Beauty and The Beads

Seven horses in critical condition were rescued on Thursday by the Somerset County Humane Society.

One, a 2-year-old male, was carried off the property on a stretcher. That horse made it through the night. Humane officer Melissa Leonard said that horse is still not standing, but has eaten and it drank some water.

The horses body condition was 1 1/2 on a scale of 9, Leonard said. It cant stand because it is so weak.

Veterinarian Dr. Nancy Mauer, Spruce Run Equine Veterinary Associates, Somerset, is taking care of the horses. Mauer accompanied the horses from the location where they were found to where they are being kept. She canceled her appointments for two days to care for them. The horses are all young animals. Most are Tennessee Walker mixes and some have good breed lines.

From the goodness of her heart, she stayed with that horse during transport, Leonard said.

The person in charge of caring for the horses has not been identified. Once the caretaker has been identified charges may be filed, according to Leonard. The horses were reported to be from Meyersdale.

There were some issues about ownership. It was passed around, Leonard said. The owner honestly didnt care. Some good Samaritans were trying to take care of the horses, but didnt know how.

Sally Urban, president of the humane society, said the public has come through with flying colors. While foster homes are needed, people are already offering food for the horses and money. The humane society still needs things for the horses, including bedding, shavings, rolled oats, hay, halters (cob and pony-size), Micro-Tek spray, leads, wormer and treats. Checks may be sent to the society, PO Box 182, Somerset. Write for horse care on the memo line.

Good people have come forward and want to make a difference, Urban said. For 12 years we didnt have a humane society officer in the county. We have one, but only part time. We cant afford a full-time one the funding isnt there. We receive many horse owner complaints there are very good horse people, but others buy them without knowing how to care for them.

Leonard agreed.

Neglect is happening in our own backyard, she said. We need people to help by watching out for animals. Situations like this are getting bad.

Westmoreland County Animal Response Team members helped Leonard provide transportation for the horses. Leonard praised their efforts.

On Tuesday, Houghton students had the opportunity to watch the broadcast of the Presidents annual State of the Union address delivered from Capitol Hill during an event sponsored by the Runnymede Pre-Law Society.

Prior to the speech, the most emotional moment of the evening, as dubbed by a CNN commentator, was Gabrielle Giffordss entrance into the House chamber, where she was greeted with a standing ovation from her fellow congress members. Last year Giffords was shot in the head at a congressional meet-and-greet in her home state of Arizona. Giffords announced earlier in the week that she will be retiring from office to focus on her physical and mental recovery.

After giving Giffords a quick hug, President Obama addressed the nation, touching on issues such as jobs, public and higher education, energy, and international affairs. He also focused a significant segment of his speech on closing the gap between the wealthy and the middle class, mentioning tax strategies and ways in which the wealthy could help lift the burden of the middle class. Some students watching the speech disagreed with what he had to say on this matter. Sophomore Benjamin Hardy said, He seems to think that there is a disconnect between jobs and those who create jobs, and Hardy went on to say that Obama seems to know his political philosophy, but it fails to apply to the real world.

Other students had positive things to say about Obamas speech. Elizabeth Raucher, junior, felt that Obamas emphasis on equal pay for equal work for women, which he mentioned twice in his speech, was striking. She also said that she liked his point of view on healthcare, though she felt that most Houghton students watching the speech probably felt differently. Im one of the few liberals here on campus, so I agreed with the President on a lot more than most people here on this issue.

Junior Jennifer Freeman appreciated Obamas ending comparison between the military and Congresss role, in which Obama stressed that Congress operate with more efficiency and unity. Freeman said, I felt that this was a strong point for him. Americans really support the military and he seemed to be trying to improve peoples opinion on Congress. However, senior Garrett Fitzsimmons felt that while Obamas comparison to the military was interesting in its emphasis on efficiency and unity, it was not necessarily a correct analogy. The military doesnt accurately reflect the process of protecting the rights and liberties of our political system, said Fitzsimmons.

The Runnymede Pre-Law Society hopes to hold more pre-law and political events on campus. Senior Kathleen Elenfelt, president of Runnymede, said, Currently we are working on hosting a Mock Trial event like we did last year, more LSAT practice for the pre-law students and we are starting to plan a forum that deals with law and politics. Also later on in the semester afterhellip;voting in the new cabinet members we want to have a transferring of power event for anyone who would like to come.

FREMONT — The Sandusky County Chapter of the American Cancer Society is once again participating in the annual Daffodil Days fundraiser.

