Students at entrance of Manresa Hall located at Calle Max Aub Students in lounge area near reception in Manresa Hall transfer or study abroad at Saint Louis University’s Madrid campus Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Details: cache-fra-eddf8230097-FRA 1746492089 3701733465 The Barça basketball team went down to defeat 103-92 to Baixa Manresa in the Palau Blaugrana in a game in which the third quarter cost Joan Peñarroya's team dear The ACB league clash saw the visitors outscore Barça 32-17 in the third period giving the blaugranes too much to do in the remainder of the contest Barça started the game well with Brizuela leading the way The Basque guard scored seven of Barça's first nine points to help Peñarroya's team to an early 16-8 lead seven unanswered points from Manresa and a three pointer from Alston saw the visitors draw level at 20-20 going into the second period The to and fro of the first period carried on in the second with Manresa scoring six three pointers to take a slight advantage at 46-44 come half time The visitors could not put a foot wrong in attack scoring 32 points in the period to take a 17 point lead into the final period at 78-61 Barça tried to reduce the deficit and Metu's basket saw come them within 10 at 86-76 but the visitors steadied the ship with Alston scoring 29 points in the 103-92 win Barça have won the Catalan League thanks to an 18 point victory over Baxi Manresa in Sunday's final the team's 25th title in this preseason competition and the third in a row and with the scoring led by Hernangomez (19) and Anderson (13) the game swung their way and they led +5 by the end of the first ten minutes (25-20) The gap could have quickly widened had it not bneen from some inspired basketball from Manresa's Alston and it was still anyone's game at the turn (45-41) But Barça had yet to find their best hoops which ended with a sizeable difference between the teams for the first time (73-56) And despite Manresa going for some late heroics Barça had found the form they'd been lacking early on and there was no stopping them now It all ended with a comfortable win and a boost for morale ahead of the next challenge Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here never imagined he would pursue a career in higher education—let alone hold a leadership position at Boston College “I said, ‘I am never going to go and get a doctorate, and I’m never going to be at a university,” said Butler, Haub vice president for University Mission and Ministry in a 2010 Agape Latte talk and someone had a stroke and they made me a vice president.”  as the next University president after Leahy steps down in the summer of 2026 Butler has helped shape the spiritual and intellectual landscape at BC Butler has worked to support the University’s Jesuit mission and promote personal and communal growth among students As a member of Leahy’s senior leadership team Butler has been a part of the major University policies and proposals ranging from academics to diversity efforts As Butler prepares to assume his next role The Heights takes a look at his history at BC Butler’s relationship with the University began in 2002 when he came to campus as a residential minister trading his work in prison ministry for working with college students “Prior to coming to BC, I had worked in prison ministry with violent offenders and I never thought of higher education as a career option,” Butler said in a Heights article at the time “But I have fallen in love with BC and the higher education apostolate.” The University appointed Butler as the inaugural director of Manresa House a spiritual resource designed to help students discern their vocations Manresa House became a key institution in spiritual life centered around fostering reflection and discernment among students In 2010, Butler succeeded Rev as Haub vice president for University Mission and Ministry His appointment was met with high praise from University leadership “Fr. Butler is a Jesuit who is widely known on campus, and someone who cares deeply about the University’s mission, especially the intellectual and religious dimension.” Leahy said in The Heights’ article Butler emphasized his commitment to helping students find their calling men and women can find their deepest desire which is at the heart of Ignatian spirituality,” Butler said in a 2010 statement He has served on all senior administrator search committees for the past 15 years and has helped raise nearly $40 million for academic and student life initiatives Butler has served as team chaplain for BC football since 2010 providing pastoral care to the student-athletes In October 2017, after two Black Lives Matter signs were vandalized in Roncalli Hall, thousands of BC students staged and attended a “Silence is Still Violence” demonstration BC administrators met with eight students to discuss plans for improving diversity and inclusion at the University Subsequently, several senior BC administrators, including Butler, signed a letter outlining their plan to increase diversity and inclusion on campus The letter proposed a plan to implement a learning module on diversity and inclusion for all incoming undergraduate students and create a survey to collect student feedback on how diversity and inclusion efforts could be improved It also stated that the University would commit to working with its then-eight schools to increase diverse faculty hires and recruit a more diverse student body At the time, some students said they felt the administrators’ letter accurately addressed the issue of diversity on campus while others wanted to see if BC would follow through on its commitments students acknowledged that the letter signaled that administrators were listening to students “I think it’s just an extension of the aversion that we’ve been experiencing up to this point,” Franchesca Araujo, BC ’20, said in 2017 We didn’t get any actual concrete action steps or timeline that we can hold them accountable to.” A year after the “Silence is Still Violence” march took place, over 100 students staged a ‘die-in’ in honor of the demonstration in October 2018 That same evening, an organization called the Black Eagles sent a letter of demands to the University administration addressed to Leahy then-executive director for institutional diversity then-interim vice president of student affairs are not responsible for solving structural inequity,” the letter reads we recognize the places for advancement in our community here at Boston College and are open to active listening we are exhausted of the repetitive and cyclical conversation we strongly encourage the university to utilize external organizations and nationally recognized services.”  