Welcome to the Lt. Daniel P. Riordan Memorial Website!
These pages are dedicated to the memory of our Hero, "Lt. Dan." Tragically,
Dan was killed in action while courageously serving our country in Operation
Iraqi Freedom - but his spirit and legacy is very much alive. Throughout
this website you can find information about the scholarship established in
Dan's name, various charitable organizations, Dan's military unit, upcoming
fundraising events, and general information about Dan's life.
|All rights reserved 2017 ©


The First 40 Years
Today, Five Towns College has nearly 30 undergraduate and graduate programs of study, an enrollment of approximately 1,000 students. It is difficult to imagine the humble beginnings of this institution and the success of our graduates.
The vision for Five Towns College began in 1969, when the baby boom generation was flooding New York area colleges and universities. At that time the community college movement was in its infancy, the State University of New York was filled to capacity, and the baby boom generation was exploding. Seats in existing colleges and universities were almost impossible to find, as draft- age men sought deferments from the Vietnam War by enrolling in college.
At that time, a group of community leaders, led by the Five Towns College founders, Dr. Stanley G. Cohen and Mrs. Lorraine Kleinman Cohen, understood the great need for higher education services, particularly in the southwestern corner of Nassau County, NY – a geographic region commonly known as “The Five Towns.” Under their leadership, the group petitioned the New York State Board of Regents for a Charter to establish Five Towns College.
The original site for the College was to be in Lawrence, NY – one of the Five Towns. However, the Board of Regents did not issue a Charter for the College until February 24, 1972. By that time the original campus site in Lawrence was no longer available. A series of delays in those days had the College tentatively located in Lynbrook and then Baldwin. When the grand opening finally came to pass in 1974, the College had leased a school building in Merrick, NY. The opening in 1974 corresponded with the end of the Vietnam War and the end of the college draft deferment.
Five Towns College occupied the Merrick campus for nearly ten (10) years until 1982. During those formative years, several innovative programs were launched. The College was the first in New York State to establish a program in jazz/commercial music, and it was the first to establish a program in music business. Although the College was originally conceived as a “business” college, music quickly became its forte.
The Merrick years are considered by some to have been a “golden age.” The campus was smaller and simpler, but the students it attracted came in part because of its eclectic and creative atmosphere. Original faculty members included music legends such as vibraphonist Ray Alexander, pianist Lee Evans, guitarist Ray Gogarty, electronic music pioneer Don Muro, and percussionist Mickey Sheen. Original faculty members include guitarist Peter Rogine who is still an active faculty member.
In response to growing enrollments and the need for more space, in 1982 the College pulled up stakes and moved to just a few miles east to Seaford, NY. Even in those years, people who were unfamiliar with the history of the College would wonder why Five Towns College was located in Seaford.
The Seaford years were a wonderful time of growth and maturity. The College achieved regional accreditation in 1988, was elevated to baccalaureate status in 1990 and then to graduate status in 1991 when it was authorized to confer the Master of Music (M.M.) degree. It was in Seaford that the College constructed its first 24- track recording studio, experimented with closed-circuit radio broadcasting, and vastly expanded student courses and services. By 1990, however, it was clear that the College was outgrowing the Seaford campus, and once again a move would be required.
A committee was formed to study the long-range campus needs of the College. Recommendations were made for the College to relocate or purchase the Seaford campus and build additions. The Board of Trustees favored the former approach.
Between 1990 and 1992 the College identified no less than 18 potential campus locations, including sites in Elmont, Bellmore, and Kings Park, Long Island. However, it was the Dix Hills campus which was ultimately selected with the encouragement of Suffolk County officials. After the class of 1992 graduated, the College was literally packed up in a fleet of tractor-trailers and moved to Dix Hills, NY, where its permanent home has been located ever since.
The Dix Hills campus was the site of the original Half Hollow Hills High School, when that school district centralized in the 1950s. After Half Hollow Hills High School East was built on nearby Vanderbilt Parkway, the site became the Burr’s Lane Junior High School. Burr’s Lane was open until 1990, when it was closed due to declining enrollment.
Since 1992 the College has made major strides. The physical plant has been completely updated with state-of-the-art technology and learning environments. Four modern residence halls, known as "Living/Learning Centers," with state-of-the-art technology were built on the campus. The College expanded its state-of-the-art audio recording studios, film and television sound stages, and has made innumerable other improvements.
Academically, the College has added graduate programs, and today is only the 34th institution of higher education in the State of New York with the authority to confer degrees at the doctoral level, and only the 8th institution with the authority to confer the Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) degree. The College has established a national reputation for programs in music, media, and the performing arts, and attracts students from across New York State, the nation, and several foreign countries. In addition to being accredited by the Middle States Association Commission on Higher Education, the College’s Education Division, which offers programs in Childhood Education (grades 1 – 6) and Music Education (grades K – 12) at both the undergraduate and graduate level, is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
Today, more than ever before, Five Towns College is a community of scholars, which focuses upon music, media, business, education and the performing arts. This unique college is defined by the talented men and women who form its constituency: students, faculty and staff alike.
We hope this journey through time will help you to better appreciate the educational foundations upon which Five Towns College was built, and will continue to grow throughout the years.


Histories and Legends are been made by wars and love stories between kings and queens, the treaties signed by numerous countries and also on some of the popular personalities who have achieved some extra-ordinary things. But, we can see that out our history books never preach us with something unusual which some of them must have followed or some of the powerful people on the earth had done. So, we will know some
- The Father of Microbiology
Did you know he was the first person to keep semen under a microscope?
But the more interesting part is here- in those days masturbating was meant to be a sin and people strictly condemned of doing so, but then what did Leeuwenhoek do to get a sample?
He had sex with his wife to get this sample and then after sex – he would collect the semen from different parts of his wife’s body and that was just t test the semen and put it in a microscope!
- Legend of Cleopatra
It’s not just from recent days that the sex toys have grew to be popular but its since from 32,000 years that these are famous but then it was just that Cleopatra used papyrus box with full of live bees in the box as a vibrator. This is the first vibrator which was been introduced and almost a thousand years ago. Then later in 1860’s there came a vibrator which operated on steam engine and it wasn’t too far when they introduced a vibrator which worked on the battery.
- The king of Patiala- Maharaja Bhupinder Singh
You must haven’t read about this person in your history books because he hasn’t done much great things during his reign but we do know me when we try looking apart from history books that he used to appear naked in front of his subjects at least once a year and would show his part for which the subjects would applaud and cheer acknowledging the dimension of the organ!
He was well known for his mistresses, wives and a lot more concubines and also a womanizer, philanderer and moreover known as headstrong.
- President Clover Cleyland- Raped a store clerk and had a bastard son
President Clover who’s known for his dignity, the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms in office and also for his courage and an honest statesman. He had such a positive and bright side as a President but then he too had a dark side which maybe nobody never knew it.
It was on 15 December 1873, that he raped Maria Halpin, a store clerk at a department store and then after 6 weeks she realized that she was pregnant and that was on 14 September 1874- that she gave birth to a baby boy. President Clover took the child away from Maria and sent her to asylum. As he and his aides were feared of the truth bursting out they lied but when he won the Democratic nomination for president in 1884, the media leaked out this data in public and due to which his aides lied saying- Maria Halpin was a sexual plaything. Later, Cleveland took the responsibility of the boy as it’s said him to be the only bachelor among numerous halpin’s men!
- Ancient Greece
Pederasty was considered to be an ideal form of relationship by the people of ancient Greece and due to which an erotic form of relationship between an older man and a younger man was accepted and considered.
But this doesn’t mean that the young man can’t marry- when the relationship gets over, he can marry but also can keep a relationship with the older man.


Mikkel Mønsted og Roland Warzecha på Moesgaard Vikingetræf 2017
Bliv klogere på brugen af vikingetidens våben og skjolde
Fredag d. 26. juli har Moesgaard Vikingetræf som en del af jubilæumsprogrammet inviteret HEMA mestrene Mikkel Mønsted og Roland Warzecha til at lave en demonstration af våben- og skjoldbrug.
Om demonstrationen skriver Roland Warzecha:
And before all things and matters / you shall note and know / that there is only one art of the sword /and it may have been found and invented many centuries ago / and it is the foundation and the core of all fighting arts / (Cod. ms. 3227a, folio 13v, Germany, c.1400)
Martial arts concepts are universal, regardless of period and region. Yet, due to cultural implications there is no universal martial art. Accordingly, weapon design differed even in the Viking Age. Why did early medieval Scandinavian warriors hold on to traditional flat round shields and spatha type swords when most of their European neighbours had adopted domed shields and cruciform swords? How do martial arts concept apply to Viking weapons?
Roland Warzecha and Mikkel Pauli Mønsted, seasoned practioners/researchers of historical swordsmanship, will try to provide answers in a practical lecture and a hands-on demonstration of reconstructed combat with Viking sword & shield at Moesgaard Viking Moot, Friday July 28, 18.00.