Bunches of daffodils can be purchased for $10 each and, as part of the campaign, 10-inch stuffed Boyds Bears also are available. The bears can be kept by the purchaser or be delivered anonymously to help comfort children in the community.

Daffodils can be purchased from representatives of the Cancer Society in the community, especially members of Relay for Life teams. Deadline for orders is Feb. 21.

Daffodil Days is one of the American Cancer Societys oldest fundraising campaigns. Funds raised through the program help to support the Cancer Societys research grant program, which supports millions of dollars in research in Toledo, Cleveland, Columbus and elsewhere in Ohio in addition to locations around the country.

Cancer Society-supported research has helped to establish the link between smoking and lung cancer, demonstrated the effectiveness of the Pap smear in detecting cervical cancer, helped to define the structure of DNA, created hormonal therapy for prostate cancer and identified the genetic link for breast cancer, thus helping to save many lives.

Donations to the Daffodils Day effort provide support for similar research efforts.

The Daffodil Days program involves offering daffodils each spring to donors in appreciation of their contributions. The daffodils, as the first flower of spring, represent hope and that serves as a symbol of the Cancer Societys hope for a future in which cancer is no longer a threat to millions of people.

If you do not know anyone active in the Cancer Society or Relay for Life, but are interested in buying daffodils for yourself or to donate to people in hospitals or nursing homes or homebound, call Jamie Gottron at 419-680-9307.

Post-Mubarak Egypt is facing profound challenges with its unfinished revolution and looming economic crisis. The last thing it needs is to pick a fight with the United States. Yet the military rulers have done just that, demonstrating contempt for civil society and an old ally.

Related News

• Some in Egypt Turn Their Anger on Islamists, and the Syrian Embassy Is Attacked
  (January 28, 2012)

• Egypt Raids Offices of Nonprofits, 3 Backed by U.S.
  (December 30, 2011)

• Times Topic:
  Egypt News — Revolution and Aftermath

On Dec. 29, security forces raided as many as seven nongovernmental groups in Cairo, including three American-financed democracy-building groups — the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute and Freedom House. Employees were hauled in for questioning in a bogus criminal investigation.

On Thursday, the Egyptian government confirmed that it had barred at least six Americans — including I.R.I.’s Egypt director, Sam LaHood, the son of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood — from leaving the country.

The generals make the specious charge that recent unrest was caused by “foreign hands.” Outside forces didn’t drive Egyptians to courageously rise up against Hosni Mubarak. And outside forces aren’t driving them to keep pressing the military to keep its promises and move fully to civilian rule. If Egyptians want outside help to make that transition, they should be allowed to accept it.

I.R.I.’s president, Lorne Craner, said that in his organization’s 30-year history, it has never been treated like this by any country, including Russia, China and Venezuela.

Egypt’s military receives $1.3 billion in annual aid from Washington. It is beyond us why the generals would keep pressing this destructive dispute, even after hearing remonstrations from President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. They must let Mr. LaHood and the others go immediately.

The sold-out audience at the opening night of TheatreWorks production of The Pitmen Painters at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts gave a standing ovation. The Jan. 21 performance was the West Coast premiere of the play by Lee Hall, which is based on the book by William Feaver.

It is the real-life story of the Ashington Group, a group of miners from northeastern England who became painters and highly regarded artists when they enrolled in an art class that was provided by the Workers Educational Association.

Director Leslie Martinson re-created the stratified society of England between the wars, and a glimpse of the miners lives and dangerous work with superb spare sets, colorful, life-sized pictures and sophisticated visual projections of actual art and locations, in addition to authentic dialects and period fashions.

The miners wanted to know what the posh people knew. Their teacher realized that with no formal education, the way to teach them was to have them paint their own world — they werent afraid to try. After six months of lessons, they had their first exhibition. They stayed together as a group and continued to paint while working in the mines.

The audience, along with the Painters, experienced a life lesson in how we perceive art. Their teacher Robert Lyon (played by Paul Whitworth) said, We go to art to learn about ourselves. Union leader George Brown (played by James Carpenter) added,

By Dustin Blitchok
For The News-Herald

Michigans former attorney general said controversy over the states medical marijuana law raises larger philosophical questions for citizens and policymakers.

What kind of a society are we? said Mike Cox, now an attorney at the Detroit law firm Dykema Gossett PLLC. What kind of self-government do we choose for ourselves?

When asked after his speech to comment on raids by the Oakland County Sheriffs Office on medical marijuana dispensaries and clinics, Cox said the problem lies with the clarity of the law itself.

