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Achievements and Recognitions
March 27, 2017 March 30, 2017 | artmaker29
(Chapter 22, "Dairyman's Daughter," remembering Mary Ellen Townsend Harris, 1911-2016)
The Cybertype machine was only one contribution that came through the link of Community of Hope with Madison College–which became James Madison University in 1977. The school's growing reputation for excellence in health services meant Community of Hope had access to cutting edge advances in speech therapy. When two professors discovered a grant was available in the use of technology to teach people with speech problems, they thought of COHOPE.
Mary and Hugh were excited, but also curious. They asked one of the professors, "Aren't there always a lot of people competing for grants that can only go to a few? How would we go about doing this…I mean, what makes you think COHOPE would have a chance?"
"Of course it's a competitive process. We wouldn't downplay that, yet look what you've already built, basically from scratch–a program effectively serving some of the most severely speech impaired people we've seen. We believe, if you focus on that, you can be very competitive."
Mary pondered his words. She was drawn to the idea. "Okay, how would we go about this? Is there a formula or something we need to follow?"
"Yes. there is a protocol, and we can help you with that. Most of all, though, grants are awarded on the basis of uniqueness and merit. Your program already stands out in those areas."
After further discussion, they decided to give it a try. Hugh worked hard at learning the "system," as he called it, for presenting their cause. They submitted their request and waited. Finally, the word came–they had, indeed, won a grant. Mary and Hugh were thrilled.
When the money arrived, they used it to sponsor a Communication Workshop at the Ingleside Resort in nearby Augusta County. People attended from all around the state. COHOPE staff members were among them, including two teachers who produced an outstanding project. They published a book detailing a unique approach to handicapped education that became a resource in the JMU library.
Of special impact was a chapter about an innovation called the "Nine-to-Nine Board." This was a chart that could be adapted to the needs, interests, and background of individual students. Through a system of nine different eye movements, handicapped persons could use the chart to communicate.
One COHOPE resident named Melody, was severely handicapped, confined to a wheelchair, and had no speech at all. Using the technology of the Nine-to-Nine Board, in tandem with a sensitivity fostered by Community of Hope's faith-based philosophy, the staff tapped into Melody's bright, active mind that was otherwise masked by her condition. She learned to communicate her thoughts, needs and wants by casting nine different expressive eye movements. As a result, she entered a new world of relationships that was thrilling to her…almost like a bird set free from a cage.
Trough experiences like this, the dairyman's daughter often realized how far her life had taken her down a path she could never have imagined in her childhood days of cherry tree musings on her grandpa's farm. Then there were other times when she learned things through unexpected interactions with her COHOPE family.
Such an experience occurred one day during lunch, which was the primary daily meal where residents, day students, and staff members gathered around the table. Mary wasn't always able to be there, but on this particular day she was. Since Paul needed someone to feed him, she took that responsibility to free someone else. On this day she sat next to him, alternating between feeding him, and then herself.
Paul sometimes had difficulty chewing and swallowing, so his food was pureed. Still, if he was given a second bite too quickly, he could choke. Over the years Mary fell into a habit of coaching him by saying in a low voice, "Swallow, Paul. Swallow, Swallow,"
For some reason Paul suddenly rebelled against her method, as if he couldn't listen to her coaching any longer He reared up in his chair, actually standing on his footrests for a few seconds, pulled loose his arm straps and shoulder strap, then turned to his mother and shouted, "Swallow! Swallow! Swallow!" Exhausted, but triumphant, he flopped back into his chair amidst an awkward silence as everyone stopped eating and fastened their gaze on Mary to see how she would react.
She felt equally shocked, but recovered quickly. Calmly, she refastened all Paul's straps, then continued eating her own lunch. She completely ignored Paul for several minutes, then quietly resumed feeding him. She offered spoonful after spoonful, and he ate as though nothing had happened. Conversation resumed around the table as everyone got back to their own lunch. Incident over.
Later that afternoon Mary passed Paul;s room, glanced inside and his eyes met hers. His facial expression said he wanted her to come in and talk, so she did.
"I…am…ssorry…Mmmo-ther." He twisted his head, straining in his chair as he spoke "I…am…sorry I…BLEW…UP!" He exhaled deeply as the tension left his body, keeping eye contact.
Mary reached to him, looking into his eyes. "You had every reason to blow up, Paul, and I'm glad you did. Thanks for making me put myself in your place and realize what a mistake I've been making."
Paul said nothing more, but his relief was comforting to Mary, as was the beautiful smile that accompanied it.
Life at COHOPE was like that! It was sometimes full of surprises, always involved learning experiences, was frequently exhausting, and always fulfilling. Mary would lie down at night, offering thanks to God for everything that was happening in her life. She would pray for wisdom and strength to continue the journey she had begun the day she married the man of whom her father said, "You'll never have a dull moment."
He had been right. What was also right, she realized, was that without Hugh's unique talents and temperament, she could never have met the challenges her life had produced. She gave thanks as she reminisced.
COHOPE truly was a community where hope resided, and became visible in peoples' lives. Mary and Hugh were often invited to speak before church and civic groups, telling their story. From the beginning, this was natural for Hugh, the salesman who never seemed to meet a stranger. It was much harder for Mary. Early on she told him she didn't think she could do it. His reply was characteristically to the point, couched in a touch of humor.
"Oh," he said, "just act like you're talking on the phone. You never have any trouble with that!"
She smiled to herself remembering this. His advice had been sound, and she had learned to just relax and be herself in any situation.
Sometimes Mary and Hugh's efforts brought formal public recognition. Every year the Exchange Club in Harrisonburg presented a "Golden Deeds" award to someone in the community. One year Hugh was given that award in recognition of his devotion to the cause of helping where he saw a need.
Because of her work with COHOPE, Mary was invited to join the Pilot Club of Harrisonburg. This was an organization for women comparable to the Rotary Club. The group took interest in their members for the kind of services they provided through charitable organizations. Mary remembered warmly the honor she felt when the club presented her with the Salvation Army's "Others" award for her work at COHOPE. She was the second person in Harrisonburg to be given this award.
Mary cherished all of these experiences. Her life became a treasure chest of accomplishments focused on others, She felt blessed and deeply fulfilled
(Excerpt from "Dairyman's Daughter," by Hugh Townsend Harris, based on "Remembering!" by Mary Ellen Townsend Harris.)
December 28, 2016 December 29, 2016 | artmaker29
It's December 28th–three days left in the year! The Christmas tree is still up. The candles are still in the windows. Even with the fireplace lit, there has been a bit of a chill in the air this season.
I miss Mom!
Except for two years when I was overseas in the Army, I've always spent some part of Christmas with Mom. No matter where I lived, my family and I either went home, or she came to us. When pastoral duties interfered with Christmas Day, I visited her for New Years.
The season has felt strangely silent this year. I feel old.
I've known other times of loss, but Christmas didn't feel this way on those occasions. Dad died in 1999–on New Year's Day. We had watched him die slowly for years, receding into an Alzheimer's world where we couldn't go. When he died I felt relief. I didn't feel old.
Of course, there have been other losses–my grandparents, my brother, Paul, and my sister, Merle. There have also been aunts, uncles, cousins…and close friends. Paul died of pneumonia in 1989. Sis died from complications surrounding a diabetic seizure in 2002. I didn't feel old when they died.
Aging has been a mysterious journey for me. I have looked into the mirror and found my father's face staring back at me many times, but I never felt old. I've been blessed with good health and energy. I've explored my creativity through art and writing. I've always seen the glass as "half-full." This year it seems to be "half-empty!"
Mom had an intrinsic vitality that captured and inspired others, including me. She was a woman of enduring faith and courage. She took challenges in stride as opportunities. She suffered, but she also persevered, and you never felt that her suffering had defined her parameters.
She strode through life in deep companionship with her Lord. When she made mistakes, she owned them. No excuses. No blaming. When she stumbled, she picked herself up. She always had time to connect with you, rejoice in your successes, and feel your pain. I always wanted to be like her in those things.
In recent years when her resources were small, Mom found ways to give gifts that became her trademark at Christmas. For me, it was always a small package of handkerchiefs. For someone else it might be one of her "treasures" from a shelf, or perhaps a book. She would hand me my handkerchiefs with a twinkle in her eye. "I always know what a man needs," she would say, then laugh. What she really gave us were pieces of herself.
So here we are. No great family gathering this year. A few phone calls. Mostly quiet remembering. Before me the portal of a challenging year begins to swing open. I look to God with gratitude for all he has given me, all he has taken, and all he has yet to reveal. I thank him for Mom.
I miss her. I miss calling to check in with her. I miss occasional notes from her that would show up in the mailbox. And yet…and yet I sense her presence still with us in the fiber of our daily lives.
And I feel old…as I should after seventy-nine Christmases past! It's about time!
Thank you, Lord, for each day you grant. Help me to use each one well. Amen.
The Launching Years
October 30, 2016 November 5, 2016 | artmaker29
Remembering Mary Ellen Townsend Harris, 1911-2016
Like clouds breaking open to reveal eternal expanses beyond the boundaries of earth, so our lives open as we journey through adolescence into adulthood. These are The Launching Years.
Mary glimpsed this dynamic in her oldest son when he joined the Army and left home for three years. His return in July, 1959, brought fresh transitions for the whole family. He would live at home, but being out of the army's "nest" meant he had two immediate needs–a car and a job.
"Look at this," his dad said while reading the Saturday newspaper. "'Nineteen-forty-nine Pontiac for sale, good tires, runs well. One owner. Priced to sell.'"
"Let me see that." Hugh T checked out the ad and jotted down the number. "Let's call about this."
"Go ahead. You're on your own now…but I'll take you to look at it."
He called and found the car belonged to two elderly women in the nearby town of Dayton. It turned out to be as good as advertised, and the price worked for him, so Hugh T bought it.
With the car issue settled, the next thing was a job. He found an ad from a local sewing machine store seeking a salesman. "Sewing machines!" he muttered as he read it. "Guess I could do that." He went for an interview and got the job. That's when some new issues surfaced. His first week went okay in the store, learning the features of each machine and how to use them. The beginning of the next week was when things changed.
"Here's how things work around here," he boss told him. "When you come in each morning we'll have some leads for you. These are people who have called in for service on their machines." He looked sharply into Hugh T's eyes. "I don't want you fixing those machines! Your job is to sell them a new machine. You won't get a commission from repairs."
That set up a moral dilemma when he discovered that most of the calls were from elderly women, often widows, for whom sewing provided a sense of purpose. Most of them lived very simply with limited resources. He expressed his feelings to Mary one morning at breakfast.
"I feel like I need this job, but I can't do what they want. These are old ladies who know more about sewing than my boss will ever learn. I just don't feel settled about selling them a machine, no matter how advanced it is, when all they really need is a new bobbin, or some simple adjustment." He paused while he studied his plate, then looked back up. "The trouble is, the boss says I either sell them new machines, or I'm fired."
Mary felt his distress. Her husband had been through issues like this a few times. "Sometimes you have to follow your conscience…your inner voice, even when you can't see where that will lead you." She put her hand on his. "Besides, how do you know you'll even have time for this job when your classes start next month?"
Hugh T's tension seemed to fade a bit. "Yeah, I thought of that, too. I guess I just needed to hear it from somebody else." He paused thoughtfully. "Glad I saved enough while in the Army to pay for the first year's tuition."
"That's a blessing already."
Hugh T got up from the table, stepped over to the kitchen sink, then turned back toward her. "Actually, I hope to get a student pastoral appointment next summer…once I get my feet on the ground." She knew he had completed a year-long correspondence course while in France that had qualified him for a Local Preacher's License.
