Thanksgiving Day Presidential Proclamation, 1969 ... and a message to U.S. troops
Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Richard Nixon
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION
On October 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln invited his fellow citizens to “set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of Thanksgiving..” This was the year of the battle of Gettysburg and of other major battles between Americans on American soil. To many, this call for a national day of Thanksgiving must have seemed strange, coming as it did at a time of war and bitterness.
Yet Lincoln knew that the act of thanksgiving should not be limited to time of peace and serenity. He knew that it is precisely at those times of hardship when men most need to recognize that the Source of all good constantly bestows His blessings on mankind.
Today, despite our material wealth and well-being, Americans face complex problems unknown before in our nation’s history. In giving thanks today, we express gratitude for past bounty and we also confidently face the challenges confronting our own nation and the world because we know we can rely on a strength greater than ourselves.
This year, let us especially seek to rekindle in our respective hearts and minds the spirit of our first settlers who valued freedom above all else, and who found much for which to be thankful when material comforts were meager. We are, indeed, a most fortunate people.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICHARD NIXON, President of the United States of America, in consonance with Section 6103 of Title 5 of the United States Code designating the fourth Thursday of November in each year as Thanksgiving Day, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 27, 1969, as a day of national thanksgiving.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twelfth day of November, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred sixty-nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred ninety-fourth.
RICHARD NIXON.
And, because America was at war, the President issued a separate message to the Armed Forces:
Thanksgiving Day Message to the Armed Forces.
THE PILGRIMS at Plymouth had good reason to express their gratitude to God on that first Thanksgiving Day nearly three and a half centuries ago. Those who enjoyed the abundance of that first harvest had survived in a wilderness where suffering and want were their constant companions. Their faith in God’s mercy was strengthened and sustained in spite of hardship.
Throughout our history, Americans have celebrated this day in both a spiritual and festive fashion, rejoicing in the blessings bestowed upon them by our Creator. Among these, for which we are indeed grateful, is our precious heritage of freedom which you today protect and defend wherever you may serve. Your admirable contribution to our national security insures that this heritage will be preserved.
This Thanksgiving Day provides an ideal occasion for all Americans to acknowledge and give thanks for the courage, devotion to duty, and the loyalty you have demonstrated in service to our nation.
RICHARD NIXON
Thanksgiving Day Presidential Proclamation, 1969 ... and a message to U.S. troops Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
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By Darla Shelden, reporter, The City Sentinel
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City performance artist Sonja Martinez will host her 30th Annual Christmas AIDS Benefit on Monday, December 14. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s event will be held virtually via Zoom.
“I’m excited to announce the 30th annual Sonja Martinez Christmas AIDS Benefit, benefitting the Winds House,” Jon Martinez, Board President of Winds House. said in a video posted on Facebook.
“There’s a great lineup of entertainment with Sonja Martinez, Roxie Hart, John Martin Beebe, Bebe Adams, Rachael Leonhart, Teeke Larue, Matthew Heath Fitzgerald, Bunny La Marr and Chez Redmond, brought to you virtually from the stages of Angles Club (2117 N.W. 39 Expressway) on December 14, at 7 p.m.” he added.
“Sonja’s show has always been a great beginning to the holiday season, bringing so much joy, warmth and happiness to everyone who has been a part of it,” Jon added.
“This year has been a tough year on us all, and Sonja is once again bringing family and friends together for this tradition, albeit virtually,” he continued. “We, at the Winds House, could not provide the services that we provide for our residents, without the big hearts of everyone involved with the annual benefit.” [Link for the video: (https://ift.tt/2IZLZCP]
Martinez began her own work to help support AIDS charities in 1991 after losing several close friends to AIDS.
When Jackie and Barbara Cooper were putting together Oklahoma City’s large Red Tie event after losing their son to AIDS, it prompted Martinez to start a smaller scale benefit for the gay community and hold it in a gay venue.
She began hosting small dinner shows at Oklahoma City’s Gushers Restaurant located in the Habana Inn and asked other local singers to perform with her.
Over the past 29 years, the Christmas Benefit has raised over $217,837.00 for the AIDS cause.
During the first 17 years, the funds raised from Sonja’s events were donated to Loaves and Fishes, a Catholic Charities Meals on Wheels program. When Sister Gail Addis, who was active in that program, returned to Michigan, Martinez began donating to The Winds House in Oklahoma City.
