Latest news with #Barons
Hamilton Spectator
17-07-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Council axes Virgil couple's appeal for town to waive $750 tree-cutting fee
The town has rejected a Virgil couple's request not to pay $750 to chop down a tree on their property; however, the municipality is offering the couple some grace in how they could pay the tree-cutting fee. In November, arborist Harry Althorpe, the town's urban forestry officer, approved the removal of a corkscrew willow tree in the backyard of Gerard and Corrine Baron's home, after they applied for a tree removal permit in September. However, that permit came with two conditions outlined in a town bylaw: the Barons would need to either plant three replacement trees on their property or elsewhere in town, or pay a $750 fee. That $750 price tag is too steep, say the Barons, who appeared before council during this month's committee of the whole planning meeting. 'The cost of replacing these trees is too high,' Corrine Baron told council. 'We can't afford it.' Gerard Baron added that hiring an arborist to remove the tree would cost about $2,000 out of pocket. Ultimately, council rejected their appeal, citing its need to uphold the municipal tree bylaw. When the Barons applied for a tree removal permit last September, they cited concerns about the tree's close proximity to a storm drain. In a letter to the town, they warned the roots could eventually clog the drain and create 'a big problem for the neighbourhood.' They also said the willow had already killed a smoke tree and an apple tree by blocking sunlight. Althorpe inspected the tree in November and found it in good health, but still approved its removal. He said corkscrew willows tend to grow large and could eventually overwhelm other vegetation in the yard. 'This tree, within the next five to 10 years, has the chance to really take over their whole backyard,' Althorpe told council during the July 8 virtual meeting. He also noted they wouldn't be exempt from these conditions — their case doesn't qualify for one. The Barons rejected those conditions, resulting in the town denying their permit. They then exercised their right to appeal to council. In response to the Barons' appeal to council, Coun. Adriana Vizzari proposed a 'friendly amendment' to offer the Barons a payment plan to help cover the cost; council agreed to Vizzari's suggestion. This means if the Barons were to keep their permit to cut down the tree, they would have to pay the fee. If they decide not to keep their removal permit, the corkscrew willow tree would remain in their backyard. Coun. Sandra O'Connor supported the town's position on the case. 'We need to enforce our bylaws,' she said. The bylaw's replanting requirement supports the town's broader environmental goals, said Coun. Wendy Cheropita. 'It's really important to us for environmental reasons and others,' she said, referring to the town's efforts to build a stronger tree canopy, the coverage of trees in the municipal area. Coun. Maria Mavridis asked if there was a list of acceptable replacement trees. 'We're pretty open to what gets planted, as long as it's not something invasive,' Althorpe replied. daniel@ Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
The Sun
15-06-2025
- General
- The Sun
Discover Sun Bingo's medieval games on the anniversary of the Magna Carta
ON this day in 1215, the historic document was signed at Runnymede, Surrey. King John I of England was born on 24th December 1166. As the fourth son, he was not expected to inherit lands, leading to the nickname John Lackland. JOIN SUN BINGO NOW AND GET A £60 BINGO BUNDLE TO PLAY WITH * However, after the untimely deaths of his older brothers, without heirs, John became king in 1199. As such, he became ruler of the Angevin Empire, which included the regions of Aquitaine, Normandy and Brittany. However, after a series of unsuccessful wars, King John lost all of his territories in Northern France. In order to fund his futile attempts to regain Normandy and Brittany, the king imposed heavy taxes on the English barons. Failure to comply was severely punished, with barons having their lands seized or male children kidnapped and ransomed. Disquiet grew and, after a particularly humiliating defeat of John's allies in the Battle of Bouvines, the barons rebelled. This commenced the First Barons' War. Their cause quickly gained momentum and they captured London. Forced to negotiate, the king met with the rebels at Runnymede. The resulting agreement was written up and dubbed the Magna Carta (the great charter). It was signed 810 years ago today. This was the first time in English history that rules were imposed to limit the power of the monarch. Previously, it was believed that under the divine right of kings, monarchs derived their right to rule from God and as such were not subject to any other earthly authority. A council of 25 barons was formed in order to uphold the agreement and the rebellion was over… for 10 weeks. The Pope declared the charter null and void, breaking the terms of the peace agreement. As tensions grew once more, King John died on 19th October 1216. When nine-year-old Henry III took the throne, he agreed to honour the charter in order to keep the peace. The Magna Carta was reissued several times over the 13th century before eventually becoming a part of English law. Much of the charter is no longer relevant, having been specifically written to address rights and customs within a feudal system. 