Latest news with #Fasnacht
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Bay Area sanctuary takes in two dozen exotic animals after unusual rescue
The Brief The Sanctuary at Solid Rock got a call a few weeks ago about a major rescue from an undisclosed location in Central Florida. The sanctuary provides medical care and rehabilitation to the rescue animals. It also serves to educate the students and train them in different professions working with animals. This recent rescue has cost around $150,000, including costs for transport, housing and medical care. TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. - An unusual rescue call landed almost two dozen exotic animals at a sanctuary outside Tampa. The backstory The Sanctuary at Solid Rock got a call a few weeks ago about a major rescue from an undisclosed location in Central Florida. The sanctuary operates in conjunction with the Solid Rock Community School, a K-12 school in Tarpon Springs. VIDEO: Pet raccoon caught on camera sitting in driver's seat with glass meth pipe during traffic stop "All of our animals here, 100% are rescues," said Michele Fasnacht, the founder and director of the Solid Rock Community School. "And so, we do not breed here." Fasnacht said they only had a few days to prepare for this recent rescue. "We're licensed for certain animals," Fasnacht said. "So, there's only certain animals that we can take, but that doesn't mean that we can take any animal and every animal because, obviously, we only have so much size and so much space." Follow FOX 13 on YouTube She said this was the biggest rescue call they've ever received. "We had several different types of tamarins, several different types of lemurs, so those are all primates," Fasnacht said. "We had monk jack deer, which come from Asia. Wallabies, which are smaller versions of kangaroos. Marmosets." Dig deeper Fasnacht said breeding of certain exotic animals can be done legally with proper permitting, but she said sometimes, it's done illegally. "These are not animals that should be living in captivity," she said. "They're not animals that should be living in people's homes." READ: Kangaroo on the loose in Central Florida caught on camera The students at the K-12 school help out at the sanctuary. "We take care of the animals, and we clean their cages, we feed them, and then we do enrichment with them," Yvonne Cohen, a student at the school, said. The sanctuary provides medical care and rehabilitation to the rescue animals. It also serves to educate the students and train them in different professions working with animals. "This is where our high schoolers come who are interested in careers with animals," Fasnacht said. "And so, that might be students who are interested in being veterinarians, vet techs, vet assistants, wildlife rehabbers, animal attorneys." Some of the animals roam freely throughout the property, while others stay in their designated enclosures. They all live alongside each other in the sanctuary though. The exotic animals now join some traditional rescue animals like chickens, roosters, pigs and turkeys. MORE: Every horse in Kentucky Derby 2025 descended from legendary Secretariat "We're building enclosures inside and outside, building new habitats," Fasnacht said. "We have to change everything on the property around." She said this rescue about doubled their capacity at the sanctuary. "Once they come to us, they stay with us forever," she said. "So, this is their forever home." What you can do She said this recent rescue has cost around $150,000, including costs for transport, housing and medical care. The sanctuary said other organizations also assisted in this rescue. Fasnacht said they're working to raise money right now to expand the sanctuary and help care for the growing number of rescue animals. You can find more information about The Sanctuary at Solid Rock and Solid Rock Community School here. The Source The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Kylie Jones. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Meeting scheduled to discuss proposed windmills in Pickens, Helvetia
PICKENS, (WBOY) — Officials in two small Randolph County towns are encouraging landowners to attend a meeting on Saturday to learn more about a proposed windmill project. Public details about the project are limited, but according to the Helvetia Restoration and Development Organization, landowners in the Helvetia and Pickens area have been mailed fliers about a proposal to build windmills near the towns. A Facebook account associated with the town of Pickens said that 'some very misleading information being spread by the people who are contacting local residents regarding this project.' The meeting will be held in the Pickens Fire Hall at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 3 and is open to the public. It is meant to help residents gather information about and assess the impact of the proposed project. The meeting will also be available virtually, here. Randolph BOE job cuts still not enough to balance budget, superintendent says Although they are small communities, Helvetia and Pickens are known for their unique, Appalachian way of life and have fought to prevent unwanted modernizations and changes. Helvetia is known for its Swiss and Germain heritage, which have been preserved in part because of its isolated location, and its festivals like Fasnacht. Amid economic hardships for Randolph County Schools over the past year, the communities fought to keep Pickens School, which also serves Helvetia, open to preserve its unique mountain culture. The Randolph County Board of Education canceled the vote on the Pickens School closure in January. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New European
