Category Archives: History

One of the most polarizing periods in Sixers history was the Process years. What went into one of the most contentious eras in NBA history?

Sam Hinkie may be one of the most controversial figures in all of recent sports history. On the one hand, he rebuilt a storied Philadelphia franchise from mediocrity to championship contender. He took a roster devoid of talent and turned it into a citadel of high draft picks and All-Stars. On the other hand, he did this by intentionally lowering the quality of his roster during the year and by losing consistently for years to come.

With the 76ers recent collapse in the playoffs, many are stating that The Process didnt work. That all of the losses and suffering the Philadelphia faithful went through was for nothing. However, it is important to remember where this team was and where they are now so we may no longer take for granted how beautiful and one of a kind The Process truly was.

In the beginning, there was darkness. A roster full of serviceable backups, failed experiments, and lonely bright spots. Their own future draft picks are traded around the nation. A record of 34-48, good enough for the ninth seed in the East. This is not Hell; this is worse. This is basketball purgatory. The state of being where the ceiling is only as high as an eighth seed, losing in the first round, and a floor that will cause you to finish no lower than the tenth seed, consistently missing out on all of the sure-fire top prospects.

This is where the Philadelphia 76ers found themselves in the year 2013. As team owner Joshua Harris watched the NBA Playoffs, he realized whom he would need to hire to replace ex-president Rod Thorn and general manager Tony DiLeo. The same man that Mr. Harris had previously passed on for Tony DiLeo. Joshua Harris decides to hire Samuel Blake Hinkie.

Sam Hinkie was, at the time, the Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Houston Rockets. He had been a cornerstone in the development of their analytically-driven organization. Hinkie had been a very successful student at the University of Oklahoma and even more so when he completed his MBA at Stanford University, working as a consultant for two different NFL teams on draft strategies. With all of this in mind, on May 13th, 2013, acting owner Joshua Harris hired the man who would take a team from basketball purgatory, drag it through the deepest depths of hell, and back to contention in one of the most successful rebuilds of all time.

Sam Hinkie was clear about what he wanted to do. He wanted to build a perennial championship contender. He wanted to get superstars to build his team around, and he wanted to acquire them in a very specific way. Hinkie didnt want to fall victim to the allure of trades which causes teams to pour out the cupboards to achieve a good, not great team. Hinkie instead wanted to hold onto his assets. He also didnt want to rely on free agents coming to or teaming up on his team. Sam Hinkie was only interested in building his team through the draft, understanding that drafting players led to cheap contracts, team control, and advantages when attempting to negotiate new contracts three things very important to a struggling franchise.

Hinkies ideology was simple. Acquire as many picks as possible in every draft, have his team be as bad as possible in order to have a better chance to secure top prospects, and maintain a long view that allowed for the Sixers to become a perennial contender. The Process for escaping basketball purgatory is rarely a fun one, often leading to suffering and a whole lot of losing. This was something that Hinkie had understood. This escape would cause Hinkie to also sell everything with value during these early times, and this was made abundantly clear during the 2013 NBA draft.

On July 27th, 2013, Sam Hinkie traded away the sole beacon of hope for the Philadelphia faithful in All-StarJrue Holidayand the 42nd pick (Pierre Jackson) to the New Orleans Pelicans for the rights to the sixth overall pick, an injuredNerlens Noel., and rights to the Pelicans 2014 first-round pick, top 5 protected. This trade and pick are seen to many as the start of the Process. With this trade, the Sixers would be allowed to escape from basketball purgatory and finally begin their rebuild.

After trading away his star guard and securing a top prospect with cornerstone potential, Hinkie then turned to his two remaining draft picks: Pick 11 of the first round, and pick 35 in the second. With the 11th overall pick, Hinkie selectedMichael Carter-Williams, a point guard out of Syracuse, and with the 35th pickGlen Rice Jr, a shooting guard out of Georgia Tech and the then titled NBA D-League.

Even after gaining these three young players, Hinkie would end up trading Glen Rice Jr. to the Washington Wizards for the rights to Pick 38 Nate Wolters (point guard, SDSU) and Pick 54Arsalan Kazemi(power forward, Rice University). Then, using Pick 38Nate Wolters, Hinkie made a trade sending Wolters to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Pick 43Ricky Ledofrom Providence University and a 2014 second-round pick. Immediately following this trade for Ledo, Hinkie then flipped him to the Dallas Mavericks for another 2014 second-round pick.

At the root of these seemingly sporadic trades is a clear desire to acquire more draft picks, demonstrated so clearly here by taking one player (Glen Rice Jr.) and turning it into two future second-round picks and another player in Arsalan Kazemi. The key toThe Processwas never to be perfect at drafting but simply to give his team as many chances to get the right draft pick as possible.

While all of these trades, draft selections and future picks are nice, Sam Hinkie now had to find a head coach to keep his team playing basketball throughout this long process. He found the man for the job on August 14th, 2013, when he hired a man named Brett Brown as head coach after Brown had spent the few previous years underneath San Antonio Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich. Although his time in Philadelphia didnt come to the mostpoetic of endings, his work ethic, defensive focus, and steady hand were extremely valuable to the Philadelphia 76ers during this era.

