“You got to refine what you learned all those years and kind of hone in on it even tighter,” she says.
But as much as she says she enjoyed that experience, she always had another plan in the back of her mind.
“They always ask you when you’re in school, ‘what’s your 10-year plan?’ she says. “Mine was to open a bakery.”
Her 10-year plan was more like a 24-year plan, but when the opportunity to own her own bakery presented itself in 2016, she took it.
“I had always talked about doing it and I never did,” she says. “And finally, I said, ‘You know what, if I’m going to do this, I might as well do it now. I’m 40-something years old and I just need to do it or quit thinking about it.”
Mills didn’t dive headfirst into her new business, Amy’s Cakes and Cones, now known as Amy’s Market. She purchased the downtown Lewisburg bakery and ice cream shop when the previous owner decided to sell.
Although she wasn’t the first owner, she quickly made it her own, and with the recent move to nearby non-profit space Montwell Commons, there’s no indication whatsoever that the business ever belonged to anyone other than Mills.
She says she decided to make the move in the spring when she heard the building, previously leased by The Local Café and Grocer, which has since moved to White Sulphur Springs, was vacant.
“We needed a bigger space,” she says. “We wanted to start making more bread and we were having to turn cake orders down because we didn’t have room. It was hard for me and my employees to function. When you’re cooking breakfast and lunch off of a campfire stovetop burner with butane because you don’t have a proper stove to cook with, it’s torture.”
That’s not the case now, as the new location is more than double the size of the previous spot.
“It’s a gorgeous building,” Mills says of the large wooden two-story building beside Hill & Holler Pizza in downtown Lewisburg. “It has an open kitchen with a nice oven in it, a stove and a griddle, a huge walk-in (refrigerator) downstairs. It’s accommodating to our growing needs.”
So big is the new location that Mills now offers an indoor farmers’ market - a requirement for anyone who leases the spot.
Mills says Covid-19 has limited some of the early offerings of the market, but since the opening in July customers have purchased items including melons, new potatoes, cantaloupes, lettuce and cabbage.
“We’re getting more and more items, but it’s been hard on the farmers,” she says of both Covid and a late spring freeze.
The market also offers West Virginia jellies, jams, honey and maple syrup.
Mills says that’s not only a convenience for customers who wish to take those products home with them, but it’s also nice for her as she can use them in her kitchen creations.
“We are able to utilize all the fresh fruits and vegetables for our café menu and we use local syrup for our waffles,” she says.
Lunch and breakfast items - homemade biscuits, salads, pimento cheese, chicken salad, farm fresh egg salad and croissants - are all popular, but Mills says pastries are the main attraction.
“Our biggest sellers are our custom cakes,” she says.
Beyond cakes, Mills and her staff serve up cupcakes in all flavors, all varieties of cookies, lemon bars and various brownies.
“We try to cover everything,” she says. “We also do some French desserts, pies, cobblers, crisps and things like that. We try to be your one-stop-shop for everything sweet.”
But because everything is made in small batches, Mills says ordering ahead for large trays of cookies and custom cakes is important.
“For the really intricate custom cakes, like the Chinese noodle boxes or the Leaning Tower of Pisa or fish jumping out of water, we ask for two weeks,” she says. “But if somebody comes in at the last minute and I’ve got an extra chocolate cake, I’ll ice it for them real quick. We try to accommodate or offer alternatives.”
Mills says she’s excited by where her life’s adventures have taken her and says she knows she made the right decision with her career path.
“With baking it’s like you’re a part of people’s celebrations,” she says. “I’m helping them get married. I’m helping them have a birthday party. It’s a customer service. I feel like I’m trying to do nice for somebody.
“Then there’s the creative aspect,” she continues. “I always like to learn and grow and try new things and new techniques. It’s just a passion that I’ve had for more than 20 years now. I’m glad I made this choice.”


washingtontimes--2020-11-22--Woman continues search for sister who went missing in 1985

EDGEWATER , Md .
( AP ) - Toni Brooke wants to bring her sister ’ s body home for a proper burial , but to get that closure for herself and her 79-year-old mother , someone needs to come forward with a clue .
Her sister Leann Faulk was reported missing in Prince George ’ s County on Nov. 16 , 1985 .
The case was investigated as a homicide , but Faulk ’ s body was never found .
Brooke said they believe she is dead .
“ That ’ s a long time for a family to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Brooke said .
“ I would like to see her brought home for my mom.
” Working with the Maryland Missing Persons Network , she is trying to raise awareness of the case in hopes that someone with information leading to Faulk ’ s body will come forward .
Faulk had just moved away from home and to her own place in Hyattsville and was a few weeks away from her 22nd birthday when she went missing .
She was last seen near Oxon Hill .
“ She was just starting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take it , ” Brooke said .
Brooke , who lives in Edgewater , planned on returning to the area over the weekend to post missing persons posters .
A reward of $ 5,000 is being offered for information that leads to the location and recovery of Faulk ’ s remains .
People who were in their early 20s at the time are much older now , Brooke said .
Maybe someone grew a conscience .
Or maybe someone heard something from someone else .
Faulk ’ s disappearance was discussed Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Maryland Missing Persons Network .
Monika Barilla said the group has focused on three cases in the last three months , discussing different ways to stir up clues in each .
Barilla said they review cases from the beginning , complete background checks , look at the evidence , brainstorm strategic locations to post flyers and reach out to people who might know something , such as a suspect ’ s ex-partner .
In the age of COVID-19 they can ’ t meet in person , so they are cyber sleuthing instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really gets spinning because there are so many things you can look at , ” she said .
She was introduced to the network because a friend of hers disappeared 15 years ago , she said .
The goal of the group is to bring families closure .
She said she understands what that kind of suffering feels like , and wants to do whatever she can to help .
“ Knowing that the word is getting out there also gives the families hope that somebody knows something , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Faulk , but can not this year due to the pandemic , Brooke said .
Brooke said Faulk loved dancing , her family and helped care for her nieces and nephews .
“ And there are so many of them she never got a chance to meet , ” she said .