Within a week he had quit the job, and shortly after that came student orientation and then the beginning of classes. One morning when he was about to leave the house Mary handed him an official-looking letter that had arrived the day before. He had a puzzled expression as he opened it, then looked shocked.
"I can't believe this!" He waved the letter in the air. "They say the Army overpaid me and they want the money back with interest." He sank into a chair, handing the letter to his mother's outstretched hand. "That's practically everything I have in savings." He looked up at her. "What am I going to do?"
Mary wished she could step in and help, but she and Hugh didn't have the resources available. She also knew this was something her son really needed to work out for himself…the first of many challenges that would require spiritual resources.
"I don't know, but if God called you to the ministry, God will have an answer. Your Daddy and I have faced some things like this, and we found God was bigger than our problems."
Just a few weeks later an opportunity opened for Hugh T that he couldn't have seen coming. The Keezletown church was part of a circuit that included two other churches nearer to Harrisonburg. When her pastor had a heart attack, he had to cut back on his activities. He narrowed his focus to the Keezletown conregation and hired Hugh T to preach at the other two until June. This helped with his day-to-day expenses, as did a part-time holiday job at a men's clothing store.
A couple of months later Hugh T announced that he was going to get married to a young woman named Gerry he'd met through a college friend. They had been spending a lot of time together, so it wasn't a total surprise, but some flags went up in her mind. Then she remembered how she and Hugh had known each other only three months when they got married. Maybe this is how my parents felt!
"Since your Daddy and I had a brief courtship, I guess I can understand that. But things are different for you. You're in college. This is a big step."
"I know, but several day students are married, and they seem to manage okay…" He paused a moment. "Besides, there's something else going on. There's a small charge east of Elkton that might become available as a student appointment in June. I just learned, though, that they won't consider a man who's single. By getting married this spring, I can qualify for consideration."
"And how does Gerry feel about that? Is she ready to be a pastor's wife?"
"She's excited about it. You know, her parents are both active in their church. She says she looks forward to it."
Hugh T and Gerry were married in March. In June he was appointed student pastor at the Blue Ridge Charge. Two-and-a-half years later they presented Mary with her first granddaughter. An image of her own Grandma Mary came into her mind and she wondered if she was ready for this. Looking in the mirror she thought, With my gray hair, I guess I look old enough to be a grandma, but I sure don't feel like it.
Getting her oldest son launched wasn't Mary's only task during these years. She had already seen her daughter through nursing school. After working for a while at MCV in Richmond, Sis had moved to Staunton where she worked at King's Daughter's Hospital, and lived in nearby nurse's housing. Mary praised God for her daughter's accomplishments, but she was also anxious for her to meet some man who would love her and take care of her. One day the phone rang with a message that eased those concerns.
"I have someone I want you to meet," Sis said. "His name is Bill Diehr. One of my friends at work is dating his cousin, and they introduced us. We've been seeing each other for a while and I want him to meet you."
Mary and Hugh had them for dinner and got acquainted. Bill had been in the Air Force, and had a good job with a major airline at Washington National Airport. He was different from anyone Sis had been interested in before. She had dated a man who was in the Navy who asked her to marry him, but Sis had been unsettled about it.
Mary recalled Sis asking her, "Do you think I should marry him?"
"I don't know," she had replied. "How do you feel about him? Are you ready to get married?"
That same conversation happened several times, and finally Mary had said, "If you have to keep asking me about this, maybe you shouldn't marry him." Soon after that Sis attended the christening of the ship he was to sail on…and met his wife!
Sis had told Bill about that, and now he told Mary and Hugh his story. "I've been married before. I'm divorced. I married a beautiful woman and we lived in South Carolina…but I found out she was really married to herself. She had no room for me in her life." Bill went on, "I learned a lot from that. I learned that I wanted inner beauty from a woman, and Merle has that. I also think I learned something about being considerate and supportive as a partner."
So, Mary thought, they've both been through bitter experiences–two broken hearts–two hearts being healed. She and Hugh gave their blessing. Sis and Bill were married in December, 1964. They would soon present Mary with her first grandson, Tony, and four years later a granddaughter, Shannon.
Jimmy, twelve years younger than Hugh T and six years younger than Sis, was having his own launching experiences in the midst of all this. His entrepreneurial life began at age eleven when he took over delivering the Grit newspaper. The boy who had done it before had simply handed the papers out to anyone who wanted a copy. Jimmy saw a better way. He got on his bicycle and delivered a copy to each home in the community, which made the paper more visible. He was soon gathering new customers.
Mary complimented him on the way he did this. "Just like your daddy," she said. "A born salesman!" Early in his life Jimmy had exhibited artistic talent. When he entered a contest connected with a local Saturday TV show, she wasn't surprised that he won. Local artist, Judy Preston, ran the show, and Jimmy was invited to appear as a guest. He became a regular participant, and also took oil painting lessons from her.
Mary and Hugh's friend, Bradford Cobb, owned a small cavern in the Massanutten Mountain. When Hugh T was a high school sophomore, Brad was just getting started with the enterprise, and trained him as a part-time summer guide. After Hugh T went into the army, Jimmy wanted to take his place. He worked there three summers…first cutting grass, then selling tickets, and finally as a substitute guide.
In 1955 Hugh took a job selling oil and grease to large construction projects in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. The company, Lubrication Engineers, was headquartered in Dallas. Periodically they had sales conferences where the men brought their wives. When Sis was working in Staunton, she was able to stay at the house and care for Paul and Jim while Mary went with Hugh to these meetings. It gave Mary a break from her routines, and sometimes included sight-seeing. One time they took Jim with them to New England where they visited Boston, where Hugh had gone to high school, and Cape Cod.
After high school, Jim entered Richmond Professional Institute (RPI) where he studied art. The campus, which later became Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), was located in downtown Richmond. One day his dad made an unexpected visit to his son, whom he didn't believe was getting along as well as he could in college. Not long after that Jim joined the Navy. He took his basic training in Florida, and then was trained as a photographer.
While at Pennsacola, Jim had been assigned to help the protestant chaplain. When he reported for duty on an oceanographic ship with a small Navy complement, he was again asked to be chaplain's assistant. He spent his enlistment on this ship in the Atlantic Ocean, then when he was released, got a job as a photographer in Cincinnati. He lived there for a time with his uncle and his wife, Bud and Charl, in the old Townsend Dairy farmhouse his mother had loved visiting when he Grandma Mary lived there. Since the family had moved to Virginia when Jim was two, this gave him a chance to connect with his Townsend roots.
The Launching Years! Mary's family was growing up and moving into their own life spheres. Just as she began adjusting to the changes, her mother and dad called from Florida. "We've put our place here on the market. Florida has been a nice retirement place, but now we'd like to get closer to family. We were wondering if you could help us find someplace near you in that beautiful valley?"
Mary was thrilled. "Oh, yes, we'll help any way we can. Of course, the weather won't be as nice as Florida. Are you sure you're ready for that?"
"Absolutely," her dad said. "It will do us good to have four seasons again. Besides, your children are growing up and moving away, but Paul is still there. You tell Mr. P. R. Harris that I can't wait to fill up some of his empty space. We'll have a grand time together."
Mary was energized with preparations. Elmer and Merle bought a mobile home and had it placed on a spot just across the driveway from Mary's house. Hugh built an entry porch and storage room onto the trailer, poured a sidewalk to the driveway, and built a carport for Elmer's Buick. All was ready for the dairyman and his daughter to reconnect, away from the city…out in the country.
Thank you, Lord, Mary prayed. How truly blessed I am!
(Excerpt from "Dairyman's Daughter" by Hugh Townsend Harris, based on "Remembering!" by Mary Ellen Townsend Harris)
Going the Extra Mile
September 11, 2016 September 12, 2016 | artmaker29
CP Mother of the Year
(Remembering Mary Ellen Townsend Harris, 1911-2016)
Mary and Hugh were challenged to go the extra mile when they got involved with a CP Parents group. Here were people who wanted to create a center to provide schooling and physical therapy for their children. They were actively exploring methods to fund their dreams.
The group provided good networking for Mary. She thrived on their bi-monthly meetings that provided bonding around common experiences, ideas, frustrations and triumphs. She got involved with the funding discussion. Television was a new and powerful communication instrument. The group decided to approach WLW-TV about doing a telethon to get visibility for their efforts.
They launched a contest to name one of their members "CP Mother of the Year," and have this person presented during the telethon, which would be held at a prominent hotel. Over a period of time community business leaders submitted letters nominating someone for this honor. Mary was overwhelmed when she received the most letters and was selected. The night of the telethon her children were thrilled to see their mom on television.
From there on fund-raising efforts proved effective. The group hired a professional fund-raiser to direct the program and soon they were able to move forward with the center. That's when Mary suddenly hit a brick wall. When the center was ready to open she found out Paul wasn't qualified to participate. Several other children with similar levels of need were also rejected. She learned that group leaders had set minimum standards for participation that said only children who could feed themselves and were toilet trained could qualify.
Mary was crushed and angered. "I can't believe this, can you?" she said over the phone to another parent whose child was rejected. "Why did we all work so hard if this isn't going to serve the children who need it most?"
She took her feelings to God in prayer. Lord, I don't understand this. We found this group, believed in their cause, helped them raise money to create this facility…and now we're blocked! Why? What did we do wrong? Show us the way.
In response, she heard an inner voice saying, Wait! Keep the faith! Look deeper!
Mary found herself going the "extra mile" again. She called the other parents of rejected children. "Maybe this just wasn't the right approach," she found herself saying. "Maybe we need to do something else. Can you come to our house Saturday afternoon? We'll have sandwiches and talk this over."
On Saturday five children and their parents showed up. This was a different "coming together" than they had experienced with the other group. They were all active caregivers who loved their kids and wanted to advocate for them. They began to meet each week and dubbed themselves the CP Support Group.
The impact on the children was noticeable. Being a child with Cerebral Palsy was isolating. People around them didn't understand their condition or their needs. The support group had the effect of normalizing their lives. Now they could simply "be kids"–laughing and playing together in the safety this group provided. Mary and Hugh were thrilled.
"Sometimes God has different ideas that we can't see right away," Mary said one day. "We had to run into a brick wall in order to see past the boundaries we had helped set up." The support group began to feel energized and soon became visible, and people wanted to help. One of those was Paul's Sunday school teacher. She and Mary had become friends, and one day she said, "You know, I'd love to come over when your group meets and read some stories to the children. It might help stimulate them to learn words. Do you think that would be all right?"
Mary and the group welcomed her. Soon she was innovating ways to teach these special needs children to speak. She would put a word she wanted them to learn on a red ribbon that she pinned to their shirt or dress. The kids squealed with delight and tried to form the words. They began to have contests to see which child could get the most words on their ribbon. This became such a stimulus that the group grew from six to twelve children.
About that time Clifton Methodist Church received a new pastor, Reverend Warren Bright. Mary invited him to her house for one of the support group's meetings. He was impressed with what they were doing, but noticed how crowded they were. He made a suggestion.
"Have you ever considered meeting at the church? We have a large social hall, a kitchen and bathrooms–anything you might need. You would have so much more room. I do hope you'll consider this."
It didn't take them long to say "yes." The group became known as the Clifton "CP School." A woman named Mildred Martin emerged as a key leader who would keep the group functioning for many years.