Two months later, Michael Sorkin, CSOM ’21, defaced University property with racist epitaphs, sparking outrage across campus. Following Sorkin’s actions, UGBC confronted a panel of administrators about Leahy’s response to the incidents he apologized to the student community for BC’s failure to prevent the hate crime ‘How do we make it more safe for Black students for all of us here,’ is for you to hear from me I’m sorry,” Butler said “I’m sorry as Jack Butler—I am deeply sorry as a Jesuit and a priest—that this environment has not lived up to the standards that I hoped for and clearly not to the standards that you hoped for.”  Butler acknowledged the need for administrators to listen to the pain Sorkin’s actions caused and reiterated his commitment to collaborating with students to address these issues “So the place to start … is for me and my colleagues to hear the pain and for you to hear not only ‘sorry,’ but I want to be committed to work with you,” Butler said The events in the fall of 2018 were not the first time that die-ins across campus prompted Butler to join the conversation about diversity at BC Following a series of protests in 2014, the University created the Committee on Race which sought to address the issues of race on campus then-Vice President for Student Affairs Barbara Jones and Vice President for Human Resources David Trainor proposed the committee After George Floyd’s death, in June 2020 Leahy sent two letters to the BC community “America today stands as a nation divided and wounded because of longstanding tensions concerning race and they call for resolution of underlying issues through immediate and sustained action.”  The letter came after several BC organizations, including the Black Student Forum and the Climate Justice at Boston College (CJBC) circulated petitions that called on the University to explicitly state its support for the Black Lives Matter movement In Leahy’s first letter, he stated that Campus Ministry would establish partnerships with other faith communities in the surrounding area in addition to starting efforts for undergraduates to speak about race and justice with elementary and high school students The letter also stated that the University Mission and Ministry would hold a series of multi-faith services to pray for reconciliation in the country A few months prior, in February 2020, CJBC sent a list of demands to University administrators, including Butler, that called on the University to create a plan to divest from fossil fuels.The University agreed to four of CJBC’s demands Butler participated in discussions about establishing an on-campus LGBTQ+ resource center BC ’22 and former chair of GLBTQ+ Leadership Council (GLC) introduced a new proposal to bring a new resource center to campus met with Vice President for Student Affairs Shawna Cooper Whitehead about their proposal Rizzo said he did not receive any update on the proposal until a meeting with Cooper Whitehead and Butler “So it was [Butler] and Shawna, and, you know, within about five minutes of the meeting happening, Shawna was like, ‘Okay, so the resource center is not going to happen,” Rizzo said to The Heights in 2023 Rizzo told The Heights in 2023 that the University was rejecting the proposal because of its Jesuit values Butler did not respond to The Heights’ request for comment on the alleged meeting with Rizzo and Wermers The University has since integrated LGBTQ+ programming and resources into the Thea Bowman Intercultural Center While Butler won’t assume his role as University president until the fall of 2026 he told The Heights that he wants to maintain BC’s current direction “I just want to continue our trajectory,” Butler told The Heights on the day of the announcement In the announcement Butler reiterated his commitment to the University and said he hopes to strengthen BC during his tenure “I look forward to spending the coming year preparing for the presidency and I promise to devote myself to continuing BC’s upward trajectory and making this great university an even stronger beacon of light and hope for the world,” the announcement reads An already active member in the BC community Butler stated that he looks forward to enhancing his presence as University president “I look forward to working closely with the BC community so that together we can lead Boston College to even greater heights ever mindful of the responsibility that has been entrusted in me as the University’s next president,” the announcement reads NEWS SPORTS ARTS MAGAZINE NEWTON OPINIONS MULTIMEDIA Xavier University is a private university located in Cincinnati providing a liberal arts education in the Jesuit Catholic tradition In addition to reclaiming vacant buildings I encountered a small group of activists debating whether they would stage a demonstration later that day against a new Catalan national police station To their left was a blurb mounted on a wall introducing the social center and the 24 collectives operating out of the space it operates on agreed upon values of anti-capitalism the right to self-determination and support for LGBTQ+ struggles Each