Latest news with #Mayle
Hindustan Times
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Book Box: How to build a mountain house
Dear Reader, These days I am either waiting for electricians or stonemasons or plumbers. Building a house in the mountains sounds romantic I know —but wait until you spend long moments arguing with a wood polish man who insists ebony is chestnut brown. When the cement work goes awry, I take a deep breath, and think of Peter Mayle doing repairs on a farmhouse in the French countryside in A Year in Provence. Mayle's genius is turning disaster into comedy, his self-deprecating charm making even the most infuriating mishaps feel like part of the adventure. That's the spirit, I tell myself. Someday, this will be a funny story too. Smile - and take all the squelch and snafus in your stride. Never mind that the wooden beams have been laid in the wrong direction, that the electricity has been gone all day and that the wood polish man is still insisting his shade of ebony is identical to the chestnut brown sample - surely this will make a good story. And surely Peter Mayle endured all this and worse. And after all isn't this the life-in-the-Himalayan-mountains-dream that we city types are forever chasing ? In the evenings, I return to the little room by the building site, too exhausted to do much else but gaze at the ceiling above me. Are those rafters even symmetrical and why on earth is there a gap between the beams - and why is this trailing black wire tacked on top — my brain refuses to shut down. Then I open a little novella by Italian writer Vincenzo Latronico, aptly entitled Perfection. I mean to escape into a book that will soothe me - instead I find one that holds up a mirror to me. Shortlisted for this year's International Booker Prize, this novella dissects the illusions of aesthetic perfection. It tells the story of Tom and Anna, two designers who live in Berlin - in a light filled art deco apartment with tangled foliage, where plants shelter in the nook of a bay window, complete with a Scandinavian farm chair, and an artfully placed magazine left face-down on the seat. Theirs is the perfect life, going to art galleries, working on their laptops after lazy lunches in trendy cafes. Their world is beautiful, but it's also a performance, an illusion of a carefully created life. And Latronico's brilliance lies in exposing the fissures beneath this curated existence. Is this what I do too, I wonder ? Do I curate my reality ? I pick my phone and scroll through the pictures I sent my friends. Each one tells a beautiful story. In one shot from our picnic by a waterfall, my friends are stretched out onto a sunlit rock. In another, their two black dogs are splashing in the green foam flecked water against mountainsides covered with deodar trees. It all looks blissful and idyllic - a far cry from spending all day sweltering in the sun waiting for a stone mason. The next morning, sunlight floods the room, and for a moment, I consider staging the perfect shot—laptop on a blue blanket, mountains in the background, the illusion of effortless creativity. But Perfection has made me hyper aware of the frames we choose. And of what lies outside the frame of my iPhone. I look again. And now I see the greasy omelette on a melamine plate, the chaos of half-unpacked boxes, and sneakers gritty with construction debris. 'Reality didn't often live up to the pictures. In the mornings it often would.' says the narrator in Perfection. It's a line that lingers with me. The magic of books like these is how they reflect our own contradictions back at us. Reading Mayle has taught me to laugh at the mess; Latronico teaches me to see beyond the frame. And when this house is finally standing, I'll owe its soul not to the perfect beams, but to the crooked ones—and the books that helped me love them. And you dear Reader, do you have your own frames? What do you capture and what do you leave out ? (Sonya Dutta Choudhury is a Mumbai-based journalist and the founder of Sonya's Book Box, a bespoke book service. Each week, she brings you specially curated books to give you an immersive understanding of people and places. If you have any reading recommendations or reading dilemmas, write to her at sonyasbookbox@ The views expressed are personal.) Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines to 100 year archives.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
TSA prepares for Real ID deadline at Capitol Region International airport
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – The Real ID deadline has been 20 years in the making and finally hit today. The first two flights this morning out of the Capitol Region International airport didn't present any travelers without proper identification at TSA. Although Real IDs have received the most attention recently, TSA has a lengthy list of acceptable forms of identification on its website. As these are subject to change, officials suggest consulting the site before travel for anyone who does not have a Real ID already in their wallets. Capitol Region International Airport/ WLNS Jessica Mayle, regional spokesperson for TSA, says most of the public are already in compliance and 'about 81% of people nationwide are presenting something that would work.' Since the Real ID Act was passed in 2005, TSA has been rolling out additional technology at checkpoints, including the credential authentication technology, which precludes the need for a boarding pass when going through security. Capitol Region International Airport TSA checkpoint/ WLNS The machines can verify all necessary information directly from the appropriate government identification. Mayle explains that the ultimate goal is to keep passengers safe and give them confidence that 'the person on the ID is the person standing there.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The REAL ID deadline has arrived. Here's what to know.