Order our publications (See PDF below):
Racism In Indian Country
By Dr. Dean Chavers
Dr. Dean Chavers is Director of Catching the Dream, formerly known as Native American Scholarship Fund. He holds a doctorate and two Master’s degrees from Stanford University. He is a former college professor and college president and the leader of the Exemplary Programs in Indian Education (EPIE) movement.
In the face of huge challenges, despite crushing social conditions, Indian people have survived. Racism in Indian Country exposes, for the first time, the degrading and inhuman treatment Indian people have had – and continue – to endure. This book provides numerous examples including the sterilization of thousands of Indian women without their consent, and the poor treatment Indians receive in our schools, resulting in the worst academic records – and the highest dropout rate, 50 percent – of any ethnic group. Subjected to constant harassment by anti-Indian groups, and banks and other lending institutions that either raise interest rates on loans to Indians or redline their reservations, Indians receive some of the most racist treatment in the United States. This book’s thorough documentation and explication of the challenges faced by Indians historically and today will be useful in courses in modern history, ethnic studies, sociology, and anthropology.
|“Racism in Indian Country”is long overdue. Dean Chavers presents a picture of racism, exposing the heart of Indian Country. Native Americans do not have constitutional protections to this day. This is a necessary history for the healing and recovery of Indian people. We need to break the cycle of slow death and start living again.
Dr. LaNada Boyer Warjack,
Fort Hall, Idaho
|This book is a must read for those who have an interest in American Indian people and the trials and tribulations they have encountered during the past 400 years.
Dr. Ben Chavis,
American Indian Public Charter School


Besakih Temple is one of Bali's tourist destinations which has its own uniqueness. It became famous because of the complex of temples established here and is also known as the Mother Temple in Bali. Besakih, which has a very calm and religious atmosphere, was built based on the four directions of the
The Besakih Temple or Pura Agung Besakih is located at Besakih village, Rendang district, on the south-western side of Mount Agung. It is about 44klms from Amlapura and 62klms from Denpasar.
Some facilities are available in the area of Besakih to support the growing tourism, like food and drink stalls, fruit stalls and art and crafts shops. There is also quite a large parking area and local guides who are always available to enhance your tour of Pura
The temple was built in a holy village named Hulundang Basukih, which is known today as Besakih village. The name of Besakih was derived from the word "Basuki" or in some old manuscripts written as Basukir or Basukih. The word Basuki itself was taken from the word "Wasuki" on the Sunskrit,
which means "salvation".
In the mythology of Samudramanthana it is mentioned that Basuki was the name of a dragon that coiled around the Mandara Mountain.
The traditional stories say that the Besakih Temple was built by Rsi Markandya and his followers in the 11th century. At that time, Rsi Markandya went to Mount Agung to build a residence. However, the construction was troubled by the spread of disease which caused the death of his followers. For the
safety of his followers, he then constructed a temple to pray to God for salvation. The temple was called "Sanggar Basuki".


When people think of the Nazis and football, most would think of Escape to Victory, the film in which Bobby Moore, Michael Caine and Pele, Prisoners of War, play for the pride of the allies and draw, carried out of the stadium on the shoulders of the oppressed French citizens to a jingoistic, triumphant soundtrack. Fewer people know that it was inspired by a match in the Ukraine between the occupied and the occupiers. What Escape does not show is half the team being executed for defying their conquerors. That is the dark secret of the Death Match. At least, that’s what we’ve all been told.
When it comes to the Death Match, facts are hard to come by, myths are prevalent, and history is murky. For the Nazis, murdering football players for winning a match they were supposed to lose seems plausibly evil. For the Soviet Union, who reconquered the country and imposed strict media laws, the Death Match was used as propaganda for the spirit of Communism. The survivors and witnesses, fearful of both sides, were not forthcoming with their testimonies for many years. Neither regime kept good records of their doctoring of history, that would defeat the point of the exercise. So we have to put together the snippets of truth we can find and build up the story. The Death Match happened, but just how deadly it was is up for debate.
First, a little background. As the Ukraine was invaded, sports associations were disbanded and the traditional football clubs were outlawed. Players instead took up jobs under the German occupiers. Nikolai Trusevich, the legendary Dynamo Kiev goalkeeper, was offered a job at the city’s Bread Factory No. 1, and over time was joined by a number of other former players – producing food for the Reich was one way to ensure you received enough of it. Three former Dynamo players ended up at the factory, along with six others from clubs across the city. All that talent in one place, eventually the Nazi occupiers relented and allowed football to be played once more, albeit in new teams. FC Start was born in the bread factory, and would prove to be something of a force in the game.
At the same time, clubs were popping up across the city. FC Ruch founder Georgi Shvetsov attempted to attract the former Dynamo players to his team, his factory, but as a collaborator found short shrift from the Start players. They were subsequently humiliated 7-2 when they met the boys from the bread factory.
It wasn’t just Ruch that were put to the sword, however. The team from the Hungarian garrison were beaten 6-2, and they racked up a 7-1 scoreline against a German artillery side. The Nazis sent their most formidable side, Flakelf, to put the Ukrainians in their place. Flakelf were the Luftwaffe side, personally overseen by Hermann Goering who excused the players from more arduous military duty to maintain their invincibility. They were a propaganda dream for the superiority of the Aryan race, and they were sent to put Start back in their place.
The match took place on 6th August 1942, and Start continued their dominance beating the Germans 5-1 and ending the myth of Flakelf’s invincibility. Unwilling to accept defeat to inferior opposition, they arranged a rematch for three days later. It is at half-time in that second match that the facts dry up and the myths take their place.
3-1 up at half time, it was rumoured for decades that the German SS had stormed into the Start dressing room and pressurised the Ukrainians to throw the game. Much like the match in Escape to Victory, there is a common understanding of a subdued, frightened crowd, and a pitch surrounded by jackbooted thugs with guard dogs. This may not have been the case. Flakelf came strongly into the second half, finding an equaliser, before a late show from Start saw the Ukrainians defy their orders to win 5-3.
Some accounts say that the crowd stormed the pitch to celebrate with their players, who were seen to represent Communism against the Fascist invaders. This seems unlikely, given the security in place, even if it was not the whole army ready to react. Another account has suggested that a few of the players were summarily executed for disobeying orders – what documentary evidence there is tells us that isn’t true either. The Start players definitely survived the night. They even had a picture taken with the Flakelf side on the pitch after the game.
What we do know is that seven days after that rematch Start beat Ruch 8-0, and on August 18th, the Start players were arrested by the Gestapo and imprisoned. Former Lokomotiv Kiev players were released, but others were kept in on suspicion of working for the Soviet secret police, the NKVD. When the Nazis discovered that one of the players, Mikola Korotkykh was indeed a Soviet spy, he was tortured to death. Olexander Tkachenko was shot supposedly trying to escape. Start players suggested they had been set up by Georgi Shvetsov, in retaliation for repeatedly defeating his side.
The rest of the players were eventually sent to a concentration camp outside Kiev, where three more would be murdered, alongside a number of non-footballers. Reasons given for their execution vary, but in the end, in the concentration camp, there didn’t need to be a major infraction to be killed. The most logical explanation, given the mass execution, is that it was to set an example to the other prisoners, either as reprisal for an escape attempt or some sabotage. The survivor’s stories were not told for decades as the Soviet Union tried to turn the players into heroes of resistance. All players were awarded medals at the end of the war.
When the surviving players were eventually heard, their explanations never blame football for the deaths of their friends. It is true that following Flakelf’s defeat, matches between Germans and occupied teams were forbidden to avoid embarrassment, but German sides had lost many matches throughout the war. German defeats were reported in German newspapers. It is more likely that the Nazis became aware of Korotkykh’s ties to the NKVD, and his friends were rounded up as a consequence. That the mass execution occurred around the same time as the Nazis surrendered in Stalingrad, their first military defeat in the east, is noteworthy, but no real connection between the two has been proven.
The Death Match, and its surrounding events, provides us with many questions, and few answers. It is highly probably that we will never know why the players of FC Start were arrested and executed, save for the fact that they were caught in the middle of the world’s deadliest conflict. One thing we can be fairly certain of, however, is that the Death Match did not earn its name, tragic as the events around it were.


