Nautical Trip in ‘Connecticut Waters’ with Lyme Photographer Caryn B. Davis in her Latest Book

All photos by Caryn B. Davis and published with her permission. All photos taken from ‘Connecticut Waters.’

“The combination of stunning photography by Caryn B. Davis and rich text by Eric D. Lehman draws you into a world where the waters of the Nutmeg State metaphorically consume you”

Connecticut Waters is a remarkable book.

First of all, you think it is going to be yet another ‘coffee-table book’ and start to skim the pages simply to admire the beautiful photographs.

But then you start to read the narrative and it immediately demands your attention to the extent you simply cannot put the book down.

The combination of stunning photography by Caryn B. Davis and rich text by Eric D. Lehman draws you into a world where the waters of the Nutmeg State metaphorically consume you, and all you can do is to let yourself become completely — and pleasantly — immersed in them.

After that, you move to yet another level and realize that you are now not only at one with the seas, lakes, rivers, streams and shores of this oh, so special state, but along your way to that perfect point, you have absorbed a plethora of interesting facts and tidbits of fascinating information that you never knew before.

Ultimately, you feel as though you are sharing the whole experience with Davis, who conceived the book and guided the narrative. You have never met her but you are certain you know her because her deep and intimate relationship with the waters of Connecticut has suddenly become yours.

Touching variously on an vast range of engaging topics, including — but by no means limited to — lobster and other snack shacks, historic ferries, antique boats, racing yachts, nautical arts, the oyster and fishing industries, and maritime museums, the book is packed with Davis’s striking photos, which frequently span more than one page making them even more impactful.

These latter explore in creative detail the subject matter of each chapter while the narrative amplifies the history, traditions, and culture of the state’s waters and how people use them in terms of industry, education, recreation and more.

The first chapter, Races and Rendezvous, opens with the words, “Something about being on the water calls for celebration of the magnificent power of the sea …” Throughout the book, Davis captures that celebration with photos of boats of all shapes, sizes and ages at events across the state, demonstrating clearly, “… our human love for life on the water, a love that never seems to die.”

Un chapitre ultérieur sur les îles et les phares déclare de manière évocatrice que les deux sont « … sur les débuts et les fins, sur la solitude et la connexion. Un gardien de phare est peut-être le contraire d’un pirate, mais tous deux connaissent la terrible beauté de la mer.

Les photos de ce chapitre sont particulièrement frappantes tandis que le récit détaille certains des exploits extraordinairement courageux des gardiens de phare du Connecticut. Deux de ces exemples sont Charles Kenny du Peck Ledge Light à Norwalk, qui en 1921, « a ramé à travers d’énormes houles pour sauver quatre membres d’équipage [qui avaient] échappé à leur bateau à vapeur qui fuyait » et Catherine Moore, résidente de Bridgeport, qui « vivait sur l’île de Fayerweather près de sa toute sa vie, s’occupant de la lumière et sauvant deux douzaines de vies pendant son mandat.

Le livre oscille entre les chapitres sur des sujets « concrets » tels que les festivals et les célébrations ;  Constructeurs de bateaux et restaurations ; Les bateaux en état de marche , les musées et les aquariums , et ceux avec un air plus intangible comme le bois, le vent et l’eau ;  Amusez-vous au soleil;  Eau, eau, partout et entrée au port . Dans chaque cas, cependant, Davis combine ses compétences exceptionnelles en tant que photographe avec sa connaissance approfondie des images, des sons, des événements et des personnalités locaux, donnant ainsi pleinement vie au chapitre.

Il n’est pas surprenant que la photographie de ce livre soit si puissante puisque Davis, qui vit sur le lac Rogers à Lyme, est une photographe primée, dont la carrière a parcouru le monde l’amenant dans plus de 50 pays tandis que ses images et articles ont été dans plus de 60 publications à travers le monde. Son  premier livre de photographies commandé, A Connecticut Christmas: Celebrating the Holiday in Classic New England Style , a été salué par 15 journaux et magazines à travers le pays. 

