Latest news with #Philbrick
8 hours ago
- Politics
The US commemorates 250th anniversary of the 'great American battle,' the Battle of Bunker Hill
NEW YORK -- As the U.S. marks the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill, it might take a moment — or more — to remember why. Start with the very name. 'There's something percussive about it: Battle of Bunker Hill,' says prize-winning historian Nathaniel Philbrick, whose 'Bunker Hill: A City, A Siege, A Revolution' was published in 2013. 'What actually happened probably gets hazy for people outside of the Boston area, but it's part of our collective memory and imagination.' 'Few 'ordinary' Americans could tell you that Freeman's Farm, or Germantown, or Guilford Court House were battles,' says Paul Lockhart, a professor of history at Wright University and author of a Bunker Hill book, 'The Whites of Their Eyes," which came out in 2011. "But they can say that Gettysburg, D-Day, and Bunker Hill were battles.' Bunker Hill, Lockhart adds, 'is the great American battle, if there is such a thing.' Much of the world looks to the Battles of Lexington and Concord, fought in Massachusetts on April 19, 1775, as the start of the American Revolution. But Philbrick, Lockhart and others cite Bunker Hill and June 17 as the real beginning, the first time British and rebel forces faced off in sustained conflict over a specific piece of territory. Bunker Hill was an early showcase for two long-running themes in American history — improvisation and how an inspired band of militias could hold their own against an army of professionals. 'It was a horrific bloodletting, and provided the British high command with proof that the Americans were going to be a lot more difficult to subdue than had been hoped,' says the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Rick Atkinson, whose second volume of a planned trilogy on the Revolution, 'The Fate of the Day,' was published in April. The battle was born in part out of error; rebels were seeking to hold off a possible British attack by fortifying Bunker Hill, a 110-foot-high (34-meter-high) peak in Charlestown across the Charles River from British-occupied Boston. But for reasons still unclear, they instead armed a smaller and more vulnerable ridge known as Breed's Hill, 'within cannon shot of Boston,' Philbrick says. "The British felt they had no choice but to attack and seize the American fort.' Abigail Adams, wife of future President John Adams, and son John Quincy Adams, also a future president, were among thousands in the Boston area who looked on from rooftops, steeples and trees as the two sides fought with primal rage. A British officer would write home about the 'shocking carnage' left behind, a sight 'that never will be erased out of my mind 'till the day of my death.' The rebels were often undisciplined and disorganized and they were running out of gunpowder. The battle ended with them in retreat, but not before the British had lost more than 200 soldiers and sustained more than 1,000 casualties, compared to some 450 colonial casualties and the destruction of hundreds of homes, businesses and other buildings in Charlestown. Bunker Hill would become characteristic of so much of the Revolutionary War: a technical defeat that was a victory because the British needed to win decisively and the rebels needed only not to lose decisively. 'Nobody now entertains a doubt but that we are able to cope with the whole force of Great Britain, if we are but willing to exert ourselves,' Thomas Jefferson wrote to a friend in early July. 'As our enemies have found we can reason like men, now let us show them we can fight like men also.'