Mary and Hugh continued their trips with Paul to visit Dr. Phelps during all of this. They were still thinking about moving to the Shenandoah Valley some day so they could be closer to Maryland. Mary also remembered how the beauty of the area had attracted her. They put their house on the market, but after a while took it back off due to lack of interest.
Hugh had been selling women's hats, and had done well with it, but it took him out of town a lot. Then he had the chance to open a business of his own. He had become interested in woodworking and cabinetry. A space suitable for a shop opened up on Vine Street, next door to a moving company. It was an ideal location. A major part of his work became refinishing furniture damaged in transit. Applying his woodworking skills to the house, he decided to remodel the kitchen. About this same time they put the house back on the market, still thinking about Virginia. He was only halfway finished with the remodeling when the house sold.
Suddenly their world was turning upside down again. The dream of living in the Shenandoah Valley was now a possibility. Hugh drove to Harrisonburg where they had stayed at the Pure Village Court, and looked for a house. He had limited funds and the realtor showed him several places, but nothing seemed right. Then he was shown an old tenant farm house in the village of Keezletown. It had once been part of the estate of Senator George Keezle.
The property covered three-and-a-half acres that included an apple orchard…and a magnificent view of the Massanutten Mountain and the valley that spread out from it. The house needed a lot of work, but the price was right. He went home and described it to Mary.
"I bought the most magnificent view you'll find anywhere in the Shenandoah Valley. You can sit in the front yard and look out across miles of farmland. She was fascinated with his description, and intrigued by the apple orchard. Then she choked back some misgivings when he told her more about the condition of the house.
"It has a cistern for water located right outside the back door."
Mary pictured the well outside the kitchen of the hold house on the dairy farm where She wasn't sure how she felt about the cistern. Then he told her the biggest drawback. "It doesn't have a bathroom, and it has no closets."
"Hubert Harris, if you think I'm going to live in a house without a bathroom or closets, you are mistaken!"
He tried to console her. "You won't have to live in it like that, honey. I'm going back for a few weeks and I'll fix it up. The soil perks, so I can put in a septic tank and build a bathroom…and I can build closets. I'll also turn the old back porch into an enclosed utility room."
She thought about the view and her desire to live in the Valley. This was the biggest "extra mile" she'd encountered yet. After prayer and more discussion, she saw God's hand in it. It was 1951 and they had lived in the house of her dreams on Howell Avenue for six years. She reckoned it was time to trade dreams and entrusted that to God.
The dairyman's daughter was about to move back to the country…not to a farm, but close. It felt good!
So What's the Big Secret?
September 5, 2016 September 9, 2016 | artmaker29
There's a big secret at Dinkel Island, but almost nobody in town is even aware of it. That all changes when Fanny Grayson buys the old lighthouse and invites Gracie Love to help her turn it into a retreat center. All kinds of rumors break out–things meant to intimidate Gracie and stop the project. But…WHY?
The Old Geezers gather for coffee at the drugstore lunch counter and speculate about it. Gracie's cousin, Kate Sheppard, gets involved. Ed Heygood steps in to help sell the retreat project to the pastors and churches in town. Gracie has a nauseous reaction when she and Marty explore inside the old lighthouse. Doc Patcher says the rumors are "fed by something or someone you can't see." What's that mean?
The plot thickens when two funerals draw media attention. At one of those the speaker created "an air of electric silence, as though people were afraid the room couldn't hold too much honesty." Whoa!
When a prominent businessman disappears, and then FBI agents begin floating around town things really get tense. Hey, what were those guys in the opening page doing out there in an old workboat on a moonless night, running through a field of crab pots without running lights? Any connection? Might be!
So finally things come to a head and all the secrets…yes, there is more than one…surface. If you want a great read, try SECRETS AT LIGHTHOUSE POINT, by Hugh Harris. Tate Publishing.com Amazon Barnes & Noble. Also: Book People, Buford Road Pharmacy.
Wartime hit like the explosion of an artillery shell in the backyard of everyday American life. Pearl Harbor's "Day of Infamy" rained enormous consequences that touched every aspect of life. No one was spared its impact!
In Mary's family it touched two of her brothers directly when they were drafted into military service. Both served in the U.S. Army–John in North Africa, and Bud as an officer at the Pentagon. When Bud was drafted he qualified for Officers Candidate School. Upon completion of his training, as a second lieutenant, he was headed for the Pacific Theater. Just before boarding a troop ship he received a change of orders sending him to the Pentagon where he spent the war writing training manuals.
Hugh's older brother, Floyd, served on the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Merchant Marine throughout the war. Hugh was not drafted. The…
Never a Dull Day!
August 25, 2016 August 25, 2016 | artmaker29
House on Berwyn Place, Downstairs Apartment
The charm of Mary and Hugh's Walnut Hills "castle" crumbled within a few weeks.
It happened on a Saturday when Mary was dusting furniture in the living room. From the corner of her eye she caught a sudden blur of movement on the floor. She stopped, stood still, then ventured a glance over her shoulder.
She waited a minute, then shrugged and resumed her dusting. Must have been my imagination. Again she caught a sense of movement on the floor. She turned quickly, then screamed.
"Eeeek! Hubert…there's a creature in here. Help!"
Hugh had been drying breakfast dishes in the kitchen and came quickly. "What is it, Mary?"
"There!" She pointed in the direction of the wall and suddenly another little black figure darted, then stopped with its long feelers exploring its surroundings. Hugh grabbed a section of newspaper, rolled it, swatted the insect before it could run again, and disposed of the corpse in the trash can.
"It's okay, honey. It's just a roach."
"A roach? That's awful! Where did it come from? How many more are there?" She shivered as she spoke.
"I don't know," Hugh said, comforting her with a hug. He started searching the baseboard and found some more. A little investigation revealed the source of the roaches. There was a laundry right behind the apartment. It had a wooden floor that stayed damp most of the time. That's where they were coming from.
They lost no time finding another apartment, unaware that they were starting what would become a two-year period of apartment jumping.
Without leaving Walnut Hills they found an efficiency apartment–one room with a sofa that opened into twin beds. Behind two doors they discovered a kitchen complete with a small sink, two-burner hot plate, small refrigerator and two shelves. There was a nice bathroom, and the price was right, so they took it. Since it was summer they left the windows open during the night to gain some breeze. They'd hardly gotten to sleep when some nearby neighbors got into a heated argument. Since they were still in honeymoon mode, this became an intolerable intrusion.
Moving again, they found a furnished apartment with an in-a-door bed they could roll out of a closet each night. A small kitchen featured a full-size stove and refrigerator, and there was a nice bathroom. A large house next door had a fenced yard where two Irish Setters with red satin coats lived. Mary enjoyed them greeting her each evening as she came in from work. All was well until night when they discovered the man upstairs beat his wife several times a week. They stayed until they couldn't endure this any longer, then went apartment hunting again.
"Honey, why don't we look over in Norwood where you grew up?"
Hugh agreed and the soon found a second-floor apartment on Madison Street. It had a private entrance, living room, dining room, kitchen, bedroom and bath. This place felt good. They settled in.
It wasn't long until Mary visited a doctor and learned that she was going to have a baby. She shared the news with Hugh that night and they reflected on their situation.
"I'm so glad we have this place," she said. "It's going to be just right for starting our family." They had a romantic dinner and then sat holding each other while he sang songs to her softly. Things were looking up.
Hugh had a new job that required travel, selling machinery related to manufacturing bottle caps. The drawback was that it required out-of-town travel, so she was alone many nights. The landlord couple downstairs had a twelve-year-old daughter who would come up and keep her company. They talked, and laughed, and she gave the girl manicures and fixed her hair. Mary remembered herself at that age and enjoyed the relationship. One evening the girl said Mary seemed to be unusually happy and wondered why.
"I'm happy because in a few months we're going to have a baby. Then you can come up and help me take care of it."
When the girl told her mother about it she was forbidden to visit upstairs, and Mary was told that she and Hugh would have to move because small children weren't allowed. Hugh was upset about this and asked the husband why they objected to a baby upstairs. The man seemed embarrassed and apologetic.
"It's nothing personal," he told Hugh. "You two are great people and we like you, but we lost a baby early in our marriage and my wife just can't emotionally handle having a baby around. I really am sorry, but you'll have to find somewhere else to live."
That took the wind out of Mary and Hugh's anticipation of childbirth. He went to work and found a better apartment on Berwyn Place in the Oakley section of the city. They rented the downstairs of a house located on a cul-de-sac that featured a garage and a wooded backyard. Hugh had recently traded in a Model A Ford he'd been driving, for a Chevrolet. The garage would come in handy.
The owners of the house were two older ladies of German descent, Anna and Doris Stenning, who had never married. When they found out this new couple renting their apartment were expecting a baby, they were delighted. Mary and Hugh settled in.
The baby was due in March and as the date drew near storms began blowing dust clouds into the area from the Midwest Dust Bowl. Mary went into labor one stormy Saturday morning when it was raining mud. Hugh took her to Christ Hospital. Rain falling through the dust clouds created a muddy smear on everything, including the hospital windows. Suddenly through the air came an unmistakable cry. Mary's first child had just been born! They named him Hugh.
It was customary then for a new mother to remain in the hospital for ten days after childbirth. Mary enjoyed this special time with her tiny offspring whom they had decided to nickname "Hughie." When they came home Hughie was an immediate hit with the Stenning sisters. They spoke with a noticeable accent and called him "Little Chu."
Mary was thrilled to have built-in baby sitters. Anna and Doris were constantly around Little Chu, making sure he was safe. One day Mary left Hughie in the playpen out in the yard and went shopping. While she was gone Hugh decided to take his car apart, literally. She returned to find the entire driveway filled with auto parts. She was flabbergasted. Hugh said there was nothing to worry about. He just wanted to see how it was made and could put it all back together.
In a state of shock Mary looked toward the playpen. It was empty! "Where's my baby?" she yelled at Hugh. He looked completely baffled by her reaction.
"Oh, he's alright. He's inside. The Stennings have him."
Of course. That explained it all. Her anger abated and she went inside the house. The first thing she noticed was loud banging coming from upstairs. She dropped her shopping bags and ran up to see what was going on.
The banging was accompanied by joyful laughter coming from the bathroom down the hall. She stopped in her tracks when she reached the door. There was little Hughie sitting in the bathtub, banging away with a bath brush. Anna and Doris were applauding and rolling in laughter. Mary couldn't help but break laughing herself.
That day became etched in her memory. Life had surely shifted for the dairyman's daughter who now had a husband with all the parts of his car spread over the driveway, a small child banging recklessly on the sides of a bathtub, and two old ladies nearly going berserk with laughter at the sight and sound of it all.
Elmer had told his daughter she would never have a dull day if she married Hugh Harris. He was right! What would happen next?
(Excerpt from "Dairyman's Daughter" by Hugh Harris, based on "Remembering!" by Mary Ellen Townsend Harris.)
Mary Ellen with brother Bud at a family picnic.
(Remembering Mary Ellen Townsend Harris 1911-2016)
For a while after she quit school Mary Ellen felt relieved, unstressed, and happy. Sleeping late was a luxury she felt she could get quite used to. Her mother had other ideas. She tolerated a few weeks of "Met," as she called her when she was mad or being sarcastic, lazing around, shopping, and running off to Columbus with Artie.
Merle wasn't sure about this young man. He was a good student, had a lot of promise, but he was a socialite. Mary Ellen and Artie grew closer and by summer she was wearing his engagement ring. He still had another year until he would graduate from college, and then he had to get a job. He believed that would be no problem. Merle Townsend wasn't so sure.
One morning in June when Mary Ellen came down to breakfast her mother announced, "Met, I'm leaving in a few minutes for my Eastern Star meeting and I want you to come with me. You're eighteen now. It's time you got involved in some worthwhile activities."