News Archives | Strange Ideas
2/11/2006 Archaeology. Intact tomb found in Egypt's Valley of the KingsZahi Hawass came to Sacramento after the largest mummy find ever. At that time I spoke briefly to him and to the group assembled about some of my own research. Pretty fun.
"An American team has found what appears to be an intact tomb in the Valley of the Kings, the first found in the valley since that of Tutankhamun in 1922, one of the archaeologists said on Thursday. The tomb contains five or six mummies in intact sarcophagi from the late 18th dynasty, about the same period as Tutankhamun. Egyptian Chief of Antiquities Zahi Hawass (R) and Otto Schaden of the U.S., head of the University of Memphis mission, stand in front of a hole that opens into a newly discovered tomb at the valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt, February 10, 2006. (Aladin Abdel Naby/Reuters)"
12/31/2005 Archaeology. "Hobbit" skull found.
"One tiny specimen, an adult female measuring about 3 feet tall, is described as "the most extreme" figure to be included in the extended human family. Certainly, she is the shortest.
In another story, ancient egyptians held dwarfs in high esteem.
12/5/2005 Archaeology / Evolution / Biology. 10th and best preserved Archaeopteryx fossil found.
Oh no! More evidence of evolution! I think I'll write a story about a band of nutty Fundies (Fundamentalists) who go on a quest to destroy all Archaeopteryx fossils. "Creatures must not embarrass God by their existence"
" The new example lived about 150 million years ago in what is now Bavaria. ... Archaeopteryx was originally identified as the earliest fossil bird because of its feathers, Carrano said. Since then other dinosaurs with feathers have been found; if Archaeopteryx were discovered today it probably would be considered more dinosaur than bird, he said. But while the new discovery shows that Archaeopteryx was less birdlike than had been thought, he added, there were a lot of intermediate steps between dinosaurs and birds and this was one of them. " - dailytimes
A perfectly preserved fossil of a feathered creature that lived 150 million years ago has provided further evidence to show that modern birds originate from dinosaurs. ... Scientists said the feet of the fossilised Archaeopteryx were anatomically almost identical to those of theropod dinosaurs, which pointed to a common ancestry for both groups. Archaeopteryx had many bird-like features, such as feathered wings and a wishbone, but it also had distinctly reptilian traits, including jaws with teeth, a bony tail and claws on its fingers." - more
11/21/2005 Archaeology. New species: Ancient giant camels in central Syria
" The scientists unearthed more than 20 bone fragments from different layers of rock, leading them to believe that the animals had lived over a period of thousands, or even tens of thousands of years. The bone fragments – from the foot, shoulder and jaw - have been dated back to 100,000 years ago. All are around twice the normal size for a camel. ... The discovery was made near the village of El Kown in central Syria, close to the site of one of the oldest human settlements ever excavated." - swissinfo
10/28/2005 Archaeology. Huge Ancient Step Pyramid Found in Bosnia...
" Apart from the “pyramid of the Sun”, Osmanagic claims that to smaller pyramid, which he calls “pyramid of the Moon” is located in the opposite area to Visocica, which again confirms that pyramids to were always built in pairs. “We have already dug out one stair of the pyramid and we will continuous working on the second stair”, says Osmanagic." - translation ... A google search identified the discover as Semir Osmanagic, an amatuer archeologist.
10/14/2005 Archaeology / Out of Place Artifacts. Figurines show ancient civilization's knowledge of dinosaurs and more.
There is a collection of 20,000 clay pieces found in Acambaro, Mexico. Each is unique. They are attributed to the Chupicauro ( also spelled Chupicuaro) civilization (discovered in 1923) which flourished from about 500 BC to 500 AD. The clay figures were discovered in July, 1944, reports omniology.
"Each of the clay pieces had been individually made, without molds, skillfully sculptured, and carefully decorated. In its collection of unequaled size, dinosaur figures numbering several hundred were scientifically identified as representing many species of dinosaurs. "
"Sculpted in various colors of clay were figurines of dinosaurs, various races of people Eskimos, Asians, Africans, bearded Caucasians, Mongols, Polynesians, and objects that had cultural connections with the Egyptians, Sumerians as well as others."
Many believe that our record of human history is quite lacking. We think of past civilizations as less advanced and less intelligent because they didn't have cars, microwave ovens, etc. I'd bet, however, that there has always been great human intelligence, curiosity and the desire to leave records what was known. For more, see our (rather old) article on the Ica Stones.
9/26/2005 Earth / Climate Global Warming Helps Archaeology
"A medieval bridge has emerged from the depths of the San Juan reservoir in San Martin de Valdeiglesias, 70 kilometres (43 miles) outside Madrid, as a result of dramatically low water levels, September 21, 2005. " - yahoo
8/26/2005 Out of Place Artifacts / Aliens / UFOs / Archaeology. Lolladoff Plate
"12,000 year old stone dish found in Nepal clearly shows a disk shaped UFO and a figure resembling a Grey alien."
7/25/2005 Archaeology. (bbc) Ancient Human Sexuality: 28,000 Year Old Phallus Unearthed in Cave.
Female forms, such as the 30,000-year-old Venus of Willendorf (right and below) are more common."
This Venus makes one wonder if there was obesity in the Paleolithic period?
Another question: I actually know people who believe the earth is only 6,000 years old because it says so, they say, in the bible. How was the age of this art determined? Still researching that.
"More than 150 gigantic monuments have been located beneath the fields and cities of modern-day Germany, Austria and Slovakia. They were built 7,000 years ago, between 4800BC and 4600BC. Their discovery, revealed today by The Independent, will revolutionise the study of prehistoric Europe, where an appetite for monumental architecture was thought to have developed later than in Mesopotamia and Egypt.
In all, more than 150 temples have been identified. Constructed of earth and wood, they had ramparts and palisades that stretched for up to half a mile. They were built by a religious people who lived in communal longhouses up to 50 metres long, grouped around substantial villages. Evidence suggests their economy was based on cattle, sheep, goat and pig farming."
.... Archaeologists are now beginning to suspect that hundreds of these very early monumental religious centres, each up to 150 metres across, were constructed across a 400-mile swath of land in what is now Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and eastern Germany.
Harald Staeuble, (is) the person directing the archaeological investigations "
I hope they find writings in these 7,000-year-old temples of Nickern which supposedly pre-date the great pyramids of Egypt by 2000 years. One of the first known complete stories is the Epic of Gilgamesh. (Which flood story was first? Read this for some fair thoughts.) The original comes from Ancient Sumeria. Sumer was in southern Mesopotamia the geographical area that is today called Iraq. The 12 clay tablets in cuneiform script describe the adventures of the historical King of Uruk who lived around 2750 and 2500 BCE. So much has been lost or destroyed.
"The Dresden Codex, one of the few Mayan hieroglyphic manuscripts that survived the book-burnings by Spanish invaders, documents astronomical calculations of the planed Venus. Large numbers of codices were compiled by the Mayan priests to record religious rites and astronomical facts. (Sachsische Landesbibliothek, Dresden, East Germany.)" aolThe Dresden Codex "totals 74 pages in length, (and is) painted with extraordinary care and clarity using a very fine brush. The artist used both sides of all but four of the pages of the codices." It "contains (among other things) astronomical calculations of exceptional accuracy" and is the basis for the Mayan calendar which starts on August 13th, 3114 B.C and which says the end of the present world will be December 21st, 2012 A.C . This find of Europe's oldest temples seems to predate the start of the Mayan Calendar by 1600 years. This may be a sign that life on Earth will continue after 12/21/2012.
5/25/2005 Archaeology (abc). Sea Monsters Found in Australian Desert
" Australia is emerging as a missing link in the evolution of giant prehistoric marine reptiles, says a scientist who has discovered what may be a new species of plesiosaur. ... Australia's ancient marine reptiles provide a missing link in the fossil record. ... finds date back to the early Cretaceous period about 110 million years ago when the world's sea levels were at their highest and the Eromanga Sea covered much of central Australia. ... As continental masses began to break up during the Jurassic period of 200 million to 140 million years ago, plesiosaurs spread across the world via shallow coastal seas. ... The jaw has a mouthful of "very large fangs" bunched together at the front and "no other plesiosaur ever discovered has teeth like that" ..."
This nose once belonged to an ichthyosaur, which looked like a dolphin
2/28/2005 Archaeology (bbc) Indian divers have found more evidence of an ancient port city, apparently revealed by December's tsunami. "They could be part of the mythical city of Mahabalipuram, which legend says was so beautiful that the gods sent a flood that engulfed six of its seven temples."
Could this flooded ancient city be connected in some way with the myth of Atlantis? (See our article)
2/20/2005 Archaeology (guardian) History of modern man unravels as German scholar is exposed as fraud
"Anthropology is going to have to completely revise its picture of modern man between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago," said Thomas Terberger, the archaeologist who discovered the hoax. "Prof Protsch's work appeared to prove that anatomically modern humans and Neanderthals had co-existed, and perhaps even had children together. This now appears to be rubbish." ... in earlier remarks to Der Spiegel ( Professor Reiner Protsch von Zieten ) insisted that he was the victim of an "intrigue".
2/18/2005 Archaeology (yahoo) Tsunami Uncovers Ancient City in India
"Officials from the Archeological Survey of India investigate an ancient artifact which was uncovered by the Dec. 26 tsunami near the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram, 45 miles south of Madras, India, Thursday Feb. 17, 2005. Archaeologists began shoreline and underwater excavations of an ancient port city and parts of a temple which was uncovered by the receding waters of the recent tsunami that struck south Asia on Dec. 26. (AP Photo M. Lakshman)"
6/9/04 Archaeology There is some evidence that an extinct human species, Homo erectus, lived about 150,000 to more than 200,000 years ago.
The Face of Borzone (left) is believed by one scientist to be the art of Homo erectus created 200,000 years ago.
Even older, the "so-called Tan-Tan object (below) unearthed in Morocco in 1999 is said to be a 400,000-year-old sculpted figurine.
Mainstream science, however, believes these items are not man-made at all. It argues the distinctive features have very probably been molded by geological processes."
Well, if they did have art, this would show that an intelligent species much like our own, capable of abstract thought, has since been completely wiped off the face of the earth. Even if they didn't have art, the species Homo erectus is still extinct. Extinction is a possibility, even for humans.


Would you have done what Antonina Zabinski did?She is the title character in “The Zookeeper’s Wife,” the true story of a woman played by Jessica Chastain who sheltered Jews and resistance fighters in the Warsaw Zoo right under the Nazis’ noses during World War II.“That’s the big question of the film: What would you do if something like this happened today?” says Chastain about the film, which opens Friday. She opened her doors to strangers.” “So many of us would immediately jump to, ‘Of course, I would help others.’ But to do that is to trivialize the danger. Antonina sacrificed the safety of her children to be compassionate.
To prepare for the film, Chastain talked with the couples’ daughter, Teresa, who was born during the war.“She told me things that weren’t even in the book about Antonina,” says the actress, who also visited Auschwitz “because though I had studied concentration camps, I wanted to know what it meant to be on the ground.” As the war went on, much of the burden for hiding refugees and members of the Polish underground fell to Antonina after Jan joined the resistance and was captured in the Warsaw uprising of 1944. After the war, the state of Israel honored the Zabinskis for their efforts.
Chastain notes there are many films about World War II and the Holocaust, but most are from a male perspective.“We’ve had many films that focus on the darkness and the violence and murder, but we’ve never had a film that focuses on the light and the goodness in people during the time of war — and the feminine and the compassionate.” The actress credits Caro for that. So getting “The Zookeeper’s Wife” to the screen was a slog. The director was first approached about the project some seven years ago.
The film by Niki Caro is from Diane Ackerman’s book, which is based on the diary of Antonina Zabinski, who, along with her husband, Jan Zabinski (played by Johan Heldenbergh), had been running the zoo before the war.The Zabinskis had until then led a fairly idyllic life caring for their son and the animals. Secretly, though, they began to hide Jews and even smuggled them out of the Warsaw Ghetto. Some of the animals roamed the city until they were shot down.A Nazi zoologist, Lutz Heck (Daniel Bruhl), took the best of the surviving creatures for his selective-breeding program, but the Zabinskis persuaded the Germans to use the zoo as a pig farm to provide food for Nazi soldiers. When the Germans invaded Poland in 1939, they ruthlessly bombed the city of Warsaw, including the zoo.


