but they’re also an incredible encyclopaedia of strange We’ll dig some out every week to put a smile on your face or a tear in your eye 🥇","event":null,"destination_url":"","entry_point_tag":"base","entry_point_type":"instory_campaign"}" data-tracking="click" href="https://www.olympics.com/en/sign-in?entry_point_type=instory_campaign&entry_point_tag=base&template=base&origin=https%3A%2F%2Folympics.com%2Fen%2Folympic-channel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Olympic Membership - Free Live Stream Sports & Original Series - join now Mark Spitz was the most successful athlete to come out of Munich 1972 winning a total of seven gold medals – an achievement that was only broken by Michael Phelps 36 years later at Beijing 2008 when he took home eight He already had six gold medals in the bag but was hesitating to compete in the 100m freestyle final which will have been his shot for a seventh gold The reason: Australia’s Michael Wenden had beaten him prior in the preliminaries and in the semi-finals and Spitz was afraid that losing in the final might tarnish his impeccable gold output he under performed against his own predictions Spitz announced that he could win six gold medals but only came home with two golds a silver and bronze being criticised by the media afterwards Winning gold medals in all events in Munich 1972 was his chance to make a statement against his detractors But being beaten by Wenden in the heat and semi-final made Spitz doubt himself a two-time Olympic gold medallist in Mexico 1968 and was ecstatic to come face-to-face with the swimming legend What changed Spitz's mind to get back in the water When Spitz heard from the US swim coach Peter Daland that this was swimming’s blue ribbon event and whoever wins will be crowned the fastest swimmer on the planet Mark Spitz earns superstar status by winning seven gold medals and setting seven world records in the pool at the Munich Olympics in 1972 When Spitz decided to compete in the 100m final It could make or break his golden streak and his reputation was on the line Spitz had every intention to defend his medal haul Spitz used his powerful kick and great stroke techniques to be ahead of the pack He eventually bested not only Wenden but also Jerry Heidenreich (USA) and Vladimir Bure (Soviet Union) to finish in a world-record time of 51.22 Spitz’s world-recording wins in Munich 1972 - and his seven on seven golds - will always be remembered as one of the greatest moments in Olympic history Spitz retired after the Munich 1972 at only 22-years-old He went on to do endorsement deals and also dabbled in sports presentations for some networks he was inducted the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an Honour Swimmee He also tried to make a comeback in the Olympic trials for Barcelona 1992 but failed to qualify his many achievements in the sport of swimming are set in the Olympic history books and his name will never be forgotten He along with Michael Phelps serve as inspirations for the future generation of swimmers Spitz wanted to clarify the rumour back in 1972 Looking back at the finals of the 100 metre event Spitz said in an Olympic.org article: “I was always going for it,” Spitz laughed We spoke about it with a few other coaches and I guess the word permeated a little bit he may have failed to beat Spitz for that coveted gold medal but he will always cherish his Olympic experience He also emulated Spitz's stroking techniques two years after the Games "I sincerely thank Mark Spitz for letting me copy his stroking technique," Wenden said in the Olympic Channel ORIGINALS Under the shadow of Mark Spitz video Wenden was inducted to the International Swimming Hall of Fame then at the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Games Highway 60 slithers like a rattlesnake across the floor of Arizona’s McMullen Valley before breaking away from Interstate 10 where it whisks motorists into a seemingly unchartered expanse of the Grand Canyon State.   Framed by the Harcuvar and Harquahala Mountains this deserted highway is dotted with wildflowers and cacti and abandoned buildings that stand tall against the big Long before this corridor became a ribbon of asphalt across the desert basin it was an old wagon road used by cowboys and miners who settled this remote landscape of La Paz County as did a Wells Fargo Bank; suddenly this place in the middle of nowhere was put on the map But a group of outsiders has always survived “It’s never been a ghost town,” says De Vona Saiter whose family has lived in the community since the 1960s “It’s always maintained some level of population and some level of services.”    there are 728 people who call this place home full-time While that number may seem minuscule when compared with other desert municipalities “I mean we’re not booming like Phoenix,” says De Vona’s husband Residents here are a tightknit bunch, partly because they’ve endured so much together. In 2000 and 2010 two massive floods nearly devastated the region that includes the nearby town of Salome the ground below them is literally sinking at the rate of two inches every year.  But its latest conflict is proving to be the town’s toughest to date “We’re fighting for our community,” says De Vona residents have been battling a Goliath-size company that wants to disrupt and pollute their landscape by constructing an aluminum smelter plant right on the edge of city limits. In April 2019 Alliance Metals—a Florida-based company owned by Technocon an even larger corporation with ties to international business interests—submitted a rezoning proposal to the La Paz County Board of Supervisors that would allow them to use an existing facility to manufacture and process heavy Built on the site of the town’s shuttered cotton gin the plant has been touted as a “state-of-the-art aluminum recycling operation.” According to the original proposal this “green” operation would pump nearly $30 million of revenue into the county’s economy and fund things like trainings for the volunteer fire department and educational programs for schools not to mention provide a bounty of high-paying jobs.  While the economic impact may have enticed some in the beginning many community members became alarmed by the extensive environmental damage this smelter plant would have on their fragile desert ecosystem it would produce 35 tons of emissions per year including the release of particulates contaminated with aluminum; large industrial trucks would begin using Highway 60 to transport materials (some of them hazardous); residents who live near the facility would undoubtedly be exposed to the round-the-clock noise pollution; and much of the valley’s agricultural land would become unfit for crops.   But the biggest concern from many of the parents was the plant’s proximity to the elementary school: less than one mile away.  “No way in hell are they going to put something like that in our valley,” says Steffany Palmer “The contamination could be devastating to our area and the people,” she says.   Gary became the de facto leader of the resistance; it didn’t take long before many of his neighbors lined up behind him. Together they circumvented several environmental agencies that are supposed to protect them like the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality by conducting their own wind analysis of the plant’s impact.   over 300 constituents from both Wenden and Salome packed the community center to express their fears and frustrations residents faced off with the representatives from Alliance and the La Paz County Board of Supervisors leaving nothing left to the imagination.   the crowd would have ripped their heads off,” Gary says not one person had spoken in favor of the proposed smelter Alliance offered to make some amendments to its proposal including the promise to not use chlorine or other “hazardous” materials on the site.  the future of the plant could still move forward will hold a vote to approve or deny Alliance’s proposal voted into office by their respective districts (there are three total districts that constitute La Paz County) oversee and govern all policies and budgets of the county.  also use this type of governmental body to determine local issues ranging from child services to the construction of new buildings to law enforcement policies and one that comes with a tremendous amount of civic responsibility there is reason to be concerned that the supervisors won’t vote in their favor represent communities that will see no environmental impact from the facility A majority of their voting constituents are far removed from any pollution the plant would create.   Wenden has always been the forgotten child,” says De Vona “We’ve always been overlooked or frowned upon as being the poor Mexican community.” Gary Saiter says that if the supervisors vote to approve he will lead an effort to file for a referendum to put the issue on the ballot in November.  where he works as a multi-media journalist and producer In "The War Below," Ernest Scheyder considers the hard choices of the clean energy transition Here’s what the new project means for the US and other countries beyond the Nordic region Could the green energy revolution start in one of the reddest states Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni—Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument will honor tribal heritage and protect the area from uranium mining Get articles like this one sent directly to your inbox With this action you affirm you want to receive Sierra Club communications and may vote on policy designated by the Sierra Club Board Sierra Club® and "Explore, enjoy and protect the planet"® are registered trademarks of the Sierra Club. © Sierra Club 2025.The Sierra Club Seal is a registered copyright Sign up to receive Sierra News & Views to get articles like this one sent directly to your inbox AZ — A blanket of bright green alfalfa spreads across western Arizona's McMullen Valley ringed by rolling mountains and warmed by the hot desert sun Matthew Hancock's family has used groundwater to grow forage crops here for more than six decades They're long accustomed to caprices of Mother Nature that can spoil an entire alfalfa cutting with a downpour or generate an especially big yield with a string of blistering days But concerns about future water supplies from the valley's ancient aquifers a town of around 700 people where the Hancock family farms Some neighbors complain their backyard wells have dried up since the Emirati agribusiness Al Dahra began farming alfalfa here on about 3,000 acres (1,214 hectares) several years ago It is unknown how much water the Al Dahra operation uses but Hancock estimates it needs 15,000 to 16,000 acre-feet a year based on what his own alfalfa farm needs He says he gets all the water he needs by drilling down hundreds of feet An acre-foot of water is roughly enough to serve two to three U.S Hancock said he and neighbors with larger farms worry more that in the future state officials could take control of the groundwater they now use for agriculture and transfer it to Phoenix and other urban areas amid the worst Western drought in centuries “I worry about the local community farming in Arizona,” Hancock said standing outside an open-sided barn stacked with hay bales Concerns about the Earth’s groundwater supplies are front of mind in the lead-up to COP28 the annual United Nations climate summit opening this week in the Emirati city of Dubai Gulf countries like the UAE are especially vulnerable to global warming “Water shortages have driven companies to go where the water is,” said Robert Glennon a water policy and law expert and professor emeritus at the University of Arizona Experts say tensions are inevitable as companies in climate-challenged countries like the United Arab Emirates increasingly look to faraway places like Arizona for the water and land to grow forage for livestock and commodities such as wheat for domestic use and export “As the impacts of climate change increase we expect to see more droughts,” said Karim Elgendy a climate change and sustainability specialist at Chatham House think tank in London “This means more countries would look for alternative locations for food production.” who focuses on the Middle East and North Africa International corporations have also turned to Ethiopia and other parts of Africa to develop enormous farming operations criticized as “land grabbing.” La Paz County Supervisor Holly Irwin welcomes a recent crackdown by Arizona officials on unfettered groundwater pumping long allowed in rural areas noting local concerns about dried up wells and subsidence that's created ground fissures and flooding during heavy rains “You’re starting to see the effects of lack of regulation," she said we don’t know how much water we have in these aquifers and we don’t know how much is being pumped out.” Irwin laments that foreign firms are "mining our natural resource to grow crops such as alfalfa .. and they’re shipping it overseas back to their country where they’ve depleted their water source.” board chairman and general manager of the Wenden Domestic Water Improvement District said utility records showed the surface-to-water depth at its headquarters was a little over 100 feet (30 meters) in the 1950s but it's now now about 540 feet (160 meters) food crops like cantaloupe have been replaced with forage like alfalfa “I believe that the legislature in the state needs to step up and actually put some control start measuring the water that the farms use," Saiter said Gov. Katie Hobbs in October yanked the state’s land lease on another La Paz County alfalfa farm, one operated by Fondomonte Arizona a subsidiary of Saudi dairy giant Almarai Co The Democrat said the state would not renew three other Fondomonte leases next year saying the company violated some lease terms and said it will appeal the decision to terminate its 640-acre (259-hectare) lease in Butler Valley which farms on land leased from a private North Carolina-based corporation said he worked with a consulting group that advised Saudi Arabia more than a decade ago to import hay and other crops rather than drain its aquifers He said Arizona also must protect its groundwater “I do think we need sensible regulation," said