Posted: Saturday, December 20, 2014 7:00 pm
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Updated: 9:15 am, Sun Dec 21, 2014.
GOP to back ‘The Interview’ if it gets to theaters
Associated Press |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The GOP is calling on supporters to buy a ticket to the movie “The Interview” if theater owners reverse their decision not to show the film amid threats of retaliation for its comedic take on assassinating North Korea’s leader.
The Republican Party chairman, Reince Priebus (ryns PREE’-bus), says in a letter to theater chain executives that he’s concerned that a foreign regime would be allowed to dictate the movies Americans can and cannot watch.
Noting that Hollywood and the GOP have had their differences, Priebus says the situation with “The Interview” is about freedom and free enterprise.
Priebus says he will ask Republican supporters to buy tickets “to show North Korea we cannot be bullied into giving up our freedom,” and suggests part of the proceeds go to military charities.
Posted: Saturday, December 20, 2014 6:33 pm
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Updated: 9:15 am, Sun Dec 21, 2014.
Chicago mayor’s teenage son mugged near home
Associated Press |
CHICAGO (AP) — A spokeswoman for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel says the mayor’s 17-year-old son was mugged near the family’s home.
Spokeswoman Kelley Quinn said Saturday that the mayor’s son, Zach, had “injuries that required medical treatment, but was able to join the family for a long planned trip.” She says the mayor is focused on his son’s well-being and requested the news media respect the family’s privacy.
The mayor and his family were headed for a vacation in Chile this weekend.
Chicago Police spokesman Thomas Sweeney didn’t name the victim but says police are investigating an attack Friday night near the mayor’s home. He says two males grabbed the victim, took his phone and fled.
Emanuel, a former White House chief of staff, is running for re-election in February.
Sarah Finger Warren, or Honey as she was known to her family and friends, died in her one hundredth year on Saturday, December 20, 2014 at Westminster-Canterbury after a brief illness. Sarah, the first child and only daughter of Belle Miller Finger and Frederick Eli Finger, was born on October 9, 1915 in Stanley, North Carolina. Her father was a member of the first class to graduate from the School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina and Sarah was thus destined to be a great fan of the basketball and football programs of the University for all of her life. Growing up in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, Sarah had wonderful memories of her father’s placing a radio outside his drug store so that all might learn of Lindbergh’s crossing the Atlantic and riding her pony into the store for an ice cream cone. Little would she have been able to imagine a life in which she too crossed the Atlantic by plane and the United States by automobile. Surviving Sarah are her daughters, Anne Warren Hoskins and Jane Warren Davis, and their husbands, William Hoskins and William Ashby Davis, all of Lynchburg. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Sarah Hoskins Boone (Alex) of Atlanta, Georgia, Lyne Hoskins Dempster (John) of Raleigh, North Carolina, Caroline Davis Malott (Mike), Susannah Davis Cox (Chad), and William Ashby Davis Jr. (Elizabeth) of Lynchburg. Sarah is survived as well by her great grandchildren, Sallie and Hayden Boone, Ginny and Hampton Dempster, Sam, Janie, and Jack Malott, Gabe and Corinne Cox, and Michael and Ashby Davis.Sarah was predeceased by her parents; her husband, Harry Calvin Warren; and her brothers, Frederick Eli Finger Jr., Carl Preston Finger, and Daniel Miller Finger. She is survived by their children and grandchildren, in whom she took much pride. A joy in Sarah’s life was the birth of a much loved niece who bore her name, Sarah Virginia Finger Hamrick. She is also survived by her dear “cuz,” Betty Neisler Timberlake of Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina, and Beverley Taylor Vickrey of Charlotte, North Carolina, whom she thought of as her third daughter.Sarah attended Queens College in Charlotte in the midst of the Great Depression. At Queens Sarah pledged Alpha Delta Pi Sorority as did three of her granddaughters at other schools. Leaving college before her initiation, she was proudly initiated into the sorority at UNC at the same time as her granddaughter, Lyne. After marriage she and Harry lived in Houston, Texas and San Diego, California before returning East to Roanoke and then to Lynchburg. A great patriot, Sarah proudly wore a flag pin on all appropriate holidays, most especially the Fourth of July. She was an eighth generation Lutheran and the oldest living member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, which she had served for many years. Members of the clergy and church were friends Sarah held dear.Sarah was a member of the Oakwood Garden Club and a former member of the Lynchburg Woman’s Club. She enjoyed a good game of bridge long past her 95th year, always wanting to play “for money” and happiest when she won. Current events, politics, reading and most especially college sports lit up her life. Rarely was she without an opinion. Her family well knew that if anyone could not remember an event, person or date that Honey could without fail. She loved time at her daughter’s cottage in Duck, North Carolina where she spent many summers with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Honey was known for her cinnamon toast by these children and the children and now grandchildren of her neighbors at Duck.The family thanks with great gratitude the staff of Westminster Canterbury for their love and support to Sarah and to her family. Centra Hospice and Drs. Eugene Wolanski, William Kittrell and Angela Brady, whose care enhanced the last years and months of Sarah’s life, are also much appreciated.Sarah Finger Warren had a great life, enjoying each day until just a week before her death with wit and smiles. The service to celebrate this life will be held at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church at 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 3, 2015 conducted by the Reverend Dennis Roberts. The family will receive family and friends at a reception after the service at the home of Anne and William Hoskins. In memory of Sarah, memorials may be made to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 1000 Langhorne Road, Lynchburg, VA 24503.Tharp Funeral Home, Lynchburg, is assisting the family.
