Latest news with #Chestnut
Vancouver Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
The most beautiful block in Vancouver is for sale
In 1976, the City of Vancouver handed out its first-ever heritage plaque to an 1891 house at 166 West 10th in Mount Pleasant. 'We received that from Art Phillips, who was mayor at the time,' recounts John Davis, whose family restored the house. 'We got (a plaque) ahead of the Marine Building. That's how enthusiastic the city was then.' The Davis family had purchased the house in 1973 for $30,000 and did an immaculate restoration. When four more old homes went for sale on the same block for $177,000, the family bought them, as well. 'They were being sold as a development site,' he explains. 'And we thought, 'Wow, let's just buy them, redo them and restore them and carry on.'' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The Davis family's heritage homes helped spark a revitalization of Mount Pleasant, which was a bit rough in the 1970s. Over time, more homeowners restored their old homes, turning their part of Mount Pleasant into Vancouver's most acclaimed heritage neighbourhood. When the Vancouver park board had a contest for the city's most beautiful street in 1999, the winner was the 100-block of West 10th, where the Davises had restored nine homes. What makes it special? The homes may date to the 1890s and early 1900s, but they look brand new, with colourful paint jobs that evoke San Francisco's famous 'painted ladies' and heritage touches like elaborate Victorian lattice work, dentil mouldings, large verandas, bay windows, wood windows, steep gabled roofs and an arched upper floor balcony. But times have changed. With the city's Broadway Plan and the province's transit-oriented density legislation, Mount Pleasant has been earmarked for high-rise towers. One proposal is for an 18-storey building at 121-129 West 11th, a stone's throw away from the four homes the Davis family owns at 140, 144, 148 and 150 West 10th. If the tower is built, the Davis homes will literally be in its shadow. So John Davis and his brother Geoff have decided to sell and retire, after a half a century of heritage preservation. 'They want to build an 18-storey tower back there, which we just see as a huge insult,' said Davis, 77. 'It's an insult to us, it's an insult to the entire neighbourhood. It's unacceptable they (would) even think of it.' The 100-block of West 10th is an oasis of heritage houses, giant Chestnut trees and gardens, as much like a park as a street. 'It's kind of like the lungs of the city,' said Davis, who sees the tranquillity on West 10th as 'a little pocket of sanity' is the rush and non-stop construction of contemporary Vancouver. The asking price for the four homes is $13.8 million. They come as a single 128.5 by 132 ft. lot, which could make it tricky to sell. The houses all have heritage designation, and are divided into 15 apartments. But they could still be torn down with council approval, although the city said in an email 'demolition is usually not supportable, and designated properties generally must be appropriately conserved at all times.' Davis had hoped any future owner might be able to take the undeveloped 'air rights' on the site to another property, but the city email said 'we don't 'sell' air rights, nor is 'density transfer' applicable in this case.' Retired Vancouver planner Sandy James said the Davis family's 'stewardship' of the neighbourhood has been exemplary. 'At a time when you could sell your single-family house and do a three-storey walk-up, they chose to make apartments inside a house,' she said. 'They also were the first people to look at a laneway house and redevelop that. 'That became the pattern language for what happened in west Mount Pleasant. It became a way to show what an Edwardian and Victorian street looked like, but at the same time, provide housing where people could actually have the amenity of having a yard, being able to sit out and be in a neighbourhood.' The Davis family have had some run-ins with authority. Davis notes that his late mother Pat fought with the city and B.C. Hydro when they wanted to cut part of the street's giant Chestnut trees into a U shape for power lines. (There are no lanes in the 100-block of West 10th.) 'My mother came out here and asked them not to cut until we could sort out a solution to the problem,' he recalls. 'But they wouldn't stop. They were up in their bucket, and she got in the cab of the truck and got the keys, and the guy was stuck up in the bucket. The crew phoned the police, and there was a big kerfuffle.' Hydro wound up installing taller poles so the power lines were out of the tree canopy, and one of Vancouver's leafiest streets is the result. Pat Davis seems like a force of nature. 'My mother stripped and refinished the wood in all of these houses by herself,' said her son. 'She worked like a tiger, but she loved it.' The Davis family did all their restoration without any economic help from the city — they financed everything through mortgages, rents and selling off some of the houses they restored. They haven't even received any heritage grants for painting their houses. 'The city now has the True Colors (heritage paint) program, and you can get a grant to paint your house,' he said. 'But we don't qualify because we won't paint it their colours.' jmackie@
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Anne Frank tree planted in Minnesota
The Brief A tree descended from a Chestnut tree Anne Frank wrote about in her diary is now planted in Minnesota. Fairmont High School was selected for the tree's location as part of the Sapling Project, through the Anne Frank Center. When the original tree was blown down in a storm in 2010 the Sapling Project collected seeds and has been growing sapling in Indianapolis. So far 20 trees have been planted across the country, including the one now planted in Fairmont, Minnesota. 