VIDEO: Weasel-ly Spotted: Endangered Fisher Weasels Return To The Wild

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VIDEO: Weasel-ly Spotted: Endangered Fisher Weasels Return To The Wild

By Joseph Golder

Video shows fishers, which are members of the weasel family, being released in Olympic National Park as part of a two-decade effort to restore the native species to Washington State.

The footage was posted online by the National Park Service with the caption: “Some very welcome newcomers arrived at Ozette last week…!” Lake Ozette, the largest natural lake in the state of Washington, is in the northern part of Olympic National Park near the Pacific coast.

Federal, state, tribal and partner biologists on Nov. 5 released five fishers from Alberta, Canada, into the lush, coastal forest near Lake Ozette, the National Park Service said on the website of Olympic National Park.

“Fishers — a member of the mustelid or weasel family roughly the size of a house cat that feeds on rodents, hares and even porcupines — were extirpated from Washington by the 1930s due to over-trapping, poisoning and fragmentation of their forest habitat,” the park service said.

“This latest fisher release is part of an ongoing partnership led by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey and Conservation Northwest to restore the elusive carnivores to Washington’s Olympic Peninsula and Cascade Mountains.”

A total of 90 fishers were captured in northern British Columbia and reintroduced to Olympic National Park and surrounding areas on the Olympic National Forest from 2008 through 2010, the park service said. “Fishers from British Columbia and later Alberta were then reintroduced to Washington’s South Cascade Mountains in and around Mount Rainier National Park beginning in 2015, and to North Cascades National Park and nearby areas beginning in 2018.”

A fisher runs into the forest after being released from a wooden crate near Lake Ozette in Olympic National Park in Washington State. (National Park Service/Zenger)

The park service said that “while the Washington Fisher Reintroduction Project met its goal in early 2020, releasing more than 250 total fishers across the Olympic and Cascade ranges with successful reproduction documented in both areas, project partners saw an opportunity this year to boost the numbers and genetic diversity of fishers on the Olympic Peninsula using animals live-trapped in Alberta.”

About 20 fishers are set to be released at locations around Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest this month and in December, including the first five near Lake Ozette last week.

The Ozette area was chosen “due to the ongoing partnership with the Makah Tribe since 2008 and the Makah Tribe’s continued research on the fisher population in the Ozette to Neah Bay region,” the park service said.

“Watching fishers return to the forests of the Olympic Peninsula is truly inspiring,” said Olympic National Park Superintendent Sarah Creachbaum. “As they scamper through lush ferns and back into our biodiverse landscape, you can tell they belong here and will enrich our natural heritage and support the overall health of this ecosystem.”

Edited by Judith Isacoff and Kristen Butler



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VIDEO: Waddle We Do Now Lockdown’s Over? Zoo Penguins Go For A Stroll

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VIDEO: Waddle We Do Now Lockdown’s Over? Zoo Penguins Go For A Stroll

By Peter Barker

A dozen king penguins waddled down a Swiss zoo footpath during their first daily walk in over a year. Their strolls had been canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The footage of the king penguins enjoying their 11 a.m. walk was captured this month by Basel Zoo staff. The walk is a popular draw for visitors, allowing them to get close to the flightless birds.

The king penguin is the second-largest species of penguin in the world, measuring 28 to 39 inches in height and weighing between 21 and 40 pounds.

The penguins in the video are walking from the indoor facility where they spend the night to an outdoor vivarium.

The walk takes place early in the day during the winter months, since the temperature tends to be around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. That is comfortable for the birds, which are native to ice-cold climates. King penguins live on Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands.

During the summer, it is too hot to walk outside and there is the threat of mosquitos infecting them with bird malaria. Instead, they are kept in air-conditioned vivariums.

King penguins, the second-largest penguin species, walk every day at 11 a.m. at the Basel Zoo in Switzerland. Their journey is a highlight for visitors. (Zoo Basel/Zenger)

Currently, 19 king penguins are participating in the daily walk, but the zoo plans to add eight gentoo penguins into the routine in the coming weeks.

The gentoo penguin is considerably smaller than the king penguin, measuring 20 to 35 inches and weighing no more than 19 pounds when fully grown.

The zoo said: “Gentoo penguins are very curious and like to swallow foreign objects such as leaves and pieces of wood. As soon as the leaves have completely fallen from the trees and the paths have been cleared, the smaller species is part of the party.”

Some 19 king penguins take a daily stroll at the Basel Zoo in Switzerland. The penguins lay only one egg at a time and carry it around on their feet covered with a flap of abdominal skin. (Zoo Basel/Zenger)

The gentoo penguins show a high level of curiosity toward random objects, given their nesting instincts. They collect stones in their beaks during the mating season and present them to their partners as a gift to make their nests. Gentoos rear two chicks a year, rather than one.