collective has its own meeting room in the gigantic a spacious patio with murals of Angela Davis and many rooms under construction One of the collectives is the Platform for those Affected by Mortgages and Capitalism (PAHC), an organization focused on local housing-related struggles in Manresa as part of the national Platform for those Affected by Mortgages (PAH) network but gained new relevance and popularity after 15M a plaza occupation movement that began on May 15 in response to the government’s austerity policies and bank bailouts faced eviction and even owed money to the banks because their apartments were worth very little “We started as a group of people who self-organized around the loans conflict but it evolved into a full housing rights organization,” Zalo Lorza Planes “Now we have more cases of people occupying buildings rather than dealing with loans.” PAHC holds weekly general assemblies on Sundays at La Sèquia where they introduce the organization and its goals to new attendees make consensus-based decisions together and discuss strategies They often hold another weekly assembly to discuss specific issues in more depth such as conflict resolution and group dynamics in addition to an annual recap assembly at the end of July and another in September to plan the year ahead And some members of PAHC will be joining the Second Congress of Housing Rights alongside delegates from other organizations across Catalonia next February where they hope to establish a regional revolutionary manifesto and platform These assemblies lay the groundwork for strategic action to meet people’s material needs PAHC has helped Moroccan migrants and others occupy nine vacant bank-owned buildings in Manresa The city government in Manresa typically does not provide migrants with housing and sometimes even refers them to PAHC for assistance lives in one of the nine squats alongside Moroccan migrants He says their building was built in 2007 and was empty for about 15 years before they occupied it in 2023 Living there allows him to refrain from working a salaried job and it also bridges the gap between politicized organizers and those who enter the movement primarily out of necessity “Having someone speaking the native language living in the squats makes it easier to negotiate for migrants’ housing rights,” he said “They are abused more often by police and the administration because of the language barrier.” a migrant from Morocco who lives in Ruiz’s building told Truthout that she didn’t agree with squatting an apartment at first But after rental agencies refused to rent to her she realized it was her family’s only option She began attending PAHC meetings and evictions to understand the issue better I understood how the PAHC works and I can also say that I am a part of the PAHC,” she said and fighting with the whole building’s community to demand a social rent to the property.” In addition to occupying vacant buildings sometimes by physically blocking the entrance of homes when police attempt to evict tenants This tactic buys them time to either relocate people negotiate with the city government for public housing or negotiate with real estate companies to give occupiers lower “social” rent which is theoretically required by Spanish law but many companies — especially international ones — don’t comply One of the collectives has helped Moroccan migrants and others occupy nine vacant bank-owned buildings in Manresa Planes invited migrants who were facing eviction to Sunday assemblies which include translation support and child care “We’re not an eviction defense service,” said Planes it’s hard to tell someone that you’re not going to help them because at the end of the day we believe everyone should have a house everyone.” Saghuir said engaging with and joining PAHC has been a transformative experience “Today I can say that I am not the same Nadia from 2022 I am a new one with different ideas and knowledge,” she said I can do interviews or talk to neighbors in the neighborhood — of course a large part of them are against squatters — but I can talk to anyone and defend my apartment that has given me a roof and has changed many ideas and many realities.” PAHC is building power by encouraging people to be active agents of change in their own lives, and also by forming solidaristic relationships with other local organizations. The day before our interview, Planes participated in a successful eviction defense with about 70 others from the Network of Popular and Community Structures (XEPC) a network of anti-capitalist community structures in Manresa that mutually support each other They warded off the police by going outside of the home prior to the eviction scheduled for 10 am probably because they saw it was in front of a school in front of a market and there were too many of us,” Planes said but they are going to come back on the 25th of February.” Moments com aquest ens omplen d'orgull i sentit amb el que fem. Hem aturat el primer desnonament del curs. Un 6è intent i no han pogut!S'han trobat amb una comunitat organitzada que té clars els seus valors. Lluitem per la vida i contra el capital!Orgull de camarades!