Category Archives: Sealand

A SEAL, nicknamed Sid, which has been spotted eating fish in the River Wye near Chepstow is not having an effect on salmon stocks according to Natural Resources Wales (NRW).

It has been noted that his impact on the river's salmon could be more than that of the area's fishermen - who are now required to adopt a catch-and-release method.

Sid the seal 'not having an effect' on salmon stocks in the Wye

The fishermen at Black Rock Lave Net Heritage Fishery, for example, have long debated with NRW over the implementation of this rule.

The fishermen said that such a rule could spell the end of their craft.

NRW, however, have said that Sid's salmon-catching is not having any effect on the stocks of the fish in the river.

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"There are two types of seal found around the British Isles the common (harbour) seal and the grey seal," said a spokesperson.

Sid the seal 'not having an effect' on salmon stocks in the Wye

"Both are relatively common and in certain areas are seeing their numbers increase an issue which some say is responsible for reducing fish stocks and leads to concerns from sea and freshwater anglers alike.

"They are on the IUCN Red List for endangered species, grey seals are protected by the Habitats Directive and the Conservation of Seals Act in the UK and have legal protection in Special Areas of Conservation and Special Sites of Scientific Interest.

Sid the seal 'not having an effect' on salmon stocks in the Wye

They said that seals such as Sid are a"a natural feature of the Wye estuary and are often spotted there".

Sid's antics are, NRW said: "An example of nature in action.

"The seal is within its natural range.

"It is not an indication that the salmon stocks are either declining or recovering."

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Sid the salmon-eating seal "not having an effect" on fish in the River Wye - South Wales Argus

A baby seal gets its first swimming lesson at an aquarium in Japan.

One of the cutest corners of the Internet has to be the place that consistently dishes out cute animal videos. Atthe end of a bad day, watching a few videos of kittens, dogs or any of our other favourite animals being their natural self can prove to be quite relaxing. The latest animal video that has grabbed the Internet's attention is the clip of ababy seal having its first encounter with swimming.The video of the little one being dipped in a pool of water for the first time has gone viral on social media thanks tojust how cute the animal looks.

The video was originally shared by the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan of Japan on their official YouTube channel in May, but grabbed the Internet's attention recently.Itfeatures an instructor holding the baby seal and gently dipping it by the tail end into a pool. The seal initially stays still, moving only to look up at the instructor before it begins to use its arms inswimming-like motions. At this point, the instructor lowers the body of the seal into the water, placing his hand around the nape and chest area of the seal as it begins to swim. Soon the seal takes to the water confidently, and at one point even swims in between the instructor's legs as he watches on.

After a successful maiden swim, the seal is taken out of the pool and towel-dried by the instructors. At this point, several users who saw the video were willing to admit that this seal swimming had to one of the cutest sights on the Internet.The videomade it to Twitter thanks to former American basketball player Rex Chapman who shared a short clip on his feed. Along with it, he wrote, "This baby seal being introduced to water for the very first time is the sweetest thing you'll see today"

The video has garnered over 2.7 million 'views' on the mirco-blogging site since it was uploaded on Wednesday. Reacting to the clip, one user said, "I like the way he looks to his human assistant for reassurance."

Praising the instructor, another viewer wrote, "I don't think I have even seen a human baby handled more gently during an introduction to water!"

Since it was uploaded on YouTube on May 25, 2021, the videohas been viewed over 4 million times, so far, and has garnered 1.5 lakh'likes'.

Responding to the video, one YouTube viewer said, "An earless dog with fins is what that is." Another comment said, " I don't know why this was in my recommended feed but I would die for that seal."

Take a look at some of the other reactions.

Tell us what you think of the cute seal's first brush with swimming.

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This Video Of A Baby Seal's First Swim Lesson Will Melt Your Heart Into A Puddle - NDTV

Together, the Port of Los Angeles and the neighboring Port of Long Beach comprise the San Pedro Bay port complex. The two ports handle more containers per ship call than any other port complex in the world. (The Port of Long Beach will also be profiled by FreightWaves Classics.)

The Port of Los Angeles markets itself as Americas Port. It is the busiest seaport in the Western Hemisphere.

