Subscribe to the Montecito Journal’s Morning MoJo newsletter and get local news delivered to your inbox twice weekly My traveling pal and I arrived at the lovely seaside Hotel Gutkowski (an affordable recommendation from a friend) on a Sunday early afternoon much needed thunderstorm and downpour began to clear the air The island of Sicily had been suffering from a drought and the air had been gray and acrid due to the dusty Sahara sciroccos that had blown north to the island of my ancestors.  We planned to stop in Noto en route (made famous to American viewers by the TV series The White Lotus) but we spotted miles and miles and miles of cars backed up along two roads merging and leading to the baroque town I swiftly instructed my friend Nigel to “Take a right turn – NOW!” (Later I finally unearthed the cause of the logjam: an annual flower festival Let this be a lesson to check holidays and festas on your travels!) the island of Ortigia (reached by auto or foot via a small bridge and home to 34 palaces) was to fulfill my friend Nigel’s desire to visit Teatro Greco the continually operating 2,000-year-old outdoor Greek theater We had tickets to attend a performance of Phaedra.  We took a cab to the Teatro and walked amidst the crowds to the outdoor amphitheater: our concrete seats not far from the sound and visual technician boards Even though the entire production was in ancient Greek it really didn’t matter as the production values the singing/chanting and spoken word and compositions were compelling The people watching and chatting with other theater goers – including a doctor and friends from Milan who attend annually – added to the experience if we glanced to our left at the video screens the production team were monitoring A leisurely stroll back through the city to the island of Ortigia gave us a chance to stop for gelato while absorbing and discussing our wonderful experience and stunning performances.  I joined a half-day tour with knowledgeable guide/historian Douglas Kenning who has ancestral roots on the island but also lives part time in Northern California Douglas has been informing visitors to Sicily for many decades and bringing the Sicily’s rich history alive including mythology and architectural history have lived part time in Sicily for the past two decades Places we visited in the “city of water and light” included the ruins of Apollo temple Archimedes square and the lovely Diana fountain and impressive Piazza Duomo (cathedral square) We continued to the natural spring fountain of Arethusa where Douglas shared the Greek myth of the nymph Arethusa’s appearance after escaping her underground home The history of Sicily is both complex and fascinating and takes more than one afternoon – or even weeklong tour – to totally comprehend Sicily has been ruled from 14,000 BC/ancient times through colonization under the Phoenicians enjoyed a first golden age under the Greeks (732 BC-212 BC) followed by the Romans (slaves and revolts!) then the Barbarians A second golden age occurred under the Arabs/Islam (827-1250 AD) followed by Norman rule Five hundred and fifty years of Spanish inquisition ensued in a downward spiral It wasn’t until 1860 that Italy became the latest occupier Douglas and his colleagues help unravel it all for visitors while combing the streets and narrow pathways that follow the ancient Greek pattern My most memorable meal was a lunch on my own at the renowned Don Camillo ristorante that began with a “sweet and salty” amuse-bouche of gelato with sea asparagus I then savored every last bite of the signature dish “Mermaid Spaghetti’ topped with bits of tiny which were also mixed into the excellent creamy sauce (sopped up with a scrap of bread at the end) that got better with each bite This lunch might have been better enjoyed with a companion – but I was well looked after by the refined staff in the elegant dining room I took a rather long afternoon stroll after lunch from the island into the city center in search of Caravaggio’s famous work of art The church is commonly known as the Basilica of Saint Lucia al Sepolcro because it is located next to the octagonal temple that originally housed the remains of Saint Lucia the masterpiece looms large and invisible; front and center in the church nave — until visitors drop a few lira into a metal box that theatrically and magically illuminates the magnificent painting.  I took an impromptu shopping stroll with a fellow traveler – a young gal from Sweden whom I met at breakfast at the hotel We wandered the nearby outdoor market on my search for capers and sweet dried tomatoes to bring back home.  My satisfying ten-day sojourn to Sicily was coming to an end I had gained a wonderful new friend in Palermo I made several new acquaintances that I hope will deepen into friendships when I return.  I visited the village where my great grandparents had married was able to meet up with my distant cousin Silvia and her boyfriend Eugenio at a lively pit stop along the road as they took a lunch break during a vintage car rally around the island I expanded my knowledge of the island’s history Sicily got under my skin but it was time to move on.  I said good-bye to the hotel’s sweet resident cat – whose name I have sadly forgotten – that had crept into my room one night And soon after I began plotting my next visit Hotel Gutkowski – I spent four glorious nights at Hotel Gutkowski in Ortigia. Yes, I know it doesn’t sound very Italian or Sicilian, but that is because the owner’s name has Polish roots. This is the kind of place – cozy, fresh bright rooms, some with views to the sea, a lovely breakfast included, other friendly travelers – you don’t want to tout too much – for fear of not being able to get a room when you return. www.guthotel.it Don Camillo –Old world style, five-star cuisine. www.ristorantedoncamillosiracusa.it Sicily Tour – Historian Douglas Kenning and his partners lead small group tours and even offer genealogical tours for those with ancestral roots. The company provides insights with an intellectual bent, and is based in Siracusa, Sicily. www.sicily-tour.com I met another tour guide staying in the room next door at Hotel Gutkowski Karen has also been sharing the island’s many delights with tourists often with stunning and well-known specialists she invites on her highly personalized tours We started a friendship based on our mutual love of Sicily and discovering that both our fathers had beenjazz pianists.  La RosaWorks – Join a group tour or have owner Karen La Rosa curate a personalized tour. Interesting 2025 tours range from Two Kingdoms of Sicily – which includes Naples, as well as exploring Sicily on immersive tours that visit olive farms, cooking classes and more. www.larosaworks.com   experience-driven hotel brand with locations in New York has announced the appointment of Nicholas Siracusa as general manager at Arlo Wynwood the first hotel in Miami's preeminent creative and cultural district Siracusa assumed the position at the beginning of 2025 and is responsible for overseeing daily hotel operations and implementing strategic initiatives that align with the brand's commitment to fostering an inclusive community Siracusa took an educational sabbatical to travel and immerse himself in diverse cultures while examining unique approaches and common threads in hospitality across different countries and consulting for hotel groups and restaurants through his company Since joining the hotel at the beginning of the year Siracusa's leadership has helped the Arlo Wynwood secure a Top 10 ranking on TripAdvisor and increase guest satisfaction and team members' engagement scores He also helped oversee a successful launch of the hotel's signature restaurant Siracusa started his career at 15 years old as a dishwasher at a local restaurant eventually working his way up to restaurant owner and operator Siracusa moved to Florida and held leadership roles at The Shores Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach and Grand Bohemian Orlando He then served as hotel manager at the Columbus Airport Marriott assistant hotel general manager at The Westin Austin Downtown and general manager at Hyatt Place Indianapolis before accepting a dual general manager position for two Highgate Hotels properties in Miami Beach: The Gabriel South Beach and Circa 39 Hotel This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Boutique Hotelier USA Arlo Hotels has officially announced the appointment of Nicholas Siracusa as general manager at Arlo Wynwood Siracusa assumed the position at the beginning of the year and is responsible for overseeing daily hotel operations and implementing strategic initiatives that align with the brand’s commitment to fostering an inclusive community Siracusa’s leadership has helped the Arlo Wynwood secure a Top 10 ranking on TripAdvisor and increase guest satisfaction and team members’ engagement scores He also helped oversee a successful launch of the hotel’s signature restaurant Jimmy Suh commented: “We’re thrilled to welcome Nick Siracusa as general manager of Arlo Wynwood Nick is an accomplished hotelier and brings a wealth of experience and passion to lead Arlo Wynwood’s operations We are confident that he will build upon Arlo Wynwood’s success and lead it to the next stage.” Siracusa added: “I’m honored to join the Arlo Wynwood team and continue the incredible momentum they’ve built since opening Arlo Wynwood is a hub that reflects the energy and creativity of the neighborhood and I’m excited to strengthen our ties with the local community while delivering exceptional experiences for our guests.” Arlo Wynwood opened in November 2022 as the first hotel in Wynwood home to the world’s largest concentration of street art nine-story hotel features more than 250 works of art throughout the property and offers guests complimentary wellness activities weekly comedy shows and live music programming The online obituary search tool allows you to search by first name, last name or date. Viewing the details of an obituary will provide important information about the upcoming service, allow you to share photos or memories, and send flowers. If you cannot find a deceased person, please contact us at 514‑727‑2847 / 1‑888‑727‑2847. 