👊👊💚💚 pic.twitter.com/0qkhoUSowB Other times PAHC is able to negotiate lower rent or public housing with stakeholders prior to eviction attempts PAHC has checks and balances in place to prevent being coopted by lawyers working for banks or the government “You don’t have meetings with politicians without telling the assembly You don’t withhold information from the assembly You don’t create separate groups to plan things without the assembly There is a culture of not making decisions in a communication silo,” said Planes and sometimes they joke with me that I am getting too soft because you build some empathy when you negotiate with someone and you get soft as you know them better The assembly or collective is there to tell you PAHC sees these types of negotiations as part of the reality they face in the struggle for housing “You can’t do anything if you’re constantly against everyone,” he said “I disagree with everyone I meet very often Today I met with hypercapitalistic lawyers from a hypercapitalistic company but I might have resolved one of the 15 cases [with this bank] because we pointed out one of the big holes in the case.” Housing movements in other parts of Spain have taken on similar shapes. From the ’80s through the 2000s, squatting was largely characterized by activists taking over social centers, like La Sèquia. But the tactic generalized into more of a popular, grassroots movement for housing following 15M occupations of plazas eventually dispersed into smaller-scale neighborhood assemblies and neighborhood assemblies reached out to and supported people facing evictions 15M organizers set up a series of housing advisory offices managed by volunteer lawyers and activists that supported families facing eviction Between 2011 and 2013, more than 700 people occupied empty houses owned by banks with PAH’s support in Catalonia and another 400 people used similar strategies in Andalusia, a territory in southern Spain, according to Waging Nonviolence “Successful housing movements need the backing of the neighborhood.” “The landscape itself is constantly dissolving people are born into precarity and forced mobility.” face unique challenges because private property is revered above all else legally and morally for much of the population this is a legacy of slavery and colonialism: Stolen Indigenous land and enslaved people were the two great forms of property in the New World What would it take for housing struggles to generalize into large-scale grassroots movements in the United States today? Hannah Dobbz, author of Nine-Tenths of the Law: Property and Resistance in the United States, told Justseeds she has seen public squatting demonstrations successfully executed in the U.S when squatters involve the surrounding community Planes also emphasized the importance of garnering public support through political education “Successful housing movements need the backing of the neighborhood,” he said “Make sure there’s political consciousness.” Learning about housing laws and holding boisterous demonstrations out of occupations have also bolstered the housing movement in Manresa there’s free food in front of the house and we throw a party organizers can take inspiration from Manresa and other parts of the world but ultimately need to determine which actions and strategies make sense in their own neighborhoods squatters should not attempt to replicate the European movement which has its own specific rich history of squatting and property resistance squatters need to study and understand the importance of their own context “Many of the confrontational/militant Euro-style tactics don’t seem to translate in the American context — instead they often seem to just confuse and annoy neighbors media and authorities … and then all the squatters go to jail,” she said It may not be possible to throw rowdy parties outside of gigantic squattable nunneries in Bushwick but we may be able to find our own strategic equivalents by building roots and relationships in own neighborhoods we are witnessing a terrifying array of anti-democratic tactics to silence political opposition increase surveillance and expand authoritarian reach Truthout is appealing for your support as Trump and his sycophants crack down on political speech Nonprofits like Truthout could be caught in Trump’s crosshairs as he attacks dissenting groups with bad faith lawsuits and targeted harassment of journalists these attacks come at a time when independent journalism is most needed The right-wing corporate takeover of media has left reliable outlets few and far between with even fewer providing their work at no cost to the reader Who will be there to hold the fascists to account We ask for your support as we doggedly pursue justice through our reporting Truthout is funded overwhelmingly by readers like you Please make a tax-deductible one-time or monthly donation today Ella Fassler is an independent journalist based in New York City. Their work on community autonomy, labor, technology and the carceral system has been featured in Teen Vogue, The Boston Globe, The Nation, Vice, The Appeal, Slate, OneZero, Shadowproof, Mic, In These Times, The Counter and elsewhere. Twitter: @EllaFassler. As Trump and his sycophants work to silence political dissent, independent media is a key part of the resistance. Support our work by making a one-time or monthly donation to Truthout today. MIES (Switzerland) - History repeating in Group G Bertram Derthona Basket finish the Regular Season at 5-1 and for the second straight season it is not enough to advance to the Round of 16 because of a tiebreaker against a Spanish team Last season it was UCAM Murcia who sent them to the Play-Ins this season BAXI Manresa stole the top spot by a single point Bertram Derthona Basket defeated BAXI Manresa by 17 points part of their five-game winning streak in Group G That set up an amazing matchup on the final Gameday as the game went back-and-forth for all 40 minutes Manresa owned a 22-point lead in the second half only for Derthona to crawl back to single digits inside the final five minutes Former Derthona guard Retin Obasohan picked up a huge steal and a three-point play to push the gap to 19 in the final minute only for Arturs Strautins to respond with a clutch three-pointer putting the Italians back on top of the group But coach Diego Ocampo had the final say in this one. He set up a play for Obasohan, and the Belgian guard who had 25 points on the day found the perfect solution - an assist for a wide open Marcis Steinbergs to make it a 100-82 game with four seconds left to play as Tommy Kuhse's off balance contested three-pointer did not fall at the buzzer Both teams knew