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New European
When Switzerland gave Trump the finger
This year the carnival received even more attention than usual, because one group carried an eight-foot tall image of a hand giving the middle finger, and on the tip of that finger was a familiar face: that of Donald Trump. Alongside this huge obscenity, which was wheeled through the streets on a cart, was a group dressed in black costumes, each of them wearing a mask in the shape of a hand, again, with the middle finger gesturing towards the sky. The three-day Basel carnival – the Basel Fasnacht – held every year at the start of Lent, is always a spectacle. The largest Protestant Lenten 'masque', its medieval origins have earned the carnival a place in the Unesco list of global intangible cultural heritage. Carnival groups are known as cliques, and this clique marched in unison, accompanied by the traditional piccolo and drum band. As Trump's unmistakable face went by, the message seemed clear and widely appreciated, including by many of my Swiss friends – 'fantastic', 'I love it', 'hilarious!' What happened next is unique in the Fasnacht's 700-year history – a video of what quickly became known as 'the middle finger parade', went viral. It got 23 million views on TikTok, and a lot of people outside Switzerland seemed to think the footage showed a Swiss political rally rather than a Lenten festival. According to one post on Instagram, 'The parade featured confetti, music, and costumes mocking Trump, reflecting widespread disdain for his character and policies.' A friend told me: 'It got misunderstood and misinterpreted by people. At carnival, it's a tradition that while in the parade you poke fun at politicians – it's a free pass to have a go at politicians who behave badly, local and international ones.' 'We didn't intend to focus solely on Trump,' said Andi Meier, who helped to organise the Trump imagery. 'It was about the general problem that people no longer talk to each other. Trump was just one facet, but suddenly our subject became a global anti-Trump message.' The interest in the middle finger parade has been so great that the clique responsible issued a statement on their website that sounded almost like an apology: 'The symbolism behind the middle finger,' it explained, 'does not express specific hatred or criticism of Trump, rather it is depicting the current attitude that world leaders are currently showing toward each other.' To the British ear, much of this sounds like mere back-tracking. But is it? Almost everything about the Fasnacht is traditional and carefully calculated, right down to the music and how the masks and lanterns are made. The political satire is no exception. A lot of thought goes into every aspect, so maybe there really was more to it. This very different approach to satire is rooted in the distinctive character of Swiss culture. The Swiss political system relies on the art of compromise rather than direct confrontation. No one, not even the right-wing Swiss People's Party has found a way around the need to yield to others at least some of the time. This is necessary in order to find common ground in parliament. And, of course, the art of compromise relies on first talking to each other – hence Andi's distress at today's situation. Outside politics, the Swiss do not like people who attempt to stand out from the crowd too much, or who become too big for their boots: and no role is more self-effacing than that of the Swiss president. You don't know who that is? That's not surprising, as many Swiss probably don't know either given that the presidential term lasts for just a single year. (Our current president is one Karin Keller-Suter from St Gallen.) The Swiss are by nature both very polite and somewhat reticent. Dominating the conversation in the style of Trump is anathema, as is being too direct, which is considered arrogant. While it is undoubtedly true that Basel showed the middle finger to Trump, the people who paraded with the fingers were hoping for a somewhat more self-reflective response than the one they got. Maybe that is why a very large and ungainly dove of peace also featured in the parade, quite some way behind the notorious Trump imagery. But no one outside Switzerland focused on the dove, of course.