Last Thursday, June 10, the Port of Los Angeles became the first port in the Western Hemisphere to process 10 million container units in a 12-month period. The 10 millionth container was loaded onto the CMA CGM Amerigo Vespucci, which is a ship in the ports largest shipping line customers fleet.

Located about 20 miles south of downtown Los Angeles in the cities of San Pedro and Wilmington, the Port of Los Angeles is the number one port by container volume and cargo value in the nation, an annual ranking held consecutively since the year 2000.

As reported extensively by FreightWaves, it is one of many U.S. ports that is having severe congestion issues because of the veritable tidal wave of imports. As many as 25-30 ships at a time have been berthed off-shore waiting their turn to dock and unload their cargoes.

Early history

The first documentation of the area that now is the Port of Los Angeles was by the Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo. He explored the area at the northwest end of what is now San Pedro Bay on October 8, 1542. However, it was more than 225 years later (1769), when Spanish missionaries and officials began colonizing the coast of what later became California.

San Pedros natural harbor was utilized as a trading post by Spanish missionary monks. Spanish ships with provisions were met by the monks at the waters edge. In 1805 the first American trading ship to enter the San Pedro harbor was the Lelia Bryd. The Spanish government had decreed that it was illegal to conduct trade with any other country, but because of the distance and loose regulations, trade with other countries took place in the area. In 1822 the independent Mexican government ended the Spanish restrictions on trade. That action led to a rapid increase in settlement and commercial ventures in San Pedro. When California became a U.S. state in 1848, San Pedro harbor was flourishing.

Early champions

The Port of Los Angeles credits numerous politicians, businessmen and community visionaries for the success of San Pedro Bay. One who is singled out was Phineas Banning, who founded the city of Wilmington and was nicknamed the Father of Los Angeles Harbor. According to the port, his entrepreneurialism and influence positioned the Port for future success as the maritime and trade center for a rapidly growing West Coast city.

Banning improved the ports shipping capabilities in 1871 when he paid for the harbors channel to be dredged to Wilmington to a depth of 10 feet and an initial breakwater was built between Rattlesnake Island and Deadmans Island. That year the port handled 50,000 tons of shipping. Banning owned a stagecoach line with routes from San Pedro to Salt Lake City and Yuma, Arizona. He had also built a railroad line to connect San Pedro Bay to Los Angeles in 1868.

When Banning died in 1885, the port handled 500,000 tons of shipping. The Southern Pacific Railroad wanted the Port of Los Angeles to be located at Santa Monica rather than San Pedro. In 1893, it built the Long Wharf in San Monica. However, the Los Angeles Times and U.S. Senator Stephen White pushed for federal approval of San Pedro Bay as the Port of Los Angeles. White is often called the Savior of the Bay.

The issue was settled in 1897 when San Pedro was endorsed by a commission led by Rear Admiral John C. Walker (who was the chair of the Isthmian Canal Commission in 1904). With U.S. government support, breakwater construction began in 1899.

The harbor becomes official

Both Los Angeles and its harbor area experienced rapid population growth in the early 20th century. This led to the creation of the Board of Harbor Commissioners on December 9, 1907, about 10 years after White led the effort to designate the harbor as the citys official port. thus marking the official founding of the Port of Los Angeles. Then the independent cities of San Pedro and Wilmington were annexed into the City of Los Angeles on August 28, 1909. This meant the Port of Los Angeles was an official department of the City of Los Angeles.

A number of different industries began in and around the port during that time period. Fishing fleets, canneries, oil drilling and shipbuilding created jobs and brought commerce and revenue to the Los Angeles area. This led the city to focus on port infrastructure and future development.

Dredging and widening of the main channel began in 1912. With the completion of major sections of the federal breakwater, the port was able to accommodate larger vessels. These improvements were significant once the Panama Canal opened in 1914. Because of its relative proximity to the canal, the Port of Los Angeles held a strategic position for international trade, as well as an advantage over ports further north on the West Coast.

Despite the fact that it had wanted the harbor in Santa Monica, the Southern Pacific Railroad completed its first major wharf at the port in 1912. During the 1920s, the port surpassed San Francisco as the West Coasts busiest seaport. Then in the early 1930s, a huge expansion of the port was undertaken; a breakwater three miles out and over two miles in length was constructed. This outer breakwater was supplemented by an inner breakwater, which was constructed off Terminal Island. Docks for seagoing ships were built, as were smaller docks at Long Beach.