Mount Airy’s Tourism Development Authority and the Surry County Tourism Partnership of Surry County have each struck gold at an annual award ceremony for the The Destination Marketing Association of North Carolina (DMANC).
According to TDA Director of Tourism and Marketing Jessica Icenhour Roberts, The DMANC holds its annual ceremony to award those for innovative, best practices, creativity and outstanding efforts in tourism marketing.
The Award in Gold for Best Newsletter went to the Mount Airy Tourism Development Authority for its “Mayberry to Merlot” newsletter and the Tourism Partnership of Surry County’s gold award was for Best Destination Marketing Initiative for its Ohio campaign.
“It’s an honor for both organizations to receive these awards especially because we are being compared to other agencies throughout the state,” said Roberts. “To receive both honors is quite a testimony to exciting and quality marketing things that we are doing to promote the region. We look forward to bringing even more visitors in the future because of our efforts.”
The DMANC banquet was held recently in Winston-Salem where the organizations were both recognized during the banquet. Roberts and Assistant Director of Marketing Jessica Johnson attended the banquet as representatives for the Mount Airy TDA and Tourism Partnership of Surry County.
The Mayberry to Merlot newsletter is distributed to more than 35,000 recipients on a monthly basis including tourism-related businesses in Mount Airy and Surry County. Each month the newsletter promotes upcoming events, packages and different themes.
The Mount Airy TDA Chairman is Lenise Lynch of the Mount Airy Hampton Inn and other board members are Vice Chairman Ben Webb of Old North State Winery; Treasurer Trudy Willard of Holiday Inn Express; Secretary Magen Atkinson of Cross Creek Country Club, City Commissioner Shirley Brinkley; Jatin Patel of Comfort Inn and Knights Inn, Chad Tidd of Chick-fil-A and Pam Stone representing the city of Mount Airy.
The partnership’s Ohio campaign was launched in spring 2014 and continued through the summer. It focused on targeting Ohio visitors who were already coming through to our area when traveling to beaches down I-77.
“We get many of these that come through and we have been focusing on them to come back and or stay longer as many of them stay overnight on the way to the beach and on the way back from the beach,” said Roberts.
The partnership’s chairman is Burke Robertson who is the Surry County representative. Board members are Vice Chair Leslie Schlender, Elkin representative; Treasurer Lenise Lynch, Mount Airy representative; Scott Needham, Pilot Mountain representative and Ed Shelton, Dobson representative.
The award entries were submitted by tourism departments, chamber of commerce’s and visitor’s bureaus across North Carolina with all sizes of budgets. The judges were national tourism professionals including advertising agency representatives and marketing specialists. Roberts submitted the awards on behalf of the Mount Airy Tourism Development Authority and Tourism Partnership of Surry County.
David Broyles may be reached at 336-415-4739 and on Twitter@MtAiryNewsDave.
ASHEVILLE – As demolition crews tore into the BBT parking garage with sledge hammers and heavy machinery last week, many area bed-and-breakfast owners said they were more worried about what was being done with pen and paper at City Hall.
Competition from another downtown hotel at the old garage site is predictable. What the city has planned for regulating short-rentals has been anything but.
Referred to as Airbnbs because of their dependence on an Internet service for finding patrons, the rentals have emerged as new competition for traditional bed-and-breakfast owners.