“I chose the Winds House after much thought and several interviews 13 years ago. They are a dedicated group and the entire board are volunteers who keep the focus on the goal of helping the residents of their two houses,” Sonja said.
The Board recently renovated their two houses located at 1707 NW 17th and 1725 NW 18th Streets. The Winds House and The Winds Family House are owned and operated by the AIDS Support Program, Inc. (A.S.P.), a non-profit, privately funded organization founded in the 1980’s.
The two residences are part of a transitional program for individuals with HIV/AIDS who are homeless or who are faced with the imminent threat of becoming homeless. The Winds House program offers residents a chance to develop skills, find employment, seek educational possibilities, and help in applying for SSA Disability.
“The Winds House gave us the option to focus our money on food, medication and other specific needs,” she added.
As a result of her many fundraisers and generosity toward the gay community, Martinez has been awarded numerous honors. She was given the Richard May Award established by the Oklahoma AIDS Care Fund in 2009, in 2012 she received the Cimarron Alliance Bill Rogers Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2017, she was honored as the OKC Pride Parade Grand Marshall.
“I am going virtual so no one is exposed to the virus this year, “Sonja said. “There is no way we could have the benefit like last year. It is just not safe and so many of my supporters are at risk. I could not live with myself if anyone got sick.
All donations for the event are appreciated and will go to support The Winds House
(https://www.whokc.org/) in Oklahoma City. Make checks payable to The Winds House and mail to: PO Box 12185, Oklahoma City, OK 73157. To learn more, visit whokc.org .
Sonja Martinez to host virtual 30th annual Christmas AIDS Benefit to support Winds House Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Joe Dorman, Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy:
Each year, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA), the statewide voice for Oklahoma’s children in shaping better policies through our governmental systems, holds an annual conference to discuss those issues on the forefront of greatest need.
This year, our 2020 Fall Forum convened to more than 200 advocates across the state. Just like everyone else, we had to hold our meetings in a safe, socially distant manner. Our outstanding presenters and participants logged on to the Zoom for the sharing of insight and ideas.
In addition to the learning and dialogue that occurs, OICA also presents several awards to deserving advocates who are doing what they can to help improve the lives of Oklahomans. The awards we present at Fall Forum are the Laura Choate Resilience Award, the Steven A. Novick Child Advocacy Award, and the Jasmine and Melvin Moran Kidizenship Award.
The winner of the Laura Choate Resilience Award is an Oklahoman who overcomes trauma and adversity in their younger days to become a solid advocate helping others. OICA is pleased to announce the 2020 winner of this award is David Hall. David is a former foster youth who is a teacher and serves as an advocate for better policies for the foster care system in Oklahoma. David also has been tapped to work at the national level, having worked with an advisory committee established by First Lady Melania Trump. Congratulations to David!
The Steven A. Novick Award goes to an unsung hero in child advocacy. This year, from all the nominations, the committee was divided between two outstanding public servants. They decided to have co-winners this year.
The first to receive the 2020 award is Katy Maxwell, a Court Appointed Special Advocate in Oklahoma County who has traveled around the state comforting children in the court system and assisting DHS workers who are overwhelmed in their work.
The second co-winner is Kathryn Brewer from the District Attorneys Council of Oklahoma. She was selected to receive this award this year for her work when she was Advocate General at the Oklahoma Department of Human Services and her work to ensure children receive justice in the legal system.
Both winners truly are heroes working within the systems they represent and do tremendous work to help those youth in need.
Our “Kidizenship” winners this year have two runners up and one winner for children working to make things better for their fellow Oklahomans. Each will receive a donation from OICA for their project.
OICA congratulates Elizabeth Fry for her effort in her community to provide money for the homeless, work in the local animal shelter, and for the determination to provide gift bags to residents of a nursing home last year. Additionally, OICA congratulates Dani McTague for founding “Dani’s Dream –
Sharing the Love of Art” as a program to help provide art supplies to young people in northeastern Oklahoma and Arkansas.
The “Kidizenship” Award winner is Jensyn Hood, a nine-year-old in Caddo County who has worked to provide blankets to foster youth through county DHS offices with her program called the Jensyn Project. Her goal this year, despite the pandemic, is to provide 1,000 blankets over four counties in her area.
If you can assist one or all these youth, please find their work on Facebook. OICA is grateful to all three of these outstanding young Oklahomans for their endeavors!