20253 Dreamy Sicilian Vacations for the Design ObsessiveThe vibrant Italian island is bursting with visual inspiration Courtesy of Rocco Forte HotelsIt’s hard not to fall in love with Sicily and some of the best cannolis you’ll ever consume the lush destination offers one sensorial delight after another But those who appreciate the art of design are arguably best served by the historic Italian island’s charms Because of its prime location in the Mediterranean Sea (east of Western Europe west of Greece and the Middle East) the area has been occupied by multiple civilizations all of whom have deeply influenced and evolved the region’s art and architecture over the course of centuries A melting pot of visual inspiration unlike anything else in the world ranging from ornately decorated Byzantine churches to dramatic Greco-Roman temples It would take years to fully soak up all the awe-inducing sights the area has to offer and Siracusa—are all excellent places to start Palermo was founded in the eighth century by the Phoenicians but was conquered and reimagined by countless other societies (including the Byzantine and Roman Empires) It’s a particularly apt destination for the art history buff as it boasts the kind of expansive and opulent churches many people have only seen in historical movies just wandering around the ancient city is enough to get the creative juices flowing… the winding cobblestone streets and laundry and flowers hanging from curving metal balconies will win over even the most jaded of travelers There’s no shortage of beautiful sights at the opulent Villa Iglea Originally a privately owned art nouveau palazzo overlooking the sea it was transformed in the early twentieth century to become one of the era’s buzziest hotels visited by the likes of King Edward VII and the King of Siam Now it’s still one of the most luxurious places you can stay in Sicily complete with verdant gardens overlooking the ocean and decor that reflects Palermo’s rich culture “Much of the interiors have been sourced from the surrounding areas of Palermo and there are many Sicilian touches such as locally sourced Sicilian marbles and tiles,” says Rocco Forte’s director of design Olga Polizzi who worked on revamping Villa Igiea when it was acquired by the hotel group in 2019 While she aimed to maintain much of the original building’s key features like maiolica tiles and a mirrored ballroom complete with an Art Deco mural the renovations also include modern elements from artisans around the island and local antiques “We wanted to bring a feel of the past combined with current pieces so we would go to marvelous auction houses in Palermo to source,” she says where we found many of the statues and larger pieces of furniture in the hotel.” an airy trattoria that serves updated Sicilian specialties—just the menu to match the restaurant’s modern take on old-school Italian decor (think dark wood trim and checkerboard tiles alongside industrial-style lighting and big windows) TaorminaThis scenic town, located on the craggy Eastern coastline of Sicily, burst into the mainstream consciousness in 2021 when it served as the backdrop for the wildly popular second season of White Lotus have known for years that this is one of the most enchanting spots you can stay on the island complete with breathtaking seaside views and a city center filled with hidden alleys and quaint shops selling local artisan wares If you’d like to be close to town, but still somewhat secluded, stay at VRetreat’s dreamy Atlantis Bay location Built on the side of a cliff overlooking the ocean is the only resort available in Taormina’s secluded Bay of Mermaids Mediterranean-influenced decor and stone terraces overlooking the clear blue water while the sleek and airy common areas (including an open-air pool which specializes in Italian delicacies) also offer seaside vistas Chef and owner of Michelin Star restaurant La Capinera an iconic spot that specializes in the icy treat try the almond and café flavors together and scoop it using pieces of brioche like a spoon While you’ll find plenty of visual stimulation by merely taking in the town’s medieval architecture you’ll want to make time to see the ruins of Taormina’s Ancient Greek amphitheater which was built in the early third century and offers stunning views of the neighboring Mount Etna volcano a baroque church that dates back to late 17th century is another architectural gem filled with lovely frescos and intricate stucco work Be sure to also make time for the lovely Villa Comunale public gardens and the lush topography they have to offer—complete with striking statues and stunning ocean views And don’t forget to pick up a few local souvenirs: In particular while Antica Orologeria is ideal for vintage watches and beautiful objects of decoration Originally one of the most important port cities of the ancient world Syracuse (or Siracusa in Italian) is steeped in history at every turn You’ll want to stay—or at least spend a day exploring—the island of Ortigia and where the Greeks began building nearly 3000 years ago you’ll discover a plethora of awe-inspiring old-world buildings and stately open air squares surrounded by a panoramic look at the Ionian Sea Inside one of the rooms at Palazzo Artemide Architecture lovers will marvel over subtle details everywhere at the Palazzo Artemide where meticulous pains have been taken to maintain much of the building’s historical elements—such as its original columns Much of the building’s limestone (a key material in Greek temples and baroque structures) has also been preserved Rooms that boast balconies overlooking the bustling stone streets of the city below They make for a lovely place to sit with one’s thoughts (and a glass of Prosecco) at sunset One of the city’s most satisfying meals can be found at Fratelli Burgio a beloved salumeria (butcher shop) that dates back to 1978 The ambience is bustling and a little retro; the food is delicious and unfussy (think cured meats Pro tip: There’ll definitely be more to try than you can consume in one sitting so it helps to come with a big group and order a few sharing platters versus committing to one or two dishes an adjacent restaurant serving traditional Sicilian food made with ingredients grown and produced on-site .access-parent{width:164px;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;margin-top:-5px;}.access-parent button{background-color:var(--lighter-band);color:#fff;border:none;padding:5px;font-size:18px;height:32px;width:32px;box-shadow:0 2px 4px #2f4f4f;cursor:pointer;transition:.2s}.access-parent button:hover{box-shadow:0 3px 6px var(--brand-red);}.access-parent button:active{background-color:var(--header-band);box-shadow:0 0 2px #2f4f4f;transform:translateY(2px)}Font sizeContrastTypefaceNewscast When Jamie Siracusa’s café Brothers & Sisters Co was reduced to a take-out window during the Covid-19 pandemic began concocting ice cream recipes in her back kitchen a “one-ice-cream-a-day kind of girl,” she had always been curious about the science behind the sweet treat despite her lack of culinary experience who holds degrees in business and theology from Emmanuel College “I was making everything myself,” Siracusa said Banana Pudding was the first flavor she invented “It’s a take on the Southern Banana Pudding dessert,” made with real fruit and vanilla wafers mixed in by hand She added her creations to the menu during the pandemic After serving ice cream from the coffee shop window The 29-year-old already had success generating foot traffic on Station Street in Brookline Village during the day with her eclectic coffee shop and the volunteer-run community fridge she established has turned the side street into a pocket of nightlife members of Brookline High School’s class of ’05 were trying the spot for the first time on a weekend night They described themselves as “avid JPLicks-ers” deciding to branch out “Mine tastes like homemade cherry pie,” remarked Sparrow about the Cherry Pie flavor a college student who has worked at the scoop shop and the café for the past two years People around the area see the line and think Robinson enjoys watching head ice cream maker Amy Berarducci workshop flavors Siracusa and her team frequently update their manufacturing practices Siracusa recently attended “ice cream school,” an intensive 7-day course held by the Department of Food Science at Pennsylvania State University where she found a “collaborative environment of people all doing the same thing that we’re doing here in Brookline.” She left the course impressed with the bases her team had already covered and eager to return to work different ways of hardening to lessen ice crystals,” reflected Siracusa “It feels like what would be considered farm-to-table for ice cream,” said Methven a best-selling flavor for which cookies are soaked overnight Customers say the same of Siracusa’s adjacent coffee shop “It’s nice to have a neighborhood place that’s not Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts,” said frequent visitor Carolyn Come she treated him to a pup cup from Jamie’s on his birthday owned by Brookline couple Ali Mohajerani and Elie Dunford Siracusa stumbled upon their offer to sell the business online after receiving a business suggestion from her parents maybe look at existing locales,” they advised her She trained with Mohajerani as an “undercover manager” before they finalized the sale in 2019 Robinson enjoys interacting with the regulars and hearing “snippets of their lives.” She smiled at the mention of a poet named Aron a café fixture whose conversations with customers he uses for literary inspiration He’s really special to me,” she said Siracusa’s knack for engaging patrons is reflected through the volunteer-led community fridge that sits next to her two businesses which she established after hearing of a similar project in Jamaica Plain A café employee in school for art painted the door The most recent method of giving back to the community But it recalls an old Neapolitan tradition of paying it forward “Caffé sospeso” translates to “suspended coffee” in Italian A customer who buys a coffee also pays in advance for one who may not be able to afford it “We put the community gift card out just a few months ago in addition to [paying for] what you ordered and anyone is entitled to use it,” she said Customers