Glennon but I don’t want them to drain the aquifers Seeking crops for domestic use and export, Al Dahra farms wheat and barley in Romania It runs a rice mill in Pakistan and grows grapes in Namibia and citrus in Egypt The company is controlled by the state-owned firm ADQ an Abu Dhabi-based investment and holding company behind-the-scenes national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan a brother of ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan The company did not respond to numerous emails and voicemails sent to its UAE offices and its subsidiary Al Dahra ACX in the U.S seeking comment about its Arizona operation Al Dahra acknowledges the challenges of climate change noting “the continuing decrease in cultivable land and diminishing water resources available for farming.” The firm says it considers water and food security at ”the core of its strategy” and uses drip irrigation to optimize water use farms are not banned from farming in Arizona farmers commonly export hay and other forage crops to countries including Saudi Arabia and China In Arizona’s Cochise County that relies on groundwater residents worry that the mega-dairy operated there by Riverview LLP of Minnesota could deplete their water supplies The company did not respond to a request for comment about its water use “The problem is not who is doing it, but that we are allowing it to be done,” said Kathleen Ferris a senior research fellow at the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University “We need to pass laws giving more control over groundwater uses in these unregulated areas.” A former director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources Ferris helped draw up the state’s 1980 Groundwater Management Act that protects aquifers in urban areas like Phoenix but not in rural agricultural areas Many people mistakenly believe groundwater is a personal property right noting that the Arizona Supreme Court has ruled there's only a property right to water once it has been pumped In Arizona, rural resistance to limits on pumping remains strong and efforts to create rules have gone nowhere in the Legislature. The Arizona Farm Bureau has pushed back at narratives that portray foreign agribusiness firms like Al Dahra as groundwater pirates The state is “the wild West” when it comes to groundwater “Whoever has the biggest well and pumps the most groundwater wins.” “Arizona is blessed to have a very large and productive groundwater,” she added then you deplete the water and it’s gone.” Report a typo Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Wenden Sanders has been appointed director of HISD’s new K–12 Fine Arts Department who is currently serving as principal of Meyerland Performing and Visual Arts Middle School and direction to ensure that all HISD students have access to a high-quality fine arts education “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to bring the fine arts to all students in HISD,” Sanders said “I look forward to working with the Arts Access Initiative and community leaders to ensure that we are educating the whole child.” The creation of the new Fine Arts Department is a direct result of Superintendent Richard Carranza’s Listen and Learn tour where he heard repeatedly about the need to further develop the fine arts at all grade levels in HISD schools “We are very excited about expanding the fine arts throughout HISD under the leadership of Wenden Sanders,” said Chief Academic Officer Grenita Lathan “Access to the arts and creative learning is an important part of becoming a Global Graduate.” has been the principal of Meyerland PVA for six years leading the campus to six TEA distinctions in mathematics He has been a public-school educator for 26 years 13 of which he spent as a choral-music teacher and fine-arts department chair and the remainder as a campus administrator More than 350 students in his choral-music programs traveled to New York to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of music and art Sanders has served as a Texas Music Adjudication Association judge and a Texas Music Education Association regional officer He is a member of Texas Choral Directors Association Sanders earned a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Lamar University and a master’s in Educational Administration from Prairie View A&M University Sanders will finish the school year at Meyerland PVA before beginning his new job The fact that he has made this a priority and that he created a process that resulted in Mr There is no one more giving of his time to children than Mr HISD just might be on the verge of a renaissance Roc and I will always appreciate all the help you provided at Lanier and we wish you the best in your newest endeavor Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInWENDEN AZ (3TV/CBS 5) - The green fields outside the community of Wenden in western Arizona stretch as far as the eye can see a company based in the United Arab Emirates And most of the alfalfa hay grown here is headed to the Middle East But the UAE company doesn’t own the actual land Corporate and property records show a winding path of ownership that leads from the city of Phoenix to an investment fund that includes the Arizona State Retirement System which invests money for retired state and local government employees Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting was the first to draw a connection from the state retirement fund to the UAE farm which it had bought years before for water rights of which the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) is a major investor The ASRS committed $175 million to a trust that invests in farmland across the U.S. “Most of the original $175 million that was invested in the trust across the U.S with a remaining outstanding investment of approximately $69.9 million as of March 31 2023,” stated a spokesman for ASRS in an email Irwin has spoken out about the unregulated water pumping at farms like Al Dahra and Fondomonte which is owned by a company from Saudi Arabia and also sends alfalfa to the Middle East “I’m grateful that they can provide jobs to the locals here but if we don’t start protecting the water how long are those jobs going to last?” said Irwin The problem, according to Irwin and other critics property owners are allowed to pump as much water from the land as they want to The result is that a growing number of areas are seeing groundwater levels drop some residents have had to drill new wells because of the declining water levels Alfalfa is considered a high-water-use crop The ASRS reports that the land Al Dahra farms is on in Wenden is listed for sale “The property has been available sale for several years and is expected to be sold in a year or so Multiple selling opportunities will be contemplated including the possible sale for solar or wind power generation in order to further reduce water utilization,” stated the spokesman for ASRS See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description Do you have a story you want us to investigate? Tell us about it by contacting us The vice-president and managing director of the Prince Albert II Foundation spoke about his career it was difficult to find a slot to meet Olivier Wenden one January evening at the headquarters of the Foundation – a fabulous Belle Époque house on the Boulevard de Suisse – whose role has been to fight climate change He started by looking back with great modesty over his prestigious career Olivier Wenden attended the Lycée Albert I before moving to Paris and then to Bordeaux to study Political Science He completed a Master’s degree at the Sorbonne in international trade while attending summer camps in the United States “I knew very early on that I wanted to work in diplomacy And when I finished my studies in Paris in 2003 I came up against a harsh truth that threw me it wasn’t so easy find a job in the capital because there were still certain misconceptions that we didn’t necessarily need to work,” recalls Olivier Wenden who seized the opportunity to join the Grimaldi Forum shortly afterwards He describes this experience as “two absolutely incredible years” during which he marketed the major summer exhibitions Olivier Wenden received a call from the Prince Albert II Foundation A new position had been created: Executive Director “It was a pretty incredible opportunity and there were a lot of challenges to overcome Plus working for the Sovereign is a great challenge in itself.” Prince Albert II Foundation signs partnership to accelerate climate action since Olivier Wenden was promoted to vice-president and managing director of the foundation in October 2019 “To implement the strategy approved by the Board of Directors under the Presidency of the Prince to accompany him on his travels for the Foundation’s events but also the Foundation’s network of foreign branches,” he explains Olivier Wenden is also involved in what he calls “the lifeblood” : fundraising “We can be proud today of the fact that we can invest or give out up to ten million euros per year between our actions and the projects we support.” When Olivier Wenden is asked to name a particular project that is close to his heart “The Prince himself says that it is very difficult to name just one of the Foundation’s projects but we can be proud that in just 16 years we have managed to save species such as the bluefin tuna Monk seals are the next challenge,” the enthusiast announces Another reason for these successes is that the Foundation is chaired by a sitting Head of State “The Sovereign’s positive image his very sincere personal commitment that is recognised by everyone his credibility and that of the Princes of Monaco in general opens ears,” Olivier Wenden is pleased to say and he proudly acknowledges that he has “a bond of respect and trust” with the Prince The Vice-President has his work cut out in 2023 “We are launching an initiative for young leaders under 35 as well as an initiative on forests and indigenous communities This will take the form of a major seminar at the end of November 2023 We are also consolidating what already exists and the 16th Foundation prize-giving ceremony which will take place in Philadelphia on 27 October 2023 in the presence of the Sovereign.” With part of his family from Haute-Savoie and another from Corsica Olivier Wenden was introduced to nature conservation from a very early age “My brother and I were lucky to have been brought up with common sense: little waste I am all the more careful about what I eat and in general about what I buy,” he confides Le centre de recherches et d'études sur l'Europe > Schuman Papers and Interviews > Schuman Papers n°609 : Can the new European Pact on Immigration and Asylum respond to future migration challenges following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban takeover which raises concerns about the arrival of new Afghan refugees does the new Pact offer the necessary instruments to formulate a common and effective response to future migration challenges The Pact sets the goal of "a fair and reasonable immigration policy" perhaps drawing on the subtitle of the 2018 Marrakesh Global Compact the Dublin Regulation and asylum applications from countries where asylum seekers have obtained less than 20% positive responses; - organising compulsory solidarity decided by the European Commission in the event of a crisis; - speeding up border deportations and make them more effective in particular by activating readmission agreements with third countries in exchange for closer cooperation on development; - strengthening external border controls through increased resources for Frontex A screening process is scheduled as a precondition for entry into the European Union - not prosecuting humanitarian organisations one can only apply for asylum in one country upon arrival asylum seekers who set foot in a European country were obliged to apply in that country This created a divide between the southern European border countries and the rest of Europe As people rarely arrive in Europe via Sweden or Finland this meant that Southern Europe became the entry point for asylum seekers who if they had been identified according to their fingerprints in these countries (Greece had to have their application examined in these countries where positive responses were rare (Greece in particular) procedures were long and the employment prospects for settling once refugee status had been acquired were unattractive or non-existent West and East of the Union to offload asylum onto the countries of Southern Europe has had political consequences leading to the rise of the extreme right in Italy (with the League) and in Greece (with Golden Dawn) But this system also aimed to promote the previous "burden sharing" of reception between European countries (Germany and Austria which had received many refugees and migrants after the fall of the Berlin Wall) while strengthening the means of border control and pressure on the EU's neighbouring countries In addition to military and computerised border control instruments, the main instruments used have been (FRONTEX, SIVE - Integrated External Vigilance System –, EURODAC - fingerprinting of incoming asylum seekers but also of identified undocumented migrants and delinquents) deportation agreements with countries on the southern shore of the Mediterranean and beyond outsourcing of European border control to non-European countries therefore seems to have little chance of success given the position of the Višegrad countries In addition to their very strong opposition to solidarity and the reluctance of countries such as Austria has adopted very radical positions against asylum rejecting the EU's common immigration and asylum policy and seeking to process asylum applications remotely in the countries of departure or transit The presidential campaign in France and the negotiations for the formation of a coalition in Germany may also influence the timing and success of the new Pact The associative world has spoken out against the Commission's proposals on entry screening; restrictions on the examination of asylum applications from countries with a very low agreement rate; the continuation of the Dublin agreements and the lack of reflection on legalising entry for work reasons