|
A famed battleship that saw action during World War II and the Korean War and carried President Franklin D. Roosevelt to a wartime summit traveled along the California coast on Sunday on its final voyage.
The iconic USS Iowa left San Francisco Bay on its way to its new home in Southern California.
Surrounded by pleasure boats and other vessels, the 887-foot long, 58,000-ton battlewagon was towed through the bay and passed under the Golden Gate Bridge at about 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Historic: The USS Iowa passes under the Golden Gate Bridge as it is towed out of San Francisco on Saturday, May 26, 2012
Crowds watched from both sides of the bridge as the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Sockeye provided an official escort and the San Francisco fireboat Phoenix led the way.
At the St. Francis Yacht Club on San Francisco's shoreline, officers and crew members of the USS Decatur, outfitted in their dress whites, saluted as the Iowa drifted past, Rogers said.
Club members also honored the Iowa with a farewell gun salute and a signal flag message - 'Farewell My Dear Friend.'
'Everything has gone beautifully,' said spokesman Bob Rogers of the Pacific Battleship Center, a nonprofit organization that will operate an interactive naval museum on board the USS Iowa at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro. 'The Phoenix was spraying water in every direction. She took her right out the Gate.'
Important: Retired military vessel USS Iowa ferried the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt across the perilous Atlantic waters to a historic meeting with Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin in the dark days of World War Two
Impressive: Smaller boats surround the USS Iowa battleship as it passes by San Francisco en route from Richmond, California to Los Angeles on May 26, 2012
Iconic: The 887-foot long, 58,000-ton battlewagon passes under the Golden Gate Bridge on its journey to being transformed into an interactive naval museum
The Iowa, first commissioned in 1943 and again in 1951 and 1984, saw duty in World War II and the Korean War.
The ship once carried Roosevelt to a summit with Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin and Chiang Kai-shek. It also took part in escorting tankers in the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq war before being decommissioned in 1990.
In recent years, the Iowa sat in the cold and fog, anchored with other mothballed ships in nearby Suisun Bay. Last year, the Pacific Battleship Center beat out the San Francisco Bay Area city of Vallejo when the U.S. Navy awarded the ship to the organization.
The center's future plans include an interactive tour experience that will allow the visitor to experience what life at sea was like during active duty.
Popular: A large crowd gathers to watch the USS Iowa as it's towed away from the Port of Richmond on its journey to the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro
Artefact: The Iowa will have a permanent mooring in Los Angeles, where it will serve as a floating museum
Farewell: Mark Meyer waves the Stars and Stripes as the USS Iowa is towed away
Among the highlights will be viewing the inside of one of the main gun turrets, seeing the 17.5-inch armored conning station on the bridge and viewing Roosevelt's stateroom.
The ship was recently moved to the Port of Richmond, not far from where 'Rosie the Riveters' built ships in the 1940s. Workers scrubbed and painted the ship's exterior, replaced the teak deck and reattached the mast in preparation for the museum commissioning in July.
The Iowa was scheduled to leave on May 20 but was delayed because of a storm system. As it turned out, its departure came on the same day as weekend celebrations were under way marking the Golden Gate Bridge's 75th anniversary.
The trip down the coast is expected to take about four days.
Background: The ship took part in escorting tankers in the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq war before being decommissioned in 1990
Crowds: Well-wishers gather to see the USS Iowa off on her final voyage
Admirer: Jonathan Canfield, 12, salutes as the USS Iowa is towed from the Port of Richmond on its final voyage
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Furniture market taking shape - The Daily Star
Three years back, Shafayet Ahmed ordered wooden furniture worth Tk 1.5 lakh to decorate his new office with sitting arrangement for nearly 25 people.
Desks, chairs and cabinets with drawers were the main items on the list then. In addition, the vendor had given him a few pieces of wooden handicrafts, including paperweights, pen and card holders and ashtrays for free.
This year I needed furniture for another 15-20 people, as part of an expansion plan. I went to the same furnisher, thinking that like the last time, I would get delivery of the goods on time, not to question the high quality of the furniture, said Ahmed.
This time the shop owner refused politely. He said supplying the same furniture at similar costs would not be possible now, as the prices of seasoned timber, that is, price per cubic foot (cft) and the carpentry costs have doubled by this time, added Ahmed.
Many of his acquaintances advised Ahmed to go for alternatives, such as plastic or a mix of glass and other artificial materials. But Ahmed's preferred choice was wooden furniture.
I think the elegant quality and durability of wooden furniture still make it the top choice whenever people go for buying home or office furniture. One can't afford to spend a lot of money to replace furniture every now and then, said the chief of an IT firm.
You have a few options in hand -- wood or wrought iron. But considering aesthetic aspects, when you are mentally ready to spend a little more, you can't go beyond wooden stuff.