In 1960 Isaac Stolz started a business in leather for clothing. In the swinging 60s and 70s the clothes industry flourished in Flanders and Brussels and it was especially the leather jacket that became immensely popular. As a result the demand for leather rose.
In the 70s leather suites entered our living rooms. Stolz seized the opportunity and from the mid 70s on the company gradually switched to trading of leather for furniture.
At first the activity was restricted to Belgian and French markets, but from the mid 90s Stolz determinedly focused on export.
Nowadays most of the Stolz products are being exported. From the North to the South of Europe, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf region there are seat manufacturers, interior architects, car interior designers,… who almost daily use Stolz leatherworks.
The main customers of course are seat manufacturers, but similarly there are applications in other sectors as luxury yacht design, office furniture, car upholstery, hotels,…


Juneteenth is an important holiday in the United States, celebrated on June 19th each year, also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, or Liberation Day. It commemorates the day in 1865 when Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and announced the emancipation of all slaves in the state. This was two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, by President Abraham Lincoln and the news had not yet reached Texas. Juneteenth is a day to celebrate freedom.
Juneteenth is a reminder of the long and difficult struggle for freedom and equality faced by African Americans in the years following the Emancipation Proclamation until today.
The farming industry has a special connection to Juneteenth. During the post-Civil War period, many former slaves chose to work in the farming industry, either as tenant farmers or as sharecroppers. This allowed them to build generational wealth and became a path to self-sufficiency. Today, African Americans still work in the farming industry, and Juneteenth is a day to celebrate their resilience and contributions to the agricultural community.
Freedom is an important part of Juneteenth, as it symbolizes the end of bondage and the beginning of a new era of freedom for African Americans. Freedom is a state of having the power and ability to live life according to one’s own will and choices. Juneteenth celebrates the day that the enslaved African Americans in the United States finally received their freedom and the right to live life as they choose. It is a day of joy, celebration, and appreciation of the freedom that African Americans have been able to achieve through perseverance and resilience. Resilience is defined as “An ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change” and Perseverance is defined as “The continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition.”
In addition to its educational significance, Tuskegee is also an important site for African American history, including the celebration of Juneteenth. In 1872, the town, now city of Tuskegee gathered for the first Juneteenth celebration.
From farm to freedom in the United States is an incredible journey that many people have taken throughout history. It is a journey of courage, strength, and determination that has seen people overcome incredible odds to gain their freedom. From the enslaved African American men, women, and children who escaped their bondage and made their way north to freedom. The United States is a country of people who have strived to be free. Along the way, they have had to rely on their own resourcefulness and courage to succeed. Today, we can honor their legacy by continuing to strive for freedom and justice in our own lives.
We are so excited to invite you to join us in celebrating Juneteenth weekend, June 17-18, 2023! It’s a great opportunity to come together as a community and recognize the history and significance of this important day. From children’s activities, to camping, to nature walks in the forest, to cooking demonstrations to live music and entertainment. There will be plenty of activities to take part in. We look forward to having you join us at The Patch.
This event is brought to you by Shady Grove Road Blueberry Patch, in Partnership with Way Out (501c3), and Sponsored by The Tuskegee Macon County Community Foundation, Inc., Tuskegee University Cooperative Extension and the Carver Integrative Sustainability Center, Johnny Seeds, Sow America, Alabama-Auburn Extension, ADH Marketing & Consulting GP, JA² Trucking & Logistics, Tuskegee Tours, and Tuskegee History Tours
Price: 13+ $10, children 12 & under Free, Campers, $20 per site
Ajoa Brothers, Farm Operations Manager, Shady Grove Road Blueberry Patch Address: 690 CR 81, Tuskegee AL, 36083
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One of the best ways to understand more about the island's deep-seated art, culture, and history is through Puerto Rico's many museums. You'll find interesting exhibits, inspiring architecture, and ideas to help you appreciate Puerto Rico in new ways at institutions across the island. The Las Américas Museum is located inside the Cuartel de Ballajá building, a former barracks for Spanish soldiers. The museum was founded in 1992 and aims to explore and tell the rich history of the American continent.
If Victorian paintings and Baroque art aren't your thing, then the Puerto Rico Museum of Contemporary Art is for you. It's definitely one of the best museums in San Juan. The Ponce Museum of Art attracts hundreds of international visitors due to its important art collection. It's a stop for art lovers who can't miss the museum's most popular piece, Flaming June, painted by Frederic Leighton.
Built in 1521 and considered the oldest house in Old San Juan, Casa Blanca is today a museum with an exhibition that takes you back to the 16th and 17th centuries. Casa Blanca was meant to be the home of Juan Ponce de León, the first governor of Puerto Rico. The Castillo Serralés Museum has now been transformed into a museum and historic site, where tourists can learn all about the profound impact that sugar once had on Puerto Rican life. Both the house and the grounds are open to tourists, who can enter the mansion and grounds for a small fee.
Dedicated to the exhibition and preservation of the best locally produced art, the Puerto Rico Art Museum reveals the heart and soul of the island's vibrant and imaginative culture. The revolving exhibitions and permanent pieces highlight the spectacular achievements of the Puerto Rican art community, with the past and the present equally outstanding. Built in the mid-19th century, on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean on the island of Vieques, the Fort Conde de Mirasol was built to protect Puerto Rico from maritime invaders. The facility originally housed the Spanish militia and was the last Spanish fort built in the Americas.
The colonial-style fort has been completely restored by the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture and currently houses an art gallery and a vast collection of indigenous artifacts recovered during archaeological excavations. As you stroll through Old San Juan, you can add some flavor and adventure to your trip by stopping at the Museum of the Sea. This small maritime museum offers a quick but complete and memorable introduction to the maritime culture that has played such a vital role in creating Puerto Rico's cultural, social and economic identities. The museum has an impressive collection of model ships, ranging from the 15th century to the present day.
Antique navigational instruments are also on display and the presentations explore the history of San Juan as an important Caribbean seaport. The Pump Park was in service for 108 years, until 1990, when it became a museum of the history of firefighting in Ponce and Puerto Rico. Although it's off the beaten path and tucked away in the mountains of Puerto Rico, the El Cemi Museum is worth a visit if you want to learn about Taino history in Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rico Art Museum also has beautiful gardens and an interactive room ideal for children.
The history and culture of the American continent, with an emphasis on the cultural heritage of Puerto Rico, can be found in the Museum of the Americas in Old San Juan. The history of Puerto Rico extends from pre-Columbian civilizations to modern times, and includes contributions from Taíno, African and Spanish peoples. The Taínos were the original inhabitants of Puerto Rico, and this museum helps to keep alive the memory of this fascinating and mysterious culture. In the city of Carolina, just east of San Juan, you can find tons of fun for the whole family at the Puerto Rico Children's Museum or Children's Museum.
Whether you like art, history, architecture, or something a little more whimsical, you'll find plenty of museums in Puerto Rico that are worth visiting. This list of museums in Puerto Rico contains museums that are defined in this context as institutions (including non-profit organizations, government entities and private companies) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific or historical interest and make their collections or related exhibits available to the public. If you're looking for more great things to add to your Puerto Rico itinerary, check out these popular places to visit in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico has been transformed into a gastronomic paradise over the years, incorporating different influences and traditions to create exciting dishes and cocktails.


In a 2001 interview on Fresh Air with Terri Gross, trumpeter and producer Quincy Jones discussed “Soul Bossa Nova” (1962).
This iconic tune (the theme for the Austin Powers movies) may seem kitschy today, but imagine its original context in the early 1960s: the Civil Rights movement, modernism’s internationalism, its embrace of the avant garde… Jazz was not the high-brow classy thing we think of now, but it was cutting edge, dangerous. It conjured nightclubs, interracial relationships (oh my!), critiques of segregation.
Jones described the song’s origins: on tour with Dizzy Gillespie in Brazil, the audience members included teenaged Antonio Carlos Joabim and Astrud and João Gilberto. History was made with this meeting: it inspired “Soul Bossa Nova” and, according to Jones, Joabim’s ground-breaking bossa nova tune, “Desafinado,” is “pure Dizzy Gillespie.”
I was surprised to learn that a major cross-cultural exchange by artistic legends was facilitated by the U.S. government: the tour was sponsored by the State Department.
Artists as cultural ambassadors? Seems so progressive! Today’s politicians view the arts with so much suspicion. Why can’t we have politicians as fervently vocal in their support of contemporary arts and culture as the Guilianis of the world are in their opposition to it?


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1840 Non Commissioned Sword
The 1840 non commissioned sword was carried by American soldiers for over 70 years; a period which included the Mexican War, Civil War and Spanish American War. The single edged blade has a single broad fuller running from the ricasso to near the poi...
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American Village field trip
The Bean’s history studies bring us to the New World this year, so we will be spending a lot of time on American history in the coming months. Last Friday we went on a fun field trip to The American Village in Montevallo, where we participated in or watched several vignettes in which reenactors took us through several scenes in Revolutionary America.
We started out at a Stamp Act riot, in which the reenactor stirred up the mob of students against King George, his taxes, and most especially his Lord of the Treasury, George Grenville. The mob scene culminated in hanging Grenville’s effigy. I found it quite disturbing, actually, but it gave me a good reason to talk about propaganda and mob manipulation with the Bean, so there’s that. 🙂
Next we had a visit with Thomas Jefferson, who mused about his upcoming project: writing the Declaration of Independence. Unfortunately, the acoustics in the chapel were pretty awful, so we only got about every fifth word. Also, the lighting was bad, so there is no picture. Oh well. We’ll get plenty of TJ this year anyway.
The kids all seemed to enjoy their musket training with Alexander Hamilton, one of George Washington’s lieutenants. He informed them that he would not be wasting muskets on such raw recruits, so they had to train with broomsticks.
Being a costume enthusiast, the Bean particularly enjoyed the discussion of Colonial fashion. A lady would wear a chemise under her petticoat(s) and “coat.” A coat could extend to the floor as the one shown below or be a shortcoat or simply a bodice. She would wear a mob cap to cover her seldom-washed hair, and when she was going out she would put on a hat over the cap and also wear a neckerchief for modesty and sun protection.
We also had a visit with George Washington, who explained some confusion about his birthday. Hew as born in Virginia on February 11, 1731, according to the Julian calendar. However, according to the Gregorian calendar, which the British adopted in 1752, he was born on February 22, 1732.
Finally, we participated in a spy mission with our hostess Mrs. Darrough, a Quaker in whose home British officers were quartering and planning their strategy. She would hide, listen to the strategy, then sew a note into a covered button on her son’s jacket. Her son would go to a tavern and inform the tavern keeper he had no money to pay for his meal. She would accept his buttons as payment, then relay the secret message to patriots.
We had to shop the gift shop, of course, where we picked up a mob cap (necessary gear for learning about the American Revolution), a copy of the Newberry Award-winning book Johnny Tremain, and some awesome Revolutionary War toy soldiers, which Buddy has thoroughly enjoyed.


