Latest news with #EaglesNest
CTV News
4 days ago
- General
- CTV News
First Nations youth program serves up Bannock, hot dogs in support of wildfire evacuees
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs hosted a fundraiser to help support wildfire evacuees in Manitoba. The kitchen of a North End leisure centre churned out a bevy of tasty treats Friday to help support Manitoba wildfire evacuees. Eagle's Nest, an Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs job readiness program for First Nations youth, organized the fundraiser. Folks were invited to the Aikins Street Community Health Centre as youth sold Bannock, soup, tacos in a bag, burgers, hot dogs and more. All proceeds go to First Nations families who have been temporarily displaced by wildfires. 'We're just trying to raise some money and help some people out and do what we can,' said Eagle's Nest project coordinator Desiree Martin. According to Friday's fire bulletin, there are 28 active wildfires currently burning out of control. Ten are considered out of control. As of June 5, the Canadian Red Cross has registered about 18,000 evacuees from over 7,100 households. A provincial state of emergency is in effect until June 26.
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Aston Martin's new Vantage Roadster is a V for Victory - even if you're driving roof down in the rain
It is the sort of top-secret mission James Bond might well have undertaken to mount an undercover strike at an evil villain in the heart of his secret mountain lair. That's what went through my mind as I drove the exciting new 202mph Aston Martin Vantage Roadster - roof down, of course - through one of the most beautiful but infamous parts of southeastern Germany. For the driving route through the breathtakingly scenic Obersalzberg area of the Bavarian Alps, skirted ominously close to the Eagle's Nest and the former site of the Berghof, once the holiday home of Adolf Hitler. So close to VE Day celebrations of the 80th anniversary of Britain and its Allies' victory in Europe over Nazi Germany, history reverberated through my mind during the trip. And my daydreamed Bond parallels were not entirely far-fetched. For there really was a British plot to assassinate Hitler – Operation Foxley – which involved parachuting in two British agents and shooting the Fuhrer, as he took his daily walk from the Berghof to a tea house. Meanwhile, during the war, Ian Fleming was in Naval intelligence and, of course, Aston Martin will always be linked with the author's 007 – it being Bond's favourite car. Parked by the Eagle's Nest, I had time to get back down to earth and reflect on my own adventure with the new £175,000 Aston Martin convertible. The Aston that's perfect for the sunshine… or the rain With a sunny warm spring at home in England and hopes for summer building, this luxurious sporting convertible would be ideal for exploiting those precious rays of sunshine. However, the reality was that I drove my Aston Martin Vantage mainly in the rain. But in true plucky British motorist style, I did it with the roof DOWN. And loved every second. Aston Martin's sizzling new two-door Vantage Roadster was designed and engineered in parallel with its hard-top coupe - and comes with minimal weight increase. Aston's bosses say this is key to the two-seater retaining the dynamic performance, ride and handling of its sibling, and makes it 'a convertible without compromise'. The rear-wheel drive Aston also claims to have 'the fastest operating fully automatic roof on the market', with the roof going up or down in a record 6.8 seconds and at speeds of up to 31mph. This is useful for the convertible-loving British, who often insist on driving roof down at the slightest opportunity, only to get caught out by the weather. The roof can also be operated remotely via the key providing the driver is within a two-metre radius of the car. Handy for grabbing extra seconds of drop-top driving or a dash to cover up when the heavens open. Driving the Aston Martin Vantage Roadster The Aston Martin Vantage Roadster impresses on paper, but does it live up to the billing? It certainly looks the business with its shark-like front profile and a natural stance that - hood up or down - suggests a convertible always designed to be that way. If looks could kill it would rival 007. The Vantage Roadster's £175,000 price-tag represents a £10,000 mark-up over the hard-top coupe version, launched last year with the same acceleration and performance figures. Neither is cheap – a casino or lottery win would be required for most mortals to purchase one - and a host of bespoke extra options will send that base figure