Latest news with #Amistad
IOL News
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
On this day: Iconic and influential writer Ernest Hemmingway, author of The Old Man and The Sea, shoots himself
Thai boys smile as a medic treats scratches on one of the children trapped inside a cave in northern Thailand. 1839 The slave ship the Amistad (which ironically means 'Friendship' in Spanish) leaves Havana under the cover of nightfall to avoid British antislavery patrols. Before dawn her cargo of men, women and children break or pick the locks on their chains, climb up to the main deck, head for the sadistic cook and bludgeon him to death in his sleep. After overpowering the rest of their captors they rely on two of them to steer a course back to Sierra Leone, unaware of the treacherous ordeal that lies ahead. 1901 Outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid rob a train of $40 000 at Wagner, Montana. 1937 Pioneering pilot Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan are last heard from over the Pacific Ocean. 1960 Wimbledon Women's Tennis: Defending champion Maria Bueno of Brazil beats South Africa's Sandra Reynolds 8-6, 6-0. 1961 Nobel Prize-winning author, adventurer, war correspondent, bullfighter, drinker and all-round macho man, Ernest Hemmingway commits suicide at his home in Idaho, shooting himself with a shotgun. His father, grandfather, brother, sister, and granddaughter all killed themselves. He is best known for The Snows of Kilimanjaro and The Old Man and The Sea. 1962 The first Walmart store opens in Rogers, Arkansas. The global firm, through its subsidiary Massmart, owns Game, Makro, Builders Warehouse and CBW. 1990 About 1 400 Muslim pilgrims die in a stampede in a tunnel at Mecca. 2002 Steve Fossett becomes the first to fly solo, nonstop, around the world in a balloon. 2010 A tanker truck explosion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo kills at least 230 people. 2016 A suicide bombing in Baghdad kills 341. 2018 British divers discover 12 boys and their football coach alive in Tham Luang Nang Non cave, Thailand, where they had been trapped for nine days by monsoon flooding. 2021 India's official Covid-19 death toll passes 400 000, amid expert speculation that over one million have died. 2022 Earliest evidence for the use of opium is found in burials at Tel Yehud, ancient Canaan (now Israel), dating from the 14th century BC. DAILY NEWS
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Tri-Cities school is one of ‘lowest achievers' in WA. What's being done about it?
Kennewick School District will be under increased scrutiny to improve student outcomes over the next three years at Amistad Elementary School, recently identified as one of Washington's 'persistently lowest-achieving schools.' The Washington State Board of Education in April designated Kennewick as a 'Required Action District,' meaning the district and school this fall will undergo increased accountability measures, as well as receive additional support and resources — having requested upwards of $600,000 — in order to improve math and reading scores. This comes after the school participated in a required academic performance audit and began an improvement process with the community this school year. The school has scored in the lowest 10% statewide in both academic growth and proficiency in recent years, and has a high population of traditionally underserved students. For example, 33% of Amistad students tested at or above grade-level knowledge in English and 36% in math, per the 2023-24 Smarter Balanced Assessment. The test is given to students in third, fourth and fifth grades, and reflects the percent of students on track for college-level learning. A separate 2023-24 assessment of English Language learners showed just 38% were making progress, with 6% graduating out of services. The school serves about 690 students in neighborhoods west of downtown Kennewick. Nearly 9 in 10 are from low-income backgrounds, and half are English language learners. About 1 in 5 are children of migrant workers. Amistad is the only Tri-Cities school that will be under RAD designation come fall. At the same time, school staff here have already been working diligently in recent months to close opportunity gaps. Amistad was one of 406 public schools recognized by the Board of Education during the 2023-24 school year for closing gaps in comprehensive education. Superintendent Traci Pierce says that's a distinction only given to 16% of the state's schools. 'With the RAD designation, additional state funding is supposed to be allocated to help strengthen and support the improvement efforts underway. We are still awaiting word from OSPI regarding whether this funding will be allocated, given the budget cuts occurring at the state level. We are hopeful that we will receive this crucial funding,' Pierce told the Herald in a statement. 