World War II

As a major port on the West Coast, the Port of Los Angeles was commissioned by the U.S. military to conduct war-time efforts only. It was a major embarkation point for the men fighting in the Pacific Theater, as well as the millions of tons of war materiel and equipment.

In addition, shipbuilding became a key port industry. All of the boat repair and shipbuilding companies located in and near the port assisted in the construction, conversion and repair of vessels for the war effort. More than 90,000 workers produced thousands of war-related vessels in San Pedro Bay shipyards. Following World War II, port officials again began focusing on the continued expansion and development of the port.

Post-war growth

Up until the mid-20th century, ports received cargo in crates, pallets and small lots of varying sizes and shapes. Because of the lack of uniformity and security, unloading cargo was painstakingly slow and the frequency of damage, pilferage and loss of cargo was high.

Led by Malcom McLean and Sea-Land, the containerized cargo revolution began on the East Coast in the mid-1950s. Matson Navigation Companys ship the Hawaiian Merchant delivered 20 containers to the port in 1959. This began the ports shift to containerization. The ports first container facility was built in 1960 at a cost of $1.8 million.

Intermodal containers can easily be loaded, sealed and shipped on vessels, railroad cars and trucks. Therefore, in todays global economy, almost every manufactured product or its components are shipped in a container. Containerization is a key reason for the innovations in logistics and security that propelled the Port of Los Angeles to its national and global importance.

By 2013, more than half a million containers were moving through the Port every month.

Economic impact

As might be expected, the Port of Los Angeles is a major economic factor at local, regional and national levels. It is also one of Southern Californias key generators of jobs, commerce and tourism. In California, nearly 1 million jobs are related to the trade that flows through the port. It is estimated that one in nine jobs across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties is connected to the San Pedro Bay Port Complex (the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach). Moreover, the Complex has a national economic impact because it generates employment for nearly 3 million Americans.

The cargo that comes into the port represents approximately 20% of all the cargo that enters the United States. In 2019 the ports top imports were furniture, automobile parts, apparel, footwear and electronics. That year, the ports top exports were wastepaper, pet and animal feed, scrap metal and soybeans. The ports top trading partners that same year were China/Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam, South Korea and Taiwan.

The port is self-funded by revenues it earns from fees for shipping services and leasing of port property. The port has an AA bond rating, which is the highest rating given to a port that does not have taxing authority.

Facts and figures

The Port of Los Angeles covers 7,500 acres (4,300 acres of land and 3,200 acres of water). It has 43 miles of waterfront. The harbors main channel has a depth of 53 feet; it can accommodate the worlds largest container ships.

The ports facilities include: nine container terminals, an automobile terminal, two break bulk cargo terminals, two dry bulk terminals, seven liquid bulk terminals and two passenger terminals; 82 ship-to-shore container cranes; and 116 miles of on-dock rail and six rail yards.

All of the container terminals are equipped with Panamax and post-Panamax cranes.

Todays Port of Los Angeles

The Port of Los Angeles is the leading gateway for trade between the U.S. and Asia (particularly China, Japan and South Korea). The Port and its supply chain partners provide effective conveyance of cargo using modern marine terminal facilities that are able to accommodate the worlds largest ships; a workforce of skilled longshore labor; warehouse and trans-loading centers; a large and new drayage fleet; and rail facilities that offer speed-to-market access to major U.S. freight hubs.

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FreightWaves Classics: Port of Los Angeles is the nations busiest! - FreightWaves

The once-every-century event returns in Decemberbut tickets to see it are selling out fast.

Its the rarest of celestial rendezvous: The dark silhouette of the moon completely obscures the fiery rays of the sun, causing an ephemeral moment of daytime darkness. A total solar eclipse only happens in any given place about once every 100 years and is said to be the experience of a lifetime. Yet to witness one on a boat at the end of the Earth in view of breaching whales and shifting ice floes surely takes that experience to another stratosphere entirely. Thats exactly what can happen on December 4 when a polar solar eclipse passes over a swath of the Southern Ocean for only the second time in the history of commercial visits to Antarctica, darkening the skies for nearly two minutes on a day of otherwise endless light.

