Thanks To Summer Solstice Sponsors And Benefactors

Thanks to all who attended and contributed to the recent 6th annual Summer Solstice Celebration of the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum (obrm.org). Notwithstanding the 90-plus degree heat (!), it was a great night.

Particularly, our thanks to our generous benefactors and donors, including Marcella and John Specce, State Farm Insurance- John Specce Agency, Lorie and Roger Bahnik, the Bahnik Foundation, Carmela and Phil Baldino, Sandy and Nelson DeMille, Debra and Claudio DelVecchio, Glen Cove Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, the Morenberg / Karlson Family, Eileen and Thomas Pulling, Robin and Enrique Senior, Kevin Stansberry, Marty Ulman, Susan Gordon and John Grocki, Susan and Donald Zoeller, Jacque and Phil Blocklyn, Susan and Tom Egan, Ada and Frank Flower, Louise and Joe Paruolo, John Voelpel, and Weintraub and Traub, CPAs.

Thanks also to the individuals and merchants who generously donated to the evening’s many auction prizes.  Please support those who routinely support the many events and organizations in the Oyster Bay-East Norwich community, particularly our local merchants below, including Buckingham’s Variety Store, Canterbury Ales, Chrison & Bellina, Christina’s Epicure, Coach Grill & Tavern, Diageo Chateau & Estates, Dodds & Eder, Anthony Fabricante, Gary Farkash, 4 U Nail Spa, Gathering Time Trio, Lauren Godoy, Jack Halyards American Bar and Grill, J & B Auto Repair, Luce Restaurant, Martha Clara Vineyards, Martin Viette Nurseries, Michael C. Fina, Mill Creek Tavern, Mim’s Restaurant, Moet-Hennessy USA, Sagamore Graphics, Sagamore Yacht Club, Dottie Simons, Alex Torres and Bill Krushinksi, and Judy Wasilchuk.

While we have your attention, a reminder that the museum recently opened the historic train station at the north end of Audrey Avenue (where the OBRM will be permanently located) for weekend visits.  Our station committee has been hard at work seeking to secure funding for the station’s renovation, and we are confident that we will be moving forward with that in the near future.  We are also nearly ready to see the fruition of another long-desired goal – the relocation of the alternate entrance to TR Park from its existing “hidden” location at the north end of Maxwell Avenue to a point directly adjacent to the historic station and directly north of the bandstand.  With such improved sight lines to this alternate entrance to our treasured TR Park, we will finally merge our downtown with our valued waterfront, in turn leading to an improved streetscape in the surrounding area.

We are also poised to begin the long awaited renovation of Steam Locomotive #35, with a substantial portion of the locomotive to be shipped out to a nationally renowned steam locomotive mechanic for the first stages of its renovation.  The turntable restoration is almost complete (near the eastern entrance to TR Park- at the boat basin) and our collection of rolling stock continues to grow and improve.  We welcome your visitation to all of our sites, including our Visitor Center located just north of the bandstand on Audrey Avenue.

In partnership with the Long Island Railroad and many of our local merchants, we are continuing this year with our local tourism package- “Spend A Day In Oyster Bay”- which will run on weekends now through Labor Day.  Whether arriving by rail, boat, or car, visitors to Oyster Bay will have the opportunity to explore area sites and attractions and to frequent area merchants, starting at our visitors center, where Oyster Rides will transport visitors in a historic trolley on a loop tour of our downtown and other valued area attractions.  As part of the package, visitors will receive information and discount coupons in connection with local restaurants and shops, as well as that for our many historic and cultural sites.  A self-guided walking tour is also part of the package.

As we continue to grow and make additional improvements, we are confident that our local community will also continue to benefit from the museum’s efforts – residents and merchants alike.

Thanks once again to all for your continued support of the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum.  Please visit us at obrm.org. Have a great Summer.

Dottie Simons, Judy Wasilchuk, and Rob Brusca
Summer Solstice Event Committee

Main Post : http://www.antonnews.com/oysterbayenterprisepilot/opinion/23834-letter-thanks-to-summer-solstice-sponsors-and-benefactors.html

2012 Salem Summer Solstice 5k/10k recap and results

The Summer Solstice of 2012 has passed and days are now officially getting shorter. However, during the Salem Summer Solstice 5k/10k this past Saturday, the extra sunlight really only made people able to see the non-stop raindrops more clearly. The odd weather did not deter the nearly 400 5k and 10k participants, 2 of which included myself and my 2 year daughter, from arriving in droves at Minto Brown Park. Since my daughter loves races, and was excited all week to go to the “ice cream race”, a little rain would not deter us from participating our first time with her participating by stroller.