which would reduce the demand for asylum from countries that are not at war; the strengthening of border control instruments such as Frontex; and the "peripheralisation" of asylum management in concentric circles: first Southern Europe then Sub-Saharan Africa and the Near and Middle East the Pact focuses more on asylum than on immigration and does not deal much with labour shortages (highlighted by Covid-19 and Brexit) and integration (which is not a European competence but a national or local one by virtue of the subsidiarity rule) The European Pact on Immigration and Asylum aims to build trust and create a new balance between responsibility and solidarity It recommends screening at entry with EURODAC registration (some southern European countries have not always registered fingerprints of newcomers It provides for a flexible contribution by Member States through relocations to other host countries and the sharing of return costs between European States It also provides for the cooperation of third countries an accelerated asylum procedure for applicants of nationalities with a recognition rate of less than 20% (which presupposes a high degree of homogeneity of profiles which is not always the case within the same nationality) The Pact also seeks to develop a global approach through a common return system, a strengthening of control instruments (border and coast guards) with a European coordinator in charge of returns. It encourages legal migration to attract talent and proposes a comprehensive action plan on integration and exclusion. The role of EASO renamed the European Union Agency for Asylum is to be strengthened to better harmonise the rates of acceptance and refusal of asylum applications between European countries which currently vary due to the sensitivities and diplomacy of each State which are anxious to preserve their sovereignty in this area the Pact states that humanitarian sea rescue NGOs should not be turned away and should not be criminalised and that they should have access to European ports The Pact is not a treaty: it has no binding effect on those who sign it Most observers point to the lack of radical change announced the continuation of the Dublin system and the "hot spots" whose end was planned the dependence on failed solutions (return and development policies) to contain migration the abandonment of a binding distribution of new arrivals and the insistence on the strategy of dissuasion with many resources devoted to control with no prospect of putting an end to illegal immigration whereas only the opening of legal channels for labour migration seems to be an antidote to the tragedy of crossings deaths at the borders and the fortunes of smugglers The Pact focuses on asylum more than on immigration given the international context in which Europe finds itself the points that are likely to succeed are the regulation concerning asylum (strengthening of the EASO Agency) the European Blue Card on skills and talents already adopted by the European Parliament on 15 September 2021 to facilitate the employment of qualified non-European nationals within the European Union the end of the Dublin system seems to have been put off until later will continue to be dealt with in the framework of subsidiarity left to the competence of each Member State The adoption of a common policy on flows requires a change in mentality within the Union and an approach linking immigration and asylum an instrument to deal with the arrival of Afghans at European level Following the Taliban takeover of Kabul on 15 August 2021 repatriated by US forces to their bases in Germany or by European flights which had repatriated some of those employed by those countries and allowed many NGOs to help the population on the ground while the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) tried to fulfil its mission of protecting the right to asylum by being present in Afghanistan Afghanistan has produced the largest number of refugees since the beginning of the Soviet invasion in 1979 whose language they sometimes share (which explains the attraction of young Afghans for the United Kingdom where there is a large Pakistani population) the poorest migrate within their own country (with 332,000 new IDPs since 2021 22,000 people have sought protection in neighbouring countries since the beginning of 2021 Only a minority are heading to Western countries there are 3.5 million IDPs and 2.2 million Afghans in neighbouring countries The UNHCR estimates that there are 500,000 potential internal refugees and 300,000 departures to Iran and Pakistan and Europe expects an additional 500,000 Afghan asylum seekers in 2021 According to the European Asylum Agency (EASO) 123,000 Afghan asylum seekers have arrived in Europe since August 2021 either humanitarian or statutory as refugees under the Geneva Convention France is the country in Europe that receives the largest number of Afghan asylum seekers (more than 10,000 per year) partly due to the transfer of asylum seekers from one European country to another once the asylum channels in the first country of arrival (Germany most often) have been exhausted instead of applying in the first identified European country where one has set foot (the Dublin "one stop one shop" system as in the case of the Afghans in Calais) The profiles of the asylum seekers are diverse: intellectuals and scientists left as soon as the Soviet invasion of 1979 Many of them already had links with Europe (spouses of nationals) and held "risky" jobs: lawyers although the level of education was low for some of them particularly in terms of language learning (not financed during the asylum application) Some of the civilian auxiliaries or locally recruited civilian personnel who helped European countries during their military presence in Afghanistan have also been repatriated But the closure of European embassies blocks the departure of people in danger of death in their country French President Emmanuel Macron said that "France is doing and will continue to do its duty to protect those who are most at risk" while recalling "the need to protect against significant irregular migration flows" OFPRA decisions have been blocked since mid-August and there is no longer any question of sending rejected asylum seekers back to Afghanistan: no more so-called "Kabul" jurisprudence where they were sent back to the Afghan capital which was considered "safe" unlike the rest of the country Angela Merkel acknowledged that she had underestimated the Afghan situation reminding us that we should not repeat the mistakes of the Syrian crisis: avoid a new influx of refugees into Europe and help those in danger to find safe places in the vicinity of Afghanistan compared to the figure that the German chancellor had forged for herself by welcoming the Syrians in 2015: "wir schaffen das (we can do it)" the country hosting the largest number of refugees in the world (around 5 million in total although the reception of Syrian refugees has served Turkish diplomacy in its relations with Europe (March 2016 agreement) a wall has been built over 100 km on the Iranian border and the population is showing its discontent It is therefore likely that we will not see a new version of the Syrian crisis as fewer Afghans are taking the western route than the Syrians did The warning of a great migration wave brandished by populist parties in Europe will not happen but the European Pact on Immigration and Asylum will be of little help The reinforced return policy is not feasible towards Afghanistan as it seems difficult to envisage a filtering at the entry of those who would not fit the profile of refugees an infinite outsourcing of the settlement of refugees to Iran or Pakistan because Iran and Pakistan are not interlocutors of the same nature as Europe Europe is not in a position to impose "burden sharing" among European States as the most recalcitrant were not sanctioned in 2015 the contradictions between the security approach that dominates European governments the lack of solidarity between States and the reminder by the head of European diplomacy of the duty of European countries to welcome immigrants are now looming on the horizon The European pact for immigration and asylum tabled in 2020 by the European Commission does not seem to be an effective tool and the absence of a common asylum policy Publishing Director : Pascale Joannin The European Union and national sovereignty: a.. The end of the energy price crisis must not mean.. Hybrid threats: the new horizons for a "Europe of.. with its 200,000 subscribers and its editions in 6 languages ​​(French Subscribe Legal Notice Privacy Policy Cookie Management The final round of the 12-round 2017 Monster Energy Guam Motocross Championships was Sept 3 at the Guam International Raceway in Yigo Open MotorcycleTim Wenden kept the streak of heat wins all the way to the end taking both the round win and the 2017 Monster Energy Guam Open Motorcycle championship Taking second overall after two great heat battles was “Little” John Aguon with Mike Uribe in third Robert Bucek swept the heats and won the championship Finishing in second was Matt Taimanglo, with rookie racer Rose T More racingThree rounds of endurance-type events are scheduled beginning at the end of October at the Guam International Raceway in Yigo the Charles Wenden Memorial Officials’ Race will be staged again at this Universiade It will be the 26th edition (started in 1983) and the race will be held on August 26th following the Men’s 20 km walk at the same place (Taipei City Hall – No.1 All accredited persons to the Universiade can compete Emeritus Honorary Member Alf Laser from Australia and it’s Co-Curator FISU Executive Committee Member from Hong Kong Looking forward to see many of you at the starting line © International University Sports Federation Tim Wenden defended his title as overall Elite Division champion of the Trench Challenge and finished the long course without penalty in 1:19:37.95 Despite a tropical storm that put Guam into Condition of Readiness 3 Sept.  28 and weather conditions that blew away course markers Trench Challenge officials pushed through and the competition went on as planned at the Guam International Raceway Sept The competitive side of the event featured close to 100 entries in the Elite Division a qualifier for the 2018 OCR World Championships in and the North American Championships in Vermont More: Aaron Jamanila is PDN's Player of the Week More: Sports Shorts: Hunters, Nationals earn masters playoff wins “With over 30 obstacles spread out on the 250-acre property it was definitely one of the most logistically difficult events we’ve had to prepare,” said Tom Akigami A total of 16 teams from four different gyms around the island participated in the event as part of the FitAid General Fitness Competition Hundreds of Recreational Division entries had combined teams as big as 40 people of all shapes sizes and companies participated as a team building and bonding exercise > Schuman Papers and Interviews > Schuman Papers n°537 : A new European pact on immigration and asylum in response to the "migration challenge" International migration is structural: a certain number of factors lead people to migrate towards Europe in a global groundswell movement; firstly the quest for better life and work opportunities and the bid to flee crises and conflicts The dream of Europe became possible in the East thanks to the progressive opening to residency and work for citizens from the former Communist countries establishing circulatory migration as a way of life Most of the flows from the South are a result of family reunion because in 1974 Europe suspended paid labour immigration for non-Europeans and its migration history explains this phenomenon since the opening up of Europe to qualified students for whom the continent has multiplied its efforts in terms of attractiveness (ERASMUS ERASMUS+ and the points or residence permits for the most qualified) Refugees are another component of migration: coming in number notably during the Syrian crisis in 2015 (1.2 million asylum seekers in Europe to date) arrivals have now dropped back down to figures prior to the crisis whilst they continue to make headlines because of the ongoing crisis in the way they are received there is the demographic and environmental aspect is a major challenge for the ageing continent - even though Europe is just a secondary destination for the environmentally displaced These structural causes mean that whatever the method put forward; migration cannot be stopped It will continue slowly and continuously toward Europe in conditions that will often be beyond the imaginable for those travelling without visas: crossing the Sahara Desert drownings due to the security policy adopted by the States of Europe (Schengen which delegate border control to the countries on the southern shores of the Mediterranean Timidly Europe is addressing this new situation, which it deems unjustified, whilst endorsing world decisions of multilateral migration governance, as defined by the Marrakesh Pact of 2018 which five countries (including three Member States[1]) rejected during the General Assembly on 19th December 2018 the States of Europe are democracies which share common values and take heed of public opinion which is afraid of both globalisation and migration Europe needs migration in sectors where labour is short and is trying to attract skills and competences from the world over; and it cannot reject the international commitments it has made regarding refugees the right to live in a family and the rights of minors not forgetting the problem of its own ageing population The 2015 crisis regarding the reception conditions of asylum seekers revealed both a lack of solidarity between Member States with those in the East refusing the host refugee quotas requested by the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker - totalling 160,000 people - in contrast to a million in Germany and 1.2 million across the EU as a whole and a series of "solidarity crimes" on the part of some who deemed it is contemptible to allow thousands of migrants to die at sea or in the street Apart from the 34,000 deaths since the end of the 1990's migrants have often been received without