Boom! Just like that! Her mother had been through all the Eastern Star chairs and had said many times that she wanted Mary Ellen to join when she was old enough. It wasn't that she was disinterested, it just wasn't something she wanted to do right then. She knew better than to get into an argument over it, so she went. In high school she'd belonged to a sorority. The Eastern Star felt a little like that, but it was focused on biblical teachings, and had a lot of very rigid rules and practices.
Joining the Eastern Star opened a door her mother used to get her into more organizations and activities. Mary Ellen decided enough was enough. One Saturday morning when she and her dad were in the kitchen by themselves she decided to have a talk with him. Elmer Townsend was a wise and patient man. Though he and the family were now attending the Methodist Church, his Quaker roots of quiet contemplation were still present. He had not been happy with her decision to quit school, but had not pressed her about it.
For her part, Mary Ellen had done some research. She had checked into the Littleford Nelson Business School's offerings and decided she wanted to go there. It was expensive and she had to ask her dad for the money.
"Daddy, I think it's time for me to have a job…some way to support myself if I should need to. I can't go on living here forever, and it will be awhile before Artie and I can get married."
He looked at her with his characteristic expression, one eyebrow raised higher than the other. "You know jobs are hard to find these days. You didn't finish high school…."
She knew even a high school diploma was no guarantee of a job. At Western Hills she had made Home Economics her course of study. She had learned skills in cooking and sewing that she knew would serve her well throughout her life, but a job in those areas? Probably not easy to find. The country was in the Great Depression. She'd been in the classroom when news of the stock market crash devastated everyone. Her teacher had invested in stocks for retirement and lost everything. The school had been closed down for the day.
Elmer looked intensely at his daughter. "Mary Ellen, I understand what you're saying, and I'm impressed that you've looked into this." She had told him the cost. "I could afford to send you there, but how do I know you'll stay? What if your young man wants you to be with him when you need to be in class…what will you do?"
"He won't do that. Artie knows I need to take care of myself until we can get married. And what if something happened to him later? I'd need some skills to fall back on. I don't have my head in the sand about this."
The discussion went on and finally her dad softened his concerns. "Okay, I'm going to trust you. I believe you really do want this and that you'll stick with it no matter what. Is that a promise?"
'Yes, I promise," she said, hugging him. "Thanks, Daddy. I'll make sure you won't ever regret this."
At Littleford Nelson secretarial students had to choose between learning shorthand, or stenography, which was a code system using a special machine that was faster than shorthand. Mary Ellen chose stenography and did well with it. She felt deep satisfaction and pride when she had completed everything and was ready for a job.
Her joy was tempered, however, by a change in her relationship with Artie. That's when he developed a new romance at college and broke off the engagement. Her spirit was torn between the joy of achievement and the pain of a broken heart.
Her dad offered her a job at the dairy. She accepted it, suspecting that he did it to keep an eye on her. Every day she checked out the newspaper classified ads. One day a secretarial position was offered with a coal company in Bluefield, West Virginia. She read the ad. "Must be willing to travel." Oh! This is perfect. I've always wantd to travel.
It was a dream job that she knew was meant for her! She went for an interview but felt intimidated when she found a room full of people filling out applications. Still, she filled out hers, was interviewed, and then left to keep an appointment to have her hair done.
When she got home her mom said, "Did you apply for a job today? Someone has been calling you–they want you to go back to the hotel this evening for another interview. Oh, they said to bring your machine with you."
Mary Ellen was elated. She went back and got the job with the Virginia Smokeless Coal Company. The position was as secretary to the manager of a branch they were opening in Cincinnati. Travel arrangements were made for her to go by train to Bluefield where she would work in the home office for about six weeks. When the train pulled in she was met by the the vice president, Dr. Houston St. Clair. He took her to his home for breakfast and then to a room with a private bath he had rented for her.
A lasting memory of that arrival in Bluefield would always be Dr. St. Clair's small son who gave her a big hug and then announced, "My, you smell pretty!"
Her landlady, Mrs. Stringfellow, was a single parent with a little girl, and her mother also lived with her. To supplement her income she had a small home business making cakes, candy and pastries. They made Mary Ellen feel right at home by designating her the "official taster."
"The air here is a little different than Cincinnati," Dr. St. Clair told her. "Take a few days to get adjusted before you come to work. You'll probably want to sleep a lot at first." He was right.
When she did report for work, Mary Ellen found the office staff cordial and welcoming. Dr. St. Clair's father was the president of the company. One day he called her into his office to take dictation for some letters. While transcribing her notes she was startled to read the words, "chicken ridge." Chicken ridge? I must have made a horrible mistake. If I type this I'll be fired. Her training kicked in, however, and she typed the letter exactly as she had transcribed it. She took the typed letters in to President St. Clair with great apprehension. He read each one carefully, then signed all of them. "Be sure to get these in the mail today." He handed them back to her.
The next day she asked Dr. St. Clair what "chicken ridge" meant.
"Oh, that," he said, breaking into laughter. "So he tried that little trick on you!"
It seemed that Dr. St. Clair's father was dubious about stenography and the fact his son had hired such a young, inexperienced girl. She continued to learn about the coal businss and about people, and how to get along with them working in a large office.
The coal mines were located in Jewel Ridge, Virginia. The coal was called Jewel Pocahontas. They gave Mary Ellen a tour of the mines, and showed her how coal was separated into different sizes. She learned about gondolas, freight cars, tippies, and how coal was shipped to various parts of the country.
At the end of her training she returned to Cincinnati where she went to work for the branch manager, Mr. Victor Gillespie. The office was located downtown in the Mercantile Library Building on Walnut Street. Mr. Gillespie was out of the office almost three weeks every month. Her job was to be there, answer the phone, write letters, and be ready to really work hard when he returned.
Mary Ellen soon found this gave her a lot of spare time. She would sometimes cut out and baste a dress or a blouse. She had time to do a lot of reading. And there were always salesmen coming by to give her a diversion and conversation.
(Excerpt from "Dairyman's Daughter" by Hugh Harris, based on "Remembering!" by Mary Ellen Townsend Harris)
A Cozy Timelessness
August 7, 2016 | artmaker29
Remembering the life of Mary Ellen Townsend Harris, 1911-2016
"Missy, you're gonna wear that swing out," called Mary Ellen's mother from the kitchen. "I need you to set this table."
"I'm coming!"
At age ten chores were an interruption in her imaginative world, but Mary Ellen dutifully slid off the porch swing and slammed the screen door as she entered the house.
Her mother turned from the stove, hands on her hips. "Do you have to slam that door? I've asked you a million times not to do that."
"I'm sorry. I forgot."
Her mother shook her head. "Well, I hope you haven't forgotten how to set the table."
"No, Ma'am." Mary got to work.
Decades earlier what was now the kitchen had been the Townsend family's original log cabin. It had gradually been expanded to include a dining room and parlor on the first floor, and three bedrooms upstairs. The kitchen was arranged around a table with chairs in the center, and cupboards, a wood stove, an ice box, and a sink against the surrounding walls. To Mary Ellen there was a cozy timelessness about this room that she liked–even though it was uncomfortably hot when the wood stove was fired up.
Mary had learned to give her mom space when her words grew abrupt or short. Her mother's maiden name had been Merle Kemp Smith, and she had some Irish blood in her. She often told the children stories about her mother, Romina, who had come to America from Ireland. Her father was a doctor, which became an important connection when Merle came down with tuberculosis.
A family friend, Dr. William Savage, was studying to become a surgeon.. He was one of several doctors who were exploring a theory about using ether to treat TB. Merle's case gave him the opportunity to test the theory. He periodically administered either through a face cone, spacing treatments with rest periods. It took a long time, but Merle recovered with only some scar tissue in her lungs. There were no lasting effects beyond that. She went on to give birth to her youngest boy, Bud, and learned to drive a car. She became active in organizations like the church, Mother's Club (a forerunner to the PTA), and the Order of the Eastern Star. Her husband, Elmer, came to refer to her as a "joiner." She would live to be eighty-nine.
The TB experience spanned an entire year. Elmer built a sleeping porch on the back of the house to isolate his wife. She stayed there day and night, sleeping in a hooded, down-lined sleeping bag on a twin bed. Elmer slept on the other bed to be available if she needed something during the night. The room had screened windows on three sides, with heavy canvas blinds that were rolled down when it rained hard and during the winter months. All of that had been a harrowing time that Mary knew she would remember clearly for the rest of her life.
Having life centered around TB didn't prevent Merle's children from being normal kids. Mary Ellen's sister, Helen was a typical sixteen-year-old. She had an attitude that seemed to put her in conflict with people around her, especially her mother. To her family this was balanced by the fact that she had developed rheumatic fever at age three which resulted in having to wear a brace to walk for eight years. Mary thought that had a lot to do with her attitudes. Helen wasn't around much now. She had a boyfriend down the road and spent a lot of time there.
Mary's twin brothers, John and Gene, were fifteen and created frequent havoc with their behavior. They had jobs caddying for golfers at the country club where their father was a member. Merle felt they spent too much time at the clubhouse picking up bad ideas and habits. Mary thought that was probably right. The two boys seemed to stay away from the house as much as possible.
Mary felt a close bond with her younger brother, Bud. He often became her charge.. While she hated doing household chores, she never rebelled about caring for Bud. At age three he had developed a serious illness. It was during a time when the family enjoyed trips to a wicket dam called Fernbank on the Ohio River near Cincinnati. It had been constructed the year Mary was born, 1911, to deepen the water channel for navigation. Families visited the dam and children loved to drink from a public water fountain with a pedal you stepped on to make the water flow. Mary's parents became convinced that Bud got sick from that fountain.
The doctor disagreed. The family had a well outside the kitchen with a bucket they used to pull water up from an underground source. The doctor had the well tested and found it was filled with bacteria. The well was closed and Bud recovered–Mary Ellen said–without becoming bossy like his sister, Helen.
Mary set the table as asked, then her mother sent her into the parlor where Bud was playing on the floor with a metal farm set. She picked up a toy chicken. "Well, well, you forgot to lock up your chickens."
"No, I didn't!"
He grabbed for it.
"Time to put everybody in the barn so we can eat supper." Mary made a game out of playfully helping Bud put away his toys, then took him to the sink and washed his hands. Helen came in and helped her mother serve the plates, then they settled into eating. Merle had fixed Mary's favorite dish–vegetable beef soup."
"Ugh! Not this again," said Helen in a sulking mood.
"It's good for you and you'll eat it, young lady!"
"I like it," said Mary.
Helen made a face at her.
"Now, children, that's enough of that," said their mother. "I think I smell a rhubarb pie in the oven. Everybody who finishes their soup gets a piece of pie." She looked at Helen. "If you don't finish…no pie."
That resolved the soup issue.
Mary's dad came in after dinner was over. She ran to him. She loved hugging him around his legs. He reached down and had her put her feet on his shoes, then walked her around the room. She wished he could work there on the farm instead of at the dairy downtown. She wanted to be with him more often. Elmer's job required so much time that he frequently left for work before Mary got up, and came home after she was in bed.
This particular night Mary Ellen was glad her daddy had gotten home a bit early. When he tucked her in bed she fell asleep with pleasant thoughts to round out an adventuresome day. For the dairyman's daughter, life could not have felt more comfortable. She had learned to adapt to challenges, knew when to stay in the background, and was quite adept at simply being herself. Mary Ellen couldn't imagine that things would ever really change.
She could never have dreamed that thirty years later she would have her own kitchen in a farmhouse in Virginia that would remind her of the cozy timelessness she felt at age ten in her mother's kitchen!
(An excerpt from "Dairyman's Daughter," by Hugh Harris, based on "Remembering!" by Mary Ellen Townsend Harris)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