Im not going to fault any police agency for following up on what theyre told is a violation of the law, he said. I think Lansing (the legislature) needs to do more to clean up the implementation (of the law). Its that simple.

Attorney Neil Rockind, who has defended medical marijuana patients in Oakland County, said hes not a fan of Michigans sitting attorney general.

Im not just not a fan of (Attorney General Bill) Schuette, he said. Im opposed to his approach, his viewpoint, his mindset.

Rockind said he wishes he had known Schuette was going to be as harsh to medical marijuana as he is when running for office. I think a lot of people people would not have voted for him if they had known that.

Cox was the keynote speaker at the Wayne State University Law Schools day-long symposium on marijuana reform. We have little honest dialogue about marijuana, he said.

Michigans medical marijuana law was approved in a voter referendum in 2008 during Coxs second term as attorney general. At the time, he found the issue much ado about nothing, adding, I was largely indifferent.

Cox said he came to see that medical marijuana was more important than I thought, and was a question of liberty interest. Continued…

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From the Humane Society of Harford County:

The Humane Society of Harford County Inc. (HSHC) and Pets for Patriots, Inc. have joined forces to give military veterans, service members and their families the gift of a pet’s unconditional love, while providing dogs and cats a second chance at life. Through this partnership, Pets for Patriots will connect our area’s loyal service men and women to HSHC, and HSHC will introduce them to eligible homeless dogs and cats that are looking for permanent homes.

Individuals are eligible from any United States armed forces and at any stage of their careers – active, reserve, National Guard, retired or veteran. Eligible adoptions must meet one of the following criteria: dogs or cats two years and older, dogs 40-pounds or larger regardless of age, and special needs dogs and cats. The Humane Society of Harford County will help any veteran in the Pets for Patriots program find a needs- and lifestyle-appropriate pet. Joining Pets for Patriots is free to veterans and service members, and HSHC will provide a 20% adoption discount. In addition, Jarrettsville Veterinary Center is currently offering a 10% discount on veterinary services for approved Pets for Patriots members. Additional veterinarians are added to the program as they are approved.

“Our goal is to help our adoption partners re-home harder-to-place pets that still have years of love and life to give,” says Beth Zimmerman, founder and executive director of Pets for Patriots. Companion pets are known to provide real physical and emotional benefits to their guardians, including those suffering from post-combat stress, depression, isolation or physical disability. We’re delighted to work with The Humane Society of Harford County to give these at-risk pets a second chance at life and, in so doing, to enhance the lives of veterans living in the community.

HSHC quickly saw the potential to find adult dogs and cats permanent homes with service members. “We are able to place about 1,500 pets each year,” says Mary Leavens, Executive Director of the Humane Society of Harford County. “Through our partnership with Pets for Patriots, we hope to provide forever homes to even more loving animals with the many military personnel and veterans in our area.”

Service men and women interested in the program must first apply through Pets for Patriots and provide proof of their military service. Approval typically takes one or two business days, after which the military member can visit HSHC for assistance in choosing a new pet friend.

About The Humane Society of Harford County, Inc.

The Humane Society of Harford County, Inc., is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to the welfare and well-being of the approximately 4,500 animals that come to us each year. We promote the kind treatment of homeless, stray and abandoned animals by providing shelter, care, adoptions, and community education. We are not a county agency nor are we affiliated with any national or regional organization. Your tax-deductible donations, bequests, and proceeds from events are crucial to our life-saving efforts on behalf of the animals of our community. Visit www.harfordshelter.org for more information and follow us at www.facebook.com/thehumanesocietyofharfordcounty.

About Pets for Patriots

Pets for Patriots, Inc., is a registered 501(c)(3) charity that connects hard-to-adopt shelter pets with service and veteran members of the United States military. Its mission is to consistently give the gifts of fidelity, joy and companionship to both pet and person. Pets for Patriots is one of the only organizations in the country dedicated to both at-risk pets and military members. Visit www.petsforpatriots.org for more information, follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/petsforpatriotsand become a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/petsforpatriots.

The Visual Effects Society (VES) has re-elected Jeffrey A. Okun, head of visual effects for Prana Studios, for a fourth one-year term as Board Chair. He and other officers were announced Thursday by VES executive director Eric Roth.

Okun said he was excited to continue his service promoting visual effects and the artists who create them. He added that he particularly was looking forward to pushing forward VES’ initiative “to reach out and bring all parties to the table to secure rights and benefits for our industry – across the board – in film, broadcast, special venue, commercials, games and animation.”