Conversely, king penguins do not construct nests, so are less interested in picking up stones and twigs along the footpath. The egg is placed on the tops of their feet and incubated under a fold of skin.

The penguins are given considerable freedom by the zookeepers during the walk. Its duration is determined by how long it takes the birds to complete the journey.

The walk also serves as an opportunity to improve their fitness. Despite being mainly aquatic animals, they do spend time walking in the wild when migrating to breeding sites.

The daily walks also improve their cardiovascular system and build up their muscles.

Edited by Fern Siegel and Kristen Butler



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VIDEO: X-Cellent! Elon Musk’s Dragon SpaceX Shot Finally Blasts Off After Medical Delay

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VIDEO: X-Cellent! Elon Musk’s Dragon SpaceX Shot Finally Blasts Off After Medical Delay

By Peter Barker

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts were blasted into orbit by a Falcon 9 rocket, beginning their journey to the International Space Station.

NASA astronauts Tom Marshburn, Kayla Barron and Raja Chari, along with European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer, were launched into space aboard a rocket built by entrepreneur Elon Musk’s SpaceX from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 9:03 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10.

The crew is expected to dock at the forward port of the space station’s Harmony module at 7:10 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11.

Earlier this month, the launch date for the Crew-3 mission was pushed back for several days due to what NASA described as “a minor medical issue” involving one of its crew members. “The issue is not a medical emergency and not related to COVID-19,” the agency said at the time.

The astronauts that lifted off on Tuesday are setting off on a six-month mission carrying out research in the lab on the space station covering such areas as materials science, plant science and health technologies.

In video released by NASA, the astronauts can be seen preparing for the mission and waving for the cameras as they walk toward the launch site.

The four astronauts of Crew-3 await liftoff on Nov. 10, 2021, in the SpaceX spacecraft at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (NASA’s Kennedy Space Center/Zenger)

They then take their positions aboard the Dragon capsule that sits atop the Falcon 9 booster. Shortly after that, the powerful, reusable booster roars to life, launching the crew out of Earth’s atmosphere and into space. At liftoff, the Falcon 9’s massive orange exhaust fireball briefly brightens the area surrounding the launch pad.

When they arrive at the space station roughly 22 hours after liftoff, the crew members will be met by NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov, the crew members from Expedition 66 who are on board the space station.

The latest mission, NASA said, is part of a wider plan to “restore and maintain American leadership in human spaceflight.”

The Falcon 9 rocket, with the Crew Dragon spacecraft and four astronauts aboard, shortly after liftoff from Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. (NASA’s Kennedy Space Center/Zenger)

By carrying out regular long-term missions, NASA is able to rotate crews and carry out extensive research and technology investigations on the space station.

The research benefits the people back on Earth by contributing to the technology and understanding needed for future missions to Mars and the moon, the agency said in the statement.

The launch marked the third operational crew launch by Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 booster and Dragon capsule for NASA. Earlier this week, the station’s predecessor Crew-2 safely returned to Earth after a record-setting stay on the space station by a U.S.-crewed spacecraft. That crew, which consisted of two NASA astronauts, along with one each from the European agency and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, was aboard the station for 199 days.

Edited by Matthew B. Hall and Kristen Butler



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VIDEO: Sieg Fail: Suspected Neo-Nazi’s Astonishing Weapons Arsenal Seized By Anti-Terror Cops 

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VIDEO: Sieg Fail: Suspected Neo-Nazi’s Astonishing Weapons Arsenal Seized By Anti-Terror Cops 

By Joseph Golder

Austrian anti-terrorism police have busted a suspected neo-Nazi and his wife for possession of a huge arsenal of illegal weapons, over a ton of ammunition and a variety of Nazi paraphernalia.

The find was made by the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Fight Against Terrorism in Lower Austria, in the town of Baden, on the outskirts of the Austrian capital Vienna.

The haul included heavy machine guns, machine guns, handguns, a hand grenade, pipe bombs and other explosive materials, a sniper rifle with a scope, pump-action shotguns, firearms with silencers, and over 1,200 kilograms (2,646 pounds) of ammunition, along with brass knuckles, knives, pepper spray and electric shock devices.

Also found was a bust of German General Erwin Rommel, nicknamed the “Desert Fox,” who took part in the Nazi campaign in North Africa before being put in charge of defending the occupied French coast from the Allies’ D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944.

“The fight against right-wing extremism is still very much topical,” authorities said. “The man and his wife will be reported to the responsible district administrative authority and the public prosecutor’s office in Wiener Neustadt on the basis of the seized items.”

These pipe bomb detonators which among the many armaments seized from an Austrian man’s home in the Baden district in Austria. (Lower Austria State Office for the Protection of the Constitution/Zenger)

Many of the seized firearms were loaded.