Getting There
Minto Brown Park really is a great area for running. However, it is often not so great for parking if it becomes busy. I attended this event last year and vaguely remember having to leave the car along the side of the road leading into the main parking area. I’m not sure if I just didn’t know about it this year, or if the parking situation has changed, but there was a new field I wasn’t aware of that allowed for overflow cars and fit everyone in very nicely.

Registration
I am going to chalk up the cluttered race registration to the weather. There is one main covered pavilion in the area, and it was forced into being crammed full of racers trying to stay warm before the race. This, in turn, made it difficult to figure out where to register and where to pick up bibs/timing devices. There were small handwritten signs on the table that may have been better visible had there not been the clutter of people. I can only believe that if the weather would have been sunny (or at least less wet), the registration would have been much smoother.

Course
I really like this course for the most part. Minto Brown Park itself has numerous trails available, both paved and trail. The 5k course was essentially two out and backs, the first one being south of the start/finish, followed by one north. The 10k followed the majority of the 5k, but did have an extended loop around the park to achieve the extra distance.

The 5k course does have one major flaw. At about the half mile mark, the 5k runners turn around a cone and double back towards the start on the same paved trail (10k runners continue straight further into the park). Being a previous participant, I knew this turnaround was happening and was prepared. We stayed well to the right of the path to allow those faster runners enough room on the way back. Those who weren’t aware of the turnaround (or neglected to read the course map), became caught up in near head-on collisions with the elite runners. Luckily no one (that I saw, at least) got anything more than a scare.

After the turnaround, things really thin out. The path essentially doubles in size, as there is no major fear of the head on collisions anymore, and runners can really pick up speed. Being that this was my first race with a stroller, I decided to start in the far back out of courtesy. Given the large number of people on this single trail, I ended up getting caught being unable to pass and essentially had to walk the first half mile. Next time, I think I would start much further up to begin with, as I passed a significant number of people following the ½ mile 5k turnaround. (BTW, is it bad form to start in the middle of the pack with a stroller, if you know you are going to be able keep pace?)

Once 5k runners return to start area (and the 1-mile mark), they slightly veer off the paved path and hit a miniscule portion of bark before returning briefly to the paved trail. The next straight away was on a dirt/mud/gravel mix which offered some potholes and puddles reminiscent of my recent off-road trail races. The final stretch (and my favorite) returns to paved path and snakes along the banks of the Willamette River. While the view was fantastic even in the rain, I know it is even better when the sun is shining.

Post Race
The Summer Solstice 5k/10k keeps prices low by not offering t-shirts and instead focusing their energy on the most essential post-race refueling there is: ice cream! I always appreciate something a little different post-race, and I know my 2 year old did too.  Vanilla ice cream was made available for all runners (and $2 for non-runners), and there were a few options for toppings as well. It’s not Cold Stone, but it was refreshing and fun to have a little ice-cream social afterwards. The line can get long, but volunteers are great at working hard to move everyone along as quickly as possible.



This is one of those races that I will continue to put on my schedule every year. The low cost, great area, and community feel really make it one of the most fun in Salem.

Full results can be found here through Race Northwest.

5k Men Overall
1. Devin White                   16:41
2. Orion Davidson of Keizer   17:24
3. Eric Jeffers of Salem        17:50

5k Women Overall
1. Ashley Boyle   17:58
2. Robin McGillis  19:29
3. Marni Dettart  20:55

10k Men Overall
1. Gabino Oropeza of Salem   36:31
2. Kym Hunt of Scio             39:29:1
3. Chris Poole of Salem         39:29:8

10k Women Overall
1. Lisa Henrick                   43:15
2. Sharon Cutz of Salem      45:29
3. Krystal Foster of Salem    45:34




Main Article :http://blog.oregonlive.com/runoregon/2012/06/2012_salem_summer_solstice_5k1_1.html

Thousands of Paper Lanterns Illuminate the Night Sky in Poland to Celebrate Summer Solstice

If you were to measure your life in sights that left you spellbound, whether they be of natural beauty or formed by the hand of man, to what extent could you say you have truly ‘lived’?

Okay, existential conundrums aside, a beautiful view can be a pretty life-affirming experience. On June 21, the sky above the Polish city of Ponzan was transformed into such a view when 50,000 paper were released into the night sky to celebrate the summer solstice, known as St John’s Night.

According to our Japanese correspondent who was in Poland for the celebration, attendees write their wishes on the paper lanterns before sending them up. It is said that if the lantern safely reaches the sky, the wish will come true.