After Hinkie filled out the rest of the staff, he once again hit the trade market. On August 22nd, the Philadelphia 76ers agreed to a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies. The team acquired former first-round pick and one year proTony Wrotenin exchange for a heavily protected second-round pick that would never, and never did convey.

The beauty in this trade is in the exchange of value. While Wroten never lived up to the expectations that come with being a first-round pick, the value of finding that out should have cost something. Instead, the Sixers traded a pick that everyone knew meant nothing to bring a player who had a chance to become something for basically nothing. Hinkie, in this trade, turned a literal nothing into the potential for something, and that is all that we could ask for.

Following this transaction, Hinkie signed former Georgetown and Tulsa 66ers forwardHollis Thompsonto a multi-year deal on September 24th. During Thompsons three and a half years in the city of brotherly love, he became both an important starter and a valuable rotation piece who averaged 7.9 points per game while shooting 38.6% from beyond the arc, all while playing solid defense.

With such an unproven core of incoming players, Hinkie continued to tinker with the roster as the season went on. From September 2013 to April 2014, Hinkie went on a string of signings, signing former Florida State centerSolomon Alabi, Depaul power forwardMac Koshwal, Georgia Tech power forwardGani Lawal, Kentucky CenterDaniel Orton, BYU power forwardBrandon Davies, Memphis shooting guardElliot Williams, NC State point guardLorenzo Brown, current Miami Heat centerDewayne Dedmond, Mississippi State power forwardJarvis Varnado, Marquette shooting guardDarius Johnson-Odom, UC Santa Barbara small forwardJames Nunnally, and Memphis small forwardAdonis Thomas.

The last big day for year one came on February 20th, 2014, at the trade deadline where Sam Hinkie engaged in four different trades. First came the trade ofLavoy AllenandEvan Turnerto the Indiana Pacers for walking bucketDanny Grangerand a 2015 second-round pick which becameLuka Mitrovi. Next, Hinkie traded a future second-round pick that would never convey to the Los Angeles Clippers for previous first-round pickByron Mullensand a 2018 second-round pick that would eventually becomeJustin Jackson. Finally,Spencer Haweswas traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers forEarl Clark,Henry Sims, and two 2014 second-round picks, which later would becomeVasilije Miciand current Pistons starJerami Grant.

Hinkie also finalized a three-team trade on this day, that had the Nuggets sendAndre Millerand a heavily protected second-round pick to the Washington Wizards,Jan Veselto the Denver Nuggets from the Wizards while the Sixers gained two future second-round picks (David MichineauandArtras Gudaitis) andEric Maynorfrom the two teams.

Hinkies first year of The Process was a foundation-laying year for that would set in motion the most dramatic and drastic rebuilding plan ever, that would eventually cause the Sixers to become perennial playoff contenders, potential championship contenders, and would cause Sam Hinkie, the mastermind behind it all, to be run out of the league.

Hinkie and his controversial methods were what caused the Sixers to leave a place of darkness and finally start on the path to success. In his first year, Hinkie had a total of 17 signings, 9 trades and made 3 total draft selections.

See original here:

Sixers History: A Brief Summary of The Process Part One - Philly Sports Network

CP Photo: Jared Murphy

Dippy the Dinosaur statue in Oakland

But Dippys namesake, Diplodocus carnegii, has a much more complicated and dramatic history than the statue that has become a mascot of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. Author Tom Rea details that history in Bone Wars: The Excavation and Celebrity of Andrew Carnegie's Dinosaur, whose 20th anniversary edition will be released Tue., Sept. 14 from the University of Pittsburgh Press.

Typically, the Bone Wars refers to the larger dinosaur-related dispute between Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh, but Rea instead digs into the history of Diplodocus carnegii the skeleton that the Dippy statue was modeled afteras an entry point into the evolution of scientific thought regarding dinosaurs and the duplicitous deals, greed, and hubris that permeated the early years of bone hunting.

Rea follows five men involved in the discovery and ownership battle over Andrew Carnegies long-necked dinosaur: fossil hunter Bill Reed, paleontologists Jacob Wortman and John Bell Hatcher, then-Carnegie Museum director William Holland, and Carnegie himself.

Image: courtesy University of Pittsburgh Press

Bone Wars: The Excavation and Celebrity of Andrew Carnegie's Dinosaur

The book will feature a forward by principal dinosaur researcher Matthew C. Lamanna, who is an associate curator and the head of vertebrate paleontology at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Rea, a Pittsburgh native who now lives in Casper, Wyoming, will also provide a new afterword.

Rea will also appear in conversation with Lamanna in Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures Made Local series Thu., Sept. 23. The virtual event, free with registration, will begin at 6 p.m.