draw a comparison to Europe for another reason The line of customers snaking around the corner the colorful outdoor seating and the horn of the D Line from afar evoke a particular atmosphere “People have said that our street feels very European,” said Siracusa where a location of a hybrid coffee-scoop shop is slated to open in early autumn Siracusa wanted to preserve and grow the tight-knit community that the previous Brookline java joint owners had cultivated The three Brookline High School graduates huddled together on a bench in between Jamie’s Ice Cream Co someone grabbed items from the community fridge Brookline Then and Now FYI: Brookline resources Keep the news coming with a tax-deductible gift to nonprofit Brookline.News.Gifts up to $1,000 each are matched 1-1 between now and Dec  Find similar articlesBusinessRestaurants How do you get around Brookline? We want you to contribute to our next set of Voices essays Tell us how you found a place to call home in 400 words or less You do realize you are reading BROOKLINE.news The G7 Agriculture Ministers’ gathered in Siracusa on 26-27-28 September and adopted a Joint Declaration Minister Francesco Lollobrigida chaired the working sessions Located on the southeastern coast of Sicily by the Corinthians and emerged as one of the largest cities of the classical era With its rich tapestry of historical and architectural treasures from various periods it embodies a journey through Mediterranean history and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site alongside the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica hosted the G7 Meeting on Agriculture at the Maniace Castle Connected to the mainland by three pedestrian bridges the only spontaneous papyrus grove in Europe analytical cookies with technical features and third-party profiling cookies to ensure the best browsing experience and allow you to view some content in line with your preferences To find out more, see our Privacy Policy By closing the banner through the X at the top right or by selecting the "Reject all" button you will continue browsing and receive only the technical cookies for which your consent is not required but the contents of the YouTube channel will not be available directly within this Site If you wish to consent to the use of third-party profiling cookies select the "Accept all" button; remember that you can always change your choice using the Cookie Preferences feature available at the bottom of the page DE AKKER TEAM: Valle, Abramson 4, Rouwenhorst, Bragantini 2, Milakovic 1, Lucci 1, Tringali, Gallo, Condemi, Luongo 4, Cocchi, Urbinati, Pederielli, Martini. Coach Mistrangelo. ORTIGIA SIRACUSA: Tempesti, Cassia 2, Avakian, La Rosa 1, Di Luciano, Giribaldi, Kalaitzis 2, Carnesecchi, Campopiano 2, Inaba 4, Scordo, Napolitano, Ruggiero, Marangolo. Coach Piccardo. De Akker beats Ortigia, returns to Europe and flies to the final for the fifth-eighth place where, starting from Tuesday 6 May, they will face Posillipo Napoli. At the end of a chaotic challenge full of twists and turns, Federico Mistrangelo's team narrowly beats the Sicilians and earns the certainty of participation, for the second consecutive year, in the European competitions. In the end Ortigia tries to get back into the game, but De Akker manages to resist and take home the full stake. Now the fifth-eighth place final with Posillipo with game 1 on Tuesday at Carmen Longo, return on Friday 16 May in Naples and possible game 3 on Tuesday 20 May again in Bologna. Ryan Siracusa thought his lacrosse career might be over He had just wrapped up his fourth season at Maryland then earned a place on the Terrapins’ second midfield line in the back half of last spring He was eligible to return for a fifth year Whether he was in Maryland’s plans was a mystery “They were very grateful and they said they wanted me back and they had a spot for me,” Siracusa said I didn’t know if they wanted to have me back.” Plenty of roster decisions made each May attract attention The Terps’ decision to keep Siracusa in the fold didn’t make much of a ripple Yet it is a big part of why seventh-seeded Maryland (10-5) is facing sixth-seeded Virginia (12-5) in Saturday’s NCAA semifinals in Philadelphia Siracusa has 19 goals and nine assists as a first-line midfielder and is coming off his first career hat trick in a 14-11 quarterfinal defeat of Duke He’s recorded a point in every game this season He has at least a goal in all but one game And after scoring eight goals in his first four seasons at Maryland he’s more than tripled his career production while serving as a versatile threat this year “I don’t know where we’d be without Ryan,” coach John Tillman said He stayed with it when a lot of kids wouldn’t do that but he really helped our team in those years that people didn’t see him play Everybody on our team knows he did an awesome job getting our first team defense ready.” BEFORE HE WAS A STARTER ON A FINAL FOUR TEAM before he mimicked some of college lacrosse’s most skilled attackmen to help Maryland’s star defensemen prepare for games Siracusa grew up in the rapidly developing lacrosse market around Atlanta native had 427 career points at Centennial High School the sort of numbers that will generate at least some attention a local high school and club coach whose son Mac was a defenseman on Maryland’s 2017 national title team tipped Tillman off about the slick offensive player It turns out it was not a difficult recruitment ‘If you get an offer from Maryland to play lacrosse you’re going to go to Maryland to play lacrosse,’ because it’s such a big school with a big history,” Siracusa said then played in eight games in 2021 and a dozen more the following year The stat line for those two seasons is unremarkable: one goal there were good reasons for the limited opportunities Maryland’s offense featured a pair of eventual Tewaaraton winners Among the other notables on the roster: Anthony DeMaio The Terps also went a combined 33-1 in 2021 and 2022 winning a national title in the latter year “It’s pretty hard not to stick with it when your team is winning and you have such great guys in front of you,” Siracusa said “It would be a lot harder if I wasn’t on a great team to be sitting on the bench but just winning all the time and going to those big games and looking up to guys like Jared and Logan Wisnauskas really helped.” So too did the role Siracusa filled Monday through Friday each week Name a star attackman Maryland has faced over the last few years and chances are Siracusa was tasked at replicating him at some point He had that task going into the 2021 NCAA semifinals Defensemen like Brett Makar and Ajax Zappitello would send him clips to try to incorporate into his preparation Then Siracusa would go to work in practice against eventual first team All-American selections “I felt a lot better going up against Brett and even Ajax every now and then because I felt like I had a little more of a sense of importance,” Siracusa said “They were always coming to me to do the one-on-ones after practice I kind of got a sense of confidence and a feeling that I’m giving them the best look.” Everyone wants to believe they’re contributing and Maryland’s coaches and players typically go out of their way in public settings to praise the work of teammates who toil away from the spotlight But as much as process is elevated in conversations about sports And there’s no doubt Siracusa did his part to help Maryland get results early in his career “He’s one of those kids who could play the whole season and not have a single point and if we’re winning smiles all around,” said junior Eric Spanos who played with Siracusa on the scout team in 2022 the second midfield last year and the first midfield this spring and he just wants to see everyone do well.” Siracusa remembers feeling like his game was ready physically in practice in 2022 but it wasn’t translating when he got into games With most of the stars of the Terps’ undefeated title team that year scattering after the season But he had four turnovers in Maryland’s first three games and he effectively fell out of the Terps’ midfield rotation until early April and I had a good run at it,’” Siracusa said “A couple things worked out and I kept my head up and kept trying to play hard and really gained more confidence in myself because I went into it with I just want the team to do well and win.’” His first career multi-goal game came in a Big Ten semifinal defeat of Johns Hopkins And he also contributed a goal in the first round of the NCAA tournament when the Terps’ title defense was abruptly ended by Army hoped he would have the chance to build on his strong finish “I was always one guy that was on him,” Spanos said For guys that are playing scout for us now Maryland offensive coordinator Michael Phipps MICHAEL PHIPPS SPENT MUCH OF JANUARY simply trying to figure out his new players He was hired as Maryland’s offensive coordinator just before Christmas arriving after a one-year stop at Navy and a lengthy stint at Georgetown before that Phipps knew the Terps’ players from watching on television day-out look brought a revelation during his first winter back at his alma mater ‘[Siracusa] is a lot better than I thought,’” Phipps said Phipps knows a bit about a breakout senior year He started for the first half of his sophomore year in 2005 before an injury ended his season and was a mainstay in the lineup the following year Both of those teams advanced to the NCAA semifinals He played a complementary role in those years on offenses led by Joe Walters as well as 100-goal club members Bill McGlone and Xander Ritz Phipps had 20 goals heading into his final season 22-assist year while shooting 39.4 percent in 2007 That arc happened all the time in the aughts Maryland had 11 players between 2000 and 2008 who reached double figures in goals as a senior and doubled their previous career total Siracusa is only the fourth Terp to do it since then Phipps concluded Siracusa probably could have played the whole time and helped a lot of college teams over the last four years His biggest problem was the PLL-level players in front of him Phipps told Siracusa that Maryland's coaches expected him to have a big season because they believed he could Siracusa is multi-faceted enough