San Francisco Chronicle
8 hours ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
The US commemorates 250th anniversary of the 'great American battle,' the Battle of Bunker Hill
NEW YORK (AP) — As the U.S. marks the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill, it might take a moment — or more — to remember why. Start with the very name. 'There's something percussive about it: Battle of Bunker Hill,' says prize-winning historian Nathaniel Philbrick, whose 'Bunker Hill: A City, A Siege, A Revolution' was published in 2013. 'What actually happened probably gets hazy for people outside of the Boston area, but it's part of our collective memory and imagination.' 'Few 'ordinary' Americans could tell you that Freeman's Farm, or Germantown, or Guilford Court House were battles,' says Paul Lockhart, a professor of history at Wright University and author of a Bunker Hill book, 'The Whites of Their Eyes," which came out in 2011. "But they can say that Gettysburg,D-Day, and Bunker Hill were battles.' Bunker Hill, Lockhart adds, 'is the great American battle, if there is such a thing.' Much of the world looks to the Battles of Lexington and Concord, fought in Massachusetts on April 19, 1775, as the start of the American Revolution. But Philbrick, Lockhart and others cite Bunker Hill and June 17 as the real beginning, the first time British and rebel forces faced off in sustained conflict over a specific piece of territory. Bunker Hill was an early showcase for two long-running themes in American history — improvisation and how an inspired band of militias could hold their own against an army of professionals. 'It was a horrific bloodletting, and provided the British high command with proof that the Americans were going to be a lot more difficult to subdue than had been hoped,' says the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Rick Atkinson, whose second volume of a planned trilogy on the Revolution, 'The Fate of the Day,' was published in April. The battle was born in part out of error; rebels were seeking to hold off a possible British attack by fortifying Bunker Hill, a 110-foot-high (34-meter-high) peak in Charlestown across the Charles River from British-occupied Boston. But for reasons still unclear, they instead armed a smaller and more vulnerable ridge known as Breed's Hill, 'within cannon shot of Boston,' Philbrick says. "The British felt they had no choice but to attack and seize the American fort.' Abigail Adams, wife of future President John Adams, and son John Quincy Adams, also a future president, were among thousands in the Boston area who looked on from rooftops, steeples and trees as the two sides fought with primal rage. A British officer would write home about the 'shocking carnage' left behind, a sight 'that never will be erased out of my mind 'till the day of my death.' The rebels were often undisciplined and disorganized and they were running out of gunpowder. The battle ended with them in retreat, but not before the British had lost more than 200 soldiers and sustained more than 1,000 casualties, compared to some 450 colonial casualties and the destruction of hundreds of homes, businesses and other buildings in Charlestown. Bunker Hill would become characteristic of so much of the Revolutionary War: a technical defeat that was a victory because the British needed to win decisively and the rebels needed only not to lose decisively. 'Nobody now entertains a doubt but that we are able to cope with the whole force of Great Britain, if we are but willing to exert ourselves,' Thomas Jefferson wrote to a friend in early July. 'As our enemies have found we can reason like men, now let us show them we can fight like men also.'
Winnipeg Free Press
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
The US commemorates 250th anniversary of the ‘great American battle,' the Battle of Bunker Hill
NEW YORK (AP) — As the U.S. marks the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill, it might take a moment — or more — to remember why. Start with the very name. 'There's something percussive about it: Battle of Bunker Hill,' says prize-winning historian Nathaniel Philbrick, whose 'Bunker Hill: A City, A Siege, A Revolution' was published in 2013. 'What actually happened probably gets hazy for people outside of the Boston area, but it's part of our collective memory and imagination.' 'Few 'ordinary' Americans could tell you that Freeman's Farm, or Germantown, or Guilford Court House were battles,' says Paul Lockhart, a professor of history at Wright University and author of a Bunker Hill book, 'The Whites of Their Eyes,' which came out in 2011. 'But they can say that Gettysburg, D-Day, and Bunker Hill were battles.' Bunker Hill, Lockhart adds, 'is the great American battle, if there is such a thing.' Much of the world looks to the Battles of Lexington and Concord, fought in Massachusetts on April 19, 1775, as the start of the American Revolution. But Philbrick, Lockhart and others cite Bunker Hill and June 17 as the real beginning, the first time British and rebel forces faced off in sustained conflict over a specific piece of territory. Bunker Hill was an early showcase for two long-running themes in American history — improvisation and how an inspired band of militias could hold their own against an army of professionals. 