“We can’t deny the inevitable. It’s a huge business now,” Emily McIntosh, the incoming president of the Asheville Bed and Breakfast Association and co-owner of A Bed of Roses Bed and Breakfast. “People, in their minds, don’t separate a regulated BB from these other things that call themselves a BB.”
Asheville city officials have been largely silent on regulations being drafted, to the frustration of BB owners, the owners of the Airbnbs and neighborhood groups wary of short-term rentals in residential areas.
Municipalities nationwide also have struggled with the issue.
Founded in 2008 by three roommates who discovered a creative way to make money to pay the rent in San Francisco, Airbnb has become a global online marketplace for people who want to rent out individual rooms or entire houses.
As it stands now in the city’s Unified Development Ordinance, arrangements like Airbnb come under the definition of short-term rentals, which are illegal in most of Asheville’s residential neighborhoods.
“In residential areas, our code recognizes ‘bed and breakfasts’ and ‘homestays,'” Interim Planning Director Alan Glines said in an email. “With the exception of ‘bed and breakfasts’ and ‘homestays’ … dwelling units may not be leased for periods of less than one month.”
Enforcement of short-term properties in Asheville is done on a complaint-driven basis and people do receive citations for zoning violations.
Yet, despite the outlawed practice, demand for Airbnb and other short-term rental offerings in Asheville remains high.
On Friday, a quick location-based search on Airbnb showed 784 rentals were available in Asheville — the highest number of rental offerings compared to the listings in the state’s 10 largest cities.
By comparison, Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro featured 395, 428 and 89 rentals, respectively.
Some of the problems lie in the fact that it is always challenging for cities to adapt to changing technologies and services, said attorney Derek Allen, whose clients at Ward and Smith include a group of more than 100 people who would like to offer short-term rentals in Asheville.
“It’s the same thing that happened with food trucks. It took forever to deal with food trucks, and so we put this one-year provisional timeline on them. How much have you heard about food trucks since then? They’re common now,” he said. “But to not allow this kind of sharing of your house, it seems so un-Asheville.”
Studying up on short-term rentals
The issue of short-term rentals has yet to make it onto a future City Council agenda. But the city commissioned a study on the topic earlier this year to help update its short-term rental policy and offer different approaches on how it could proceed.
The city hired Mai Thi Nguyen, an associate professor at UNC Chapel Hill who specializes in work related to housing and community development, to conduct a study on issues associated with short-term rentals.
The 31-page report set out to address three core concerns: minimizing negative impacts on residential neighborhoods, leveling the playing field for traditional lodging businesses, like hotels and bed-and-breakfasts, and reducing the impact on affordable rental housing.
Two years ago, the City Council of Austin become the first Texas municipality to allow short-term rentals.
“The Austin City Council decided that STR owners were going to operate their rental properties, legal or not, and legalizing them would give the city the opportunity to track, regulate, and capture previously lost tax revenues,” the report said.
Austin offers three different types of short-term licenses — owner-occupied homes, non-owner-occupied homes and multifamily complexes.
Owners of short-term rentals are required to pay a $285 fee and meet additional parking requirements as well as show proof of property insurance, pay a hotel occupancy tax, if applicable, and either have a certificate of occupancy or hire a third-party inspector.
There is also a 3 percent cap on the percentage of non-owner-occupied short-term rentals within each census block.
Of the $285 registration fee, $235 pays for the cost of three, full-time staff members to register and inspect rentals. As of September, the program had collected $277,100 in licensing fees and had expenses of $336,300, the report states.
The city of Asheville currently employs two, full-time zoning enforcement officers who, according to the report, already have full workloads.
In Portland, Oregon, the City Council overturned a ban and legalized short-term rentals this year, but wrestled with concerns about a potential loss of affordable housing.
Critics say short-term rentals in many cases could have been allocated for long-term rentals for people who live and work in the city, and could drive up prices in the rental market.
Portland Housing Commissioner Dan Saltzman proposed a plan that would allocate 5 percent of the lodging tax levied on short-term rentals toward the Housing Investment Fund, which funds affordable housing in the city of Portland.
When the proposal went to a vote, the 5 percent allocation had changed to 1.25 percent and, despite broad support for the plan, the measure failed.
Despite the board’s decision to wait and see what happens to affordable housing when short-term rentals enter the market, Portland began issuing $180 permits this year.
However, to the frustration of bed-and-breakfast owners in Asheville, no such local regulation exists.
Regulating disparities
That’s a big concern for Lori White, who sometimes shakes her head as she looks over finances for the historic inn she runs with her husband, Peter White.