an offer of housing or in camps as in Lesbos and in urban peripheries What might we observe about Europe's response A European crisis of solidarity and a crisis of trust between Member States Either act differently from the way it has been announced given the discrepancy between what politicians say and reality or review the European immigration policy completely by taking on board the reality of migration flows rather than fears which was only assumed by Angela Merkel in 2015 and by Pope Francis as well as by a few local actors (like the Mayor of Palermo Some are suggesting a Lampedusa Pact to review the European immigration and asylum policy from the beginning former Italian Prime Minister who established the "Mare Nostrum" operation in 2013 and inevitable aspects of immigration are not accepted as a given by the majority On this ageing continent international migration is contributing to population growth: between 2000 and 2015 (a period without migration) in Europe the population decreased the possibility of being able to leave has gone hand in hand with a closure of the borders according to a ranking which places developed countries first with their populations that can travel the entire world visa free for three months and last the States whose citizens represent a "migration risk" The development of the countries in the South is a factor of mobility and conversely migration is a factor of development (more than 520 billion $ sent yearly to the countries of origin three times the sum of public development aid) Given the regionalisation of migration everywhere in the world intra-European migrations have increased significantly since the opening of the borders to the countries of Eastern Europe and thanks to Erasmus whilst the southern shores of the Mediterranean contribute to the majority of extra-European migration (Maghreb Many countries in the South are becoming host and transit countries after having exclusively been countries of departure in the past Turkey is the biggest emigration country towards Europe (4.5 million Turks live in Europe) and it is also home to 4 million refugees Lebanon and Pakistan in terms of forced migration from the Near and Middle East (5 million Syrians have left their country) Turkey has a negative migratory balance (fewer departures toward Europe than returns from Europe towards Turkey) (13 km separate it from Europe) is also a major emigration country (3.5 million Moroccans live in Europe) but it also a major Sub-Saharan transit and immigration country With the arrival of 1.2 million asylum seekers in the EU the year 2015 shook the European immigration and asylum policy to the point that the EU's fundamental values of the respect of Human Rights and "burden sharing" have been challenged The Syrian crisis triggered 7 million cases of internal migration and led to 5 million international refugees the television images conveying an invasion struck the minds of many because so many European border posts were closed along the Balkan route after the arrival of Syrians on the Greek islands close to Turkey (Lesbos Successively the Member States put up borders (Greece/Turkey Hungary/Serbia) including within the European Union itself (Hungary/Austria Rising to the challenge of these inflows the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker called on the Member States of the EU to share refugee quotas according to the wealth of each country and population size since Angela Merkel's announcement in September 2015 that Germany was prepared to host 800,000 asylum seekers Since that date it has taken in more than a million Some countries of Central and Eastern Europe Poland and Slovakia refused to implement the reception quotas in virtue of their wish to protect the cultural homogeneity of their country like France accepted the suggested distribution although it received a great deal fewer asylum candidates than planned which is included in the Lisbon Treaty (2007) stood shattered and the European policy of immigration and asylum was marked by increased sovereignism in the States of Europe in the face of the communitarisation of migratory flow policies initially introduced by the Amsterdam Treaty (1997) A confidence crisis came in addition to that of solidarity between the EU and its States Sweden and Austria granted most protection to asylum seekers with France lying below the European average despite a rise in the number of refugees accepted (over 40%) as it undertook a sustained rescue policy alone noting that it was abandoned by the other Member States as it set up the Mare Nostrum operation in 2013 (which saved nearly 150,000 people in one year) To alleviate the burden on Greece in its reception of refugees Germany drew up a European agreement in March 2016 with Turkey which stipulated the payment of 6 billion € for the maintenance of the refugees within its borders (Syrians An exchange of 72,000 Syrians was planned between Turkey and the EU which is a signatory of the 1951 Geneva Convention on Refugees did not extend the benefit of the status to non-Europeans whilst granting a one-year renewable residence permit and access to the labour market to Syrians In this mission it is playing with its image in regard to Europe Germany cleared its reputation as a "hard" country regarding the Greek debt; this was a kind of "soft" diplomacy undertaken by both Turkey and Germany using the migrants as an intermediary Despite this episode the Dublin Agreements were not modified (notably the referral system towards the country of first entry for asylum the so-called "one stop one shop") which led to the burden being borne by the countries situated at the entry to Europe Due to the Syrian crisis of 2015 the UN General Assembly decided to draft a Global Pact on Migration and Refugees that was adopted at the end of 2018 in Marrakesh The Global Pact is also subtitled "For safe stressing the need for totally new policies in terms of migration that are drafted with realism in the face of the durable globalised nature of international migration since dissuasive and repressive policies have failed in their bid of dissuasion of return and in the development of alternatives to migration The Mediterranean lies at the heart of European preoccupations since Libya became a place of passage and trafficking after having filtered sub-Saharan migration candidates for the countries of Europe until 2011 Progressively entry points shifted towards the Member States that lie on the Mediterranean - with Italy Malta and Greece witnessing the arrival of both potential refugees and migrants seeking employment whilst fleeing countries in crisis: these are the so-called mixed flows for asylum and work This involves extra-community migrants most of whom are trying to enter the Schengen Area without a visa whereas Europe has barricaded itself in since the 1990's using a series of instruments to control its external borders: • the Dublin asylum agreements (1990) in a bid to harmonise the delivery of asylum rights and to oblige seekers to make their request in the first country they enter on arrival in Europe (Dublin II • the Schengen Information System (SIS) which digitises the illegal which has been collating asylum seeker fingerprints since 2000 to prevent multiple entries under a false name • The Integrated External Vigilance System since 2002 (IEVS) the pooling of police forces from the EU countries to monitor its external borders since 2004 • Readmission agreements signed with the countries on the southern shores of the Mediterranean so that they take back their deported nationals because the readmission agreements suppose the political stability of the countries with which the Member States come to agreement (agreements combining readmissions with more visas for the qualified and development aid) but also because the closure of borders encourages the rise of traffickers who help promote illegal border crossings it is deathly: apart from the 34,000 deaths in the Mediterranean since 2000 others are dying or being seriously injured as they climb the fences that separate the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla from Morocco to reach the EU via Spain Others languish in overcrowded conditions in Turkey (which has taken in 3.7 million Syrians in Lebanon (there are more than a million Syrians) in Jordan (600,000) Lampedusa and many others on the Mediterranean islands of Malta and Cyprus which host tourists on the one hand and refugees on the other The successive migration crises that Europe has had to face together with the strengthening of its external borders have slowly transformed Italy into an entry country for African migration and refugees Multiple shipwrecks have made the Italians feel that they have been abandoned by the other Member States which led to the anti-system and far right parties to power in June 2018 At the same time solidarity initiatives are flourishing in civil society thanks to a partnership of a diversified associative movements and of mayors who experiment with insertion (Riace where the mayor was prosecuted and sentenced for "solidarity crimes") is dependent on professions that are not occupied by nationals (like the "badanti" who look after the elderly) whilst Italian graduates (200,000 per year) move to other Member States due to youth unemployment The review of the European immigration and asylum policy brings to light a great number of shortcomings if not to say humanitarian scandals that will mark its history forever: the deaths in the Mediterranean the rise of criminal smuggling networks in Libya and even those in the Near and Middle East in not simply deadly conditions but also prior to their journey as illustrated in the report by the department for Human Rights at the UN: enslavement whose living conditions are beyond imaginable in the 21st century as in the Greek Dodecanese islands (notably Lesbos) temporary 'world towns" as in Grand Synthe as in the Valley of the Roya (France) in a bid to avoid the border of Vintimiglia a life on the street for under 18's or young adults as we exhibit them in conditions that are unimaginable in the 21st century Policies to close borders to paid labour immigration since 1973 in the European countries then a tightening of access conditions to the right to asylum in comparison with the 1970's together with the visa regime 1) Harmonising the asylum policy has been a priority for Europe for many years notably via the Dublin I system to prevent as of 1990 'asylum shopping' (applying in several countries whilst waiting for the answer by the one with the best offer) but this has not brought to an end the diversity of response depending on the Member States for the same kind of profile for various reasons (different interpretations of the Geneva Convention regarding the idea of persecution and founded fear of persecution in a given region historical or geographical vulnerability according to one flow or another in a Member State's opinion diplomatic or economic considerations with the countries or regions of departure philosophy regarding asylum in each country etc.) The Dublin II agreements - "one shop-one stop" which require that each asylum seeker make his request in the first European country where he has set foot have been disastrous in their implementation because candidates try to go where they have family linguistic or social ties and do not stay in the first country of arrival if there is no ready-made migration networks there the European pact on immigration and asylum formulated the goal of asylum harmonisation as one of its five priorities Strengthening the Maltese based EASO (European Asylum Support Office) and giving it greater visibility and authority in Europe and simultaneously a total review of the Dublin agreements should be a priority notably with the abolition of the Dublin II system Amongst the perverse effects of this system's total lack of efficacy we might quote the crisis linked to the reopening of rejected candidates' cases after appeal in Germany which led to the reopening of their files in France as of 2017 The harmonisation of social services offered to asylum seekers between European States is also necessary even though the supposed "call effect" in the comparison of social reception conditions is rarely the main reason behind the attraction to one Member State or another on the part of young asylum seekers Germany is attractive because of its economic situation the UK for its "ethnic" jobs between fellow countrymen from the Middle East and the lack of ID checks within the UK itself Sweden is appealing because in the past it has hosted many refugees from the Middle East France comes second in line after Italy and Greece as countries of first entry which are often abandoned by the migrants if they have the opportunity to do so 2) The reopening of labour immigration in struggling economic sectors is the corollary of the chaos in which the European immigration and asylum policy finds itself When legal labour immigration was accessible to non-Europeans (which is only the case for a minority selected according to their studies artistic or sporting achievements or the wealthiest the categories which are eligible for the award of a visa or a residence permit) there were no "mixed-flows" as there is now flooding the authorities which deliver asylum and who have but a slim chance of regularisation with a residence permit after several years for those who are rejected Moreover these mixed flows are often made up of "neither-nor" candidates; they can neither be deported or given legal status because they come from countries that are dangerous or at war and cannot be returned home and vegetate for years on the streets or work on the black "Mixed" migrants ask for asylum because it is the only way to enter a country or a group of countries without a visa or which demand a visa even though the chances of being awarded the status of refugee are minimal regular" immigration says nothing other than this but in an indirect manner: for the entry to be safe orderly and regular the conditions of entry must be safe and not subject to the mercy of smugglers seekers' and workers' entry profiles should be differentiated The advantage of an opening of the borders to wider categories would be manifold: partial