Category Archives: Sealand

Nov. 11Three hundred and eighteen flags lined a corner of the University of Idaho Administration Building lawn to remember all the alumni who had died in action since the Spanish-American War. As the campus was quiet because of canceled classes, dozens gathered to mark Veterans Day.

The ceremony started 15 minutes past 11 a.m. Friday with the presentation of the guard. University of Idaho ROTC students were lined up in dress uniforms along the street, facing the flag displays.

ROTC members brought out flags of the United States, the state of Idaho and each miltary branch before placing them in the flag stands. The crowd stood silent for the display as the chosen speaker approached the edge of the lawn.

Despite the wind and no microphone, Lt. Col. Ross Warren addressed the crowd. He is a professor of military science at the University of Idaho, director of the ROTC program and an alumnus. Warren gave a brief speech on the history of Veterans Day and the display behind him before asking for a moment of silence.

Veterans Day was established in 1954 and changed the already established Armistice Day to include all American veterans. Armistice Day was established to celebrate the end of the First World War. As a call-back to Veterans Day's history, Warren accompanied his speech with a reading of "Soldiers Triumphant," written by University of Idaho then-president Ernest H. Lindley.

"At the beginning of the war college men were quick to understand the issue. They did not wait for others. They gave themselves promptly and wholeheartedly to the cause," Lindley writes.

The essay was published in 1920 in the Gem of the Mountains, the university yearbook. It starts with a story of an American soldier who was found on a battlefield in France. The soldier had no marks of identification except for a ring with the University of Idaho seal, and was found next to four German soldiers. The soldier was found with a knife driven into the ground next to him as "a token of his victory in unequal combat," Lindley writes.

During the silence, the wreath was placed on display.

"I certainly cannot speak for all servicemen past and present. However, I think all veterans and servicemen are an expression of hope," Warren said. "Hope that our American experience is worth preserving with our lives."

Kali Nelson can be reached at knelson@dnews.com.

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Recalling a moment of valor - Yahoo News

The colorful leaves falling from the trees in autumn are one of the best parts of this time of year. Each leaf is unique and beautiful, and you might want to save them forever. If thats the case for you, youll want to learn some DIY solutions to preserve leaves this fall.

Preserving leaves is the only way to keep them long-term. Otherwise, theyll crumble into dust the longer you keep them.

Using these solutions to preserve leaves allows you to cherish the beauty of nature, decorate your home, or use them as accents on crafts. Whatever you want to use your preserved leaves for, these solutions make it possible to maintainvibrant colors.

You can seal your leaves to glass jars and other surfaces for lasting fall decor.

Anna Ok/Shutterstock.com

Mod Podge or similar craft glue is one of the best DIY solutions to preserve leaves this fall. You can also use this method to seal and glue your leaves to surfaces like paper, glass, or wood. However, if you dont want to seal them to anything, youll cover them with Mod Podge and lay them on newspaper or wax paper to try.

The Mod Podge seals in the color and doesnt ruin the texture or dimension. It dries clear and glossy but often darkens colors a little. You can use slightly watered-down white glue if you dont have Mod Podge.

Ironing leaves between wax paper is one method for preserving them.

Margaret M Stewart/Shutterstock.com

This DIY solution to preserve leaves this fall is a popular option because its easy. Start by turning your iron on the high setting before laying out wax paper. Arrange your leaves on it, leaving space between each, and then place another sheet of wax paper on top.

Next, put a thick paper over the top layer of wax paper to protect your iron from melted wax. Then, youll iron the layers together before flipping it over and ironing the other side.

As you do this, the wax from the paper should transfer onto the leaves. If it doesnt do it the first time, keep ironing until it does. Dont use the steam setting because you want the leaves to dry as you iron.

Once the wax paper layers have sealed to one another, let it all cool before cutting around each leaf. If you remove the wax paper entirely, a thin coating should remain on the leaves, but some people leave the wax paper on.

You can use preserved leaves as natural decor to add a splash of color to your home.

Christine Dannhausen-Brun/Shutterstock.com

An easy DIY solution to preserve leaves this fall is to laminate them with plastic. After you run them through the laminator, cut the leaves out, but leave a border around them. The border keeps it sealed so the leaves last longer, keep their color, and hold up through many uses.

Youll want to make sure the leaves are dry before laminating them. It might help to press them for a few days in a book or beneath a heavy surface. Laminating leaves for preservation doesnt leave a natural look and texture, and the resulting leaves arent always easy to use for crafts.

When you dip leaves in melted wax, you can use them long-term in decorative pieces.

Kristen Prahl/Shutterstock.com

Many people use beeswax or paraffin wax for this solution, but other options are available. If youre using beeswax and have a double boiler, melt the wax in it without letting it boil.

Otherwise, you can use a disposable pan if youre usingparaffinor dont have a double boiler. Paraffin can ruin your pan, so you wont want to use something you plan to keep. Plus, you can use a disposable pan for beeswax if you want an easy clean-up.

Melt it over low heat so it doesnt boil, and carefully remove it from the stove, keeping in mind that itll be hot. Dip your brightly colored leaves into the wax, making sure to coat both sides. Then, let the excess drip off before hanging them from the stems to dry or lay them on wax paper until the wax hardens.

If you press your leaves in a book, put separate paper on each side of the leaves to protect your book.

Jelena990/Shutterstock.com

Putting your leaves between two sheets of paper in a book is an easy way to preserve them this fall. This method doesnt hold up as long as others, but it retains the colors better.

To do this, get two pieces of newspaper or wax paper and put your leaves between them. Then, put it all inside a book and close the cover so the heavy pressure works its magic on the leaves. If you dont put the leaves between something before putting them in, you could create stains in your book.

Make sure the leaves are in a single layer before closing the book, or they could stick together. If youre putting leaves between multiple pages in the same book, leave at least 20 pages between them.