Every morning, the Whites wake up at 6 a.m. to begin the process of baking, cooking and preparing breakfast for the guests staying in one of the eight rooms at The Black Walnut Bed and Breakfast, built in 1899.
Unlike the more than 60 short-term rentals in the surrounding Montford neighborhood currently listed on Airbnb, the Whites said they must charge a sales tax and the 4 percent Buncombe County occupancy tax.
And their establishment must comply with a laundry list of building codes, fire codes and health inspections.
Like a traditional bed-and-breakfast owner or innkeeper, the Airbnb host sets the rate, communicates with guests and books the reservation.
When a reservation is booked, Airbnb charges a guest service fee of 6-12 percent to the guest, however, that fee does not go back into the local economy.
The county occupancy tax, on the other hand, goes to the Tourism Product Development Fund of the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority to support community tourism projects.
The refrain on regulation and disparities between required taxes is a common one.
“If we didn’t have to add the extra 4 percent, we could lower our rates that way,” said Linda Palmer, who runs The Lion and the Rose Bed and Breakfast with her husband, Jim Palmer.
The complaint is one that Allen, an attorney who represents people who would like to start offering short-term rentals, has heard many times.
“We’re all for that,” he said of paying the occupancy tax. “It’s a high-five on both sides.”
Though many Airbnb listings are operating within walking distance of traditional bed-and-breakfasts, Asheville innkeepers said they do not see Airbnb or the new hotels as always being a direct threat to the lodging experience they provide.
“They come to our property for that connection — a connection for dining and history and the story of the inn. It makes them feel connected to the place where they’re staying,” Lori White said.
But Scott Arthur, a new innkeeper at a traditional bed-and-breakfast, sees a value in the modern service to continue the legacy of the historic Rankin House Inn.
Embracing the trend
More than 20 years ago, Fred Eggerton saw potential in the creaky, dilapidated exterior of the oldest house in Asheville.
The restoration project would become a labor of love for the man who, according to his Dec. 14 obituary in the Citizen-Times, was called the honorary “mayor of Montford” by many.
The general contractor renovated more than 100 houses in his lifetime, many of them in Montford.
The Rankin House Inn opened as a bed-and-breakfast in January of this year.
According to Arthur, who recently became the innkeeper after Eggerton’s death, Airbnb has been pivotal to the success of the business, 32 Elizabeth Place.
“We embraced them from the beginning. They were how some of our first reservations were made,” Arthur said. “We’ve got $400 coming in this week because of Airbnb. It’s another venue for us advertise that we didn’t have before.”
Unlike short-term rentals, though, the Rankin House Inn has been zoned as a bed-and-breakfast establishment and has not run into any legal trouble with the lodging services it provides.
Arthur said many of the people who have booked rooms through Airbnb are younger — he estimates many of them are between 29 and 44 — and are looking for a unique perspective on the mountain city.
“One minute, you’re checking in a med student and their husband, or you’re talking to people that have lived all over the country or the world. They seem to be incredibly interesting and willing to share their insights and stories, and are very atypical Asheville tourists. ” he said, noting that this is what Eggerton wanted.
“His intention was to turn it into a BB so other people could enjoy the history of it. As Fred used to say, ‘This is not your grandmother’s BB.'”
Outside of his work at the Rankin House Inn, Arthur said he recently bought property in East Asheville that he plans to turn into an Airbnb.
Though he has operated long-term rentals before, he said short-term listings on Airbnb are far more lucrative financially and as a host.
“The first thing I did when I got the property was I told all the neighbors, ‘If my guests are a problem, they will lose their deposit and I will bring it to you,'” he said. “I love the short-term rentals. I like the process of meeting the folks and, if they happen to be loud or whatever, in a few days they’re gone.”
In the meantime, Arthur said he will be paying attention to what the city decides to do.
“I don’t know why we all can’t just co-exist and let the free market reign,” he said.
Making it in Asheville
According to Lisa Shoemaker, an Asheville native who has been managing Airbnb rentals for others in the area since 2010, the short-term rental trend is both an opportunity to help the local economy and a cry for help from city residents.
“Anytime there’s challenges or shortages, the other side of that is always opportunity. If there are more people looking for housing, then there’s opportunity in that. We are a very creative group,” she said. “People are going to take advantage of opportunities wherever they can figure out how to do it. For the most part Airbnb isn’t a crime; it isn’t hurting anybody. The larger issue is that people aren’t capable of taking on the shortage of affordable housing.”