Two decades after Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005, travelers will finally be asked for compliant IDs to board planes starting Wednesday. Travelers will still be able to fly without a REAL ID, officials said this week, but they may face extra scrutiny at the airport. In Illinois, a last-minute surge in REAL ID-seekers left Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias visibly irritated at a news conference Monday. Giannoulias urged Illinois residents to not get a REAL ID immediately unless they must have one, saying Wednesday's deadline 'isn't really a deadline.' Illinois residents can still use other forms of identification to board a plane after May 7, such as a passport, and do not need a REAL ID to drive a vehicle or identify themselves, Giannoulias added. The state issued more than 185,000 REAL IDs during April — 40,000 more than the month before, according to Giannoulias. Five days before the deadline, the state processed more REAL IDs than any other day, at more than 11,000. The surge made it difficult for many to access other DMV and secretary of state services, Giannoulias said Monday. The state will continue expanded REAL ID services, including Saturday hours, and a REAL ID Supercenter in Chicago will remain open at least through the end of the month. The supercenter, at 191 N. Clark St., offers walk-in service. Department of Homeland Security head Kristi Noem said Tuesday that domestic travelers without a REAL ID or passport will still be able to fly, for now. They 'may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step' in security, she said. Extra enforcement methods will vary by airport, according to TSA's Great Lakes regional spokesperson Jessica Mayle. Mayle said she wasn't certain how long U.S. residents could continue flying without a REAL ID. Mayle considers the deadline the beginning of 'full enforcement,' instead of any sort of phased transition. 'I don't want anyone in the future to expect what's happening now to be what happens forever,' Mayle said. 'People need to get in compliance as quickly as they can.' Temporary paper REAL IDs, issued while people wait for the hard copy of their ID cards, cannot be used alone to board flights, Mayle added. Another form of identification, such as a driver's license, is required alongside the paper ID, and those passengers may still be subject to extra screening. Giannoulias said that while some residents receive the hard copy of their ID in about a week, it usually takes two to three weeks. Lines to apply for the REAL ID have been long recently. 'To see these lines right outside our door here, it is probably the most frustrating thing I've ever seen in public life, because it does not have to be this way,' said Giannoulias. 'Again, people have had over a decade to get this done.' Giannoulias added that the Department of Homeland Security did not do 'a great job of having a uniform process on this issue,' a sentiment he has expressed for months. Yet reports of long lines and few available DMV appointments have led to some criticism of the secretary's efforts. Giannoulias said Monday that he has done 'everything but light himself on fire' in his quest to help Illinois residents become REAL ID compliant. In March, his office opened the REAL ID Supercenter in Chicago's Loop and added Saturday hours at 12 DMVs across the state to meet a growing demand for the document. The secretary of state's website also added a portal with a checklist for people to ensure they need a REAL ID before seeing appointment availability. The Chicago Department of Aviation said in a statement that it had 'made significant efforts' to educate the public about the ID requirement, including via digital signs at O'Hare International Airport and Midway Airport and through social media posts. Mayle said given the REAL ID surge at DMVs, she would not recommend rushing to get one, but the Transportation Security Administration expects travelers to face delays or extra screening at airports. 'It is a very, very busy time for them (the Illinois secretary of state's office),' Mayle said. 'We are going to try and process those travelers and get them through the checkpoint, but really recommend they give themselves extra time. … What TSA is most concerned about is that you bring something to the checkpoint that's acceptable.' The REAL ID Act was passed in 2005 on a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission. Implementation has been repeatedly delayed since. Chicago Tribune's Talia Soglin contributed.
Chicago Tribune
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
The REAL ID deadline has arrived. Here's what to know.