Ahmed is just one of thousands, if not more, who still believe that the glory of wooden furniture would not fade so soon although furniture materials were increasingly replaced by plastic, glass and artificial timber products in the past decade.
However, it is an interesting situation that the demand for wooden home furniture is declining, but the total volume of sales of wooden products is growing because of its demand in the corporate sector, said industry insiders.
There's still no alternative to wood, when it comes to making doors and door frames, and furnishing an office. One of the main reasons behind this is that people prefer wood to wrought iron, because of comfort and longevity and of course, the elegant looks, said KM Akhteruzzaman, president of Bangladesh Furniture Industries Owners Association.
These days, big corporations and business houses are building huge offices, where glass, aluminium and steel materials have replaced wooden door frames and window frames. But the ever growing corporate sector's orders for wooden office furniture have increased the sales volume, he explained.
Another trend has been noticed with the increasing use of branded furniture mainly since the 1990s, when local brands began to achieve a certain level of trust among the entrepreneurs who go for renovation and expansion of their businesses, he said.
At present, the size of the local furniture sector stands at around Tk 7,000 crore, said insiders.
To cater to these varied needs and trends, furniture makers keep products of various qualities and raw materials. Also, different groups of clients experience variations of local and imported goods and make their choices freely.
Generally, timber is used in manufacturing outdoor furniture, boat decks and other articles where weather resistance is necessary. It is also used for indoor flooring and as a veneer for indoor furnishings.
Of various timber types -- low and high cost -- teak has natural oils that make it suitable for use in exposed locations, where it is durable even when not treated with oil or varnish. Teak-cut from matured trees grown slowly in natural forests is more durable and harder, while teak from young trees grown in plantations is more prone to splitting and water damage.
However, the demand for imported teak is still high among the careful buyers, said insiders.
The reason for this is the fast depletion of our local teak everyday. The supply of timber from teak, especially of chapalish, garjon, gamari and many other varieties from Rangamati, Chittagong, Bandarban and Sylhet forests, has almost stopped for years, said Mohammad Bazlul Karim, secretary of the Mirpur unit of Bangladesh Furniture Owners Association (BFOA).
Now, the price of a cft of Burma teak, the most preferred teak, ranges from Tk 3,000 to Tk 7,000, while Chittagong teak, popularly known as shegun from Chittagong Hill Tracts, costs Tk 2,000-Tk 4,000 in the local market.
Oak and mahogany are also preferred for making cabinets and drawers. The prices of each cft of oak range from Tk 2,000 to Tk 3,000 and those of mahogany between Tk 1,500 and Tk 2,500, said the insiders.
As our local sources are not capable of meeting the demand, we have to import timber. Supply shortage is another reason for the soaring prices of timber such as teak, the most favoured one, Karim said.
The shortage has been caused by the restrictions imposed on felling young tree resources in Bangladesh for the country's declining forest resources. This shortfall has been traditionally met by imports from Myanmar and Malaysia.
The recent restriction on raw timber export by the Malaysian government has also hit the imports hard, while the cost of the Myanmar teak is too high for the Bangladeshi buyers.
These factors have forced local importers to look to the African and Latin American countries to ensure an improved supply, which they hope will help contain the present price rise.
Apart from traditional sources, such as Myanmar and Malaysia, the importers and wooden furniture makers are now sourcing timber from Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Ecuador.
I have started importing from Ivory Coast due to the high prices of the Myanmar teak. I am planning to import from Nigeria as well, said Karim of BFOA.
We are looking for the best possible sources. Any country we find helpful for our import would do, he said.
Nevertheless, the local business is growing. Bangladesh earned $19.26 million from exports of wooden furniture in fiscal 2009-10, shows Export Promotion Bureau data.
The sector's contribution to GDP (gross domestic product) is 0.29 percent on average, while the industry is comprised of around 41,560 enterprises and employs nearly two lakh skilled and semi-skilled people.
At present, the top local furniture makers are -- Otobi, Akhtar, Hatil, Brothers, Partex, Navana and Furnitec. Mirpur Furniture Market is the largest in the country.
sayeda@thedailystar.net
Source: www.thedailystar.net
California hospital reports increase in Valley fever - Examiner
For the Children’s Hospital Central California, one or two inpatients treated for Valley fever at one time is the norm. However, the hospital is currently treating 11 patients as of Friday according to hospital officials.
According to a Children’s Hospital Central California news release Friday, eight children were admitted in the month of May alone. In March, the number of valley fever inpatients at Children’s peaked at 16.
The Madera, California hospital is not alone. Other areas have also seen an increase in the fungal infection this season.
Nearby Kern County, considered a hotspot for Valley fever, has experienced a spike in cases as well. “In 2011 we had the second highest number of valley fever cases ever,” said Kirt Emery, epidemiologist, Kern County Public Health Services Department.