EDGEWATER, Md. (AP) - Toni Brooke wants to bring her sister’s body home for a proper burial, but to get that closure for herself and her 79-year-old mother, someone needs to come forward with a clue.
Her sister Leann Faulk was reported missing in Prince George’s County on Nov. 16, 1985. The case was investigated as a homicide, but Faulk’s body was never found. Brooke said they believe she is dead.
“That’s a long time for a family to wonder what happened to a loved one,” Brooke said. “I would like to see her brought home for my mom.”
Working with the Maryland Missing Persons Network, she is trying to raise awareness of the case in hopes that someone with information leading to Faulk’s body will come forward.
Faulk had just moved away from home and to her own place in Hyattsville and was a few weeks away from her 22nd birthday when she went missing. She was last seen near Oxon Hill.
“She was just starting to live her life when somebody chose to take it,” Brooke said.
Brooke, who lives in Edgewater, planned on returning to the area over the weekend to post missing persons posters. A reward of $5,000 is being offered for information that leads to the location and recovery of Faulk’s remains.
People who were in their early 20s at the time are much older now, Brooke said. Maybe someone grew a conscience. Or maybe someone heard something from someone else.
Faulk’s disappearance was discussed Thursday during an online meeting of volunteers from the Maryland Missing Persons Network. Monika Barilla said the group has focused on three cases in the last three months, discussing different ways to stir up clues in each.
Barilla said they review cases from the beginning, complete background checks, look at the evidence, brainstorm strategic locations to post flyers and reach out to people who might know something, such as a suspect’s ex-partner. In the age of COVID-19 they can’t meet in person, so they are cyber sleuthing instead, Barilla said.
“Your head really gets spinning because there are so many things you can look at,” she said.
She was introduced to the network because a friend of hers disappeared 15 years ago, she said. The goal of the group is to bring families closure. She said she understands what that kind of suffering feels like, and wants to do whatever she can to help.
“Knowing that the word is getting out there also gives the families hope that somebody knows something,” she said.
They have held vigils in the past for Faulk, but cannot this year due to the pandemic, Brooke said.
Brooke said Faulk loved dancing, her family and helped care for her nieces and nephews.
“And there are so many of them she never got a chance to meet,” she said.


washingtontimes--2020-11-22--Eatery gets ready for Christmas amid COVID restrictions

NEWARK , Del .
( AP ) - Gianmarco Martuscelli is trying to stay positive about the statewide restaurant indoor dining restrictions coming Monday that will diminish seating .
You could say , he looked around his Klondike Kate ’ s Restaurant & Saloon in downtown Newark and thought : “ We need a little Christmas .
Right this very minute.
” If not , at least the lyrics of the popular Christmas song from Jerry Herman ’ s Broadway musical “ Mame ” are certainly fitting this year .
On Monday , Martuscelli is closing Kate ’ s for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a Christmas explosion .
When it reopens Tuesday , customers will enter a winter wonderland .
It ’ s an expansion on The Sleigh Bar , last year ’ s holiday themed pop-up Christmas bar at the 158 E. Main St. restaurant .
Holiday pop-up bars gained popularity about six years ago in New York and Los Angeles .
They combine over-the-top Christmas decorations with seasonal music and holiday-themed drinks .
The first one in Delaware was Blitzen , a seasonal Christmas bar at 220 W. Ninth St. in downtown Wilmington .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with even more decorations than last year .
Martuscelli , like most of the owners of Delaware ’ s estimated 1,900 food and drinking establishments , is worried about new state mandates beginning Monday that will limit indoor dining capacity to only 30 % .
Gov .
John Carney ordered the restrictions to combat a surge in COVID-19 cases throughout the state .
The Delaware Restaurant Association has estimated more than 40 percent of the state ’ s restaurants could close because of the limited indoor dining allowed .
“ Even with Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided people still need something positive to come out and do or see for the holidays , ” said Martuscelli , whose family owns Kate ’ s , La Casa Pasta in Glasgow and the Chesapeake Inn Restaurant & Marina in Chesapeake City , Maryland .
The upcoming holiday season is traditionally one of the most profitable for restaurant owners .
The day before Thanksgiving is widely considered the most popular bar night of the year .
Martuscelli said he decided to decorate and use the entire space in Klondike Kate ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ floor , to make the 30 % work for his business .
He plans to have a soft opening of the new Christmas look on Tuesday and is planning holiday-themed events at the restaurant throughout December .
Customers who contribute to Toys-for-Tots will receive complimentary hot chocolate and a cookie for every gift donated .
Every Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m , Santa Claus will be in the restaurant to pose for family portraits .
The 12 Days of Christmas will be celebrated at Klondike Kate ’ s from Dec. 12 to @ @ @