OCIA’s Fall Forum Concludes, Award Winners Named Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
By Darla Shelden, The City Sentinel reporter
OKLAHOMA CITY– Those living in the Oklahoma City metro area are encouraged to celebrate virtually the seventh annual Family & Consumer Sciences Day hosted locally by the Oklahoma County OSU Extension.
This national celebration educates families about the importance of “dining in” together for #FCSsuccess. Event resources are developed and provided by family and consumer sciences professionals.
On or around Thursday, December 3, the event will raise awareness of the value of family and consumer sciences. Participants include extension groups, secondary and higher education, students, parents, principals, administrators, government officials, decision makers, media, family and friends.
Family and consumer sciences or FCS is the field of study focused on the science and the art of living and working well in a complex world. The field represents many areas, including human development, personal and family finance, housing and interior design, food science, nutrition, and wellness, textiles and apparel, and consumer issues. (https://www.aafcs.org/fcsday/home)
“Now in its seventh year, Family & Consumer Sciences Day calls attention to something simple that professionals are doing to raise our voices about the value of family and consumer sciences and the impact that we make on society,” said Taylor Connor, Oklahoma County Family and Consumer Sciences Educator.
“We are encouraging people to eat a nutritious meal together,” Conner said. “We are proud to take part in this important initiative.”
Since 2014, more than 400,000 commitments have been made to “dining in” on Family & Consumer Sciences Day. In 2020, the goal is to add 20,000 “Dining In” commitments to the event pledge map.
The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) chose Dec. 3 for Family & Consumer Sciences Day to honor AAFCS Founder Ellen Swallow Richards (https://ift.tt/37dQqT1) (December 3, 1842.- March 30, 1911), first female graduate of and instructor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Ellen was a chemist and founder of the home economics movement in the United States.
Based in the Washington, D.C. area, AAFCS was founded in 1909 as the American Home Economics Association and is the only association for family and consumer sciences students and professionals across multiple practice settings and content areas.
AAFCS’s mission is to provide leadership and support for professionals whose work assists individuals, families, and communities in making more informed decisions about their well-being, relationships, and resources to achieve optimal quality of life.
Through research, experiential education, and technology, AAFCS members help people develop the essential knowledge and skills to lead better lives, be work and career ready, build strong families, and make meaningful contributions to their communities, according to the website.
For more information, visit aafcs,org.
Oklahoma County OSU Extension celebrates Family & Consumer Sciences Day Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK A Proclamation: In conformity with a custom the annual observance of which is justly held in honor by this people, I, Chester A. Arthur, President of the United States, do hereby set apart Thursday, the 30th day of November next, as a day of public thanksgiving. The blessings demanding our gratitude are numerous and varied. For the peace and amity which subsist between this Republic and all the nations of the world; for the freedom from internal discord and violence; for the increasing friendship between the different sections of the land; for liberty, justice, and constitutional government; for the devotion of the people to our free institutions and their cheerful obedience to mild laws; for the constantly increasing strength of the Republic while extending its privileges to fellow-men who come to us; for the improved means of internal communication and the increased facilities of intercourse with other nations; for the general prevailing health of the year; for the prosperity of all our industries, the liberal return for the mechanic's toil affording a market for the abundant harvests of the husbandman; for the preservation of the national faith and credit; for wise and generous provision to effect the intellectual and moral education of our youth; for the influence upon the conscience of a restraining and transforming religion, and for the joys of home – for these and for many other blessings we should give thanks. Wherefore I do recommend that the day above designated be observed throughout the country as a day of national thanksgiving and prayer, and that the people, ceasing from their daily labors and meeting in accordance with their several forms of worship, draw near to the throne of Almighty God, offering to Him praise and gratitude for the manifold goodness which He has vouchsafed to us and praying that His blessings and His mercies may continue. And I do further recommend that the day thus appointed be made a special occasion for deeds of kindness and charity to the suffering and the needy, so that all who dwell within the land may rejoice and be glad in this season of national thanksgiving. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this 25th day of October, A.D. 1882, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and seventh. CHESTER A. ARTHUR By the President: FREDK. T. FRELINGHUYSEN, Secretary of State. Note: Chester A. Arthur, Proclamation 254—Thanksgiving Day, 1882 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/204698 U.S. Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1882 Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
State Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, filed a series of election integrity bills on Wednesday (November 18) to further strengthen and secure the state’s election systems and encourage the United States Congress to do the same.