or total eradication of mafia-like networks and the many deaths at sea access to legal work in sectors where many work illegally whilst the latter may be struggling due to labour shortages thereby bringing to an end the multiple forms of sub-citizenship (undocumented the pull-effect and the institutional goal of the lowest bidder (the poorer the reception conditions The assessment of industrial sectors suffering labour shortages could be made at European level 3) A distribution of migrants rescued in the Mediterranean in a concerted European policy is necessary to bring to an end the theatrical staging of the control of Europe's external borders in the Mediterranean by the countries where populism is rising Hence Italy closed its ports to rescue boats in 2018 The other Member States on the shores of the Mediterranean then passed the buck (Malta Spain) depending on their political climate and the fears of those concerned about immigration 4) Support to friendly cities and to those convicted for the "crime of solidarity" when they have helped pro bono at sea or on land This network is often supported by a population of voluntary associative activists who belong to wider political leanings (Christian charities but which is apparently under-estimated in number by many political decision makers who tend to formulate their migration policies in the light of surveys and the rise of the far right The demographic ageing of the European population sectoral labour shortages; a lack of qualified professions such as doctors in rural areas IT experts and the explosion in the demand for jobs in services to people (the elderly and sick) tourism and the hospitality industry call for a rational response and not a discretionary adjustment 5) The European immigration and asylum policy must no longer be subject to a unanimous vote and has to be implemented according to the majority rule otherwise any changes will be blocked The management of migratory flows must be undertaken in the respect of Human Rights which proved impossible with the regime defined in the Amsterdam Treaty The European Union has wavered in terms of its values (solidarity with diversity being the goal of living together a lack of trust has not only grown between the Member States but also between the States and the European institutions with the refugee reception crisis in 2015 due to the refusal of the so-called Visegrad countries (Poland Hungary Czech Republic and Slovakia) to share the "burden" of new arrivals asserting their concern about remaining homogeneous We might imagine for example - as was the case with Schengen - which has always been optional (the UK did not implement it) an opt-out clause in which some States decide not to participate in the common European immigration and asylum policy and manage their own borders In 2015 Europe was weak when it was confronted by Hungary: there was no reduction in structural funds for the non-admission of asylum seekers which seemed to endorse Hungary's position necessary steps include an assessment of the cost/efficacy ratio of external border control policies in the Mediterranean by monitoring operations as sea by bi- and multilateral agreements concluded with third countries for the externalisation of Europe's external borders by return and development policies often put forward in exchange in the Euro-Mediterranean agreements that development can be substituted in the short to mid-term inspired these policies But although qualitative experiments of reinsertion have succeeded we note a quantitative failure of these measures because migration and development function together If we want to go from Tampere 1999 to Tampere 2019 we must return to the fundamentals of the European immigration and asylum policy This site is intended for healthcare professionals The new guidance in Scotland replaces previous advice that said to use dipstick tests in healthy women aged under 65 years with mild or no more than two symptoms of urinary tract infection By Julia Robinson Accurate diagnosis of a lower urinary tract infection (UTI) in women aged under 65 years should be based on a positive dipstick test result for nitrite new guidelines from the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) say SIGN — which produces clinical guidelines for the NHS in Scotland — is also now recommending the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) as a first-line treatment for women aged under 65 years with uncomplicated lower UTI and as an alternative to antibiotics when symptoms are moderate to severe.  The guidelines differ from recommendations made by Public Health England which advise using urine dipsticks ”to increase diagnostic certainty” and reduce unnecessary antibiotics in women aged under 65 years with no symptoms or with one key symptom — either dysuria which was first published in July 2006 and updated in July 2012 and had previously advised using dipstick tests to guide treatment decisions in otherwise healthy women aged under 65 years with either mild or no more than two UTI symptoms the new guidelines note that “all studies” considered by the guideline development group showed the benefit of dipstick testing to “rule in or rule out a UTI” to “diagnose a UTI in the presence of two or more urinary symptoms (dysuria visible haematuria or nocturia) and a positive dipstick test result for nitrite” urine should be retained in the bladder for at least four hours to allow conversion of urinary nitrates to nitrite by pathogens warning that shorter retention times “may lead to false negative results” chair of the group that developed the latest SIGN guidelines told The Pharmaceutical Journal: “When we looked at the evidence for the various contributions of each symptom to how accurate the diagnosis was we found that adding dipstick testing increased the accuracy.” “It is possible to still empirically treat people on signs and symptoms but combining symptoms with dipstick [testing] is the best option — and it may prevent unnecessary use of antibiotics,” she added.  who is also chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Antimicrobial Expert Advisory Group it would be a challenge to implement the recommendations in some care settings it is relatively uncommon for UTI assessment to include use of urinalysis although it has previously been a part of some local services … going forward we would anticipate that pharmacists could be given the opportunity to receive additional training and support to allow urinalysis to become part of standard practice “This aligns with the gradual but definite move towards community pharmacists being supported and funded by the NHS to manage a wider range of common medical conditions.”  On 29 July 2020, NHS Pharmacy First  went live across the Scottish community pharmacy network which reimburses pharmacists for advice and referrals as well as for dispensing medicine under the service Commenting on the SIGN recommendation that NSAIDs should be used as first-line treatment in women aged below 65 years Sneddon said that the approach should be used on an “individual patient basis” through a shared decision-making discussion with the patient “It is important to provide safety information for patients that explains that should [their symptoms] get worse The evidence shows that in trials where they’ve compared NSAIDs with antibiotics so patients should be alert [to this risk].” For cases where antimicrobials are prescribed which is “clinically effective” and minimises the risk of adverse events it says that some patients may prefer to avoid taking antibiotics and prefer a ‘watch and wait’ approach if symptoms are not severe Many UTI symptoms in younger women will resolve themselves and can be managed with self-care The SIGN guideline does not cover the diagnosis and management of upper UTI; UTI in children aged under 16 years; UTI in pregnant women; UTI in men; or interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndromes Motorcycle and ATV enthusiasts turned out Sunday for Round 6 of the 10 Round 2018 Monster Energy Guam Motocross Championship was held at the Guam International Raceway Classes ranged from 50cc motorcycles and ATV kids classes to the novice and expert classes on the full-sized motorcycle and ATVs More: Racers kick up dirt in motocross series More: Tim Wenden dominates Open Motorcycle Class #31 Tim Wenden aboard his Rocky Mountain Precast supported KTM took the early lead off the start but was quickly being challenged by #1 John Aguon aboard his Ground Tech Services supported Yamaha Following up in third was #59 Honda-mounted Robert Terrel.  and making Guam now his home was on fire hitting the jumps faster and harder each lap as he pulled away from the rest of the field Wenden easily took the Round 6 win with #1 "Little" John Aguon in second and #59 Robert Terrel in third Wenden with 269 points has now closed up to a single point behind the current Monster Energy Guam Motocross Championship Open Motorcycle class points leader #1 John Aguon with 270 points with four more rounds yet to be contested #83 Daniel Champion aboard a TJ Enterprises/Gold Speed supported Suzuki was flawless taking the lead over the field right from the start gate and leading all the way to the finish Taking second was #4 Robert Bucek on the Cycles Plus Suzuki with Yamaha mounted #8 Mike Taimanglo in third With his win,Champion has taken the win in every round held this year and leads the championship with 300 points a perfect score over the Cycles Plus Suzuki of #4 Robert Bucek with 264 points and the charging #22 Yamaha of Kenneth Tedtaotao with 198 points #23 Jordan Leon Guerrero aboard the LG Racing Kawasaki took the class win with #10 Jerrin Nauta on a Kawasaki in second and #33 Ethan Blyth on a Kawasaki placing third Track: Guam High Panthers win boys, girls track titles Soccer: Royals win third-straight soccer title Information from a press release was used in this report WHIZ ON WHEELS Richard Wenden poses next to his bike while holding a trophy 2017 Wenden will compete in a 3-Lap Exhibition Race at the 2017 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Final at Sam Boyd Stadium JUNIOR JUMPER Richard Wenden jumps his bike during a race in Umatac About 50,000 adrenaline-crazed motocross enthusiasts will cramm Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas to watch the 2017 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Final on May 6 and Guam’s own Richard Wenden will be there representing the island and Pacific a member of the Guam International Raceway Motorcycle and ATV Club (GIRMAC) has been selected to participate in the KTM Jr Supercross Challenge (KJSC) and will compete in a three-lap exhibition race during the intermission along with one other lucky young Pacific Islander from New Zealand and 13 more riders from all over the world were chosen randomly for the competition an above-average report card and motocross racing experience who has been racing since his was 3 and was trained by his father Tim Wenden will be provided with 2017 KTM 50 SX bikes to ride and KTM PowerWear to wear will receive the chance to meet motocross superstars including Ryan Dungey and Ken Rocze this event has been called an experience of a lifetime and has served as a launching pad for past pro racers The 2017 Monster Energy AMA Supercross will be televised on Fox Sports 1 (Channel 108/630HD) on Sunday The public is invited to come along to Round 7 of the 2017 Guam Monster Energy MX Championships at the Guam International Raceway in Yigo on Sunday The young Wenden will be racing and the admission is free To find out more about the KTM Jr. Supercross Challenge, go to ktmjrsx.com For more information on Guam motocross, go to https://girmac.teamapp.com, visit ATV/MC Motocross Guam on Facebook, or visit www.guamraceway.com Poll results are published every Monday in The Guam Daily Post Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Each day through October 26, Swimming World will take you back 50 years to the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, and will re-tell the stories of those Games through archived meet recaps via the Swimming World Vault In the women’s 100 meter breaststroke tied with teammate Sharon Wichman at 1:16.8 a tenth back of Ava Maria Norbis of Uruguay Ball stayed underwater at the start but achieved a better start than Galina Prozumenschikova took an early lead at 25 meters but Catie took the lead at about 40 meters and turned first at the halfway mark At this point Norbis and Frommater were a meter back and it was apparent Miss Ball would need a strong kick to hold off their challenges Miss Prozumenschikova came up at 75 meters with one of her usual strong finishes started to challenge the leaders and stroked into the lead Bjedov maintained her place and held the Russian in second place while Miss Wichman put on a tremendous finish to also pass Catie and take third Galina Prozumenschikova; Photo Courtesy: International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) “I train three days a week in the winter and four or five days in the summer – six to seven thousand meters a day in the summer This is the first gold medal Yugoslavia has ever won in Olympic swimming and I am very happy I am 21 and plan to swim in the European Championship I just swam my own race to try and win.” “I am sad that I didn’t win as I had expected to 17-year old high school junior stated: “I was swimming for first but I never thought I would get a medal I usually am behind in a race for three quarters and then finish strong I went from the warm up pool to the shower to the pool again I think the times are off because of the flat turns.” Catie Ball was able to do no better than 1:16.7 for fifth After the race she was taken to the doctors who found her suffering from fever She was scratched from further Olympic competition as Coach Chavoor said she had been ill since she arrived in Mexico The Russians were favored in the men’s breaststrokes and in the 100 meter event they qualified all three swimmers but was hard pressed by Pankin and Kosinsky and lost the lead with about 20 meters to go At that point McKenzie put down his head and gave it everything he had to win over the Soviets in the last few meters What a Cinderella finish for a boy who had