PATRICIA TALORICO, Delaware News Journal

NEWARK, Del. (AP) - Gianmarco Martuscelli is trying to stay positive about the statewide restaurant indoor dining restrictions coming Monday that will diminish seating.
You could say, he looked around his Klondike Kate’s Restaurant & Saloon in downtown Newark and thought: “We need a little Christmas. Right this very minute.”
If not, at least the lyrics of the popular Christmas song from Jerry Herman’s Broadway musical “Mame” are certainly fitting this year.
On Monday, Martuscelli is closing Kate’s for the day to transform the entire building into a Christmas explosion. When it reopens Tuesday, customers will enter a winter wonderland.
It’s an expansion on The Sleigh Bar, last year’s holiday themed pop-up Christmas bar at the 158 E. Main St. restaurant.
Holiday pop-up bars gained popularity about six years ago in New York and Los Angeles. They combine over-the-top Christmas decorations with seasonal music and holiday-themed drinks.
The first one in Delaware was Blitzen, a seasonal Christmas bar at 220 W. Ninth St. in downtown Wilmington. It recently reopened for its second season with even more decorations than last year.
Martuscelli, like most of the owners of Delaware’s estimated 1,900 food and drinking establishments, is worried about new state mandates beginning Monday that will limit indoor dining capacity to only 30%. Gov. John Carney ordered the restrictions to combat a surge in COVID-19 cases throughout the state.
The Delaware Restaurant Association has estimated more than 40 percent of the state’s restaurants could close because of the limited indoor dining allowed.
“Even with Gov. Carney’s announcement, we decided people still need something positive to come out and do or see for the holidays,” said Martuscelli, whose family owns Kate’s, La Casa Pasta in Glasgow and the Chesapeake Inn Restaurant & Marina in Chesapeake City, Maryland.
The upcoming holiday season is traditionally one of the most profitable for restaurant owners. The day before Thanksgiving is widely considered the most popular bar night of the year.
Martuscelli said he decided to decorate and use the entire space in Klondike Kate’s, including its space on the second floor, to make the 30% work for his business.
He plans to have a soft opening of the new Christmas look on Tuesday and is planning holiday-themed events at the restaurant throughout December.
Customers who contribute to Toys-for-Tots will receive complimentary hot chocolate and a cookie for every gift donated. Every Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m, Santa Claus will be in the restaurant to pose for family portraits.
The 12 Days of Christmas will be celebrated at Klondike Kate’s from Dec. 12 to Dec. 24.


washingtontimes--2020-11-22--Cog rail line, gondola considered to ease canyon congestion

SALT LAKE CITY ( AP ) - Because of public feedback , two additional alternatives will now be studied as possible solutions to traffic congestion in Little Cottonwood Canyon : a new cog rail line plus a longer version of a proposed gondola that would begin in the valley below the mouth of the canyon .
The cog rail - a diesel-powered train with a cogwheel on the track beneath it to provide traction on steep slopes - would cost an estimated $ 1.05 billion .
The new version of the gondola would cost $ 576 million .
Those will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more in-depth study .
They include a shorter gondola beginning at the mouth of the canyon , now estimated to cost $ 546 million ; an enhanced Utah Transit Authority bus system that would run as frequently as every five minutes , costing $ 334 million ; and an enhanced bus system that would include widening highway shoulders to act as bus-only lanes in peak season , $ 481 million .
Utah Department of Transportation project manager Josh Van Jura said Friday that the two new options were suggested by the public as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public made 19 new or refined proposals , but the cog rail and longer gondola were the only ones found to be feasible after a preliminary review of their traffic benefits and ability to preserve the canyon environment .
“ Public comment is so essential to everything we do , because we develop better solutions when we work together , ” Van Jura said .
He added that with receiving 6,500 comments on canyon proposals , “ This level of participation is terrific to see .
It proves just how important these canyons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The new cog train and gondola options would begin about three-quarters of mile west of the mouth of the canyon near La Caille restaurant .
Both would include a proposed 1,500-stall parking garage there , although officials say additional parking would be needed at other sites to handle expected crowds - with a shuttle service provided .
Van Jura said UDOT currently does not own that land near La Caille and would need to purchase it if either option is chosen .
All five options , including the two new ones , would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Snowbird ski resorts , without other stops in the canyon.They also are envisioned mostly for winter use - when congestion is worst .
“ However , we recognize that the rail and the gondola bring up a tourism component .
So , summer service will be analyzed , ” Van Jura said .
“ Any of these transit modes are only designed to accommodate 30 % of these peak users , meaning 70 % of the people will still be utilizing the roadway , ” he added .
Most canyon traffic at peak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Van Jura said .
“ So , if we can get a good chunk of those people to switch transit modes , then the road will actually be stable .
So , all those backcountry skiers , hikers , sledders , they ’ re going to have an easier time getting to those multiple destinations.
” The newly proposed cog train is envisioned to leave every 15 minutes and hold about 250 people , serving about 1,000 people an hour .
Annual operation and maintenance costs are estimated at $ 6.3 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the previous version , would have 35-passenger gondolas leaving every two minutes , and transport up to 1,050 people an hour .
Its annual operation costs are estimated at $ 6.9 million .
Estimated annual operation costs of the other options are now $ 8.3 million for either the shorter gondola or enhanced bus with bus lanes , and $ 10.3 million for enhanced bus without special lanes .
All options will now be studied in-depth for a draft environmental impact statement that is expected to be completed next summer , which will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environmental impact study is expected by next winter .
Officials have yet to figure out how to pay for any of the proposals .