Check on them every couple of days to see if theyre dry. Once they are, you can remove them and use the leaves however youd like.

When you use glycerin, you can soak a branch with the leaves attached to keep the look complete.

PeggyReillyPhotos/Shutterstock.com

Soaking leaves inglycerinhelps preserve the color, although the red hues may fade a little. When using this method, youll want to mix one part glycerin with two parts water before adding the leaves. Soak your leaves in the Glycerin mixture for three to five days, checking them often to ensure they arent clumping together.

You can even put a branch with leaves attached in to the glycerin to preserve the entire thing. If you want to do this, choose branches from the ground so you dont damage the tree.

Before putting the branch into the glycerin mixture, use a hammer on the end of it to expose the live wood. This step allows the glycerin to seep into the wood properly, helping preserve it long-term. Glycerin is also a popular option for preserving flowers, including roses, so there are plenty of options for this mixture.

Putting leaves in the microwave is a fast and easy way to preserve them.

Iza Korwel/Shutterstock.com

A less common DIY solution to preserve leaves this fall ismicrowavingthem. Put them on a paper towel and cover them with a second paper towel before putting them in the microwave for 30 seconds before checking on them. If they arent dry yet, microwave for five more seconds before checking again, continuing in five-second increments until theyre ready.

Dont microwave them so long that they get brittle or scorched. Once you remove the leaves from the microwave, sit them out overnight. Then, use an acrylic spray to seal them and help with preservation.

After you preserve your leaves, you can use them to do crafts and other activities.

Tomsickova Tatyana/Shutterstock.com

After preserving leaves, the options for what you can do with them are plentiful. You can use them for nature-inspired crafts and art projects. Whether you do the craft alone or with children, itll bring nature inside and help you preserve the beauty of autumn.

Another option is to make a tree journal where you attach the leaves to the pages. You can label the leaves based on the type of tree they came from or write whatever inspiration allows.

Many people also use preserved leaves as home dcor for the fall season. Its a natural way to brighten up your home, and the possibilities are endless. You can use the leaves as garland, filler, in a vase, or however else you think to display them.

The photo featured at the top of this post is sergiophoto/Shutterstock.com

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Discover 7 DIY Solutions to Preserve Leaves This Fall - AZ Animals

You're readingRoute Fifty'sState and Local Roundup. To getthe weeks news to use from around the country,you can subscribe hereto get this update in your inbox every Saturday.

Its Saturday, Nov. 11, and wed like to welcome you to the weekly State and Local Roundup. There is plenty of news to keep tabs on, but first: Happy Veterans Day! We at Route Fifty would like to thank all past and present service members. It seems fitting that Veterans Day falls so close to Election Day in the U.S., where this week millions of voters across the nation exercised their freedom to vote.

There were a lot of groups happy with how Tuesdays elections unfurled, and one of those is supporters of transgender rights, who emerged victorious in many key races after years of being at the center of conservative-led culture wars.

In Kentucky, Republican gubernatorial candidate Daniel Cameron repeatedly targeted transgender rights in his unsuccessful bid to unseat Gov. Andy Beshear. The Democratic governor vetoed a measure passed by the Republican-dominated state legislature earlier this year that bans access to gender-affirming care for transgender kids and dictates which bathrooms they must use. The legislature overrode his veto.

During the campaign, Cameron said Beshear protects transgender surgeries for kids and demands that boys play in girls sports, referring to transgender girls. Cameron, the states attorney general, said Beshear was auditioning for a job with Bud Lights marketing team, referring to the beer brands partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Gender was one of the top three issues addressed by Republican ads in the governors race (along with crime and Joe Biden), according to AdImpact, a campaign ad tracking service.

Beshear responded to the barrage of criticism with an ad of his own, saying his faith led him to believe that all children are children of God. The governor also quipped about Camerons focus on the issue, I think if you ask him about climate change, hell say its caused by children and gender reassignment surgeries.

Camerons preoccupation with transgender rights perplexed some political observers, too. Cook Political Report analyst Jessica Taylor told reporters she has not seen evidence yet either in Kentucky or elsewhere that [campaigning to restrict the rights of transgender people] is an effective argument. She noted that Republicans had tried a similar tack with Gov. Laura Kelly in Kansas last year.

Of course, transgender rights played a big role in many races across the country, from school board races in Pennsylvania to legislative elections in Virginia. In fact, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin won election two years ago promising to promote parents rights and imposing new rules on transgender students in schools.

But those efforts failed to gain traction or even backfired. Virginia Del. Danica Roem, a Democrat, won election to the state Senate Tuesday against a Republican incumbent who opposed transgender rights and wanted to ban transgender students from playing high school sports. That makes her the second transgender state senator in the country, along with Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride, who is now running for Congress.

Meanwhile, conservative activists backed by groups like Moms for Liberty and the 1776 Project lost 70% of their school board races nationally, according to the American Federation of Teachers, although the conservative groups dispute that number. Liberal majorities took control of school boards in culture war hotspots such as Loudoun County and Spotsylvania County in Virginia and Central Bucks County school district in Pennsylvania.

Extremist politicians on the Republican side have been really focusing on attacking transgender people, said Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, the executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality Action Fund. They did so cynically, because they thought it was going to get them votes. But what Tuesday nights results really born out was that [attacking transgender rights] only captures votes in the primaries, because it only resonates with the fringes. When you get to the general elections, it really backfires on these anti-trans candidates.

Transgender people make up a small portion of the populationlikely less than 1%so most Americans dont spend much time worrying about them, Heng-Lehtinen said. So making them a huge part of a campaign platform, at a time when Americans are worried about gas prices, school shootings and teacher shortages, makes those candidates look out of touch, he said.