Senate Concurrent Resolution 1 would work to help strengthen election integrity across the country and bring the focus back to the constitutional provisions regarding elections. The resolution calls on the legislatures of each state that did not report results on Election Day to use their power to audit and recount their election results. It also calls on the state legislatures to follow the constitutional provision allowing them to select electors. Finally, the resolution calls on Congress to use their constitutional powers to pass national voter ID laws and require paper ballots.
“The 2020 election has been complete chaos due to differing election rules, voter identification laws and ballot types across state lines,” Dahm said. “Now is the time Congress should be focusing on tightening election standards so every citizen can be reassured that only legal ballots are being counted.”
Senate Bill 33 would refocus the Electoral College in Oklahoma by requiring the legislature to select future electors unless Congress passes election integrity bills, including national voter ID laws.
Senate Bill 30 would prohibit any members of the Electoral College in the state from casting a ballot for any candidate for President or Vice President if either candidate does not meet the qualifications of a natural born citizen as required by the Constitution.
Senate Bill 32, authored by Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, and co-authored by Dahm, would prohibit the implementation of any national popular vote system to be used for the Electoral College to cast their votes for the State of Oklahoma.
“Without the electoral college, Oklahoma has no voice in presidential elections,” Bullard said. “Currently, our electors must do what the people of Oklahoma say on election night. In this recent election, every county voted red. If this is changed to follow the national popular, we would have to certify electors for the candidate which did not get a single county. This law protects Oklahoma and Oklahomans from losing their voice.”
Finally, Senate Bill 34 would require the Secretary of the State Election Board to complete an audit of random election results to verify the paper ballots cast in the audited election match the electronic election results tabulated and tallied by the electronic election machines. This would apply to school board elections in February, municipal elections in April, primary elections in June, run-off elections in August and the general election in November.
“Our state already has one of the safest election systems in the country, but it’s important that we are diligent in protecting this system from any type of fraud or illegitimacy,” Dahm said.
Oklahoma State Senators Nathan Dahm, David Bullard file election integrity bills Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Editor’s Note: The author circulated this analysis six days ago. Although the outcome of the election seems clearer now, his analysis remains apt – and succinct. The votes for the three key states (Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania) have been updated through Friday, November 21).
How the president is elected in America is laid out in the U.S. Constitution.
Article II, Section 1, states that each shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct, a number of Electors, equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which may be entitled in the Congress.
It also authorizes Congress to determine the day Electors vote, which in 2020 is December 14. Thirty states, including Oklahoma, ‘bind’ their Electors to the election results in the state and can replace an Elector if they attempt to be unfaithful. After the 538 Electors vote in each of the individual state, each state reports the results to Congress. Those results must be received by December 23.
On January 6, 2021, in front of a joint session of Congress, the Senate President (Vice President Mike Pence) will open alphabetically each state’s Elector vote submission and four tellers (two from each chamber) will confirm the votes. The Vice President will then announce the results.
Members of Congress may object to the returns from any individual state as they are announced.
Objections to individual state returns must be made in writing by at least one Member each of the Senate and House of Representatives. If an objection meets these requirements, the joint session recesses and the two houses separate and debate the question in their respective chambers for a maximum of two hours. The two chambers then vote separately to accept or reject the objection. They then reassemble in joint session, and announce the results of their respective votes.
An objection to a state’s electoral vote must be approved by both houses in order for any contested votes to be excluded. Objections to the Electoral College votes were recorded in 1969 and 2005. In both those cases, the House and Senate rejected the objections and the votes in question were counted.
In the case of an Electoral College deadlock between two candidates (269 to 269) or if no candidate receives the majority of votes, a “contingent election” is held. The election of the President then goes to the House of Representatives. Each state “delegation” casts one vote for one of the top three contenders to determine a winner. Two presidential elections in American history was decided by the House -- in 1800 and 1824.
Three observations about the 2020 presidential election:
First, Congress declares the winner of the presidential election, not the media. The constitutional process is clear. Until the Electors vote December 14, there is no president-elect. For the media, or anyone else, to declare a winner before the 14 is pre-mature.
Second, the 2020 presidential race was very close. Vice President Biden’s lead in three states is razor thin. Arizona (11 electoral votes) was decided by 11,000 votes, Pennsylvania (20 electoral votes) by 81,000, and Georgia (16 electoral votes) by 13,000 votes. If those three states’ electoral votes reverted to President Trump, he would win re-election with 279 electoral votes. Biden’s margin of victory, if it does stand, is being taunted by the media as a landslide, but it was far from that.