It's all GOOD in the Natural State. But there are none BETTER ..
.. than the 2005 Best of Arkansas winners.
LATE NIGHT FUN: Midtown Billiards is the best.
It must be summer. That's when we hibernate to plow through the hundreds of ballots submitted by readers in our Best of Arkansas contest. It's a familiar exercise by now. We publish the ballot in two consecutive issues. We give a couple of weeks to mail them in. We discard photocopies and obvious Florida-style election manipulation schemes. And now, we give you the winners. You'll find many familiar places and faces. But you'll note some changes. And we noted, in the counting, the profound impact that the Internet has had on our lives. We focus on Arkansas for our winners, but in many categories, readers had clear preferences in the electronic ether. Maybe that's another contest altogether. Without further preliminaries, here are the winners, all from Little Rock unless noted, with runners-up listed alphabetically: GOODS AND SERVICES Shopping Center Park Plaza RUNNERS-UP: Lakewood Village and McCain Mall, North Little Rock; Wal-Mart shopping center on Bowman Road. Grocery Store Kroger RUNNERS-UP: Hestand's, Terry's Finer Foods, Wal-Mart Supercenter, Wild Oats Market. ANTIQUE SHOP David Claibourne Ltd. RUNNERS-UP: Fabulous Finds, Morris Antiques of Keo, I-40 Antique Center. FURNITURE Hank's Fine Furniture RUNNERS-UP: Haverty's, Mertinsdyke, Norwalk. INTERIOR DESIGNER Tom Chandler RUNNERS-UP: Kaki Hockersmith, Gary Mertins, Cortney Singleton. MUSIC (CDS) STORE Best Buy RUNNERS-UP: Barnes and Noble, CD Warehouse, Wal-Mart. MUSIC EQUIPMENT Sigler Music Center RUNNERS-UP: Pickin' Porch of Pickles Gap, Saied Music Company of North Little Rock. SHOES Dillard's RUNNERS-UP: Foot Locker, Shoe Carnival, Shoe Connection. VIDEO STORE Best Buy RUNNERS-UP: Hollywood Video, Movie Gallery. BOOKS Barnes and Noble RUNNERS-UP: Books-a-Million, Lorenzen and Co., Wordsworth. WOMEN'S CLOTHING Dillard's RUNNERS-UP: Barbara Jean, Beyond Cotton, Elle. MEN'S CLOTHING Bauman's RUNNERS-UP: Greenhaw's, Greg's, Mr. Wicks. HIP CLOTHING Scarlet RUNNERS-UP: Abercrombie and Fitch, Gap, Tulips. VINTAGE AND RESALE CLOTHING Poor Little Rich Girl RUNNERS-UP: Paddywacks, Private Collections, Savers. CHILDREN'S CLOTHING Toggery RUNNERS-UP: Gap Kids, Gymboree, Old Navy. ELECTRONICS Best Buy RUNNERS-UP: Circuit City, Radio Shack, Sharper Image. LINGERIE Victoria's Secret RUNNERS-UP: Barbara Graves, Cupid's, J.C. Penney's. SPORTING GOODS Academy RUNNERS-UP: Gene Lockwood, Sports Authority, Wal-Mart. TOYS Toys R Us RUNNERS-UP: Heights Toy Center, Wal-Mart. FLORIST Tipton and Hurst RUNNERS-UP: About Vase, Friday's, Millefleur. GIFT SHOP Crown Shop RUNNERS-UP: Design Center, Full Moon, Kirkland's. OFFICE SUPPLIES Office Depot RUNNERS-UP: Pettus Office Products, Staples. VETERINARIAN Dr. Tim Paladino RUNNERS-UP: Hartford Hamilton, Hillcrest Animal Clinic, Maumelle Animal Clinic. CLEANERS Comet RUNNERS-UP: Cuffs, Moose, Schickel's. BANK Metropolitan National Bank RUNNERS-UP: Arvest, Pulaski Bank, Regions. BARBER Supercuts RUNNERS-UP: Jerry's, Sport Clips, Sullivan's. SALON Salon Nouveau RUNNERS-UP: By Design Salon, Joel's, Serenity Salon. JEWELER Mary Healey RUNNERS-UP: Cecil's, Kay Jewelers, Sissy's Log Cabin. PHARMACY Walgreen RUNNERS-UP: Kroger, Tanglewood Pharmacy, USA Drugs. CAR WASH Splash RUNNERS-UP: Best, Gyst Detail. MATTRESS Denver Mattress RUNNERS-UP: Bedding Mart, Sears, Wal-Mart. AUTO DEALER Landers RUNNERS-UP: Bale Honda, Parker Lexus, Riverside Acura. AUTO SERVICE Parker RUNNERS-UP: Bale Honda, Firestone Tire and Service Centers, Moore-Robinson. AUTO STEREO Best Buy RUNNERS-UP: Altamere, Auto Audio, Wal-Mart. TRAVEL AGENCY Poe Travel RUNNERS-UP: Dillard's, Goodwin Travel, Sue Smith. HOTEL Peabody RUNNERS-UP: Capital Hotel, Embassy Suites, Holiday Inn Select. PRIVATE SCHOOL Pulaski Academy RUNNERS-UP: Central Arkansas Christian, Catholic High School, Episcopal Collegiate School. PUBLIC SCHOOL Central High School RUNNERS-UP:Dunbar Middle, Jefferson Primary, Parkview Arts and Science Magnet. APARTMENT COMPLEX Park at Riverdale RUNNERS-UP: Arbors of Pleasant Valley, Forest Place, Highland Pointe in Maumelle. SPA Caracalla RUNNERS-UP: Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs, Quy's Day Spa, Rejuvenation Clinic and Day Spa. GARDEN STORE Good Earth RUNNERS-UP: Hocott's, Horticare, Lowe's. HARDWARE Fuller and Son RUNNERS-UP: Home Depot, Kraftco, Lowe's. COMPUTER Best Buy RUNNERS-UP: Comp USA, Gateway. EYEWEAR LensCrafters RUNNERS-UP: Burrow-Mr. Frank's, Success Vision Express, Wal-Mart. VEGETABLES River Market Farmers Market RUNNERS-UP:Jerry's Produce, Terry's Finer Foods, Wild Oats. OUTDOOR GEAR Ozark Outdoor Supply RUNNERS-UP:Academy, Gene Lockwood's, Take a Hike. BIKES Chainwheel RUNNERS-UP: Arkansas Cycling and Fitness, J&P Bike Shop in Sherwood. GUNS Fort Thompson RUNNERS-UP: Easy Cash Pawn, Gunhill Gunsmithing, Southern Trading and Loan. COMMERCIAL ART GALLERY Heights Gallery RUNNERS-UP: Cantrell Gallery, Oval Gallery, Red Door Gallery. CELL PHONE PROVIDER Cingular RUNNERS-UP: Alltel, Cricket, Sprint. INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER SBC Internet Services RUNNERS-UP: AOL, Aristotle, Comcast. REALTOR Janet Jones RUNNERS-UP: Crye-Leike, McKay and Company, Rector Phillips Morse. PAWN SHOP Southern Trading and Loan RUNNERS-UP: Easy Cash, Pawnderosa, USA Loans. RECREATION PARK Burns Park, North Little Rock RUNNERS-UP: Allsopp Park, Pinnacle State Park, Riverfront Park. SWIMMING POOL War Memorial Pool RUNNERS-UP: Little Rock Athletic Club, Maumelle Aquatic Center, Wild River Country in North Little Rock. WEEKEND GETAWAY Hot Springs RUNNERS-UP: Eureka Springs, Memphis, Red Apple Inn. RESORT Red Apple Inn, Eden Isle RUNNERS-UP:Gaston's on the White River, Hot Springs, Mountain Harbor on Lake Ouachita. MARINA Mountain Harbor on Lake Ouachita RUNNERS-UP: Brady Mountain Resort on Lake Ouachita, Jolly Roger. GOLF COURSE Rebsamen Golf Course (public) Chenal Country Club (private) RUNNERS-UP: Country Club of Arkansas in Maumelle, Diamante in Hot Springs Village, First Tee. ATHLETIC CLUB Little Rock Athletic Club RUNNERS-UP: JP Fitness, Powerhouse Gym, War Memorial Fitness Center. TENNIS COURTS Burns Park RUNNERS-UP: Little Rock Athletic Club, Racquet Club, Walker Tennis Center. ENTERTAINMENT BAND Rockets RUNNERS-UP: Afrodesia, Big John Miller Band, Ferris Wheel Junkies. PLACE TO DANCE Cajun's Wharf RUNNERS-UP: Discovery, Electric Cowboy, Sticky Fingerz. LIVE MUSIC Juanita's RUNNERS-UP: Cajun's Wharf, Riverfest Amphitheatre, Sticky Fingerz. PICKUP BAR Cajun's Wharf RUNNERS-UP: Bobbisox, Electric Cowboy, Grumpy's. GAY BAR Discovery RUNNERS-UP: Back Street, Factory. SPORTS BAR Legends RUNNERS-UP: Grumpy's, West End Smokehouse and Tavern, Zack's. LATE NIGHT HANGOUT Midtown Billiards RUNNERS-UP: Discovery, Legends, Willy D's. SHOOT POOL West End Smokehouse and Tavern RUNNERS-UP: Fox and Hound in North Little Rock, Midtown Billiards, Zack's. MOVIE Rave Col. Glenn RUNNERS-UP: Regal Breckenridge Village, Market Street Cinema, Riverdale 10. MUSEUM Museum of Discovery RUNNERS-UP: Arkansas Arts Center, Clinton Library, Historic Arkansas Museum. PERFORMING ARTS GROUP Arkansas Repertory Theatre RUNNERS-UP: Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, River City Men's Chorus, Weekend Theater. PLACE TO GAMBLE Oaklawn Park (overall) Grand in Tunica (casino) RUNNERS-UP: Gold Strike, Isle of Capri, Sam's Town. PLACE TO SPOT SOMEONE FAMOUS Clinton Library RUNNERS-UP: Doe's Eat Place, River Market neighborhood, Peabody lobby. PEOPLE PLACES and THINGS ARTIST Barry Thomas RUNNERS-UP: Jane Hankins, Jim Johnson, Ashley Saer. PHOTOGRAPHER Dixie Knight RUNNERS-UP: Jim Cunningham, Nancy Nolan, Dero Sanford. POLITICIAN U.S. Rep. Vic Snyder RUNNERS-UP: Sen. Jim Argue, former President Bill Clinton, Gov. Mike Huckabee. ATHLETE Matt Jones RUNNERS-UP:Derek Fisher, Jermain Taylor. NEIGHBORHOOD Heights RUNNERS-UP:Chenal Valley, Hillcrest, Maumelle. BEST LOOKING Joan Early RUNNERS-UP:David Bazzel, Jason Harper, Win Noble. CHARITY Susan Komen Race for the Cure RUNNERS-UP: Arkansas Sheriffs Youth Ranch, Heifer International, Arkansas chapter of the Red Cross. MEDIA RADIO STATION KUAR RUNNERS-UP: Alice 107.7 (KLAL), Power 92.3 (KIPR), The Buzz 103.7 (KABZ). TV STATION KATV, Channel 7 RUNNERS-UP: KARK, KTHV, Fox 16. RADIO PERSONALITY Tommy Smith RUNNERS-UP: Broadway Joe, Heather and DC, Bob Robbins. TV NEWS Kate Sullivan RUNNERS-UP: Scott Inman, Andy Pearson, Pamela Smith. TV WEATHER Ed Buckner RUNNERS-UP:Barry Brandt, Tom Brannon, Ned Perme. TV SPORTS Craig O'Neill RUNNERS-UP: Paul Eells, Steve Sullivan. NEWSPAPER COLUMNIST John Brummett RUNNERS-UP: Helaine Freeman, Wally Hall, Jim Harris. CUISINE FRIES McDonald's RUNNERS-UP: Backyard Burgers, Cheers in the Heights, Rally's. ONION RINGS Sonic RUNNERS-UP:Burger King, Cotham's in the City, Outback Steakhouse. CHEESE DIP Juanita's RUNNERS-UP: Chili's, Loca Luna, Mexico Chiquito. BBQ RIBS Sims RUNNERS-UP: Chili's, Corky's, Whole Hog. RESTAURANT BEER Flying Saucer RUNNERS-UP:Boscos, Pizza Cafe, Vino's. WINE LIST Acadia RUNNERS-UP: Ashley's, Sonny Williams, Vermillion Water Grille. LIQUOR STORE Colonial Bottle Shop RUNNERS-UP: Grapevine, Heights Wine and Spirits, Popatop. COCKTAILS Nu Cuisine and Lounge RUNNERS-UP: Brave New Restaurant, Ciao Baci, Graffiti's. BUSINESS LUNCH Vermillion Water Grille RUNNERS-UP: Brave New Restaurant, Cheers on Broadway, Faded Rose. MILKSHAKE Purple Cow RUNNERS-UP: Hop, McDonald's, Sonic. PLACE TO EAT VEGETARIAN Wild Oats RUNNERS-UP: Dixie Cafe, Franke's, Lilly's Dim Sum Then Some. BREAD Boulevard Bread Company RUNNERS-UP: Community Bakery, Old Mill, Wild Oats. CATERER Catering to You RUNNERS-UP: RSVP, Simply the Best, Trio's. OUTDOOR DINING Cheers in the Heights RUNNERS-UP: Brave New Restaurant, Pizza Cafe, US Pizza. GOURMET TO GO Diane's RUNNERS-UP: Bennett's Market, Boule-vard Bread Company, Catering to You. WEEKEND BRUNCH Capital Hotel RUNNERS-UP: Boscos, Loca Luna, Peabody Hotel. SALAD US Pizza RUNNERS-UP:Jason's Deli, McAlister's, Trio's. DOUGHNUT Shipley RUNNERS-UP: Community Bakery, Daylight Doughnuts, Krispy Kreme. SUSHI Sekisui RUNNERS-UP:Benihana, Igibon, Mount Fuji. Winner Debbie Knight of Maumelle won $100 in the drawing among ballots in the Best of Arkansas contest.