Go here to read the rest:

Learn the history of Dippy the Dinosaur's namesake in a new edition of Bone Wars - PGH City Paper

What happened on August 29 in the history of the New York Rangers

On this date in 2005, the New York Rangers signed 27-year-old free agent defenseman Michal Rozsival, a signing that barely got a mention. A Pittsburgh draft pick who had played four seasons with the Penguins, Rozsival had missed the entire 2003-04 season with a knee injury and then played the lockout 2004-05 season in the Czech Republic.

Ranger fans didnt know what they were getting. The 61, 210 pound defenseman turned into one of Glen Sathers best free agent pickups In his first year in New York, he made just $703k and all he did was play all 82 games, lead all team defensemen in scoring with 30 points and had the best plus/minus rating on the team at +35, even better than Jaromir Jagr who scored a franchise record 123 points.

Rozsival was one of eight Czech-mates on the Rangers, a team that made the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons. Paired on defense with fellow Czech Marik Malik, another free agent pickup, Rozsival became the cornerstone of the Rangers blue line.

The highlight of his career in New York was when he scored in double overtime in the playoffs against Buffalo in 2007. That goal ended the longest home playoff game for the Rangers in over 35 years.

He played five full seasons with the Rangers, but was traded to Phoenix for Wojtek Wolski in 2011, a trade that the Rangers badly needed to make. As usual, after making a great decision to sign Roszival, Glen Sather then overpaid him in 2008, giving the 30-year old a four-year, $20 million contract.

Roszival went on to play for the Blackhawks and was an important defensemen for their two Stanley Cup championships teams.

On this date in 1964, a former New York Rangers player was inducted into the Hall of Fame, but Doug Bentley played only 20 games in New York at the tail end of his career. It was the other Hall of Fame inductee who was synonymous with the New York Rangers for many years. That was Bill Chadwick.

Chadwick became a Hall of Famer because of his career as a referee. Despite being blind in one eye, he was an NHL referee for 15 seasons, working 900 regular season games and a record 42 games in the Stanley Cup Final. When he retired in 1955 he had officiated over 1,000 games, the most all time.

Born in Manhattan, Chadwick lost vision in his right eye when he was stuck by a puck while playing in an amateur league and he continued his playing career with the New York Rovers. He became a referee, the first in the NHL born in the United States. As a ref, Chadwick is credited with creating the hand signals used by all hockey referees to denote specific penalties.

Chadwick is best known to Ranger fans as The Big Whistle and he served as a color commentator on Rangers radio and telecasts from 1967 to 1981, working primarily with Jim Gordon. His trademark catchphrases are remembered fondly by anyone who watched the Blueshirts on Channel 9 in the 1970s. Shoot the puck Barry was how he implored Barry Beck to use his cannon of a shot. You could hear the splash from here was how he described a player who took a dive to draw a penalty.

In the broadcast booth he was unique and though he never played for the Rangers, he is an honorary Blueshirt.

20 NHL players were born on August 29 including three former Rangers.

Doug Sulliman was born on this date in 1959 in GlaceBay,Nova Scotia. He was a first round pick in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft, picked 13th overall. A big scorer for the Kitchener Rangers, the Blueshirts had high hopes for him, but when he made it to New York he disappointed. He played only 63 games, scoring eight goals for the Rangers and was part of the trade with Hartford that netted the Rangers Mike Rogers. He played nine more seasons in the NHL, scoring over 20 goals five times.

Peter Andersson was a defenseman born on this date in 1965 in Orebro, Sweden. A fourth round pick by the Rangers in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft, he spent most of his career in Sweden, before finally deciding to try his hand in the NHL in 1992. He played 39 games for the Rangers and eight games for the Panthers, before returning to Sweden. In 2012, the Rangers drafted his son, defenseman Calle Andersson, but he never made it to New York. He is not related to Lias Andersson.

Hal Cooper was born on this date in 1915 in New Liskeard, Ontario. A small (55, 155 pounds) right winger, he made it to New York for eight games in the 1944-45 season. Scoreless in his NHL career, he played many years for numerous minor league teams.

More:

On August 29 in Rangers history: Another Czech-mate joins the team - Bluelinestation.com

In the early 1950s, Giuseppe Nuccio Bertones design house paired up with a then-unknown Franco Scaglione for Alfa Romeo. Together, they penned a series of cars they called Berlinetta Aerodinamica Tecnica, or BATs for short. Each was built on an Alfa Romeo 1900 chassis and featured fanciful, futuristic aviation-inspired bodies.

Of the trio they handmade in a few short yearsBAT 5, BAT 7, and BAT 9the BAT 7 has the most intriguing history of ownership. Sit right there and Ill tell you a tale about innovative art, cross-continental multi-million-dollar exchanges, and heartbreak.

Bertone and Scaglione created Alfa Romeo BAT 5 first, so named because Scaglione created four full-size models before switching to metalwork for the fifth. Incredibly, the car was pushed from concept to creation in less than a year. In May of 1953, it premiered at the Turin Auto Salon and caused a major ripple through the industry; that spurred them to follow up with the BAT 7 in 1954 and finally, the BAT 9 in 1955.