Lehman, qui a écrit le récit, est directeur de l’écriture créative à l’Université de Bridgeport. Il est l’auteur ou l’éditeur de 20 livres et son travail a été publié dans des dizaines de revues et magazines.

Si vous aimez l’état du Connecticut ou même si votre amour ne s’étend qu’aux eaux du Connecticut, alors c’est un livre – comme on dit lors des mariages – “à avoir et à tenir”.

Cela vous incitera à commencer à planifier des visites dans de nombreux endroits que Davis met en évidence dans ses photographies. Il vous enchantera avec la photographie fabuleuse et enfin, il vous engagera avec sa gestion magistrale de la tâche difficile d’entrelacer des photos de qualité supérieure avec un texte informatif sur un sujet, qui coule librement dans les veines de quiconque appelle – ou a appelé – Connecticut domicile.

Notes de l’éditeur : « Connecticut Waters » a été publié en avril 2021 par Globe Pequot Press. Pour plus d’informations sur la façon de commander ‘Connecticut Waters’ en ligne ou de l’acheter en personne, visitez ce lien .
Pour plus d’informations sur Caryn B. Davis, visitez son site Web à ce lien .
Pour plus d’informations sur Eric D. Lehman, visitez son site Web à ce lien .

Pope Francis doing well after surgery – Vatican News

The surgical operation Pope Francis underwent on Sunday evening is over, announced the director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni.

NY lawmaker proposes income limit after Gov. Cuomo’s $5M COVID book deal

Apparently outraged by Gov. Andrew Cuomo getting paid $5.1 million to publish his coronavirus memoir amid the pandemic, a powerful New York elected official has introduced a measure that would limit the outside income of state elected officials.

The proposed law, drafted by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan), would limit outside income earned by statewide office holders and legislators to 15 percent of their public salary.

Cuomo’s book contract is the subject of multiple investigations over claims he used government resources to help publish it and that he undercounted coronavirus nursing home deaths to help sell it. Nursing home advocates have called the $5 million advance “blood money” made off the backs of loved ones who died from COVID.

And Krueger cited the Cuomo book scandal, as well as pay-to-play corruption involving other legislators, to impose a limit on outside income.

“Over the past several decades, the public’s trust in their elected officials has steadily eroded as scandal after scandal has rocked Albany. There have been several criminal investigations related to legislative leaders using their title as legislative leader, and partner at a law firm to earn additional outside income,” Kreuger said.

Krueger was likely referring to disgraced former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and ex-Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, who both were employed by law firms before convicted and sentenced in separate pay-to-play corruption scams.

Kruger added, “Recently, a statewide elected officer received more than $4 million in advance payments from a publishing company for writing a book about the Coronavirus pandemic in New York. While there are ongoing investigations into this and several other matters, this bill would address both above instances by removing the appearance of public corruption in state government by restricting the outside income of state legislators and statewide elected officers.”

Cuomo is paid $225,000, the highest salary of any governor in the country.

Legislators in the Senate and Assembly currently make $110,000.

Attorney General Letitia James and the state Assembly Judiciary Committee are investigating allegations that Cuomo used state workers to help prepare and promote his memoir, “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic.”

Meanwhile, a federal probe into Cuomo’s handling of nursing homes amid the pandemic has apparently expanded to include his book deal, based on questions that state Senate Health Committee Chairman Gustavo Rivera (D-Bronx) told The Post he was asked by investigators in May.

The Krueger bill is modeled after the federal law limiting outside income that can be earned by members of Congress.

The measure would exempt certain income from the 15 percent cap — including pensions and benefits earned from prior employment, military or National Guard service, or passive income from certain investment activities or family-owned businesses.

Krueger, who recently introduced the bill, will look for a member of the Assembly to carry it in the lower-house.

The Legislature adjourned for the summer, so the legislation likely won’t be considered until next year — when all statewide officers and legislators are up for re-election.

Cuomo’s office had no immediate comment. He has denied any wrongdoing over his handling of the pandemic.

Before the pandemic hit and the publishing of his COVID “leadership” memoir “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID Pandemic,” Cuomo advocated for limits on outside income to avoid conflicts of interest, as a condition for legislators getting a pay hike. But the courts blocked limits on outside income recommended by a state pay commission.