Though most of her clients are not struggling to pay their mortgages, the 46-year-old said Airbnb has been able to finance travel dreams for locals who want to bring people to Asheville to shop and support the local economy while they are out of town.
However, that is often the exception rather than the rule.
“I’ve lived here my whole life, and 10 years ago, it was very common to find a one bedroom apartment for $400 a month, and now a one bedroom is $1,000 a month, but wages have stayed absolutely flat,” Shoemaker said.
“This is a traditional trajectory that’s been going on since the inception of Asheville,” she said. “When you look at what Asheville has chosen to do for 200 years, it’s always in favor of tourism and real estate speculation. This is a new angle on a same old story.”
William Dickerson had been operating a short-term rental that was not an Airbnb listing in East Asheville near Kenilworth Lake for two years.
However, about three months ago, he received a zoning citation after a neighbor reported him to the city.
“It’s a huge loss of income for my family. It will cut my income in a third and it was also a good family business. I hired my daughters to help clean the units —two units. It was a good income source,” the 56-year-old said. “To be honest, we might not have been able to stay in our home and afford to live in the city of Asheville without the additional income. It actually makes living in Asheville possible.”
Dickerson, who appealed to the Board of Adjustment, said he will be changing the duplex rental into a 30-day rental, which is legal in residential areas with the proper permitting.
“What’s frustrating to me is that there are hundreds of people doing this in town,” the 56-year-old said. “They need to do one thing or the other. Either allow it or don’t.”
If the city legalizes short-term rentals in residential areas, Dickerson said he will return to it.
Cindy Conner, who operates an Airbnb, said the business for her is more about making meaningful connections and showing off her city than turning a profit.
“I had a whole level of the house I wasn’t using,” she said. “I have lived in Asheville for 25 years, and I consider myself an ambassador. I always take a lot of time with folks who come to stay with me to find out why they’re here. I’ve even been able to help some of my guests get in touch with real estate agents.”
However, many local people with listings on Airbnb declined to speak with the Citizen-Times out of fear that the city would find them and cite them with a zoning violation.
Allen said this is a real concern among his clients who are hoping to operate or who currently operate short-term rentals. Allen argues that the city’s current ordinances are unconstitutional.
“They’re drawing a distinction where there’s not a distinction between a 30-day tenant versus a 29-day tenant,” he said.
Allen can be found at almost every Board of Adjustment meeting, and said he is closely tracking the issue. However, like bed-and-breakfast owners and Airbnb hosts, Allen is simply waiting for the city to craft regulations with the changing short-term rentals market in mind.
“We are a huge tourist destination, but we’re a tourist destination because we are Asheville. I use that as code for all the cool things we are in terms of culture,” Allen said. “It’s the kind of culture that would permit and tolerate someone coming in and sharing your home.”
Want to know more?
The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority, in partnership with the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Asheville Bed and Breakfast Association and the Coalition of Asheville Neighborhoods, will host a forum on short-term rentals from 1-3 p.m. Jan. 21 at the Diana Wortham Theatre. The event will include a presentation by Lynn Minges, president and CEO of the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association. For more information, visit ashevillechamber.org.
A few ideas
A study paid for by the City of Asheville outlines how the city could regulate short-term rentals. Those include:
•Step up enforcement of existing regulations
•Create an ordinance change designating STRs as a different land use and then creatingof an overlay district designating areas of the city where STRs may not be located, such as residential neighborhoods.
•Charge a one-time only registration or permit fee to STR owners (in locations where the
STR is a permissible land use)
•Develop additional standards for owners of STRs to minimize the negative effects of
STRs in residential neighborhoods
To level the playing field between BBs/hotels and STRs, the city might consider:
•Enacting a registration fee and a yearly registration renewal fee for each STR, which will
cover the cost of registration administration, inspections, and enforcement of regulations
•Developing health and safety standards similar to BBs/hotels
•Requiring that STRs have appropriate liability insurance
•Working with Buncombe County to ensure that appropriate taxes are being paid
To reduce the impact on affordable rental housing, the city might consider:
• Setting a cap on the number of STRs in each residential neighborhood if the STR is
designated a different, permitted land use in that district
•Requiring that STRs be located a certain distance away from other STRs to avoid
concentration effects in one area
•Designating multi-family units used as STRs as a unique land use and regulate them more
heavily to discourage conversion of long-term rentals or owner-occupied units to STRs
Source: “Short-term Rental Programs, Polices and Practices: Applications
for the City of Asheville, NC” prepared for the City of Asheville by Mai Thi Nguyen and Cara Wittekind of Urban Planning Analytics, LLC
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – North Carolina’s ban on the use of gas to euthanize animals becomes official early next year, although it appears most shelters have given up the practice, officials say.