New York Times
09-04-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Can Hobby Lobby, With Its Conservative Principles, Win Over New York?
In the Lower Manhattan neighborhood of TriBeCa, known for its liberal politics and sky-high rents, a new retailer, known for its conservative Christian convictions, rock-bottom prices and steadfast customers in rural America, is moving in. Now the question is, can this retailer, Hobby Lobby, make it in Manhattan? The retailer, which is expected to open this spring and is taking over 75,000 square feet that used to be a Bed Bath & Beyond and Barnes & Noble for its first Manhattan store, should have prompted an enthusiastic response given the surge of Americans who picked up crafts hobbies during the pandemic. Instead, the reaction has been mixed, with some residents feeling affronted that Hobby Lobby is opening in their neighborhood. Local groups and forums that are protesting the company's arrival in TriBeCa point to Hobby Lobby's work with organizations that oppose gay and transgender rights. They haven't forgotten the private company's lawsuit in 2014 to fight against having to provide insurance coverage for contraception for employees. Over a decade later, it remains to be seen whether low prices and a staggering selection of products are enough to make residents in an area that has long been a liberal stronghold look past the company's conservative bent. The neighborhood, known for cobblestone streets and converted loft buildings that are now home to affluent families and A-list celebrities, is solidly Democratic, but, like much of New York, it shifted to the right during the 2024 election. Heide Fasnacht, an artist who has lived and worked in TriBeCa for five decades, said she felt 'angry' about the arrival of a company that promotes the evangelical Protestant convictions of its founder. 'I moved to New York to get away from things like that,' said Ms. Fasnacht, who was calling for a boycott of the store. Madeline Lanciani, the owner of Duane Park Patisserie, a couple of blocks from Hobby Lobby's location in TriBeCa, also considers herself part of the resistance. 'I will gladly go out of my way to shop somewhere else,' she said. Hobby Lobby is no stranger to protests against its business. Its owners, David and Barbara Green, are outspoken about their Christian faith, which has infused the culture of the retailer. The company has said its guiding principle is 'honoring the Lord in all we do by operating the company in a manner consistent with biblical principles.' The stores remain closed on Sunday and sell Christian-themed goods. Despite backlash from residents like Ms. Fasnacht and Ms. Lanciani, Hobby Lobby is making inroads in New York at what appears to be an opportune time: One of its main competitors, Joann, which sold fabrics and crafts supplies for over 80 years, said in February that it was going out of business and closing all of its roughly 800 stores, including 30 in New York. Another competitor, Michaels, went through a leveraged buyout in 2021. Hobby Lobby, by contrast, has been the model of stability. The company, which has about 1,040 stores across the country, including 28 in New York State, brought in $8 billion in revenue and opened 37 new stores last year. Visits to its stores increased nearly 17 percent from 2019 to 2024, according to an analysis of foot traffic by a data provider, while Michaels had a decline of over 9 percent and Joann a loss of over 5 percent. Hobby Lobby opened its first store in New York City last year, in Staten Island, the most suburban and conservative-leaning of the city's boroughs, and is eyeing possible locations in other neighborhoods. As for the TriBeCa location, just blocks from the World Trade Center site, which attracts millions of visitors annually, Neil Saunders, managing director at GlobalData, a research and consulting firm, said, 'There will be some people who boycott it and some who adore it and people in the middle who just want a ball of yarn.' Lidia Curto, a Staten Island resident who was indeed loading blue yarn in her car after shopping at the store there on a recent afternoon, said Hobby Lobby's low prices were why she shopped there. Hobby Lobby did not respond to requests for comment for this article. The reaction to the retailer's coming to TriBeCa harks back to Chick-fil-A's arrival in Lower Manhattan in 2018 on Fulton Street, not far from Hobby Lobby's new space. The purveyor of fried-chicken sandwiches — with an ethos that has also been colored by its Christian founder, who has publicly maligned same-sex marriage — had caused its own