how important this game was I couldn't be more proud of how we stepped up as a team especially after the weekend we had here at home For everyone to come in focused and come in ready to compete We played our hearts out and not just the players and the staff - the fans showing up and showing love and I'm glad we were able to pull it off," Obasohan offered after the win Both Manresa and Derthona finished this part of the BCL at 5-1 The 18-year-old sensation Mario Saint-Supery picked a perfect timing for his best game of the season collecting 16 points in 17 minutes of work but Manresa were +30 in his 25 minutes on the court The matchup on that same Gameday 2 was also the key in the other game of the group NINERS Chemnitz carried a 28-point lead from Germany to Portugal and even though SL Benfica tried their best Benfica won the game 79-68 but the German team advanced to the Play-Ins Trey Drechsel became the first Benfica player to score 30+ points in a single BCL game counting to 34 with 11 rebounds and an efficiency rating of 38 Ahmaad Rorie and Makram Ben Romdhane had 10 apiece for the Portuguese champions Olivier Nkamhoua was once again the best player for Chemnitz but the Germans trailed from start to finish and enter the Play-Ins without homecourt advantage BAXI Manresa will now move to the Round of 16 Group K alongside fellow Spaniards La Laguna Tenerife and two Play-In winners BAXI Manresa Bertram Derthona Basket NINERS Chemnitz SL Benfica Bertram Derthona Basket will have homecourt advantage against the third-placed team from Group H in the best-of-three series in January while NINERS Chemnitz will need to win at least one game on the road against the second-placed team from Group H Landscape and planning studio SCAPE has announced the addition of architects BIG to a new adaptive reuse project in southern Fairfield County which is set to reimagine a decommissioned coal-fired power plant into a new 125-acre public park in the city of Norwalk intends to elevate the site’s endemic wetlands and biodiversity while creating a range of opportunities for dining and recreation Three buildings — the two 22,000-square-foot boiler and turbine towers and a 8,200-square-foot office component — will be redeveloped through the effort added to by SCAPE’s master planning and landscape contribution and connected via a newly unearthed scenic waterway The project's features include an expansive green lawn and meadow with a public beach A 1.75-mile tract of waterfront access will be created offering residents an alternative to the oft-crowded Sherwood Island State Park a few miles away says it will set a new "benchmark for the adaptive reuse of industrial sites and waterfronts globally." BIG founder Bjarke Ingels commented: "Manresa Island is set to become a much-needed foothold for the public along the otherwise rather privatized Connecticut coastline we seek to rediscover and reanimate the majestic spaces hidden within the bones of the decommissioned piece of infrastructure." and turbine halls are postindustrial cathedrals awaiting exploration and reinterpretation As an extension of SCAPE’s resettlement of the island for the enjoyment of human life among many other forms of life we seek to extend that resettlement into the cavernous spaces within we will open up and clear out the existing spaces so that the once coal-powered plant can become the framework for the social and cultural life of Manresa's future — from energy infrastructure to social infrastructure." The plan covers a total of 250,000 square feet and will include research partnerships with local universities. Atelier Ten is listed as a collaborator A press release stated it will be ready in time for a public opening in 2030 Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site Your comment will be visible once approved MIES (Switzerland) - Two balanced matchups that ended with rocking crowds celebrating intense victories and the plastic display of what being ageless really means That's what happened in the first gameday of action in the BCL Round of 16 But let's dig more into each of Tuesday's games in Germany and Spain Sometimes "historic" is a bit of an inflated term in sports but which other adjective could have described Tuesday's victory for either FIT/One Wurzburg Baskets or Bertram Derthona Basket this was the debut in the Basketball Champions League Round of 16 for both clubs until the very last possessions of the encounter With the hosts down by five points with 25 seconds left Jhivvan Jackson was fouled on a three-pointer and after a pair of free throws by Christian Vital Mike Lewis II's stepback triple made it a one-point game That's when Jackson decided it was time to win the game then drew a foul and knocked down both free throws for the win at 80-79 The Puertorican-Panamese ball-handler scored 30 points on his overseas debut back in 2022 with Menorca and apparently he likes to make good first impressions: against the Italians he had 34 points over 7-of-11 from deep and 9-of-9 at the line Christian Vital had another huge scoring night at 23 points with an almost perfect free-throw performance (13-of-14) lived a memorable European night for the black-and-white side by finishing with an International career-high of 18 points "My team really tried to fight in every possession and every situation We led the game in the last three minutes with a really great attitude I think Wurzburg believed they could win the game scoring tough three-point shots but honestly we gave them two great presents with two fouls," De Raffaele first said "It's very difficult to understand Basketball sometimes is only details and details make the difference," Derthona's head coach followed but if that happens at the beginning of the game and you can't follow up That's what Aliaga Petkimspor experienced in front of a never-stop-chanting crowd in Pavello Nou Congost It was loud in the stands and intense