The eclipse will be extraordinary not only for its stark setting on the edge of the seventhcontinent, but also for the way it moves across the sky from east to west, a reversal only possible near the poles. (Most eclipse paths move from west to east.) In a fortuitous coincidence, the narrow ribbon of totality will pass over one of the most accessible parts of the region, just off the coast of South America. Since you cant view it from mainland Patagoniaand there wont be another event like it until 2057trips are already selling out fast.

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Most of the two-dozen eclipse cruises will depart from the southernmost city in the world: Ushuaia, Argentina. From there, theyll follow a circuit to the bays of the Antarctic Peninsula and the busy shores of South Georgia Island, the so-called Galpagos of the Southern Ocean, which holds millions of macaroni, gentoo, chinstrap, and king penguins. In between, boats will converge in the path of totality near the tundra-carpeted South Orkney Islands, which lie about 375 miles northeast of Antarctica and remain uninhabited aside from a seasonal British base and year-round Argentinian one.

Many voyages will also cruise beneath the dramatic cliff-lined coasts of the Falkland Islands, which are known as much for their penguin, seal, and albatross populations as the 3,500 hardy humans who call them home. These include Quark Expeditions 20-day sailing aboard the Ocean Diamond (from $16,995), which features talks led by retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak, who goes by Mr. Eclipse after documenting his experiences with more than two dozen of them. Lindblad Expeditions (24 days; from $25,890) is operating three separate odysseys on the Antarctica, South Georgia, and Falklands route with National Geographic photographers onboard to help amateurs hone their camera skills on snarling elephant seals and calving glaciers. On the big day of darkness, viewing locations will include an infinity-view hot tub and the first transparent igloos at sea.

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Ponant is offering a more daring journey aboard Le Commandant Charcot (15 days; from $18,860) into the rarely explored eastern Weddell Sea, where passengers can enjoy the eclipse atop floating slabs of ice. The journey also dips into the southerly Larsen Ice Shelf for views of some of the worlds largest tabletop icebergs (and a chance for some bone-numbing polar scuba diving!). Hurtigruten is similarly running a slightly different route: in and out of Punta Arenas, Chile, via the foggy fjords of Patagonia. The 18-day trip aboard the new hybrid electric-powered MS Roald Amundsen (from $18,854) skirts Cape Horn in route to the Antarctic Peninsula, South Orkney, and Falkland Islands.

Intrepids more wallet-friendly two-week trip aboard Ocean Endeavour (from $11,995) will take in the Antarctic Peninsula as well as the offshore South Shetland and Elephant Islands, all after stopping at a special eclipse point in the western Weddell Sea. (Also worth noting: As the largest B Corp certified company in the travel space, Intrepid offsets the carbon of all its trips.)

The most adventurousand expensiveeclipse itinerary isnt actually on a ship at all. TravelQuests Antarctic Expedition to Totality (12 days; from $39,800) will have exclusive access to the only private seasonally occupied camp within the path of totality, which lies on Union Glacier at 79 South. On November 29, it will fly around 60 eclipse-chasers from Punta Arenas out to the seldom-visited glacier for a week-long expedition filled with cross-country skiing, fat biking, and hikes deep into the heart of Antarctica. Because Union Glacier lies within the continents so-called good-weather band, which has less cloud cover than the Weddell Sea, the trip may offer the best chance for cerulean skies come eclipse day.

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Also departing from Punta Arenas are several specially chartered LATAM jetliners, including the EFlight 2021-Sunrise flights (from $6,000 per row of three seats). Developed by Glenn Schneider, an astronomer with the University of Arizona, these high-altitude flights will soar above any cloud cover on a five-and-a-half-hour roundtrip adventure through the skies above the Weddell Sea. The only signs of life, of course, will be the expedition cruises plying the steely blue waters below.

>> Next: This Pacific Island Just Became the Worlds First Dark Sky Nation

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How to Witness the Rare Polar Solar Eclipse - AFAR Media

Boyd Corporation, a world-leading innovator of engineered material and thermal management technologies, announced increased presence in Asia with the expansion of its design and manufacturing facility in Bac Ninh, Vietnam. Expanding Boyd Vietnam is in direct response to growing customer demand for regional manufacturing in Vietnam. The facility will design and manufacture thermal and engineered materials that cool, seal, and protect the latest innovations in the growing mobile, consumer, enterprise, and cloud computing electronics markets.