Were at a point where most people do recognize the basic humanity of transgender people, he added. They may understandably have questions about some more intricate policy matters, like school sports or health care, but they can generally recognize that we are people and no one should be subjected to discrimination. So when a candidate for office makes a point to attack us, it makes them look like a bully.

Heng-Lehtinen said that politicians like Youngkin misinterpreted the angst of parents in 2021, the year when the Republican Virginia governor was elected. At the time, the public was tired of school closures, mask mandates and other COVID-19 policies, Heng-Lehtinen said, and parents from across the political spectrum became more involved in politics, particularly when it came to schools.

These culturally conservative organizations tried to leverage that to also put forward anti-LGBT initiatives and anti-diversity in education initiatives, he said. They purposefully tried to seize the momentum around COVID organizing into these other cultural war issues, and they conflated COVID with everything else, when really, everyday parents did feel affected by COVID but most of them didnt feel affected by trans people. I mean, lets be real. Theres not a lot of us out there.

But politically, the momentum swung against transgender rights in Republican strongholds. Conservatives wanted to burnish their credentials with their strongest supporters, and groups like Moms for Liberty formed to pressure school administrators and public officials to curb diversity initiatives and even remove library books about LGBTQ characters or people of color from schools.

In state legislatures, new records were set every year since 2020 in the amount of anti-LGBTQ legislation introduced and in the number of proposals specifically targeting transgender and nonbinary people.

When trans people found that they were being targeted by public officials, though, many of them decided to run for office themselves, Heng-Lehtinen said. Its not a coincidence. There has been a marked increase in trans people running for office, and its only been in the last two years. It is to a meaningful degree in response to these growing legislative attacks on transgender people.

This fall, trans candidates won election to the Minneapolis City Council, to the Nashville Metro council and as the commissioner of finance in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

But the anti-trans rhetoric in the political arena has affected trans people in their everyday lives, particularly for trans youth, Heng-Lehtinen said. They face mental health problems and growing suicidal ideation, along with physical attacks, murders and other hate crimes. We are fighting for our lives in policy, but we are also literally fighting for our lives, he said. So in response, a lot of transgender people and our families who love us are now getting involved.

It's not clear whether candidates will abandon their anti-trans rhetoric in the future, but Heng-Lehtinen said he found one encouraging sign since the Tuesday elections. During the Republican presidential debate on Wednesday, the issue of transgender rights was barely mentioned, even though it was a major flashpoint in previous debates. In the last round of debates, they went after transgender people hard, he said. But now, the day after the election, they rewrote their script.

More Election News

Tuesday was a big night for Democrats. It proved that the party has staying power in state elections: Voters reelected the Democratic governor of Kentucky and rebuffed the Republican legislature in Ohio by approving measures to legalize marijuana and protect abortion rights. Democrats also added to their wins by taking control of the Virginia House from Republicans. It was a historic night of firsts, particularly in local elections. ICYMI, check out Daniel C. Vocks roundup of election results.

Housing and homelessness played a big role in this years elections, both as a candidate issue and on ballot initiatives. Route Fiftys Molly Bolan found that Tuesdays results reflect frustration with the issues and little agreement across communities on which policies are most effective in creating safe, stable and affordable housing for all.

Public transportation was also on the ballot in communities across the country. Voters on Tuesday approved 14 out of 19 measures supporting public transit. This weeks results add to the 15 public transit measures already passed by voters this year, bringing the total to 29 out of 36 wins for public transit in 2023, according to the American Public Transportation Association.

And finally, several tax initiatives were on the ballot Tuesday. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy rounded up its take on the elections results. But a few issues garnered national attention, including Ohios 10% excise tax on legalized marijuana and Texas voters decision to cut property taxes.

Texas voters weighed 14 constitutional amendments on the ballot Tuesday and approved property tax cuts, a raise for retired teachers and billions in investments in infrastructure, research, tech and energy. By far, the ballot measure with the most support was an $18 billion package that lowered school district property taxes for homeowners and businesses. Texans also approved a ballot measure denying the legislature the option to impose a wealth tax.

Meanwhile, a sweeping proposal to overhaul Colorados property tax system was rejected by voters. The plan promised property tax savings but packaged in significant changes to how the state collects, spends and refunds tax money for years to come.

Keep reading as theres more news to use below, and if you dont already and would prefer to get this roundup in your inbox, you can subscribe to this newsletter here. Well see you next week.

News to Use

Trends, Common Challenges, Cool Ideas, FYIs and Notable Events

Picture of the Week

More than 2,600 designs were proposed for the new Minnesota state flag and seal during the public submission period that ended on Oct. 30. Eighty-five percent of the submissions are for the flag, while 15% for the seal, reported the Pioneer Press. The flag designs include classic Minnesota elements such as trees, water, loons, the north star and even the pink ladys slipper. Many of those same components appear on seal submissions. Later this month, the State Emblems Redesign Commission will select five entries each for the new state seal and state flag. The 2023 legislature established the commission to develop and adopt a new design for the state seal and a new design for the state flag by Jan. 1. The states effort follows a wave of flag redesigns across the nation, Ted Kaye, a vexillologist and author of the book on flag design, Good Flag, Bad Flag, told Route Fifty earlier this year. (Flag submissions courtesy of State Emblems Redesign Commission)

Government in Numbers

360

The approximate number of glaciers that have disappeared across the American West since the mid-20th century. The new inventory of glaciers in the American West shows that 52 of the 612 officially named glaciers are no longer glaciers because they are either too small, no longer moving or have disappeared altogether. The effort focuses on named glaciers across the western half of the continental U.S. and has found that since the mid-20th centuryabout the time the U.S. Geological Survey first started mapping the entire countryabout 360 glaciers have either disappeared or become permanent snowfields. Researchers said the disappearance of glaciers shows just how much climate change is impacting the landscape across the American West. For a mass of ice to be considered a glacier, it must be at least 0.01 square kilometers (roughly the size of two side-by-side football fields) and it must be moving.

