In the woods outside a little town in Germany stands a small memorial to an American who came to clear the sky of Nazis
In a handsome family plot at Elmwood Cemetery in Detroit
a copper-plated propeller rests atop a thick patch of ivy
is a bold young aviator from Grosse Pointe who went off to save the world from Adolf Hitler and died in the attempt 75 years ago
Alfred Brush Ford lives on today in a cozy park along the Detroit River and an enormous Hare Krishna temple in India
His name is carried by one of the more intriguing figures in the Ford Motor Co
he serves as a reminder of the goodness of people
Ford was 23 years old when he lifted off for the last time in a P-47 Thunderbolt
His group had been assigned to protect a squadron of B-26 bombers whose mission was to sweep across the west-central part of Germany and destroy the tracks of the Munster-Dortmund rail line
the Americans were attacked by German ME-109s
where a 17th-century baroque castle is now surrounded by a golf course
It crashed at the edge of a thicket in Davensberg
farmers found the body of a son of privilege who had come to the Army Air Corps straight from Yale
a simple wooden cross with angled slats tented downward from the top to the ends of the crosspiece
They engraved an epitaph: "Hier starbden fliegerlodder amerik.Leutnant Alfred B
Here died aviator American Lieutenant Alfred B
three generations after the end of World War II and 71 years after Ford's remains were sent back across the ocean
the inscription is still precise and the intent is still clear
Sascha Klaverkamp is a journalist in Dortmund
the metropolis 30 miles from pastoral Davensburg
It was Klaverkamp who wrote to The Detroit News about the cross in the woods
"roughly one meter tall." He described the grave candle in a metallic holder on a slab in front of it
noting that "the people regularly place a new candle inside
He knew that the sun was shining on Alfred Ford’s final day
and that eight fighter planes had battled as the bombers thundered home
why it was important to maintain the monument
and he was reminded that wars are remembered for triumph but built of pain and suffering
"The cross at the crash site is a place for us to bring that to our minds and to honor the victims of war," Risthaus said
"And keeping the cross means keeping peace with all peoples."
Klaverkamp inspired The News to find traces of Alfred Ford in its own backyard
and to reach out to the nephew who inherited his name
The current Alfred Brush Ford was born five years to the day after his uncle died. A world traveler and an influential figure in ISKCON — better known as the Hare Krishna movement — he is waiting out the coronavirus pandemic at his home in Gainesville
his uncle was spoken of frequently and reverently
The first Alfred Ford's forebears made their fortune in banking and railroads
He was the fourth child and third son of Frederick Clifford Ford and Virginia Eloise Brush Ford
two lines replete with names on street signs and buildings
A 1964 Detroit Free Press article said that Virginia had been an air warden
"and with three sons in service in World War II
middle brother Walter Buhl Ford II served in the Coast Guard
"Everybody was stepping up back then," said Joel Stone, senior curator of the Detroit Historical Society
I'm not sure every wealthy family responded the way they did."
and she and Walter named their fourth child and second boy after the kid brother who didn't come home
and he brought Hare Krishna positive exposure
large donations and a gift for fundraising
He and Walter Reuther's daughter, Elizabeth Dickmeyer, bought the Lawrence Fisher Mansion on Lenox Street in 1975 and deeded it to ISKCON for a Detroit headquarters
he has since devoted years and a reported $25 million to helping create a Taj Mahal-sized temple and Krishna Consciousness center in Mayapur
from carrying the name of a warrior who didn't live long enough to have any frailties exposed
"I had enough pressure from the other side of the family," he said
"That's why I took off in the other direction."
America keeps meticulous records of its grief
sent 613,543 of its residents to the armed services
and one has his name on a riverfront park in Detroit
Alfred Brush Ford Park sits at the foot of Lenox
a playscape and two odd relics from the Cold War: cylindrical cement radar towers for the Nike missiles that lurked underground on Belle Isle
sailboats slide quietly east and what looks like a miniature tugboat churns in the opposite direction
Fishing lines dangle beyond railings along a sidewalk puddled by waves
A riverfront saloon called the Woods used to occupy part of the property
The city acquired the land through condemnation in 1948
and it wound up named indirectly for a 9th-century king of the Anglo-Saxons
"My grandmother was kind of an amateur genealogist," the modern Alfred Ford said. "She traced the family to Alfred the Great."