'The district is committed to supporting the Amistad staff and administration, and we have provided additional administrative support for next year to help expand family engagement efforts and student support efforts to help the school continue their excellent work in improving supports and outcomes for students,' she continued. School Board President Gabe Galbraith said he's confident leadership of the school and district will do what's best for students and move them in the right direction. RAD is an OSPI accountability designation that provides specific supports to the state's highest needs schools identified through the Washington School Improvement Framework. It's focused on improvement, and there doesn't appear to be any repercussions if schools slip further behind. Schools undergo progress monitoring four times a year, receive additional funding to implement improvement activities and hire additional staff, and get more training support from the state. The state's improvement framework considers both academic achievement and student growth percentile in English and math, as well as graduation, English language progress, school quality and student success to determine tiered support. Other schools given the RAD designation for the 2025-26 school year include: Nespelem Elementary in Nespelem School District. Evergreen Elementary in Shelton School District. Soap Lake Middle and High School in Soap Lake School District. Edna Travis Elementary in Tacoma School District. RAD work is paired with federal requirements under the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act. OSPI is mandated by federal law to update Improvement Framework to identify schools that need this additional support. To ensure Amistad is on track to improve education outcomes, the district will measure student growth on multiple standardized assessments; create opportunities of engagement to increase attendance rates, lower cases of discipline and increase family participation; and measure the impact of new job-embedded teacher training. Amistad's audit occurred between November and December, said Alyssa St. Hilaire, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning. It examined several variables, including school leadership, performance of different student groups, feeder patterns, communication and collaboration, and teacher training. An external report identified three priority areas: Improving staff, student and family engagement; improving curriculum, instruction and assessment; and more targeted support for English learners and early literacy development. A comprehensive needs assessment listed in Amistad's school improvement plan for next school year shows several spaces for improvement. Hispanic and Latino students, who make up 70% of students, have disproportionate graduation success rates, are underrepresented in dual credit options and struggle more with chronic absenteeism. Black students and males are over represented in behavioral referrals, underscoring 'the need for culturally responsive teaching practices, increased awareness of implicit bias, and proactive measures to address inequities.' Overall, during the 2023-24 school year, Amistad had the highest case load of student discipline among elementary schools. The school also has an 'imbalance of representation of diverse groups among certified staff (teachers, counselors, education specialists).' Of Amistad's 49 teachers, 27 are white, 21 are Hispanic and one is Native American. Teacher retention rates are also lower than district average, indicating high position turnover. 'High-need schools like Amistad often face recruitment and retention challenges due to competitive job markets and cost-of-living concerns, making it difficult to attract and retain experienced educators,' a district report to OSPI reads. 'Working conditions — such as students and families with a lot of supports that come with first generation English learners and a high percentage of economically disadvantaged families — can lead to burnout and higher turnover rates.'
Business Insider
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
11 historic mansions from HBO's 'The Gilded Age' that you can visit in real life
HBO's "The Gilded Age" films scenes in real historic mansions from the time period. Several mansions once owned by the Vanderbilt family in Newport, Rhode Island, appear in the show. Gilded Age mansions in Tarrytown and Sands Point, New York, also serve as film sets for the series. If you weren't an heiress, coal magnate, or railroad tycoon, you probably wouldn't have made the guest list at Gilded Age parties. Those gatherings were reserved for the wealthiest, most powerful members of society at the turn of the 20th century. However, visitors of all economic brackets can visit many of the historic opulent estates that serve as film sets for HBO's show " The Gilded Age." The show shoots at real mansions from the time period, many of which are now museums, to create authentic portrayals of the characters' exorbitant wealth. Season three of "The Gilded Age" premieres June 22 on HBO. Here are 11 Gilded Age mansions where the show filmed that offer tours of their magnificent properties. Rosecliff, a 30-room mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, was modeled after King Louis XIV's Grand Trianon palace in Versailles. Theresa "Tessie" Fair Oelrichs, whose family's silver fortune earned her the nickname "Bonanza Heiress," built Rosecliff in 1902 as her summer home. Admission to tours of the 28,800-square-foot property can be purchased through the Preservation Society of Newport County. Fans of "The Gilded Age" will recognize the ceiling of Rosecliff's ballroom from the show's opening credits. Rosecliff features the largest private ballroom in Newport, measuring 40 feet by 80 feet. Scenes from "The Great Gatsby," "27 Dresses," and "Amistad" have also been filmed there. One of the grandest Gilded Age mansions in Newport, the Breakers spans 138,300 square feet and belonged to one of the era's wealthiest families. Cornelius Vanderbilt II, heir to his grandfather's railroad fortune, built the Breakers as a summer home in 1895. The name "Breakers" comes from the