Footage showing some of the items taken during the massive seizure was released by the office. In addition to the weaponry, authorities also said that they had taken “a steel helmet with a swastika, other Nazi devotional objects (flyers, medals, coins) and various relevant literature.”

The footage shows what appears to be a large number of machine guns, as well as bolt-action rifles, at least one pump-action shotgun, various handguns, machine guns which appear to be from the World War II era, various rifles with scopes, at least two Israeli-made Uzi submachine guns, and what appeared to be a Russian AK-47 or a similar model.

A hand grenade that was part of the seizure in Baden, Austria. (Lower Austria State Office for the Protection of the Constitution/Zenger)

The police said they had imposed a gun ban on the man and his wife, who are both 53. Neither of the suspects have been named and neither the suspect nor his wife confessed during questioning, according to the police.

Police are currently investigating the suspect’s connections to see if other parties may be implicated. Details on specific charges the pair will face was not immediately released.

While the display or possession of Nazi paraphernalia is not illegal in such places as the United Kingdom and the United States, it is in Germany, Austria and several other European nations.

Edited by Matthew B. Hall and Kristen Butler



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Easy Peasy: Huge Genome Study Set To Boost Chickpea Yields 

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Easy Peasy: Huge Genome Study Set To Boost Chickpea Yields 

By Martin M Barillas

In the biggest plant genome sequencing project ever, an international team assembled a pan-genome from thousands of chickpea lines in 60 countries, which may lead to increased yields for this essential legume.

Researchers identified 29,870 genes in chickpeas (Cicer arietinum), including 1,582 previously unreported ones. The India-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) conducted the study, placing chickpeas among the few crops to have had such an extensive genome map. The study was published in the journal Nature.

“By employing whole genome sequencing, we have been able to affirm the history of chickpea’s origin in the Fertile Crescent and identify two paths of diffusion or migration of chickpea to the rest of the world,” the study’s lead researcher, Rajeev Varshney, said. “One path indicates diffusion to South Asia and East Africa, and the other suggests diffusion to the Mediterranean region (probably through Turkey) as well as to the Black Sea and Central Asia (up to Afghanistan).”

Chickpea seeds show their genetic diversity. (ICRISAT)

Varshney and his team sequenced the genomes of 3,366 chickpea lines from 60 countries. The world’s third-most cultivated legume, chickpeas are essential in many nations’ diets.

“This research provides a complete picture of genetic variation within chickpea and a validated roadmap for using the knowledge and genomic resources to improve the crop,” Varshney said.

Once the initial 2013 sequencing was complete, the sequencing of more lines led to an understanding of chickpea genetic variation, including wild types, and domestic landraces (domesticated varieties developed by farmers). The authors sequenced 3,366 accessions, which represent the chickpea’s genetic diversity in a much larger global collection.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, an accession is a “distinct, uniquely identifiable sample of seeds representing a cultivar, breeding line or a population, which is maintained in storage for conservation and use.”

The taxonomic name of the chickpea species is Cicer arietinum. The authors found that the cultivated species diverged from its wild progenitor species, Cicer reticulatum, about 12,600 years ago. The wild plant now grows only in the southeast corner of Turkey, where it may have been domesticated. Chickpea seeds are stored at several gene banks.

A chickpea plant with its pods seen up close. (ICRISAT)

The number of chickpea varieties reached a minimum about 1,000 years ago but saw a strong expansion in the last 400 years, suggesting a renewed interest in the legume. By analyzing the branching out of eight chickpea species over time, researchers can identify misclassification or duplication of accessions. This should result in better management of chickpea germplasm held at gene banks.

“The demand for chickpea is set to increase in the coming years as the world’s population rises,” yields increase and crops become more climate-resilient, according to study coauthor Trilochan Mohapatra.

“By developing many genomic resources for chickpea over the last decade, ICRISAT has helped the crop shed its ‘orphan’ tag. With our partners in agricultural research for development, we will continue to research chickpea and translate findings into crop varieties that benefit farmers, consumers and nations,” said Jacqueline Hughes of the crop research organization.

Comparison of the genetic variation in cultivated chickpeas and its wild progenitor helped in identifying genes that reduce crop performance. These genes were more abundant in the wild progenitor because over time they were bred out of cultivated lines through selection and recombination. In the future, deleterious genes can be further purged through genomics-assisted breeding or gene editing.

The authors identified haplotypes (blocks of genes) in landraces that can significantly improve yield, climate resilience and seed characteristics. The study examined historical data of all chickpea varieties released between 1948 and 2012, providing insights into the use of haplotypes in varieties of chickpeas.

Study lead Rajeev Varshney examining chickpea plants. (ICRISAT)

“We examined 129 varieties released in the past. Though a few superior haplotypes were detected in some of these varieties, we found that most varieties lacked many beneficial haplotypes,” said study co-author Manish Roorkiwal. The research team uncovered 56 promising lines that can “bring these haplotypes into breeding programs to develop enhanced varieties,” he said.

