Latest news with #AndrewSharpe
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Caribbean-Americans share culture with Springfield community during heritage month
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – It's National Caribbean-American Heritage Month, and the community is sharing their culture with the city of Springfield. When it comes to Caribbean culture, celebration looks a lot like a carnival. With vibrant colors and music, it's the way they choose to express themselves. 'And that's what makes us really unique, the blended culture that we inherited,' said Andrew Sharpe, Chairman of the Authentic Caribbean Foundation. 'Both from Africa and Europe, and we created our own.' Rep. Ramos proposes bill for red light cameras in Mass. Springfield came together to celebrate National Caribbean Heritage Month, with local leaders showing their support at the steps of City Hall. A flag-raising was held to honor the Caribbean community across the region. Music and dancing is a big part of Caribbean culture, and they plan to bring that to Springfield in the coming weeks. This includes the Moko Jumbie, also known as a traditional dancer on stilts. 'In terms of representing Moko Jumbie, which is one aspect of our folklore culture,' Sharpe said. Across the Caribbean from east to west, the Moko Jumbie is celebrated. Groups like the Authentic Caribbean Foundation want this tradition to reach western Massachusetts. 'That spirit of fun and enjoyment is some of the things we bring to this nation as well,' said Curt Marcellin, Committee Chair for Caribbean Heritage Month. Outside of Boston, Springfield and Holyoke are home to a growing population of Caribbeans. The celebration will continue through August, when the African Community Festival will take place on August 8 in Springfield. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The popular Australian seaside town plagued by deadly shark attacks
Esperance is regularly touted for possessing some of the world's best beaches, but now this popular Australian tourist town is facing a crisis after becoming plagued by shark attacks. Swimmers and surfers have long flocked this dreamy spot on the isolated south coast of Western Australia, about 400 miles from state capital Perth. But many locals and tourists have become wary of entering Esperance's crystalline seas due to a tragic spate of shark attacks. Esperance had gone more than 100 years without such a death before four people were killed by sharks in just the last eight years. This harrowing sequence of events has not only devastated the town's tiny community of about 10,000 people. It has also affected its reputation as a tourist destination, and sparked debate about just how aggressively authorities should implement anti-shark measures. Most recently, in March, a 37-year-old tourist from Melbourne, Steven Jeffrey Payne, was surfing at Wharton Beach near Esperance when he died from a shark bite. Another surfer, 52-year-old Esperance man Andrew Sharpe, passed away in similar circumstances in October 2020 at Esperance's Kelp Beds. Earlier that year, 57-year-old local Gary Johnson was killed by a shark while scuba diving at Cull Island near Esperance. And in April 2017, a 17-year-old tourist from Mandurah was fatally wounded by a shark while surfing at Kelp Beds. It means Esperance has had four of the last seven deadly shark attacks in Western Australia. Such a concentration of deaths is unprecedented in this colossal state, which has more than 8,000 miles of coastline. As a result, these shark attacks have received heavy news coverage. Ron Chambers, Esperance Shire President, said many locals and visitors were now cautious about entering the sea. 'Every life lost, be it a visitor or local, is deeply felt across the region,' Mr Chambers said. 'Locals and visitors are more alert, but not avoiding the water altogether. Some change where and when they enter the water, [but] the recent shark incidents have not stopped people coming to Esperance, our tourist numbers are still high.' Should visitors to Western Australia be concerned? The state's Tourism Minister Reece Whitby said it has one of Australia's most comprehensive programmes aimed at protecting the public from sharks. It uses shark tagging, shark lookout towers, helicopter shark patrols, beachside warning systems, and shark sighting apps. It also operates 'swimming enclosures' at seven of its most popular beaches, including Town Beach in Esperance, where a 300m net helps to block sharks. The Western Australian government has also committed AUD $45,000 to upgrade seaside shark warning towers at Esperance's Twilight Beach, West Beach, and Kelp Beds. Government employees also visit locations inundated with sharks, such as floating whale carcasses. There they attach digital tags to the most