'It was a horrific bloodletting, and provided the British high command with proof that the Americans were going to be a lot more difficult to subdue than had been hoped,' says the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Rick Atkinson, whose second volume of a planned trilogy on the Revolution, 'The Fate of the Day,' was published in April. The battle was born in part out of error; rebels were seeking to hold off a possible British attack by fortifying Bunker Hill, a 110-foot-high (34-meter-high) peak in Charlestown across the Charles River from British-occupied Boston. But for reasons still unclear, they instead armed a smaller and more vulnerable ridge known as Breed's Hill, 'within cannon shot of Boston,' Philbrick says. 'The British felt they had no choice but to attack and seize the American fort.' Abigail Adams, wife of future President John Adams, and son John Quincy Adams, also a future president, were among thousands in the Boston area who looked on from rooftops, steeples and trees as the two sides fought with primal rage. A British officer would write home about the 'shocking carnage' left behind, a sight 'that never will be erased out of my mind 'till the day of my death.' The rebels were often undisciplined and disorganized and they were running out of gunpowder. The battle ended with them in retreat, but not before the British had lost more than 200 soldiers and sustained more than 1,000 casualties, compared to some 450 colonial casualties and the destruction of hundreds of homes, businesses and other buildings in Charlestown. Bunker Hill would become characteristic of so much of the Revolutionary War: a technical defeat that was a victory because the British needed to win decisively and the rebels needed only not to lose decisively. 'Nobody now entertains a doubt but that we are able to cope with the whole force of Great Britain, if we are but willing to exert ourselves,' Thomas Jefferson wrote to a friend in early July. 'As our enemies have found we can reason like men, now let us show them we can fight like men also.'
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Homeowners in ‘very high fire hazard' zones brace for higher insurance premiums
SAN ELIJO HILLS, Calif. — After more than a decade, Cal Fire released a new fire hazard severity zones map. For the first time, some San Diego county residents may find themselves living in one of these hazardous zones, raising concerns about higher insurance premiums. The lush green hills and canyons make San Elijo Hills a desirable place to live for its beauty. 'That's why we all live here,' Ed Philbrick said about the neighborhood he's lived in for more than 20 years. But, it's also a hazard during fire season. 'It has some chaparral and potential burnable fuel,' he said, looking over the canyon near his home. For the first time, Philbrick says his neighborhood falls into the very high fire hazard severity zone. 'When people look at the maps and they may be comparing from previous to now. It looks a lot different. It looks like there's a lot more people in it because there are,' Cal Fire Deputy Director Frank Bigelow said. These San Diego areas now considered 'very high fire hazard' zones by Cal Fire The fire maps include the moderate and high zones for the first time. Plus, Bigelow says while the landscape has changed since the maps were developed in 2007, improved data allowed officials to better determine what areas have the greatest risk. 'You could build your home in a manner that is completely concrete with a metal roof with no vegetation around it. You still live in a very high hazard severity zone, but the likelihood of your home burning down is pretty much zero,' he said, explaining that living in one of the severity zones, doesn't necessarily mean your home is at a higher risk of burning down during a fire. So, residents like Philbrick mitigate that risk and brace for higher insurance premiums. 'I trim my tree, and I'm ready for them to come by unannounced,' he said. If it's not higher prices, Philbrick says he's concerned to get dropped by his insurance company, something that's happened before. 'We've already seen the departure of many insurance companies,' said Ken Kaplan, a local real estate analyst. Homeowners who get dropped can always fall back on the California Fair Plan, but it comes with some disadvantages. 'It may cost you more, and it may not necessarily be as good as what you've got now,' Kaplan said. So, buyer beware. Kaplan warns homeowners to look at the deductible, exclusions, and what's covered under the plan. He also encourages homeowners to know how much it may cost you to rebuild and how much time construction could take before you sign the dotted line. 'If you end up on the fair plan, it's extremely expensive so you hope you can find another carrier,' Philbrick said. It's also worth noting, homeowners who fall in the very high zones for the first time will now have to pay for inspections for fire hardening and defensible space along with the work called out by inspectors, which adds up quickly. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Norwich school board considers policy to protect students from ICE