Third, if the race is thrown into the House of Representatives, Trump will likely be re-elected. There are thirty (30) states whose delegation is majority Republican. Democrats know that and are fighting to avoid that. That is why the legal fight will be waged in the states.
Fourth, the courts will decide if election laws in the states were followed. If the laws were followed, then the results will likely stand. If the laws were not followed, then recounts will follow and possibly even a revote in a state. A re-vote has never happened and courts shy away from overturning elections, but it is a possibility.
Even if President Trump is not successful in challenging the results of the 2020 election, Americans are now aware of the differing voting rules across the states. When some states are counting ballots a week after the election, it’s clear standardized rules for electing the president are needed.
Congress should establish uniform, identical voting timelines for states to follow for electing the president in future elections.
NOTE: Steve Fair is Chairman for the Oklahoma Republican Party in the Fourth Congressional District. A widely-published commentaro, his essays appear frequently on the CapitolBeatOK.com website, and occasionally in the print edition of The City Sentinel newspaper. Steve can be reached by email at [email protected]. His blog is stevefair.blogspot.com.
Uniform voting procedures needed: A Commentary Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
OKLAHOMA CITY – Christi Evans, a Del City native, believed that vision issues were her biggest barrier to finding employment until she joined a support group hosted by Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired (SBVI) on Zoom.
SBVI is a division of Oklahoma Rehabilitation Services. Ani Severtsen and Debra Mendez, two SBVI rehabilitation of the blind specialists, hosted the Zoom support group.
Severtsen, who is blind, stated, “Our (SBVI) division administrator Tracy (Brigham) asked us to continue providing services online by Zoom and telephone to share information and encourage clients when we temporarily closed offices due to COVID-19. (https://ift.tt/2UNhaUl)
“Our Zoom sessions combine everything to do with vision loss from employment and technology tips to marketing ourselves and how we can become a support system for each other,” Severtsen added.
SBVI Vocational Rehabilitation counselor Demetria Moore suggested SYBNQ3 (https://synq3.com/), a Colorado-based restaurant call center, as a possible employer for Evans, who has 25 years’ experience in customer service and office management.
Severtsen and Mendez suggested that Evans follow up during a Zoom online session.
“It was cool,” Evans said. “I applied online while I was still in the Zoom meeting, had a 15-minute interview, and in about one week, I was working again.
“I’m glad it happened as quick as it did because I need the spending money for my grandkids and fixing up my house,” she added.
SYNQ3 services provided a laptop, training, technical support, software that works with Evan’s vision loss, along with a flexible schedule so she can get to her doctor’s appointments.
Evan’s normal schedule is 15 to 20 hours per week from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., but sometimes she works as late as 9 p.m.
Evans also has rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren’s Syndrome, an autoimmune disease which causes dry eyes and mouth.
“I was sitting home all day on the couch as it was, so now I can sit here,” Evans said as she gestured toward her comfortable desk, laptop and phone setup. “I really, really like it and enjoy talking to the people on the phone. I’m a people person. It’s my way to have fun, be sociable and carry on and be yourself.”
Evans first asked SBVI, formerly called Visual Services, about Ticket to Work (https://ift.tt/3nLAkq9), a return to employment program for people receiving Social Security Disability Insurance benefits.
She discussed with DRS Benefits Planner Michelle Rudesill about the impact that part time employment would have on her Social Security benefits.
SBVI Vocational Rehabilitation (https://ift.tt/3fjoEry) counselor Demetria Moore provided career counseling and guidance, purchased adaptive equipment, and referred Evans to Oklahoma Workforce (https://ift.tt/3pSddfg) and other services on the SBVI program.
Severtsen trained Evans in specialized skills and provided equipment to help with her vision loss, including a reader that identifies clothing colors as well as a Closed Circuit TV, which combines a camera and TV screen to enlarge printed text.
Together, Severtsen worked with Evans to utilize her remaining vision, build her confidence and help her to become more independent in home management.
Orientation and Mobility Specialist (https://ift.tt/2pognKa) Liz Scheffe helped Evans learn to use a white cane to navigate sidewalks and cross streets and provided her with specialty sunglasses to reduce glare.