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These are the top 20 car terms Brits don't understand
You could receive £1,500 to be a 'hotel bed tester' - how to apply
Tuesday, 17th November 2020, 2:24 pm
Updated Tuesday, 17th November 2020, 2:24 pm
This sounds like a (very literal) 'dream job' opportunity. Luxury bedding company, Tielle, is on the hunt for a paid "bed tester" to stay in luxury hotels.
The job, officially titled "five-star bed tester," will see one lucky applicant get paid to spend the night in fancy hotels, then give their feedback on the experience.
Tielle will send the successful applicant around "some of the country's best hotels," where their primary job responsibilities will be "dozing, snoozing and snuggling."
The person chosen will be paid £1,000 in cash, with an additional £500 awarded, to go towards travel expenses to hotels. These will include The Savoy in London and The Artist Residence in Brighton.
Overall, the successful bed tester will be given five free stays at five-star hotels in 2021 - with a plus one permitted. If you're the lucky pick, you'll have to provide feedback to the company following your stay.
The job ad doesn't give a person specification - all you need to do is apply through an application form on the company's website.
You'll be asked to provide personal details like your email address, phone number and name, and explain to the company why you think you're the best fit for the job.
You need to be aged 16 or over and a UK resident to apply. The deadline is Thursday 10 December 2020.
There's an additional opportunity available to any influencers who have 5,000 followers or more on social media. You can find out more about that role here.


