Latest news with #Lemoine
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Boston Globe
History on wheels: Framingham man restores century old car after 30-year hunt
The restored Bay State along with more than 150 other historic cars will be on display Sunday at the Bay State Motor Festival in Framingham. The event took two years of planning by Executive Director Lemoine and his 'small army' of friends, family, and colleagues. Advertisement The festival will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the lawn of Cushing Memorial Park at 80 Dudley Road. Lemoine called the event 'a big history lesson,' where car enthusiasts from across New England and beyond will celebrate Massachusetts' history as the birthplace of the American automobile, according to historians. Before World War II, Massachusetts bolstered a booming automotive industry, home to over 160 manufacturers, including R.H. Long Motor company, which made the Bay State. Only about 4,000 Bay States were made over its four years of production before R.H. Long Motor Company, now A Bay State automobile in Framingham Centre. Framingham Historical Center Right when Lemoine had accepted that he would never find a model of the car, 'the Bay State found me,' he said. Advertisement In 2016, Lemoine acquired the car from an Iowa man who had contacted the The former history center director put the two men in touch, Lemoine said. The Iowa man gifted the Bay State on two conditions: Lemoine take him to a Red Sox game and give him a ride in the car when it was restored. After nearly eight years of work and help from expert craftsmen, Lemoine finished the Bay State, returning the 101-year-old car to its former glory. 'I knew it was going to be a long-term restoration case ... I wanted to do it right,' Lemoine said. 'It's a part of Framingham history.' R.H. Long Motor Company, previously a shoe manufacturer, drove the state and local economy, at one point employing about 20% of metrowest's population, Lemoine said. A market swing in the mid 1920s caused many of the automotive manufacturers to dissolve. Companies such as Ford outcompeted local businesses who outsourced production of interior parts like the engine. This method, involving middlemen, drove up costs. In 1924, a Bay State Sedan sold for about $2,500, while a Ford Model T went for about $500, Lemoine said. Bay State advertisement displaying varying models of the car. Ken Lemoine While many local motor companies were forced out of business a century ago, Massachusetts retains its automotive history. 'Massachusetts is where is all started,' Lemoine said. And for that reason, Lemoine has an ambitious vision for the future of the Bay State Motor Festival. He hopes it will become a large, annual celebration, bringing Framingham's vibrant automotive history to an audience beyond typical car enthusiasts. Advertisement 'It's an event for everyone to enjoy, it's for families,' Lemoine said. Sunday's festival is free to all. The event will host food trucks and several performers, Lemoine said. 'A tremendous amount of history is going to be on that lawn,' Lemoine said. 'Car culture in New England is second only to about California ... to bring that culture together is really what we're trying to do.' Sarah Mesdjian can be reached at
Edmonton Journal
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edmonton Journal
Review: Teatro's On the Banks of the Nut a delightfully funny farce
Article content Directed by Lemoine and starring a sparkling and energetic cast of five, On the Banks of the Nut takes a detailed look at the issue of talent — how to define it, how to nurture it, and what to do when it lands with a plunk in your lap. As the two-hour production (including intermission) opens, a spirited secretary named Norine Cuthbert (Bella King) from the temp agency Inkwell has arrived at the office of Pinkerton Sprague (Sam Free in his Teatro debut). She's not sure what the job will involve, and neither is her boss, the newly installed and determinedly hapless federal talent agent in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The two put their well-coiffed heads together to come up with a plan of action and are soon on their way to a country inn alongside the Nut River in search of someone with a rare talent for who-knows-what.