Patricia Norris, director of animal welfare in the state Department of Agriculture Consumer Services, sent a memo in early December advising shelters that they must stop using gas chambers for euthanasia as of Feb. 15, 2015. Most, if not all, shelters have moved entirely to lethal injection, Norris said.
The changes began in 2013 when the American Veterinary Medical Association removed its approval of carbon monoxide for routine euthanasia of dogs and cats, Norris said. The state follows the lead of three animal welfare groups, and the AVMA was the last to remove its approval, she said.
The discontinuation of gas chambers couldn’t happen immediately because shelter needed training on injecting animals and shelters needed to get the drugs and licensing needed, she said.
“County by county, the few that were remaining, they made the transition themselves,” Norris said. “We just wanted to make sure everybody was on the same page.”
Just a few years ago, more than 20 shelters in the state used gas chambers, said Kim Alboum, North Carolina state director for the Humane Society of the United States.
“Regardless of where you stand on whether lethal injection is more humane, it (gassing animals) does put a stigma on North Carolina,” Alboum said. “In 2014, the thought of a family pet being gassed in North Carolina is not something the community wants to think about.”
North Carolina shelters still euthanize more than half the dogs and cats brought to them. In 2013, shelters took in 284,259 dogs and cats, of which 56 percent were euthanized, Norris said. Still, that’s an improvement from 2012, when shelters took in 330,015 dogs and cats and euthanized 61 percent.
The Agriculture Department numbers include any shelter that gets government funding or participates in the department’s spay-neuter program, which is most of them, she said.
Getting rid of gas chambers will encourage more people to adopt their pets from shelters, Alboum said. “The pound is a thing of the past and what we’re seeing now are community shelters where the community can go and adopt animals and not be afraid to visit,” she said. “When there are cages next to a gas chamber in an animal shelter, who wants to go and see that? You’d rather just turn away and not know it exists.”
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Martha Waggoner can be reached at http://twitter.com/mjwaggonernc
Sarah Finger Warren, or Honey as she was known to her family and friends, died in her one hundredth year on Saturday, December 20, 2014 at Westminster-Canterbury after a brief illness. Sarah, the first child and only daughter of Belle Miller Finger and Frederick Eli Finger, was born on October 9, 1915 in Stanley, North Carolina. Her father was a member of the first class to graduate from the School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina and Sarah was thus destined to be a great fan of the basketball and football programs of the University for all of her life. Growing up in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, Sarah had wonderful memories of her father’s placing a radio outside his drug store so that all might learn of Lindbergh’s crossing the Atlantic and riding her pony into the store for an ice cream cone. Little would she have been able to imagine a life in which she too crossed the Atlantic by plane and the United States by automobile. Surviving Sarah are her daughters, Anne Warren Hoskins and Jane Warren Davis, and their husbands, William Hoskins and William Ashby Davis, all of Lynchburg. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Sarah Hoskins Boone (Alex) of Atlanta, Georgia, Lyne Hoskins Dempster (John) of Raleigh, North Carolina, Caroline Davis Malott (Mike), Susannah Davis Cox (Chad), and William Ashby Davis Jr. (Elizabeth) of Lynchburg. Sarah is survived as well by her great grandchildren, Sallie and Hayden Boone, Ginny and Hampton Dempster, Sam, Janie, and Jack Malott, Gabe and Corinne Cox, and Michael and Ashby Davis.Sarah was predeceased by her parents; her husband, Harry Calvin Warren; and her brothers, Frederick Eli Finger Jr., Carl Preston Finger, and Daniel Miller Finger. She is survived by their children and grandchildren, in whom she took much pride. A joy in Sarah’s life was the birth of a much loved niece who bore her name, Sarah Virginia Finger Hamrick. She is also survived by her dear “cuz,” Betty Neisler Timberlake of Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina, and Beverley Taylor Vickrey of Charlotte, North Carolina, whom she thought of as her third daughter.Sarah attended Queens College in Charlotte in the midst of the Great Depression. At Queens Sarah pledged Alpha Delta Pi Sorority as did three of her granddaughters at other schools. Leaving college before her initiation, she was proudly initiated into the sorority at UNC at the same time as her granddaughter, Lyne. After marriage she and Harry lived in Houston, Texas and San Diego, California before returning East to Roanoke and then to Lynchburg. A great patriot, Sarah proudly wore a flag pin on all appropriate holidays, most especially the Fourth of July. She was an eighth generation Lutheran and the oldest living member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, which she had served for many years. Members of the clergy and church were friends Sarah held dear.Sarah was a member of the Oakwood Garden Club and a former member of the Lynchburg Woman’s Club. She enjoyed a good game of bridge