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Because of public feedback, two additional alternatives will now be studied as possible solutions to traffic congestion in Little Cottonwood Canyon: a new cog rail line plus a longer version of a proposed gondola that would begin in the valley below the mouth of the canyon.
The cog rail - a diesel-powered train with a cogwheel on the track beneath it to provide traction on steep slopes - would cost an estimated $1.05 billion. The new version of the gondola would cost $576 million.
Those will join three other options previously announced for more in-depth study.
They include a shorter gondola beginning at the mouth of the canyon, now estimated to cost $546 million; an enhanced Utah Transit Authority bus system that would run as frequently as every five minutes, costing $334 million; and an enhanced bus system that would include widening highway shoulders to act as bus-only lanes in peak season, $481 million.
Utah Department of Transportation project manager Josh Van Jura said Friday that the two new options were suggested by the public as UDOT sought feedback.
Actually, the public made 19 new or refined proposals, but the cog rail and longer gondola were the only ones found to be feasible after a preliminary review of their traffic benefits and ability to preserve the canyon environment.
“Public comment is so essential to everything we do, because we develop better solutions when we work together,” Van Jura said. He added that with receiving 6,500 comments on canyon proposals, “This level of participation is terrific to see. It proves just how important these canyons are to our quality of life.”
The new cog train and gondola options would begin about three-quarters of mile west of the mouth of the canyon near La Caille restaurant. Both would include a proposed 1,500-stall parking garage there, although officials say additional parking would be needed at other sites to handle expected crowds - with a shuttle service provided.
Van Jura said UDOT currently does not own that land near La Caille and would need to purchase it if either option is chosen.
All five options, including the two new ones, would transport people directly to the Alta and Snowbird ski resorts, without other stops in the canyon.They also are envisioned mostly for winter use - when congestion is worst. “However, we recognize that the rail and the gondola bring up a tourism component. So, summer service will be analyzed,” Van Jura said.
“Any of these transit modes are only designed to accommodate 30% of these peak users, meaning 70% of the people will still be utilizing the roadway,” he added.
Most canyon traffic at peak times is headed to Alta and Snowbird, Van Jura said. “So, if we can get a good chunk of those people to switch transit modes, then the road will actually be stable. So, all those backcountry skiers, hikers, sledders, they’re going to have an easier time getting to those multiple destinations.”
The newly proposed cog train is envisioned to leave every 15 minutes and hold about 250 people, serving about 1,000 people an hour. Annual operation and maintenance costs are estimated at $6.3 million.
The new gondola proposal, like the previous version, would have 35-passenger gondolas leaving every two minutes, and transport up to 1,050 people an hour. Its annual operation costs are estimated at $6.9 million.
Estimated annual operation costs of the other options are now $8.3 million for either the shorter gondola or enhanced bus with bus lanes, and $10.3 million for enhanced bus without special lanes.
All options will now be studied in-depth for a draft environmental impact statement that is expected to be completed next summer, which will identify a preferred alternative. A final environmental impact study is expected by next winter.
Officials have yet to figure out how to pay for any of the proposals.


washingtontimes--2020-11-22--Grounded Baltic Sea ferry pulled off seabed, resumes trip

HELSINKI ( AP ) - A passenger ferry that ran aground in heavy winds in a Baltic Sea archipelago between Finland and Sweden was dragged off the shore and towed early Sunday to a port , where some of its over 300 passengers disembarked .
The M/S Viking Grace was sailing Saturday from the Swedish capital of Stockholm to the western Finnish city of Turku with a brief stop at Mariehamn , capital of the Aland Islands , when it hit ground just few hundred of meters ( yards ) short of the passenger terminal at Mariehamn .
No injuries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Viking Grace ’ s 331 passengers and crew of 98 spent the night on board the vessel while the Finnish coast guard and rescue units got two tug boats to drag the ship off the seabed and towed it to Mariehamn early Sunday .
Later Sunday , the ship resumed its journey under its own engines to Turku , where it will be put into a local shipyard for a closer inspection and repairs .
“ ( The ship ) has been cleared by authorities and the classification society Lloyd ’ s Register @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own engines , ” ferry operator Viking Line said Sunday .
Divers inspected the vessel twice in the Aland Islands and found no leaks or major damages .
The Viking Line , headquartered in Mariehamn , said no security risks were involved with Sunday ’ s transfer trip to Turku .
Viking Line CEO Jan Hanses told Finnish media that a strong gust of wind likely pushed the ship into the shore at the time of the accident , about 2 p.m. on Saturday .
The Aland Islands is an autonomous Swedish-speaking Finnish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and unnamed islands .
Its shallow waters and narrow passageways are particularly tricky to navigate for large vessels such as the Viking Grace , which is capable of carrying up to 2,800 passengers .
In September , Viking Line ’ s M/S Amorella passenger ferry also ran aground in the Aland Islands .
No one was hurt in the accident .

HELSINKI (AP) - A passenger ferry that ran aground in heavy winds in a Baltic Sea archipelago between Finland and Sweden was dragged off the shore and towed early Sunday to a port, where some of its over 300 passengers disembarked.
The M/S Viking Grace was sailing Saturday from the Swedish capital of Stockholm to the western Finnish city of Turku with a brief stop at Mariehamn, capital of the Aland Islands, when it hit ground just few hundred of meters (yards) short of the passenger terminal at Mariehamn. No injuries were reported in the grounding.
The Viking Grace’s 331 passengers and crew of 98 spent the night on board the vessel while the Finnish coast guard and rescue units got two tug boats to drag the ship off the seabed and towed it to Mariehamn early Sunday.
Later Sunday, the ship resumed its journey under its own engines to Turku, where it will be put into a local shipyard for a closer inspection and repairs.
“(The ship) has been cleared by authorities and the classification society Lloyd’s Register to transport passengers to Turku by its own engines,” ferry operator Viking Line said Sunday.
Divers inspected the vessel twice in the Aland Islands and found no leaks or major damages. The Viking Line, headquartered in Mariehamn, said no security risks were involved with Sunday’s transfer trip to Turku.
Viking Line CEO Jan Hanses told Finnish media that a strong gust of wind likely pushed the ship into the shore at the time of the accident, about 2 p.m. on Saturday.
The Aland Islands is an autonomous Swedish-speaking Finnish territory that consists of thousands of named and unnamed islands. Its shallow waters and narrow passageways are particularly tricky to navigate for large vessels such as the Viking Grace, which is capable of carrying up to 2,800 passengers.
In September, Viking Line’s M/S Amorella passenger ferry also ran aground in the Aland Islands. No one was hurt in the accident.