never won a national title 1:08.6 (O’Brien was the last qualifier Don McKenzie on top of the podium; Photo Courtesy: International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) “My strategy was to go as hard as l could toward the end,” McKenzie said “and I figured whoever could go the hardest the last 10 meters was going to win I didn’t expect to win a gold medal before I came here but after the prelims and semi-finals I felt l had a chance.” McKenzie added because l was swimming with my eyes closed I looked up into the stands and some people held up one finger and I couldn’t believe I’d won a 21-year-old transportation engineering student This is the first time l’ve ever seen or heard of McKenzie but luck was on McKenzie’s side this time,” commented Kosinsky as he wept behind the stand and only joined the winners at the victory stand The women’s 100 meter freestyle saw a United States sweep as Jan Henne Finishing behind the Americans was Marion Lay but a strong finish by Henne gave her the gold by a hand-length I felt I had a chance to win but I thought any of us (Americans) could have won along with the girl from Great Britain (Jackson) I thought we could all win it,” said Miss Henne “Sherm just told us to ‘bust out’ and to really go hard I didn’t know I’d won and then Susie Pedersen told me to look up at the little red dot (signifying the winner on the scoreboard) and I knew it was me We started tapering about a week ago and started getting lots of rest so the day of the race we could really go My strategy was to make the first 50 really relaxed so when I reached the 75 I could pour it on,” said Henne who was sick earlier with a chest cold and was removed from the U.S Sue spoke about the race in terms of being ready “I was healthy and I swam my very best and as hard as I could and I lost to a very good person so I don’t feel too bad but I wanted to win this one really bad because I like this race and my other races will be tougher to win I guess I’ll keep swimming for four more years to try and win it.” “I think the altitude and prior heats might have affected my race,” said Miss Gustavson but I think l could have done better with one day’s rest I was surprised it went so slow,” commented the American swimmer A world record was achieved in the 100 meter freestyle in a surprising win by Australian Michael Wenden who clocked 52.2 to chop four tenths off Ken Walsh and Zac Zorn’s (both USA) 52.6 mark Zorn blasted off of the blocks and in three or four strokes had almost a half body length lead over the field He turned first a good three feet ahead of the field Wenden came home in an amazing finish to win by a full length Photo Courtesy: International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) “I figured I’d have to go out hard because Zorn is a notorious fast first 50 meter swimmer I thought if I could be a yard or so behind at the 50 maybe with him at 60 or catch him at 75 meters but I expected him to be half a body length ahead of me going out It’s doubtful whether I could go faster at sea level because the altitude didn’t affect me much I improved (he was 53.7 coming into the trials) because of my good coach (Vic Arnal) It won’t be too many years before they go under 50 seconds – I’ll predict four I’m giving up swimming for my studies now.” Walsh said: “l knew Mike would be fast I was swimming on my own with a bum lane in lane one I knew Zac would go out fast and that Mike would come back fast swam as hard as l could coming home because I was breathing on the wall and I looked when I finished and knew I had medaled but didn’t know I’d gotten second I wasn’t surprised at Zac’s performance He hasn’t been well since we’ve been here and he’s been in better condition.” “I’m pretty happy with the way it came out,” said bronze medalist Spitz “I tried my hardest and it’s my best time I was going to go as hard as I could tonight and I had a feeling I would be either the first or second American I didn’t think I’d win it because of Wenden and llyichev.” who tied the former world record of 52.6 at the U.S first of all they didn’t let us in the big pool to warmup so we warmed up in the small pool (25 meters) and I didn’t get my pace down and when you go out as fast as I do it’s fairly important Olympic Coach Don Gambril caught Zac going out in 23.6 hand touch but Zorn faded at 80 meters and finished last.) I had nothing left coming home The loss by Spitz cost him a placing on the freestyle leg of the medley relay though he still could place on it if he could win the 100 meter butterfly Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use Great that you’re doing this; both Linda Gustafson and Ken Walsh attended Michigan State University and they will be the only Big10 school w/out one I was 11 during the 1968 olympics and these women swam their 100 meter breaststroke at the same speed I did in yards ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " I was struck with a bitter sense of irony as I read The Arizona Republic’s Dec. 6 article, “These 7 industrial farm operations are draining Arizona’s aquifers, and no one knows exactly how much they’re taking.” we have seen a steady stream of articles lauding business and economic growth in our great state and new factories opening and providing jobs across Arizona against the backdrop of the ongoing trade disputes we have discussed the importance of free trade and the economic benefits that come from the ability to export Arizona’s goods without barriers providing jobs and participating in the very international trade that creates wealth are portrayed not as engines of growth and progress but as pirates coming to steal our natural resources Economic development is not always as flashy as a new car factory or a data center opening its doors While I doubt Willcox or Mohave Valley are in contention to attract the likes of Tesla water and climate make them ideal areas for the type of economic activity that produces food and fiber for Arizona and the world No different than a more traditional factory or headquarters farming operations spur new economic growth Their direct tax revenue and the taxes paid by the employees who fill those jobs will help our rural schools and hospitals These farming operations will also spur economic prosperity on a global scale Arizona’s climate is so unique that more than 200 different commodities can grow in abundance and at a level of quality that allows us to trade these products all over the world That trade with other nations brings in new dollars to these local communities that have largely lagged the rest of Arizona in their climb out of the hole left by the Great Recession much of the agriculture planned has invested thousands upon thousands of dollars in cutting-edge water management technology maximizing conservation of our natural resources one of these companies explained how they’re ensuring their water use would not impact their neighbors and the millions of dollars they plan on investing in water efficiency and even groundwater recharge on their facilities farmers and ranchers invested more than $4 million last year alone in water conservation and air quality measures land leveling and precision farming are just a few of the conservation measures these farmers implement voluntarily It is also important to point out that water must be developed over years of building and investment agriculture has led the way in this endeavor It was the farmers who pledged their land as collateral to make the Salt River Project a reality It was farmers who developed the infrastructure in Pinal County that has made the population growth in those communities possible over the years And it was agriculture that put its allocation of Colorado River water to use when we feared it would be taken by other water-thirsty states The seven companies mentioned in the article have invested in these communities They provide jobs for residents and participate in the world trade that enriches us all The agriculture industry will lead the way in increasing food production to meet the demands of a growing world They should be viewed as partners and welcomed for their investment in our state and contributions to their local economy Philip Bashaw is the CEO of Arizona Farm Bureau. Reach him at philbashaw@azfb.org 1972 Munich Memories: 50 Years On For One Of Australia’s Greatest Olympic Swim Teams Men’ team captain Mike Wenden described it as one of Australia’s greatest ever Olympic swim teams and 50 years on it’s hard to argue The 1972 Munich Olympic swim team produced six of Australia’s eight overall gold medals – plus two silver and two bronze for a total of 10 medals FIFTY YEARS ON; Members of Australia’s 1972 Munich Swim Team: Back row (L-R): Paul Jarvie A team lead by 15-year-old Sydney schoolgirl Shane Gould – who won five of those 10 medals – three of them gold in the 200 and 400m freestyle and 200IM with silver in the 800m and bronze in the 100m freestyles – a truly remarkable spread from 100m to 800m who was recently inducted into the Swimming Australia Hall of Fame – still holds the record of the most individual gold and total individual medals from one Games of any Australian Olympian Gould made the trip back to Sydney from her home in Bicheno And only the Tokyo team of 2021 with seven individual gold medals in the pool has bettered the 1972 and 1956 teams with their six individual gold medals respectively the world record holder for every freestyle event was the name on everyone’s lips going into the Games Sydney schoolmates from Turramurra Gail Neall (400m individual medley) and Bev Whitfield (200m breaststroke) produced the swims of their lives for their gold medals both Neall and Whitfield stole their gold from lane seven – both following coach Don Talbot’s instructions to the letter – backing themselves to bring their races home – becoming the two surprise packets of the Games the 1968 dual Olympic champion over 100 and 200m freestyle made the assessment of a team that gathered at the iconic Bondi Iceberg baths to reflect reminisce and remember what was an extra special time some half-a-century later CLASS OF ’72 REUNION AT BONDI ICEBERGS (L-R) Helen Gray Bruce Featherstone and Judy Hudson.Photo Courtesy: Neil Rogers Twelve members of the team including Wenden and Gould attended a weekend away in Sydney and even showed they haven’t lost their touch some with a dip in the chilly Iceberg waters Gould even balancing a water bottle on her forehead as the 200IM Olympic champion from ’72 backstroked up and down the famous Bondi Icebergs pool – complete with cork lane ropes – and dodging fellow swimmers with some entertaining laps She was joined for a swim by Queensland team mates Helen Gray and Judy Hudson There were two sets of sibblings on the ’72 team brothers Neil and Greg Rogers and sisters Karen and Narelle Moras – all from Sydney had won Olympic bronze in Mexico in 1968 was the team captain at 18 with little sister Narelle Moras making her debut at 15 There were 13 girls on the team – with a remarkable average age of 15 with Queensland breaststroker Judy Hudson the baby of the team at just 13 The men’s team of 11 had an average age of 18 and included 17-year-old Talbot-trained gold and silver medallists Brad Cooper in the 400m freestyle and Graham Windeatt in the 1500 GOLDEN GIRL: Shane Gould on the Munich golden medal podium Photo: Russ McPhedran now living in Jindabyne with his family attended the reunion with 1976 Olympian wife Nira Stove Mine host Neil Rogers told Swimming World just how special it was to catch up with some of his team mates some 50 years on “Mike (Wenden) made a point of saying that the 1972 team was without doubt one of Australia’s most successful teams in our Olympic history,” said Neil “And we should never forget that either – especially when you consider that that every one of our medals was an individual medal – with Shane winning the majority of course “Mike also sent his best wishes from his mum who still giving cheek at the ripe old age of 102 reminded Mike that she was one of the time keepers the night Shane broke Dawn Fraser’s world record in the 100m freestyle at North Sydney Pool in 1971 – which brought the house down “It was so good to get together and remember how good a team it really was and how special it was to sit down and catch up “There was plenty of stories and plenty of laughs – it was a great team and Mike was right – one of our greatest “Of course we remembered those who we’ve lost too – with the passing of Robbie Nay Jimmy Findlay and Bev Whitfield and head coach Don Talbot “And Graham White rang me from his hospital bed with an apology after undergoing a procedure – but he never forgets – always a great character.” MUNICH MOMENT: Bev Whitfield celebrates her Olympic gold in the 200m breaststroke Photo : Russell McPhedran Courtesy: Hanson Media Collection It was also a time that rocked world sport after 11 Israeli Olympic team members were murdered at a Games by Palestinian terrorists A Games when ageing IOC president Avery Brundage addressed the world with the words “the Games must go on.” Bev Whitfield (NSW) Head Coach: Don Talbot Assistant coach: Ursula Carlile (The first female Olympic swim team coach) Manager: Roger Pegram The ’72 Games were the first that I remember watching – I distinctly recall watching Gail Neall win the 400m IM on a little black and white television in our kitchen as we ate dinner… Catherine Wihtol de Wenden is a member of the Ligue des droits de l'Homme Sciences Po provides funding as a member of The Conversation FR View all partners When Islamic terrorists struck Paris on November 13 Europe was in the midst of a debate over how to handle the large numbers of refugees coming from Syria These two events have given rise to a series of contradictions concerning the opening or closing of EU borders and polarised positions regarding Islam and refugees. Indeed, a wave of hostility towards accepting refugees has spread based on rumours that doing so would make it easier for Syrian terrorists to enter the EU when in fact most migrants are fleeing Islamic State (IS) and the regime of Bashar al-Assad It is for this reason that the majority of the countries neighbouring Syria Germany and other European countries have decided to give those who