Archaeologists have found a 4,000-year-old sanctuary made up of ditches and burial mounds within the central Netherlands that they imagine might have served an analogous function to Stonehenge.
Just like the well-known stone circle in southern England, the sanctuary – which was as massive as at the least three soccer fields and constructed with soil and wooden – was constructed to align with the solar on the solstices.
The archaeologists additionally found choices, together with animal skeletons, human skulls and invaluable gadgets comparable to a bronze spearhead, on the spots the place the solar shone by means of the openings, in response to a press release from the municipality of Tiel, a city round 70 km (45 miles) east of Rotterdam the place the location was excavated.
“The biggest mound served as a solar calendar, just like the well-known stones of Stonehenge in England,” mentioned the assertion.
“This sanctuary should have been a extremely vital place the place individuals stored observe of particular days within the yr, carried out rituals and buried their lifeless. Rows of poles stood alongside pathways used for processions.”
Whereas excavating the location in 2017, archaeologists additionally found a number of graves. One grave was of a girl buried with a glass bead from Mesopotamia, present-day Iraq.
It is the oldest bead ever discovered within the Netherlands and researchers mentioned it proved individuals of this space have been involved with individuals nearly 5,000 km away.
The archaeologists took six years to analysis greater than one million excavated objects courting from the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, the Roman Empire and the Center Ages.
After the excavation was completed, the location was coated once more to permit building work.
A number of the discoveries can be showcased in a neighborhood museum in Tiel and within the Dutch Nationwide Museum of Antiquities.
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Unfortunately, the Collie’s exact origins are shrouded in obscurity. It has been the subject of much research and speculation. The word “Collie” is as obscure as the breed itself. The name has been spelled many different ways: Coll, Colley, Coally and Coaly. Generally, the most accepted origin of the word is “Coll” – the Anglo-Saxon word for black.
In the 18th century, the Collie’s natural home was in the highlands of Scotland, where it had been used for centuries as a sheepdog. The dogs were bred with great care in order to assist their masters in the herding and guarding of their flock.
While the breed as we know it may have originated in Scotland, invariably we think of England as the true home of the breed. Without a doubt, it is to the English fancy of the late 1800s that the breed owes its development as a popular show dog. Collies were first exhibited in 1860 at the Birmingham, England dog show, in the generic class “Scotch Sheep-Dogs.”
In 1879 the first English Collie was imported to this country. It is from England that we find the famous pillars of the breed, from which the American fanciers sought not only their next big winner, but also their foundation stock.
The Collie Club of America, Inc. was formed on August 26, 1886, which makes it one of the oldest American specialty clubs in existence. The original club objective was “the encouragement and improvement of the breed of Collies.”
By the turn of the century, the American Collie was in a state of continued development. The breed continued to flourish in England. American show prizes were dominated by the British imports. As a result of the imports, the breed made rapid progress between 1900 and 1920. These dogs built the foundations upon which the present day Collie is based and paved the way for the emergence of the great American kennels of the 1920s and ‘30’s. Names such as Alstead, Arken, Arrowhill, Tazewell, Tokalon, Hertzville, Lodestone, Noranda, Sterling, Bellhaven and Honeybrook began to dominate the American dog scene. This signaled the true emergence of the golden age of the American Collie. Our Collie legacy since that time has been rich and varied.


The Gospel Light Baptist Church had its first meeting on Sunday morning, August 5th, 1979. The congregation consisted of 19 people; eight children and eleven adults, which met in the Ruritan Center in the community of Bonsack. On the third of November 1979 the founder, pastor Earl Clemons, was ordained by a committee of five local pastors. In the evening service of November 3rd, 1979, the congregation adopted it’s constitution and officially became The Gospel Light Baptist Church.
Shortly after, the church bought eleven acres of property at 6307 Cloverdale. Road. The members cleared the property, and in 1984 and early 1985, they built the first of the three buildings on that property. It was a small building, 32 x 66 feet. Metal folding chairs were used for the first couple years until a dozen short 8′ pews were purchased. The first meeting in the new building took place in July of 1985.
By early 1990, the congregation had outgrown the first building. A building fund was established and plans were made to add a new sanctuary to the existing building. By late 1992, the church had sufficient funds to begin construction on it’s new addition. The new sanctuary, which was 40 x 66 feet, was completed by summer 1993. In November of 1994, the congregation moved into it’s new facility and used the old building for Sunday School rooms and Nursery.
By the year 2000, the congregation again began to outgrow the building. Once again, the church started a building fund. The congregation did most of the construction, and on June 26th, 2005, the congregation moved into it’s new sanctuary. The new sanctuary measures 75 x 130 feet, with a full basement used as a fellowship hall.


What was Hitler's reaction to D-Day?
After the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944, Adolf Hitler's response was to reinforce the German defenses in France and to order a fierce counterattack. He was initially convinced that the main invasion would come at Pas-de-Calais, and thus he was caught off guard by the landings in Normandy.
How did people react to D-Day?
"The reaction of many Americans, whenever they found out what was happening that day, was to attend religious services," says Keith Huxen, the Samuel Zemurray Stone senior director of research and history at the National World War II Museum. "Churches and synagogues were reportedly packed across the country."
Why were the Germans surprised by the D-Day invasion?
Most thought another invasion of Allied forces would come only after the Italian Campaign reached the Alps or even crossed over them. This, coupled with the fact they thought the landings would come at Calais meant the Germans manning defenses at Normandy were not the best troops for the job.
Was D-Day a success or defeat for Germans?
By June 30, over 850,000 men, 148,000 vehicles, and 570,000 tons of supplies had landed on the Normandy shores. Fighting by the brave soldiers, sailors, and airmen of the allied forces western front, and Russian forces on the eastern front, led to the defeat of German Nazi forces.
What does D-Day stand for?
491) In other words, the D in D-Day merely stands for Day. This coded designation was used for the day of any important invasion or military operation.
Which country lost the most soldiers on D-Day?
|United States of America
Could Germany have won on D-Day?
The short answer is yes, the Germans could possibly have defeated the invasion on D-Day. One needs to remember that the Allies had postponed the landings in France multiple times starting in 1942 to the general annoyance of Stalin in order to be pretty darn sure that they would succeed.
How many Americans died on D-Day?
Victims on all sides
A total of 4,414 Allied troops were killed on D-Day itself, including 2,501 Americans. More than 5,000 were wounded. In the ensuing Battle of Normandy, 73,000 Allied forces were killed and 153,000 wounded.
How many Germans died on D-Day?
German casualties on D-Day have been estimated at 4,000 to 9,000 men. Allied casualties were documented for at least 10,000, with 4,414 confirmed dead.
Was D-Day a bad plan?
It Was Almost a Failure
While the ultimate goal of liberating France and ousting the Germans did happen, a lot went wrong on D-Day — especially for the Americans, who were the first to launch the invasion.
Was there a fake invasion on D-Day?
As a crucial part of their preparations for D-Day (6 June 1944), the Allies developed a deception plan to draw attention away from Normandy. The D-Day deception plan was codenamed Operation 'Fortitude' and was part of a larger overall deception strategy – Operation 'Bodyguard'.
Did the US use fake tanks in ww2?
The Ghost Army used three main strategies to fool the Nazis. The first was visual. Artists, architects and designers created inflatable tanks, cannons, trucks and aircraft. They would look incredibly authentic from a distance - and the Ghost Army could set up hundreds of phantom tanks very quickly.
What was the deadliest day of WW2?
The bloodiest day of World War II is often considered to be June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day. This was the day of the Allied invasion of Normandy, which resulted in heavy casualties on both sides. It marked a significant turning point in the war and had a profound impact on the course of history.
Why did they call it D-Day?
Most argue it was merely a redundancy that also meant “day,” but others have proposed everything from “departure” to “decision” to “doomsday.” According to the U.S. military, “D-Day” was an Army designation used to indicate the start date for specific field operations.
Who landed first on D-Day?
Around this time the British and American airborne troops begin taking off from bases in England. They will be the first Allied soldiers to land in Normandy, by glider and parachute, in the early hours of the following morning.
What does the H in H-Hour stand for?
The letters are derived from the words for which they stand, "D" for the day of the invasion and "H" for the hour operations actually begin.
What was the password for D-Day?
There is a myth that the password was "Mickey Mouse." Operation Overlord was not a Mickey Mouse project. In truth, the password was "Flash”, and the countersign was "Thunder." The troops were also issued brass crickets, a small toy that made a clicking sound when squeezed in order to recognize friendlies in the dark.
How many ww2 veterans are still alive?
But survivors of the war are aging, and each year far fewer of them remain alive. Of the 16.1 million Americans who served in the global conflict, little more than 119,000 are still living as of this year, according to the National World War II Museum.
What was the bloodiest Battle in history?
The Battle of Stalingrad is known as one of the most pivotal actions of World War II. More than a million lives were lost in seven months of unrelenting fighting, and the eventual German defeat destroyed Hitler's dream of commanding a global empire.
What was the bloodiest Beach on D-Day?
The 1st Infantry assault experienced the worst ordeal of D- Day operations. The Americans suffered 2,400 casualties, but 34,000 Allied troops landed by nightfall.
How many Japanese died in ww2?
Although official estimates are unclear, by the end of the war in 1945 approximately three percent of the Japanese population, more than 2 million people, had died.
What did German soldiers think they were fighting for?
The average German soldier in World War II was likely motivated by a combination of factors. These could include patriotism, loyalty to their country and leadership, a sense of duty, and in some cases, indoctrination by the Nazi regime.
What if US never entered ww2?
Without the US in WWII, the western Allies would have had no resources or manpower to defeat Germany. Russia was able to turn back Germany largely on the strength of money and materials that the US provided. In the Pacific, no power would have effectively resisted, let alone defeated, Japan.
Would the Soviet Union have won without D-Day?
While D-Day certainly had a significant impact on the course of World War II, it's challenging to predict how the absence of D-Day would have specifically affected the outcome of the conflict between the Soviet Union and Germany. It would have taken a little longer but eventually Soviets would have appeared victorious.
Are there any D-Day survivors still alive?
More than 9,000 troops were killed or wounded in the D-Day invasion. Far fewer than that are still alive now. The National D-Day Memorial website estimated that fewer than 3,000 veterans of D-Day were still living in 2021.