washingtontimes--2020-11-22--Charleston weighs wall as seas rise and storms strengthen

CHARLESTON , S.C. ( AP ) - Vickie Hicks , who weaves intricate sweetgrass baskets in Charleston , South Carolina ’ s historic city market , remembers climbing onto the table at her grandmother ’ s booth downtown when the floodwaters rushed by .
Decades later , the seasoned seller of this art form passed down by descendants of West African slaves still works downtown , where merchants regularly set out sandbags and scrutinize daily weather forecasts .
Hicks says the flooding ’ s only gotten worse .
“ God ’ s taking back his land , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is considering its most drastic measure yet to protect the lives and livelihoods of residents like Hicks from the threats of climate-driven flooding : walling off its peninsula from the ocean .
Although residents recognize the need for action before Charleston is overwhelmed by the unfolding effects of climate change , many are not certain the wall will do enough to address flooding woes that go beyond storm surges .
Some oppose walling off the city from its picturesque waterfront that helps draw millions of visitors each year .
Others fear the wall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that poor neighborhoods will be left out of flooding solutions .
Though Charleston has remained relatively unscathed this hurricane season , the city of 136,000 has seen higher tides and wetter , more frequent rainstorms in recent years with climate change .
In 2019 , the downtown flooded a record 89 times according to the National Weather Service - mostly from high tides and wind pushing water inland .
And the city could flood up to 180 times per year by 2045 according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration .
There ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hurricane-driven storm surge could inundate the city ’ s peninsula , which is at the confluence of three rivers and mostly less than 20 feet ( 6.1 meters ) above sea level .
Earlier this year , the Army Corps of Engineers unveiled a proposal for an eight-mile-long ( 12.9-kilometer-long ) wall that would surround the peninsula and reach a height of 12 feet ( 3.7 meters ) above sea level .
The barrier is reminiscent of fortifications that colonists built around Charleston 350 years ago to keep out invaders , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep out storm surge .
The agency ’ s proposal includes a floating breakwater offshore and some nonstructural measures , such as raising homes not situated behind the sea wall .
The entire project is estimated to cost $ 1.75 billion .
The Corps has three years and $ 3 million to find a fix for storm surge on the peninsula , though there ’ s no guarantee yet that it will be funded and built .
The Charleston study is part of $ 111 million funded by Congress in 2018 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 states , Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands .
The wall is one of several engineering solutions , along with pumps , surge gates and levees proposed by the Corps in cities including Miami and Galveston , Texas .
Mark Wilbert , Charleston ’ s chief resilience officer , said the city needs to do something to address current flooding and plan for the future .
“ Why the wall ?
Why now ?
” Wilbert said .
“ It ’ s about preparedness .
You know , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a future that we know will bring more frequent storms , more intense storms , in an area that we know is very vulnerable to that.
” The Corps plan , which requires city approval and cost sharing , has created confusion among some residents who wonder why the city might pursue a solution only for storm surge at the expense of other flooding problems .
The Corps says it ’ s constrained by its congressional mandate , which doesn ’ t address other sources of flooding the city faces , such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mostly handled by the city .
A call for public comments this summer elicited hundreds of responses .
Conservation groups said the proposal needed a more rigorous environmental review , because the wall would cut through water-absorbing wetlands and wildlife habitats .
Resoundingly , residents said they needed more time to make sense of the proposal that would wall off one of the city ’ s most defining traits - the waterfront , with its oleander-lined promenades , antebellum houses , fountains and expansive oaks - from the harbor .
Trying to please @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scope may drive the project ’ s costs past viability , Wilbert said , noting non-structural measures such as raising flood-prone homes could still provide adequate protection to neighborhoods left out of the plan .
The plan focuses on the peninsula , where the city ’ s economic engines - its historic downtown , tourism hub and medical district - are located although some neighborhoods extend beyond that .
The wall stops short of two mostly Black neighborhoods - one a low-income apartment complex and the other a historic community called Rosemont .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ high enough to use other solutions , such as floodproofing homes and buying out property owners .
But residents of Rosemont , many elderly , are not readily able to move , said Nancy Button , Rosemont Neighborhood Association president : “ Where are they going to go ?
” she said .
Naomi Yoder from the environmental policy organization Healthy Gulf questioned whether money for expensive engineering solutions posed by the Corps in coastal cities could be better used to elevate and fortify houses , and to create evacuation corridors for disasters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for us to out-engineer the storms ?
” Yoder said .
Whether the city builds the wall or not , the process has accelerated the conversation Charleston needs to have about sea level rise , said Winslow Hastie of the Historic Charleston Foundation .
“ There ’ s a benefit to the community coming together and having some soul searching , ” he said .
Michelle Liu is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative .
Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues .

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - Vickie Hicks, who weaves intricate sweetgrass baskets in Charleston, South Carolina’s historic city market, remembers climbing onto the table at her grandmother’s booth downtown when the floodwaters rushed by.
Decades later, the seasoned seller of this art form passed down by descendants of West African slaves still works downtown, where merchants regularly set out sandbags and scrutinize daily weather forecasts. Hicks says the flooding’s only gotten worse.
“God’s taking back his land,” she said.
Now, the low-lying Atlantic seaport is considering its most drastic measure yet to protect the lives and livelihoods of residents like Hicks from the threats of climate-driven flooding: walling off its peninsula from the ocean.
Although residents recognize the need for action before Charleston is overwhelmed by the unfolding effects of climate change, many are not certain the wall will do enough to address flooding woes that go beyond storm surges. Some oppose walling off the city from its picturesque waterfront that helps draw millions of visitors each year. Others fear the wall will damage wetlands and wildlife, or that poor neighborhoods will be left out of flooding solutions.
Though Charleston has remained relatively unscathed this hurricane season, the city of 136,000 has seen higher tides and wetter, more frequent rainstorms in recent years with climate change.
In 2019, the downtown flooded a record 89 times according to the National Weather Service - mostly from high tides and wind pushing water inland. And the city could flood up to 180 times per year by 2045 according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
There’s also the threat each year that hurricane-driven storm surge could inundate the city’s peninsula, which is at the confluence of three rivers and mostly less than 20 feet (6.1 meters) above sea level.
Earlier this year, the Army Corps of Engineers unveiled a proposal for an eight-mile-long (12.9-kilometer-long) wall that would surround the peninsula and reach a height of 12 feet (3.7 meters) above sea level.
The barrier is reminiscent of fortifications that colonists built around Charleston 350 years ago to keep out invaders, but the Corps says the new wall is designed to keep out storm surge.
The agency’s proposal includes a floating breakwater offshore and some nonstructural measures, such as raising homes not situated behind the sea wall. The entire project is estimated to cost $1.75 billion.
The Corps has three years and $3 million to find a fix for storm surge on the peninsula, though there’s no guarantee yet that it will be funded and built.
The Charleston study is part of $111 million funded by Congress in 2018 to address flooding and coastal storm issues in 14 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The wall is one of several engineering solutions, along with pumps, surge gates and levees proposed by the Corps in cities including Miami and Galveston, Texas.
Mark Wilbert, Charleston’s chief resilience officer, said the city needs to do something to address current flooding and plan for the future.
“Why the wall? Why now?” Wilbert said. “It’s about preparedness. You know, it’s about preserving property and preventing lives lost for a future that we know will bring more frequent storms, more intense storms, in an area that we know is very vulnerable to that.”
The Corps plan, which requires city approval and cost sharing, has created confusion among some residents who wonder why the city might pursue a solution only for storm surge at the expense of other flooding problems.
The Corps says it’s constrained by its congressional mandate, which doesn’t address other sources of flooding the city faces, such as stormwater runoff. That’s mostly handled by the city.
A call for public comments this summer elicited hundreds of responses.
Conservation groups said the proposal needed a more rigorous environmental review, because the wall would cut through water-absorbing wetlands and wildlife habitats.
Resoundingly, residents said they needed more time to make sense of the proposal that would wall off one of the city’s most defining traits - the waterfront, with its oleander-lined promenades, antebellum houses, fountains and expansive oaks - from the harbor.
Trying to please everyone by expanding the wall’s scope may drive the project’s costs past viability, Wilbert said, noting non-structural measures such as raising flood-prone homes could still provide adequate protection to neighborhoods left out of the plan.
The plan focuses on the peninsula, where the city’s economic engines - its historic downtown, tourism hub and medical district - are located although some neighborhoods extend beyond that.
The wall stops short of two mostly Black neighborhoods - one a low-income apartment complex and the other a historic community called Rosemont.
The Corps has said both areas are high enough to use other solutions, such as floodproofing homes and buying out property owners. But residents of Rosemont, many elderly, are not readily able to move, said Nancy Button, Rosemont Neighborhood Association president: “Where are they going to go?” she said.
Naomi Yoder from the environmental policy organization Healthy Gulf questioned whether money for expensive engineering solutions posed by the Corps in coastal cities could be better used to elevate and fortify houses, and to create evacuation corridors for disasters. “Is there really a possibility for us to out-engineer the storms?” Yoder said.
Whether the city builds the wall or not, the process has accelerated the conversation Charleston needs to have about sea level rise, said Winslow Hastie of the Historic Charleston Foundation.
“There’s a benefit to the community coming together and having some soul searching,” he said.
___
Michelle Liu is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.


washingtontimes--2020-11-22--Bryan Steil, Wisconsin Republican, tests positive from coronavirus

JANESVILLE , Wis. — Rep. Bryan Steil tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday , according to a statement from the @ @ @ @ @ Wisconsin ’ s 1st congressional district .
The congressman said he began experiencing mild symptoms @ @ @ @ @ his health care provider while at home in Janesville , Wisconsin .
Steil said he @ @ @ @ @ working in Washington , D.C. “ Following CDC guidelines , I am immediately quarantining and @ @ @ @ @ of Southeast Wisconsin from my home in Janesville , ” he said .
Steil was @ @ @ @ @ held on to his seat in Wisconsin ’ s 1st congressional district , which includes @ @ @ @ @ portions of Milwaukee , Rock , Walworth and Waukesha counties .

