Latest news with #Hector
Toronto Star
2 days ago
- General
- Toronto Star
Historic Nova Scotia ship that led to wave of Scottish immigrants relaunched
PICTOU - A restored replica of the square-rigged sailing ship that sparked a wave of Scottish immigration to Nova Scotia more than 250 years ago was relaunched Saturday with a mighty splash into Pictou harbour. After a restoration and public fundraising effort that began in 2019, the rebuilt hull of the Hector was eased into the water sideways during a colourful ceremony on the town's scenic waterfront.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Inside Thom Browne's Upper East Side Store Opening Party
Leave it to Hector to draw a crowd. Thom Browne's dachshund was rendered in a bright green topiary stationed on 72nd Street, drawing the curiosity of casual passersby. The troupe of people dressed in coordinating seersucker was another clear sign that something was afoot on the Upper East Side block on Wednesday: the opening of two new Thom Browne boutiques, including a store dedicated to accessories, on Madison Avenue. More from WWD Tyriq Withers Celebrates 27th Birthday With Premiere of 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' EXCLUSIVE: Thom Browne Opens Two Stores on Upper East Side of Manhattan Fashion Designer B Michael Honored at Smithsonian for Donating Couture Items Worn by Cicely Tyson Hector himself had dropped by briefly earlier in the day (he's not big on crowds), but the late afternoon cocktail party had plenty of other VIPs in attendance. Guests included recent Emmy nominees Walton Goggins and Tramell Tillman, who both attended the Met Gala with Thom Browne in May, and Cristin Milioti; Christine Baranski and her 'The Gilded Age' costar Louisa Jacobson; 'Materialists' director Celine Song, and Jack Innanen. 'I love everyone's red accents,' said Ella Emhoff, a red handbag slung on her arm, as she took stock of the sartorial theme throughout the room. Everyone, naturally, was dressed in their Thom Browne best, including the man himself. ' It's nice to finally be in the neighborhood,' said Browne, holding court throughout the evening. 'It's an idea I've had for a long time. I live around here, so it's just nice to get this store together.' Coups of Champagne and trays of ice cream — served in Thom Browne-branded cups — were eagerly accepted as guests made their way around the intimate boutique. Goggins, dressed in a blue and white seersucker suit, paused to browse a rack of clothing upon arrival. The 'The White Lotus' star had an icy glass of lemonade in hand. ' I'm not used to carrying a bag,' said Tillman, navigating the top handle accessory that accompanied his Thom Browne pleated skirt and cashmere mesh basketball jersey, layered over a white button-down, as he posed for photos. The actor is firmly Team Thom after attending his first Met Gala with the designer in May. ' It's very clean, very simple but also elegant — it has a statement, which I truly appreciate,' said Tillman of the designer's approach. On Tuesday, the 'Severance' actor received his first Emmy nomination, for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series. ' It's a dream come true and 100 percent honor to be amongst all the nominees,' said Tillman. 'And 27 nominations for 'Severance' — it's absolutely incredible.' ' It's been very lovely 24 hours,' said Milioti, who also received her first Emmy nomination this week, for her lead role in 'The Penguin.' 'I'm blown away by the amount of nominations we got. And then also 'Black Mirror' got a bunch of nominations — it's been really great.' The rest of the summer holds 'a little bit of work, a little bit of play' for the actress, and then it's back to Los Angeles for the lead-up to the Emmy Awards in September. The actress, dressed in a long tailored gray dress, had a front-row seat at Browne's runway show in New York earlier this year. ' It was like witnessing art — walking, breathing art,' she said. 'You feel so fabulous in his clothing. It's so structured and timeless and classic, while being its own creature.' Launch Gallery: Christine Baranski, Walton Goggins, and More at the Thom Browne Madison Ave Opening Party Best of WWD A Look Back at SAG Awards Best Dressed Red Carpet Stars SAG Awards Wildest Looks of All Time on the Red Carpet, Photos From the Archive: A Look Back at Marc Jacobs Annual Holiday Party [PHOTOS] Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Inside Thom Browne's Upper East Side Store Opening Party
Leave it to Hector to draw a crowd. Thom Browne's dachshund was rendered in a bright green topiary stationed on 72nd Street, drawing the curiosity of casual passersby. The troupe of people dressed in coordinating seersucker was another clear sign that something was afoot on the Upper East Side block on Wednesday: the opening of two new Thom Browne boutiques, including a store dedicated to accessories, on Madison Avenue. More from WWD Tyriq Withers Celebrates 27th Birthday With Premiere of 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' EXCLUSIVE: Thom Browne Opens Two Stores on Upper East Side of Manhattan Fashion Designer B Michael Honored at Smithsonian for Donating Couture Items Worn by Cicely Tyson Hector himself had dropped by briefly earlier in the day (he's not big on crowds), but the late afternoon cocktail party had plenty of other VIPs in attendance. Guests included recent Emmy nominees Walton Goggins and Tramell Tillman, who both attended the Met Gala with Thom Browne in May, and Cristin Milioti; Christine Baranski and her 'The Gilded Age' costar Louisa Jacobson; 'Materialists' director Celine Song, and Jack Innanen. 'I love everyone's red accents,' said Ella Emhoff, a red handbag slung on her arm, as she took stock of the sartorial theme throughout the room. Everyone, naturally, was dressed in their Thom Browne best, including the man himself. ' It's nice to finally be in the neighborhood,' said Browne, holding court throughout the evening. 