Some types of solar electricity have been used for thousands of years, even though the method was quite different than the methods used today. Those who lived many centuries ago in Greece and Italy used the sun to harden substances to make their homes, heat them and even provide light inside. They also used the sun in a passive way to reflect off of shields that were made of bronze so that the rays were focused on enemy ships in an effort to set them on fire. However, it wasn’t until 1767 that the first device to collect and store sunlight was devised by Horace de Saussure, a Swiss scientist.
In 1839 the discovery of photovoltaic energy was made by the French scientist Edmond Becquerel. In 1876 it was discovered that light could be transferred into energy through the use of metal. Finally, in 1883, Charles Fritts came up with the first cell that would lead the march to present day solar electricity. By the turn of the century, there had been an application made for the world’s first sun powered water heater.
It would be well into the middle of the twentieth century before solar electricity really began to catch the attention of the world. Part of this was because it was very cost prohibitive. It was entirely too expensive for the average household to consider this as a viable option. In 1958, this energy was harnessed to power the radios that were used during the launch of the Vanguard satellite.
It wasn’t until 1972 that this technology was used in a home to power it completely with solar electricity. This took place in Delaware, which is also where the first solar panels would be made years later. In 1976 NASA began to power many of their facilities in different countries with this sustainable energy. They used it to power refrigeration units, lights in buildings, communication systems and many other types of applications.
Since the early 1980s, many types of vehicles and planes have made use of solar electricity. Even the International Space Station benefitted from the use of these panels.
Today, the power of the sun is harnessed and used for just about any type of project that energy is normally used for, including powering vehicles and being responsible for one hundred percent of the power that a home or office uses. The hard work and dedication of all of the scientists and those in the energy industry resulted in a sustainable energy that will never fail. It is this energy generation that is the bright hope for the future. Many homeowners across the United States are seeing the benefits of relying on a constant source of energy, rather than fossil fuels such as petroleum and coal. Cleaner types of energy that are renewable and sustainable are what people are focusing on today, and the recent affordability of solar panels is making it possible for every household. The benefits of this type of energy will be seen for many years to come.
Soluxe Solar offers installation of solar roof systems nationwide including: Suffolk County, Westchester County, NY, Fairfield County and the surrounding New York area as well as Connecticut and New Jersey.


There is a massive debate in politics, churches, and families across the nation – even across the world, as to the concept of gay marriage. Those who consider themselves morally supreme have ignited a stand against homosexuality, saying that it is not the role of the government to support an abomination by granting same-sex couples the same rights of heterosexual couples. Consider the elongated Chik-Fil-A argument, where business and capitalism have been pushed aside for a ‘higher calling’. What will people pay for the price of moral superiority?
It was then that the resounding cry of none other than the Native Americans began to stand up for homosexuality. Before the English, the Scottish, the Spanish, or the Puerto Rican ever came to this land, Native Americans from over 150 tribes and various locations had discerned equality with same-sex relationships – those people known as berdaches. It is even said that those who were gay were revered and considered sacred amongst those who lived in the community. There was no such thing as homophobia, as only the elite of the warriors had a spouse that was berdache. Now, this directly links into transgenderism, but nonetheless, promotes the idea of equality.
In today’s age, people are still killed for their professed or perceived orientation. Parents still disown their children, throwing them out of their homes. The idea still carries a significant amount of undue disgrace. According to M. Owlfeather,
"In the old days, during life on the plains, the people respected each other's vision. Berdaches had an integral place in the rigors and lifestyle of the tribe. The way they were viewed was not the same as the contemporary Indian gay lifestyle and consciousness that we have now - they were not fighting for a place in society and to be accepted by that society." - M. Owlfeather.
Maybe one day this will become a reality again, when people will respect each other’s visions even if there isn’t direct understanding. Until then, the struggle will continue: but those who we pushed off their lands, and killed down the Trail of Tears will always remember a day when it wasn’t so – they were the original true Americans after all.