On a recent plane ride, I enjoyed Ford Vs. Ferrari for a third time. This time, I paid special attention to the scene during which Ken Miles drives the car with pieces of wool taped all over it to determine where it wasnt achieving optimal aerodynamics. Working side by side with Alfa Romeo project manufacturing chief Ezio Cingolani, Scaglione photographed his design at speed with a similar set of wool markers. Clearly, they didnt align with Enzo Ferraris philosophy that aerodynamics are for people who can't build engines.

Designed with ambitious wings and a long, Roman nose, the BAT 7 improved upon the BAT 5, achieving an incredible drag coefficient of 0.19. (For comparison purposes, a new Porsche Taycan has the best drag coefficient of all current Porsche models at 0.22.) Bertone and Scaglione worked so hard on this car they ran out of time to ship it to Turin for its reveal in April of 1954, and they had to drive it themselves on the wings of efficient aerodynamics to the show at the last minute.

After its debut, the BAT 7 changed hands a few times, and last year the trio of BAT cars were sold as one lot for nearly $15 million by Sothebys auction house. Along the way, Al Williams was one of the first owners of the BAT 7 and had the side fins removed (ack!) because they restricted visibility on the road. According to the site Secret Classics, Colonel James Sorrell owned the car in the early 60s and brought the BAT 7 to the Van Nuys-based shop of Salvatore di Natale, renowned for high-quality work on Italian cars, to restore it.

Once di Natale finished the work, Col. Sorrell didnt pay for what he had commissioned and he never came back to collect his car. In 1969, di Natale took ownership and kept it for 17 years. According to a commenter on a YouTube video of a younger Jeremy Clarkson driving the BAT cars, the BAT 7 was sold right out from under di Natale by an unexpected party: his own son.

Eric Fischer says back in the mid-90s, he lived in California and owned a 1988 Milano Verde and a 1986 GTV6. He spent a lot of time at di Natales shop.

Read more:

The Twisty History of Alfa Romeo's BAT 7 and How It Slipped through One Man's Fingers - The Drive

Imagine what it was like to be a high school football player in Kingsport in 1921.

And what would those student-athlete forerunners think if they were able to walk into J. Fred Johnson Stadium in 2021?

Until someone invents a time machine, arguably the best way to take that 100-year journey is through the pages of a history book. And what would be a better way to enjoy bits and pieces of the past than through the eyes, and words, of a history teacher?

David Hoover has written a book that was recently published by Word of Mouth Press. Titled 100 Years of Glory: 1921-2021, Dobyns-Bennett Football, the book is 266 pages.

When I retired four years ago, I was a little restless, said Hoover, a former Indians baseball coach. I felt I needed a challenge, and this was something I was interested in.

Hoover had a nice foundation for a starting point. In the 1980s, he wrote a book called, Dobyns-Bennett Football: The Sprankle Years, 1921-34. He was able to bring four-decade-old interviews with now-deceased players into his new book.

One major challenge Hoover faced when compiling the new book was a self-imposed deadline.

It took me almost three years to do this, he said. I told myself I wanted to make sure I was finished by the fall of 2021, so my title would be in line with 100 years of D-B football.

Hoover conquered the challenge, overcoming the effects personally and logistically of the pandemic.

COVID cost me a couple of weeks, Hoover said. I had it the first of October (in 2020). But FaceTime worked out well.

Hoover grew up in Kingsport and was a standout shortstop for the Indians from 1967-69. He went on to play collegiately at Carson-Newman before returning to D-B as a history teacher and assistant baseball coach with John Whited.

When Whited left to coach collegiately, Hoover took over as D-Bs head coach for eight seasons. In 1985, Hoover stepped down to spend more time with his baseball-playing sons, who were involved in T-ball and Little League in Colonial Heights at the time.

I had a chance to coach them and be with them, he said.

Hoover stepped back into coaching at D-B in 1994. He coached the junior varsity for 12 years and was the varsity pitching coach for five seasons. But when his son, Rob, was hired as Daniel Boones coach, Hoover didnt want to coach against him. He wound up helping Rob as an assistant for nine seasons.

These days his sons are together at West Ridge. Michael is the head coach and Rob, who is a pastor at Promise Ministries Church in Kingsport, is an assistant.

While Hoovers background is steeped in baseball, he said hes always had a fondness for football.

Ive always loved sports and Ive always been a football fan, he said. Theres no doubt if I felt I had the physical skills, I would have played football. Same thing with basketball.

Hoover said he followed D-Bs football program closely, and his interest grew through the years.

Hoover dug deep into the historical world of newspapers.com. He said he researched every D-B football game, which took about a year.

It was so interesting to see all of those things, he said. That gave me the foundation.

But Hoover didnt want a dry recap of years gone by. He wanted stories, anecdotes and fun stuff to put in his book.

I conducted 110 interviews, from people in the late 1940s all the way to the present, he said. My strategy was getting one or two guys from each senior class. For most years, I was able to find those people.

I would ask them what was a fun thing that happened when they played. I got all kinds of stories in the process of the interviews.

