Wednesday, May 12, 2010

“Sharing thoughts about trip to Dominican Republic” plus 2 more

“Sharing thoughts about trip to Dominican Republic” plus 2 more

Sharing thoughts about trip to Dominican Republic

Posted: 12 May 2010 04:56 AM PDT

On the city of Puerto Plata

When people in the U.S. speak of going to Puerto Plata, the largest city on the Silver (northern) Coast of the Dominican Republic, the image that most often comes to mind are the world class beaches that parallel and accompany the resorts that stretch for miles east of the historic city. These all-inclusive resorts are the main attraction for American, Canadian and German tourists, and as their name implies, they take care of everything you might need — food, drinks, shopping, masseuse, anything — and they dutifully warn those seeking an authentic experience in Dominican culture that you should not travel into the city of Puerto Plata for fear of crime and other dangers. Their intent is to get you to stay, of course, and spend your dollars inside their well-provisioned but bland cocoon.

Imagine travelling to Burlington for vacation and spending the entire time at the Sheraton on Williston Road and the U-Mall, never venturing into downtown Burlington. Having just spent nine days and nights inside the city of Puerto Plata, I can say folks who travel all the way to "Puerto Plata" without experiencing the city are missing a unique chance to enjoy a vibrant, at times chaotic, and warm city more or less unspoiled by large-scale development. What this city lacks in order and chain stores, it more than makes up for with authenticity, hospitality and passion. Its people are brimming with entrepreneurialism, magnanimity, extraordinary beauty and, despite its extraordinarily high unemployment rate, optimism.

Richard Donnelly, accompanying parent of player Sam Donnelly (13)

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Burlington Little League team visits Dominican Republican

Posted: 12 May 2010 04:56 AM PDT

Members of the Burlington American Little League team traveled to the Dominican Republic recently as part of a nine-day exchange organized by The Vermont Institute on the Carribean.

Hometown Photos: Little league trip to Domincan Republic

The 12 Vermont players stayed with host families while the three coaches, Jason Lenihan, Mark Stephenson and Tom Freiheit, and several parents stayed in a hotel.

The Vermont-Dominican Republic Baseball Cultural Exchange Program allows teams from Vermont to travel to Puerto Plata for a week-long baseball tournament, community service learning and cultural immersion. In opposite years, teams from the Dominican Republic travel to Vermont for similar activities.

Baseball may be America's pastime, but the sport "dominates the neighborhoods and playgrounds of every Dominican community and forms the nucleus around which much social activity and learning occurs," according to the Vermont Institute on the Carribean.

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Amen abounds in McKinney despite court ruling

Posted: 11 May 2010 10:35 PM PDT

Constitutional questions aside, Historic Downtown saw a gathering of the faithful to celebrate National Day of Prayer with the full blessing of local and state government officials. The noon ceremony featured a contingency of local pastors leading those present in prayers for such organizations as the government, military and media as well as a declaration of faith from McKinney Mayor Brian Loughmiller.

All of this came in the shadow of an April 15 ruling by U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb that declared the law creating National Day of Prayer unconstitutional, though enforcement of this ruling was put on hold by Judge Crabb until all appeals, including one from the U.S. Justice Department, are exhausted.

"It goes beyond mere 'acknowledgment' of religion because its sole purpose is to encourage all citizens to engage in prayer, an inherently religious exercise that serves no secular function in this context," wrote Judge Crabb, as quoted in the Miami Herald.

Still, President Barack Obama declared the first Thursday in May as National Day of Prayer as he did last year. The theme for the 59th National Day of Prayer is Prayer for such a time as this. The day serves as a time for people of all faiths to come together and pray for the nation.

Mayor Loughmiller participated in the ceremony by reading a proclamation, signed by he and Governor Rick Perry, recognizing the day, and also by taking a defiant stance against the district court ruling.

I ask myself and I ask you, has political correctness created a society where it is safer to not be true to ourselves in public, so long as we can profess our faith in private, he said. Beyond the legal analysis, I would ask of the United States District Judge in Wisconsin who ruled National Day of Prayer unconstitutional, where is the fundamental harm in 1 Corinthians, when we teach out children: Love is patient, love is kind, love never fails. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Loughmiller previously received a letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundationwhich filed the lawsuit involved in Judge Crabbs ruling arguing that the National Day of Prayer violates the separation of church and statewhich he said advised him it was unconstitutional for him to issue a proclamation or to participate in the days events, and that if he were to endorse or sponsor a proclamation it would be unlawful.

In response, Loughmiller joked that, in that case, he was glad the police were there. The comment was greeted with applause, as were several bible verses he quoted and his recitation of the Nicene Creed.

Following the mayors comments was a segment of the ceremony titled Covering our Nation and World in Prayer in which ministers from the community offered up prayers to specific groups or concerns. Jack Powers, Pastor at New Life Church of McKinney, covered education in his prayers.

I encourage you to pray for all levels of our educational system, he said. Where children are under attack in many areas, many of which happen in a classroom. So we need to encourage, we need to pray and we need to pray for Gods guidance and strength upon them, and that goes whether it be a university or a seminary, whatever it may be all the way down to literal homeschooling in our midst.

The event also featured a performance of the National Anthem and God Bless America by the Faith Christian Academy School Childrens Choir, and a flag presentation by the McKinney Police Department Color Guard, who closed the ceremony with the retiring of the colors.

Bill Conrad contributed to this story.

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