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Why advocates for transgender rights are so thrilled with election ... - Route Fifty

The rubber might hit the road, but the gravel never did.

When Lisa Church turned to social media earlier this month to alert locals to a safety issue on Mill Creek Drive due to a failed application of chip-seal that left loose gravel in the roadway and bike paths, the city came under withering criticism from many who saw her post.

Church, the citys communications director, discussed the lengthy project with The Times-Independent Nov. 9. Joining her were City Engineer Chuck Williams and Michael Black, community development director.

While motorists remain frustrated with the lengthy work which was not just a road improvement project but rather a 1.2-mile, 12-inch waterline replacement on Mill Creek Drive from 400 East to Murphy Lane it is motorcyclists and bicyclists that have been most affected. Indeed, underlying the issue is the fact that one bicyclist who crashed on the gravel-strewn road sustained injuries that required a trip to Moab Regional Hospital.

Were reaching out to them, said Black of the victim, a local resident. Were continuing to work with the injured person.

We didnt ignore the weather. We got caught by the weather. Chuck Williams.

Williams, who has been involved in chip-seal projects for decades, said the primary reason the work failed can be attributed to a turn in the weather. Chip-seal must be applied and be given time to adhere to the oil that is part of the process in temperatures that dont fall below 50 degrees.

The chip-seal began Oct. 23 and ended Oct. 27, a four-day period that saw below-freezing temperatures before they warmed up again a few days later. Contractor LeGrand Johnson, he said, checked pavement temperatures. The high the day they started reached 70 degrees.

The waterline project also lasted longer than expected. We were waiting for all that to be done and we put water crews and developers [with unrelated projects along the work zone] on notice to get their stuff done, said Williams. There was still work going on so we had to wait. You dont want to put down new chip-seal and then have to cut it up.

While the chip-seal project was completed on Oct. 27, more than a week passed before the problem was noticed. Things started unraveling Nov. 5, said Williams. That is to say, temperatures dropped too low for the gravel to embed in the oil.

Crews from LeGrand Johnson and the citys Public Works department worked overtime to remove the gravel from Mill Creek Drives travel lanes and placed it in the bike lanes which will remain closed until LeGrand Johnson does the chip-seal work next summer, probably in June, according to Williams.

LeGrand Johnson, said Williams, readily agreed the work was under warranty and next years chip-seal project has already been paid for. Williams said between $140,000 and $150,00 of the $260,000 project was earmarked for chip-seal.

While Black understands the publics frustration, he said the problem was not a debacle, but rather a series of really unfortunate circumstances. One of those circumstances, he conceded, regards decisions that were made. We decided to go ahead and unfortunately that didnt work out. Once finished, well look back and see what led to some of those decisions so we can respond to the public and assure the public it wont happen again.

The city and LeGrand Johnson put up copious signage warning motorists and others that the bike lane was closed, that there was loose gravel on the roadway, and to share the road. We were trying to get people to be careful, but were taking responsibility for this, said Black.

Now that the gravel has been removed from travel lanes, the road will be striped, but that could be a challenge to schedule as there are only three companies in the entire state that stripe roads. They will have to be re-striped after the chip-seal is reapplied next summer, said Williams.

We apologize to the entire community and were trying to make it right, said Church.

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Drop in temps led to Mill Creek chip-seal failure - The Times ... - The Times-Independent

Please be aware that short notice changes may be made to the dates below.

For updated information on firing taking place on Sealand Ranges phone:

Operations Room: 01874 635599 (24 hours)

Helpdesk: 0800 0223334 (24 hours)

Sealand Range: 01244 280106 or 07766 991807

Main Office: 01743 741607

Do not enter the danger area when in use, this could result in loss of life. For your own safety do not touch any military debris, it may be dangerous.

If the red flags and/or lights are hoisted, regardless of the timings, do not enter the training area. This is a danger to life.

Learn more about accessing MOD training areas safely.

On a firing date if it looks like nobody has arrived on the range, and you wish to enter the firing area, please telephone one of the phone numbers above.

Read about access restrictions and location of Sealand Rifle Ranges.

You can receive firing times updates direct. Contact bams907waleswest@landmarc.mod.uk with your name, address and contact number.

Should we use the range on a non-firing date, we will inform you by phone or email, giving no less than 24 hours notice.

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Sealand firing times 11 to 17 November - GOV.UK

A planned gym and community hub in Sealand to be visited by professional athletes, create new jobs and keep children away from gang culture has been given the go-ahead.

Flintshire Councils planning department has approved changing the use of a unit on Drome Road to create a fitness centre, caf and barbers, at the second time of asking.

Submitted by Sports for Champions UK (CIC), a not-for-profit organisation based in Deeside, the council rejected an initial application earlier this year.

Reasons given for refusal ranged from concerns about a lack of parking space to potential impact on the areas character.

But before resubmitting their application, the applicants took council advice on their proposals.

In a covering letter, they explained: Sports for Champions UK (CIC) is a not-for-profit organisation based in Deeside, they are a community interest company who have some volunteers and a small amount of funding, but they also employ 13 people and if permission is approved for this unit, it will create additional employment.

This venture for a gymnasium would provide disadvantaged young people with an opportunity to get active and train with elite athletes. Classes will include free fitness lessons which not only keeps them active and off the streets but also teaches them how to respect others and themselves.

They have partnered with Coleg Cambria and local children who have dropped out of school and are in transition of not knowing what to do with their lives, children who are extremely impressionable and vulnerable will now be offered the opportunity to experience the gym alongside coaching them to lead a positive life.