Hoover said he also came up with 80 pictures, including all of the state championship teams.

Then it was a matter of writing the book, he said.

Hoover said he didnt shortchange any of the teams.

I discussed every year what was unique and important, he said. I tried to write it in a way to have things readers would be interested in, but making sure I covered everything. Former players might be interested in what was said about their team.

What I hope is some people will see its not just another high school program in Tennessee. It is the second-winningest program in the state and 26th in the country.

And the fans still come to the games, Hoover said.

This is a subjective statement, and maybe a little bit of Kingsport prejudice, but I dont think theres any doubt we have the most fan support north of Knoxville, Hoover said.

The book, which costs $24.99, can be ordered online at wordofmouthpress.us or by emailing Hoover at [emailprotected].

The book has a lot of different things, Hoover said. I have a short chapter on the Kingsport spirit, the townspeople, and how they have supported the program.

There is an analysis comparing D-B teams of the past to the modern teams. D-B had a great tradition before the playoffs started in 1969, winning 76% of its games. But it might surprise people to see how good the winning percentage has been after the playoffs started.

I got into reasons why D-B had so much success from 1921-68, some based on my own opinion but also based on facts. I also talked about some of the playoff upsets and big victories. And I also have a chapter about Maryville. Whats different with Maryville and why has it had so much success? I have tried to cover many different things.

Excerpt from:

Former history teacher takes 100-year journey with D-B football - Kingsport Times News

Typically, we start game week out here by going over the history of the Cincinnati Bearcats against the upcoming opponent.

That doesnt work this week since the schools have never played before, despite being in bordering states.

The only history the two schools seem to have relates to former Bearcats coach Mick Cronin, who piloted the Murray State Racers before heading to Cincinnati.

In 2005, Cronins Murray State club took on the Bearcats, then coached by interim Andy Kennedy. Their November meeting was the first game since Bob Huggins was ousted over the summer as head coach.

The two teams battled it out in the opener of the 2005 season as Cincinnati hung on for a 79-75 overtime victory.

Unfortunately, I couldnt find highlights of the game on YouTube to post in the article.

But I did find a video of a guy on YouTube playing NCAA Football 06 with a Murray State dynasty team against Cincinnati. In this version, Murray State is ranked number 18 in the country. They also win 28-21.

Read the rest here:

The Video Game History of Cincinnati versus Murray State - Down The Drive

Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the first king of the Sikh Empire, had ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent, expanding his control to the Afghan region in the early years of the 19th century.

Following the zealous evangelist campaigns of the British, a Singh Sabha reformist movement emerged in the subcontinent in response to the proselytisation activities, which arrived in Afghanistan in the early years of the 20th century, writes Inderjeet Singh.

As part of the movement, prominent Sikh preacher Akali Kaur Singh had arrived in Nangararh province of Afghanistan in 1919 to preach the doctrine of Sikhism. Under his leadership, the Khalsa Diwan Afghanistan was established, which is credited with the propagation and preservation of Sikh values in the region.

Sikh Exodus from Afghanistan

The first instance of mass migration of Sikhs from Afghanistan came at the time of the reign of Amir Abdur Rahman Khan when the fundamentalist zeitgeist of the Afghan society had troubled the indigenous Hindus and Sikhs. A large number of Sikhs had left their homeland and settled in India during this time, and formed an Afghan-Sikh community in Punjab's Patiala.

In 1988, Jalalabad's Gurdwara Guru Nanak Darbar has been the target of a terror attack, wherein 13 Sikhs were killed. According to Inderjeet Singh, over a hundred Sikhs died in the subsequent years during the Mujahideen's attacks in Jalalabad. In 1992, when the Mujahideen captured Kabul, the group desecrated Gurdwara Karte Parwan, the largest gurudwara of the city.

In 1992, close to 65,000 Hindus and Sikhs fled Afghanistan and came to India, Singh reports.

With the coming of the Taliban in 1996, the condition further deteriorated "The tolerance of diversity which had hitherto been such a characteristic of Afghan Islam rapidly began to evaporate in the face of the hard line jihadi and fundamentalist attitudes promoted by the Taliban," scholar Robert Ballard observed.

In the late 1980s, there were about 500,000 Sikhs scattered across Afghanistan, many who had been there for generations, according to a Reuters report. By 2005, about 3,700 persons belonging to the Hindu and Sikh communities remained, as per a UNHCR paper.

Read the original:

Tracing the History of Afghan Sikhs: Who Are They and What Happens to Them Now? - The Quint

Closed beach, Lincoln Street beach, Evanston, 1932. In the 1940s, Northwestern University issued a reminder that the Lincoln Street beach was university property, but Evanston had been permitted to operate the beach for public use. (Photo from Evanston History Center Archives)

Good morning, Evanston.

In light of the Citys decision to provide free beach access to residents several days each week, the Evanston History Center examines Evanstons lakefront through the years in a series called A shifting shoreline.