Roth said he looked forward to continuing his relationship with Okun, adding that the visual effects guru is “is an extraordinarily talented gentleman with a bottomless passion for visual effects and the VES while being uniquely suited to be the voice of the entertainment industry’s defining resource for our craft.”

The numerous films Okun is known for include Stargate (1994), Deep Blue Sea (1999), The Last Samurai (2003), The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008), and most recently Catherine Hardwicke’s Red Riding Hood (2011). He also is the author of breakdown, budgeting and tracking software currently being used by professionals throughout the industry, and has created several techniques used in many of today’s films.

Other board officers elected by the VES members are: first vice chair – Michael Fink, visual effects supervisor; second vice chair – Pam Hogarth, Director of Marketing, Look Effects; Treasurer – Bob Coleman, president, Digital Artists Agency; and secretary – Kim Lavery, VFX Producer.

VES is the entertainment industrys only official organization representing the extended community of visual effects practitioners including supervisors, artists, producers, technology developers, educators and studio executives. Its over 2,500 global members contribute to all areas of entertainment from film, television and commercials to music videos, games and new media.

Related links:

http://www.visualeffectssociety.com

Jeffrey A. Okun – http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0645799

Michael Fink – http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0277842

Pam Hogarth – http://www.lookfx.com

Bob Coleman http://www.d-a-a.com/about/aboutframe.html

Kim Lavery – http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0491969

The current and former music directors of the Los Angeles Philharmonic will be among the prominent classical personalities to appear in the next season of the Philharmonic Society of Orange County. Gustavo Dudamel will lead the LA Philharmonic for one concert, while Esa-Pekka Salonen will separately conduct London#39;s Philharmonia Orchestra.

Other notable names of the 2012-13 season include Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman. The season will continue the Philharmonic Society#39;s ongoing focus on the works of Beethoven. Concerts will take place at the RenÃe and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. Recitals will take place at different venues around Orange County, including for the first time the new Soka Performing Arts Center in Aliso Viejo.

Salonen will open the season with a Nov. 14 concert with the Philharmonia Orchestra performing Beethoven#39;s Symphony No. 7 and Berlioz#39;s Symphonie Fantastique. It will be Salonen#39;s first appearance in Orange County since stepping down as music director of the LA Philharmonic in 2009.

The Orchestre RÃvolutionnaire et Romantique, along with the Monteverdi Choir, will perform two concerts (Nov. 19 and 20) conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner. The concerts will feature performances of Beethoven#39;s Missa Solemnis and Symphony No. 9.

Humane Society holds opening for hospital

The Jacksonville Humane Society will hold a grand opening today of its new Community Animal Hospital at 8464 Beach Blvd.

The 1 to 3 pm event will feature refreshments, giveaways and pet dental screenings.

Staffed by experienced veterinarians, the 6,500-square-foot hospital offers a variety of services such as vaccinations and wellness care, spay/neuter, orthopedics, dental care and more.

For more information, go to jaxhumane.org.

Bowhunter courseoffered for Duval

An online Florida Bowhunter Education Course is being offered by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, with a hands-on days of training set for Duval County residents at 6 to 8 pm Thursday, then 9 am Saturday, Feb. 4.

Access the distance-learning course can be found at MyFWC.com/Bowhunt, with a registration fee of $30 payable to the National Bowhunter Education Foundation on its website, www.bowhunter-ed.com/fl. Participants can learn all aspects of bowhunting including its history, shot placement and game recovery, use of elevated stands and outdoor preparedness at a two-day field class.

To register for the field days, call the commission’s Lake City office at (386) 758-0525.

Nominations sought for volunteer program

Home Instead Senior Care is seeking nominations from Duval, Flagler, Nassau and St. Johns counties for the national Salute to Senior Service program, which recognizes senior volunteers for their contributions to the community.

State winners and the national winner will be announced in May. State winners will receive plaques and their stories will be posted on the Salute to Senior Service website. Also, $5,000 will be donated to the national winner’s charity of choice, according to a news release.

Nominees must be 65 or older and volunteer at least 15 hours a month.

Nominations will be accepted online through March 15 at SalutetoSeniorService.com. Also, nomination forms can be requested by emailing ckoehler@homeinsteadinc.com.

Duncan named nonprofit’s leader

Lelia Duncan has been named president and chief executive officer of Community Connections of Jacksonville, a nonprofit that provides assistance and housing for the homeless and offers services to women, children and families.

She will succeed Pat Hannan, who is retiring after 17 years, according to a news release.