1 However, four of the original 63 clauses are still valid in English law today. The most famous clauses are 39 and 40: No free man shall be seized, imprisoned, dispossessed, outlawed, exiled or ruined in any way, nor in any way proceeded against, except by the lawful judgment of his peers and the law of the land. To no one will we sell, to no one will we deny or delay right or justice. This demands a right to due legal process. It has been noted that the expectations of justice and a fair trial inspired elements of the Declaration of Independence and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Battle it out at Sun Bingo Take a trip back to feudal England with our medieval slot games. There's no need to take up arms here at Sun Bingo! Wage stakes rather than war and see what you can win. Knight Hot Spotz Enter the green valleys of an enchanted kingdom. The maximum payout for this 25-payline slot is 2000x your bet. This game has a free spin bonus round that can be triggered by spinning in six scatters during base games. Red Knight Lock & Hit Check out the world of Red Knight Lock & Hit, where spinning in three to five scatter symbols will award up to six free games. There's also the Lock & Hit bonus feature that activates when multiple coin symbols appear on the playtable. For those seeking treasure, there are four jackpots that can be won! What will you win across the 30 paylines? Take a spin and see. Kingdoms Rise: Battle Beast This game allows players to win an army's worth of free spins. That's up to 100 free games! Players will need to spin in six scatter symbols to win that mighty loot. Free spins can also be won by spinning in three, four or five scatters (awarding 8, 12 and 25 free spines, respectively). With 4096 ways to win, a daily jackpot, a power strike jackpot AND an epic jackpot currently worth £116,000, players could be about to experience a mighty victory. *New customers only. Register, deposit £10 and spend £10 on bingo tickets to receive £40 bingo bonus (accept within 48 hours and wager 4x within seven days) and £20 side games bonus (accept within 48 hours and wager 20x within 30 days) on Rainbow Riches in the bingo lobby. Both bonuses must be accepted in the bingo lobby. Only completed games are credited. Debit cards only. Deposits made with Neteller/Skrill/PayPal are not valid for this promotion. 18+. T&Cs apply. Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.
Los Angeles Times
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Fountain Valley High seniors sent off to their futures
Fountain Valley High gave a grand send-off to its seniors on Wednesday, as the Barons shared a shining moment together during their commencement ceremony at Orange Coast College's LeBard Stadium. Before the event was over, 796 students heard their names called — the largest graduating class in the Huntington Beach Union High School District this year. 'Seniors, as you embark on your next adventure, remember the lessons you've learned within these walls,' Principal Paul Lopez said. 'Remember the friendships you've forged, the resilience you've built, and the dreams you've dared to chase. You are prepared, you are capable, and you are ready.' Lopez shared that Uy Pham gained admittance into Harvard, while Jacqueline Nguyen is headed to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Kayla Nguyen, the ASB president, urged the graduates to consider who they have become beyond roles they fulfilled on campus. 'My fellow graduates, who are you today?' she asked. 'I'm not talking about titles like sports captains or club president, I'm talking about the person beneath those titles. That's who you really are. As you walk down the stage, think about who you've become throughout high school.' Lily Ogle performed the national anthem, and Hannah Querry and Avery Thepsisombath led their peers in a recital of the school's alma mater. The Fountain Valley Royal Regiment band did the honors in providing the processional and walk-out music. —Daily Pilot Staff
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Florence native Grant Taylor gets called up to MLB