11-year-old Natalie Flaherty spearheaded the effort to bring the piece of Anne Frank's history to her hometown. FAIRMOUNT, Minn. (FOX 9) - A tree that is a direct descendant of the Chestnut tree Anne Frank wrote about in her legendary diary is now planted in Fairmont, Minnesota. What we know Since Natalie Flaherty was in just second grade, she has been captivated by the story of Anne Frank and her view of the world while in hiding during the Holocaust. As Flaherty summarizes it, Anne wouldn't have died if it weren't for hate. "We don't love if we're going to hate," says Flaherty. "We weren't put on this world to hate and to tear our world apart. We're put on the world to love. If we hate, that's just going to break our world, and we hate for the most stupid stuff." With Anne Frank in mind, Flaherty started a Kindness Club at her school, sharing bracelets and good deeds. She and her mother traveled to Omaha to see another descendent of Anne Frank's tree planted. She spoke at the event, and became more determined to become a sapling recipient. Since then, Flaherty has met with lawmakers and Holocaust survivors. The backstory Dr. Lauren Bairnsfather of the Anne Frank Center says Flaherty was chosen as a sapling recipient, because of her unwavering dedication to Anne Frank's legacy. "I mean, she's moved by Anne Frank's story and by her diary that she is really leading a movement in Fairmont, Minnesota." For the planting ceremony, Flaherty arranged for the local choir to sing, friends to read passages from Anne Frank's diary, plus the mayor of Fairmont awarded a proclamation. She's collected letters and recognition ranging from former President Biden, to the Jewish community relations council and a phone call from the Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan. "We're not Jewish," says Flaherty mother Rebecca Flohrs. "I really think it's all hate that she wants to end, and it's against all people from all different places, and you can have an inspiration and a person who is kind of like that for you and still have empathy and want for everybody to feel love and cared for." Dig deeper To learn more about the Sapling Project, click here.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ribbon cutting held for new therapy practice office in Elkins
ELKINS, (WBOY) — Passages Therapy and Counseling, PLLC, had a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new office in Elkins Thursday. Eleven therapists work for the practice and offer therapy for individuals, couples and families. For flexibility, Passages offers sessions both in-person and via telehealth, as well as evening and weekend options. Owner Marlena Chestnut has been working in mental health since 2008, starting out at Chestnut Ridge Center. She said she has always planned on opening her own practice, and that Passages will try to help people with any need. Aerial Drone Competition Northeast Regional Championship begins at Fairmont State University The practice has been in the area since 2020, but its address at 120 Randolph Avenue is the first office space it's owned. Those interested in Passages' services can visit its website to start the intake process. Chestnut said that Passages is also opening new offices in Fairmont, Morgantown, Mannington and Kingwood. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Joey Chestnut Fires Back After Nathan's Hot Dog Ouster
If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Pricing and availability subject to change. It's a Fourth of July tradition — the beach, fireworks, and Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. Except in 2024, things looked very different for 16-champion Joey Chestnut. The competitive eater was banned from the competition last year after he collaborated with the plant-based company, Impossible Foods. He wanted to promote their vegan hot dogs for "Meatless Mondays," but Major League Eating (MLE) didn't see it that way. Now, Chestnut is breaking his silence with The Blast. Advertisement 'I really didn't think my relationship with Impossible would affect anything with Nathan's,' Chestnut said. 'It didn't go against any of my previous agreements.' He also claimed that he "eats more meat than anybody," but still enjoys taking "a break on Mondays." He added, "And sometimes I still want something that tastes like meat, so that's where plant-based comes in.' Chestnut is open to returning to the world-famous competition in Coney Island, NY, and making sure there are no sponsor conflicts. Still, he admitted, "But honestly, I don't think they want to go down that route. And yeah, it's a bummer. I love that contest.' Instead of his beachside location in 2024, Chestnut headed to Fort Bliss in El Paso, TX, to battle members of the Army for their annual 'Pop Goes the Fort' celebration. The event raised $106,000 for Operation Homefront, a nonprofit that supports military families, according to NPR. Advertisement Of course, Chestnut also hit the big time with Netflix and his hot dog rival, Takeru Kobayashi, in September 2024's TV special, Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef. He was able to break his personal record with 83 dogs which "broke the world record for most eaten in 10 minutes, without dunking them in water, in the history of competitive eating," according to Tudum by Netflix. Patrick Bertoletti won the men's Mustard Belt at the 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest after eating 58 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. Related: Why Joey Chestnut Has Been Banned From the 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest Joey Chestnut Fires Back After Nathan's Hot Dog Ouster first appeared on Men's Journal on May 27, 2025
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Joey Chestnut breaks popcorn eating record at Terre Haute Rural King
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — You know him from being a 16-time Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Conest winner, but this Memorial Day, Joey Chestnut was in Terre Haute to take on a different challenge. Hundreds of residents packed into the Rural King parking lot to watch Chestnut crush his original record of eating 32 24-ounce bags of popcorn in 8 minutes. He ate 5 more bags to shatter the record. It feels great to break the record', Chestnut said. 'The audience was pushing me, the popcorn was tasty, the weather was good, so many good things came together, and I was able to crush it.' Chestnut is a current Indiana resident and said the local audience cheering him on gave him the boost he needed. 'I moved to Indiana four years ago and it's so great to do a contest in front of people in Indiana', Chestnut said. 'The people are awesome, Hoosier hospitality is the best thing in the world.' While awaiting Chestnut's record attempt, Rural King sponsored a number of eating competitions for residents to participate in. One couple, Dustin and Ellen Jorgensen, each won their respective heat. 'They gave us a choice of five different pickled items, they were behind a box', Ellen Jorgensen said. 'We had to sip through a straw and figure out which ones lined up with which ones. It was a lot of fun.' Chestnut said he's not sure where he will be eating next, but he doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon. 'When I got into competitive eating, I never imagined I would be doing it for 20 years', Chestnut said. 'I got on this crazy wave, and I've ridden it a long way. I don't know where it's going to take me, but I'm going to have fun doing it.' Chestnut did confirm he has plans to compete in a wing eating contest in New York soon and will be eating hot dogs on the Fourth of July. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