I need someone who is good with SEO and codin...mobile responsive and with a high chance of Google picking up a rich snippet. This is the page: [zaloguj się, aby wyświetlić URL] The most important part of the page is the size guide (Mistake #2). This needs to be formatted properly for google.


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Q: Avoid scroll top on click button I am creating sections where I have to hide and show the divs. Everything is working fine except, when I click on the button to continue to next section it scrolls the to top, and then I have to scroll down again to see the section. I have searched for this solution I found that many people saying to use e.preventDefault(), but dint work for me. Againg I saw this  event.preventDefault ? event.preventDefault() : event.returnValue = false; it also dint worked.
Below is the button and the js code for which I want to scroll.
<button type="button" class="btn btn-default btn_order">ORDER NOW</button>

$('.btn_order a').on('click', function(){
    $('html, body').animate({
        scrollTop: $( $.attr(this, 'href') ).offset().top
    }, 5000);
            return false;
})

This button I am using to scroll down to the section where questions are placed.
Below is the button which shows the next section and hides the previous section
<button type="button" class="btn btn-default abc_right  next_btn">Continue</button>

JS:
$('.abc_right').bind('click', function(event){
    event.preventDefault();
    if($('.amount_wrap input:text').val().length == 0){
        setNotification('error', "Please enter min stamp amount Rs 100!");
    }
    else{
        $('.select_doc').show();
        $('.estamp_wrap').hide();
    }
})

When I click on this button it scrolls up and I dont want the div to scroll up. Any help would be appreciated. I not able to find what's getting conflicted.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Carson: 'Be patient' with non-meandered waters bill
It's been a slow session, but area legislators say they don't mind. During a District 20 cracker barrel at Mitchell City Hall on Friday, the three state legislators representing Aurora, Davison and Jerauld counties agree that the 2018 South Dakot...
District 20 Rep. Lance Carson, left, speaks about non-meandered waters as Rep. Tona Rozum, center, and state Sen. Joshua Klumb follow along during the District 20 cracker barrel session on Friday in Mitchell City Hall. (Matt Gade / Republic)
By Evan Hendershot
It's been a slow session, but area legislators say they don't mind.
During a District 20 cracker barrel at Mitchell City Hall on Friday, the three state legislators representing Aurora, Davison and Jerauld counties agree that the 2018 South Dakota legislative session has moved along at a mellow pace. But state Rep. Tona Rozum, R-Mitchell, expects the session to heat up soon.
One of the items that will certainly be a topic of conversation in the coming weeks is a resolution to the non-meandered waters issue.
Last summer, legislators gathered for a special session to authorize a bill governing the use of lakes over private land for recreation. An agreement was approved that restored access to approximately 30 bodies of water which were closed by South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks following a state Supreme Court ruling that called for the Legislature to decide how the non-meandered lakes could be used.
The law re-opened the lakes, but allowed property owners to install signs or buoys blocking access to their land. The bill runs through June 2018.
Unprovoked by around 25 people in attendance Friday, the legislators addressed the issue. And state Sen. Joshua Klumb, R-Mount Vernon, told attendees not to expect a resolution until late in the session. He speculated it might be the last bill considered before the budget.
"I think we'll see better deals with Game, Fish & Parks if we had see some certainty in this law," Klumb said. "A lot of landowners are hesitant to sign a contract with Game, Fish & Parks when we're playing football with the law."
Rep. Lance Carson, R-Mitchell, said the resolution won't likely look like either bill currently on the table.
"Be patient," Carson said. "You'll see something different than what we've got now."
The current House plan would simply strike the sunset clause, allowing the decision approved last summer to remain in effect. The Senate plan is similar, extending the sunset clause to 2021.
The legislators were also met with a question from Mitchell resident Jessica Pickett, who asked for the trio's thoughts on House Bill 1230.
HB 1230, which Rozum co-sponsors, would make texting on a cellphone while driving a primary offense rather than a secondary action when someone's already been pulled over by law enforcement. It would also make the offense a Class 2 misdemeanor instead of a petty offense.
"Sometimes you have to bend to do the things you don't want to do to get a bill through, and that's what happened with the secondary offense," Rozum said about why the current laws are in effect and the secondary offense was settled upon initially.
Another bill, HB 1229, would make enforcement of seat belt laws a primary offense.
By the next cracker barrel, many of the issues mentioned Friday could be resolved. Also mentioned were bills to establish a fund for an East River veterans cemetery, funding for community support providers and a bill to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco to 21.
A second cracker barrel is scheduled on March 2 in Mitchell.
Related Topics: GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS


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Topics › Transportation › Highways, Toll Roads
Bottom-Line on Indiana Toll Road Deal
Commuters, taxpayers and state government reaping benefits
Geoffrey Segal
Now that the dust has settled on the lease of the Indiana Toll Road, Hoosiers should be all smiles. To put it simply, Indiana got a great deal.
Last week when Macquarie-Cintra took over the road they handed the state a check for $3.85 billion. If nothing else, this will finance the ambitious 10-year transportation investment plan called "Major Moves."
Nearly half of the Indiana projects that otherwise would have been left on the drawing room table will now be completed. In all, more than 200 vital transportation projects will now be paid for.
In addition, the deal results in direct cost avoidance for the state, and on multiple fronts:
The state was expending millions of dollars in operating and maintaining the road each year. While these costs were generally offset by toll revenue, debt obligations and capital costs often exceeded available revenues. Those costs, and associated risks, have now been transferred to the contractor. That cost avoidance allows those resources to be shifted to other priority projects around the state.
The Toll Road faced a significant maintenance and capital backlog resulting from a lack of investment. This, too, has been shifted to the contractor and should be viewed as a direct saving to the state of Indiana.
Indeed, the contractor has pledged to spend more than $200 million on capital upgrades in the first three years of the deal and upwards of $4.4 billion during the life of the lease, bringing the total value of the lease to more than $8 billion.
Further, the large cash payment enables the state to earn interest, increasing the value of the lease even more. Indeed, the state will retire more than $225 million in debt and stop paying interest, but it will begin earning interest on the cash payment while it is spent down on other transportation projects.
This is significant because the Toll Road rarely, if ever, turned a real profit when capital expenditures were included. Assuming the Toll Road did turn a profit, its return on investment would have been less than 1 percent, while debt obligations were paid at much higher percentages. Clearly, the state is better off with the cash, earning interest rather than paying it.
In fact, Indiana can expect to earn upwards of $800 million in interest, bringing the value of the lease to around $9 billion.
Beyond the obvious fiscal implications, there are significant benefits to the Indiana commuter as well. The deal enables new capacity to be put in place many years faster. It means getting Interstate 69 financed and built by 2015 rather than 2035. Countless other projects will not have to wait for money to become available — it will already be there. Projects to strategically connect the state, enabling greater mobility of goods and people, will become realities.
Safety will also improve as improvements will be made to many of Indiana's rural highways.
Concerns about risk are understandable given the newness of the deal; however, Hoosiers should rest assured that the state is fully protected.
First, all of the money was paid up front. Even if there are cost overruns or inadequate revenues to justify the $3.85 billion, the concessionaire and not the state is on the hook for any losses. Taxpayers are not at risk.
Second, a detailed 263-page concession agreement protects other public interests. In it, toll rates and possible increases are established as well as limits on the return on investment for the concessionaire.
Further, it has spelled out all kinds of "what-ifs" and established well-defined performance levels that the contractor is legally required to meet or face penalty. Dead animals, for example, need to be cleared off the road within eight hours and potholes need to be filled within 24 hours. These standards often go beyond traditional Indiana Department of Transportation requirements, something that could not have been done except through a private-lease agreement.
Most important of all, the state of Indiana can revoke the contract at any time. The concession agreement and lease sets the conditions for the state to cancel the contract and resume operations of the road should the contractor fail to perform. In any event, the state keeps the $3.85 billion payment. All risk is assigned to the contractor.
All told, the lease of the Toll Road, plus the state's 10-year investment program, will produce a windfall of benefits to Hoosiers. Indiana has become a leader on transportation policy. Other states have already taken notice and will begin to emulate many of the strategies outlined in here.
Geoffrey Segal is director of government reform at Reason Foundation. He wrote this column for Indiana Policy Review Foundation. An archive of Segal's work is here and Reason's transportation and tolls research and commentary is here.
More from Highways, Toll Roads
Surface Transportation News: Priced managed lanes, a way to ruin a railroad, and more
Plus: Electric grid inadequacy for EVs, gas tax needs replacing, Tesla Semi's 500-mile trip, and more.
By Robert Poole
Examining recent attempts to apply equity policies to toll lanes
Some metropolitan planning organizations and state transportation departments are looking into offering discounts or free trips in express toll lanes.
Pennsylvania finalizes public-private partnership deal to rebuild nine highway bridges
The Major Bridges P3 deal is the state's latest use of public-private partnerships to repair, rebuild and modernize bridges.
By Baruch Feigenbaum