on the court Despite the Turkish team entering the Round of 16 with seven made threes in the first quarter BAXI Manresa fed off their fans' energy thanks to a strong 12-3 run to close out the game after Breein Tyree had tied it at 84-all with two minutes left It's no breaking news that Diego Ocampo's team likes their fans' support: this was the sixth win in their last seven Round of 16 games played at home The Catalans saw scoring contributions from everyone and shared the ball fluently as usual with 24 assists finishing with 17 points in his team's victory with two highlight-worth plays: a poster dunk in the third quarter and a clutch three in the fourth Damyean Dotson and Tyree had 20 apiece for Petkimspor The first two matchups scheduled on Tuesday night had to be decided only in the final getting their 26th straight home win in the BCL where the two-time champions escaped with a 49-35 run between third and fourth quarter as he's still making brilliant plays at 41 years of age Marcelinho Huertas doesn't know that age means something in professional sports and had 27 points and 7 assists in just 23 minutes of work David Kramer recently had a crazy 43-point night for Germany in the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers and we all know he can catch fire in just a matter of possessions as the sharpshooter finished with 22 points over 6-of-7 from deep Reggiana's 2-0 sweep against Bonn looked like a distant memory on Tuesday night as Dimitris Priftis's team was hopeless as time passed by Cassius Winston's run of 20+ points and 5+ assists stops at five games The last time he was in single digits in scoring was also against Tenerife scoring 7 points with 4 assists in his 100th appearance in the Basketball Champions League The only two other players with at least 100 games are his teammate Tim Abromaitis (106) and Promitheas Patras BC Vikos Cola's captain Linos Chrysikopoulos (100) NORWALK – A longtime eyesore on the coast of South Norwalk took its first steps last week towards transforming into a year-round public park that will provide water access ecological experiences and education spaces the former Norwalk Harbor Generating Station on Manresa Island will put the City of Norwalk on the path to a vision that multiple administrations have had for more than a decade was retired in 2013 after providing electric to Connecticut for six decades which has been at the heart of a transformation plan for decades officially became available for redevelopment last week when Norwalk natives Austin and Allison McChord announced they had purchased the property and donated it Austin McChord is the founder of the IT software firm Datto which he sold for $6 billion in 2022 to Kaseya a newly established nonprofit dedicated to transforming Norwalk’s Manresa Island into a new public destination announced its vision to turn the over 125-acre former industrial power plant site into a thriving publicly accessible park unlocking 1.75 miles of its waterfront access for the first time in nearly 75 years,” according to a statement from the City of Norwalk “The transformation of Manresa Island into a public destination that increases access to Norwalk’s shoreline and recreational and ecological experiences is an extraordinary opportunity that will enhance the quality of life for our residents and further Norwalk’s reputation as a city on the rise,” said Mayor Harry Rilling “Following the closure of the plant in 2013 residents and the City reimagined what Manresa Island could look like.” The park will offer year-round programming including water access education and event spaces and university-led research A community engagement process will begin in early 2025 to receive feedback and hear from locals what they want to see in the new publicly accessible park The McChords’ new philanthropic arm purchased the property from Argent Ventures “As someone who has both lived and worked in Norwalk it’s an incredible feeling to be able to give back to this community,” Austin McChord said in a statement “Manresa Island has always been an amazing location locked away from the public Transforming this 125-acre space into a publicly accessible park is going to allow the site to be enjoyed for generations to come.” Manresa Island has gone from a defunct coal power plant with multiple smoke stacks sitting off the SoNo coastline to a place of promise for politicians and residents Those were the vibes coming out of the Oct 1 press conference outside the power plant from politicians and the donors who donated the property and now residents of Norwalk and of our state will have full access to a new park located on the water in an area where recreational access had been prevented for decades,” Gov “This has all been made possible by the generosity of Austin and Allison McChord who not only value preserving our natural resources but also want to make sure the people of Connecticut can enjoy this land as well.” who was also present at the press conference was happy about last Tuesday’s developments “There is a lot of excitement in the air and relief that the property will be saved for generations,” Duff said “This property will add two more miles of public access to our Connecticut shoreline the generosity of the McChord family will turn one of Norwalk’s most colossal mistakes into one of Norwalk’s greatest achievements.”  