long past her 95th year, always wanting to play “for money” and happiest when she won. Current events, politics, reading and most especially college sports lit up her life. Rarely was she without an opinion. Her family well knew that if anyone could not remember an event, person or date that Honey could without fail. She loved time at her daughter’s cottage in Duck, North Carolina where she spent many summers with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Honey was known for her cinnamon toast by these children and the children and now grandchildren of her neighbors at Duck.The family thanks with great gratitude the staff of Westminster Canterbury for their love and support to Sarah and to her family. Centra Hospice and Drs. Eugene Wolanski, William Kittrell and Angela Brady, whose care enhanced the last years and months of Sarah’s life, are also much appreciated.Sarah Finger Warren had a great life, enjoying each day until just a week before her death with wit and smiles. The service to celebrate this life will be held at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church at 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 3, 2015 conducted by the Reverend Dennis Roberts. The family will receive family and friends at a reception after the service at the home of Anne and William Hoskins. In memory of Sarah, memorials may be made to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 1000 Langhorne Road, Lynchburg, VA 24503.Tharp Funeral Home, Lynchburg, is assisting the family.
Obama says US can influence new generation in Cuba
Protesters hold a U.S. flag during a protest in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2014. More than 200 protesters rallied in opposition to President Barack Obama’s plan to normalize relations with Cuba. (AP Photo/Rachel La Corte)
J. Scott Applewhite
Obama says US can influence new generation in Cuba
President Barack Obama smiles during a news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, Dec. 19, 2014. The president claimed an array of successes in 2014, citing lower unemployment, a rising number of Americans covered by health insurance, and an historic diplomatic opening with Cuba. He also touts his own executive action and a Chinese agreement to combat global warming. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Posted: Sunday, December 21, 2014 8:01 am
|
Updated: 9:15 am, Sun Dec 21, 2014.
Obama says US can influence new generation in Cuba
Associated Press |
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama said his plan to normalize relations with Cuba gives the U.S. a chance to influence events at an important moment of change for the communist nation, and he brushed off critics who accuse him of kowtowing to dictators.
Obama said a half-century of trying to push out the Castro government through isolation has not worked. He said his administration is taking a look at whether to remove Cuba from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terror, acknowledging that Havana’s inclusion makes it difficult for the U.S. to pursue closer ties.
“If we engage, we have the opportunity to influence the course of events at a time when there’s going to be some generational change in that country,” Obama told CNN’s “State of the Union” in an interview set to air Sunday. “And I think we should seize it and I intend to do so.”
Obama’s move to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba elicited cheers from longtime opponents of the strict U.S. position toward Cuba. But his announcement last week also drew fierce opposition, including from some U.S. lawmakers in both parties who said Obama failed to win any commitments from Cuba to democratize before the easing of U.S. penalties and travel restrictions.
On Saturday, Cuban opposition leaders in Miami joined Cuban-American politicians and activists, pledging to oppose Obama’s plan.
Cuban President Raul Castro, speaking to his National Assembly, said that Cuba would not renounce its communist system despite the normalization of ties with the U.S. He paraded three convicted spies just released from U.S. prison, and they shook their fists in victory in front of parliament.
Obama said it’s wrong to accuse him of letting dictators outmaneuver him, citing Russian President Vladimir Putin as an example. After all, Russia’s currency is now collapsing under the weight of U.S. and European penalties, he pointed out.
“There is this knee-jerk sense, I think, on the part of some in the foreign policy establishment that, you know, shooting first and thinking about it second projects strength,” Obama said.
“We have been very firm with respect to those countries that we think are violating international law or are acting against our interests. But I have been consistent in saying that where we can solve problems diplomatically, we should do so.”
MYRTLE BEACH, SC- High school girls basketball teams from across the nation gathered at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center Friday to participate in the Crescom Bank Holiday Invitational. Next week, top boys teams will take the court to compete in the Beach Ball Classic.
Over 300 local businesses sponsor the tournaments, which each last five days. Jay Martin on the Beach Ball Classic Committee estimated the events cost a total of a half a million dollars to put on. The number may sound like a lot to some people, but Martin said the economic boost generated from the tournaments is greater.