'It's an idea I've had for a long time. I live around here, so it's just nice to get this store together.' Coups of Champagne and trays of ice cream — served in Thom Browne-branded cups — were eagerly accepted as guests made their way around the intimate boutique. Goggins, dressed in a blue and white seersucker suit, paused to browse a rack of clothing upon arrival. The 'The White Lotus' star had an icy glass of lemonade in hand. ' I'm not used to carrying a bag,' said Tillman, navigating the top handle accessory that accompanied his Thom Browne pleated skirt and cashmere mesh basketball jersey, layered over a white button-down, as he posed for photos. The actor is firmly Team Thom after attending his first Met Gala with the designer in May. ' It's very clean, very simple but also elegant — it has a statement, which I truly appreciate,' said Tillman of the designer's approach. On Tuesday, the 'Severance' actor received his first Emmy nomination, for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series. ' It's a dream come true and 100 percent honor to be amongst all the nominees,' said Tillman. 'And 27 nominations for 'Severance' — it's absolutely incredible.' ' It's been very lovely 24 hours,' said Milioti, who also received her first Emmy nomination this week, for her lead role in 'The Penguin.' 'I'm blown away by the amount of nominations we got. And then also 'Black Mirror' got a bunch of nominations — it's been really great.' The rest of the summer holds 'a little bit of work, a little bit of play' for the actress, and then it's back to Los Angeles for the lead-up to the Emmy Awards in September. The actress, dressed in a long tailored gray dress, had a front-row seat at Browne's runway show in New York earlier this year. ' It was like witnessing art — walking, breathing art,' she said. 'You feel so fabulous in his clothing. It's so structured and timeless and classic, while being its own creature.' Launch Gallery: Christine Baranski, Walton Goggins, and More at the Thom Browne Madison Ave Opening Party Best of WWD A Look Back at SAG Awards Best Dressed Red Carpet Stars SAG Awards Wildest Looks of All Time on the Red Carpet, Photos From the Archive: A Look Back at Marc Jacobs Annual Holiday Party [PHOTOS]
Otago Daily Times
7 days ago
- Science
- Otago Daily Times
New technique helping save at-risk Hector's, Maui dolphins
Solving a three-billion-piece jigsaw puzzle has given conservationists a fighting chance of saving New Zealand's endangered Hector's and Māui dolphins. University of Otago anatomy researcher Dr Alana Alexander and Otago PhD candidate Sebastian Alvarez-Costes have found a way to create their genomes from degraded DNA samples, which is a hugely important step in managing the threatened species. Dr Alexander said getting small tissue samples from free-swimming and elusive underwater aquatic mammals was "tricky", meaning pulling together a quality genome using their DNA had been challenging up until now. "We're really lucky that in New Zealand, when whales and dolphins get stranded, the Department of Conservation takes a small tissue sample with the permission of iwi, and they send it to the New Zealand Cetacean Tissue Archive, at the University of Auckland. "One of our Maui dolphin samples came from that archive, and our Hector's dolphin sample came from an animal that was sampled while free-swimming at Cloudy Bay, on the South Island. "The way that these samples were stored was really great for genetics back in the day, but now we've got all these fancy genome techniques that have come on board, and they need really high-quality tissue. "They needed to be snap frozen at the point of collection." Unfortunately, these samples were not stored in optimal conditions, leading to DNA degradation, she said. Rather than abandon the valuable, but imperfect samples, Dr Alexander, Mr Alvarez-Costes and colleagues from Otago, the University of Auckland, Massey University, Oregon State University and the University of Munich looked at how they could work with what they had. The researchers used high-quality genomes from closely related whales and dolphins — particularly the bottlenose dolphin and vaquita — to create a reference framework to properly assemble and organise the fragmented DNA pieces from Hector's and Māui dolphins. The result was the development of an innovative genome assembly process (a pipeline) that leveraged ''synteny'' — similarities in the order of genes between related species and the structure of their chromosome, Dr Alexander said. ''The analogy I would use is that doing a genome is like doing a puzzle with three billion pieces and you don't know where any of them go. ''What using these other whales and dolphins did was kind of give us the picture on the front of the jigsaw puzzle box, so that we had a good idea about where those different bits of DNA should be placed, so that we could stitch together genomes for these species.'' The technique is a first and has had proved remarkably successful. More than 99% of the genome has been successfully mapped to chromosomes, despite the team working with degraded DNA samples. Their small size and inshore distribution makes these dolphins very vulnerable to fisheries bycatch, pollution, marine traffic and disease. As a result, the Hector's dolphin is endangered with about 15,000 distributed around the South Island, and the Māui dolphin is critically endangered with only 48 individuals older than 1-year-old. Mr Alvarez-Costes said there were concerns for Māui dolphins because the study indicated the species might now be at risk of inbreeding. ''What's also particularly concerning is their reduced genetic diversity may hamper their ability to adapt to other emerging threats like climate change,'' he said. Despite the great challenges, the new genomic information would give conservationists a deeper understanding of each population's genetic health and evolutionary history. That in turn would allow them to contribute to better-informed decisions about protection measures. Dr Alexander said it had been ''a long journey'' and the team was excited to see the project completed. Scientists around the world were now looking to see if the same technique could be used on other species, she said.