Boyds expanded Vietnam site features lean, automated manufacturing and assembly processes for high volume production of both complex thermal systems and multi-layered engineered materials. The 12,555 sq. meter expansion creates capacity in high performance air, two phase, and liquid cooling system solutions, enabling Boyd to provide the best fit solution for customers increasing compute, power, and thermal density requirements. Additionally, Boyd Vietnam will continue to design and manufacture advanced rotary converted solutions with world-leading tolerances and clean room manufacturing for complex, high yield, optical solutions. Boyd Vietnams optical solutions enhance screen brightness and clarity while minimizing display heat, reducing energy consumption, and improving battery life for more efficient, advanced display technologies.

We work diligently to anticipate customer and market needs, continually aligning our company, its supporting footprint, and innovative technologies to stay ahead of megatrends. Post globalization and responsive regionalization strategies are driving more customers to source advanced solutions within Vietnam, said Boyd CEO Doug Britt.

The Vietnam facility will include on-site design, testing, process, prototyping, and manufacturing engineering teams to enable highly responsive full product lifecycle and program support, ensuring Boyd can best support customers growth plans and accelerated speed to market for high volume, high performance applications. The state-of-the-art facility will be ISO 9001 quality management system certified, focusing on continual lean process improvement to drive speed and cost efficiency. The Vietnam expansion will also be ISO 14001 environmental management system certified and powered with renewable, high efficiency energy, helping Boyd and its customers meet increasing sustainability goals by reducing carbon footprint. Weve quickly scaled our talent and technologies in Boyd Vietnam to answer rising regional market demand while building on our core values of sustainability and corporate social responsibility, Britt said.

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Boyd Expands Global Footprint With State-of-the-Art Facility in Vietnam - I-Connect007

SYDNEY, N.S. When Cape Bretoners return to the beach this summer, theyll be sharing the waters with some familiar visitors great white sharks.

Since 2018, Ocearch, a Florida-based research group, has tagged 26 of the apex predators off the coast of Nova Scotia, including several off the coast of Main-a-Dieu in 2019 and 2020, exposing the area as a hotspot for white sharks.

However, expedition leader and founder Chris Fischer says that shouldnt deter people from splashing around in the Atlantic Ocean.

Weve all been swimming with them all of our lives nothing has changed; we just found out theyre there, he said. If you go down to the beach with your family, prepare to go there to enjoy yourself and help your children fall in love with the ocean because its two-thirds of our air and all of our water, and it provides one half of the planets protein every day. We have to love the ocean, we have to nurture the ocean and we all have to be in love with it.

Fischer said the odds of a shark encounter are so low that the only way to reduce them is for individuals to take accountability for their own actions by looking at whats happening in the water then making good decisions.

The moment you step into the ocean, you are deep into the wild. It is not like a hike where you need to be a couple of miles in to feel deep into the wild. When you step three feet into the ocean, you are deep into the wild, he said.

If you look out and you see big splashing and birds diving and seals feeding, sharks are going to be on that. Dont get into a wetsuit, dressing up like a seal and swimming out into the middle of the food chain. Use some common sense. Move to a section of the beach thats quieter, where all of that is not occurring and enjoy the water.

Two sharks Ocearch tagged and sampled near Scatarie Island and Hay Island have provided vital information that is helping researchers better understand white shark biology, physiology, health and behaviour.

Unamaki a huge, 4.3-metre, 942-kilogram female gave strong signs she was pregnant after she was affixed with two satellite tracking tags on Sept. 20, 2019, then made a beeline south, swimming more than 3,000 kilometres to reach the Gulf of Mexico in just five weeks.

Unama'ki was pinging in quite well. We havent heard from her in a while but I expect shes fine and shes just been down or her tag got ripped and hopefully well pick her up on an acoustic tag, said Fischer. She could be giving birth in this general time period right now.

It would be really great to hear from her she could reveal important data.

Breton was tagged hours into Ocearchs second trip to Scatarie Island in 2020.

While Unamaki is providing clues about where white sharks give birth, Breton a four-metre, 635-kilogram male is helping the group narrow down their breeding grounds.

Its been hugely important when you look at his track. I think its helping us confirm our data set about where they mating, which we believe is occurring right after they leave Nova Scotia in the southeastern United States off of North Carolina and South Carolina.