Assistive Technology Specialist (https://ift.tt/393uNHf) Magan Rowan instructed Evans on increasing the screen and font size with Windows 10 Magnifier to be able to see her work more clearly without affecting the programs required for the job.
Evans also receives free audio books mailed by SBVI’s Oklahoma Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (http://www.olbph.org/).
“I’m so thrilled for each of you to share this success along with Christi,” Brigham wrote in an email to the SBVI team. “It’s been difficult at best over the past few months, and Christi’s success shows how much your commitment matters to people who meet their goals -- no matter what is going on out in the world.”
Christi Evans was born in Kimball, Nebraska and graduated from Del City High School, earned an associate’s degree in accounting from Oklahoma Junior College and certification as a medical billing coder from City College, which later merged with Platt College.
Evans’ fiancé John Kitchen from Harlow, United Kingdom plans to move to the U.S. next year. She also remains close to her daughter, son, step-daughter, seven grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
Evans’ advice for new customer service representatives is: “Listen and stay calm.”
For jobseekers with disabilities, she strongly recommends Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired (http://www.okdrs.org/org/vs).
“If you have any kind of issue like low vision or hearing issues, try DRS first,” Evans said. “Let them know what’s going on and find out what they can help with just like they did with me.”
DRS also has a second employment division, Vocational Rehabilitation
(https://ift.tt/36YASCe), which serves jobseekers with non-visual disabilities.
For more information about SBVI, visit okdrs.org/job-seekers/sbvi , or phone 800-487-4042 during business hours to be transferred to the office nearest to you.
DRS Services for the Blind client offers jobs through Zoom support group Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
OKLAHOMA CITY - Representatives from Oklahoma’s Kirkpatrick Foundation, Save the Illinois River, and the City of Tahlequah, along with Washington’s SR3
(Sealife Response, Rehabilitation and Research), and the city of Des Moines, WA have joined forces to support endangered Southern Resident killer whales.
The “Oklahoma Killer Whale Project” will raise awareness between the connection between Tahlequah, OK and Tahlequah, or “J35,” a member of the Southern Resident killer whale community.
This partnership has formed a “Sister Community” to support SR3’s Southern Resident health assessment research and connect Oklahoma-based ocean enthusiasts to the coastal waters of the Pacific Northwest, according to the press release. (https://www.mmc.gov/priority-topics/species-of-concern/southern-resident-killer-whale/)
“In Oklahoma, we recognize the connection between our own Tahlequah — a city where environmental and animal protection has a vibrant history — and the endangered Southern Resident killer whales,” said Ed Brocksmith, Secretary & Treasurer, Save the Illinois River.
(https://ift.tt/3lVPKb0)
Logan Curtis, of the Tahlequah Daily Press (https://ift.tt/3fkWNqZ), reported, “because of these connections, Tahlequah Mayor Sue Catron signed a proclamation declaring a partnership between the two communities.”
Tahlequah (J35) the killer whale first captured the world’s attention when she (https://ift.tt/2V0S6JT) carried her deceased calf for 17 days (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XhPZNtedXo) in 2018.
This year she successfully gave birth (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIZ_psySkBc) to a boy (J57) in September, also gaining the attention of wildlife lovers everywhere.
The birth of this calf is considered a hopeful sign for the Southern Resident killer whale family, which is near extinction. (https://www.mmc.gov/priority-topics/species-of-concern/southern-resident-killer-whale/)
“We are utterly delighted to celebrate the birth of this calf to Tahlequah, and we recognize this moment in time as a unique opportunity to highlight the struggles that remain to protect this species — and so many others — from pollution and, ultimately, extinction,” said Louisa McCune, Executive Director, Kirkpatrick Foundation.(https://kirkpatrickfoundation.com/)
A large focus of the partnership is a double match fundraising effort that will be directed toward the organization’s research program, which will support conservation efforts for the Southern Resident killer whales.
Donations will not only be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Kirkpatrick Foundation, up to $20,000, but an anonymous donor in Washington State will also match donations dollar-for-dollar, up to $40,000, in general support of the non-profit.
This fundraising opportunity allows those passionate about marine wildlife to quadruple the initiative’s impact.
Additional efforts being considered include a future Zoom Education Series, an Oklahoma Ambassadors Program making future trips to the Salish Sea (https://ift.tt/3nJFrqP), and an “Oklahoma Whale Conservation Society.”
“No matter where you live, we all have a role to play in protecting our oceans,” said Casey Mclean, SR3 Executive Director and Veterinary Nurse. “Forging connections like this is an essential part of maintaining healthy marine ecosystems.