A man pushing two little girls on adjoining swings said he didn't even know the park had a name
On a weathered wooden bench facing the river
He'd like to see a 20-yard section of collapsed sidewalk repaired
He just thinks of it as going to the river
'Remember the fallen'The name matters more in Davensberg
He's an amateur historian and a mechanic who lovingly restored a leftover from the American postwar occupation
he'll stop to rest next to the cross in the woods
Only three weeks after Alfred Brush Ford died
an Allied bombing campaign destroyed a synthetic oil plant near Dortmund and much of the city
American troops didn't even stop as they barreled through
but he said the locals mostly wanted the war to be over
if there was a lot of Nazi mentality in the area," he conceded in an email
"Many had lost their sons and/or fathers during the war and knew nothing about their whereabouts
"So this all adds up to their true and honest willingness to remember the fallen
Three German pilots were shot down in the same dogfight that claimed Alfred Ford
One of them was a 22-year-old named Otto Balluff who'd been rushed into the air well before he was ready to kill or be killed
Joan Capuano knows exactly where to find Alfred Ford
She is the executive director of the Historic Elmwood Foundation
He has a massive gray monument in the middle of the family plot
eight feet wide at the base and five feet tall
The headstones are all similar — thick
with gracefully curved tops and the letters raised instead of etched
His parents all but boasted on his metal grave marker: "1st Lieut
and it's attached to the blade of a propeller
Capuano said: "They found one from the same type of plane he was flying."
"Son of Frederick Clifford and Virginia Brush Ford," the marker read
decades before his parents earned gravestones of their own
The marker and the blade have turned green with age
but stood for something when he died and stands for even more now
Free-lance writer Sascha Klaverkamp contributed to this story from Germany
The Ibis Styles Neckarsulm has reopened following a complete renovation of the former Nestor Hotel
now part of the Ibis Styles brand under Accor and operated by The Chocolate on the Pillow Group
introduces a design concept reflecting elements of the city's automotive history and regional wine culture
The 97-room hotel features interiors that reference local themes
Public areas incorporate visual nods to the region's wine tradition
including wine barrels and sepia-toned artwork
The design was developed by Brumann Innenarchitektur
the hotel has also expanded its room offering to include family rooms
Guests have access to a fitness space equipped with Technogym machines
The property also supports sustainable travel through electric vehicle charging stations and bicycle storage facilities
Guests can enjoy a locally inspired breakfast and a comfortable
Hotel website
Brand OwnerAccor
sleep problems and hyperactivity thanks to a diagnosis of Sanfilippo syndrome
her parents found an over the counter supplement that helps to alleviate their daughter's symptoms – including the seizures
she slept all night,” said mother Kim Adams
Zoe's movements become less hyperactive because she was able to get much needed sleep
"Her heart and brain were resting because of the CBD oil."
[READ MORE: Volusia school district to consider medical marijuana policy, despite federal laws]
[READ MORE: Citing federal law, Florida school officials won’t give hemp extract to 6-year-old]
What tends to trip many consumers up is how hemp CBD oil is different than medical marijuana
The main difference between the two is hemp CBD oil contains trace amounts or no THC – the part of the marijuana plant that causes the high feeling – while medical marijuana has notable amounts of THC
Hemp CBD oil can be bought over the counter at smoke shops
CBD shops and at various convenience stores
"You do not need a medical marijuana card for this CBD oil," said Sean Yereance
dispensary manager at VidaCann in Daytona Beach
"It comes from the hemp plant not a marijuana plant."
The oil can be bought in a variety of different forms including oil
flower – to roll in papers like tobacco – dog treats
salves and food products like honey sticks or lollipops
The oil is used to treat a variety of different ailements including trouble sleeping
For JMJ Tobacco Palm Coast owner Maureen Vitello
her favorite use is the salve for foot pain
"I put it on my foot and it's fine," Vitello said
"A majority of customers that come in here for the CBD oil come in to help get them off of their pills."
Vitello said the CBD infused gummies they carry help her and her employee Mike D'Ascheberg relax and fall asleep
"It worked just 20 minutes after I took it much like melatonin," D'Ascheberg said
"Our most popular seller though is the oil and I recommend it for anyone who is looking to try CBD for the first time."
D'Ashceberg said that the best part about the CBD oil they carry is it doesn't get you high and the likelihood of overdosing on it is very low
recommended doses depending on strength," D'Ascheberg said
"If you take too much the only thing that's going to happen is you are going to fall asleep."
The negative side to hemp CBD oil is that it is illegal to grow in Florida and many manufactures do not test their products for chemicals
"We only buy products from companies that provide us a license telling us what is in their products,"Vitello said
"In the beginning it was a little scary because half the people weren't giving pure CBD."