“You have to pay them a salary that allows them to live and not be a martyr. I also agree that there should be a ban on outside income; I’ve said that for many, many years. And the commission found their way to that, so I think that’s good news,” Cuomo said in 2018.

A year later, he said, “Worst-case scenario, the legislature could pass the bill saying we will ban outside income ourselves. They could say we will ban outside income if the commission holdings are upheld. So that’s all it comes down to is the outside ban, which the legislature has already agreed to the outside ban because they took the raise, right?”

Republican lawmakers previously proposed legislation to ban elected officials from profiting off books they publish following outrage over Cuomo’s book contract, though the bill did not address overall limits on outside income.

The Democrats control both houses of the legislature, so support from Krueger’s Democratic colleagues is needed pass any bill to curb limits on outside income.

Archbishop Nyaisonga re-elected president of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference. – Vatican News

Sarah Pelaji, Tanzania Episcopal Conference – Dar es Salaam.

A statement issued by the office of the Secretary General of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) over the weekend, announced that at their 77th plenary assembly held at the Catholic Secretariat, Kurasini in Dar es Salaam recently, the Bishops of Tanzania held elections to elect new office bearers.

The Bishops re-elected Archbishop Gervas Nyaisonga of the Archdiocese of Mbeya as President of  the Conference for a second term of three years.

They also re-elected Bishop Flavian Kassala, of the Catholic Diocese of Geita, as Vice President.

TEC – Catholic Secretariat

The Bishops also re-appointed Father Dr Charles Kitima as the Secretary General of TEC for another three years. Father Chesco Msaga C.PP.S., was also appointed as the new Deputy Secretary General for a similar period.

Father Chesco is the substantive Director of the Communications Directorate of the Bishops’ Conference.

(Amecea News)

Pope undergoes scheduled colon surgery – Vatican News

By Vatican News staff writer

On Sunday afternoon, 4 July, Pope Francis was taken to A. Gemelli Policlinic in Rome where he will undergo scheduled surgery. The Pope recited the Angelus as usual with the faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square. He left Casa Santa Marta in the afternoon.

The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, confirmed the information through a statement to accredited journalists sent through Telegram: “This afternoon, His Holiness Pope Francis was taken to A. Gemelli Policlinic in Rome where he will undergo a scheduled surgery for a symptomatic diverticular stenosis of the colon.”

Performing the surgery is Prof. Sergio Alfieri. Dr. Alfieri is in the hospital’s Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and heads the Digestive Surgery Complex Operational Unit. He is specialized in general, digestive, colon-rectal, stomach and pancreatic surgery.

Another “medical bulletin will be issued at the end of the surgery”, the press office’s message concluded.

“The Four Winds” give taste of life during the Dust Bowl | Book review

In 1921 Texas and across most of the United States, things were good! Crops were plentiful, rains were plentiful and the country was booming after World War I. Farmers were able to expand their land holdings and upgrade to new equipment.

Elsa Wolcott is the 25-year-old daughter of the local farm equipment store owner. As a young girl of 14 she had rheumatic fever and her parents were told that because of this she should always take it easy. She was not to get over-excited or to exert herself, so her parents pull her from school and for the next 11 years she was basically confined to her house. She was allowed to go to church and the library. Elsa immersed herself in books. She is taller than her sisters and not “as pretty,” as her parents are always quick to point out.

Because of her treatment by her family her self-confidence is pretty much non-existent, but finally she is fed up with the treatment, and treats herself to a new dress, cuts her hair and goes to the local speakeasy, because she wants to hear the music. But, with little knowledge or experience with people, she doesn’t make some of the best choices.

Her rebellion against her parents sets her on a path that she could never have imagined. Once it is discovered that she is pregnant, her parents basically drag her to the family of the young man and throw her on their mercy and leave her there.

Enter the Martinelli family, a hard-working immigrant family from Italy. Rafe, the first one born in this country, was to be the first in the family to go to college. Now he must take a wife and grow up and be a husband and father.