The crop research institute’s efforts have resulted in the last three years in seven improved chickpea varieties in India and Ethiopia. “Genomic resources are crucial for accelerating the rate of genetic gains in crop improvement programs,” researcher Arvind Kumar said. “Genomic resources are crucial for accelerating the rate of genetic gains in crop improvement programs.”

The team hopes the study will help breeders “revolutionize chickpea breeding without eroding its genetic diversity,” Kumar said.

The authors of the study suggest three breeding approaches based on genomic prediction, with the aim of improving 16 species traits. The study shows that by applying them, an increase in yield ranging between 12 and 23 percent can be expected.

Edited by Richard Pretorius and Kristen Butler



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Raul Castillo Co-Stars In Hulu’s Upcoming Futuristic Series ‘Mother/Android’

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Raul Castillo Co-Stars In Hulu’s Upcoming Futuristic Series ‘Mother/Android’

By Cesar Arredondo

Raul Castillo stars in Hulu’s “Mother/Android,” a sci-fi thriller series about a dystopian future where androids — human-looking robots — revolt against their master creators. “Mother/Android” will debut on Dec. 17.

Budding filmmaker Mattson Tomlin wrote and directed the series, which is a Miramax production. Tomlin’s directing credits include the indie drama thrillers “The Projectionist” and “Solomon Gundy.” He recently penned Netflix’s “Project Power” and co-wrote “The Batman,” the next installment in the DC Comics’ “Dark Knight” franchise.

Chloë Grace Moretz (“Kick-Ass”) and Algee Smith (“Judas and the Black Messiah”) co-star in “Mother/Android.”

In the series, Georgia (Moretz), a pregnant young woman, and her boyfriend Sam (Smith) embark on a dangerous journey to escape a nation caught in an unexpected war with artificial intelligence. The couple must reach safety before the woman gives birth. One of the few men willing to help the parents-to-be is Arthur (Castillo), a reclusive and psychologically challenged computer whiz. Arthur has developed a camouflage shield against androids.

 

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Castillo’s “Mother/Android” role will cap a busy 2021. The 44-year-old Texas-born actor has been featured in half a dozen films, including Netflix’s “Night Teeth” and “Army of the Dead” and the MGM action/crime thriller “Wrath of Man.” He was also featured in the indie film “Bless Me, Ultima,” based on Rudolfo Anaya’s novel of the same title.

Castillo was nominated for the Film Independent Spirit Award for his role in the 2018 film “We the Animals.” Three years earlier, he won the Vision Award of the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications to Best Performance – Comedy for his role in the HBO series “Looking.” He shared that award with Academy Award winner Don Cheadle for “House of Lies.” “Looking” also won Castillo two nominations for the Imagen Awards.

Castillo’s other series credits include cable channel Starz’s “Vida” and Netflix’s “Ghost Tape” and “Seven Seconds.”

 

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A post shared by Raúl Castillo (@raulcastillo)

A theater actor since high school, Castillo has performed extensively in Off-Broadway plays, including “A Lifetime Burning.” His stage credits also include “Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train,” “The Way West,” and “Adoration of the Old Woman,” and he starred alongside Sandra Oh in “Death and the Maiden.”

Andrew Golov, whose credits include “Wrath of Man,” is “Mother/Android’s” executive producer. The series producers include Matt Reeves and Bill Block, who have worked on popular sci-fi and action flicks in different capacities. Reeves directed “War for the Planet of the Apes” and “Cloverfield.” He is also a producer in the upcoming “The Batman.” Miramax’s Block produced “The Gentlemen” and was the executive producer of “District 9.”

Raul Castillo Co-Stars in Hulu’s Upcoming Futuristic Series ‘Mother/Android’ is published in collaboration with LatinHeat Entertainment.

Edited by Gabriela Alejandra Olmos and Melanie Slone



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How The Lakers Botched Alex Caruso’s Free Agency And Lost A Key Piece

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How The Lakers Botched Alex Caruso’s Free Agency And Lost A Key Piece

By Alex Kennedy

Entering the 2021 offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers had some tough decisions to make. Seven of their players were set to enter free agency, including Alex Caruso, Talen Horton-Tucker, Dennis Schroder, Andre Drummond and Markieff Morris.

Since Los Angeles had several key contributors hitting the open market and limited cap flexibility to work with, the team had to prioritize whomever they valued the most. That ended up being Horton-Tucker, as they re-signed the 20-year-old restricted free agent to a three-year deal worth $32 million.

The current version of the Lakers looks nothing like last year’s squad. They brought in 14 new players — including familiar faces like Dwight Howard, Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley, who were on the team as recently as the 2019-20 championship season. Of the 19 players who suited up for the Lakers last season, only LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Horton-Tucker are still in L.A.