Yereance said that often times retailers and consumers do not know what they are getting when they buy CBD oil over the counter
"There is no testing results to go with the products," Yereance said
"You have to do your research and buy from a trusted company like Charlotte's Web by Stanley Brothers."
Medical marijuana contains THC which works in conjunction with CBD to give patients the desired impact
"The THC helps to activate the CBD which is how you get that sense of wellbeing," said Michael Singleton
dispensary manager at Trulieve in Palm Coast
"Overall it's just more effective then what you can get over the counter."
Singleton said changing the amount of THC in the products is what tailors them to different ailments
to obtain a medical marijuana card to get the product a person must be suffering from cancer
"They have to be approved by the state," said Singleton
To get a medical marijuana card patients must see a qualifying doctor and they have to recommend the card and dosage
Patients can apply online through the Florida Department of Health
Once they get the card they can go to a dispensary
[READ MORE: Medical pot dispensary opens in Holly Hill, becomes 3rd in Volusia]
[READ MORE: Flagler’s first medical pot shop set to open in Palm Coast]
[READ MORE: Medical marijuana dispensary opens in Deltona]
it's up to the patient consultants like Finn Olson to educate patients on the products
The doctor gives the recommendations of dosage and THC content
"We try to find the best and tailor it to what they need," Olson said
medical marijuana comes in the forms of capsules
While medical marijuana is legal in the state of Florida
which means dispensaries have to follow the laws closely and the product is not covered by any health insurance
The benefit of medical marijuana over hemp CBD oil is all of the products are tested for purity
"Medical marijuana goes through testing facilities and there is analytical data from all of it," Yereance said
no pesticides and it's 100 percent natural."
The contest saw seven teams up to 8 goals in participation
Quinto Elemento and La Esperanza clashed in the final
in a very close game that saw a 4-all with only one chukka remaining
Quinto Elemento seized the reins to produce a couple of crucial goals and were victorious 6-5
Quinto Elemento claimed the second tournament of the current Iberian Polo Tour – they already won the first
BARÓN DE STRABROCK CUP – FINAL – SUNDAY APRIL 20
Umpires: Federico Martelli & Mariano Iturrioz
Dubai claimed a narrow 9-8 victory over MB Polo and ran out the champions of the high goal Electrolit Gold Cup
following the championship match that took place on Saturday August 26
Although MB Polo – who returned to Sotogrande after a four years absence – had a better start
Dubai bounced back to outscore their opponents 3-0 in the fifth chukka and took the lead
but Dubai managed to maintain the single goal gap
after the goals produced by Camilo Castagnola and Pablo MacDonough
It is worth noting that Dubai not only Dubai won the high goal Gold Cup for the second consecutive year – they also claimed the same significant achievement back in 2016
A very moving moment took place by half time
the members of Spain’s national team who won the FIP World Cup that took place in the United States
Jeju claimed the low goal Electrolit Gold Cup
presented the trophy to the winners of the high goal Electrolit Gold Cup
International Polo Tournament Andalucía came to an end
ELECTROLIT GOLD CUP – SATURDAY AUGUST 26:
FINAL ELECTROLIT GOLD CUP: DUBAI 9-8 MB POLO
Umpires: Esteban Ferrari & Federico Martelli
Third man: Guillermo Villanueva
Best Polo Argentino Bred (Presented by the Argentine Polo Pony Breeders Assn.): Machitos Lírica
Top scorer of the tournament: Camilo Castagnola
FINAL COPA DE ORO ELECTROLIT: JEJU POLO TEAM 8-7 ESSSO
Umpires: Santos Anca & José Ignacio Araya
FINAL SOTOGRANDE CUP: COTTON HOUSE 8-7 SIGMA POLO TEAM
REWATCH THE FINAL OF THE HIGH GOAL ELECTROLIT GOLD CUP: DUBAI VS MB POLO (POLOLINE TV)
From banging on buckets to rapping about sleeping babies
Rodney Harshbarger's students never miss a beat
the peppy Ironman triathlon finisher and Navy veteran is up for a national award for music teachers
Old Kings Elementary students and families know Harshbarger partly for his exuberant music videos on YouTube
raps and pounds on pails with his students
“As long as the kids want to come through your door
you're going to be able to hook them,” he said
who nicknamed himself the “guy in pink” because many young children struggle to say and spell his name
is a quarter-finalist for the first-ever Music Educator Award from The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation
he'll be flown to Los Angeles to accept the award
Nine finalists also will receive $1,000 and the schools of all 10 finalists also will receive matching grants
still has a way to go: He's among 217 quarter-finalists
who is spending the summer as coordinator of the Flagler Beach junior lifeguard program
will learn in August if he's made it to the next round in the competition
Anyone who teaches music in American public or private schools from kindergarten through college is eligible for the award
The Palm Coast resident completed his 17th year of teaching last week
This most recent recognition is not his first time in the spotlight — he was Flagler County's teacher of the year in 2002
said music can also help children academically
He points out that many people first learn to sing the alphabet
and he tries to weave the children's homeroom lessons into his class
he plugs in a CD with whale and dolphin noises
the community is at risk of “not creating very well-rounded children.”
