Latest news with #JohnBurns
Irish Independent
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Letters: Until Eurovision political scream-fest reverts to real song contest, RTÉ should opt out
Thankfully Austria won and we didn't have the political embarrassment of Israel winning. So it should be 'so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, au revoir and a good night' until it returns to a proper song contest, if ever. There are better things for RTÉ to spend its budget on. Aidan Roddy, Cabinteely, Dublin 18 John Burns can be grateful he wasn't a TV actor in the '70s – he'd have gone broke As someone who has been trying for years to lose a stone in weight, I was hugely impressed by John Burns's account of how he lost eight times that ('Few will mourn the death of WeightWatchers, but I certainly don't miss the eight stone it helped me lose', Irish Independent, May 16). It's all the more impressive given that Mr Burns worked in journalism, a trade given to long hours and shift work. However, he was lucky he wasn't an actor. In the 1960s and '70s, Patrick Newell (1932-1988) specialised in playing rotund villains or comic characters. His most famous part was that of Mother in The Avengers TV series alongside Diana Rigg and Patrick Macnee. Newell described himself as an 'actor with a weight problem' because the more he tried to diet, the less work he got. Karl Martin, Bayside, Dublin 13 Teacher concerns about Leaving reform are valid – McEntee should listen Education Minister Helen McEntee has warned that secondary school teachers could lose up to 5pc of pay due under public service deals if they fail to co-operate with proposed Leaving Cert reforms. This confrontational approach is ill-advised as teachers have legitimate concerns about the integrity, equity and fairness of the proposed 'Additional Assessment Components' (AAC), based on candidates' unsupervised external work. An AAC will be worth at least 40pc of the marks and is reputedly designed to assess students' skills and competencies in a way that a terminal written exam cannot. All new and revised Leaving Cert subjects will include at least one AAC. Seven revised Leaving Cert subjects as well as two new subjects, Drama, Film and Theatre Studies, and Climate Action and Sustainable Development are due for introduction in September. Further sets of revised subjects will be phased in annually until 2029. The official view that the AAC will reduce the stress on students at the terminal written exams is psychologically naive. Teachers have concerns about the Leaving Cert reforms, particularly the acceleration of their implementation amid growing concerns about assessment integrity. Teachers feel there is a lack of knowledge and guidance on the use of AI and on the authentication of students' work. Smaller class sizes, more access to IT in classrooms, more support for students with special education needs and less well-off students are also priorities for teachers. The minister must take the teachers' concerns on board as the devil is in the detail. Consider the effect of the AAC in higher-level maths. The AAC is worth at least 40pc of the marks – grade H6, or 46 CAO points. But as 25 bonus points are awarded in higher-level maths for grade H6 or above, many candidates will have scored 71 CAO points in maths ever before sitting the terminal exam. Expect the AI experts to jump on that gravy train. Billy Ryle, Tralee, Co Kerry I don't want a librarian fixing my car and the same logic applies for educators Labour's Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill which is being discussed at present will require new teachers to have earned 'Qualified Teacher Status' or be working to obtain it. It would seem obvious a teacher had to be a teacher in fact, not just in name. Covid demonstrated that every parent believed they could be a teacher to their own children until they actually tried to do it, and realised that on Friday afternoons, some students' enthusiasm waned – and many had even waned by Monday afternoon. Appropriate qualifications are needed, not just advisable. I don't want my car serviced by a librarian, nor do I ask for reading advice from a mechanic. I want people who know what they are doing after having studied and developed experience in their specialty. In hindsight, however, I have to admit that much of my own four-year teaching degree was a waste of time and practical experience was the best way to develop my classroom skills. Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia US president will reap the whirlwind of his carnage when mid-terms come up US president Trump has had many failures and in fairness, some successes. For instance, he failed to fix the Ukraine-Russia war in 24 hours. He failed to solve the genocidal war in Gaza and failed to make Canada the 51st state. He has failed to take over Greenland and the Panama Canal. His deluded tariff war has backfired spectacularly, leading to increased inflation and possibly a recession. As for his successes, he has managed to make the US a world laughing stock and he himself its greatest buffoon – if a dangerous one. He has also succeeded in alienating America's closest allies and needlessly disrupted the global trading system. The only consolation is that many of his MAGA supporters, as they face increasing prices while they lose their jobs, medical aid and social insurance, are slowly beginning to realise that they were conned by Trump and his sycophants and will hopefully respond accordingly in the mid-term elections next year. John Leahy, Wilton Road, Cork No child should have to live with impaired vision because of cost constraints As a grandmother, I never imagined a child's ability to see would depend on their family's ability to pay. My granddaughter is four. She has a +7.5 prescription in one eye and +7.25 in the other. The HSE covers one pair of glasses, including lens thinning, but that's where the help ends. When the time came to get a second pair, we had to pay €270. It cost €170 to thin the lenses, €100 for frames. For many families, that is impossible. No child should be left unable to see because their parents or guardians can't afford a back-up. This is something the HSE and our politicians need to urgently fix. Catherine Masterson, Carlow
Irish Independent
05-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Wage costs up by almost €4m at state forestry firm Coillte
Last year 6,000 hectares of land across country was reforested, but cost of Storm Éowyn sits at €60m The wage bill at the state forestry company Coillte rose by almost €4m last year, with a noticeable increase in the numbers earning a salary of over €150,000. While employee numbers rose by just eight, to 863, the pay bill jumped from €57.8m to €61.6m. Related topics John Burns
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Local nonprofit ‘PALS' provides funding and resources for families in the autism community
Local organizations are shining a light on autism awareness. Autism Awareness Month begins April 1. Providing Autism Links and Support, or PALS, is a nonprofit that supports individuals with autism spectrum disorders in Central Florida. 'If we look at the incidents of autism in the general population, it's about 1 in 36 births,' John Burns, the President of PALS, said. 'We can estimate there is 50-80,000 people across those seven counties impacted by autism.' The organization operates through UCF's Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, known as UCF CARD. He said more than 24,000 Central Florida families are registered through CARD who are supporting a loved one with autism. 'Autism is a lifelong challenge for these families, and the individuals in these families,' Burns said. PALS works to create lifelong opportunities for these individuals. At a young age it's through access to educational opportunities and social activities. As those with autism get older, PALS tries to fill the gaps they face in housing, clinical services, employment, and transportation. PALS operates as a nonprofit. Extra funds are always needed. So, in partnership with Loyal Source, organizers are working to host the 18th Annual Derby Day 4 Autism. The two-day event will aim to raise more than $400,000 to fund programs and services for local families impacted by autism. 'It's part of Loyal Source's culture to give back,' Clayton Holmes, the Derby Day Chair for Loyal Source, said. It's really at the core of what Loyal Source does. 'The awareness these events build is tremendous,' Burns said. 'People in the autism community want nothing more than what you and I want. That's what we're trying to achieve.' Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Yahoo
Suspect in Old Pink arson given home confinement at parents' house
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The suspect in the Old Pink arson last June will now be allowed to be placed under home confinement at his parents' home in Grand Island, the U.S. Attorney's Office confirmed to WIVB News 4 on Thursday. John Burns, 40, is the man accused of setting off the fire at the iconic Allen Street bar in the early morning hours of June 17, 2024. In September, Burns was sent to an inpatient treatment facility to address physical and mental health issues. He returned to court in January to face charges related to the fire and has been in county jail. Conditions of his home confinement include GPS monitoring as well as substance abuse and mental health treatment. According to an affidavit last year, Burns was approached by a patron confronting him about his behavior towards women prior to the arson. Burns allegedly attempted to fight the patron, who formerly worked security for the bar, before the patron knocked him over. Following that encounter, Burns allegedly told the former guard, 'I'll be back motherf*****,' adding, 'I'll burn that b**** down' and 'ain't nobody going to have a job,' the affidavit states. Video shows the building being burned down around two hours following the encounter. The affidavit said Burns appeared to start the fire with a propane plumbers torch. Damages were estimated at $1.25 million. The bar, which had become beloved in the neighborhood, was torn down in the hours following the blaze. Fire dispatchers said on the scanner, 'how do you put a price tag on the old Pink Flamingo?' Aidan Joly joined the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