His mother, Rose, is a fierce woman, who does not approve of Elsa, but she nonetheless takes her under her wing. After all, she doesn’t understand how a young woman of her age doesn’t know how to cook!

On the day that Elsa gives birth to her daughter, Loreda, Rose tells her that she will never love anyone as much as her child and that same child will cause her the most pain in life.

Jump ahead to 1934, after years of no rain and failing crops, topped with the winds that came, blowing almost nonstop, displacing millions of pounds of dirt. People breathing in the dirt were dying of dust pneumonia, often referred to the “brown plague.” The despair of the farm’s failure got to be too much for Rafe, so one night he just walks away.

Not long after that a dust storm worse than any other hits, burying farms, fences, vehicles and livestock left out. Elsa, Rose and Tony attend a meeting that tells them the federal government will pay them NOT to plant crops. They will buy their livestock and then when the rains do come again they must plant differently. But, how can they survive if they don’t plant and sell off their livestock?

The final straw for Elsa is when Ant, her young son, is hospitalized with the brown plague. He survives, but she knows they cannot stay in Texas anymore. They, like so many other hundreds, leave, and with the stories of jobs in California that is where the family plans on going. However, the senior Martinellis could never leave their land.

So, Elsa and the two children make the journey west, in an attempt to start over.

Needless to say, the stories that have led everyone to California have been greatly exaggerated! With so many people coming in, the jobs are far and few between combine with people NOT wanting to hire the transplants. Many did not trust the people coming in from Texas, Oklahoma and the other devastated states. Treating them like criminals, calling them names, totally forgetting that these were Americans too, just looking for a way to support and take care of their families.

Consequently most are forced into working the fields. Taking over the jobs of picking crops that had been done by Mexican migrants.

Like those before them, a lot followed the different crops up and down California. But, for Elsa that was not an option. When the kids weren’t needed in the fields, she wanted them in school. The only way for that to happen was to stay in one location. She thought that she had been lucky to get a house and a spot on a grower’s crew, which would allow that. But, she quickly found out how wrong she was. The rent was taken from their pay. They could only cash their checks at the company store, and they didn’t use cash, they used a chit system, so that the workers could never save any money and make progress to get on their feet, and get back their own self-esteem that the storms and the mind numbing, back breaking work has taken from them.

For many the only light at the end of this ordeal was in the union organizers. Some of them were communists; some were not. They just wanted to get the people that were cutting pay, treating the workers like slaves to do the right thing. But, the workers were scared to join unions. They knew that the land owners controlled whether they worked or not, no matter how little they were being paid.

Elsa and Loreda must make the choice to join with striking farm workers or not, to make a stand for what they believe in.

Like so many of Kristin Hannah’s books, this book doesn’t have a super happy ending, but it has an ending that seems to be realistic and plausible. Because not all of our choices have perfect happy endings.

There were places in the book I could see so many of the pictures I have seen of the Dust Bowl come to life in the characters, making me really feel for them and what they were going through.

“The Four Winds” is available at the Sterling Public Library as a hardback book or on Overdrive as an e-book or an audio book.

Dorothy Schreyer is a Library Associate at Sterling Public Library.

Project “Playground” – Empowering young people in Ghana to build their dreams

On 2 July 2021, in Jamestown, Accra, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Delegation of the European Union to Ghana, the Sports for Education and Economic Development (SEED) Project (www.SEEDProject.org) and DUNK Grassroots, together with some 200 youth, inaugurated the newly renovated basketball court at the GaMashie Development Agency.

The renovation and inauguration are part of a project titled “Playground” that was created to empower young people to create viable alternatives to irregular migration. It leverages the educational power of basketball to equip the youth with life skills and self-resilience.

“Using basketball as a vehicle to foster life skills, is a fantastic approach that will be beneficial for the youth of Jamestown and neighbouring communities. Our youth has a lot of potential, and they need safe spaces to grow and thrive. This is an opportunity to allow them to create their own alternatives to irregular migration,” said the Mayor of Accra, Honourable Mohammed Adjei Sowah.

The Playground project is a partnership made possible through the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration, funded by the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa.