Fischer said rather than fear sharks, people should appreciate the important role they play in the ecosystem by keeping seal populations in check.

You should be thrilled that these white sharks are returning because theyre going to prevent your seals from wiping out your fish and lobster stocks, he said.

They are literally guarding your fish stocks from all of your seals so that theres successful recreational and commercial fishing and our kids will be able to see an ocean full of fish.

While Ocearch is returning to Nova Scotia this year, they wont be coming back to Cape Breton, instead concentrating their efforts in the southwest near Canso and Lunenburg.

Were hoping to be able to continue on our sample size of white sharks in the region. We have 70 white sharks that we've been able to sample and work up in the northwest Atlantic so far the scientists would like about 100 to validate where theyre mating, birthing, gestating, where the nursery is, and so forth, so were going to continue to build on that sample size, he said, adding that Ocearch is just a couple of years away from cracking what he calls the white shark puzzle.

Were really close were less than two years away.

People can track sharks on Ocearch's website https://www.ocearch.org/tracker/.

Chris Connors is an enterprisereporter with the Cape Breton Post.

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Great white sharks preparing to return to Cape Breton | Saltwire - SaltWire Network

Carl J. Asszony, Special to the USA TODAY Network Published 4:00 a.m. ET June 11, 2021

Flag Day at GWB. NorthJersey.com

Although not a federal holiday, Flag Day, June 14, is the day that commemorates the Continental Congress' adoption of the flag of the United States on June 14,1777. Since that time the flag has been an active part of Americas history. The newly created American flag would become the nations symbol of liberty and carried the message of freedom around the world.

How did it all happen?

The idea of Betsey Ross being the designer and maker of the first American flag is now considered by most historians to be the stuff of legend. Mostly forgotten is a gentleman from New Jersey who designed the banner adopted as the American flag by Congress in 1777.

There seems to be ample evidence that Francis Hopkinson, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence as adelegate from New Jersey, actually designed the American flag t. The new flag consisted of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; with thirteen stars, white in a blue field, each star representing a new state.

The world's largest free flying flag hangs from the New Jersey Tower of the George Washington Bridge on Flag Day Friday June 14, 2019 in Fort Lee, N.J. (Photo: Tariq Zehawi/NorthJersey.com)

Hopkinson, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, would later move to Bordentown, New Jersey, where he married, practiced law and became a member of Congress. He was a man of many skills he was a writer, poet, lawyer, composer, politician, businessman as well as the designer of the New Jersey state seal and the seal of the U.S. Treasury. He is also associated with the design of the Great Seal of the United States. Hopkinson submitted a bill for his design of the flag, asking a quarter cask of wine which he thought proper and reasonable. Congress turned him down, claiming he was already paid as a public servant.

The Francis Hopkinson House (101 Farnsworth Avenue, Bordentown, New Jersey) was Hopkinson's residence from 1774 to 1791. Built in 1750 by John Imlay, a merchant. The structure is an L-shaped two-and-one-half-story brick structure with a gambrel and dormered roof.(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Mr. Matt)

For Flag Day: World's biggest American flag comes out of hiding

For 244 years, the American flag has endured through the most difficult and challenging times in American history. It was carried forward in the struggle for freedom during theRevolution; it endured the shot and shell while it flew over the embattled Ft. McHenry; it held firm during the Battle of New Orleans, and was present at Shiloh and Chancellorsville; it flew in all its glory over Flanders fields; it was carried across Europe, North Africa and islands in the Pacific in the cause of freedom during World War II; and brave men proudly raised the American flag above Mount Suribachi, on the bleak island of Iwo Jima. Old Glory also saw action in Korea, Vietnam and many places around the world were Americans fought and died in the cause of liberty.

America endures because of the courage and sacrifice of those who served under that flag and those veterans whose coffins are draped with the red, white, and blue. Throughout American history generations of men and women have given their lives and their blood defending that flag and safeguarding our democracy. Despite the political division and social unrest besieging this county, that star spangled banner, still waves as a symbol of freedom.

Francis Hopkinson's original 1777 American Flag(Photo: House of Flags Museum, Robert Williamson)

This Flag Day, let us continue to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. As John Philip Sousa, composer and conductor, said, The red and white and starry blue is freedoms shield and hope.