They will be mentored by professional athletes who have come from a similar background but chose sport instead of joining a gang, with the athletes and colleges help they will put these young people through their personal training foundation courses level 2 and 3. They will then be able to offer them a full-time job as personal trainers in the gym.

Under the plans, the gym would be open to the public during lunch time 12pm-2pm, before work 7am-9am and after working hours 5pm7pm.

The community caf will also be available to the public and will provide hot food takeaway as well as a limited number of seats within the caf area.

Eight parking spaces will also be provided.

The covering letter added: The community hub will make a positive impact within the community for people of all ages to use, especially young people that have been identified by local Police Community Support Officers as vulnerable.

They can use the facilities free of charge after school to keep them away from gang culture which is a growing problem in the area seeing older gang members travelling form Manchester and Liverpool area to recruit these kids to manage their county line drug operation.

They will also be offering free gym memberships to people suffering from mental health problems referred from their GP, as exercise improves overall wellbeing and promotes the release of natural endorphins boosting mood and self-esteem.

The community caf will be offering free food to families struggling to feed themselves, anything left over will be donated to the local hostel that offers homeless people a roof over their heads free of charge for the night. The venture is truly inspiring and much needed, it offers a safe haven, kindness and hope for young people.

The site will also be available outside of teaching/coaching hours for the general public to use, and the company have decided to open the caf up to provide food and takeaways to people working on the industrial estate where a special discount will be applied, providing an even greater community benefit.

Although the unit on the industrial park is empty, the council planning department had considered whether allowing the hub to be granted would remove potential employment space.

But it has been determined that the lack of such facilities in the area outweighed this.

A planning officer report states: Whilst the application does not meet the requirements regarding the use of the unit in the principal employment area, the applicant has provided justification as to the need for this facility in the location proposed and that there is a lack of suitable available units nearby.

The loss of the employment use can therefore be justified in this instance and is considered acceptable under Policy PE6. It is considered that there would be no adverse effect on the highway or on the character and appearance of the principal employment area. The application is accordingly recommended for approval.

Approval has been granted in a delegated decision signed off by the councils chief planning officer Andrew Farrow. By Rory Sheehan Local Democracy Reporter (more here).

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Flintshire Council greenlights new gym and community hub in ... - Deeside.com

Please be aware that short notice changes may be made to the dates below.

For updated information on firing taking place on Sealand Ranges phone:

Operations Room: 01874 635599 (24 hours)

Helpdesk: 0800 0223334 (24 hours)

Sealand Range: 01244 280106 or 07766 991807

Main Office: 01743 741607

Do not enter the danger area when in use, this could result in loss of life. For your own safety do not touch any military debris, it may be dangerous.

If the red flags and/or lights are hoisted, regardless of the timings, do not enter the training area. This is a danger to life.

Learn more about accessing MOD training areas safely.

On a firing date if it looks like nobody has arrived on the range, and you wish to enter the firing area, please telephone one of the phone numbers above.

Read about access restrictions and location of Sealand Rifle Ranges.

You can receive firing times updates direct. Contact bams907waleswest@landmarc.mod.uk with your name, address and contact number.

Should we use the range on a non-firing date, we will inform you by phone or email, giving no less than 24 hours notice.

View post:

Sealand firing times 12 to 18 August - GOV.UK

PRESS RELEASE

Published August 2, 2023

Yu Sunis the CEO and Co-Founder ofSealand Technology Co., China, a producer of cleaning devices with integration of elegant, compact, and eco-friendly (ECEF) properties. The companys key products,cleaning machines, lawnmowers, and vacuum cleaners, are purpose-built commercial cleaning devices which utilize light-weight, portability, delicate appearance, material-saving, multi-functionality, low power consumption, and reduced-emission designs to achieve the quality of Carbon Neutrality, in terms innovative product design strategies, new electrical engineering solutions, and novel environmental engineering approaches. Yu Sun graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, US. After graduate, Yu Sun would go on to found Sealand Tech in 2017 with 2 classmates and friends from his university days.Together with the team, Yu Sun has built Sealand Tech into one of Chinas fastest growing cleaning device companies.

As introduced by Yu Sun, At Sealand Tech our goal is to make the new cleaning devices ubiquitous and evolving. Both commercial customers and home retails benefit from our brand new cleaning devices with enhanced user experiences, meanwhile we facilitate the environmental protection that is long-term sustainable to local community. We design, manufacture, sell, service and support Neo-ECEF, our fully commercial cleaning device. You can find Neo-ECEF deployed around the country, with leading companies continuing to choose Neo-ECEF as their go-to new-fashioned cleaning solution. Neo-ECEF keeps a variety of environments of cleaning, including transit stations and airports, warehouses, manufacturing facilities, retail centers and shopping malls as well as hospitals, schools, and of course home retails. As mentioned by Yu Sun, Being mutual fans of Apple products, we aimed of designing cleaning devices with fashioned appearance, compacted functionality, high portability, as well as user friendly, that is revolutionary compared to the traditional cleaning devices with huge size, heavy weight, cold face and heavy metal appearance. When we graduated, we decided to realize this vision and founded Sealand Tech. In the first version of our commercial cleaning machine, the appearance was just like iPhone series born in the cleaning device market. Meanwhile, we save the consumption of materials by replacing the metal with eco-friendly plastics, leading to a 35% saving of materials. Of course we enable our products with lower selling prices, achieved by more advanced and compacted functionality design.