Evanstons lakefront, which has long faced problems with erosion, is a site that proves to be constantly shifting, both literally and physically. As white settlers moved into the area, indigenous peoples would be moved away from the shores in appropriation of the land that would later be called Evanston. This was the first act of restriction, and it would be followed by others.

Part 1 of the series details the growing interest in Evanston beaches, as well as initial efforts to restrict access by race. As described in Part 2, regulation of the beaches intensified after the Chicago race riots and in the midst of Prohibition. Part 3 discusses the restrictions the City legalized in response to the growing popularity of Evanston beaches, particularly to Chicagoans.

In case you missed any of the most important news last week, heres a roundup of the top stories from the RoundTable this past week.

City of Evanston mandates mask in all businesses and indoor public spaces. To reduce the spread of COVID-19 and the highly contagious Delta variant, all individuals two and older, regardless of vaccination status, will be required towear a face covering in all businesses and indoor public spacesin Evanston beginning Aug. 27.Cases per week have risen in Evanston, suburban Cook County and Chicago.

Cleanup of downed and damaged trees continues. The City of Evanstons Forestry Division, as well as private tree and landscape companies, continue to deal with the aftermath of a powerful wind and rainstorm on Aug. 10. Eleven trees were uprooted due to the high winds, and an additional 20 trees needed removal due to extensive damage.

Reimagining Public Safety Committee considers restorative practice circles. Evanstons Reimagining Public Safety Committee a group that reevaluates the Citys Police Department policies, functions and funding is working to build trust with the community.The Moran Center for Youth Advocacy an organization that provides legal and social services to youth and families in need proposed the use of restorative practice circles, in which community members and committee members sit in a circle and discuss public safety and the reimagining of Evanston policing.

Rottweilers owner pleads guilty, fined $150. The owner of a Rottweiler that attacked an Evanston woman July 31 was fined $150 at a hearing Aug. 19. The owner, Michael Prendergast, a vascular surgeon, assured the victim and police that the Rottweiler was up-to-date on its rabies vaccinations.

Two rescued, eight boats crash to shore during heroic lakefront rescue. The Evanston Fire Departmentresponded last Tuesday to multiple reports of several overturned sailboats in the lake with swimmers struggling in the water.First-responding companies encountered high winds, heavy rain and sleet conditions along the lakefront, with a total of eight overturned boats in the water and along the beachfront.

Reading us on the website? Sign up for the free newsletter and well deliver it direct to your inbox.

Excited to be back at King Arts School. As school buses lined up at the curb and parents arrived on foot and bicycle, a palpable sense of anticipation was in the air outside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Literary and Fine Arts School. All eyes were on the front doors. One of the first parents to arrive, Arvin Hutcherson, was excited to hear all about his 5th and 7th graders first day back to in-person learning.

COVID-19 vaccination mandate for all District 65 employees passes with unanimous vote. The District 65 board voted unanimously to support a requirement that all employees provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination by Oct. 15 or submit documentation to the Superintendent for a medical or religious exemption.

Two ETHS teachers honored. Evanston Township High School teacher Eric Brown was recognized by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for his commitment to ETHS students as well as his leadership in helping schools across the country navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Brown, a biology teacher in the Science Department at ETHS, plays an active role in making ETHS a safer space for LGBTQ+ students and increasing achievement for students of color.

In addition, ETHS biology teacher Karen Johnson was named a Stellar Educator by the Society for Science and will serve in the organizations Advocate Program in the coming school year.

Greeting from Supt. Horton to District 65 families. Dear District 65 Families With much excitement, I want to proudly welcome back all of our students and staff for another school year! It is no secret that our community has responded with an amazing amount of flexibility to a multitude of changes caused by the ongoing pandemic. With each change, we have courageously and seamlessly adjusted to any challenge that arose.

Back to School event brings together 50-plus community organizations. It was a resource fair, fun fair and back-to-school celebration all rolled into one nurturing, community-building experience. Evanstonians turned out by the hundreds for Back to School Back to the Future on Aug. 21 at Mason Park.The event was a multi-faceted opportunity to discover resources and enjoy food, music, games and giveaways.

Greeting from Supt. Witherspoon to Wildkits: We still have our humanity It is exciting to have all of you back at ETHS. As you know, ETHS has not been fully opened since March 13, 2020. Welcome freshmen and sophomores. You will have your first full experience of walking these hallways with all your classmates. Welcome juniors. You experienced only seven months in your school during your freshman year. Youre back! And seniors, what can I say? Weve missed you.

The Lighthouse Keeper sees that from Evanston Made to the Art Makers Outpost to the informal association of artists in West Evanston, a lot of talented people live in our town. Local artist Casey Christensen created this torn paper collage (above) for the RoundTable to give this column a look that clearly distinguishes it from the actual structure and Park District adjacent to the Citys northernmost beach. You can see more of her work atthepurplelineart.

My next door neighbor drinks. Dear Gabby, My next door neighbor drinks sometimes, and when she does, she can get angry or overly emotional and sappy. Not sure which is worse. And on any given day, you never know what side of her you will get. The problem for me is that when shes angry, she says things that makemeangry.Im conflict averse, so I make nice-nice, but then Im left resenting her and her occasional nasty moods.