There is an interesting footnote to Flag Day the flag we have today with its 50 stars representing the 50 states, was not designed by a skilled artist or a member of Congress. It was designed by a 17-year old-boy from Lancaster, Ohio, named Robert G. Heft, and adopted by Congress on July 4, 1960.

Carl J.Asszony, a longtime New Jersey veterans' advocate, can be reached atnjveteran30@gmail.com.

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Flag Day 2021: New Jersey's connection to the Stars and Stripes - NorthJersey.com

A Wixom contractor will repave a portion of Cousino Rd. in LaSalle Township next week, one of many improvements planned in the region, the Monroe County Road Commission has announced.

Cadillac Asphalt is scheduled to do a hot-mix asphalt resurfacing on Cousino between Muddy Creek and S. Otter Creek Rds., closing the road to through traffic, said Pamela Morgan from the maintenance division at the road commission. Traffic regulators will maintain local access, Morgan said. All work is weather permitting.

Several stone chip and sealing projects are planned elsewhere. Following is a roundup of road and drainage work planned in other townships next week:

Dundee Township

Dixon Rd. -- A county tiling crew will remove and replace two drainage cross-tiles on Dixon between M-50 and Pumpkin Hook Rd. Dixon will be closed to traffic and possibly overnight, Morgan said. There will be no posted detour due to a low traffic volume. The improvement is weather permitting.

Frenchtown Township

Reinhardt Rd. Reinhardt is tentatively scheduled to be chip sealed during the upcoming week. Reinhardt will be closed while crews are applying the seal and the road will be swept the following day. Motorists are encouraged to travel at an advisory speed limit of 25 mph until the road surface has been swept.

Frenchtown and Raisinville townships

Stewart Stewart will be chip sealed from Raisinville Rd. to Bates Lane, closing the road to traffic. Stewart will be swept the following day. Motorists are encouraged to travel at the advisory speed of 25 mph until the surface has been swept.

London Township

Plank Plank between Ostrander and Sherman Rds. will be chip sealed, closing the road while crews are working. The road will be swept the following day. Motorists are asked to drive at a speed limit of 25 mph until the surface has been swept.

Milan Township

The following four roads are tentatively scheduled to be chip sealed during the upcoming week:

Cone Rd. From Ann Arbor Rd. to the end of pavement.

Dundee-Azalia Rd. from Ostrander Rd. to Oelke Rd.

Hickory Rd. From Dennison Rd. to N. County Line Rd.

Sanford Rd. From Plank Rd. to Milan-Oakville Rd.

All four roads will be closed while crews are working and the roads will be swept the following day.

Raisinville Township

Blue Bush Rd. Blue Bush will be chip sealed between Steffas and Raisinville Rds., closing the road. Blue Bush will be swept the next day and motorists are asked to drive at the advisory speed limit of 25 mph until the surface has been swept.

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Portion of Cousino Rd. to be repaved in LaSalle - Monroe Evening News

Hedgerows gleam with the creamy, lacy flowers of the Elder tree.

Seamus Heaney in his poem Glanmore Sonnets refers to the elder as the boortree bush - It was our bower as children, a greenish, dank and snapping memory as I get older. I love its blooms like saucers brimmed with meal. Their essence is best captured in a cordial the flowers are infused in a lemon syrup and then strained. Bottle it up and store for the winter months. You can also make an elderflower vinegar by placing washed and dried flower heads in a clean jar and pouring cider vinegar over. Seal and allow to infuse. The vinegar is perfect as a base for dressings or buttery sauces and is especially good with fish.

Serendipitously local strawberries are now in season. You can buy these berries all year round now but nothing compares to the first of the season. The combination of strawberries and cream is a classic and a simple but sublime way to enjoy them. The weather forecast is looking good for the next few days and an ideal time to introduce some frozen desserts into the mix. When you have the barbecue lit roast some strawberries in elderflower cordial and serve them with a rose wine granite. Ive included the recipe for elderflower cordial. Granita is an Italian icy treat, translated as grainy. You freeze a flavoured sugar syrup and then fork it up every hour to form crystals. It melts beautifully on your tongue and is a great contrast to the sweet, fragrant strawberries.