to provide flexibility to an offensive coordinator And that was especially valuable this year as Maryland had to tinker throughout the year to find the right combinations on offense “He’s pretty much a jack of all trades,” Phipps said He can go both hands as you saw in the Duke game He brings a lot of different elements to our offense and he is pretty interchangeable in different spots on the field It makes Siracusa something of a lacrosse chameleon and he’s scored in more games (14) than any Terp this year “A bunch of us were going over stuff and were like Ryan has scored in every single game this year,’” Spanos said recalling a midseason conversation among teammates but he’s just so consistent and he’s out there doing the right things scoring twice in the first half as Maryland struggled to keep pace with Duke then tacked on an unassisted goal early in the fourth quarter as the Terps closed within 9-8 he assisted on Daniel Maltz’s goal that made it 13-11 with 3:03 remaining Siracusa was celebrating a trip to Memorial Day weekend with his teammates having reached the same destination but taking a much different route to get there than earlier in his career “I just look at it as a tremendous experience and I truly wouldn’t want it any other way,” Siracusa said “I don’t think I would have wanted to come in here playing all five years I just felt like I wasn’t ready coming out of high school I learned a ton of lessons and I got to see a lot of other people have success stories here and really just got to learn a lot.” his success is providing something for younger teammates to take note of as well “For guys that are playing scout for us now and we have guys playing Shellenberger this week For them it does show them there could be some light at the end of the tunnel and it could result in what you want It’s such a great story of why you stay the course and why you work hard and why you need to try to slowly get better every single day because you can see the payoff with Ryan.” Maryland midfielder Ryan Siracusa is the 15th Terrapin since 1999 to reach double-figure goals as a senior and double his previous career goals total in the process USA Lacrosse is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt charitable organization (EIN 52-1765246) LBV Magazine English Edition in collaboration with the Capo Murro Diving Center in Syracuse has documented one of the most important underwater archaeological findings in recent years in the Mediterranean Thanks to an exhaustive three-dimensional photogrammetric study a submerged archaeological site has been accurately recorded located approximately 5 kilometers off the Sicilian coast in the deep waters of the Natural Reserve Oasi Faunistica di Vendicari This find consists of around forty amphorae mostly aligned in the original cargo arrangement of an ancient vessel It is believed that the remains of this ship This important archaeological discovery would not have been possible without the help of two fishermen from Avola who in January 2022 reported the presence of these objects on the seabed The information provided by these fishermen enabled archaeologists to identify the exact location of this ancient shipwreck which required specialized diving equipment and the technical expertise of Fabio Portella’s team at the Capo Murro Diving Center to carry out a safe and thorough exploration of the site is remarkable and provides a rare opportunity for studying ancient Mediterranean trade routes The Richborough 527 type amphora takes its name from the Richborough archaeological site in Kent where this type of ceramic container was first identified This type of amphora is characterized by its robust structure and frequent use for transporting various goods in antiquity making it an essential piece of study for archaeologists The presence of these amphorae in Italian waters raises fascinating questions about trade exchanges between ancient Mediterranean cultures particularly regarding the role played by the island of Lipari in the extraction and distribution of alum especially in the textile industry as a mordant in dyeing processes The reference to Lipari is not arbitrary; in the early 1990s excavations in the Portinenti area also uncovered amphorae of this type along with production remnants that might be associated with alum this mineral was in great demand across different regions of the Mediterranean and beyond which encouraged its extraction in Lipari and its distribution through a network of maritime trade routes mentions in his writings the activity of alum extraction in Lipari a detail confirming the historical and economic importance of this activity in the region Researchers from the Soprintendenza del Mare have launched an additional investigation to confirm whether the amphorae found in the Vendicari wreck can be linked to those found in Lipari and dated between the late 1st century B.C This comparative analysis could provide valuable answers about the antiquity and the navigation routes that ancient merchants used to transport alum from Lipari to various points in the Mediterranean the results could revolutionize current understanding of trade routes from that era providing new data on how essential products for the ancient economy were distributed and transported Future research will include both ceramic remains analysis and sediment studies to gain a more detailed context of the cargo’s chronology and origin Soprintendenza del Mare Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email Archaeologists from universities in the United States and Denmark found deep within the Actun Uayazba Kab cave in Belize two small stone tools dated between 250 and 900 AD that… men and women gathered to play a game called Cuju A team of researchers has succeeded in recreating for the first time in a laboratory experiment a phenomenon that until now only existed as a theory in the realm of… the Cantonal Archaeology of Aargau carried out a rescue excavation between early May 2024 and the end of March 2025 The Egyptian archaeological mission affiliated with the Supreme Council of Antiquities announced the discovery of a group of defensive structures and a system of moats that could indicate… In the southeastern area of the city of Rome archaeologists excavating inside the Triton Baths within the monumental complex of the Villa di Sette… Why did some animals from ancient eras become fossils while others simply disappeared without a trace A recent study on the cave paintings of the Altamira Cave in Santillana del Mar Cantabria (Spain) has concluded that some of the artworks it contains could be much older… A team of paleontologists from the University of Leicester has managed to decipher one of the many enigmas of the dinosaur era—the exact moment when pterosaurs Rome achieved numerous military victories that allowed it to grow and dominate nearly the entire known world in Antiquity Receive our news and articles in your email for free You can also support us with a monthly subscription and receive exclusive content SCOTCH PLAINS – Scotch Plains-Fanwood’s boys basketball team played New Providence on Thursday night The Pioneers almost did enough to spoil the Raiders drive to repeat as Union County Conference Mountain Division champs The Raiders (13-4) pulled out a 44-42 win on junior Jacob McDowell’s basket with 5.5 left in regulation “We have been telling Caleb all year to go hard to the basket He’s been relentless,” said SP-F coach Steve Siracusa More: Boys basketball rankings, notebook: Skyland Conference, area UCC, through Jan. 26 More: Boys basketball rankings: Greater Middlesex Conference, area UCC Top 10, through Jan. 25 Thursday’s flow went differently from their last meeting when Scotch Plains-Fanwood beat New Providence 62-38 on Jan The pace of the second game was much better for the Pioneers who are a Central Group I school in a division made up of bigger schools “They have some very good athletes out there but the score being 44-42 is how we have to beat those teams you know the last time it was 60 to 30 something or whatever,” New Providence coach Art Cattano said “We played tonight like we have to when we play bigger schools The New Providence (6-11) way is to secure the ball and be patient “I thought we played some great defense,” said Cattano Siracusa said the Raiders won despite not playing their best Senior guard James Miller led with 12 points – all 12 coming on 3-pointers Senior Colin Mcaloon scored eight points with six rebounds “New Providence came prepared ready to go and honestly I think we kind of just came in and didn't give our 100% best effort and it showed taking nothing away from New Prov,” said Siracusa Senior Jack Sponheimer led SP-F with 11 points and senior Jacob Handy and McDowell had eight apiece  Nine different Raiders had at least one point They have had as many as 14 scorers in a game “We really like to play team basketball and really not take a good shot but work to get a great shot and making those extra passes —that’s something we really stress each night it could be someone new that comes in and contributes,” said Siracusa but we could have done more to get great shots.” The Raiders have two division games left next week at home against Cranford on Tuesday and Thursday at Oratory in Summit It’s one of our goals each year,” Siracusa said were eighth in the power point race last week The Barrons were 14th in the section last week There are no statistics available for this player 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 Taormina and the like that steal the brochure headlines nowadays over the past ten years there has been something of a Syracusan renaissance: restaurants and hotels are springing up anew bestowing the ancient town with the kind of buzz it hasn’t enjoyed since the Emperor Constans II made it the capital of the Byzantine empire in 663."},"children":[]}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"Base camp for me was the recently renovated Palazzo Artemide a faded rose pink 19th-century mansion with 40 airy and elegant rooms all pastel blues and velvet and glossy marble bathrooms The renovation has done a great job of highlighting the building’s original features the city’s island old town that hangs like a jewel from Syracuse’s neck the hotel lies in a pulsating tangle of narrow streets surrounded on all sides by the coruscating Mediterranean Barely a stone’s throw from the main square and cathedral it is just far enough back to elude the crowds with a terrace where you could sip Aperol spritzes and people-watch for hours Turn right out the front door and you’ll be at Cala Rossa beach in less than five minutes concepts such as “minutes” will start to pale in significance."