A summer camp and a community for seniors create intergenerational bonds. Staff at Three Crowns retirement community are all too familiar with the sight of children and preteens flooding the facility and bouncing off the walls on hot summer days.Although staff experienced some changes this summer due to COVID-19 precautions, three things stayed the same: children, ice cream and intergenerational friendships. The children were campers at GoodSports Youth Summer Camp, and after camp ended at 1:30 p.m., they poured into the retirement home.

The art of making art: Joanna Kramer. You broke it? Im so glad you were using it! As a functional ceramicist, Joanna Kramer makes products that are meant to be used: mugs, vases, bowls and more. When one of her creations leaves her studio, Kramer feels a certain contentment knowing it survived the perilous creation process and that in the days and years to come, the piece will be part of someones daily rituals and special celebrations.

I walked the length of the Greenleaf Street pilot program. When I discovered the Citys plans to launch a pilot program on Greenleaf Street, limiting traffic and creating space for pedestrians and cyclists, I knew I had to check it out for myself.I always appreciate a good walk, so I called up my friend Suzy Vazquez, and together we strolled the length of Greenleaf Street from McDaniel Avenue to Lake Shore Boulevard, documenting the walk in pictures.

Rebuilding swim team will count on Consiglio. Lily Consiglios high school resume includes State-qualifying performances in each of her first three years competing for Evanston, either as an individual or member of a freestyle relay team. Now the Wildkits swim standout is aiming to make an even bigger splash as a senior.

Opportunity knocks for next soccer senior class. Players in the Evanston boys soccer program know from past history that no matter how good you are, and what skill level you reach, youll usually have to wait until your senior year to get major minutes when it comes to playing time.

Wildkits seeking answers as grid season opens. Evanston Township High School head coach Mike Burzawa is embracing the uncertainty that comes from the fact that the Wildkits, like every other program in Illinois, are coming off a pandemic-induced half season last spring and only return a half dozen starters from a team that posted a 3-3 record.

Follow this link:

Evanston History Center takes a look at Evanston's lakefront through the years - Evanston RoundTable

VALDOSTA Moody Air Force Base has had a long history with the violent, troubled nation of Afghanistan a history of blood, sweat and tears.

In the wake of President Joe Bidens decision to pull U.S. troops out of the country after two decades of fighting, chaos erupted as thousands of Afghans tried to flee the country, clogging the capitols airport in an effort to escape the Talibans brutal rule. U.S. military personnel and dozens of Afghans were dead late last week after suicide bombers attacked the airport.

The Taliban traces its roots back to the lengthy Soviet-Afghanistan war of the 1980s, said Joe Robbins, professor and head of the department of political science at Valdosta State University.

He said the Talibans operations are influenced by sharia, a form of Islamic religious law. Taliban followers oppose women in schools and in most jobs outside the home, he said.

The Taliban rose to power in the 1990s on a platform of combating corruption in the government, Robbins said.

In late 2001, following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. accused the Taliban of harboring the al-Qaida terrorist group that carried out the attacks, and launched an invasion of Afghanistan intended to overthrow the Taliban, which became an insurgent front fighting the U.S. as invaders. That battle has lasted 20 years. With Bidens decision to withdraw U.S. troops from the country to focus on security threats elsewhere, the Taliban launched an offensive that has overrun most of Afghanistan.

In the beginning

Moody Air Force Base entered Afghanistans picture in March 2002.

The 41st Rescue Squadron, based at Moody, headed for Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Flying HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters, the 41st specialized in saving downed air crews.

The aircraft were involved within 12 hours and the crews were involved within 48 hours, former 41st RQS commander Lt. Col. Lee dePaulo said in a 2014 interview.

This was the beginning of many deployments of 41st RQS assets to Afghanistan.

On March 4 of that year, Sgt. Jason Cunningham of Moody was a pararescueman with a search-and-rescue team searching for two airmen downed in al-Qaida and Taliban territory.

When enemy fire brought their helicopter down, the SAR team formed a hasty defense, while Cunningham worked inside the helicopters burning wreckage to treat wounded men.

The sergeant began carrying the critically wounded to a place of safety, braving small-arms fire and rocket attacks. He was mortally wounded in the process.

The citation for his Air Force Cross, awarded posthumously, credited him with saving 10 lives. He was buried March 11, 2202, at Arlington National Cemetery.

That Others May Live

Cunningham was not the last of the Moody personnel who would die in Afghanistan.

On March 23, 2005, another rescue helicopter from Moody crashed into a mountain seconds after detaching from an in-flight refueling aircraft.

The crew of the Pave Hawk helicopter had been on an urgent mercy mission to pick up two Afghan children with serious head wounds.

All six people aboard the helicopter died instantly, a review board found.

They were Lt. Col. John Stein, 1st Lt. Tamara Archuleta, Staff Sgt. John Teal, Staff Sgt. Jason Hicks, all of the 48th Rescue Squadron; and Master Sgt. Michael Maltz and Senior Airman Jason Plite, both with the 38th Rescue Squadron.