Manresa Island’s will be joined at the hip with SoNo’s other historic reclamation project from decades ago – the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk And they have already signed as the first official partner on the project “The Maritime Aquarium is excited to be the first partner to join Manresa Island Corp in the redevelopment of Manresa Island,” aquarium President and CEO Jason Patlis said “As an organization that has been a transformational force since 1988 when we were founded to revitalize South Norwalk we are invigorated by the opportunity to connect people to Long Island Sound in new ways that will inspire them to take action to protect it.” Patlis described the aquarium’s 10-year strategic plan which will include its work with Manresa Island “You would think we developed these goals and this vision alongside Austin and Allison but the fact that they sound so similar to what is proposed for Manresa underscores one thing: that these are the right goals and the right vision for Norwalk,” said Patlis This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access. and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" CNN (CNN) — Former Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday while receiving the John F CNN (CNN) — Former Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday while receiving the John.. Trending Westchester © 2024 Westfair Business Journal. All rights reserved. First published: February 25, 2025 10:14 AM A new study by the City Council of Manresa has revealed that the city's bat population has tripled since 2021.   Pol Huguet, the city’s Climate Action Councilor told the Catalan News Agency (ACN) that the increase coincides with initiatives taken to improve the biodiversity in different areas of the city, such as the installation of nesting boxes. At the same time, Huguet highlights improved weather conditions as another contributing factor. Rainfall has encouraged the presence of insectivores. In 2021, the Manresa City Council installed 13 bat nesting boxes around the city - nine in the Cardener Park and four in the Piugterrà Park. Three years later, the study found that the number of bats in these specific areas grew, from 2,792 bats to 8,582. But measures did more than just increase the bat population. In fact, the study found an increase in the number of tree sparrows over the same period, from just a few in 2021 to about 30 in 2024. Additionally, the city council has stopped using weedkillers in all the city parks, as well as designated areas for spontaneous vegetation, which then has encouraged the presence of other animals. Other measures to improve biodiversity in the city and provide shelters for animals have included selective harvests or allowing dead branches to accumulate in designated areas. According to Huguet, these initiatives have shown increased vegetation, which serves as food for insects or birds. Get the day's biggest stories right to your phone former Fordham standout Chuba Ohams has signed a contract with BAXI Manresa in Liga Endesa (Liga ACB) Liga Endesa is widely regarding as one of the premier professional basketball associations in Europe boasting the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid Manresa finished eighth in the league standings with a record of 19-15 and reached the quarterfinals of Copa del Rey Ohams joins Manresa following a stellar season in Finland with the Helsinki Seagulls where he averaged 14.5 points and 10.4 rebounds per game in 46 appearances Ohams began his professional career in France's second division averaging 10.0 points and 6.3 rebounds in 34 games with Denain ASC Voltaire of LNB Pro B In a six-year collegiate tenure that was plagued by injury Ohams persevered to become one of the top big men in the Atlantic 10 by the time of his graduation Ohams earned Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors and was named the conference's most improved player after averaging 14.8 points and 11.6 rebounds per outing—the latter of which ranked fifth in the nation—for a Fordham team that boasted a 14-win improvement from the year prior Also a member of the Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team and the MBWA All-Met Third Team that season Ohams was selected to the 2022 NABC-Reese's Division I College All-Star Game at the Final Four After setting a school record with 21 double-doubles in 2021-22 Ohams left Fordham ranked 11th on the program's career rebounding list (745) and eighth on the career blocks list (112) Thanks for visiting in the gardens of the Palau Robert in Barcelona the President of FC Barcelona Joan Laporta opened the exhibition “Tant se val d’on venim through the lens of Kim Manresa.” The show features a collection of the best photos by the Catalan photojournalist over the past three decades taken during trips made alongside Foundation team members on their visits to the social projects the organisation carries out across the globe also attending the unveiling ceremony were Foundation Director General Dr members of the FC Barcelona Foundation board of directors and trustees Director General for Outreach for the Palau Robert The exhibition is made up of 50 visually striking and emotionally charged photographs featuring children and adolescents from all over the world living in extremely vulnerable situations whose day-to-day circumstances can include extreme violence forced displacement or who live in surroundings hit by severe environmental deterioration Also appearing in some of the images are seriously unwell children who have for years received supportive visits from male and female players from the FC Barcelona football first teams and its other professional sports sections both from current squads and former players former players involved in these projects have included Carles Puyol Many of these have been able to see first-hand the challenges being faced by some of the world’s most vulnerable children Social projects have been implemented in recent decades in countries including Burkina Faso where the majority of the Foundation’s beneficiaries are based aside from reflecting the harsh realities faced by these groups of children also shows how a sense of belonging to the Azulgrana family has no limits and makes itself visible in every corner of the world through shirts balls and all manner of Barça-related objects and symbols It is proof of the Club’s strength and international impact and of the magical power of sport in general and