The History of Gulf Harbors
As Julie Andrews says:
"Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start."
Since many of us are not the original homeowners, I thought maybe some of you would like to learn of our beginnings, before Gulf Harbors was born and how it materialized. I preface all this with a disclaimer because what I write is based on readings of historical data and I am going to try to put it into some type of timeline. It really is quite interesting and written for those who enjoy history.
Let’s go back in time to the middle 1800’s. There were about 2000 acres of rocky jungle, bayous, hammocks located between two points: Bailey’s Bluff and Green Key. All you boaters know them well. The settlers named this place “Devils Woodyard”. These settlers were pioneers, coming by horseback and wagons. Who occupied these acres? Indians, wild boar, panthers, black bears – this was their home.
It is believed that besides the Indians, the first settler to venture into this jungle was a surveyor who hacked his way through these wild woods and with the help of his two men established the first Gulf Coast ‘meander line’ in 1848. Astonishingly, he was very accurate working with the instruments that were available at this time.
Earlier, the Dixie highway was built and young families began to settle, the first town of our area being Elfers. Young men would venture into this wildland to cut firewood, fish, and hunt.
The area was ‘open range’ for many cattlemen and domestic hog farmers. The settlers knew and respected this. Leave them alone. Even a family from Tampa imported Brahma cattle from India to graze in Devils Woodyard.
This area soon became famous for big Sea Trout, Redfish, Snook, and Tarpon. Duck hunting was also one of the best. Another natural treasure was the abundance of beautiful trees and shrubs being Magnolias, Palms, Cedars, Oak, Pines, and Laurel. The jungle vines and plants were cactus, palmetto, Spanish bayonet and other native plants. The vegetation became and are the magnificent accents used then and still today to create our beautiful landscaping.
Around the time the surveyor is doing his work, many other important things are happening that will shape our young nation and our state.
James Polk was the 11th President of the U.S. He led the nation to war with Mexico, the Mexican-American War, winning and purchasing vast territories adding about one third to the size of the U.S. This included Texas, and land to the Pacific (California) and more territory in the Southwest. This resulted in rounding out the continental U.S. The Rio Grande became our southern border.
Shortly after Mexico sells us all this land, gold is discovered in California creating the Gold Rush.
Florida becomes the 27th state, land grants are bringing more and more people to our state. Town are growing, mostly along the coastlines. Ranches, cattlemen, farmers, orange groves, all are flourishing.
Soon there is the Civil War and Florida secedes from the U.S.
While all these major historical events are happening, our Gulf Harbors land continues to lay idle. A couple of miles away, New Port Richey is developing and in the 1920’s, it experiences its first land boom. A railroad runs through the town. The beautiful Hacienda is built and many silent movie stars build homes along the banks of the Cottee River.
Some famous people bought land and some visited. Hollywood’s leading man Thomas Meighan, Mary Pickford, Gloria Swanson and Raymond Hitchcock came to town. It was going to be the Hollywood of the East. New Port Richey is on the map and becoming a destination. Gloria Swanson was very petite so the Hacienda actually built a lower arch in their ballroom for her grand entrances to disguise her small stature. Mansions were built along the Cottee. While this is all happening in our neighborhood, Al Capone is a frequent guest at the ‘pink hotel’, the Don Cesar.
Another famous person was Gene Sarazen, a pro golfer. Gene Sarazen was an American professional golfer, one of the world’s top players in the 1920s and 1930s, and the winner of seven major championships. He is one of five players (along with Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods) to win each of the four majors at least once, now known as the Career Grand Slam. He built his home along the river, smaller, less grandiose, but worth seeing because the outside architecture was so Deco. The interior still had its crooked floors and narrow passages. Several years ago, it went up for sale and many inquisitive Floridians made sure they got to see it during the open house.
What means a lot to all golfers, Gene invented the ‘sand’ wedge. I doubt if anyone who plays golf, does not have this beauty in their bag.
BUT…the stock market crashed, the roaring twenties came to a standstill. We all know what followed-the Great Depression and World War II.
Our future Gulf Harbors land still stays untouched.
TRIPLE STRIKES AND YOU’RE OUT
That may be in baseball, but not in America.
From 1929 to 1945 our nation experienced its own triple strikes. Three devastating events came one right after the other-- the Crash of 29, the Great Depression, and the Big One, WWII. Few, in any, came away unscarred.
Loss of savings, poverty, hunger, bread and soup lines, unemployment but the permanent hardship was when someone’s son, father, or husband would never be coming home. These 3 collisions brought the good times from the roaring 20’s to a screeching halt. It was 15 long sad years until it was finally 1945. So when did the war end? Was it May 8, 1945, August 14, 1945, May 5, 1955 or September 8, 1951? The consequences of this war had a profound effect on many countries, including ours. Would you be surprised that all four of these answers could be correct? The first one was VE Day when Germany surrendered (Victory over Europe), the second one was VJ Day when Japan surrendered (Victory over Japan), the third one was the formal surrender of Germany and the last date was the formal surrender of Japan. Although the fighting was stopped, wars are not officially over until a treaty of some kind is signed. I didn’t know that!
For years Germany invaded and conquered many countries and after surrendering, our Allies, including Russia, had to deal with the aftermath. The Soviet Union, once our ally, was fast becoming our adversary.
The ideal resolution would be to free all the countries but negotiations broke down. The settlement was the Eastern Bloc that fell under Soviet influence instilling communism and their economic system. The Western Bloc meant the countries would be free. Democracy vs. communism. Churchill coined this divisive line the Iron Curtain. On a side note, my Steelers held that title too. Just sayin. Major friction rested again with the country Germany. No ally was ready to trust them. Finally, a compromise, Germany was split, becoming West Germany (France, England, and the U.S.) and East Germany (Soviet Union). Berlin, although sitting in the middle of East Germany was split between us. As expected, the Soviets did not play by the rules and the relation’s temperatures went from chilly to ice, creating the Cold War.
It was evident the USA and the Soviet Union were now two superpowers and not good friends. Since we both had nuclear capabilities other means surfaced, spying, espionage, arms race, etc. Well, what does this have to do with Gulf Harbors? Nothing really because Devil’s Woodyard sleeps through it all.
Harry Truman, had inherited the Presidency by only a few months but he led our nation’s conversion from war to peace.
In 1945, here are some statistics: average salary was $1300, average teacher’s salary was $1441. The National Debt was 43 Billion and minimum wage was $.43. 55% of U.S. homes now had indoor plumbing.
The United States leaped to the forefront and made a tremendous comeback, wasting no time. The wringer washer, the 3-way party line, the outhouses began to fade away, soon to become extinct. Inventions and more inventions were unrestrained. The little black and white TV became color, washers, dryers, microwaves, credit cards, air travel and on and on. The nucleus to many new technologies was the microchip.
There was inflation and some stats for 1950 displayed the pace America was going. The average house was $8500, a gallon of gas was $.18, a new car was $1500 and the average income almost tripled in 5 years to $3200.
Our country became obsessed with the latest models coming out of Detroit. The automobile industry was thriving and kept top secret their next year’s model. People sat around the TV waiting for the unveiling, waiting for that large cover to be removed. There were tailfins, fender skirts, continentals and bright shiny paint. The best was the automatic along with power steering.
These years brought more changes, we added Alaska and Hawaii, NASA, and the polio vaccine. The music evolved from the swing to the crooners to Rock n Roll. Popular were Elvis Presley, I Love Lucy, Jimmy Dean, Frank Sinatra, Milton Berle and the Mickey Mouse Club, naming just a few. A most significant change was desegregation which began around 1955.
What about our state? Florida was on top of the trends and fashions. Two major improvements altered our West coast. The first was Route 19. 19 connected northerners to the Sun Coast. The second was air conditioning. It became popular and affordable and made the hot muggy climate not only tolerable but inviting. Neighbors envied the guys next door that had those bulky contraptions sticking out their windows and before long they had one too.
Some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and the quiet waters of the Gulf of Mexico made the Suncoast not only a vacationing destination but also a place to live. People were arriving in droves.
Sometimes the good comes with some bad. This happened to New Port Richey. Route 19 changed over three times before it is where it is today. But with the change, the road no longer ran through its town and their economy suffered greatly. The stores and businesses now wanted to be along Route 19. Travelers had no reason to go off their travel course to visit and spend. What once was on a roll to becoming one of the most affluent cities now became one of the least expensive places to live. To survive, it began marketing itself as a great retirement community.
Meanwhile, Clearwater and St. Pete exploded; hotels restaurants, shops and the developers loved it. But, as always, eventually their work was completed and the developers had to look for new places. Devil’s Woodyard! Perfect! Discovered! Purchased! What better place could you find that has only two miles between the serene Gulf of Mexico and the major highway of Route 19? Forever nothing had happened but quickly this landscape will be transformed.
The year is 1957.
One of the nation’s largest, 100 year old construction company, the Sumner Sollit Company invested millions. Mr. Sumner Sollit and Howard Burkland, the founder, together created a 500 Million Dollar dream with a great master plan. Designs, drawings, more designs. Gulf Harbors is going to be the avant-garde of communities. The first phase of Gulf Harbors will be named Flor-A-Mar, the flower of the sea. Flor-A-Mar, that’s us. Huge developments are just around the corner.
“NOTHING LIKE IT IN FLORIDA”
Burkland, founder of Gulf Harbors
A Real Rocky Start
During 1929 to 1957 developments along the Suncoast kept expanding, St. Pete, Clearwater, Tampa, and then stopped because there was no Skyway Bridge. So, builders had to go North.
Finding a large parcel of land was no easy task. It took some of the best research minds to find this spot in Florida that met certain measures the investors were looking for. They had rigid stipulations and criteria.
Close to Florida’s most active growth areas.
Convenience to shopping and transportation yet far enough away from congestions of heavily populated towns and neighbors.
The Gulf of Mexico with clean water for excellent fishing, unlimited beaches, water sports and boating.
Devil’s Woodyard was discovered and purchased. This new acquisition would be named “Gulf Harbors”. It was evident in Burkland and Sollit’s thinking that their new neighborhood would become the next Gulf Beach City. Their vision was impressive and ambitious.
The first phase, Flor A Mar, was born but only the beginning of their dream. New ideas, new designs—but were they too far ahead of the times?
Unknown to these professionals, whose experience was with sandy soil canals, was rock. Devil’s Woodyard was not sand, it was a solid strata of rock.
Flor-A-Mar was costing more than their five other developments combined. It did not stop them, it was being transformed into a picturesque place to live. The name, flower of the sea, creates an image in your mind, a place of sheer beauty and harmony. The goal still remained to build a small city for 50,000 people.
Not to be deterred, within a couple of years, advertising went into print and a campaign to entice home buyers was in full swing. It was 1961. Much had been accomplished.
The North Chanel, over 2 miles long, had seawalls and a turning basin. Water systems, sewage systems, gas and electric lines were in.
An 18-hole golf course was ready to play. All home purchases with waterfront came complete with seawalls and all homes included landscaping and sodding.
“Waterfronts”, in real estate, was the seduction to many home buyers. There are many kinds of waterfront; lakes, bays, rivers, etc. However, the platinum waterfront in Florida was owning property on the warm, serene Gulf of Mexico. That was the lure.
Flor-A-Mar was offering lots for almost one half the cost of St. Pete and Clearwater. Appreciation was bound to happen. The first phase divided Flor-A-Mar’s master plan into four areas and by 1961 two of them were available. The first area was closest to Rt.19 and was named ‘Waterfront Estates’. The price started at $10,950. The second was named ‘Country Club’ that included all homes along Top Sail and the portion of Floramar until it intersects with Top Sail. Many of these faced the golf course and started at $17,450. The third area was not available but would be restricted to houses in the $18,000 to $50,000. This began at Galleon and was known as Gulf Isles. Would we all agree that appreciation did happen? What area do you live in? The fourth area was reserved for hi-rise apartments, hotels and beaches.
Already built was the Clubhouse with meeting, banquet, party space for socializing. It included shuffleboard courts and a putting green. The golf course club house was targeted for completion in 1962.
Mr. Sollit, a known yachtsman, was personally interested in developing yacht clubs in the future. Plans also included a small airport.
Everything had sounded wonderful but the timing could not be worse. For several years from 1957 there was a downturn in home buying along with astronomical unexpected overruns. In spite of all these amenities and low prices, Burkland was pouring his own money into the project to keep it afloat. By 1963 the money ran out and it went into foreclosure. Fortunately for all of us who have the pleasure of living here, his dream was not bankrupt.
FLOR-A-MAR FORECLOSES-------NOW WHAT!
How unfortunate for Mr. Burkland and his investors to have to face failure. They accomplished so much in such a short period. As in all development the upfront costs are extensive.
Infrastructure - the basic physical and organizational structure needed in order to function. Included in this is the concept drawings, architecture, attorneys, engineers, government agencies, permits, codes, blueprints, electricity, water, sewage, paved roads, and added to this particular development, seawalls and canals. Money, money, money.
Overruns can be destructive and ruinous. These capital expenditures are seldom seen by the general public and sometimes misunderstood and not taken into account. The cash that is needed to accomplish these necessities can defeat many well laid plans. We have all seen it. You may have seen a vast land with a beautiful entrance, maybe a gate, and a road that led to nowhere. Nothing seemed to be happening. This is the misfortune of many, the project was just plain broke.
The threat of foreclosure was imminent. This was sad because they were so close to being able to see some return and the major expenses were behind them. However in 1963, only two houses were sold. That did it.
It was over. Now What? It’s been said that when one door closes, another one opens. And that door opened wide in 1964. Any residents from Chicago or Illinois, will know this name. It is the Henry Crown family. Robert Crown, the oldest son of Henry, took over the foreclosure under the name of Empire Properties, Inc. (at this period of purchase they owned the Empire State Building). Empire was only one of many owned and operated companies by the family of Henry, the industrialist and philanthropist. The Crowns were and are one of the wealthiest and generous families in America.
Because of the stigma of foreclosure attached to Flor-A-Mar, one of Robert’s first order of business was to change the name. Our neighborhood became ‘the Gulf Harbors’.
Mr. Crown brought the necessary capital to accomplish and finish what was started. I would hope that this may have brought some solace to Burkland knowing that all his labor and efforts (and money) were not in vain. The concept remained the same, he kept the exclusive builder, Watsworth, and their sale team at the beginning of his acquisition. Progress continued in developing the lots but home sales were weak. In 1964, only 7 homes were sold.
At the beginning of 1965 Robert Crown created a new entity, the Lindrick Corp which was formed to take over the continuing development of Gulf Harbors. He named it after his two children, Lindsey and Rickie. (Note: the Lindrick Service Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lindrick Corporation maintained the water and sewage through an agreement with the city of New Port Richey. This was separately owned and sold.)
Crown brings in John H. Evans to serve as President and Roland McCreary as Public Relations. Experienced and professional, they saw the need to change.
Watch the growth of single family home sales:
1969: 292 (almost doubled from year before)
In May of 1967, modifying their marketing and home construction strategy, Gulf Harbors opened their doors for the first time to all reputable realtors and home builders. Why? Public demand. Not one builder alone could satisfy this accelerated growth. Buyers could now hire their own architects and choose any builder approved by the GH Improvement Board. Watsworth continued on as one of the major builders. With this new corporation devoting their full attentions to GH, sales increased dramatically.
Sadly in 1969, Robert Crown dies unexpectantly at the age of 48. That did not deter his family and his company from completing the second and third phase, the Country Club and Gulf Isle residential areas. The last tagged area was going to be hi rise apartments and hotels but in the early 1970’s, Lindrick announced there would be no building along the beach and it would become the exclusive private beach of the residents and invited guests.
Once Lindrick Corporation announced there would be no hotels, etc., facing the gulf, Lindrick and New Port Richey considered annexing Gulf Harbors. However, New Port Richey officials wanted to include in the agreement opening the white sanded beach to the public. President Evans stated that if the city insists there will not be a deal, “the beach has and will remain private property, we definitely plan to protect our residents in Gulf Harbors.” So, a good guess is the annexation never happened.
There were lots of changes taking place in the area. The Holiday Inn construction was beginning, the Pappas Brothers bought the land adjacent and Southgate Shopping Center was in its early stages. And...of course, McDonalds.
Lindrick’s President Evans was concerned, at this time, about Pasco County’s haphazard zoning. The need for planning and zoning and codes to adhere to were badly needed. Inexpensive homes were springing up all around New Port Richey because the land was cheap and there was an absence of building codes. The average sale price of all houses in our area was $11,000.... but Gulf Harbors average was $26,000.
Gulf Harbors was hustling and running full steam ahead in 1969. If you were house hunting, driving through the different areas, many homes were still being built in all three areas discussed previously, especially the newest area known as Gulf Isles.
Heading due west towards the beach, you would have observed huge mechanical monsters gouging and piling the earth into a network of new boat channels, new roads, a new system of all underground utilities, creating more of the finest waterfront homesites. The canals would be 150 to 300 feet wide.
If you had the foresight to purchase two years earlier, your property value appreciated as much as 40% or more. In fact, several owners who had purchased the smaller homes sold theirs and bought a larger home.
WHAT ABOUT THE AMBASSADOR?
At this time period, there were plans to construct a high-rise condominium at the entrance to Gulf Harbors. Many residents protested sighting traffic problems and claimed it was out of character for family residents. However, that did not stop it and construction began in 1973 and it would be called the Ambassador. Again, unexpected costs shut it down. In 1975, new owners changed the name to Sea Castle. They felt it tells people it is a tall building on the water. One-bedroom units on the first 3 floors sold from $18,500 and up and the higher you went it was over $46,000 for a 3-bedroom. Once it was built, the residents accepted it and it was the highest building in Pasco at the time, maybe it still is.
PUERTO DE PASCO
The area east of the lake was in the early stage of development. This area was named Puerto de Pasco, signifying how the Pasco County harbors and inlets constituted a familiar port-of-call for coastal yachtsman and fishing all over. This area originally was reserved for high rises, hotels and restaurants. It will take many years to get this area ready for construction.
All gulf harbors channels had a minimum width of 100 feet and the minimum depth of 5 feet mean low water. (5.8 feet mean sea level) This was in preparation for large yachts. (Smart thinking because there sure are many) It took several years to accomplish all this. 1976 was the first time lots right on the gulf, adjoining the private beach, were available for purchase. Some lots flanked the beach while others adjoined the Gulf. The introductory prices for a lot here began at $30K and up. Actual home construction was not available until 1977.
GULF HARBORS EXPLODES IN VALUE
Lots in Gulf Harbors continued to soar in value and availability was shrinking. The booming areas were the North and South channels. How much was the appreciation? If you bought a lot in 1977 on South Shore for $40K and by 1985 it was worth $125K. South Chanel views were $95,000 and North Channel views were $90,000.
Lindrick gifted the club house and the surrounding areas to the Civic Association in 1975. He announced he would no longer be responsible for the expenses in the neighborhood. Evans urged all property owners to join and participate for the continued success of the neighborhood. There is a direct correlation between resident participation and the success of a neighborhood.
By 1983, Lindrick sold his last 25 acres along the Gulf to Garcia of Wysocki Enterprises for $2.4 million. This area is the west side of the lake, West Shore, and is known as South Beach. Here introductory offer for Lots there were selling for $77K to $115K.
Even though plans were to create additional canals and lots over by Rudder Way, their dredging had not begun before certain conservation laws, no permit was obtained.
FORTUNATE AND GENEROUS
To be able to live here, we have a loaf of bread under each arm and 3 chickens in every pot.
Here is a tidbit from 1970 called Helping Hands. One of our member’s major projects was helping Head Start children locally. The Hobby Club, contributed so much to this worthwhile program that a new room for 3-year olds was named the Gulf Harbors Room at the Head Start School in Elfers. Our residents, men and women alike, furnished the classroom, and volunteered their time to the children in reading stories, acting as a substitute mother or grandfather or to just simply sit and love some lonely child. This was over 50 years ago but it is timely.
In 2018, the Gulf Harbors Civic Association spearheaded and met a financial goal of $85,000 for the Harbor House. It was Habitat for Humanity’s first home constructed as part of the Leisure Lane Revitalization Project which will consist of approximately 35 homes. Many of you have donated money, your time, your talents and skills to build the “Harbor House,” providing a new home to a worthy vet. We have so much, and some have so little. There comes a time to take a break from the exertions of swimming, fishing, boating. This gives us all a chance to spend some time helping others, but we end up the winners because it enriches our lives.
This is how Gulf Harbors began and where it is today. Because of the expertise of Evans and McCreary, Gulf Harbors was going to be completed in a manner that would bring contentment to the original investors, and of course, to us, the beneficiaries. Let’s all take pride not only for ourselves but for each other. Let’s work towards keeping our properties in excellent condition and to take time out to enjoy the beauty of nature and the peace that surrounds us.
COMPROMISE AND FOUR LONG YEARS
It took four long years. Lindrick was not only developing West Shore, they were dealing with over 37 governmental and conservation agencies with a lot of compromising. In 1973, the final permit was issued and marks the first time a Pasco developer had obtained a dredge and fill for coastal land since state agencies began tightening requirements. Now Gulf Harbors Woodlands was able to begin.
In the 70’s, the first Conservation Laws were ratified and prohibited any canals being built. If you had not started the dredging, you were out of luck.
The project for the original second phase (the Woodlands) had a 115 Million dollar price on it.
WHAT WERE THE COMPROMISES?
The plans for 13,000 feet of channels were reduced to 8,000 feet. To gain this permit Lindrick had to give away over half of his land and the project was reduced to 450 acres, not the original 900 acres intended. 390 acres were dedicated under the Federal Wilderness Area act. It would protect the Gulf’s ravages and this acreage was dedicated to Robert, and became known as the Robert Crown Wilderness Refuge. Another 20 were dedicated to the Boy Scouts and it too was named the Robert Crown Scout Camp. These were commemorated in memory of Henry Crown’s son, who was a principal in Lindrick until his early death. The family also gifted another acre of land to become the Gulf Harbors Yacht Club. Another 80 acres went to the state as conservation preserves.
In the past, development was to raze, bulldoze. This project was a challenge which Evans took on heartily. “It is my conviction that land development, properly pursued and executed, is a form of art. We insist that the new community conform and blend with the wilderness.” A lover of nature and extensive experience, this wooded area was abundant with cedars, palms, cypress. Everything had to be done with the end result preserving nature’s wonders. The waterways followed the contour of the land and “rip-rap” (natural stone) would be used instead of the traditional concrete seawalls. All roads were to follow existing natural paths which wind through the neighborhood. Trees were preserved, not removed. Deed restrictions were extensive to protect the home buyers and to ensure aestheticism.
With the combination of Gulf Harbors and the Woodlands there were wide choices for future buyers depending on the lifestyle that met their needs. The Woodlands was a forerunner of future developments that recognized the ecological demands of preserving our environment. The finished product proves the objectives were met.
Special thanks for the information in these articles which came from our local West Pasco Historical Society and the issues of Gulf Harbor Light, which was published for the residents by the Lindrick Company. That’s all folks. Hope you enjoyed it! Toni Vossler