The fast booming of Sealand Tech started at year of 2020, when carbon neutrality became a global focus, and over 100 countries signed a goal of carbon neutrality at United Nations, including US, EU, and China. Inspired by this trend, Yu Sun and his teammates started to integrate carbon-neutrality and ceo-friendly functionalities into their 2ndversion of cleaning devices, including designs of emission reduction, degradable materials, and lower power consumption, leading to the value of the products significantly enriched. As introduced by Yu Sun, Previously we aimed to sell our cleaning devices with enriched functionalities and user experiences, that are common goals for most of the starting-up companies to full-fill the dreams of creating profits and expand the market share. But in recent years we want more. The explicit achievement of environmental protection and carbon neutrality into the cleaning devices, has upgraded the values of our products to serve the society and ecology. Our motivation is naturally inspired and we enjoy to see our company keeping expansion with both services and profits realized. The cost of product is also reduced by 28% by utilization of design idea of carbon-neutrality. At the same time, Yu Suns company received the Angel Investment of 500K USD, and was awarded as China's High-Tech Enterprise.

By the talents and hard working of our team, we have accumulated the selling volume of 3 million USD. Moreover, we already gained a sales volume of 1.5 million USD in the fist half of 2023, indicating the fast growing of our market place. We have built close commercial relations with our customers covering hospitals, schools, home service companies, and more other fields. Currently, Yu Sun is actively seeking a preA round of investment, meanwhile building a close market tie with potential customers globally.

Neo-ECEF cleaning machine version 2.0, designed and assembled by Sealand Technology Co.

Media Contact Company Name: Sealand Technology Co. Contact Person: Yu Sun (Founder and CEO) Email: Send Email Phone: +86-19901940236 Country: China Website: http://www.sealandrobotech.com

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Design and Delivery of Elegant, Compact, and Eco-Friendly (ECEF ... - Digital Journal

Its an awe-inspiring moment when you get to meet a Navy Seal who also happens to be a NASA astronaut! Meet Captain Chris Cassidy, who as a Navy SEAL, became a member of an elite special operations force in the United States Navy known for its rigorous training and ability to carry out challenging and dangerous missions on land, sea, and air. In addition to his SEAL career, Cassidy became an astronaut in 2004 for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) where he flew on multiple space missions, including trips to the International Space Station (ISS). And, on a playful note, he was also the first astronaut who took a selfie in space. That moment, which he said was completely spontaneous, immediately went viral during a spacewalk in 2013.

Captain Chris Cassidy, Navy SEAL and NASA astronaut, poses with young fans. (Photo by author)

On the occasion of our interview, Captain Cassidy made an appearance at a private home on the North Shore in support of the Navy Seal Foundation, of which he is a staunch supporter. The Navy SEAL Foundation, a nonprofit established in 2000, provides critical support for the warriors, veterans, and families of Naval Special Warfare. Cassidy shared, The Foundation is amazing at supporting the families. The Navy supports the Seal teams well but its not the Navys mission to take care of the families. So, quite truthfully, we realized post 9/11, when we started having more bad accidents and more things happen that are tragic for families, how badly the Navy Seal Foundation is needed. So, now its grown into a really robust support network that means a lot to our community. Its more than being there for the knock on the door. Its the follow-up for the kids going to school later, paying for a babysitter when the dad or mom is deployed and so much more. I was a beneficiary of these things while I was on active duty and now its my turn to pay back and be on the board.

The event included a buffet on the lawn at a beautiful lakefront home on the North Shore. (Author photo)

Before the official Q&A, I had the chance to ask him a few questions of my own. See below:

1) What's was one of your most awe-inspiring moments in space? I think opening the hatch on my first spacewalk and seeing Earth below, you know, just outside, holding on with one hand, seeing Earth go by at five miles a second. And, yeah, that was what probably took my breath away.

2) What was your scariest moment? We had a spacewalk where my buddy and I were out there, and his spacesuit malfunctioned and there was water leaking inside his helmet and we had to hurry up and get back in. That was probably the scariest moment.

3) With your unique perspective of the cosmos, do you think there's life on other planets? I think that the universe is so giant, somewhere out there, there's life. We just don't know. I don't believe it's in our solar system, but in my opinion, its naive to think that it couldn't exist anywhere in the universe.

4) What do you think about the civilians in space program and what advice would you give to those planning to go? So, it's more complicated than just buying a ticket and sitting in row 15, seat C. You know there's risk to it, but I think it's the success of the commercial companies right now that are driving that risk down somewhat. But there's always a possibility that some piece of equipment won't work the way it's supposed to on that given day and so, understanding those risks, understanding what you're getting into, and why we train so intently, its not for the good day when everything goes by the plan, but it's for when things start breaking that you can save yourself, save the equipment, keep the thing alive, and your crewmates alive. So just have an appreciation for that and take the training seriously, because it's more than just an enjoyable ride. There's a lot to it.

5) How did your training as a Navy SEAL help you as an astronaut? The military does an amazing job, SEAL teams specifically, of preparing somebody to, in simple terms, walk, chew gum, talk on the radio, and make decisions all at the same time. You're dealing with a dynamic environment. Stuff in front of you is changing. You've got to talk on the radio, communicate that to somebody else, so that you have coordinated effort in that mission. All of that translates exactly to being an effective astronaut. So, I definitely had some advantage with that training under my belt when I got there, but the NASA training is really good, and everybody gets up to that speed eventually.

The afternoon soiree included an intimate Q&A at the home of Muneer Satter and Kristen Hertel Satter. A group of about 30 guests enjoyed mingling with Cassidy, taking photos, and a lavish lunch buffet before Cassidy answered further questions and shared his history in a delightful pavilion on the grounds that was situated in front of an infinity pool with a spectacular lake view in the background.