Another way the Italians use strawberries is in a Sgroppino cocktail. Sprinkle 50g of sugar over 250g of chopped strawberries and allow to macerate for 30 minutes. Blend the strawberries to a puree and place in a jug with four scoops of lemon sorbet and a bottle of chilled Prosecco. Whisk it and pour into champagne coupes for a deliciously refreshing drink.

Ice-cream is one of those foods that never goes out of fashion its one of lifes great constants. As a resident of Portstewart I can attest to the fact that, in Northern Ireland, we will eat this frozen treasure in all weathers, throughout the seasons. In winter a buttery, hot apple crumble or steamed pudding will taste all the better for some ice-cream. Were blessed throughout the country with great ice-cream shops and suppliers but Ive included a recipe for a strawberry variety if youd like to have a go at making your own. You wont need a fancy ice-cream maker, just an electric whisk. The base is eggs, sugar and elderflower cordial whisked over a pan of hot water and then whisked until cold and pale. Strawberry puree and whipped cream is folded in and the mixture just needs to be frozen. It has a great texture and is made even more delicious with some fresh strawberries added. Or you could scoop it and enjoy in cone flake obligatory.

Local strawberries are only in season in the summer. While you can get them in the winter months they tend to taste like a vaguely sweet turnip and sometimes have the texture to match. Cherish them now when theyre sweet and lush.

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Nothing compares to the first local luscious strawberries of the season - Farming Life

PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Boyd Corporation, a world-leading innovator of engineered material and thermal management technologies, announced increased presence in Asia with the expansion of its design and manufacturing facility in Bac Ninh, Vietnam. Expanding Boyd Vietnam is in direct response to growing customer demand for regional manufacturing in Vietnam. The facility will design and manufacture thermal and engineered materials that cool, seal, and protect the latest innovations in the growing mobile, consumer, enterprise, and cloud computing electronics markets.

Boyds expanded Vietnam site features lean, automated manufacturing and assembly processes for high volume production of both complex thermal systems and multi-layered engineered materials. The 12,555 sq. meter expansion creates capacity in high performance air, two phase, and liquid cooling system solutions, enabling Boyd to provide the best fit solution for customers increasing compute, power, and thermal density requirements. Additionally, Boyd Vietnam will continue to design and manufacture advanced rotary converted solutions with world-leading tolerances and clean room manufacturing for complex, high yield, optical solutions. Boyd Vietnams optical solutions enhance screen brightness and clarity while minimizing display heat, reducing energy consumption, and improving battery life for more efficient, advanced display technologies.

We work diligently to anticipate customer and market needs, continually aligning our company, its supporting footprint, and innovative technologies to stay ahead of megatrends. Post globalization and responsive regionalization strategies are driving more customers to source advanced solutions within Vietnam, said Boyd CEO Doug Britt.

The Vietnam facility will include on-site design, testing, process, prototyping, and manufacturing engineering teams to enable highly responsive full product lifecycle and program support, ensuring Boyd can best support customers growth plans and accelerated speed to market for high volume, high performance applications. The state-of-the-art facility will be ISO 9001 quality management system certified, focusing on continual lean process improvement to drive speed and cost efficiency. The Vietnam expansion will also be ISO 14001 environmental management system certified and powered with renewable, high efficiency energy, helping Boyd and its customers meet increasing sustainability goals by reducing carbon footprint. Weve quickly scaled our talent and technologies in Boyd Vietnam to answer rising regional market demand while building on our core values of sustainability and corporate social responsibility, Britt said.

About Boyd Corporation

Boyd Corporation is a world-leading innovator of engineered material and thermal management technologies to seal, cool, and protect our customers most critical applications. We gain unparalleled technology insight solving complex challenges across the leading industries we serve. Our solutions maximize performance in 5G infrastructure and the worlds most advanced data centers; enhance reliability and extend range for electric and autonomous vehicles; advance the accuracy of cutting-edge personal healthcare and diagnostic systems, enable the latest generation of aircraft and defense technologies; and accelerate innovation in next-generation electronics and smartphones. Core to Boyds global, large-scale manufacturing is a deep commitment to protect the environment with sustainable, lean operations that reduce waste and minimize carbon footprint.

Visit us at http://www.boydcorp.com.

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Boyd Corporation Expands Global Footprint With State-of-the-Art Facility in Vietnam - Business Wire