}}]},{"name":"image","attributes":{"id":"3abfb094-5923-43c7-94f5-e7c0be31f3e1","display":"primary","caption":"Syracuse Cathedral is the food — there is simply too much good stuff to choose from remember-on-your-deathbed stuff to choose from The breakfast buffet at Palazzo Artemide gives you one less difficult decision but its restaurant Amunì also merits an evening visit especially if it’s tartare di gambero rosso at the restaurant aLevante ("}},{"name":"link","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"alevanteortigia.it"}}],"attributes":{"href":"https://www.alevanteortigia.it/"}},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":") ideal for lunch and available almost everywhere Get yourself to Le Delizie Siciliane in Piazza S Giuseppe — it makes some of Syracuse’s best Grab some equally Sicilian cannoli from the excellently named Cannolo Terapia on Via Pausania afterwards (yes cannoli therapy)."}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"• "}},{"name":"link","children":[{"name":"bold","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"How to spend a weekend in Syracuse Sicily"}}]}],"attributes":{"href":"https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/syracuse-sicily-travel-guide-zcbh9r89w","type":"article","canonicalId":"syracuse-sicily-travel-guide-zcbh9r89w"}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"While strolling senza guidebook which hangs above the altar in Santa Lucia al Sepolcro","title":"Interior of the Basilica of Santa Lucia in Syracuse featuring Caravaggio's painting of the Burial of St Also in Syracuse is the remarkable church of Santa Lucia al Sepolcro where you can tour the early Christian catacombs and insert coins into a dodgy machine to light up a giant Caravaggio painted in Syracuse after the notorious artist’s escape from a Maltese prison."}}]},{"name":"image","attributes":{"id":"71da19f5-7416-4da4-a0e0-75f12df5cbcd","display":"primary","caption":"The southern tip of Ortigia island is home to Castello Maniace built in the 13th century","title":"Aerial view of Ortigia Sicily.","credits":"Diego De Pol","url":"https://www.thetimes.com/imageserver/image/%2F2ec255b4-7b9e-4a32-bc39-ed8094386a9b.jpg?crop=3972%2C2979%2C0%2C0","ratio":"3972:2979","relativeHorizontalOffset":0,"relativeVerticalOffset":0,"relativeWidth":1,"relativeHeight":1},"children":[]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Nearby is the Madonnina delle Lacrime a towering 1990s “concrete monstrosity” according to my tour guide where a statue of the Virgin Mary is said to have cried in 1953 It’s quite unlike any other building on Sicily (and quite unpopular with locals as a result); entering and looking upwards is breathtaking and profound cheap local wine and famously cracking cuisine Sicily is the "}},{"name":"link","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Italy"}}],"attributes":{"href":"https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/europe-travel/italy"}},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" you always dreamt of Spaniards and even Italians have all laid claim to it leaving behind a cultural inheritance as rich and delicious as a whopping great arancini al ragu wherever you go here will get under your skin — but for me Cicero called it “the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all” but he wasn’t far wrong."}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Charles Pring was a guest of Palazzo Artemide (B&B doubles from £150 "}}]},{"name":"link","children":[{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"vretreats.com"}}]}],"attributes":{"href":"https://vretreats.com/en/palazzo-artemide/"}},{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":") Romans and Arabs all laid claim to it — now it’s Charles Pring’s turn to seek ‘cannoli therapy’ in the world heritage site’s tangle of narrow streets","slug":"syracuse-sicily-renaissance-travel","categoryPath":"/uk/scotland/article/syracuse-sicily-renaissance-travel-q9s5tcrrm","__typename":"Article"},"Image:e3afb2cf-0aec-41e0-a7e0-2cc872a75590":{"caption":"The Fountain of Arethusa in Ortigia the island that forms Syracuse’s old town","credits":"Getty","title":"Arethusa Spring in Syracuse people-watching at tiny bars and beautiful baroque buildings await in laid-back Lecce ‘the Florence of the 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river"},"children":[]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":225})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"It was the quandary that baffled Heraclitus Romans and Arabs all laid claim to it — now it’s Charles Pring’s turn to seek ‘cannoli therapy’ in the world heritage site’s tangle of narrow streetsThe Fountain of Arethusa in Ortigia the island that forms Syracuse’s old townGETTYCharles PringSaturday February 15 2025 The TimesSyracuse was big news in the 5th century BC bestowing the ancient town with the kind of buzz it hasn’t enjoyed since the Emperor Constans II made it the capital of the Byzantine empire in 663 Base camp for me was the recently renovated Palazzo Artemide with plentiful stone columns and arches adding a touch of classical grandeur Palazzo Artemide on Ortigia islandDIEGO DE POLThe palazzo’s ultimate trump card concepts such as “minutes” will start to pale in significance was built in the 7th century over the 5th century BC Temple of AthenaGETTYOne problem you will encounter here with an octopus starter and langoustine tagliolini worth the easyJet airfare alone • The under-the-radar (and affordable) corner of Sicily The octopus at Palazzo Artemide’s Amunì restaurantDIEGO DE POLEating shellfish in Sicily really does ruin eating shellfish anywhere else, especially if it’s tartare di gambero rosso at the restaurant aLevante (alevanteortigia.it) • How to spend a weekend in Syracuse, Sicily painted in Syracuse after the notorious artist’s escape from a Maltese prison The southern tip of Ortigia island is home to Castello Maniace built in the 13th centuryDIEGO DE POLNearby is the Madonnina delle Lacrime like gazing up for the first time at the dome inside St Peter’s Basilica in Rome — only with more of a Death Star vibe • Read our full travel guide for Sicily With fantastic weather, cheap local wine and famously cracking cuisine, Sicily is the Italy you always dreamt of Charles Pring was a guest of Palazzo Artemide (B&B doubles from £150, vretreats.com). Fly from Edinburgh or Glasgow to Catania from about £115 return (easyjet.com) punctuating an emotionally charged criminal case that became a flashpoint in the national controversy over immigration Juan Molina-Salles, a Honduran immigrant who was in the U.S. illegally, pleaded guilty last month to leaving the scene of a collision that killed Deputy Michael Hartwick “You ran from what you did,” Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Pat Siracusa told Molina-Salles “The person that died is a person that would have run to what you did You did the exact opposite of what the deputy would have done clutched tissues and wept as he listened to a Spanish translation of Tuesday’s testimony packed each of seven rows of courtroom benches behind him Molina-Salles was using the false name of Victor Vasquez. He and several of his co-workers face federal charges related to their use of fake identities. Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Deputy Michael Hartwick [ Pinellas County Sheriff's Office ]Hartwick was working off-duty the night of Sept. 22, 2022, helping to direct traffic at a construction site for the Gateway Expressway, along Interstate 275 near Roosevelt Boulevard. He had stepped out of his patrol car and was standing near the road’s shoulder when Molina-Salles, operating a front-end loader, drove up at about 20 mph and ran over him. One of his co-workers, Allan Gomez-Zelaya, who was driving a truck behind the loader, took the witness stand Tuesday and testified through a Spanish interpreter. His voice quavered as he recalled seeing an object in the road and thinking it was a trash bag. “I looked and I saw that it was a body,” he said. “I stopped. I got out. I didn’t touch the body because I saw that the body was not moving. It wasn’t alive.” He spoke with Molina-Salles moments later by phone and told him he’d hit a police officer. “He went in shock and started crying,” he said. Allan Gomez-Zelaya, a co-worker of Juan Molina-Salles, recalls details from the scene of a crash that killed Deputy Michael Hartwick in 2022 while giving testimony before Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Pat Siracusa on Tuesday. [ DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times ]Want breaking news in your inbox?Subscribe to our free News Alerts newsletter You’re all signed up!Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started. Molina-Salles met up with another co-worker who took his hard hat and construction vest State prosecutors played a video from a body-worn camera that recorded the moments that Cpl Brian Hirschman responded to a call of a fellow deputy who needed help The footage showed Hirschman dashing over a concrete barrier and across the interstate lanes Lurid pulses of light from a fire truck and emergency vehicles illuminated the ground where Hartwick lay with his face against the asphalt “I got a deputy down,” Hirschman said into a radio Hirschman pulled Hartwick’s gun from its holster before paramedics turned him on his back Seated behind prosecutors in the courtroom’s first row Photographs displayed in court showed the back of Hartwick’s uniform shirt with white tire-tread marks running across it The loader weighed more than 30,000 pounds An image from the bodycam video of Pinellas County sheriff's Cpl Brian Hirschman shows the scene of the crash that killed Deputy Michael Hartwick in 2022 as it is displayed in court Tuesday CLIFFORD | Times ]Detective John Syers testified that Molina-Salles spoke with him and another detective after his arrest He said Molina-Salles told him he had not noticed he had hit the deputy who had experience operating heavy equipment in the military “It’s not reasonable to me to believe you could hit a man-sized object and not notice,” Syers said The detective’s analysis of videos from nearby semitrucks and GPS data from the loader indicated that he’d stopped driving for about two minutes after the collision Prosecutors asserted that Molina-Salles fled because he feared deportation A Border Patrol agent testified that about two years before the deputy’s death he’d been turned away while trying to enter the country in Texas Assistant State Attorney Elizabeth Constantine said that Molina-Salles’ actions reflected a lack of respect for the law “The defendant in this case expressed no concern for anyone out there that night least of all Deputy Hartwick,” Constantine said Assistant State Attorney Elizabeth Constantine enters video and still photography into evidence during the sentencing hearing for Juan Molina-Salles on Tuesday at the Pinellas County Justice Center in Clearwater CLIFFORD | Times ]The defense presented testimony from his family members They described a hardworking man who grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Honduras He dropped out in his second year of high school and started working part time in construction He left his native country about 10 months before he got in trouble He’d worked for Archer Western for about three months said the flashing lights atop the deputy’s patrol cruiser made it difficult to see making it harder to see him at the construction site Hirschman said the agency’s policy does not require deputies to wear vests unless they are directing traffic said her brother called her within a day of his arrest She later spoke with him periodically by phone She was asked how her brother was emotionally when she talked with him gives testimony to his character before Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Pat Siracusa on Tuesday at the Pinellas County Justice Center in Clearwater CLIFFORD | Times ]Molina-Salles chose to let the judge decide his sentence after efforts to negotiate a deal with the state failed He pleaded guilty last month with the understanding that the maximum penalty he could receive would not exceed 20 years in prison State prosecutors objected to that sentencing cap having sought a sentence closer to the 30-year maximum defense attorneys emphasized the accidental nature of the collision and Molina-Salles' lack of knowledge about the possible consequences They asked for a sentence between the four-year minimum mandatory penalty and the 10 years suggested by state guidelines “There is no dispute that this is a terrible tragic accident,” Assistant Public Defender Maria DeLiberato said “But if he had turned around and walked back he would not have been charged with a crime.” shares a letter of apology before Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Pat Siracusa during his sentencing hearing on Tuesday CLIFFORD | Times ]Before he was sentenced Molina-Salles stood and read from a prepared statement “I am very sorry for leaving the scene of the accident where Deputy Hartwick died,” he said Not because I was afraid of being deported but because I was afraid that no one would believe me or understand that it had been an accident I just needed time to think and pray so I ran and hid and I would like to be able to take it back.” Brandon Hartwick, son of Pinellas County sheriff's Deputy Michael Hartwick, center, reacts moments after Juan Molina-Salles received a 12-year sentence for leaving the scene of his father's death. [ DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times ]Dan Sullivan is a criminal justice reporter. Reach him at dsullivan@tampabay.com. The TimesSyracuse contains multitudes and spans millennia If you half-close your eyes you can imagine this southeastern corner of Sicily in its classical pomp more than 2,000 years ago Open your eyes wide and you see one of the most beguiling Italian cities The wonders of Syracuse and its island old town of Ortigia are easily within reach of Scottish holidaymakers Here’s how to spend a perfect weekend here The harbour on OrtigiaGETTYFind your bearingsOrtigia is 1km long and 600m wide I spent a week here and only once felt the need to cross the bridge connecting the old town to the rest of the city with its lovingly curated classic-rock playlist — and watch young lovers stroll hand in hand and kids play in alleyways This may be Italy, but Syracuse was the western outpost of the Grecian empire long before the rise of Rome; its most impressive ruins from antiquity are Greek. The vast amphitheatre (£14, parchiarcheologici.regione.sicilia.it) is one of the finest in the world and is used during the summer as a stage for Greek theatre providing a unique cultural echo down the ages The Temple of Apollo in Ortigia is Sicily’s oldest Doric templeALAMYOrtigia also has a well-preserved Temple of Apollo with some pillars still standing My favourite ancient highlight is the Fountain of Arethusa an artesian freshwater spring edged by plantings of papyrus and which is mentioned in works by Virgil and Theocritus These days it’s a great place to hang out and people-watch You do not need a guide book to appreciate the layered history of Ortigia — simply look at the walls of the ancient cathedral (£1.70, arcidiocesi.siracusa.it) Built on the site of a 5th century BC Greek temple it incorporates the old pillars in its stone walls I could not resist placing my hand on the stone of one of the pillars and wondering who else had stood in the same spot doing the same thing two and a half millennia ago • Oh no, Brits abroad. Here’s what not to do and say The same feeling can be found at the Jewish ritual purification baths, dating to the 6th century BC and possibly the oldest in Europe, discovered during renovations in the basement of a Giudecca hotel (tours £4, allagiudecca.it) This was a recurring sensation throughout my time on Ortigia and in Syracuse as a whole: the telescoping of time Ingredients common in local dishes include capers lemons and mint; sweetness is offset by sourness A good example is caponata — a kind of sweet-and-sour ratatouille • Europe’s heatwaves: what you need to know before your holiday I ate well all week but two restaurants stand out. At Fari on Corso Umberto (mains about £10) two chefs in a modern open kitchen prepare simple pasta dishes from scratch. Worth coming for the carbonara alone. More traditional is Casa Trimarchi (mains about £15) a family-run restaurant that uses produce from their country estate in Messina I had the most intensely flavoured boar ragu I have tasted pistachio granita in front of the cathedral is an Ortigia essential an apartment near the Fountain of ArethusaThe living room at Casa a OrtigiaStay like a localThere is a choice of upscale yet discreet hotels tucked into quiet neighbourhoods — but my advice is to ignore these and find a real Sicilian home to rent Surely none is as spectacular as Casa a Ortigia on Via Nizza a short walk from the Fountain of Arethusa This apartment sleeps four in two elegant rooms and has a sun terrace a balcony overlooking the sea and a collection of art and books that reflects the cultural sophistication of its owners Kenny Farquharson was a guest of Wish Sicily (wishsicily.com), which has one week at Casa a Ortigia from £1,217; activities, excursions and transfers arranged on request. Fly to Catania from Edinburgh from £75 return (easyjet.com) 21The man accused of running away after he drove over a Pinellas County sheriff’s deputy two years ago at a construction site pleaded guilty Friday leaving his punishment for a judge to decide and admitted to a single criminal charge of leaving the scene of an accident involving a death The plea came with the understanding that a judge will not impose a sentence of more than 20 years in prison a cap that the defense requested but to which prosecutors objected It was a condition that Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Pat Siracusa said he had no legal basis to deny noting that in similar cases he has never imposed a sentence greater than 15 years “I understand this is not going to be a popular decision,” Siracusa said “But I have an obligation to follow the law.” Defense attorneys will have the opportunity to try to convince the judge to impose a penalty far less than the 20-year cap at a March 4 sentencing hearing The crime carries a mandatory minimum sentence of four years in prison Juan Molina-Salles listens in court during his plea hearing Friday in Clearwater [ MARTHA ASENCIO-RHINE | Times ]A Honduran immigrant who was in the U.S Molina-Salles is virtually guaranteed to be deported after his release He sat quietly at a defense table through most of Friday’s hearing clad in an orange jail shirt and listening as an interpreter translated the proceedings into Spanish He stood at a lectern as the judge asked him a series of questions to ensure he understood his guilty plea and its consequences The development suggests a conclusion could be near in the case that became a flashpoint amid the national political controversy over immigration and border security It came days after Gov. Ron DeSantis defended the state-funded construction company that employed Molina-Salles and his co-workers Archer Western-de Moya Group Joint Venture was the victim of an interstate fraud ring that creates fake identification to pass citizenship verification screenings Two of Molina-Salles' co-workers, in pretrial testimony, described a rudimentary hiring process that did not probe deeply into their immigration status. Deputy Michael Hartwick [ Pinellas County Sheriff's Office ]Hartwick was working off-duty the night he died, helping to direct traffic at the construction site on Interstate 275 near Roosevelt Boulevard. He was standing outside his patrol car near the road’s shoulder when Molina-Salles drove up in the front-end loader at about 20 mph and ran him over. Subscribe to our free News Alerts newsletter Molina-Salles did not notice that he struck the deputy, according to court records. He took off on foot, spurring an overnight manhunt. In court Friday, prosecutors played a series of videos