(WHNT) — Florence native Grant Taylor made his MLB debut on Tuesday after getting called up by the Chicago White Sox. The Former Florence Falcon made his debut in the Sox's win over the Houston Astros. Advertisement Athletics rookie Denzel Clarke robs Angels of home run with 'absolutely insane' catch Taylor was selected in the second round of the 2023 Draft out of LSU and has been playing for the organization's Double-A affiliate in Birmingham. Taylor was thriving for the Barons, allowing three earned runs in 26 2/3 innings for a 1.01 ERA. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
Los Angeles Times
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Early lead vanishes for Fountain Valley baseball in CIF semifinals
SANTA ANA — Fountain Valley High baseball coach Gerardo Gonzalez has been around long enough to know that high school sports are about more than just the wins and losses. Gonzalez, three years into his second stint as Barons head coach, smiles when he talks about senior leadoff hitter Anthony Zamora, for example. 'He was a little kid and grew up,' Gonzalez said of Zamora, who played on the junior varsity team last year as a junior. 'He just kept his head down, worked his rear end off, worked out in the weight room and just had a fantastic year.' Zamora hit his first home run of the season on Tuesday, blasting the first pitch he saw over the fence in left-center field. Mater Dei rallied late, however, earning a 5-4 home win in the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs to end Fountain Valley's season. The Monarchs (19-13) advanced to play West Ranch in the Division 2 title game Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Cal State Fullerton. Fountain Valley (18-14) was trying to make its first CIF final since 1996. Zamora's solo shot gave the Barons a 4-1 lead in the top of the second inning, but they couldn't hold it. 'We didn't add to our runs and we gave them that opportunity,' Gonzalez said. 'Kudos to them. That's a good ball club. At this point, everybody's a good ball team. They're a good Trinity League team, and we're a really strong Sunset League team. I just feel that at the end of the day, when we walk away from this game, our kids aren't very happy and I'm not very happy because I think we should be playing in the championship.' Fountain Valley took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, with Zamora and Mikey Patterson lacing back-to-back singles. After Zamora scored on an errant pickoff move, Tyler Peshke was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Starting pitcher Josh Grack then helped his own cause, roping a triple to deep center to score two more runs. Grack was out at home plate on the play. 'It was a very good feeling just to do your job and see your team just roll with it,' Zamora said. 'It's absolutely insane, honestly. Everybody just giving you compliments because you started it, there's nothing like it, man.' The offensive outburst didn't last, though. Mater Dei senior pitcher Landon Gordon, who came on before Grack's triple, landed the win in relief. He retired the side in order in the fourth, fifth and sixth. 'Landon is a guy we trust,' Mater Dei coach Richard Mercado said. 'He's a four-year varsity guy, and he was Trinity League Rookie of the Year his freshman year with a 0.8 ERA. He's been through everything, he's got ice water in his veins and he's just a guy we would trust in any big moment. That's why we had him out of the pen, because we know we can rely on him to come in and throw strikes and be competitive for us as a team. That's what he did today.' Fountain Valley still led 4-2 headed into the bottom of the sixth. Barons reliever Logan Hunt got the first out before the hosts began to rally. Dylan Wetzel drew a full-count walk, then Brandon Thomas was plunked by a pitch. Bradley Beaudreau's dribbler in front of the plate went for an infield single for Mater Dei, loading the bases. After Brady Guth's run-scoring groundout, CJ Ciampa hit a sharp grounder to shortstop, but the throw was dropped to allow another run to score and tie the game. Mater Dei senior catcher Lawson Olmstead followed with the eventual game-winning single to left, scoring Beaudreau. Thomas, normally the Mater Dei No. 1 pitcher, earned the save in the seventh, working around a two-out single by Patterson. Junior catcher Ethan Cortez was two for three for the Barons, while junior outfielder Isaac Lomeli added a hit. Gonzalez said his Barons went through adversity this season, with the starting shortstop quitting the team two weeks into the year and Patterson missing much of the year with an injury. They came together at the end, however, to help fuel a memorable run. 'First and foremost I told them that I love them,' Gonzalez said when asked his post-game remarks to the team. 'It's all about relationships here for us. We have a moniker at our school, 'Barons for Life,' and they know that they're always welcome back. Even as the game was going on, I had 50 ex-players right there watching the game, which was awesome to see.'