Saba Yemen
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
France rejects all settlement policies in Palestinian territories
Paris - Saba: Christophe Lemoine, spokesperson for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated on Wednesday that France "strongly condemns any Israeli attempts to annex the occupied West Bank or Gaza Strip," reaffirming his country's "firm rejection of settlement policies in the Palestinian territories." During a press conference held in Paris, Lemoine responded to statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who threatened to "occupy the West Bank if France recognizes a Palestinian state," saying: "France's position is clear and consistent, whether regarding the West Bank or the Gaza Strip. We reject and condemn all forms of settlement and annexation attempts." Regarding the shocking scenes of Palestinian civilians scrambling for food aid in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, Lemoine expressed his country's "grave concern," noting that these images "reflect the depth of the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza" and confirm that "the current aid provided is insufficient to meet the minimum needs." He added that Palestinians in the Strip are "deprived of the most basic necessities of life." Lemoine called for "the urgent need to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza freely and without obstacles, in large quantities, to address the escalating catastrophe caused by the ongoing Israeli siege." Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
Local France
09-05-2025
- Local France
Victims of French paedophile surgeon reject 'false' apologies
But instead, a blank-faced Joel Le Scouarnec has used the courtroom in the western city of Vannes as a "stage for his perversion", playing "staring games" with former child patients, several told AFP. Le Scouarnec, 74, went on trial in February accused of 111 rapes and 189 sexual assaults at a dozen hospitals in western France. He has admitted to all charges and asked his victims for forgiveness. But they say they do not believe him, saying that his words sound hollow. In court, Le Scouarnec has remained calm and motionless. Some of his victims find his poker face deeply unsettling, saying that his words do not align with his body language. "In the dock, Le Scouarnec showed no sign of regret," said Manon Lemoine, 35. "He held my gaze for a long time. If he were a normal person, he would have looked down, felt bad. It was as if it didn't affect him... or as if he was up for a challenge," said Lemoine, who Le Scouarnec is charged with raping when she was 11. Lemoine said she spoke to other victims who also felt that Le Scouarnec was playing games. "He was playing staring games with us, seeing who could hold his gaze the longest. And it was quite chilling," she said. "I felt like I was in a tunnel -- nothing else existed, just this tunnel with him and his gaze, completely devoid of emotion. There was nothing visible in him except this desire to challenge us." Lemoine said Le Scouarnec's behaviour and posture "contradict the sincerity of his words". 'Sounded false' The majority of Le Scouarnec's victims were children whom he is believed to have abused while they were waking up from anaesthetic or during post-operation checkups, at a dozen hospitals between 1989 and 2014. The surgeon was never investigated during his career. Under French law, rape is "any act of sexual penetration, of whatever nature, or any oral-genital act committed on another person or on the person of the perpetrator through violence, coercion, threat or surprise". Le Scouarnec is already in jail, having been found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces. Advertisement Gabriel Trouve, 34, said he felt like Le Scouarnec wanted to manipulate his victims in court. "I now see his strategy, the system at play, and how he ultimately uses the courtroom as yet another stage for his perversion. That, to me, is horrifying," he said. "Even when he says, 'I'm sorry, it was abhorrent,' I still sense a form of perversion at work." Trouve also denounced "the discrepancy" between the accused's words and behaviour. Emmanuelle Martin, 36, said she does not believe in the sincerity of Le Scouarnec's apologies, accusing him of trying to make her "suffer again" in court. "He read the text he had written about me twice, repeating the word 'rape' several times," she said. "He offered his usual apologies," she said. "But it sounded false." 'Time to look in the eye' Nicolas Gourlet, who was sexually assaulted at the age of 13, said it felt like the accused was hiding behind a wall. "It's time he looked his victims in the eye and acknowledged their presence," he said. His mother, Francoise Gourlet, said she also doubted the retired doctor was sincere. "I don't know whether he's truly sincere or simply there because he has to be," she said. Le Scouarnec himself said he understood that his apologies were "repetitive", but this is "because there are so many, too many victims". He said that he "needs" to apologise, even when his apologies may sound unbearable for his victims. Le Scouarnec's lawyer said the victims' distress was understandable but insisted that their views were "biased". Advertisement "Mr Le Scouarnec is not trying to act," Maxime Tessier told AFP. "He is seeking reconciliation and wants to express his regret to the victims." He said his client was "exhausted" by the trial. Tessier said that no matter how hard his client tried, Le Scouarnec "will always lose in the eyes of certain people. And that's not fair, that's not justice." In court, the victims often huddle together, supporting each other. Sometimes at the end of the hearings, they gather to dissect Le Scouarnec's words and behaviour. Trouve said he struggled to believe in Le Scouarnec's "redemption arc". "This is not the behaviour of someone who is making amends," he said.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
France seeks to raise pressure on Iran over couple's detention
PARIS (Reuters) - Supporters of two French citizens held in Iran for three years staged rallies on Wednesday to demand their release as France's foreign ministry said it would soon file a legal complaint against Tehran at the International Court of Justice. Cecile Kohler and her partner Jacques Paris have been held since May 2022. Iranian state television aired a video later that year with them appearing to confess to acting on behalf of French intelligence services, which Paris categorically denies. France has accused Iran of keeping Kohler and Paris in conditions akin to torture in Tehran's Evin prison and not allowing proper consular protection. Iranian officials deny the charge. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said France would file a legal complaint in the coming days at the ICJ over the issue of consular protection. "It is necessary to recall one thing: Cecile and Jacques are innocent and are being held arbitrarily under shocking, inhumane conditions," Lemoine told reporters. Supporters of Kohler, a 40-year-old humanities teacher, and Paris, 71, a former maths teacher, gathered in Paris and eastern France on Wednesday to mark their three years in prison. French officials have toughened their language in recent months towards Iran, notably over the advancement of its nuclear programme and regional activities, but also the detention of European citizens in the country. Lemoine said about 20 European nationals were being held in Iran ranging from researchers to journalists and tourists. France was behind a push by the European Union in April to add sanctions on Iranian officials and entities linked to the judicial and prison system. French officials said further sanctions could not be ruled out. In recent years, Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have arrested dozens of dual nationals and foreigners, mostly on charges related to espionage and security. Rights groups have accused Iran of trying to extract concessions from other countries through such arrests. Iran, which does not recognise dual nationality, denies taking prisoners to gain diplomatic leverage. (Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Gareth Jones)