The Lakers were widely regarded as the favorite to win it all last season before injuries ruined their campaign and they likely would’ve been a top contender this year had they brought back the same group, but Rob Pelinka and the Lakers’ front office felt that big changes needed to be made. They decided to blow up the roster, pulling off a blockbuster trade for Russell Westbrook and betting on the incoming talent over continuity and chemistry.

So far, the Lakers are 6-5, which is No. 8 in the Western Conference. They have two embarrassing losses to the tanking Oklahoma City Thunder, and the team is clearly going through an acclimation period due to the roster turnover. After allowing a league-best 104.8 points per 100 possessions last season, the Lakers’ defense has dropped to 15th this year.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the Lakers’ offseason was the fact that they didn’t try harder to keep Caruso, who had become a fan favorite and very important role player for the team. He’d always find a way to impact games with his terrific perimeter defense, relentless motor, catch-and-shoot ability and excellent chemistry with James. Good things always seemed to happen when he was on the floor, even if his contributions didn’t always show up on the stat sheet.

However, the Lakers didn’t make much of an effort to re-sign Caruso, even though he was willing to take a discount to stay in Los Angeles. They didn’t have much contact with his camp leading up to free agency and then proceeded to low-ball him, which is why he accepted the Chicago Bulls’ four-year, $37 million offer. Caruso detailed his free-agency experience on J.J. Redick’s podcast, The Old Man and the Three.

“So going into it, I really didn’t know what to expect, and I really didn’t hear much from any team — including the Lakers — leading up to 6 p.m. Then, they called and the Lakers made their offer, but it wasn’t an offer I was going to accept because I was going to be able to get considerably more money from another team,” Caruso explained. “I need to get as much money [as I can]; this is real life that we’re talking about and I need to be financially secure — for me and [my] people. There was talk with a bunch of different [teams] about the mid-level, which I think was four [years] for $40 million. We never got anybody to that actual number, but there were a couple teams that got close.

“And then my agent texted me and said, ‘Hey, Chicago is interested in signing you.’ I didn’t know that financially it was going to be able to work; I thought that once Zo (Lonzo Ball) signed with Chicago, I was like, ‘Okay, so Chicago is off the list.’ But they [said] they were going to look at this, that and the other to try and make it work. I got on the phone with AK (Bulls GM Artūras Karnišovas) and with Billy [Donovan], and the way they were just talking about how they wanted to play and how they saw me as a player, I thought they hit the nail on the head. I thought everything they said… I was like, ‘I think that’s accurate, I think that’s what I bring to the table, I think that’s how I can help the team win, I think that’s the direction that this team wants to go.’ I thought there was a need for the stuff that I had.

“Essentially we got that offer, went back to L.A. and asked if they could do the same, they said, ‘No.’ [We] asked for something else that was a little less, they said, ‘No.’ So I said, ‘Okay, if that’s what it comes to, I’m ready to go to Chicago and start the next chapter.’ It’s been great. I think it’s been a great decision for me.”

Redick asked a follow-up question about the Lakers’ initial offer, and Caruso revealed that it was below $15 million over two years.

It certainly seems like Caruso made the right decision, as he has been thriving in Chicago. He has been terrific off of the Bulls’ bench, averaging 8.5 points, 3.6 assists, 2.5 rebounds and a career-high 2.6 steals in 27.5 minutes per game, while shooting an efficient 40.7% from three-point range.

Caruso currently leads the NBA in steals (2.6), while also ranking fourth in deflections (4.0) and eighth in loose balls recovered on defense (0.8). On Wednesday, Caruso had six steals in 23 minutes in the Bulls’ 117-107 win over the Dallas Mavericks. Opponents are shooting 38.8% from the field when defended by Caruso, which is 4.4% lower than their usual field goal percentage.

The Bulls are off to an excellent 8-3 start, which is tied for the best record in the Eastern Conference. The only team with a better winning percentage than Chicago (.727) is the Golden State Warriors (.900). Chicago has the NBA’s fourth-best defense (allowing 101.0 points per 100 possessions) and sixth-best offense (scoring 108.9 points per 100 possessions).

The Lakers could use Caruso right about now — and the fans would certainly love to have the scrappy underdog back in Staples Center — but the front office didn’t think he was worth the money he received. It remains to be seen whether the Lakers will regret that assessment.

Produced in association with BasketballNews.com.

Edited by Kristen Butler



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She’s Charting A Path To Improving Quality Child Care

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She’s Charting A Path To Improving Quality Child Care

By Evan T. Henerson

By her own admission, Tamika Farr is every inch a “glass half-full” person.

That’s an important mindset to have when leading a 43-year-old nonprofit, whose mission is to bring quality child care and educational services to disadvantaged communities.