“Playground has the youth and community at its heart. We work with our partners to inform about safe migration options as well as the dangers of irregular migration,” said Abibatou Wane-Fall, Chief of Mission IOM Ghana. She added: “Together, we bring the vision of an open and inclusive space to life – a space for girls and boys, young women and young men, from all walks of lives and backgrounds, migrants, returnees, neighbours, and locals. Everyone is invited to play and learn and grow together.”

The Playground project partners work together to empower young people to make well-informed migration choices, to decide on their own futures and to build their dreams. Together with local partners, it builds a culture of self-development and pride on and beyond the court.

“Ensuring youth have access to safe places to play is fundamental, as it’s the place where all the life skills programmes, games and community outreach occur – it all begins on the court,” explained Mactar NDiaye, Director of Operations, SEED Project. “This is why we at SEED are incredibly honored to have worked on the ground with the community of Jamestown to refurbish this basketball court, which also helps better secure their actual needs and ownership.”

This inauguration event concludes a series of youth engagement initiatives designed to empower young people. Implemented under the EU-IOM Joint Initiative since 2017 in 12 countries in the region, these activities mostly happen in public spaces using sports and art. IOM has supported over 1800 Ghanaian migrants to voluntarily and safely return home. Over 700 returnees have completed their reintegration to date, despite the challenges posed by COVID-19. Overall, over 300 awareness-raising sessions have taken place in communities and schools across the country, while radio and TV broadcasts have reached approximately 1,100,000 Ghanaians nationwide.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Sports for Education and Economic Development (SEED) Project.
For more information: Visit: https://yenna.org/playground

Juliane Reissig Public Information at IOM Ghana jreissig@iom.int +233 (0)302 742 930

Begay Downes-Thomas Global Partnerships SEED Project begaydt@seedproject.org +221 78 292 93 44

India’s Christians, Muslims face violent persecution from Hindu nationalists

Hindu nationalism is driving a wave of violent persecution against India’s religious minorities where Christians and Muslims face “systematic persecution,” condoned by the authorities, the police, and the media, new research suggests.

The report “Destructive Lies: Disinformation, speech that incites violence and discrimination against religious communities in India,” was produced by the Christian rights group Open Doors.

It was based on research compiled by a team from the London School of Economics (LSE), and says that Christian and Muslim minorities are facing an “existential threat” from mobs of Hindu nationalists known as Hindutva.

“As incidents of collective and individual discrimination, violence and atrocity against Muslims and Christians in India continue to rise, particularly in rural areas, and against Dalit and Adivasi groups, the atmosphere under which India’s Christian and Muslim citizens are living is one of terror and existential threat,” says the report.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made persecution even worse, it says.

“Not only have Christians been deliberately overlooked in the distribution of COVID-19 government aid, they have also been the subject of disinformation relating to the pandemic. These lies have spread across mainstream and social media platforms and apps,” says the report.

On July 1, Open Doors presented to the UK Parliament by LSE the report highlights the severe persecution facing Christians at the hands of Hindu extremists, including the troubling role social media plays in perpetuating lies and violence.

The 27,000-word report documents cases of bullying, harassment, and violence against Christian and Muslim individuals and communities.

“The driving force behind this increasing persecution is Hindutva, an ideology that disregards Indian Christians and Muslims (and other religious minorities) as true Indians because they have allegiances that lie outside India,” says the report.

It “asserts the country should be purified of their presence. This is leading to a systemic, and often carefully orchestrated, targeting of Christians and other religious minorities,” says Open Doors.

“The apostle Thomas was reputed to be the first follower of Jesus to bring the gospel to what we now call India,” says Dr. David Landrum, head of advocacy for Open Doors UK & Ireland, in the forward to the report.

” For nearly two thousand years the church has been shaping culture and contributing to a positive sense of national identity in this diverse and colorful land.”

He said that recently, the place of the Christians has become precarious.

“With waves of persecution sweeping over religious minorities, Christians are experiencing intense and unprecedented pressure in India,” writes Landrum.

“As the case studies in this report attest, the violent nature of this persecution is not only particularly horrific, it is also systemic and often carefully orchestrated.”

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