The first Beach Ball Classic happened 34 years ago.
“It was only 8 teams and that was in Soccastee High School,” said Martin.
Eventually it turned into a movement with lasting effects on Myrtle Beach’s economy. Mayor John Rhodes helped start the tournament. He said he remembers seeing the stands full.
“We looked around and said maybe we’ve hit on something here that can be very big for our area and we’ve grown from there,” he said. “I guess you could say the Beach Ball Classic was the beginning of sports tourism.”
A women’s basketball coach from the University of North Carolina recommended that Rhodes add a girls tournament equivalent to the Beach Ball Classic. The Crescom Bank Holiday Invitational was started 17 year later.
Mayor Rhodes said while the tournaments require financial assistance from businesses, they give back to the community by donating proceeds to scholarship funds for local students. In addition, he said the tournaments bring in more consumers.
“With all the families coming in, it helps all of the local businesses,” said General Manager of Golden Corral Jim Cutler.
Cutler’s restaurant serves teams competing in the tournament for free, but he said the fans and families that travel with them bring added business.
“It’s been a very successful partnership for us,” he said.
While Myrtle Beach’s sports facilities make it a growing destination for sports tourism, the location itself and attractions are added bonuses.
“When you get through playing a game, you’ve got something here to do besides go back to the hotel,” said Rhodes. Mayor
Rhodes also said the tournament introduces Myrtle Beach to a new group of people that might not have ever considered visiting otherwise.
According to Rhodes, this year’s Beach Ball Classic will be broadcasted over various television outlets. As a result, the tournament will be available to millions of viewers. Rhodes said he hopes the media attention will put Myrtle Beach on the map as a premier spot for sports tourism.
With a warm cookie in one hand and a cup of hot cocoa in the other, an evening stroll through Enchanted Airlie aims to lift holiday spirits.
Once the property of 19th-century financier Pembroke Jones and his wife Sarah, historic Airlie Gardens features 67 acres of groomed maritime forest, pristine habitat for swans, egrets, geese and owls.
When night falls in December, the forest comes alive as “Enchanted Airlie,” with over half a million twinkling lights illuminating a half-mile, self-guided trail as classic holiday tunes stir memories.
“Airlie is a magical place,” says Tara Duckworth, New Hanover County’s parks and gardens director. “It’s a magical time of year. People have a certain spirit during the holidays. It’s hard not to be happy when you’re at Airlie.”
The Southeast Tourism Society voted Enchanted Airlie one of its Top 20 events in 2012.
Along the trail, guests find a majestic Spanish moss-draped over a 500-year old live oak tree, as well as the Minnie Evans Bottle Chapel – a dramatically lit tribute to one of America’s most important visionary artists, built from colored glass bottles. Evans served as gatekeeper of Airlie Gardens from 1949-1974. Also on the tour is the Airlie Butterfly House, a softly lit, butterfly-themed octagonal structure that eleven native species of butterflies call home during the warmer months.
This year’s expanded Enchanted Airlie trail also features LED-lit weeping willows, cherry trees, oaks and other native flora. The heated refreshment tent at the trail’s beginning and end is decorated with a stunning variety of poinsettias and features an extensive working model train exhibit. There is also an impressive Lego display consisting of over 250,000 bricks, thanks to the N.C. LEGO Users Group of Raleigh.
For the little ones, Santa Claus is visiting to receive last-minute holiday wishes.
Enchanted Airlie is the culmination of six months of preparations. “We start restringing in July, but we don’t put any lights out until October,” said Ms. Duckworth. During her tenure, she has replaced nearly every incandescent bulb with a LED. “Not only are we green, but those lights are so much brighter,” she said.
Adding to the landscape, Tinga Nursery of Castle Hayne generously provides temporary plants for the event, including Encore azaleas, hollies and crape myrtles.
Enchanted Airlie opens for 5 and 7 p.m. reservations Thursday to Sunday, Dec. 18 to Dec. 21. Tickets must be purchased in advance and usually sell out.
Tickets are available on Airlie Gardens or Blockade Runner Beach Resort websites. Blockade Runner includes overnight accommodations and breakfast and is situated oceanfront three miles from Airlie Gardens. The famed landmark hotel, celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2014, is beautifully decorated for the holidays.
Tickets are also available online at www.AirlieGardens.org. Proceeds from Enchanted Airlie benefit the preservation and improvement of New Hanover County’s historic Airlie Gardens.
Airlie Gardens is at 300 Airlie Road, Wilmington. For information, call 910-798-7700.
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