Farr, who took over as executive director of Pathways LA, in Los Angeles, California, in May, recognizes the challenges her agency faces and embraces her new position with the enthusiasm and commitment of someone accustomed to getting things done.

“I am a problem-solver. I’ve always been that way, and I see opportunities,” Farr said. “If the answer isn’t ‘no,’ then there is an opportunity. And even in ‘no,’ there is opportunity to shift and find a different resource or a different path.

“I’m always looking for a way to accomplish our goal, especially when we’re looking at our youth and creating paths for them,” she said. “We can’t give up on them. You can’t quit.”

Farr frequently uses the word “path” when talking about her nonprofit work and her own journey. That her career has led her to Pathways LA — established in 1978 and now serving 4,000 children annually — seems fortuitous.

For Farr, the Pathways post is a perfect fit, a position her education and previous work prepped her for.

Born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, Farr grew up in a small, close-knit and predominantly African-American community.

“I came from humble means, but we always had everything we needed,” she said. “We supported each other because we had all our basic needs met, and everyone was healthy and happy. But it’s not until you leave your own community that you get an awareness of the world at large.”

Farr moved with her family to the San Francisco Bay Area when she was in high school. The experience of being able to board a BART train and see different communities was eye-opening. She began to observe the effects of systemic issues, particularly the ways in which factors such as the lack of education, feelings of hopelessness and mass incarceration affect young people.

The experience inspired her to study child development.

The Diaz-Rocha family, clients of Pathways LA. (Courtesy of Pathways LA)

“Caring for children and making sure they have everything they need to have a head start to education has always been a passion for me,” said Farr, a mother of two children, ages 13 and 6. “I believe education and healthy attachment with adults is very important in a child’s life and a child’s development. Those are determining factors that can break intergenerational poverty.”

Farr previously worked at Rosemary Children’s Services, a nonprofit that supports children who have suffered abuse, neglect and abandonment. She was also executive director of the YWCA of Pasadena-Foothill Valley and executive director of El Centro de Amistad, a nonprofit that provides mental health services to California families.

After earning a master’s in business administration, Farr felt her passion for working on behalf of children and her skills as an administrator could be put to good use with an organization that shared her mission and values. Pathways LA checked the boxes.

Founded as the Children, Youth and Family Services Agency, it was one of the first nonprofits to receive public funding in support of children with disabilities and special needs. Through partnerships with municipal agencies, Pathways LA helps families obtain affordable child care and promote school readiness for children from disadvantaged communities. The agency has a $32 million annual operating budget.

Farr was recruited through an executive search. She began her tenure at Pathways LA at the end of the 2020-2021 fiscal year, just as Gov. Gavin Newsom was in the final stages of planning the state budget. Farr had the added challenge of being the person selected to replace Jessie Salazar, who had been with the agency for 27 years.

“A lot of people had worked with our previous director before, and we needed someone who could come in and handle the situation with grace and also strategically move the agency forward,” said Pathways LA board president Jenn Hsu. “Tamika is a lovely person with good energy. She has really come in and been able to take charge.”

“What I love about Pathways’ mission,” Farr said, “is that we are engaged with families and engaged with children early on, allowing families the dignity to go out and earn and provide for their children or to further their education. It’s also putting children in environments where they can grow and blossom and be prepared for school readiness.”

She references data that shows children who are raised in a healthy environment have a greater chance of growing up to attend college and earn higher wages.

“We have looked at the homeless population in Los Angeles and how it’s growing beyond what Measure H [passed in 2017 to put money toward homelessness and other social services] dollars are prepared to support. From my perspective, L.A. County has not proposed a solution. Building housing for residents who don’t have housing is reactionary. That’s not getting to the root of the issue. I know our mission does get to the root of reducing homelessness and embracing success in school.

“I know the work we’re doing has a long-term impact that will affect L.A. County as a whole.”

Like all nonprofits, Pathways LA — and its leadership — face challenges, particularly as the nation emerges from the pandemic. Pathways LA advocates to increase the reimbursement rate for child-care providers, which, for many years, was stuck at the 2016 level.

“Many of our providers are women of color, and they have an enormous responsibility to provide care for children and create an environment where they can grow socially, emotionally and academically,” Farr said. “Ideally, we would be at the 2020-2021 reimbursement mark, but for so long, it had been at the 2016 rate.

“We’re up to the 2018 standard, which is where my glass half-full perspective comes in,” she said. “We’re making progress.”

Edited by Judith Isacoff and Fern Siegel



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Wall Of Remembrance At Korean War Veterans Memorial To Be Unveiled In 2022

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Wall Of Remembrance At Korean War Veterans Memorial To Be Unveiled In 2022

By Virginia Van Zandt

A 94-year-old veteran who is represented among the 19 sculptures of soldiers at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., lives just an hour’s drive from his stainless steel effigy.