In 2011, Kern County saw 2,734 cases, of which 222 were under age 15. This compares to 2010 when Kern County saw 2,051 cases, of which 170 were under age 15, according to Emery.
According to the Children’s Hospital news release, normally, late summer and early fall are peak periods for valley fever infection. This year’s late rains meant longer periods of dry conditions. People become infected by inhaling airborne spores of the dirt-dwelling fungus and dry conditions allow the fungus to become airborne.
“This year’s late rain, however, may mean we start picking up cases earlier this year, like May, June, July, and into the fall,” cautioned Emery.
Dr. James McCarty, Children’s Hospital medical director, pediatric infectious disease said, “The best thing people can do is avoid inhaling excessive amounts of dust – especially in the South Valley. If parents have a child with flu-like symptoms that persist and don’t improve, it’s a good idea to take the child to their pediatrician or primary care doctor.”
Valley fever, or Coccidioidomycosis, is caused by a fungus found in the soil of much of the southwest United States.
People are infected with the fungus Coccidioides immitis by inhaling fungal spores that become airborne after disturbance of contaminated soil by humans or natural disasters like a dust storm.
Approximately 60% of people infected with Coccidioides are asymptomatic and have self-limited respiratory tract infections. If symptoms do appear, they will appear 1-3 weeks after exposure. The symptoms, if present are usually non-specific, flu-like symptoms: fever, cough, headache, rash and muscle aches. Most make a full recovery within a month more or less.
However, in a small number of people (approx. 1%), the fungal infection can cause serious infection disseminating to visceral organs, the central nervous system, bone, skin or lymph nodes.
Disseminated Coccidioides infections occur more frequently in dark-skinned races (persons of African or Filipino descent). In addition, pregnant woman and the immunocompromised are more predisposed to disseminated infections.
Dr. McCarty did clarify about the increases of valley fever in the area, "There is no reason for the public to panic, but awareness is key to getting quick treatment for this disease”.
Source: www.examiner.com
California's Coronado named best US beach - au.news.yahoo.com
Coronado, flanked by the iconic hotel featured in Marilyn Monroe's 1958 film Some Like It Hot, has been named the number one beach in the United States in the 2012 survey by "Dr Beach" professor Stephen P Leatherman of Florida International University.
It is the first time "Dr Beach" has given the top slot to California in the more than two decades that he has been ranking beaches in the United States based on their environmental quality and safety for swimmers.
Coronado Beach, on a peninsula across the bay from San Diego, has near-perfect Mediterranean weather and a postcard backdrop.
"I think it's one of the most super beaches around," said Leatherman, director of FIU's Laboratory for Coastal Research.
Rounding out the top 10 this year were number two, Kahanamoku Beach in Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii; number three, Main Beach, East Hampton, New York; number four, St George Island State Park, Florida Panhandle; number five, Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii; number six, Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts; number seven, Waimanalo Bay Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii; number eight, Cape Florida State Park near Miami; number nine, Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina; and number 10, Cape Hatteras in North Carolina.
Leatherman ranks beaches on 50 criteria, including the look and feel of the sand, water quality, weather, facilities and crowds. California's chilly coastal waters have cost its pristine beaches points when they've been up against balmy contenders in Florida and Hawaii.
Once a beach tops Leatherman's list, it is retired from consideration for future rankings.
A number one spot on the popular list typically brings a 15 to 20 per cent boost in visitors.
Beaches do not pay to be evaluated for the top 10 best beaches list. Leatherman said he visits top 10 candidates incognito to collect sand and water samples for study.Source: au.news.yahoo.com
California Assembly approves bill for Ronald Reagan statue - Inside Bay Area
SACRAMENTO -- The state Assembly on Friday unanimously approved a bill that would authorize a Ronald Reagan statue inside the Capitol.
Republican Assemblyman Curt Hagman, of Chino Hills, told fellow lawmakers that Reagan deserves a special place inside the Capitol because he is the only California governor to become president. The actor-turned-politician is buried at his presidential library in Simi Valley.
Hagman and Assemblyman Martin Garrick, R-Solana Beach, authored AB2358. The bill passed 55-0 and moves to the Senate.
While past governors have portraits throughout California's Capitol, the bill would allow the first statue of a governor. It would be paid through private donations.
Hagman said former President Jimmy Carter has a memorial in Georgia's Capitol, and a Lyndon Johnson statue stands at the Texas Capitol.
California also honors Reagan in the U.S. Capitol's National Statuary Hall. In 2006, the state Legislature voted to remove a statue of Civil War abolitionist Thomas Starr King and replace it with a bronze statue of Reagan.
King's statue has been returned to California and placed in a garden outside the Capitol. The state's other statue is of Father Junipero Serra, the Franciscan missionary.
Source: www.insidebayarea.com
By Congressional order the boat must be kept in a state of readiness indefinitely.
- Aviya, Seattle, USA, 28/5/2012 04:14
Report abuse