football in particular - a universal language that helps change lives and which underlines the significance of “More than a club” across the globe The exhibition has been held within the framework of it being 125 years since FC Barcelona was founded and 30 years since the Foundation was brought into existence since that day on 18th July 1994 when then-president Josep Lluís Núñez officially established the FC Barcelona Foundation whose objectives were mainly based on culture and promoting sport under the first presidential mandate of Joan Laporta the Foundation underwent a radical change in direction turning itself into the soul of Barça and fulfilling the Club’s social commitment to improving the lives of the most vulnerable children and young people at local and international level One of its most crucial moments came about on 7th September 2006 when the Foundation and the Club signed an historic agreement with UNICEF at United Nations Headquarters in New York For the first time in history the Barça shirt would display a logo on the front but rather than a commercial sponsor the one featured would be that of UNICEF the prestigious international organisation which protects children’s rights Sixteen years on from this watershed moment on 16th June 2022 FC Barcelona and the Foundation laid down a further landmark in this case alongside the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR/ACNUR) when signing another historic agreement in Geneva to aid the cause of refugees and internally displaced persons around the world from that moment on the men’s and women’s first-team shirts also featured the UNHCR/ACNUR logo at the same time marking the start of projects on four continents aiming to provide support for refugees the Foundation has worked in over 60 countries worldwide and over 200 municipalities in Catalonia The Barça Foundation currently focuses its operations on 14 countries and 106 locations where it implements a host of projects in the fields of Education and Safeguarding Health and Emotional Wellbeing and Community Action Read the full story on fordhamsports.com. Sign up to receive the latest news from Fordham University. A loss for the Barça basketball team away to Manresa in an eventful derby (85-72). Things didn't work out in the game, with Brizuela also injured and Kevin Punter ejected in the third quarter, plus an attempted comeback proving unsuccessful. With many games played and not many days rest, Joan Peñarroya rotated the starting five, and the blaugranes found it hard to get going. An early 10-2 sent the Nou Congost crowd crazy, who were really up for the derby. Joel Parra also felt that derby desire though, carrying the team back to 12-16, scoring nine points himself. However, Manresa and Derrick Alston Jr brought it back level by the end of the first (22-22). The second quarter was forgettable, though, as the home side strode away to 37-28, and despite the blaugranes responding, there was a lot to do for Peñarroya's side at the break (51-38). Further bad news with another injury for Barça when Darío Brizuela went down after a slip and he couldn't play any further part in the game. A comeback was looking difficult, and was even more so when Kevin Punter was ejected after a foul added to an unsportsmanlike act in the first half. The blaugranes tried to get back into a game that looked lost. Good defending brought it back to 62-52, and the comeback looked on at the end of the third. However, Dani Pérez and Steinbergs scored triples to take the game away again to +17 (70-53). The difference meant that a defeat seemed inevitable, but Willy scored five (74-60), and home coach Diego Ocampo called a timeout to slow the charge. It did the trick, because Barça couldn't keep up the pressure and ultimately the derby ended in defeat. BAXI Manresa: Dani Pérez (22), Hunt (8), Steinbergs (5), Sagnia (2) and Massa (8) - starting five - Alston Jr. (12), Obasohan (10), Cate (6), Reyes (12), Hustak (-), Saint-Supery (0) and Gaspà (-). Barça: Núñez (5), Brizuela (0), Anderson (7), Parra 813) y Fall (0) - starting five - Punter (4), Satoransky (16), Hernangómez (17), Sarr (4), Vesely (4). Abrines (2) and Butajevas (0). Referees: Emilio Pérez Pizarro, Alberto Baena and Cristóbal Sánchez. First published: November 26, 2024 12:10 PM Unemployed youth in Manresa, a city in central Catalonia, are gaining construction skills while helping to improve their city. Nearly 10% of the city’s young population is unemployed, even as many jobs in the construction sector remain unfilled. To address this contradiction, the city council has launched a program for young people aged 16 to 29. The program includes six months of theoretical training followed by six months of hands-on work repairing areas of the city. “The work is real and impactful, not just simulations,” explains occupational councillor Lluís Vidal. Over 120 young people have participated in the program, with more than half already finding jobs. One participant, Mamadou Diallo, arrived alone from Guinea a year ago. “I am proud and happy,” he says. Initially, Diallo hoped to pursue a career in computing, his previous field in Guinea, but he was unable to validate his qualifications. “When I started, I realized construction was interesting,” he admits. Now, Diallo feels optimistic about his prospects, as the program provides participants with three certifications. He also credits the program with helping him learn Catalan and integrate into society. “It’s important to learn the local language,” he says. “There’s a demand for us to train workers because the sector is short on labor,” says Jenifer Delgado, director of the occupational program. She notes that many unemployed young people lack formal education and qualifications. Participants carry out repair work on city buildings, such as refurbishing a local football court. “It’s a win-win for both the youth and the city,” Delgado concludes.