soaring. Driving it was certainly fun and engaging – and despite persistent rain and drizzle, most of my drive was enjoyable with the top down. Powered by a bespoke 665hp 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo engine, linked to an eight-speed automatic gearbox with manual paddle-shift override and tighter gear shifts, the new Vantage Roadster accelerates with gusto from rest to 60mph in 3.5 seconds and can go on to a top speed of 202mph. The V8 Vantage Roadster is powered by Aston Martin's bespoke 665hp 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo engine It boasts an increase in power over the previous Vantage generation of 155hp, thanks to larger turbochargers and other engineering tweaks. Advanced traction control and six-axis sensors enhance driving performance, with five selectable drive modes: from Wet to Track – plus Individual, to tailor things to your preferences. On the public highway I sensibly ignored Track. But as the roads dried out and I cruised along in Sport mode I really thought I was enjoying myself – that is until I switched to Sport Plus. And wow – now we're motoring. That really put a smile on my face, as I rocketed along twisting alpine roads like an express train on tracks. I stuck with Sport Plus for most of the remaining drive. Lots of satisfying noise from the quad exhaust pipes and blips and burbles when changing down. But this comes at a cost to the driver and the planet, with the Aston averaging just 23mpg from the 78-litre fuel tank and having CO2 emissions at a hefty 279g/km. Inside the Aston Martin Vantage The weather around mountainous alpine region was pretty dismal with intermittent rain and much drizzle. But as a former owner of a much-loved MG Midget, I knew that as long as I could outpace the precipitation, the airflow over the windscreen would keep me dry. And so, it proved. Only when burbling slowly through traffic in a busy town did I resort to putting up the cossetting eight-layer fabric roof. And, as with my Midget, keeping warm in the open air was a simple case of putting on the heating at full blast. When the roof is in place, the eight levels of insulation keep occupants snug and offer comparable levels of sound-proofing to the coupe. I was also impressed with the superb quality of the audio – even with the roof down. The new Roaster is fitted as standard with the Aston Martin 390w 11 speaker audio system with an option to upgrade to the specially created bespoke system from Bowers & Wilkins, which I enjoyed. Inside, as well as standard leather sports seats and interior trim, owners have the choice of a wide range of options, including carbon fibre performance seat But practicality isn't the roadster's strongest suit with just a 200-litre boot, you'll need to pack efficiently if heading on a big holiday, perhaps to the Riviera or the ski slopes. But with a car that's this much fun, who needs more than a credit card, toothbrush and a soft shoulder bag. To protect occupants in the event of a crash, the Roadster car also has an aluminium roll-over protection safety system. Inside, as well as standard leather sports seats and interior trim, owners have the choice of a wide range of options, including carbon fibre performance seats. The Vantage Roadster features Aston Martin's latest infotainment system developed in-house from scratch and featuring a hi-tech 10.25-inch touchscreen. Thankfully buttons are retained for the key mechanical operations including gear and drive selection, heating and ventilation. There are also control switches for chassis, ESP electronic stability, exhaust settings, among others. The Daily Mail's Ray Massey has cast his verdict on the Aston Martin Vantage Roadster... The Cars & Motoring verdict: The Vantage is a victory for Aston The new Aston Martin Vantage Roadster really does celebrate a V for Victory. The raw technical data simply doesn't convey the full fun to be had with the roof down in this full-throttle British-bulldog Aston. It really does give you a buzz. You get all the advantages of the hard-top coupe - but the flexibility to get the top down if the mood arises, whatever the weather. 75 years of the Vantage The new car continues a tradition of open top Aston Martin Vantage models dating back 75 years to the launch in 1950 of the Vantage engine upgrade pack for the DB2 coupe and convertible drophead coupe, which raised power for the 2.6-litre engine from 105bhp to a heady 125bhp. It also coincides with the 20th anniversary of the introduction of the V8 Vantage – the first Gaydon-built 'modern' Aston Martin to use the name and the first Vantage to be a distinct model in its own right, rather than a derivative.