JANESVILLE, Wis. — Rep. Bryan Steil tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, according to a statement from the Republican lawmaker, who represents Wisconsin’s 1st congressional district.
The congressman said he began experiencing mild symptoms over the weekend and contacted his health care provider while at home in Janesville, Wisconsin.
Steil said he spent all of last week working in Washington, D.C.
“Following CDC guidelines, I am immediately quarantining and will continue serving the people of Southeast Wisconsin from my home in Janesville,” he said.
Steil was first elected in 2018 and held on to his seat in Wisconsin’s 1st congressional district, which includes Kenosha and Racine counties and portions of Milwaukee, Rock, Walworth and Waukesha counties.


washingtontimes--2020-11-22--'Rally of Hope' draws million attendees seeking Korean peace

Divisions remain between North and South Korea 70 years after war broke out , but love , compassion and a mutual respect for friends and foes alike can heal old wounds and finally restore unity on the Korean Peninsula , current and former heads of state and prominent U.S. political figures said Saturday at a major international rally .
The “ Rally of Hope , ” organized by the Universal Peace Federation ( UPF ) , drew more than 1 million participants from around the world and offered a powerful virtual platform for the global fight against oppression , poverty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s rally — the third such event since August , with a fourth scheduled for December — marked the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War , which claimed millions of lives , divided families and sparked seven decades of distrust between Seoul and Pyongyang .
But speakers at Saturday ’ s event struck an optimistic tone and argued that despite the heavy barriers that still stand in the way of peace and reunification , there is real reason for hope .
Former Rep. Charles Rangel , a New York Democrat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2nd Infantry Division during the Korean War , said his own personal experience should serve as a reminder that periods of violence and struggle can ultimately give way to something positive .
Mr. Rangel recounted how his unit was encircled by Chinese forces near the Yalu River , and how he was one of the few who came home .
“ I was wounded , left for dead , yet survived , ” he said .
“ And when I left Korea , I said to myself , ‘ I never , never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brought so much misery and pain to me.
’ But over the years , as I served in Congress and visited the great leaders in South Korea , I was able to see that the country that I left , that was reduced to ashes , hopelessness and pain , grew out of these ashes to become a symbol of democracy , freedom , and economic expansion , and [ an ] ally to the great United States of America.
” In addition to Mr. Rangel and other North American officials , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Saturday ’ s rally , including Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde , Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta , South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit , Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and German Alcides Blanco Alvarez , speaker of the Colombian parliament .
In her address , Ms. Zewde spoke about broad themes of unity , human rights and respect for all people , all of which were central tenets of Saturday ’ s rally .
“ Let us work to heal the broken trust that has fractured societies .
Let us encourage facts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
“ Let us protect marginalized and vulnerable populations .
And let us all strive to create fair , equitable , inclusive , sustainable , and resilient societies.
” Those goals also have been a driving force in the life of UPF co-founder Hak Ja Han Moon , the leader of the Unification Church and wife of the late Rev .
Sun Myung Moon .
The two devoted their lives to the promotion of world peace and the reunification of the Korean Peninsula .
In a nod to global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a performance by the Little Angels Folk Ballet of Korea , which performed a special tribute to the 16 United Nations members that provided troops and support to South Korea during the Korean War .
In her own remarks at the event , Mrs .
Moon said the soldiers that defended South Korea 70 years ago were fighting for a truly noble cause .
“ How incredible it is that the 16 member U.N. nations sent their gallant and valiant young soldiers , many of them in their teens and 20s , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and democracy , ” she said .
“ The young men and women who came to aid Korea ’ s freedom and democracy were truly the children of God … We can see through this that God the creator is working with us.
” Reuniting Korea is a key pillar of the Unification movement that grew from the Unification Church that the Rev .
Moon founded in 1954 .
Mrs .
Moon has led the movement since a few years before the 2012 death of the Rev .
Moon , whose ministry grew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Korea to a global spiritual movement and an affiliated commercial empire comprising real estate , manufacturing and agricultural operations , as well as media properties including The Washington Times .
One hurdle in the way of that reunification goal is Pyongyang ’ s nuclear weapons program , which the U.S. and its allies consider a threat not only to the region but to the entire world .
Denuclearization of the peninsula has been a top foreign policy priority for President Trump , who has held three historic in-person meetings with North Korean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tried to strike a deal in which Pyongyang would give up all its nuclear weapons ambitions in exchange for a massive influx of economic aid and investment , but that deal never materialized .
It ’ s unclear exactly what tack presumptive President-elect Joseph R. Biden , a Democrat , will take on North Korea .
He ’ s been highly critical of Mr. Trump ’ s decision to meet in person with Mr. Kim , dubbing the North Korean leader a “ thug ” and stressing that China must be a central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Former top American officials say diplomacy will , as always , be crucial .
But they also said that everyone — not just politicians — can offer something to the cause of peace .
“ I do hope as we look forward through this meeting and many others that we can continue to move forward in our understanding of what needs to be done , how we can overcome this division , how we can make a world that is safe for all of us , ” said Christopher Hill , former U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be sure , diplomacy has to play an important role , but I think every person has a role to play in trying to bridge divisions , ” he said .
World leaders argued that it is only by bridging divisions and pursuing peace that humanity can address its most daunting challenges .
“ Without peace , we can not mitigate climate change .
We can not fight the COVID-19 pandemic or even think of addressing global poverty , ” said Mr. Mayardit , the South Sudanese leader .
“ The environment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human progress .
We all know that war drains both material and human resources and diverts attention away from present national priorities , and it prevents countries from achieving their potential.
” Achieving the goal of Korean reunification may seem far off , but former heads of state found reasons to be hopeful .
Former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper , for example , pointed to the recent Abraham Accords as fresh evidence of how historic divisions can crumble and new friendships emerge , and he suggested that similar breakthroughs can take place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Accords , a landmark achievement of the Trump administration , established formal diplomatic ties between Israel , Bahrain the United Arab Emirates for the first time .
The agreement is widely viewed as a potential first step toward broader Arab recognition and diplomatic engagement with Israel .
“ We have witnessed one of the most unifying developments of modern times , ” Mr. Harper said .
“ In the Middle East , nations long and profoundly divided , have put aside their differences with the signing of the Abraham Accords.
” “ They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they ’ ve also demonstrated that faith and the common quest for reconciliation between man and God can be a great unifier of humanity , ” he said .