“It is heartwarming to see people from across the country coming together to protect this special population of whales,” Mclean added. “I think it shows how we can still change course here, and that should give us all hope right now.”
Oklahoma City’s Kirkpatrick Foundation announces “Oklahoma Killer Whale Project” Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Denzel Washington, among the greatest movie actors of this generation, returned for perhaps the last time as Robert McCall in ‘Equalizer 2’, the 2018 motion picture which is appearing on the FX cable system this evening (November 19) in back-to-back broadcasts.
(This evening’s encores are head-to-head with ‘SkyFall’, the best of the Daniel Craig portrayals of James Bond, Agent 007, on the SyFy Channel.)
Always an authoritative film presence, Washington delivers solidly in this successful continuation of the powerful chronicle of the 2014 ‘Equalizer’. (https://ift.tt/3lHoaxX)
As in the first film, the “hiding in plain sight” story of a rough man is well delivered. A restless spirit, McCall continues reading what his late wife had deemed the 100 greatest books. He is nearing the end of that intellectual journey through the great works as the film begins.
The setting is a high-speed train racing through the night in Turkey. Sustaining his noble habit of exacting justice for those in trouble, or in a need of a friend, McCall is posing as an Islamic pilgrim.
In the dining car, he catches the eye of a little girl – shortly before (not in her sight) delivering justice of some sort to a thug (her father, played by Adam Karst). As is his habit (and was original television series), McCall gives the bad guy a choice. A hint: the men who work for the thug mean unpleasant ends.
The exact outcome for the boss is a mystery (a hallmark in this series), but soon we see, back in the U.S.A, the girl reunited with her mother. In a subsequent visit to that woman’s bookstore, McCall purchases a copy of the final work in his late wife’s book list.
Tenderly delivered screen vignettes, advancing the overall story line, are included in this powerful drama.
McCall’s time, ostensibly as a driver for an Uber-like operation, is spent improving the world for a variety of worthy souls, including an elderly Holocaust survivor (Orson Bean), a neighborly gardener named Fatima (Sakhina Jaffrey) and, most notably, a young artist named Miles (Ashton Sanders).
While each of these threads are memorable, especially after multiple viewings, his time with Miles is most powerful, evoking the tale from the first Equalizer film, in which McCall came out of ‘retirement’ to rescue a young woman (played by Chloe Grace Moretz) from a life of prostitution.
About half-way into Equalizer 2, an exchange between McCall and Miles – who is sorely tempted to enter the world of young gangsters, in part to avenge a dead brother -- seems like a preface to recent cultural conflicts playing out in America’s great cities.
Reprising solid portrayals – echoes from McCall’s earlier life -- are Bill Pullman (as Brian) and Melissa Leo (as Susan). Each is an “A-lister” for this reviewer. They render characters I admire, examples of the “servant leader” generation passing from the American scene too soon. The character of Susan is the stronger in this endearing film marriage, with Bill an often-befuddled academic reliant on his wife’s organizational acumen and, in particular, her understanding of human frailty.
McCall is back in the vengeance business when his dearest friend is taken in moments of brutal violence – portrayed graphically, and well-meriting the “R” rating.
What seems like terrorism with foreign roots is actually entirely a domestic matter, centered around a group of violent rogues – a cluster of former comrades of McCall. Avoiding spoilers, these fellows (portrayed by a quartet of fine actors) will be considered in a future review.
Robert McCall is a patriot, embodying an American idealism despite his violent labor (past and present) in the all-too-real world. He has no illusions about the foibles afflicting even the noblest men and women, but lives in affirmation of higher possibilities.
Some would say the time of such a man has passed, in the “woke” nation where now we live. I say our nation will always need men like Robert McCall, because we live in a world of nuance, with nightmarish potential for destruction, and astounding possibilities for wholesome transformation.
Many of the greatest fans of the Equalizer stories (television and film) anxiously await whatever come next, in the announced television reboot starring Queen Latifah.
Both of the Denzel Washington installments of ‘Equalizer’ are heartily recommended.
Appreciating Denzel Washington: ‘Equalizer 2’ grows the legend Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK |
Pat McGuiganThe dean of all Oklahoma Journalism, Mr Patrick McGuigan; has a rich history of service in many aspects of both covering the news and producing the information that the public needs to know. Archives
September 2021
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