NZ Herald
21-04-2025
- NZ Herald
North Island Saddleback thrive in Bay of Islands, marking 10 years since reintroduction
'Thanks to the continued pest-free status of the islands, tīeke populations have become well-established on both Urupukapuka and Moturua, and visitors walking in the bush on either island are now very likely to be greeted by these charismatic birds and their distinctive calls.' Tīeke are a notable success story of New Zealand conservation. Highly vulnerable to predation by rats and stoats, by the early 1900s, tīeke had been reduced to a single population of a few hundred birds on Taranga / Hen Island off the coast of Bream Bay. Thanks to a series of translocations from the 1960s onwards, there are now 18 island populations, with six more within predator-fenced mainland sanctuaries, and an estimated total population size of more than 7000. The tīeke is one of seven animal species reintroduced to Ipipiri by Project Island Song since 2012, with 13 more identified for future releases. The project is currently running an online raffle to raise funds to keep the islands pest-free and support the return of more taonga species. Prizes are a two-night luxury stay at Eagles Nest in Kororāreka / Russell, a private sunset yacht cruise with Cool Change Charters, and a light pendant designed by David Trubridge. 'Putting these into a raffle provides a great opportunity for people to support our local wildlife, and give themselves the chance to win some fantastic prizes,' Rumsey said.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Approval recommended for purchase agreement on lot for indoor baseball, softball facility
Mar. 27—JAMESTOWN — The Jamestown Finance and Legal Committee recommended approval on a 4-0 vote to have the city of Jamestown enter into a purchase agreement with Eagles Nest LLC for a city-owned lot that will be developed into an indoor practice facility for youth baseball and softball. Councilman David Schloegel was not present at the meeting on Tuesday, March 25. The property is on lot one and block two at the Harold P. Bensch Addition and is adjacent to 12th Avenue and 5th Street Southeast. The purchase price is about $76,000 for the property. Matt Perkins with Eagles Nest said he had a couple of concerns with the purchase agreement but didn't want those concerns to derail the project. His concerns included needing Jamestown City Council approval to sell the property within the first 30 months after the purchase agreement and city staff being able to request records from Eagles Nest of the indoor practice facility's operations. Mayor Dwaine Heinrich said the city needs to ensure that the project in the request for proposal is what happens at the location. Abbagail Geroux, assistant city attorney, said the city would actually need a valid reason to look into the records of Eagles Nest regarding the performance of the purchase agreement. The purchaser must agree to sell the property back to the city at the original purchase price if development does not occur within 30 months of the purchase in accordance with the development plan submitted as part of the original purchase proposal. The indoor practice facility for youth baseball and softball was originally planned to be on 2 acres in the JMS Aviation Park near Jamestown Regional Airport before changing its location, Perkins told The Jamestown Sun after the meeting. The Finance and Legal Committee unanimously recommended approval of a request from the Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corp. for a forgivable loan of $1 million to the city of Jamestown that will be used as matching dollars for a grant program that helps create residential housing development. Heinrich said $500,000 is also being deobligated for a JSDC housing program for the development of residential lots within Jamestown city limits. The $500,000 will be reallocated to use as matching dollars for the Housing for Opportunity, Mobility and Empowerment (HOME) grant program in the North Dakota Department of Commerce if Senate Bill 2225 is approved. Senate Bill 2225 would create the Housing for Opportunity, Mobility and Empowerment grant program. It would appropriate $50 million to the program. If SB 2225 is approved, the Commerce Department would award grants to political subdivisions to build infrastructure to support affordable market-rate housing. The grant program would be funded one time and ends on June 30, 2027. The Commerce Department would allocate $10 million for communities with a population of 5,000 or less, $20 million for communities with a population of 5,001 to 20,000 and $5 million for rural metropolitan areas located within 20 miles of city limits of a community with more than 20,000 people. The program would provide grant dollars for one-third of the infrastructure costs for residential development projects. The local political subdivision and the developer of the residential lots would each provide one-third of the costs for residential development projects. A minimum of five residential lots would need to be developed using the HOME program and the agreements for residential lot development would be between the city of Jamestown and the developer. The Finance and Legal Committee unanimously recommended approval to introduce the first reading of an ordinance to prohibit camping on public property within Jamestown city limits. The ordinance would add Article 53 of Chapter 22 to Jamestown city code and amend the existing city code — Section 21-16-04.1 — regarding campers. Geroux said the ordinance would prohibit camping on city streets, boulevards, parks and other publicly-owned property. She said camping would be allowed in designated areas for camping. She said a camper or recreational vehicle is still allowed to be placed adjacent to a property owner's property for up to 14 days. The Jamestown City Council will make the first reading of the ordinance at its meeting on April 7. In other business, the Finance and Legal Committee unanimously recommended approval to introduce the first reading of an ordinance to amend Section 1-10 of the city code to increase Jamestown Municipal Court fees. The administration fee will increase from $30 to $125 and the facility fee will increase from $25 to $100. Heinrich said the intent was to have the Municipal Court fees match the fees at Southeast District Court in Jamestown.