qualify fast-track access to refugee programs there is little chance that accepting refugees would open the door to terrorists as well some of the perpetrators did steal Syrian documents to conceal how they entered EU territory The second is that the recognition of refugee status, including the fast-track route, known as prima facie occurs only after one or more interviews with the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OFPRA) These are conducted by officers who specialise in the regions. Where there’s doubt, individuals aren’t given refugee status – France remains strict on this point Italy and the Scandinavian countries haven’t called for closing the door to refugees because it might also allow for terrorists to enter One thing is self-evident: Syrian asylum seekers are very different from the followers of IS On one side you have members of the middle class who paid smugglers to get them to the borders of the EU either by sea (the Greek Islands) or by land (the Greek-Turkish border and the Balkan route) Many are ready to enter the European labour market even at the cost of accepting low-skilled work They come in family groups, in the hope of finding a safe haven from war and the opportunity to work In Syria they were were well-established socially and professionally and wouldn’t have left if it hadn’t seemed impossible for them to stay Many hope to return to Syria once the conflict is over but nobody knows how long the regime of Bashar al-Assad will last – no one had imagined he would still remain in power after the Arab revolutions On the other hand there are the young people of North African origin who live far from the city centres and who feel there is no room for them in French society, be it because of low education, discrimination, unemployment or trouble with the law. Some were drawn in by radical Islamist propaganda on the Internet that offered them the chance to become “heroes” through a “holy war” up to and including giving up their own lives and most had little prior knowledge or practice of Islam had no place for them and that had rejected or marginalised them It is therefore more necessary than ever to keep our senses and not give in to the siren call of those who take advantage of the confusion between refugees and terrorists Translated from the French by Leighton Walter Kille This article was originally published in French Getting to know DWIH Tokyo: Here you can learn more about our mission DWIH services and how to get in touch with us The German Centre for Research and Innovation Tokyo (DWIH) supports the exchange of ideas in areas of knowledge that will be critical in the future through events networking and showcasing the work of German and international scholars We focus on topics particular to the Japanese research and innovation landscape unifying topic chosen by the program committee for all six DWIH's each year The German Center for Research and Innovation Tokyo closely cooperates with a wide network of supporters and partners universities and economic development agencies to promote Germany as an innovation and research hub and to encourage the bilateral exchange of ideas The DWIH provides a showcase for the research science and innovation landscapes in Germany and in Japan research funding and opportunities for research collaboration DWIH Tokyo organises professional events on focal topics of innovation and research where experts can exchange ideas and network It operates as a platform for players in science and business: universities and non-university research institutions A glimpse into the diverse world of the DWIH network The German exhibition “energie.wenden” (energy.transitions) was hosted at the Miraikan – The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo between 17 January and 27 February 2020* It was the first time that the exhibition had been hosted outside Germany originally being held at the Deutsches Museum in Munich in 2017 the exhibition was visited by 11,205 people It was organised by the Miraikan and Deutsches Museum with the support of DWIH Tokyo as co-organiser Report by Jan Robin Sofinowski (DWIH Tokyo intern) *The exhibition was originally due to run until 29 March but had to close earlier due to measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus The “Our Ocean” summit was held in Athens from 15 to 17 April Bringing together political decision-makers representatives of the private sector and civil society the event was an opportunity to move forward on the issue of ocean preservation No fewer than 120 governments from all over the world attended including Monaco through the Prince Albert II Foundation which has been striving to preserve the seas and oceans since its creation “The Mediterranean Sea is suffering from a triple crisis: climate change loss of biodiversity and plastic pollution,” Olivier Wenden Vice-President and Managing Director of the Prince Albert II Foundation marine protected areas represent “one of the best ways of responding to this triple crisis while at the same time providing economic solutions for local communities,” explained Olivier Wenden Defined at the COP 15 on biodiversity in 2022 the 30 by 30 target aims to preserve 30% of our planet’s land and 30% of its seas since to succeed it would require the creation of 40 new marine protected areas every day until 2030 World Wildlife Day: Prince Albert II Foundation makes fabulous donation of €200,000 “Efforts to protect the Mediterranean Sea have increased over the years but not fast enough .(…) Urgent action is needed at all levels if we are to achieve this ambitious goal private and public donors are calling on others to join the effort,” said Prince Albert II Greece also set an example by announcing at the opening of the summit that it would be creating two new protected marine areas in its waters Wenden remains the only men’s swimmer to have won three consecutive gold medals in the same individual event at the Commonwealth Games he is the most successful male swimmer ever in Games history He is also the only Australian swimmer to have won the Olympic 100 metre and 200 metre freestyle titles Growing up in the south-western suburbs of Sydney he admitted he had poor hand-eye coordination he was physically targeted on the rugby league field ensuring his interest waned in contact sport partly as he wanted to defeat one of the bullies in his class who was a swimming champion For his 11th birthday he was given a season’s swim coaching fees but he soon quit sighting the water was too cold and the coach too tough But a broken leg a year later brought him back to the pool for rehab Within a year he had won a state 50 metre freestyle title and over the next couple of years there were more state titles and records as he became the first 14-year-old to break 60 seconds for the 100 metre freestyle A major breakthrough was in the summer of 1966 when he was aged 16 he won the NSW state title in an Australian open record time of 54.2 seconds at the Kingston 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games he clocked a Games record time of 54.0 seconds to win his heat of the 110 yards by over three seconds He went on to win three gold in the 110 yards freestyle and two freestyle relays he competed his high school certificate and commenced a commerce degree at the University of NSW He was selected for the Mexico 1968 Olympics and in preparation for the unknown effects of the high-altitude Upon arrival in Mexico he struggled with the altitude as his heart was racing casting doubt over his participation After two weeks his pulse settled down and he was cleared to compete Still in his teens he went into the 100 metre freestyle an outsider but improved through the rounds winning the final in a world record and defeated one of the future greats and nine-time Olympic gold medallist Mark Spitz In the 200 metre freestyle he also won in an Olympic record seven-time Olympic Gold medallist Don Schollander he ‘gave swimming away’ but just prior to the 1970 state championships he was back in the water and although still unfit won the national 100 metre and 200 metre freestyle titles He was fit by July ready for the Edinburgh 1970 Commonwealth Games where he won four gold and one silver medals After the Games he withdrew from swimming to concentrate on studies but was tempted to return for the 1972 Olympics as he was defeated in the state championships but he would win the nationals titles and secured selection he ran into Mark Spitz at his peak and finished outside the medals in Munich there were rumours of retirement and officials and selectors even suggested he give it away Family and business were now the priority in his life convinced him to compete at the Christchurch 1974 Commonwealth Games For the third consecutive Games he won the 100 metre freestyle an achievement unequalled in men’s swimming in Commonwealth Games history His 13 medals was also the most by any male swimmer in Games history New Zealand Swimming broke with protocol and presented him an award for his ‘outstanding contribution to world swimming’ A strategic and comprehensive investment through Commonwealth Games Australia’s (CGA) Green2Gold2Great (G2G2G) Program is enhancing preparation and performance capabilities for Australian athletes ahead of Glasgow 2026 The Seven Network will remain the home of the Commonwealth Games in Australia announced today as the official broadcast media partner of Glasgow 2026 next year Named in recognition of one of Australia’s most accomplished Paralympic and Commonwealth Games athletes this year’s cohort of Kurt Fearnley Scholarship (KFS) recipients have ambitions to make their own marks on the world stage The 74 nations and territories of the Commonwealth are today marking 500-days-to-go until Glasgow 2026 Join to receive our 'Greater Together' e-Newsletter filled with all the latest news regarding the Commonwealth Games Australia family Become part of our Commonwealth Games Australia family and get all the latest news on our team members competes in the Guam Extreme Adventure Race sprint race on Sunday I FEEL GOOD: James Brown heads up a hill while teammate Michael Lunsford follows close behind during the GEAR sprint race on Sunday IN THE CAVE: Tim Wenden collects a checkpoint at the bottom of Corkscrew Cave during the Guam Extreme Adventure Race sprint race on Sunday CHRISTNER COLLECTS CHECKPOINT: Brian Christner collects a checkpoint during GEAR sprint race on Sunday PHIL LAW/GEAR: Phil Law collects a checkpoint at the bottom of Corkscrew Cave during the Guam Extreme Adventure Race sprint race on Sunday checks his compass while holding a map during the GEAR sprint race on Sunday and Matt Ladmirault check their map during the GEAR sprint race on Sunday Volsteadt and Ladmirault finished in fourth place in 1:35:39 appears with other competitors in the GEAR sprint race on Sunday MEGAPHONE MAN!: Southern Mountain Gear owner and GEAR race coordinator Dan Holms instructs competitors before the start of GEAR on Sunday In the final half an hour leading to the start of the Southern Mountain Gear Guam Extreme Adventure Race 11 two-person teams checked their mountain bikes and gear one last time which included spraying extra lubrication onto their mountain bikes' chains and making sure they had enough hydration they headed to the start line for a race briefing and to receive their maps event coordinator Dan Holms handed a map to each team After studying their charts and plotting their courses atop Nimitz Hill competitors left the grassy knoll to their first checkpoint requiring teams to test their orienteering cave exploration and jungle trekking skills With only three hours allotted to complete the first of three sprint races in the series only the most skilled and determined racers would walk away as champions In a perfect pairing of experience and youth But with their combination of a cunning veteran and fearless the Wendens soared to the top of the podium Tim Wenden grabbed the map and began formulating a plan A first glance confirmed that this was going to be a relatively easy race “A lot of the areas are quite commonly known spots so there are a lot of trails to all the areas.” the Wendens set out to conquer the course tackling the most difficult challenges first “You have got to try to maximize your time and minimize your energy,” said Tim Wenden “Sometimes you have to use your energy to save the time or sometimes you’ve got to use a bit of extra time to save your energy.” Besides securing bragging rights and bringing home the hardware Tim Wenden is even more impressed with his teenager's composure While he definitely took control of the reins his goal was to instill enough knowledge in his daughter so she can ditch dad and compete with her friends “My ultimate goal is for her to do this by herself with someone her own age and without my assistance,” he said “When they start doing it as a team with someone their own age Mariana Wenden is happy that her dad leads the team and soaks in his expansive knowledge even if some of the suggestions are relayed at a high-decibel frenzy “He can yell at me and I understand,” Mariana Wenden said She also understands that she still needs her father’s guidance but feels when she turns 16 she will be capable of leading her own team especially with the orienteering side of it because I'm not very good with a compass,” she said I'll get to do it with some of my friends.” when the island shut down and sports shuttered looking for things to do,” Tim Wenden said “And this was just the perfect thing to get us outside and bond as a family.” “We struggled a little bit,” Tim Wenden said adding that it took a while for the pair to click a mere four minutes and six seconds behind the Wendens Brian Christner and Tim Wallace earned the bronze medal who competed in GEAR 2009 when it was a 24-hour race he and his new partner performed above the fold Christner’s racing resume contained exactly zero adventure races GEAR fell on the same day as the Guam Visitors Bureau's 13th annual Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race Instead of choosing which race to compete in “I actually did the ko’ko’ race before this race,” he said “I did the 10K there and then I raced up here.” Christner said his expectations for GEAR were to