sound of waves breaking against the shores of the Newport property. The Preservation Society of Newport County manages the mansion as a museum. Tours can be booked online. Several rooms in the Breakers were used as film sets for "The Gilded Age," including the music room and the billiard room. The billiard room features a wrought-iron and bronze lighting fixture so heavy that it had to be attached to the structural beams of the home. In a scene in "The Gilded Age," George Russell played a game of billiards in the room after a dinner party. The music room also served as a film set for "The Gilded Age," appearing as the Russells' ballroom where they hosted Gladys' debut ball at the end of season one. Marble House in Newport was a 39th birthday present from William K. Vanderbilt to his then-wife, Alva, in 1892. Marble House is named for the 500,000 cubic feet of marble featured throughout the home. When Alva Vanderbilt divorced her husband in 1895, she maintained ownership of Marble House and custody of their three children. She then married one of her neighbors, Oliver H.P. Belmont, in 1896, and became Alva Belmont. After his death, she leveraged her fortune to fund causes in the women's suffrage movement and hosted suffrage conventions at Marble House. The Preservation Society of Newport County operates tours of the property. In "The Gilded Age," scenes in George Russell's bedroom are filmed in the room that belonged to Alva and William's daughter, Consuelo Vanderbilt. Chateau-sur-Mer in Newport was originally built by merchant William Shepard Wetmore in 1852, then remodeled by his son in the 1870s. George Wetmore, who inherited the Italianate-style villa when his father died in 1862, served as the governor of Rhode Island and as a US senator representing the state. Tours of the home are available through the Preservation Society of Newport County. Rooms at Chateau-sur-Mer that appear in "The Gilded Age" include the stair hall and the dining room. Chateau-sur-Mer appears in the show as the home of Mamie Fish, who hosted a doll tea party in the first season. The stair hall is painted with the biblical Tree of Life, and the dining room walls are decorated with wallpaper made of Spanish leather covered in silver. Gilded Age coal magnate Edward Julius Berwind and his wife, Sarah Herminie Berwind, built The Elms in Newport in 1901. The Elms was modeled after the 18th-century French château, Château d'Asnières, and furnished with custom Louis XV-style furniture. The mansion sits on a 10-acre estate, where the Berwinds used to host lavish parties. The Preservation Society of Newport County operates tours of the lavish home. The show films in Sarah Herminie Berwind's bedroom and the mansion's main kitchen. Sarah Herminie Berwind's bedroom appears as Gladys Russell's room in "The Gilded Age," and the main kitchen serves as the Russell family's kitchen where servants gossip and prepare meals. Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, New York, was owned by three prominent Gilded Age families: the Pauldings, the Merritts, and the Goulds. Former New York City Mayor William Paulding and his wife, real-estate heiress Maria Rhinelander Paulding, built the mansion in 1842. Merchant George Merritt bought Lyndhurst Mansion in 1864 and built an addition onto the home, doubling its square footage to 14,000 square feet. Railroad tycoon Jay Gould then purchased it in 1880. In the world of "The Gilded Age," the mansion is home to the characters of Charles and Aurora Fane. "The Gilded Age" has filmed scenes in Lyndhurst Mansion's parlor, dining room, and art gallery. The show also uses the mansion's carriage house as the offices of The New York Globe newspaper and its 67-acre grounds as a stand-in for Central Park. The Hempstead House at Sands Point Preserve on Long Island was built in 1912 by financier Howard Gould. Howard Gould, son of the aforementioned Jay Gould, only lived at Hempstead House for a few years before selling it to Daniel and Florence Guggenheim in 1917. Daniel was the brother of Solomon Guggenheim, for whom the Manhattan museum is named, and Benjamin Guggenheim, who died on the Titanic. Hempstead House is located within Sands Point Preserve, which is open to the public and contains three mansions that can be toured. Tickets for a guided tour of Hempstead House can be purchased at the park's welcome center. You may recognize this room as George Russell's office. George Russell conducted many of his business dealings in this room at Hempstead House, now the home's library. "The Gilded Age" isn't the only project to have filmed here. You may also have seen Hempstead House in "Malcolm X," the 1998 adaptation of "Great Expectations," or "Scent of a Woman." Hunter House was originally built in 1748. Hunter House actually dates back to the colonial times, generations before the Gilded Age began. It even played a role in the Revolutionary War as the headquarters for the French fleet, per The Preservation Society of Newport County. Keeping Hunter House in good shape led to the creation of the Preservation Society in 1945, per the Society's website. There are guided tours held daily (excluding Sundays and Mondays) from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. On the show, one of the sitting rooms is used as lawyer Tom Raikes' office. In the show, Raikes' office is in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. It's one of the first non-New York City locations we see on the show. Belcourt was built in 1894 for the socialite Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont in Rhode Island. This 50,000-square-feet, 60-room summer home was modeled after King Louis XIII's hunting lodge at Versailles. The property was known for its extensive stables and carriage space, which makes sense: You may recognize his last name from the Belmont Stakes, the annual horse race in Elmont, New York, that was named for his father, August Belmont Sr. Belcourt is open for both guided tours during the day and candlelight walks and ghost tours in the evenings. The property doubles as the summer home of the Astors on "The Gilded Age." In a memorable moment in season one, Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) ends up sneaking around Belcourt (Beechwood, in the show) to avoid a run-in with Mrs. Astor. Westbrook, home of New York attorney and real-estate developer William Bayard Cutting, is located in Oakdale, New York. Westbrook was built in 1886 in the Tudor Revival style. Inside, there are 60 rooms (and 20 fireplaces). Westbrook's main draw, though, is its gardens. The house is now located inside the Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park, which is home to 691 acres of plants, trails, and more. There are separate guided tours of the arboretum and Westbrook available seasonally. There's also the Hidden Oak Café, which is located inside Westbrook and offers the option to take "Victorian Tea," complete sandwiches, scones, and tea. It was used during season one of the show. The Cuttings were part of the famed "Four Hundred" list, which was published by The New York Times in the 1890s. It named the 400 most socially acceptable people living in New York City. So, even though only their house has popped up on the show, the real Cutting family could too. The Glenview Mansion was built in the 1870s in Yonkers, a city in Westchester County, New York. It was built for the financier John Bond Trevor, who was partners with James Boorman Colgate (yes, of those Colgates). After the Trevors sold the home to the city of Yonkers, it became part of the Hudson River Museum, which is still open today. The interior of Glenview was used as the interior of Mrs. Astor's home.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amistad to honor community humanitarians at annual fundraiser
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)—Amistad will honor community humanitarians at its annual Lucy G. Humanitarian Awards on Friday to raise funds for those in need. This year, and in partnership with Tawney, Acosta & Chaparro P.C., Circle K, and El Paso Electric, Amistad will host a nautical-themed fundraiser at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 9, at the Starlight Event Center, 6650 Continental Dr. Amistad said this event, which it's named after the agency's founder, celebrates 2025 honorees and raises awareness for vulnerable populations. 'The theme is to honor leaders who anchor our mission and help steer us toward a better future,' Andrea Ramirez, CEO of Amistad, said. 'Our 2025 honorees are individuals who we believe are navigators of hope and light.' The 2025 honorees include the following, according to Amistad: Judge Patrick Bramblett U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas Retired County Commissioner Carlos Leon County Judge Ricardo Samaniego Community Advocate Wayne Thornton 'The event is a night to celebrate individuals and agencies who live Mrs. Acosta's legacy of respect, honesty, integrity, service and excellence,' read the news release by Amistad. In addition to the award ceremony, GECU Foundation will match up to $12,000 of the proceeds made from the fundraiser to assist individuals seeking access to social services, Amistad said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Save Black History: Amistad Research Center Braces for Federal Budget Cuts and Asks for Help
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — In the wake of federal budget cuts, several nonprofits across the country are feeling their funding drastically diminish, after the Trump administration drastically scaled back government spending. The organizations that are affected the most are those who receive money through grants. Locally, the Amistad Research Center is affected and trying to find other ways to keep moving forward. They are now looking for assistance through donations from the public. The Amistad Research Center was founded in 1966 and has archival material that dates back to the 18th Century, including slavery documentation, letters from Ida B. Wells and so many other important artifacts and papers. Amistad is in an effort to raise a million dollars to cover the costs of it's research and preservation. Jade Flint is the Assistant Curator at Amistad and says, 'things are happening every day. I think it's important to continue to highlight this history, to know where we've been and to try and fix some of these things. We should know the strategies that people used in the past. Recent federal budget cuts have affected non profits across the country, including us here at Amistad. 75% of our budget is made up of federal grants. We are at risk for our staff salaries, and other things that help us function as a community resource. If you can visit to help us raise a million dollars in the next 30 days in order to cover those costs.' The Amistad Research Center is the oldest and largest independent archives collection in the country that tells the story of race in America. To learn more and assist the Amistad Research Center, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