Norwich — The Board of Education next week will consider a new policy already adopted by other local districts that spells out protections for immigrant students and steps staff should take if federal immigration officers come to a school. The proposed policy, 'Welcoming Immigration and Refugee Communities and Protection of Undocumented Students,' is already in place in the Groton and New London public schools and uses a model policy written by the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education. CABE has been contacting member districts throughout the state to distribute the policy, proposed regulations and guidance. Kevin Saythany, Norwich school board policy committee chairman, said the board's attorney reviewed the policy and tweaked it to fit the district. The city is considering the policy on the heels of President Donald Trump's directive that federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials no longer should consider schools, churches and hospitals off limits to enforcement. 'The Board of Education believes that ICE activities in and around schools, preschool education centers and adult school facilities,' the proposed policy states, 'would constitute severe disruption to the learning environment and educational setting for students.' The policy calls for any requests by ICE personnel to visit a school here to be referred immediately to the superintendent for review and legal consultation. The policy further states that all school staff will treat all students equally and will not inquire about a student's immigration status or the status of their families. If any students, families or community members have questions about their immigration status, district staff are instructed to refer them to local nonprofit agencies and not to federal immigration authorities. 'We definitely care about our immigrant population, especially our own students,' Saythany said. 'We want to make sure our students get the best education possible without disruptions.' Saythany said the board received information from CABE on the policy in December, and the policy committee introduced the draft policy at the Jan. 14 school board meeting. The board is scheduled to discuss the policy at its meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Kelly Middle School. A woke policy? Resident and former Alderwoman Joanne Philbrick spoke at the Jan. 14 meeting objecting to the proposed policy, calling it 'woke' and 'DEI,' a reference to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. During her comments, Philbrick read a passage from the proposed policy regarding potential ICE visits to schools. 'Does that mean that you will not be following the directives of ICE?' Philbrick said. 'That you are not going to protect the rest of us from the nefarious things that are happening in this city? I take it as a personal affront. My life is as valuable as anybody else's. I am a white English-speaking person. That is not racist. That is a reality. I myself do not feel safe in this community anymore.' Acting Superintendent Susan Lessard said school officials already have met with Police Chief Patrick Daley and school resource officers to discuss protocols if federal immigration officers ask to enter a school. Staff are trained to call the superintendent, a school resource officer and city police if that occurs. As of this week, no ICE officers have gone to city schools. Public schools do not record or track students' immigration status, based on a landmark 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Plyler v. Doe, which struck down a Texas statute that had denied public education funding for students with undocumented status. The court found the denial to be a violation of the Constitution's 14th Amendment that guarantees equal protection of everyone under the law. The policy also cites several Connecticut laws regarding mandatory education of children ages 5 to 16 and other relevant statutes. The draft policy would be new for the Norwich school district, but New London's Board of Education first adopted the policy in March 2017, with virtually identical language to the current Norwich proposal and updated the policy last October. Groton Public Schools adopted the policy in September 2023. Elaine Maynard-Adams, president of the New London Board of Education, recalled the initial discussion centered on the importance of having a set policy in the district addressing protections for immigrant students. She said the updates last fall were just technical changes. ICE officers have been active in New London over the past two weeks, but none have gone to the city's schools, officials said. 'Given recent events, it was a really important policy to have,' Maynard-Adams said, 'and to make certain it was current and that the board was on board with this. … There are parents terrified of their children going out on the playground for recess. I would think in a place like Norwich, it would be as important as it is in New London.' Jody Goeler, senior policy associate for CABE, said the model policy is not a state-mandated policy, and CABE has not kept track of the number of districts that have adopted the proposed model. Last week, CABE also sent a memo to member school districts advising that they review their protocols in preparation of any possible ICE visit to schools. 'While districts may not have policies, they should have procedures in place to ensure staff follow the law and continue to protect and educate their children,' Goeler wrote in an email to The Day.