An intimate gathering of about 30 supporters gathered to hear Captain Cassidy share his story and his love of the Navy Seal Foundation. (Author photo)

Excerpts from his 30-minute discussion are below:

1) How do you eat and sleep on the space station? You know when you're hungry, have to go to the bathroom, and when you're tired, the same exact way you do here. The sleeping part is a little bit interesting. We tie a sleeping bag to the wall and zip it up until you're floating around. It's very comfortable, but there's a few key things. Like you don't have a comfy bed that's giving you relaxation signals. Your brain doesn't have a clue, like, ah, okay, it's time to sleep and rest. So that's the only difference and not having a pillow is a little bit of a thing if you're a pillow person like me. But other than that, you sleep just fine. Going to the bathroom is an interesting thing because we capture all that urine and turn it back into drinking water. It's a critically important piece of technology for us. We recycle about 96% of our fluid, that includes sweaty t-shirts, they dry, and all that gets captured and recycled. It's amazing.

2) Are you the average size for an astronaut? Am I average size? I don't know, maybe slightly taller than average, but the original astronauts were all short intentionally for the capsule design. We don't limit that astronaut size anymore when we select people.

3) What did you do in space? Did you do any specific missions or lab work? The mission of the space station is really to advance science and experiments and research. We, as astronauts, are not those experts. There's an international team that decides what experiments get flown and what things we'll spend our time doing, but we are the activators of all those experiments. So, I'd say probably more than half our time is devoted to those experiments that can be anything as insignificant as opening a package and just putting it there, to assembling the entire thing which could take a whole day. Some of those experiments don't require us to monitor them, they just do their thing, but some of them require a lot of astronaut interaction. So, there's a whole range of experiments. Mostly I would categorize the experiments as biological, like they're testing us or animals. And what are those animals? Mice, I've seen butterflies, and little bitty fish. Fish are kind of interesting because there's an alpha fish that determines where up is, and then they all fall in line to that up. Plants grow as theyre intended to.

A patriotic salute for Captain Chris Cassidy. (Author photo)

4) Do you guys ever experience vertigo when you're up there? Yes, absolutely! The most likely time for that is immediately after the engines are cut. So, you're walking around on Earth, in Florida, or Kazakhstan, if it's a Soyuz or a Russian launch, experiencing the gravity that we have here, and then you get in the rocket. Eight minutes later, you're in zero gravity. And that transition time is a whole lot of stuff for your inner ear to deal with. All of us take sea sickness motion pills on the launch pad like 10 minutes before we lift off. I've never been sick up there but it's totally not anything we judge anyone on because it happens. I remember one crew member who was really not feeling well but it went away in a day or so. The vertigo part is all associated with that. I've talked about space sickness, but it's all kind of tied to the vertigo.

5) How long does it take to get to space? From the moment we light the rocket until the engine cuts off, it takes about eight and a half to nine minutes. But then we're not what we call in a safe orbit. If we did not fire another engine, we would impact the ground half an earth later. So, we have a few more engine burns to do to get in what's called a safe orbit. Altogether, probably an hour later, we can breathe a sigh of relief that were safely there. And then we rendezvous to the space station six hours after launch. Last time I was in space was in 2020. In fact, it was right at the onset of COVID, so I didn't experience COVID as an Earth person until November of 2020. Two cosmonauts and I were waving at you all saying how sorry we felt for you guys down there.

6) What was the impact on your body when you got back to Earth? Yeah, great question. So, if we did no weightlifting, our bones would decay at a very significant rate and we would come back six months later similar to an 85, 90 year old osteoporosis patient with very fragile, brittle bones. We've learned the hard way that we need to load up with exercise - loading your bones, particularly your butt and your thighs and your legs, with squats and stuff will mitigate bone density loss entirely. So, we can fly six months and not have any bone density loss anymore. There's a radiation exposure risk that we monitor just like a nuclear plant worker. You know, we wear those little dosimeters to monitor all that. So that's totally manageable, but it's a thing we have to monitor. And with our exercise equipment, it's not a big deal actually to come back in good shape. I was telling some folks earlier, it probably took me a month, three weeks I think, from landing to feeling totally normal. If you saw me in the grocery store like on day 10 or so, you probably couldn't tell, but I can still tell that I'm a little wobbly. But, within a month, you're totally back to normal.

7) Do you have an altered perception of time in space since there's no day-night cycle? Yeah, so that's interesting. We set our watches to Greenwich Mean Time. Theres control centers in Houston, Moscow, Tokyo, and Germany, and so we've got to live off some time, and we chose Greenwich Mean time. But there's no perception of time difference. You sleep when you're sleepy, you wake up, you use the bathroom, you get some food and coffee, you work until you're hungry again, and then you eat a little bit, you work until you're hungry again, you eat a little bit, and then you wind down. And all that cadence of life, you know, thats within a 24-hour cycle.

Captain Chris Cassidy at Navy Seal Foundation event on the North Shore. (Author photo)

8) Does everyone speak English? So English is the official language on the International Space Station. The International Space Station is the United States, Russia, Germany, Japan, Canada, and the European Space Agency, which has like 15 countries in it, Germany's one of them. All those astronauts and cosmonauts speak English, and we all take Russian language lessons, because when you launch into Russian Soyuz, all of it's in Russian. The displays, the books, talking to each other, the guy on the radio, it's all in Russian. That was the hardest part of astronaut training for me personally, was learning the Russian language.

10) What do you do for fun in space when youre not working? That's something we think about a lot. There's plenty of fun things to do up there. Saturday's kind of a half workday. We clean and clean up, wipe down things for half a Saturday and then we have a half day off. On Sunday, we are entirely off. At night, we can watch movies or read books. There's a guitar, a piano keyboard, a harmonica, and a banjo up there for musically inclined folks, but thats not me. But all of us generally feel like we should, and do, take advantage of the unique opportunity to spend time in the window. Most of us just sit in the window and take pictures or just watch. You've all been camping and seen people just sitting around the fire staring at it and not talking. And why is that? I don't know, but you're there and you're just kind of into the environment. That's my feeling. You can have four astronauts staring out the window, nobody talking, and you're just mesmerized by the Earth going by below you. It's pretty cool. It's really cool! It didn't make me more or less religious. It didn't change my personality, but it did change my view on how Earth is for all of us. I was very much more Earth-aware and appreciative that it is our home, a spaceship for all of us that we have to take care of. It changed my philosophy. You see dry lake beds; you see forests burning in the Amazon. You see that on a very global scale. You see a volcano erupting and clouds that stretch a third of earth away from the volcano. So, you get an appreciation for how tied in Earth is globally when you see it from that vantage point.