Ret. Col. Bill Weber, whose face is depicted on statue number 16 at the memorial, lives with his wife on a farm in Maryland. Weber also served as a paratrooper in World War II. He was deployed to Korea in August 1950.

During the Third Battle of Wonju in February 1951, Weber was struck by a grenade and a mortar blast, causing him to lose his right arm and leg. After a period of hospitalization, Weber was retained for active duty, becoming one of the first disabled soldiers on active duty since the Civil War. He retired in 1980, after 38 years of military service.

Weber, who sits on the advisory board of the memorial, is one of hundreds of veterans who have pushed for expansion of the memorial and further national recognition of the war’s impact.

Despite its realistic depictions of veterans in murals and sculptures, the Korean War Veterans Memorial is often overlooked compared to its neighbors. The Vietnam War and World War II memorials, within a mile radius, each see a higher yearly number of visitors than the triangular tribute to Korea’s veterans.

The Korean War has been referred to as the “Forgotten War” since 1951, years before the conflict ended. While entire chapters in American history textbooks are devoted to World War II and the Vietnam War, the Korean War, the first major proxy war of the Cold War era, often is summarized in a paragraph.

Tourists pass by snow covered statues at the Korean War Veterans Memorial at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The Korean War has been referred to as the “Forgotten War” since 1951. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Just a few years after the end of World War II, war-weary Americans preferred to turn their attention elsewhere. World War II veterans had just survived the deadliest war in human history and were focused on rebuilding their lives at home.

“America still was tired of war from World War II from sacrificing with Victory Gardens and rationing and so forth. It didn’t probably sit well, they were going into another major conflict in Korea, which a lot of people didn’t know anything about,” said James Fischer, executive director of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation.

“They never got properly thanked and honored … they’re forgotten. So we try with our foundation to thank and honor and keep the legacy alive of the Korean War veterans and their service and sacrifice.”

The memorial, which took longer to build than the three-year war, features multiple sections by different artists. Designed by Louis Nelson of New York and unveiled in 1995, a granite mural depicts more than 2,400 archived images of men and women who aided combat troops, including nurses, priests, supply men, logistics officers, and one soldier’s German Shepherd. The images were digitally altered so that the shadows of faces were on the right, and then sandblasted. The wavy pattern of the etchings bear a resemblance to the mountainous Korean terrain from afar.

A girl looks at images of soldiers etched on the wall at the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

“The first time I see my memorial, my wall, as partly finished, I had tears in my eyes,” said Nelson. “The other thing, I realized, I said, ‘This isn’t mine anymore. It belongs to them. Belongs to the veterans.

“Another veteran ran up to me and just thanked me. Because of the memorial, he was able to now talk about his service when he was in Korea. He had just blocked it all off. But now because of the mural, it gave him the freedom to be able to see himself again. That’s very touching,” said Nelson.

The wall is opposite a mass sculpture of 19 individual soldiers called the “Field of Service,” including at least one in each of the U.S. military’s four branches. Designed by the late Frank Gaylord, the sculptures appear as 38 when reflected in the mural, representing the 38th parallel (the line dividing North and South Korea) and the 38 months of combat.

Juniper bushes line the ground underneath the soldiers’ feet to represent Korea’s rice paddies. The stainless-steel soldiers, each 7 feet tall and weighing 800 pounds, appear ready for action, observing their surroundings as they emerge from the woods.

Tourists walk past the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C. The 19 stainless-steel soldiers, each 7 feet tall and weighing 800 pounds, appear ready for action, observing their surroundings as they emerge from the woods. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Congress enacted the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance Act in 2016 authorizing the memorial and to “include a list of names of members of the Armed Forces … who died in the Korean War, as determined by the Secretary of Defense.”

“We were elated,” said Ret. Col. Richard Dean II, vice chairman of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation. “It was hard to believe that six years of hard work came about. And then we realized that we got to start raising money and went on to the next step of fundraising,”

The project raised $22 million from American veteran organizations and the South Korean government.

The Wall of Remembrance, still under construction, is set to be unveiled in a ceremony on June 27, 2022. It will feature the names of 36,574 American soldiers who lost their lives, as well as the 7,200 soldiers in the Korean Augmentation to the U. S. Army. President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and the next elected president of South Korea are scheduled to attend.

The Pool of Remembrance, a reflection area surrounded by linden trees, will be closed during construction, but the “Field of Service” and mural remain open to the public.

“Freedom is not free” is engraved on the mural, reminding visitors of the sacrifices made in all wars.

The average age of fallen soldiers in Korea was 19.

Edited by Judith Isacoff and Kristen Butler



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6-Year-Old ‘Champion’ Wants His Clothing Line To Help People ‘Feel Better About Themselves’

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6-Year-Old ‘Champion’ Wants His Clothing Line To Help People ‘Feel Better About Themselves’

By Lem Satterfield

For young entrepreneur Champion-Ikaika Nettey, some days are busier than others.