Hamilton Spectator
12-07-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Historic Nova Scotia ship that led to wave of Scottish immigrants relaunched
PICTOU - A restored replica of the square-rigged sailing ship that sparked a wave of Scottish immigration to Nova Scotia more than 250 years ago was relaunched Saturday with a mighty splash into Pictou harbour. After a restoration and public fundraising effort that began in 2019, the rebuilt hull of the Hector was eased into the water sideways during a colourful ceremony on the town's scenic waterfront. During the launch, the vessel was guided down seven ramps, known as launchways, after supporting wedges were removed — a process master shipbuilder Vern Shea described as a sight to see. 'It's kind of nerve-wracking,' Shea said in a recent interview. 'I've witnessed quite a few launches in my career, and you always get the hair on the back of your neck rising and the goosebumps every time you see it.' Shea was instrumental in the original build of the Hector replica, which was not fit for sailing, and was installed 25 years ago, next to the interpretive centre and outbuildings of the Hector Heritage Quay. The wooden vessel was built from the original designs, using traditional methods and materials, Shea said. Over the years, the vessel wasn't properly maintained and fell into disrepair before the Ship Hector Society bought it for a few dollars in 2010 from the town of Pictou. The society has spearheaded a $4 million fundraising effort for the latest restoration, which required an extensive rebuild to transform the Hector into a fully working sailing vessel. 'It was the vision to sail it. It's been my hope all this time,' said Shea. 'It's becoming a reality, which is very fulfilling.' Shea, who also worked on the engineering drawings for the rebuild of Nova Scotia's iconic schooner Bluenose II, said the latest rebuild of the Hector required all of the hull planking above the ship's waterline to be removed and replaced because of rot. The ship was then covered in fibreglass for added protection. 'We replaced all of the rotten planks up to the main deck with Douglas fir planking and then we filled the seams with pine and then used two layers of fibreglass,' Shea said. Inside the hull are two cramped compartments built as they would have been in 1773, when 189 men, women and children made the harrowing 11-week voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Smallpox claimed 18 lives during the journey. 'It would have been disgusting, there's no two ways about it,' said Shea. On its website, the Ship Hector Society says those who arrived aboard the Hector made 'enormous cultural, political, intellectual and industrial contributions that shaped Nova Scotia and the rest of Canada.' Saturday's launch was attended by several dignitaries, such as Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, federal Attorney General Sean Fraser and Chief Tamara Young of the Pictou Landing First Nation. Young said the arrival of Scottish settlers in northeastern Nova Scotia in 1773 changed the course of history for 'everyone who calls this land home.' 'For us as Mi'kmaq, our story does not begin with that ship. It began long before with thousands of years of life, culture and knowledge,' she said. 'The launch of this new ship, Hector, gives us an opportunity not just to commemorate the past, but to shape a better future.' Now that the ship is in the water and as more funding becomes available, the next phase of the project will begin, such as installing electric motors, masts and sails. It's hoped the refurbished Hector will be ready for harbour tours by 2027, said society chair Wes Surett. He said just over $2 million in public funds had been raised so far for the project, with another $1.8 million to go to finish the ship. On Saturday, that effort got an added boost with a donation of $1.25 million, announced by David Sobey from the Sobeys grocery chain and co-chair of the Hector capital campaign. Surett said the interpretive centre opened last month after an extensive revamp through funding from the federal and provincial governments. Future plans for the site also include the addition of a sailing program, along with a wooden shipbuilding school. Surett said a Hector that can finally set sail will be the real money-maker. 'We really see it (the ship) and that sailing experience generating the revenue to sustain the attraction long-term,' he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 12, 2025. — By Keith Doucette in Halifax