that captured the moments before and after the tragedy. They included footage from the dashboard camera in Hartwick’s patrol car, which showed him parking alongside the interstate, where barricades marked the construction zone. Hartwick’s mother, seated in the courtroom, began to sob as the massive machine materialized on a TV screen. Assistant State Attorney Elizabeth Constantine said the state believed Molina-Salles fled because he was concerned about his illegal immigration status. “He knowingly struck Deputy Hartwick,” she said. “He left because he was selfishly concerned about himself being deported.” Before Friday’s hearing, a public defender representing Molina-Salles offered to have him accept a 10-year sentence. Prosecutors rejected that, saying they’d only consider proposals of more than 20 years. Judge Siracusa said Friday that he had reviewed the entirety of the case file provided by the attorneys before accepting the proposed 20-year cap. In a lengthy speech directed to Hartwick’s family members, the judge expressed sympathy for their loss but emphasized that Molina-Salles was not accused of a crime for causing the deputy’s death, only for leaving the scene. “If this was a murder, I would not agree to a 20-year cap,” the judge said. “This is not charged as a murder.” Judge Pat Siracusa makes remarks during Juan Molina-Salles' hearing Friday in Clearwater. [ MARTHA ASENCIO-RHINE | Times ]If Molina-Salles had remained at the scene, the judge said, he would not have been charged with a crime related to the deputy’s death. He acknowledged the startling nature of the videos shown in court. Seeing them “would make anyone cry out for retribution,” he said. At the same time, he spoke of a need to be consistent. In 18 years as a judge, Siracusa said, he had never given a first-time offender more than 15 years for leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Molina-Salles also faces charges in federal court that he used a Social Security number that didn’t belong to him to work in the U.S. Several of his co-workers face similar charges. Two agreed to plead guilty and cooperate with prosecutors. Before Molina-Salles pleaded guilty, a victim advocate read to the judge a letter from William Hartwick, the deputy’s son. He wrote of the man his father was — a Navy veteran, a mason, a member of the American Legion, a community volunteer, a law enforcement officer who made the ultimate sacrifice. Immigration issues aside, Hartwick wrote, the concepts of right and wrong are universal. “No matter where the defendant came from, he knew he was running and hiding,” he wrote. “He chose to hide while other people chose to stop, render aid and call 911.” Dan Sullivan is a criminal justice reporter. Reach him at dsullivan@tampabay.com. « Back Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker — Only some people can be stunt performers It takes a person with a fair level of crazy And that is precisely who K-75 Stunt Academy in Clearwater wants to walk through the door K-75 Stunt Academy is the brainchild of Indie filmmaker producer David Siracusa and professional stuntman Kevin Rego ABC Action News Photojournalist Reed Moeller created a mini "Zombie" movie using some of the outtakes Siracusa’s movie was filmed across Pinellas County “Why a stunt academy in Clearwater?” Paluska asked and because I want to see this area develop We've got so much in the way of natural resources here We've had a great movie community in the past and now we're sort we're starting to build it back up again but we want to see that growth again,” Siracusa said “We want to see more films coming back to this area And you can't do that unless you have every aspect of the film industry Stunts is an area that we have not had in Florida for a couple of years now Kevin Rego brings more than 20 years of stunt experience to the academy I've been a circus guy,” Rego told Paluska as he tied ropes for the next stunt “Is there a market for this in Florida?” Paluska asked but they're doing things wrong in this area hire me on,’ and I'll do my best to make sure nobody gets hurt and getting ripped to the ground by the ankle sliding into barrels Paluska also suited up to attempt a stunt where a harness pulled him through several barrels Report a typo Maryland is often the first state to come to mind when many people think of lacrosse in the U.S Others would go further and refer to Maryland as the lacrosse capital of the world it's a topic that causes debate among the lacrosse community is the history of accomplishment that the University of Maryland men’s lacrosse program holds The university has produced 45 conference titles and 13 national championships in its 99 seasons and its success attracts many student-athletes from the area there’s a state with significant representation among the few that aren't on the East Coast and Braden Erksa make up a trio of offensive starters from Georgia and Erksa (Marietta) are not only from the same state but they also grew up living no more than 30 minutes away from each other.   “I feel like I've just known them forever,” Siracusa said “There aren’t that many big names in the Atlanta area and you sort of just get a sense of who's going to play at the college level and you start interacting with them more.” played lacrosse together when they were young Both student-athletes later befriended Erksa Erksa attended Lassiter High School and Siracusa attended its rival and in the spring when you go back to your high school teams you want to win so you have something to brag about over the summer I even still brag to this day about never losing to Ryan Siracusa.” The trio would become much closer when they all played for LB3 Thunder They played on separate teams as all were a grade apart but interacted with each other through the program and Erksa say their relationship with each other was one of the driving forces in their decisions to become a Terp they share the field and are representing an area of the country that is often overlooked for its lacrosse talent “It's really cool because we all love Atlanta and we take pride in where we’re from,” Malever said “I think it's really cool to represent that area knowing lacrosse is not as big of a sport there as some of these East Coast cities ERIC MALEVER, OH MY GOD#BeTheBest pic.twitter.com/7fH8L60W5f it's baseball and basketball that take over The Atlanta area is traditionally not known for lacrosse but the trio says it's a rapidly growing sport in nearby communities Another big fourth quarter performance for @bradenerksa4!#BeTheBest pic.twitter.com/uORPiiJjiP All three received coaching from big names in the lacrosse industry It all started with many of them moving south and developing the sport in local communities is the director of Thunder Lacrosse and has an extensive background coaching lacrosse in the Atlanta area played lacrosse at Maryland from 2014-17 and won a national championship Liam Banks played at Syracuse and founded LB3 Lacrosse (later merged with Thunder Lacrosse) Bryan Wallace is the director of Thunder Lacrosse and serves as a coach He coached at Lassiter (Erksa’s high school) Scott Ratliff is also a coach for Thunder Lacrosse He attended Loyola and played in the Premiere Lacrosse League Kemp played at North Carolina and later professionally He was previously a coach with LB3 Lacrosse John Zulberti was one of the biggest influences in each student-athlete’s development and two-time national champion at Syracuse He coached high school and youth lacrosse for more than 30 years he coached lacrosse in the Atlanta area with Thunder LB3 He passed away in August 2021.   “[Zulberti] really took me under his wing and gave me a lot of private lessons and just taught me everything about lacrosse,” Malever said but he's also a legend in the state of Georgia for just how amazing of a coach he was.” “All those guys had a role in my style of play and they've all taught me things that I still use to this day,” Erksa said “I know that they've worked with Eric and Ryan so I think that all contributes to the way we play today and why we found success at the next level.” Siracusa gets one back for the Terps to start the second quarter!#BeTheBest pic.twitter.com/Qb8ccUxJnL Erksa has stood out since he first took the field as a freshman for the Terps He was the 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and became the first Terp to win the award He was also named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team that same season and has continued that success this season leading the team with 39 points on 24 goals and 15 assists Malever has been a key contributor every year and has steadily improved He played in all 16 games as a freshman and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times He finished the season fifth in scoring on the team as a sophomore before missing the 2023 season due to injury The senior has rebounded this season and currently leads the team with 20 assists and is tied for second in points with 34.  He scored just eight goals in his first four seasons but has been a revelation since carving out a starting role this season He is fifth on the team with 19 goals and has added nine assists for 28 points four-point effort was monumental in the comeback win over the Blue Devils in the quarterfinals Malever and Siracusa were both a part of the 2022 national championship team The trio acknowledges that lacrosse in the state of Maryland is embraced differently Malever even said that lacrosse in Maryland is like Georgia’s football they have all seen an unprecedented growth of lacrosse in their home state—something they are all very proud of “Every team now [in Georgia] has guys going to play lacrosse in college,” Siracusa said I'd say the top 30-40 teams in the Atlanta area have multiple guys going to Division I schools and Erksa may not have been born and raised in the lacrosse capital of the world but they’re from an area that is leaving its mark on collegiate lacrosse they’re able to represent their hometowns at one of the most accomplished lacrosse programs in the U.S.  “The sport has really grown into something that I'd never imagined it would “I think that it's becoming much more popular …Especially in my time going through the whole process and playing down there Thanks for visiting Born and raised in Chicago, Professor Joseph Siracusa veteran historian and Curtin’s Inaugural Professor of Global Futures in the Faculty of Humanities has spent his career examining the global intersection of history With a deep background in international history Professor Siracusa has written extensively on everything from nuclear weapons to the evolution of human security and global governance But his focus today is on something even bigger: how we should think about the future – not just as a passive outcome of past events Professor Siracusa’s work in futures studies wants us to push beyond traditional academic disciplines and the natural sciences to understand how history unfolds – not in a straight line In the latest episode of The Future Of we discuss Professor Siracusa’s ideas on why the future matters and how Global Futures helps us turn foresight into actionable insights It’s as famed 20th-century inventor Charles Kettering once remarked: “We should all be concerned about the future because we will have to spend the rest of our lives there.” The school of thought represented by Global Futures feels tricky to pin down Let’s start with your definition of Global Futures Global Futures is about the study of anticipating future possibilities including stories and different scales of time about most likely catastrophes and jump points Perhaps even paradigm shifts that create new codes for determining further action The “future” is seen as a product of intended and unintended consequences Global Futures develops sensibilities and social and political theory by taking decisions about the temporal or the human condition further than most existing courses within the context of Global Futures studies How does a keenness to re-explore our assumptions about time influence how we see our world The meaning of historical events is not fixed at the moment they happen It changes depending on how the future unfolds political and scientific developments interact in unpredictable ways and new possibilities rather than a straightforward progression and grasping the true significance of any of it might take years to unpack If you think of time as linear – a straight line – it may not be so if you believe the past is cyclical or concurrent the past is still unfolding or could happen again This reminds me of William Faulkner’s powerful line from Requiem for a Nun: ‘The past is never dead There’s nothing remotely linear about the future You talk about Global Futures as evidencing a critical realist ontology Critical realist ontology blends realism—the belief in a world that exists independently of our perceptions—with critical analysis which explores the structures and mechanisms that shape events but it helps explain why multiple futures are always possible The real world isn’t just what actually happens; it also includes possibilities that never materialise and the untapped potential within existing systems and structures Emergence is real too—new power structures and mechanisms can arise Critical realist ontology has deep roots and a rich intellectual heritage It stretches back as far as people have pondered the universe do you think we need a field of enquiry like Global Futures  “We need people who can see beyond the horizon – and we have to know that the horizon is always changing Global Futures encourages this kind of medium- to long-term thinking helping us uncover actionable insights – real intelligence – that nudge us towards the futures we aspire to create Global Futures knows that often the best people placed to see what’s coming down the track are people who are making the present Great ideas inspire remarkable projects and unlock extraordinary possibilities Urban planners will be tasked with reimagining cities as climate change intensifies and Globalisation 2.0 takes hold Intellectuals and social innovators will be busy redefining not just how people think New universities are emerging across Africa and Asia equipping people to compete on the global stage and contribute fresh perspectives Global Futures is part of the cosmic evolution It’s about the process of the cosmos becoming conscious of itself and the meaning of the past is not fully determined either I’ve told students for the past 50 years that if you don’t think about your history If you don’t think about your future Curious to hear more? Dive into the full episode of The Future Of podcast to explore these ideas in depth Meet Dr Francesca Perugia – housing researcher on a mission to turn data into action ensuring communities and policymakers are… Photo: Professor Cheryl Kickett-Tucker from the School of Education Before she joined Team Academia Professor Cheryl Kickett-Tucker AM played basketball… Photo: Professor Tele Tan AM with students of AASQA  In this article TEQSA PRV12158 We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money Information on COVID-19 Funeral Assistance through FEMA \u003ca href=\"/resources/funeral-assistance\"\u003eRead More\u003c/a\u003e Siracusa created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories © 2025 John Vincent Scalia Home for Funerals Inc. Made with love by funeralOne Curtin University Dean of Global Futures Joe Siracusa has examined some of Bernie Sanders' scathing comments following Donald Trump's strong election victory against opponent Kamala Harris. Mr Sanders accused Vice President Kamala Harris of failing to offer voters a pro-worker agenda. “Bernie Sanders has said it in another context that he’s not surprised that the working class has abandoned the administration because they abandoned them a number of years ago,” Mr Siracusa said. Print “This is not a true story,” Delia Ephron insists in the acknowledgments section of her novel “Siracusa.” “All characters and circumstances are fictional.” Perhaps Ephron – whose late sister Nora Ephron famously skewered her ex-husband in her 1983 novel “Heartburn” – is especially attuned to the pitfalls of the roman à clef with their penchants for deception and self-deception is perpetually calculating how he can transform his life’s events into fiction – obviously The skillfully wrought plot of “Siracusa” turns on two couples on the cusp of middle age whose marriages and fragile friendship are strained to the limits by a joint vacation to Rome and the Sicilian town of Siracusa Ephron masterfully builds suspense while foreshadowing – perhaps too amply – the disasters to come memoirist and would-be novelist whose celebrity rests on a foundation of lies I will make a case for the charm of it,” Michael says is an “unpleasantly blunt” freelance journalist with her own writerly insecurities and career woes She worries too about Michael’s self-absorption and waning interest in her and her vulnerabilities make her the novel’s most likable character – not a high bar The other husband is the flirtatious Finn Dolan a water-taxi driver turned restaurant owner in Portland a wine connoisseur and a clandestine smoker with an Upper East Side pedigree and an obsession for planning meticulous packing and five-star accommodations finds Michael attractive and is emotionally enmeshed with a bizarrely shy daughter named Snow on the verge of a strange erotic awakening sleeps in the marital bed with her mother and whispers nasty observations to the adults who dote on her a summer fling they enjoyed before their marriages “the time between when we fell for each other and drove each other crazy was no time at all.” We begin “Siracusa” wondering: Will the seductions of Italy cause their romance to flare evolving into a stalker and spurring murderous impulses with its balance of improbabilities and inevitabilities first-person bursts – all of it seemingly retrospective The narration rotates among the husbands and wives who relate the same incidents from different perspectives a narrator will flash back to the more distant past -- or forward to the psychological aftermath of the Italy trip perhaps ruing the clues missed and the words unspoken In its preoccupation with unreliable narration and marital betrayal “Siracusa” evokes not only Akira Kurosawa’s 1950 film “Rashomon,” but also Ford Madox Ford’s 1915 modernist masterpiece “The Good Soldier” and Showtime’s ongoing dramatic series “The Affair.” There’s even an echo of Ian McEwan’s 2001 novel guilt and how writers distort lives for literary ends “Husbands and wives collaborate,” Lizzie says “hiding even from themselves who is calling the shots and who is along for the ride.” Later she will suggest to Finn that “some people … dump all their misery into marriage.” Should one marry someone “who knows you,” she asks or from whom you can remain hidden?” And why marry at all “can’t protect you from heartbreak or the random cruelties and unfairnesses life deals out … .” “Siracusa” is also a meditation on writing – specifically on the difficulties of embodying life in fiction warns that he will be an unreliable narrator: “I can tell my story as well as the rest of them promising during a romantic excursion with his wife to a Roman cemetery to “steal every moment of this adventure for my novel every feeling … .” But he notes too the gap between life and fiction the fact that “in life one rarely knows which remarks of the hundreds uttered in the course of a day will turn out to be auspicious,” while “[i]n fiction foreshadowing is planted and flagged … .” Ephron excels at re-creating the atmosphere of Siracusa rocky outcroppings and “tattered buildings … with bow-shaped delicate wrought-iron balconies.” Her writing captures the tastes and aromas of the markets and the restaurants figs and spaghetti “tousled with tiny clams its culminating disaster coming as something of an anticlimax nor even a tragic catharsis – just a marital dissolution and some petty literary vengeance Through Lizzie Ephron reminds us that we want to believe “that good comes of bad and all the absurdities play out in your favor.” “Siracusa” suggests maybe not; or maybe as with our vision of shifting colors illuminating a house at sunset Julia M. Klein, a cultural reporter and critic in Philadelphia, is a contributing editor at Columbia Journalism Review and a contributing book critic for the Forward. Follow her @JuliaMKlein “Siracusa” Television Books Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map