The organizers of the event sought to set a Guinness world record for the most lanterns flown simultaneously and their efforts seemed to have paid off as thousands of people gathered at the field along the Warta river where the event took place. Part of this is likely thanks to the 2012 UEFA EURO European Football Championship being held at the same time and the area was alive with live music and other festivities. By the end of the night it was said that roughly 50,000 lanterns were released into the sky, compared with only 8000 last year.

Though rain the day before led many people to fear the event would be cancelled, it soon cleared up and by the evening the crowd was so eager that many people began lighting their lanterns even before the official 10:15 starting time.

Our correspondent writes that she was also unable to contain her excitement and decided to light her lantern early, though it proved more difficult than she thought.

“The lanterns were so large that it took 3 people just to put one together and 5 minutes to ignite the piece of charcoal that sends it floating upward.”

Our correspondent continues: “I had become so absorbed in trying to light my own lantern that I almost didn’t notice how the night had become brighter than before. When I looked up, there already a countless number of lanterns drifting through the sky above. It may sound tacky, but at that moment the night really did feel magical, almost like I was in the scene of a Disney movie. A profound emotion gripped my chest as I thought of how I stood there with thousands of strangers, gazing up at the same sky as our lanterns carried each of our wishes to the heavens.

“I followed my lantern as it floated gently upward, a tiny beacon in the dark, until it disappeared in the sea of orange light that filled the sky. Even if my flame went out and my wish goes ungranted, I’m grateful that I was able to help create such a beautiful view and share it with so many people.”

While only in its third year, this paper lantern skyline looks like it may become an annual tradition and those of you interested in attending next year should mark your calendars for June 21. Trust us: if you think the images and video footage below is breathtaking, wait until you see it for yourself.

From sunup to sundown, 2012 Summer Solstice Golf Challenge

AVON LAKE, Ohio -- A lone car sat in the parking lot of Sweetbriar Golf Club on Wednesday and that was not unexpected, given the circumstances.

After all, it was 4:20 in the morning and the only sign of life I had seen prior to arriving were two raccoons jaywalking on nearby Lear Road. As I parked my car the stillness and coolness of the early morning reminded me of my days as a Plain Dealer paperboy on Cleveland's West Side. Eerie, yet tranquil. The smell and the solitude of the pre-dawn is something seldom forgotten.

"I can't get up early to go to work, but I can get up at 3 in the morning to play golf," says Josh Bernhofer, emerging from his car with an enviable nimbleness. "I was so excited I couldn't sleep. I think I was awake at 2."

Bernhofer, 23, was the first of eight players to arrive for the second Plain Dealer Summer Solstice Golf Challenge, where four sports staffers and four readers who won an essay contest played golf from sunup to sundown on the longest day of the year, seeking to complete 72 holes.

Bernhofer, a Middleburg Heights resident and salesman for Play It Again Sports in Strongsville, was joined by fellow winners Brandon Archibald, Dorothy Kasper and Rick Slovenec and Plain Dealer staff members Kristen Davis, Bud Shaw, Dennis Manoloff and yours truly. The fact that we would spend the next 18 hours together -- part of the time under trying circumstances with sweltering temperatures in the mid-90s -- is never mentioned.

The others arrive in quick fashion. We get organized and wait for the first sight of the sun, armed with illuminated golf balls to get the earliest start possible.

• Manoloff, better known as D-Man, is frantic. It is 4:30 a.m. and we are unpacking our cars. Golf bags, coolers, shoulder bags and backpacks are scattered about. D-Man is rummaging through his golf bag like a man in search of a misplaced Rolex.

"I can't find my BenGay," he says, sifting through assorted golf gloves (he frequently wears two at a time), an extra shirt or two and a bottle of Gatorade. "I bought it specifically for today." He never finds it but in true D-Man fashion, he takes one for the team.

• Have you ever struck one of those illuminated golf balls? It's not unlike slugging a roll of wet toilet paper. Instead of the distinct "ping" you get from today's metal drivers, the "Night Flyer" ball produces a sound closer to that of a muted cowbell. But they are pretty as they fly against the darkened sky -- and they serve a purpose.

"It's kind of like watching a live version of that ProTracer on television broadcasts," said Shaw, as we watched Manoloff launch a weak fade off the first tee with the day's opening swing at 5:16.

• It didn't take long for Kasper, 51, to offer a well-appreciated reminder that she is a registered nurse. The Cleveland Heights resident came equipped with pain relievers and a great sense of humor, supplying both antidotes and anecdotes. She encouraged everyone to come to her in any medical emergency, a comforting thought.