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Home News 'An Embarrassment' – Scout Quits Over EPL Celtic Snub
'An Embarrassment' – Scout Quits Over EPL Celtic Snub
FORMER Celtic defender Virgil van Dijk may be flying high at Liverpool but even though his talent was obvious, it wasn't to everyone who watched him.
The Dutchman left Celtic for Southampton in a deal worth £12million but Celtic raked in much more when the club cashed in on his future fee clause when Liverpool came calling and made him the most expensive defender in world football.
While at Celtic, the defender regularly put on man of the match displays and looked comfortable on the ball.
This means there were many scouts from early on in the defender's Celtic career taking a look at what he could do.
One scout from the Premier League lifts the lid on his experience of watching the Dutchman play for Celtic – something he was tasked to do by West Brom and his reports that it was an absolute slam dunk fell on deaf ears.
"In my time at West Brom, I had to watch van Dijk 20 times. That was my brief. Stuart Millar told SunSport.
"I knew after 20 minutes that he was good enough to play in the English Premier League.
"I recommended him to Tony Pulis and said, 'We must sign him'. I put on the report, 'If we sign Van Dijk we'll double our money in two years'.
"I got that wrong because it was about 10 times the value they got back.
"Unfortunately West Brom didn't pursue that, which was frustrating on my part and ultimately why I left West Brom – because I was certain I was recommending a player who was top notch.
"I think it should be an embarrassment to every other club that watched him and didn't pursue him."
It must have been frustrating for Stuart Millar to watch West Brom overlook the defender. There's still a lot of snobbery down south about players plying their trade in Scotland and it could have just been a case of they didn't rate the advice due to where Virgil was playing.
The scout left his post to take up a job in Scotland after the debacle.
With many scouts watching him it was only Southampton that stumped up the fee and I don't think they ever regretted doing so.
Virgil is not the captain of his country, played in a Champions League final and is currently help spearhead Liverpool's EPL push.
Previous articleStart Duo and Win – Rodgers Must be Bold Admits Former Celt
Next articleRangers Tried to Pinch Celtic Midfielder – Former Scout Lifts Lid on £1.2million Deal
David Cardwell September 19, 2018 At 10:13 am
If this scout is working in Scotland I hope it is for the Great Glasgow Celtic. Hail Hail.


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You are here: Home Reports & data Chronic respiratory conditions Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among older people in Australia: deaths and hospitalisations
Go to Chronic respiratory conditions
Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among older people in Australia: deaths and hospitalisations
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2006. Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among older people in Australia: deaths and hospitalisations. Cat. no. ACM 7. Canberra: AIHW.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2006). Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among older people in Australia: deaths and hospitalisations. Canberra: AIHW.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among older people in Australia: deaths and hospitalisations. AIHW, 2006.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among older people in Australia: deaths and hospitalisations. Canberra: AIHW; 2006.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2006, Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among older people in Australia: deaths and hospitalisations, AIHW, Canberra.
Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can together be described as obstructive lung disease. This report examines recent data on deaths and hospitalisations among people aged 55 years and over when asthma or COPD are recorded as one of multiple causes of death or hospital diagnoses. The aim is to describe the extent of obstructive lung disease among older Australians, to assess the possibility of misclassification between asthma and COPD and to investigate the association between these diseases and other conditions.
Cat. no: ACM 7
The relation between asthma and COPD in the elderly
Cause of death data in Australia
Hospitalisation data in Australia
Summary of findings
Limitations in this study
Last updated 3/08/2018 v2.0


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Ohio university attacker was 'soldier' of Islamic State
Washington, United States Nov 29, 2016, 09.10 PM(IST)
Identified as a student at Ohio State University, Abdul Razak Ali Artan was shot dead by police on Monday. Photograph:( Reuters )
The Islamic State group claimed the attacker, who rammed his car into a crowd of pedestrians and then knifed them injuring 11 people on Ohio State University campus, as its "soldier", a jihadist-linked news agency said on Tuesday, news agency AFP reported.
"The executor of the attack in the American state of Ohio is a soldier of the Islamic State," the Amaq agency quoted an insider source as saying, according to a translation by the SITE monitoring group. "He carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of international coalition countries."
The attacker was identified as Abdul Razak Ali Artan, a third-year transfer student of logistics management at the university.
He was shot dead on Monday minutes after he drove his car into a crowd and then attacked them with a butcher knife.
Artan was interviewed by a student newspaper The Lantern a few months ago. Artan had complained of the lack of Muslim prayer rooms on campus.
"If people look at me, a Muslim praying, I don't know what they're going to think, what's going to happen," he said, AFP reported.
US media reported that Artan's family came to the US from Somalia in 2014. They also reported that he had wrote about his grievances against the United States on a Facebook page thought to belong to him. The page has since been removed from the social media website.
"I can't take it any more. America! Stop interfering with other countries, especially the Muslim Ummah. We are not weak. We are not weak, remember that," a post quoted by ABC television said, using a term referring to the global community of Muslims, reported AFP.
"If you want us Muslims to stop carrying (out) lone wolf attacks, then make peace," the post reads. "We will not let you sleep unless you give peace to the Muslims."
Artan also referred to Anwar al-Awlaki, a US-born Al-Qaeda cleric killed in a US drone strike in Yemen, as a hero in the posting, AFP said.
In September, a Somali resident of Minnesota had stabbed 10 people at a mall. The IS had claimed the attacker as their "soldeir".
Ohio is home to the second largest Somali community in the United States, according to the state's Somali community association.
(With inputs from AFP)
More than 473 million people can't find reasonably paying work: United Nations report
Trump administration to alter visa guidelines in a bid to curb 'birth tourism'
Angola vows to bring Isabel dos Santos back to the country by 'all possible means'


This fall, black and white stripes of all kinds have been spotted on our streets. Whether you're a hipster gal or a fun, flirty, contemporary lady; stripes will most likely be in your closet this fall.
Jazz it up by mixing in fun floral prints or for a simpler look, gold belts always do the trick. Red lips are made for stripes, as well as your favorite pair of shoes that will give it an extra pop. The beauty in this look is that it will match with almost everything and will have everyone giving you compliments on your bold sense of style. Stripes, when worn the right way can really complement your figure and make everything else you're wearing stand out. Don't be afraid of this bold look, try it on for size! We think you'll love it.


It's religiously important for Muslims, Christians and Jews. For Zionists, it's the symbol of Judaism's revival and prominence. For Christians, it's where Jesus lived and died.
For Muslims, it's their third holiest site (location of the Al-Aqsa Mosque) – after Mecca's Sacred Mosque and Mosque of the Prophet in Madina.
After its 1967 annexation, East Jerusalem underwent legal and bureaucratic changes to its physical, cultural and spiritual character under Israel's Judaization plan.
Settlements were established and expanded on stolen Palestinian land. Decades of ethnic cleansing, home demolitions, the Separation Wall, and other draconian measures followed, aiming to entirely Judaize the city.
Palestinian culture and religious heritage are threatened by the establishment of "facts on the ground," a process ongoing for half a century this month.
Trump earlier said Israel wants America's embassy there.
US and Israeli media reports now say he's expected to renew the waiver on keeping Washington's embassy in Tel Aviv before a Thursday midnight deadline – though he still envisions an eventual move, according to unnamed senior White House officials.
His waiver will reportedly delay moving America's embassy for six months, reconsideration again at that time.
Arab leaders and others warned Trump against making the move, explaining it would incite anti-American hostility throughout the Muslim world more than already.
It would kill another peace process attempt before initiated. Trump administration officials are divided on the move.
Supporters include chief White House strategist Steve Bannon, Trump's Zionist ambassador to Israel David Friedman and neocon UN envoy Nikki Haley.
Secretary of State Tillerson, Defense Secretary Mattis and National Security Advisor McMaster oppose the move.
On May 25, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee commemorated the 50th anniversary of Israel's June 1967 Six-Day War (of aggression) and Jerusalem's reunification under its control – by unanimous bipartisan voice vote.
The action reaffirmed the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act, calling the city "the capital of the State of Israel." Full Senate and House action are expected to follow.


By now, we ought to know that Floyd Mayweather does everything with flare. Gearing up for his fight against Marcos Maidana tonight (May 3), the leader of The Money Team recruited Rick Ross and 2 Chainz for his entrance to last night's weigh-in.
With 2 Chainz's "My Moment" playing in the background, Mayweather made his way to the scales, where Maidana edged his 146-pound physique out by just a half-pound.
Watch Mayweather weigh-in entrance with Rick Ross and 2 Chainz above. It all goes down tonight on Showtime Pay-Per-View at 9 p.m.