dangerous shark species: great white, tiger, and bull. Certain beaches across Western Australia have digital receivers which can detect these tagged sharks. A detection prompts the nearby shark warning tower to activate flashing lights and warning sirens for at least one hour. Further shark detection comes via WA's Shark Smart phone app, which members of the public can use to log a shark sighting. Swimmers and surfers can check this app for real time reports of shark sightings. All four of Esperance's recent attacks involved great white sharks, a giant species up to 6m long. A 2018 study by Australia's top scientific body, the CSIRO, found there were more than 1,000 great whites in Western Australian waters. Esperance's natural environment and tourist activity have combined to cause its spate of shark attacks, said Dr Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research. 'Esperance is a pristine part of the coastline with a rich marine life, including a healthy population of Australian sea lions, a favourite food of white sharks,' Dr Naylor said. 'The increased density of white sharks in the area has resulted in an increase in bites on surfers. The surfers are likely mistaken for seals flopping around at the surface.' Deadly shark attacks may make the news, but they're far less common than fatal car crashes, for example, says Dr Vincent Raoult, a marine ecologist from Australia's Griffith University. Over the past decade, Australia's had an average of 2.7 fatal shark attacks per year. Its annual road deaths are more than 40 times higher than that. Tourists to Australia can reduce their chances of encountering a shark by following simple advice. Avoid entering the sea at dawn or dusk, when sharks are more active. Choose beaches that have shark nets, shark lookout towers, or lifeguard patrols. Stay close to the shore, and avoid beaches with heavy fishing activity, which can attract sharks. Australian marine biologist Madeline Riley also recommends shark deterrent devices, which attach to a swimmers' limb and emit electrical pulses that can repel sharks. 'Some can reduce the risk of bites by around 60 per cent,' she said. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
28-05-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
The popular Australian seaside town plagued by deadly shark attacks
Esperance is regularly touted for possessing some of the world's best beaches, but now this popular Australian tourist town is facing a crisis after becoming plagued by shark attacks. Swimmers and surfers have long flocked this dreamy spot on the isolated south coast of Western Australia, about 400 miles from state capital Perth. But many locals and tourists have become wary of entering Esperance's crystalline seas due to a tragic spate of shark attacks. Esperance had gone more than 100 years without such a death before four people were killed by sharks in just the last eight years. This harrowing sequence of events has not only devastated the town's tiny community of about 10,000 people. It has also affected its reputation as a tourist destination, and sparked debate about just how aggressively authorities should implement anti-shark measures. Most recently, in March, a 37-year-old tourist from Melbourne, Steven Jeffrey Payne, was surfing at Wharton Beach near Esperance when he died from a shark bite. Another surfer, 52-year-old Esperance man Andrew Sharpe, passed away in similar circumstances in October 2020 at Esperance's Kelp Beds. Earlier that year, 57-year-old local Gary Johnson was killed by a shark while scuba diving at Cull Island near Esperance. And in April 2017, a 17-year-old tourist from Mandurah was fatally wounded by a shark while surfing at Kelp Beds. It means Esperance has had four of the last seven deadly shark attacks in Western Australia. Such a concentration of deaths is unprecedented in this colossal state, which has more than 8,000 miles of coastline. As a result, these shark attacks have received heavy news coverage. Ron Chambers, Esperance Shire President, said many locals and visitors were now cautious about entering the sea. 'Every life lost, be it a visitor or local, is deeply felt across the region,' Mr Chambers said. 