11) Did you ever see any UFOs up there? Yeah, I get asked this all the time. No, and I don't believe theyre in our solar system, but the universe is so giant. Somewhere out there, there's life. Somewhere out there, there's another Earth-like thing. I dont think we're keeping any secrets from the American public. But we've never seen it. Anyway, thanks a lot for your time. Thanks a lot for your support.

Throughout his career, Captain Chris Cassidy demonstrated exceptional courage, skill, and dedication both as a Navy SEAL and as an astronaut, making him a true American hero and a role model for many. Hes involved in many nonprofits including as a board member for the Navy Seal Foundation.

Captain Cassidy made a lot of new friends that day. (Author photo)

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, September 13, when the Navy Seal Foundation hosts its 12th signature fundraiser, Midwest Evening of Tribute, at Navy Piers AON Grand Ballroom. All details here.

Navy Seal Foundation's "Midwest Evening of Tribute" 2019 at Chicago Hilton. (Photo courtesy of Navy Seal Foundation)

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From Sea to Stars: The remarkable journey of a Navy Seal and ... - Chicago Star Media

Global Fresh and Naturally Fermented Birch Juice Industry 2023 Market Study Report

Introduction:

The Market Insights has recently published a comprehensive research and market study report titled Global Fresh and Naturally Fermented Birch Juice Market 2023 which focuses on key insights regarding Company, Regions, Type, and Application, with a forecast until 2029. The report divides the market into various segments based on product categories, numerous applications, and revenue regions that significantly contribute to market share. Over the coming years, the global Fresh and Naturally Fermented Birch Juice market is expected to gain increasing importance, and this report provides a detailed description of the market and forecasts significant growth in the near future. The research offers an in-depth examination of the present and prospective market conditions worldwide.

Market Overview:

This market study aims to provide readers with a comprehensive overview of recent developments and the competitive landscape of the global Fresh and Naturally Fermented Birch Juice market for the projection period. It includes historical and forecasted market data, demand, application information, price trends, and company shares by geography. The study examines new growth potential by conducting an in-depth analysis of the worldwide Fresh and Naturally Fermented Birch Juice market, considering every facet of the market.

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COVID-19 Impact:

The primary challenges and risks that businesses may face due to the unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak are highlighted in this research report.

Major Participants:

The following company is one of the major participants in the Fresh and Naturally Fermented Birch Juice market:

BelSeva (Belgium), Sibberi (UK), Sealand Birk (UK), TreeVitalise (UK), Treo Brands (USA)

Strategic Analysis and Profiling:

The report provides a strategic analysis of current developments, core competencies, and investment feasibility, along with full profiling of significant global Fresh and Naturally Fermented Birch Juice market rivals. It also includes a competitive landscape analysis and strategic assessment of current developments and core competencies. The research delves into other market categories to draw logical conclusions about the most important segments in the global Fresh and Naturally Fermented Birch Juice industry. Key characteristics of market players, including business overview, market sales, and market evolution, are also presented.

Market Segmentation:

The report is largely divided into different kinds based on types:

Unflavored, Flavored

It covers the following topics based on applications:

Food and Beverages Industry, Cosmetics and Personal Care Industry, Others

Global Market Research:

The study covers existing and projected markets in-depth and assesses competitiveness in changing market circumstances. It provides information on production volume, revenue, gross margin, and unit pricing for various regions globally. The report presents an overview of the business, product specifications, raw materials, cost structures, and manufacturing methods on a global scale. Additionally, it includes utilization volume, value, sales price, and import-export analysis for various regions from 2023 to 2029.

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Regional Coverage:

The study examines the following regions:

North America (the United States, Canada, and Mexico)

Europe (Germany, France, United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, and Rest of Europe)

Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia, and Australia)

South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and the Rest of South America)

Africa and the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, and Rest of the Middle East & Africa)

Benefits of Market Report:

Based on a comprehensive and active research methodology.

Provides a comprehensive picture of the worldwide Fresh and Naturally Fermented Birch Juice markets competitive landscape.

Contains information about the industrys most recent technological and product breakthroughs.

Analyzes the influence of these enhancements on the future growth of the global Fresh and Naturally Fermented Birch Juice industry.

Research Purposes:

The report aims to achieve the following research objectives:

Study and analyze the global Fresh and Naturally Fermented Birch Juice market size by key regions/countries, product type, and application, with historical data from 2022 to 2026 and forecast until 2029.

Understand the structure of the Fresh and Naturally Fermented Birch Juice market by identifying various sub-segments.

Focus on key global Fresh and Naturally Fermented Birch Juice players, defining, describing, and analyzing their value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis, and development plans for the next few years.

Analyze Fresh and Naturally Fermented Birch Juice with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market.

Share detailed information about key factors influencing market growth, including growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges, and risks.

Project the size of Fresh and Naturally Fermented Birch Juice submarkets, with respect to key regions and their respective key countries.

Analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.

Strategically profile key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.

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Conclusion:

The research report integrates relevant vital historical facts and analyses to provide readers with comprehensive insights into the global Fresh and Naturally Fermented Birch Juice industry.

Direct Contact:

Jitendra Kotwal

+1 (614) 602 2897 | +919926555007

Email: sales@themarketinsights.com

Website: https://www.themarketinsights.com/

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Fresh and Naturally Fermented Birch Juice: A beverage made from ... - University City Review