Two decades after Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005, travelers will finally be asked for compliant IDs to board planes starting Wednesday. Travelers will still be able to fly without a REAL ID, officials said this week, but they may face extra scrutiny at the airport. In Illinois, a last-minute surge in REAL ID-seekers left Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias visibly irritated at a news conference Monday. Giannoulias urged Illinois residents to not get a REAL ID immediately unless they must have one, saying Wednesday's deadline 'isn't really a deadline.' Illinois residents can still use other forms of identification to board a plane after May 7, such as a passport, and do not need a REAL ID to drive a vehicle or identify themselves, Giannoulias added. The state issued more than 185,000 REAL IDs during April — 40,000 more than the month before, according to Giannoulias. Five days before the deadline, the state processed more REAL IDs than any other day, at more than 11,000. The surge made it difficult for many to access other DMV and secretary of state services, Giannoulias said Monday. The state will continue expanded REAL ID services, including Saturday hours, and a REAL ID Supercenter in Chicago will remain open at least through the end of the month. The supercenter, at 191 N. Clark St., offers walk-in service. Department of Homeland Security head Kristi Noem said Tuesday that domestic travelers without a REAL ID or passport will still be able to fly, for now. They 'may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step' in security, she said. Extra enforcement methods will vary by airport, according to TSA's Great Lakes regional spokesperson Jessica Mayle. When asked by the Tribune, Mayle said she wasn't certain how long U.S. residents could continue flying without a REAL ID. Mayle considers the deadline the beginning of 'full enforcement,' instead of any sort of phased transition. 'I don't want anyone in the future to expect what's happening now to be what happens forever,' Mayle said. 'People need to get in compliance as quickly as they can.' Temporary paper REAL IDs, issued while people wait for the hard copy of their ID cards, cannot be used alone to board flights, Mayle added. Another form of identification, such as a driver's license, is required alongside the paper ID, and those passengers may still be subject to extra screening. Giannoulias said that while some residents receive the hard copy of their ID in about a week, it usually takes two to three weeks. Lines to apply for the REAL ID have been long recently. 'To see these lines right outside our door here, it is probably the most frustrating thing I've ever seen in public life, because it does not have to be this way,' said Giannoulias. 'Again, people have had over a decade to get this done.' Giannoulias added that the Department of Homeland Security did not do 'a great job of having a uniform process on this issue,' a sentiment he has expressed for months. Yet reports of long lines and few available DMV appointments have led to some criticism of the secretary's efforts. Giannoulias said Monday that he has done 'everything but light himself on fire' in his quest to help Illinois residents become REAL ID compliant. In March, his office opened the REAL ID Supercenter in Chicago's Loop and added Saturday hours at 12 DMVs across the state to meet a growing demand for the document. The secretary of state's website also added a portal with a checklist for people to ensure they need a REAL ID before seeing appointment availability. The Chicago Department of Aviation said in a statement that it had 'made significant efforts' to educate the public about the ID requirement, including via digital signs at O'Hare International Airport and Midway Airport and through social media posts. Mayle said given the REAL ID surge at DMVs, she would not recommend rushing to get one, but TSA expects travelers to face delays or extra screening at airports. 'It is a very, very busy time for them (the Illinois secretary of state's office),' Mayle said. 'We are going to try and process those travelers and get them through the checkpoint, but really recommend they give themselves extra time. … What TSA is most concerned about is that you bring something to the checkpoint that's acceptable.' The REAL ID Act was passed in 2005 on a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission. Implementation has been repeatedly delayed since.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Meet Errick Freeman and Darren Mayle, Democratic candidates seeking Canton Ward 1 seat
CANTON – Canton Ward 1 residents won't see Greg Hawk's name on the city council election ballot for the first time in decades. Hawk served as the ward's councilman from 2002 until he died Feb. 15 following an extended illness. The 74-year-old Democrat had never lost an election and often ran uncontested in Ward 1, an area with roughly 4,300 registered voters that generally sits north of Tuscarawas Street, west of Shorb Avenue NW, east of Wertz Avenue NW and south of 12th Street NW. Canton Ward 1 Democrats have two choices on the May 6 election ballot for their next council representative: Errick Freeman and Darren Mayle. The winner in May will face Daniel D. Gates in the November general election. Gates is uncontested in the Republican primary for Ward 1. The winner in the fall will serve a two-year term. Here are four things to know about the two Democratic Ward 1 council candidates: Mayle, who was appointed by the Ward 1 members of the Stark County Democratic Central Committee in February to fill Hawk's unexpired term, grew up in the same Monument Road NW home where he lives now. The 1986 Canton McKinley High School graduate who attended Stark State College is a Ward 1 precinct committee member and serves on the Stark County Safety Council. He also was a member of the Canton Park & Recreation Commission and the city's income tax board of review until he became a councilman. Mayle now serves on council's finance, annexation, downtown development, personnel and public property and capital improvement committees. He also sits on the city's tax incentive review committee, which annually reviews whether businesses have met their contractual commitments to receive city tax breaks. Mayle, 56, said his committee involvement and his meetings with department heads are giving him the tools to more effectively resolve resident questions and concerns. He said responding to constituent concerns is similar to his job as the operations coordinator for the Plain Local School District, where he has worked for 36 years. 