uproar. Protesters greeted Chick-fil-A when it opened there, but were soon replaced by long lines of customers who seem to have since put aside their political concerns for a crispy, well-seasoned chicken sandwich. Chick-fil-A did not respond to requests for sales figures for the Fulton Street store, but the chain's non-mall locations generated average revenues of $9.3 million in 2023, according to the company's 2024 franchise disclosure document, an 8.1 percent increase over 2022. Chick-fil-A has 26 stores in New York City, according to its website. Jonnie Weeden called the food he had just bought at the Fulton Street restaurant on a recent afternoon 'a guilty pleasure.' He said he was aware of what he called the founder's 'homophobic views,' which he said didn't align with his own, but pointed out that 'many other companies have flawed world views, and people turn a blind eye.' Founded in 1972, Hobby Lobby started as a 300-square-foot space in Oklahoma City, an outgrowth of a miniature picture frame business that the Greens had started in their home. They later added crafts supplies, home goods and seasonal decorations to their offerings. Mr. Green, 83, is still Hobby Lobby's chief executive. One of his sons is president of the retailer, and another started an affiliate company that sells Christian books and church supplies. Today, Hobby Lobby stores are as big as 90,000 square feet and filled with tens of thousands of items. The retailer's Christian principles may seem like an odd fit for Manhattan, let alone TriBeCa. Hobby Lobby, like Joann and Michaels, has typically favored suburban and rural areas. But Steven Soutendijk, an executive managing director and retail specialist at the real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield, said he thought Hobby Lobby's lease in TriBeCa had less to do with the neighborhood than with the space itself, a rarity in Manhattan. 'There are very few superlarge-format big boxes that actually even physically exist' in the borough, he said. The company's real estate strategy involves leasing big-box facilities previously occupied by another retailer, avoiding the high costs of new construction. Its 42,000-square-foot space in Staten Island was a former Babies 'R' Us. It also typically funds its own renovations, unlike many other retailers that rely on their landlords to help cover those costs and are thus locked into higher rents, said Daniel Taub, the national director of retail at Marcus & Millichap, a commercial real estate brokerage. As to what extent Hobby Lobby's politics might affect how well the store performs, James Cook, the senior director of Americas retail research for JLL, a real estate services company, said, 'At the end of the day, I don't think it matters.' Chris Panayiotou, the owner of the Gee Whiz Diner, a TriBeCa mainstay just across from the Hobby Lobby building on Greenwich Street, said he was hoping to benefit from the foot traffic the retailer would bring and possibly make up for the customers he lost when Bed Bath & Beyond and Barnes & Noble closed. 'People, once they're done shopping, they're going to be tired,' Mr. Panayiotou said. 'Once they pop out and see us on the corner, they might want a cup of coffee or something to eat.'
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Yahoo
GPD officers recognized at city meeting
GREENSBURG – The Greensburg Police Department recognized two of its own Tuesday evening during the Greensburg Board of Works meeting at City Hall. Officer Jacob Mays was promoted to the rank of sergeant and Allison Reismiller received the Meritorious Service Award. Assistant Chief Derek Fasnacht made the presentations. Officer Mays has been with the GPD for 10 years and served as a K9 handler for 5 years. He's been a member of the Tactical Response Team since 2019. Mays is a field trainer and has responded to 6,322 calls for service. 'He displays countless acts of selflessness and dedication to his craft and continues to work alongside his peers without hesitation or reservation,' Fasnacht said. Reismiller started with the GPD in 2023 and was assigned to the Criminal Investigations Unit in 2024. In her time spent in the investigations unit, Reismiller was tasked with multiple assignments that were outside her normal scale of duties at the GPD. She researched and worked through different tasks, even successfully closing one of the higher profile cases in 2024. 'Resimiller's diligence and dedication to this case will bring justice to numerous victims and families in multiple cities' Fasnacht said while presenting her a framed document and shaking her hand.