No clear reason for the crash was ever given. In 2008, a learning center at Moody AFB was named for Maltz.

Archuletas death hit home hard for children in Lake Park; she had written letters and sent a package including an American flag to third-grade students at Lake Park Elementary School. Taylor Thomas, then age 9, cried when students were told of Archuletas death. I was very sad, because she was the very first person who had sent a letter to us.

Separately, Moody Airman First Class Jesse Samek died that year during a rescue mission for a United Nations worker. The UN operative survived and the Air Force named a camp after Samek.

On June 9, 2010, another helicopter crash in Afghanistan impacted the Moody community. Killed were 1st Lt. Joel C. Gentz, Tech. Sgt. Michael P. Flores, Staff Sgt. David C. Smith, Senior Airman Benjamin D. White and Capt. David A. Wisniewski.

Moody in Combat

In 2007, the 23rd Fighter Group moved from Pope AFB in North Carolina to Moody. A descendant of the legendary Flying Tigers American Volunteer Group of World War II, the 23rd was fitted out with A-10C Warthog planes for low-level air-to-ground combat. Squadrons from the 23rd Fighter Group were sent to Afghanistan in 2008 and 2009, providing close air support for ground forces in battles against the Taliban, racking up 23,000 combat hours.

Keeping bases secure

During the last 20 years, it became routine to hear that members of Moody AFBs 823rd Base Defense Group were being deployed to Southwest Asia.

Their mission was to protect air bases and support base operations. It wouldnt be until the units returned months later that the Air Force would announce they had been in Afghanistan.

In 2016, two sergeants with Moodys 824th Base Defense Squadron Master Sgt. Aaron Frederick and Staff Sgt. Bradley Mock won the Bronze Star with Valor, the Air Force Combat Action Medal and the Purple Heart for dealing with a suicide bomber the previous year.

Frederick, a patrol leader, was with his team of 13 men at six kilometers from Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan on Dec. 21, 2015, when a Taliban suicide bomber on a motorcycle stopped nearby. Frederick lunged toward the bomber just as he detonated his explosives, killing six airmen and wounding five others.

Despite his injuries, he organized a landing zone for a medical evacuation and refused treatment until he knew everyone else was accounted for, according to a formal citation.

Mock, a radio operator in the same patrol, summoned help, provided first aid and secured important gear even though he had taken facial injuries.

Winning bronzeand silver

There were other medals awarded to Moody personnel; other tales of heroism in Afghanistan to be told.

Capt. Yonel Dorelis, a co-pilot with the 41st RQS, received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his bravery on March 2, 2002.

In another case, Staff Sgt. Aaron Metzger, 38th Rescue Squadron pararescueman, carried two Afghan partners who were severely injured by a grenade to safety despite danger to himself in 2019. He was honored with the Bronze Star with Valor for his efforts.

In February 2020, Staff Sgt. Nicholas Brunetto, 38th Rescue Squadron pararescueman, Brunetto performed a lifesaving procedure on a wounded teammate and managed the evacuation of nearly a dozen patients while under attack. These actions earned Brunetto a Silver Star.

Training Afghan pilots

In 2014, Moody was tapped to support 20 A-29 aircraft, 17 USAF instructor pilots, and 24 maintenance and support personnel to train Afghan pilots and maintenance personnel.

The training program came to an end in November 2020 when the last class of Afghan A-29 pilots graduated. More than 30 pilots and 70 support personnel were trained at the base in the program.

On Dec. 7, 2015, two Afghan personnel were reported missing from Moody. The Department of Homeland Security, Air Force investigators, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and local law-enforcement agencies began searching for the two men after they failed to report for duty.

In the years since, the federal government has never clearly stated what happened to the two men.

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

More:

Moody and the Afghans: Base has long history with war-torn country - Valdosta Daily Times

Use your (arrows) to browse

Roman Hamrlik, Washington Capitals (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

Before the Washington Capitals reached the top of the hockey world, they made several mistakes along the way. Im not just talking about on the ice but within the front office. These mistakes proved costly for the team financially as the Caps overpaid for these guys.

Sometimes though the Caps can get it right with their contracts. For example this summer when they extended Alex Ovechkin. Some people were negative about the deal but honestly it wouldve strapped the Caps if it was over 10 million. The fact he will be making $9.5 million per year allows the Caps to spend a little bit to remain competitive.

Anyway heres the worst of the worst.

Roman Hamrlik, Washington Capitals (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)

Back in the summer of 2011, the Caps added veteran defenseman Roman Hamrlik. They signed him to a two year deal worth $7 million. He did well in his first season of that contract so at the time it didnt look bad. He had two goals and 11 assists for 13 points in 68 games while averaging 19:13 minutes of ice time.

The next year he struggled and part of it was due to the lockout shortened season. After recording just one assist he was waived by the Caps after just four games.

Use your (arrows) to browse

See more here:

Washington Capitals: Top 5 worst contracts in team history - Stars and Sticks