MLM: 51 years of serving the community
Roots of the Kansas City Metro Lutheran Ministry can be traced to the 1960s. Pastors and lay member of the (then) Lutheran Church of America (LCA) and the American Lutheran Church (ALC) in metropolitan Kansas City began to explore how their churches could serve and support mission work in a changing urban climate.
After several years of discernment and planning, the Kansas City Metro Lutheran Ministry became a reality on December 5, 1971 with the primary purpose to serve Jesus Christ more effectively in the metropolitan area. Dr. Walter Kloetzli, former director of the Lutheran Church-USA, Department of Urban Planning was the first Council President. Luther Johnson became the first Executive Director.
Local congregations continued to join in the efforts until a total of 48 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) Lutheran churches are partners of MLM today. MLM serves clients from community assistance center locations in Jackson, and Clay Counties, Missouri, and Wyandotte County, Kansas.
To be a community that acts justly, loves mercy and walks humbly with God. (Inspired by Micah 6:8)


Meltrek Coloring & Activity Book $10.00 $8 ON SALE
Meltrek is collection of animated musical lessons that teaches children authentic African American history from 3000 BCE to 2008. Exploring Ancient Africa is the first episode of the Meltrek series. Join Bunchy, Percy, Michelle, Jessie and Chen as they travel back in time to explore pre-diaspora Africa. They learn about the history, culture and contributions of various Africa civilizations. The dvd has a running time of approximately of 45 minutes (the animation is roughly 22 minutes and the bonus content is approximately 23 minutes).