"If anyone suffers a bee sting, insect bite, allergies or soreness, just come to me," Kasper said before we assembled on the first tee. "I have all sorts of meds. If it's sun poisoning or heat stroke, we'll just put ice down your pants. You'll be fine."

Kasper, who works at the Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital for Rehab, also has a small tattoo on her ankle. It is of a putting green and a golf flag. It is in remembrance of her first and favorite golf partner, her late father.

• Painesville's Archibald, 28, is a student and insurance/accounting specialist at Case Western Reserve's dental school. He is also a gifted putter, dropping six consecutive putts of about 10 feet over the first 12 holes. That prompted Bernhofer to say, "The guy is automatic from 10 feet. He never misses. I'm getting tired of telling him 'great putt.'"

"Yeah, but you know what?" I offer. "He never gets tired of hearing it."

• Shaw and Bernhofer are the two best players, with Slovenec a close third. Manoloff is the most entertaining. No one else is even close.

"That man kept me going for the last 18 holes," said Kasper. "He was a total riot."

To those who know him, it was just D-Man being D-Man.

• Kasper leaves a long-range putt woefully short during our second round. She's still away. "USA, USA," I chant. The others look at me as if I had been drinking.

"My grandson taught me that," I respond. "You Shoot Again. Get it? USA. You Shoot Again."

They still look at me as if I had been drinking.

• As we head down the homestretch after 9 p.m., Slovenec, a 51-year-old director of operations for a company in Wellington, appears as strong as he was before the sun came up. On our 70th hole of the day the Hinckley resident drives the ball about 250 yards on the 397-yard 18th of the Legacy Course. He follows with a 9-iron shot that stops about eight feet from the pin. He makes the putt for birdie. We all cheer.

• Kasper's boss, Cleveland Clinic CEO Dr. Toby Cosgrove, encourages employees to walk at least 10,000 steps a day as part of the hospital's wellness program. At the end of the Solstice Challenge, Kasper's pedometer registered 36,354 steps. And we used carts.

• In between all those steps were a mix of perfect shots, duffed balls, three-putts, an eagle and infinite laughs as we golfed virtually nonstop from 5:16 a.m. until 9:23 p.m. The goal of 72 holes was reached with a wee bit of light remaining on the horizon. It was a satisfying accomplishment on a scorching day after last year's crew tallied 58 holes, battling two weather systems, cart-path only rules for half the day and a change of venue at midday.

• On their final hole of the day, Shaw, Manoloff, Kasper and Bernhofer agree to tee off simultaneously. Bernhofer shoots video.

summer-solstice-golf-challenge

Making Money After the Summer Solstice

Money on the summer solstice, an endurance test. Every era has its own advantages and challenges. Gifts for the summer heat and the light is important for growth. In parallel, the right to make during the summer. Most people start new projects with enthusiasm, even if you start a new project means a lot of work. An important element of that money is money to be retained.

This is hard work in the garden, but spring is the time commitment. Something new begins in late winter, hard to justify the hard work. Every year the same thing. Repeat the installation ritual magic seeds and plants, boil gently in the country, in the hope of growth and prosperity. Imagine your garden as a whole, even if you want the bare ground.

And after the summer solstice gives summer. Seasonal changes are available in different types of work. Under normal circumstances, be what you planted.

The evolution of the summer, weeding, cooking. This means that when the sun is hot, or if the sky is blue, you want to retire, and play.

In the summer time, it is difficult to stop. I say that a car is too hot or too wet. Or so beautiful that you want to swim in a lake or a picnic in the woods. Ants and locusts famous in history, conquered the temptation to stop working during the summer months.

Summer is the true test of strength for us all. Many of us start the project with the hope and hard work. The ability to hold shares in mid-summer, the player begins. Slumdog leather garden under the sun? But the skin of the garden is an important step in creating a rich harvest.

This life is all creative projects. Each project has a beginning, middle and end, because every story is a dramatic beginning, middle and end. Tiferet is always difficult to maintain because it is not as exciting as the beginning and end.

The classic "hero" structure, like the story, the scenes, the first character, and defines the hero's path. In the third act. The hero is the last major confrontation with the enemy at the end of both triumph and tragedy, in each case is relatively constant.

We need action for the first offense and a third document. The strong character of the law obstacles they face barriers in the overall crime is difficult to write. You mean the way of fat and are paid at the beginning of a brave hero.

During the summer season. The mode is fun to play through the glass. It's fun, and hoe weeds in the summer. But the decline in revenue, depending on what happens in the summer. Summer heroic job, stay there, even if something else instead.