'At work, I basically put fires out,' he said. '(In both roles,) people call me and I try to get answers for them.' Freeman, of Seventh Street NW, has lived in Ward 1 for more than 30 years. The longtime visual artist decided to seek the Ward 1 council seat after repeatedly watching city leaders only visit his neighborhood and the ward's other less affluent areas for social media photo opportunities but then disregarded their pleas for improvements to roads and houses. 'My neighbors and I were tired of being ignored,' said Freeman, who will turn 51 next week. Freeman, who earned his GED and attended Kent State University and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, believes his background, which includes living through homelessness and dealing with gun violence, racism and family mental health issues, will help him bridge the disconnect between city leaders and the ward's less affluent and racially diverse residents. Freeman, who recently began working in medical transportation, said he can empathize with ward residents who are struggling financially. He, too, is working to repay debts, including the $723 he owes in delinquent city income taxes. As an artist for more than 20 years, Freeman, who last year painted the multilingual mural at the Shorb Neighborhood Market and Connection Center, said he has worked with people of all income levels and backgrounds through his time owning various local art galleries, volunteering to mentor children during in-school and after-school art programs and participating in art discussion panels, speaking engagements and drum circles. 'If you are going to take care of the ward, then take care of the whole ward and not just those that are lining your pockets,' said Freeman, the son of the late Ida Ross-Freeman who was a social worker, former Canton school board member and community activist before her death in July. Both candidates said residents list neighborhood safety as a top concern. Canton police statistics show that violent crime and property crime have decreased in Ward 1 over the past five years. In 2024, police recorded 419 incidents of violent crime in Ward 1, such as homicides, rape, domestic violence and assault. That is a 2% decrease compared to 2023, and a 15% decrease compared to 2019. For property crimes, the department reported 388 incidents in Ward 1 for last year, such as theft, criminal damaging, and breaking and entering. That is a 31% decrease compared to 2023, and a 35% decrease compared to 2019, statistics show. Freeman, who has bullet holes in his front porch bannisters and a front room wall, said his neighbors often won't call for police help because they believe officers previously ignored their concerns or used condescending attitudes. 'I'm not trying to cast our officers in our bad light,' said Freeman, whose uncle Darryl Ross was killed by police in a 2008 drug raid that his family maintains was unwarranted. 'We do need them, but we need to figure out what we are doing. How are we going to approach policing in a more positive way?' Freeman, a father of six children ranging in age from 15 to 25, wants officers to be more visible in the ward, particularly during nonemergency situations. 'I would like to work with our police and maybe do some walk-throughs,' he said. Mayle, who said crime most often occurs in small pockets of the ward, believes the city needs to increase its number of police officers to help improve neighborhood safety. 'There are less than 90 uniformed police officers for three shifts,' he said. 'They need to get those numbers up quite a bit.' He believes the contract that he and council unanimously approved in March will help with recruitment and retention of officers. The three-year agreement includes pay raises and shortens the number of years it takes patrol officers to reach the department's top wage scale. Mayle said Canton's comprehensive plan, which guides how the city spends the income tax increase that voters approved in 2018, has helped to improve the living conditions for residents in and around the greater Shorb neighborhood, which the plan lists as a target area. 'If anyone has an issue, they can call me or the police,' Mayle said. 'That's the best path and we'll see what we can get done.' Housing and roads also are priority areas that the candidates plan to address. Mayle plans to continue supporting the city's ongoing demolition efforts to remove blighted housing while also supporting the organizations that are building and renovating homes in Canton, such as Habitat for Humanity East Central Ohio and Canton For All People. 'We need to increase our housing stock because we just don't have enough,' he said. Freeman believes the city should do more to help tenants and landlords who may be struggling to maintain their properties before penalizing them. If elected, he plans to talk with the tenants to better understand the reasons why they are not maintaining their property. 'I'm not going to pass judgment from a distance,' said Freeman, who believes the city also needs to help build a coalition to address mental illness in the community. Both candidates said they would advocate for the Ward 1 roads that are pockmarked with potholes to be repaved. Both candidates have attended meet-the-candidate events and plan to keep meeting residents leading up to the election. Freeman will host a meet-and-greet from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. April 17 at Plant Et Art at 1524 Fulton Road NW. He also plans to continue to talk with potential voters during his walks or bicycle rides through the neighborhood. Mayle, who has received endorsements from Mayor William V. Sherer II and Stark County labor unions representing electricians, iron workers and laborers, is going door to door every weekend to meet residents and listen to their concerns. Reach Canton Repository staff writer Kelli Weir at 330-580-8339 or This article originally appeared on The Repository: Meet Canton Ward 1 Democratic candidates Darren Mayle, Errick Freeman