'Locals and visitors are more alert, but not avoiding the water altogether. Some change where and when they enter the water, [but] the recent shark incidents have not stopped people coming to Esperance, our tourist numbers are still high.' Should visitors to Western Australia be concerned? The state's Tourism Minister Reece Whitby said it has one of Australia's most comprehensive programmes aimed at protecting the public from sharks. It uses shark tagging, shark lookout towers, helicopter shark patrols, beachside warning systems, and shark sighting apps. It also operates 'swimming enclosures' at seven of its most popular beaches, including Town Beach in Esperance, where a 300m net helps to block sharks. The Western Australian government has also committed AUD $45,000 to upgrade seaside shark warning towers at Esperance's Twilight Beach, West Beach, and Kelp Beds. Government employees also visit locations inundated with sharks, such as floating whale carcasses. There they attach digital tags to the most dangerous shark species: great white, tiger, and bull. Certain beaches across Western Australia have digital receivers which can detect these tagged sharks. A detection prompts the nearby shark warning tower to activate flashing lights and warning sirens for at least one hour. Further shark detection comes via WA's Shark Smart phone app, which members of the public can use to log a shark sighting. Swimmers and surfers can check this app for real time reports of shark sightings. All four of Esperance's recent attacks involved great white sharks, a giant species up to 6m long. A 2018 study by Australia's top scientific body, the CSIRO, found there were more than 1,000 great whites in Western Australian waters. Esperance's natural environment and tourist activity have combined to cause its spate of shark attacks, said Dr Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research. 'Esperance is a pristine part of the coastline with a rich marine life, including a healthy population of Australian sea lions, a favourite food of white sharks,' Dr Naylor said. 'The increased density of white sharks in the area has resulted in an increase in bites on surfers. The surfers are likely mistaken for seals flopping around at the surface.' Should I be worried about sharks in Australia? Deadly shark attacks may make the news, but they're far less common than fatal car crashes, for example, says Dr Vincent Raoult, a marine ecologist from Australia's Griffith University. Over the past decade, Australia's had an average of 2.7 fatal shark attacks per year. Its annual road deaths are more than 40 times higher than that. Tourists to Australia can reduce their chances of encountering a shark by following simple advice. Avoid entering the sea at dawn or dusk, when sharks are more active. Choose beaches that have shark nets, shark lookout towers, or lifeguard patrols. Stay close to the shore, and avoid beaches with heavy fishing activity, which can attract sharks. Australian marine biologist Madeline Riley also recommends shark deterrent devices, which attach to a swimmers' limb and emit electrical pulses that can repel sharks. 'Some can reduce the risk of bites by around 60 per cent,' she said.
West Australian
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
National Reconciliation Week 2025 sees City of Albany host free events in line with Bridging Now to Next theme
National Reconciliation Week will begin next week with Albany joining the annual call for all Australians to move forward together while reflecting on the nation's complicated history. The City of Albany and local Aboriginal corporations will support the 2025 NRW, under the theme Bridging Now to Next, by hosting a series of free community events from May 27 to June 3. A Sorry Day Symposium held by the Southern Aboriginal Corporation and Great Southern Aboriginal Health Service will kick off the week a day early on Monday. Held at the Albany Entertainment Centre from 9am to 1pm, the event will include a panel session consisting of Menang Noongar elders directly affected by the Stolen Generation. A special screening of the Genocide in the Wildflower State documentary will also be shown and light refreshments provided. Albany public library will offer free lunchtime film screenings, including In My Blood It Runs on Tuesday and The Habits of New Norcia on Wednesday, followed by a question and answer session with survivor Mary Wynne. On Thursday there will be cultural learning activities, storytelling and traditional food at a special Reconciliation Week Playgroup at the Child and Parent Centre, open to families from across the Great Southern. City of Albany chief executive Andrew Sharpe said the theme calls for Albany to take meaningful action now, and look ahead together. 'Reconciliation is an ongoing journey, and this year's theme reminds us that meaningful change relies on collective action,' he said. 'Supporting these events is one way we can help create spaces for truth-telling, cultural sharing and community healing.' Reconciliation banners showcasing the artwork of Noongar artist Darryl Dempster will also be displayed on Stirling Terrace and York Street throughout the week. The week-long event first began as the Week of Prayer for Reconciliation in 1993, before being officially rebranded to its current iteration in 1996 by the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation.