“On my days off, I like to play soccer or go running, or I might go on my scooter and stuff,” said “Champ,” who also makes time for his “older by a couple of days girlfriend.”

“On another day, I might also take a nap, just in case I’m tired. Or I might have my downtime — my TV time. Today I’m going to go to the pool and swim.”

Champ might be all business on other days, selling T-shirts from his Aloha King Champ clothing line for “$25 a pop” in sizes for kids on Alohakingchamp.etsy.com.

“Aloha means, ‘Hi,’ in Hawaiian. I’m Hawaiian and of African descent,” said Champ, an Olney, Maryland, resident who primarily operates out of his mother Neki’s, KaribFit dance studio in downtown Silver Spring.  “We’re still working on developing jumpers, hats, jeans, maybe some kids shoes or something. You can buy them by checking out my website or getting the address to the studio.”

Not bad for a home-schooled 6-year-old.

“My shirts are affirmations. Like, ‘You’re excellent,’ and, ‘You’re a rock star.’ I remind children to know how great they are,” said Champ, whose business began when he was 5. “I design my own shirts. People tell me they’re awesome and cool. When people wear my clothing, I want them to be happy, excited and generally to feel better about themselves.” (Using Champ’s designs, the apparel is produced by a shop whose name Champ’s mom declines to disclose.)

Ask Champion-Ikaika about his own name, and he not only knows what it means, but why he’s named the way he is.

“It means that I’m powerful and that I’m a survivor, because when I was a baby, I couldn’t breathe or anything,” he said. “They [doctors] had to put this little mask thing on my mouth and my nose, so I could get some oxygen. It was a little scary.”

Champ’s two elder siblings are loving role models.

Rei Nettey, 14, is a distance runner who is a nationally ranked, 11-time All-American who competes while barefoot. Rei is learning to support himself, making “extra cash” cleaning the properties owned by his uncle, Tetteh, a physical therapist.

Armon, 19, is a former high school wrestler who placed third in each of the Montgomery County and Maryland public school’s state tournaments with a regional championship earned between the two. Armon is now a college sophomore wrestling at Alderson Broaddus University in Philippi, West Virginia.

From left, Rei, Armon, Neki, and Champion Nettey.  (Courtesy of Neki Nettey)

Beyond his T-shirts, Champ has other responsibilities at the KaribFit studio. He plays drums on Mondays and Tuesdays during esteem-building-themed children’s classes for all ages.

“KaribFit empowers, encourages and enlightens through fitness and dance. Champ does some African drumming alongside the adults that are drumming for the kids and the adults’ classes. We use movement to connect our people and to connect the community to the cultures of Africa and the Caribbean, primarily,” said his mother.

“All of our classes start with affirmations of gratitude for what our bodies can do and gratitude for what they allowed us to do that day. We have yoga classes that focus on healing, mentally and physically. It’s a means of helping people to feel grounded, energized and to relieve stress.”

Champ spent a recent Tuesday studying Hawaiian and Yoruba, a Nigerian language spoken in West Africa. The length of time he spends on his schooling depends on his interests and the unit of study, according to his home-schooling mother.

“Today, we were working on phonics … . We also worked on different things to incorporate science, math and things like that,” said Neki Nettey.

“We don’t go on time, it’s more about what he’s interested in and what he wants to work on for that day. For example, today, we were supposed to stop after doing a few things, but he wanted to keep going, so we wound up spending an extra 45 minutes on assignments for the day.”

As a 7-year-old, Champ’s brother, Armon, began an annual Christmas-time gift-giving tradition to the homeless.

Watching hisbrother, Armon, 19, give food to those experiencing homelessness “makes me want to do more good things for people,” said 6-year-old Champion-Ikaika Nettey. (Courtesy of Neki Nettey)

“Armon has many times visited Washington, D.C., whether it was the museums or my mom or the different festivals and things. But with all of those big things going on around him, Armon’s focus was on those who were in need. He always sees and always has been someone who roots for the little guy. So he wanted to do something to give at Christmastime when everyone else was getting,” Neki Nettey said.

Armon, Rei and Champ do the gift-giving every year, with last Christmas the most successful, despite the pandemic.

“Last year, we had so much given to us before Christmas that we needed two days, so it was on Christmas and the day after Christmas,” Neki Nettey said. “There were sandwiches, there were chips, there were treats, water and also some masks and sanitizer and things like that. There was a lot of stuff.”

Champ enjoys helping Armon.

“Giving food to people helps them to survive more,” Champ said. “That makes me want to do more good things for people.”

But for Champ, the real motivation is something else.

“I make a lot of money,” he said. “That’s why I’m selling shirts right now. I’m a piggy bank pioneer.”

Edited by Judith Isacoff and Matthew B. Hall



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