“I just truly feel that it is important,” he said
“I hope to God we never have our arts cut here in Flagler County or in Volusia
Can you imagine a school day (when) a kid never gets to get out of a homeroom classroom — never has art
said he tries to show sports-oriented youngsters that athletes can play music
The 48-year-old Harshbarger has completed six Ironman triathlon races — that's a 2.4-mile swim
That message struck a chord with Kristine Pavlow's 8-year-old son
Harshbarger's interactive style “brings out the best in every kid,” said Pavlow of Palm Coast
“(Harshbarger) loves what he does and he loves the kids,” Pavlow said
he's just got something special and he's doing what he was meant to do.”
That passion for children sometimes extends beyond Harshbarger's normal school hours
The two animated men used to “bounce off each other” when they taught P.E
Harshbarger and D'Ascheberg mentored children during their prep periods
walking around the school's track together or organizing dodgeball games
D'Ascheberg described Harshbarger as “one of those outstanding
high-energy guys that comes along once in a lifetime.”
“There's not many teachers out there that can really get into a kids head from every angle and figure out what's going on and deal with them on a basis where you can turn them around,” D'Ascheberg said.
The new globalization hit show Love Is Blind has now arrived in Germany for its contestants to teach them the way to find their soulmates
Best known for trying to find the answer to whether physical attraction can be replaced by real chemistry
singles from different parts of the country attempt the ultimate in blind dating—love is being sought in this show
The show starts with the participants interacting with each other in “pods” in which they can speak to one another but not see one another
what matters is that they want to establish an emotional intimacy with one another
they will likely head towards the next step
the couples sit across from each other and assess whether their relationship is compatible enough for a marriage
Guiding the participants through this whirlwind experience are hosts and real-life couple, Steffi Brungs and Chris Wackert
Their role goes beyond introducing episodes; they provide support and insights as the couples navigate this unorthodox path to love
Love Is Blind: Germany's first season brings together a bunch of guys and ladies in their late twenties to thirties
These single folks are from various parts of Germany
Let's take a brief look at the participants
Daniel is 26 years old and coming from Frankfurt
This man infuses the dating game with some pep and a new outlook
Then there's 34-year-old Fabio from Remseck
This guy is all set to snag a romance that'll match up with the things he stands for and his ambitions in life
Ilias wants to find a person who gets his goals and who he is as a person
he is seeking a relationship that's meaningful
Medina wishes to create a connection that'll survive through thick and thin
Peißenberg's own Pascal has interesting life stories
This 33-year-old brings his magnetic personality into the mix
This 34-year-old is on a quest to find a romance that's not just about looks
Alberta is 27 and wants to find true love in this one-of-a-kind adventure
This young lady is hopeful and inquisitive as she sets on this unique journey
She's super keen to find out if this kind of out-there scenario will help real love blossom
Hanni is another 28-year-old living in Cologne
She's on the lookout to meet someone who's all about honesty and being pals
Jen is 31 and shares Hannah's Berlin roots
She's showing up with her special brand of authenticity
She can't wait to snag a true-blue bond with someone
Shella is eager for this trial to guide her right to her destined partner
Shila's eagerly searching for someone who prizes deep bonds just like her heart desires
Love Is Blind has won over audiences across the globe since it first aired in the U.S
The German version puts a cultural spin on things
showing how Germans deal with love and relationships in this one-of-a-kind setup
The program raises key questions: Can people fall in love without seeing each other
Will connections based on emotions hold up in the real world
viewers can keep up with the cast's rollercoaster of feelings from the pods to their possible weddings
Love Is Blind: Germany hit Netflix on January 3
If you're into reality TV or just want to see how modern dating works
this show will grab your attention and make you think more about love
Make sure you catch all the love and drama
Check it out to see if these lovely Germans can fall in love without meeting
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