Divisions remain between North and South Korea 70 years after war broke out, but love, compassion and a mutual respect for friends and foes alike can heal old wounds and finally restore unity on the Korean Peninsula, current and former heads of state and prominent U.S. political figures said Saturday at a major international rally.
The “Rally of Hope,” organized by the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), drew more than 1 million participants from around the world and offered a powerful virtual platform for the global fight against oppression, poverty and racial discrimination.
This month’s rally — the third such event since August, with a fourth scheduled for December — marked the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, which claimed millions of lives, divided families and sparked seven decades of distrust between Seoul and Pyongyang.
But speakers at Saturday’s event struck an optimistic tone and argued that despite the heavy barriers that still stand in the way of peace and reunification, there is real reason for hope.
Former Rep. Charles Rangel, a New York Democrat who served in the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division during the Korean War, said his own personal experience should serve as a reminder that periods of violence and struggle can ultimately give way to something positive.
Mr. Rangel recounted how his unit was encircled by Chinese forces near the Yalu River, and how he was one of the few who came home.
“I was wounded, left for dead, yet survived,” he said. “And when I left Korea, I said to myself, ‘I never, never want to return to this situation that brought so much misery and pain to me.’ But over the years, as I served in Congress and visited the great leaders in South Korea, I was able to see that the country that I left, that was reduced to ashes, hopelessness and pain, grew out of these ashes to become a symbol of democracy, freedom, and economic expansion, and [an] ally to the great United States of America.”
In addition to Mr. Rangel and other North American officials, a host of influential world leaders also spoke at Saturday’s rally, including Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and German Alcides Blanco Alvarez, speaker of the Colombian parliament.
In her address, Ms. Zewde spoke about broad themes of unity, human rights and respect for all people, all of which were central tenets of Saturday’s rally.
“Let us work to heal the broken trust that has fractured societies. Let us encourage facts and truth instead of hatred and bigotry,” she said. “Let us protect marginalized and vulnerable populations. And let us all strive to create fair, equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and resilient societies.”
Those goals also have been a driving force in the life of UPF co-founder Hak Ja Han Moon, the leader of the Unification Church and wife of the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon. The two devoted their lives to the promotion of world peace and the reunification of the Korean Peninsula.
In a nod to global cooperation, the Rally of Hope featured a performance by the Little Angels Folk Ballet of Korea, which performed a special tribute to the 16 United Nations members that provided troops and support to South Korea during the Korean War.
In her own remarks at the event, Mrs. Moon said the soldiers that defended South Korea 70 years ago were fighting for a truly noble cause.
“How incredible it is that the 16 member U.N. nations sent their gallant and valiant young soldiers, many of them in their teens and 20s, to come and protect Korea’s freedom and democracy,” she said. “The young men and women who came to aid Korea’s freedom and democracy were truly the children of God … We can see through this that God the creator is working with us.”
Reuniting Korea is a key pillar of the Unification movement that grew from the Unification Church that the Rev. Moon founded in 1954. Mrs. Moon has led the movement since a few years before the 2012 death of the Rev. Moon, whose ministry grew from a tiny, embattled church in South Korea to a global spiritual movement and an affiliated commercial empire comprising real estate, manufacturing and agricultural operations, as well as media properties including The Washington Times.
‘Every person has a role’
One hurdle in the way of that reunification goal is Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program, which the U.S. and its allies consider a threat not only to the region but to the entire world.
Denuclearization of the peninsula has been a top foreign policy priority for President Trump, who has held three historic in-person meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The White House tried to strike a deal in which Pyongyang would give up all its nuclear weapons ambitions in exchange for a massive influx of economic aid and investment, but that deal never materialized.
It’s unclear exactly what tack presumptive President-elect Joseph R. Biden, a Democrat, will take on North Korea. He’s been highly critical of Mr. Trump’s decision to meet in person with Mr. Kim, dubbing the North Korean leader a “thug” and stressing that China must be a central player in any talks with Pyongyang.
Former top American officials say diplomacy will, as always, be crucial. But they also said that everyone — not just politicians — can offer something to the cause of peace.
“I do hope as we look forward through this meeting and many others that we can continue to move forward in our understanding of what needs to be done, how we can overcome this division, how we can make a world that is safe for all of us,” said Christopher Hill, former U.S. ambassador to South Korea.
“To be sure, diplomacy has to play an important role, but I think every person has a role to play in trying to bridge divisions,” he said.
World leaders argued that it is only by bridging divisions and pursuing peace that humanity can address its most daunting challenges.
“Without peace, we cannot mitigate climate change. We cannot fight the COVID-19 pandemic or even think of addressing global poverty,” said Mr. Mayardit, the South Sudanese leader. “The environment of perpetual conflict is the prime enemy of human progress. We all know that war drains both material and human resources and diverts attention away from present national priorities, and it prevents countries from achieving their potential.”
Achieving the goal of Korean reunification may seem far off, but former heads of state found reasons to be hopeful. Former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, for example, pointed to the recent Abraham Accords as fresh evidence of how historic divisions can crumble and new friendships emerge, and he suggested that similar breakthroughs can take place elsewhere around the world.
The Abraham Accords, a landmark achievement of the Trump administration, established formal diplomatic ties between Israel, Bahrain the United Arab Emirates for the first time. The agreement is widely viewed as a potential first step toward broader Arab recognition and diplomatic engagement with Israel.
“We have witnessed one of the most unifying developments of modern times,” Mr. Harper said. “In the Middle East, nations long and profoundly divided, have put aside their differences with the signing of the Abraham Accords.”
“They have not only achieved an unprecedented peace, they’ve also demonstrated that faith and the common quest for reconciliation between man and God can be a great unifier of humanity,” he said.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.