Great Ways to Celebrate Summer Solstice

Yoga in Times Square: The forecast in New York is for a scorcher, but lovers of hot yoga can rejoice. The city's "Solstice in Times Square" features free yoga class all day from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Yogis can salute the sun and strive for inner peace in one of the busiest spots on the planet.

Seattle sun: The Pacific Northwest isn't known for blue skies, but that hasn't stopped Seattle's Fremont neighborhood from hosting a solstice parade every year since 1989. The parade, complete with body-painted cyclists, kicks off a two-day street festival called the Fremont Fair. This year's festivities took place on June 16 and 17, so look out for another chance to attend next solstice season. 

Getting up some speed: Those who prefer to push themselves can spend their extra daylight hours on a mountain bike at the 24 Hours Summer Solstice Mountain Bike Festival in Bolton, Ontario. This relay race event is on June 23 and 24 this year at the Albion Hills Conservation Area. If you're not into riding or relaying around the clock, 15-hour race-course options are available.

Keep with tradition: Midsummer, just after the summer solstice, is a big deal in Scandinavia. Skansen, an open-air museum and zoo in Stockholm, Sweden, hosts a festival complete with folk dancing, fiddlers, and, yes, a maypole. Midsummer Eve falls on June 22 and Midsummer Day on June 23 in 2012.

Celebrate long days: Nowhere is the length of summer days more obvious than in the northern latitudes. So head to Europe's northernmost capital, Reykjavik, Iceland, for solstice festivities on June 23. You can party your way through the city (where many bars stay open all night) or head to Grimsey Island, Iceland's northernmost point, for a real view of the midnight sun.

See ancient art: In the 13th century in what is now Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, Puebloan people carved a series of petroglyphs on rocks near their homes. One circular petroglpyh is a perfect target for the summer solstice. In the two weeks around this date, sunrise interacts with the petroglyph, sending shadows and light across its surface. Views of the carvings can be accessed from a short 0.3-mile loop trail in the park.

Sunrise with a snake: Twenty miles south of Bainbridge, Ohio, a mysterious mound rises from the Earth. A bird's-eye view would reveal that this mound is in fact man-made, and that it is in the shape of a giant serpent.

On the summer solstice, the sun rises directly over the head of this serpent, which was likely created by the so-called Fort Ancient culture that thrived nearby between A.D. 1000 and 1550. The Serpent Mound park is open during daylight hours, so solstice-seekers can stroll around the ancient snake and imagine the early astronomers that must have overseen its construction.

Sunrise at Stonehenge: True solstice connoisseurs will want to make haste to the ancient monument of Stonehenge, where thousands of people arrive each year to watch the sun rise over the monument. The original purpose of Stonehenge is something of a mystery, but today's solstice visitors are almost certainly part of a long astronomical tradition at the stone monument. Stonehenge seems to be oriented toward the summer solstice sunrise and may also align with certain lunar phases.

Summer Solstice at Stonehenge

The monument is usually associated with the annual celebration of summer, the researchers suggested that the great winter festival.

Mike Parker Pearson, archeology professor at the University of Sheffield, suggests that the winter solstice in the past, when people kill and were more pronounced than in the middle of the summer solstice.
He told BBC Radio 4 Today program "in a sense, is the winter solstice as a kind of Neolithic July
"People do together, and focus their resources, both in the sense that it is very difficult to understand why it is so important in the winter with them."
He added: "This will help you to understand that real Stonehenge."

Every year thousands of prehistoric monuments in the bottom of the longest day of the year, but the time spent at the beginning of the season postponed mm.
Heavy rain meant fewer visitors stayed overnight in the last few years up to 20,000 per night to Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire.
Despite the rain, watching the sunrise at 04:52 ET dark clouds loud applause greeted the audience and settlement.
Drums of the old walls are still bad weather, the country dance in the rain.
An English Heritage spokesman said: "14,500 people gathered at Stonehenge on the summer solstice in honor of this year.
"Heavy rain meant the night was one of the lowest voter turnout in recent years.
"But the rain does not stop time, sunrise ceremonies, and when the clouds cover the sun, to the cheers and applause heard the old stones.
"There was heavy rain, somewhere in the night, but he stopped, and if the weather is cloudy, rain or early morning.
"It was wet and muddy, I dare say that in recent years."
Police said 20 were arrested for drugs and alcohol, theft and related crimes in action, but of peace.
Rain today, as the Met Office is a yellow warning time, the West Midlands, East Midlands, Eastern England, South West and South-east London, and although some parts of Scotland's daily report.
Note - the lowest of three levels of severity - 3 Part o'clock noon today, tomorrow and standing water on the road, and the possibility of local flooding.
The storm is estimated at two hours after the Queen to the track around the Royal Ascot horse buggy