have fun and to enjoy a little bit of mountain biking and hiking “My goal was to have fun and get dirty,” he said adding that they beat expectations by well over an hour Christner was familiar with the local terrain and he and Wallace quickly plotted their course I've mountain biked this area so much that it was pretty easy,” Christner said “As soon as I knew where the checkpoints were which ones to go to and the best routes to get to them just to make sure we're also on top of each other's hydration and fitness.” While most teams experienced little trouble navigating the 6-square-kilometer course Holms said subsequent races will have higher degrees of difficulty we will probably go to 14 checkpoints and our grid is going to expand a little bit with each race.” The next GEAR, at a location to be determined, is scheduled for Sunday, May 14. Interested competitors are urged to call Southern Mountain Gear at 671-477-GEAR or email dan@southernmountaingear.com Holms said that he was happy to have 11 teams that participated in the event and hopes even more will join in the next race He also said he is eager to share the island’s natural beauty with others much of which remains pristine and untouched “There are these natural features of the island that have been here for hundreds of thousands of years,” he said “And we want people to see them and enjoy this island that maybe they wouldn't normally see.” “You have got to try to maximize your time and minimize your energy." Email notifications are only sent once a day has fostered a love for motocross in his young children The trio can be found at the Guam International Raceway in Yigo GREAT HEIGHTS: Richard Wenden gets huge air in the 85cc Kids Minibike Division during the 2021 Monster Energy Guam Motocross Championships Round 1 on Feb UP AND AWAY: Mariana Wenden catches air on the first jump while competing in the Women's 85cc Division during a practice round in February for the 2021 Monster Energy Guam series at Guam International Raceway in Yigo PINK ON THE PODIUM: Mariana Wenden checks with her team in this June 2020 file photo taken during Round 3 of the Monster Energy Guam Motocross Women's Open Minibike Division at the Guam International Raceway in Yigo HEATED ACTION: Lawrence Limtiaco (25) and Richard Wenden (31) race up a hill in this file photo taken in June 2020 during Round 3 of the Monster Energy Guam Motocross Open Minibike Division at the Guam International Raceway in Yigo In between heats at Round 1 of the Monster Motocross Championships in February siblings Richard and Mariana Wenden were seen trying to catch some shade Their matching orange dirt bikes – Richard’s No 33 – were parked outside the concrete quonset hut that served as their base camp the riders removed their helmets and heavy shoulder pads cooling off in preparation for the next round the 11- and 12-year-old siblings – both of whom had just finished first in their respective classes – seemed totally relaxed on the track The kids first hopped into the saddle of a motorcycle at about 3 years old and have been riding ever since vice president of the Guam International Racing Motorcycle Association the Guam International Raceway and ATV Club and former racer – that put them on bikes originally “I used to have a lot of fun riding when I was a kid hopefully they can have the same enjoyment first came to Guam in 2003 for work and wound up staying for 18 years he was the Open Class champ of the Monster series two years running before an injury prevented him from returning in 2019 Dad and the kids haven’t been on the scoreboards together since then but Tim said that he’s less focused on returning to the track than he is on supporting Richard and Mariana while they’re out there Richard Wenden overtook competitor Lawrence Limtiaco in the 2020 race and is the returning champ in the Kids Open Class Richard conveyed an easygoing attitude and focused on the race When asked whether he had any trouble going through his first heat he looked off for a bit and thought about it Richard Wenden stayed strong and kept up the momentum he had earned in the first It wasn’t until the final stretch of his last lap that he ran into a bit of trouble eating a face full of dirt that had been kicked up by the ATVs in the previous round and wobbling a bit “You almost ate it??” Tim Wenden yelled at his son Older sister Mariana Wenden is no slouch on the bike either she’s a solid competitor who has no trouble mixing it up with the boys Outgoing and excited to be out for race day she managed to take the bronze in 2020 in the 85cc class While she wasn’t able to keep the lead in the women’s class in her second heat falling a step behind last year’s champion who could be seen zipping on a bigger 150cc bike she was in good spirits all around and was hyped up to see improvements in her own performance “Jessani was smoking it,” Mariana Wenden said The energy that she and her brother kept up was mostly their own Both kids are currently attending class online and with no league or options for other sports through last year motocross has been one of the only sports available Richard Wenden said he didn’t seem to mind it too much adding that racing was what he liked to do the most anyway And Mariana Wenden said that the family was looking forward to this year’s Smokin’ Wheels a big event that she was sorry to miss out on last year after it was canceled due to the pandemic They weren’t alone in turning to motocross for a chance to get outside kids as young as 6 years old were zipping around and having fun on 50cc and 65cc minibikes where the love of getting the wind behind them was passed from parents to their kids while others will be the first generation in their families to get a kick out of gripping tight on the throttle (Mephistopheles in Act I of Johann Wolfgang Goethe's Faust II The exhibition will be accompanied by a publication with an article by Orhan Pamuk Learn how you can subscribe to receive first hand PDN alerts as they are sent out to the public Motorcycle and ATV enthusiasts turned out Sunday for Round 6 of the 10 Round 2018 Monster Energy Guam Motocross Championship was held at the Guam International Raceway Classes ranged from 50cc motorcycles and ATV kids classes to the novice and expert classes on the full-sized motorcycle and ATVs More: Racers kick up dirt in motocross series More: Tim Wenden dominates Open Motorcycle Class Following up in third was #59 Honda-mounted Robert Terrel Track: Guam High Panthers win boys, girls track titles Soccer: Royals win third-straight soccer title This article originally appeared on Pacific Daily News: Wenden, Champion head up motocross wins Sunday Clean up operations are almost complete in the Centennial Wash that runs through the rural town of Wenden La Paz County Public Works spent several weeks cleaning up overgrown brush and trees that clogged the wash and contributed to flooding in the community of Wenden “Our crews made quick work of the overgrown areas and this should really help mitigate future flooding,” said Holly Irwin “This is a long time coming for the residents in Wenden One of my toughest challenges in my district was working on getting this wash cleared for them The water is still going to run during big storms but should stay within the banks of the wash instead of spreading out into the town.” Centennial Wash flooded into Wenden twice in the past 10 years The land through which Centennial Wash runs is either private land or under the jurisdiction of the Army Corps of Engineers Following the flood in 2010 Supervisor Irwin approached City of Phoenix and the Army Corps of Engineers to see about clearing their sections of the wash The city had previously cleared some brush but Supervisor Irwin was concerned that more clearing needed to be done to prevent future flooding After numerous meetings with City of Phoenix the Army Corps of Engineers and state legislatures a partnership was formed in which La Paz County would be reimbursed for clearing remaining portions of the wash that run through City of Phoenix property The clearing was done at no additional cost to the county Private land owners also cleared overgrown brush from their property McMullen Valley Fire Department will be conducting a control burn on the piles of overgrown brush that the county cleared La Paz County would like to thank the private land owners and agencies that cleared their respective portions of the wash including: City of Phoenix former State Senator Amanda Aguirre and State Representative Lynne Pancrazzi We were just about to put her picture on milk cartons Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" is over the moon that both her sons are recipients of JN Foundation Primary Exit Profile (PEP) Scholarship awards was the scholarship recipient in 2019 for Portland has also received the award for Portland for 2022 it was minutes to midnight of the same day of the deadline and I said to myself he is not going to get through because it is the last night So I was really in shock when I got the call from JN informing me that my son had received the scholarship,” she said The mother of two said that it was the answer to her prayers as the scholarship will assist with covering the expenses for his education “It (the scholarship) really take a lot off me as a single mother,” she said The future archaeologist said he ensured that he went over his notes after each lesson “I want to be an archaeologist because I like to explore and travel I would like to one day visit the forest and jungles,” he said His advice to those studying for PEP next year is to go over their notes after each class and not to wait until the time of the exams Tremain was adjudged highly proficient in all subject areas in the PEP exams who attended Tranquillity Primary School and lives in the rural community of Coolshade district in Portland said his brother played a critical role in his success as he would explain difficult areas of the syllabus that Tremain did not understand “Trae is like a father figure to his little brother In offering tips to parents preparing their children for the PEP exams Minott pointed out that it is important to understand a child’s learning style as not all children learn through ‘chalk and talk’ “Sometimes you have to take children outside and teach them through nature or their environment Children also need space as well; it is not just about books,” she said informing that Tremain is an explorer who likes to pull things apart and put back together Tremain is among 47 students who this year were awarded JN PEP scholarships and bursaries The Jamaica National Group has been supporting educational pursuits at the secondary and tertiary levels The scholarship awards are one of its largest benevolent efforts View the discussion thread. Motocross racing at Heritage Festival in Umatac on Sunday Feb Round 3 of the 2018 Monster Energy Guam Motocross Championship was held Sunday in Umatac in Guam History and Chamorro Heritage Day festivities Warriors learn the value of a lifetime of service This article originally appeared on Pacific Daily News: Tim Wenden dominates Open Motorcycle Class Despite a tropical storm that put Guam into Condition of Readiness 3 Sept 28 and weather conditions that blew away course markers More: Aaron Jamanila is PDN's Player of the Week More: Sports Shorts: Hunters, Nationals earn masters playoff wins “With over 30 obstacles spread out on the 250-acre property it was definitely one of the most logistically difficult events we’ve had to prepare,” said Tom Akigami This article originally appeared on Pacific Daily News: Wenden defends title in Trench Challenge WENDEN TEARS IT UP: Richard Wenden swept the Open Minibike and 85cc kids classes during Sunday's Monster Energy Guam Motocross Championships at the Guam International Raceway in Yigo GRABBING AIR: Mike Limtiaco gets set for a high-altitude transition landing Sunday during the the Monster Energy Guam Motocross Championships at the Guam International Raceway in Yigo The 2020 Monster Energy Guam Motocross Championships kicked off its first round of competition for the racing season Sunday at the Guam International Raceway in Yigo A well-worked and revamped red dirt course that was built and filled with jumps and switchback turns set the backdrop of a day of championship racing Racers of all ages competed in a two-heat format each in their own respective age and displacement classes making for a full day of bar-banging family fun the participants and their many fans and family supporters were back lining the course for what was an incredible day of high-flying action Open: Defending champion Lil John Aguon swept through the competition with Kawasaki rider Blaze Aiken sitting solid in second but Aguon pulled away for the first-round win Mike Limtiaco took a strong fourth-place finish with RJ Santos on a Yamaha rounding out the final spot in the top five 450 Class: Aguon took the win with Limtiaco in second Zachary Chang and Riley Clark rounded out the top four 85 Blaze Aiken swept both heats for the win with his father Over 40 Vet: Limtiaco and Aiken scored the first two flew his way to the win with Damian Manibusan Open Minibike: Richard Wenden swept both heats Wyett Santos and Lawrence Limtiaco rounded out the podium for the first round 85cc: Richard Wenden took the win with Lawrence Limtiaco in second 150cc kids: Jerren Nauta and Jeassani Leon Guerrero scooped the top two spots 65cc Kids Minibike: Jonboy Aguon took home first on his Yamaha grabbed second with Jay Whitman in third and Ty Overstreet in fourth 50cc Kids Minibike: Leo Limtiaco dominated the field EJ Larance and Charliegh Moore rounded out the top spots The racing community is gearing up for the annual Guam History and Heritage Festival motocross races Round 2 of the Monster Energy Guam Championship Motocross race schedule resumes March 15 at the Guam International Raceway home of the Jose and Hermenia Calvo Memorial Off-road Park With several class championships being contested all spectators are invited to attend free of charge Information was provided in a press release interested new or experienced riders are encouraged to visit https://girmac.teamapp.com or contact public information officer Robert Bucek by call or text at 727-5381