BROWSER UPDATE To gain access to the full experience, please upgrade your browser: This exclusive island in Seychelles is a unique destination for luxurious living Eden Island, which opened in 2006, has 56 hectares of land plus 16 hectares of waterfront. Photo: Michele Risoli Eden Island, an exclusive man-made island in the Seychelles archipelago, more than lives up to its idyllic name. Opened in 2006, this oasis and epitome of laid-back, luxurious living that is shaped like an intricate jigsaw puzzle piece, has over 56 hectares of land space plus 16 hectares of private waterways. Lower than low key, it’s the paparazzi-free piece of paradise of holiday homes where the well-known flee to feel free. Aerial view of Eden Island. Photo: Michele Risoli Aerial View of Eden Island. Photo: Michele Risoli There are three types of housing—apartments, maisons and villas. Photo: Michele Risoli Villa overlooking the marina. Photo: Michele Risoli Kitchen in Eden Island villa. Photo: Michele Risoli Eden Island, which is in the Indian Ocean off East Africa, is a few hundred meters from the capital island of Mahé to which it is connected via a bridge over the ocean. Mahé is the largest of the 115 islands in the Seychelles archipelago. According to Brian Gradner, project sales manager for Pam Golding International, based in Cape Town, South Africa, the entry price for properties on Eden Island is US$455,000 for a one-bedroom apartment, with two-bedroom units starting at US$625,000 and three bedrooms from US$875,000.  The properties are marketed in U.S. dollars for the international market. “There are only 20 unsold units left in this highly sought-after destination,” he said. “There are 121 maisons, or duplex townhouses, of which there is only one left, on the market for US$1.45 million. All 75 villas on the island are sold, and currently, villa resales start at US$2.9 million.” There are 580 housing units in all on Eden Island, comprising three styles: one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments; maisons, which are two-floor duplexes; and freestanding villas. The residences, which have been built over the last 12 years, are made of concrete blocks produced in the archipelago. They feature corrugated iron roofs painted red and have wood detailing. They are sold furnished and buyers have a choice of several decorative styles. “Inspiration came from vernacular architecture, with its roots buried deep within French, Victorian, Arab and Chinese ancestry,” Mr. Gradner said. “This philosophy has been carried through to the different interior and finishes of apartments and maisons—Sand, Shell and Rock, with the exclusive villa ranges of interior designs being Coral, Pearl and Granite.” Eden Island is renowned for its beauty, beaches, privacy, tranquility and proximity to the main island, which has extensive infrastructure and facilities. “Eden Island has four secluded beaches,” Mr. Gradner said. “All the properties are waterfront, and each home comes with a reserved berth in the marina. And the international airport is a convenient 10 minutes away.” The homes come with a golf-cart-like electrically powered vehicle,  or EPV, to get around the island. “From a privacy and security perspective, guests cannot enter the residential area unless accompanied by the homeowner,” Mr. Gradner said. The island’s no-pets rule assures that “there’s no barking to wake you up,” said Jean-Paul Maurel, partner/director of Premium Realty. Unlike all the other Seychelles islands, Eden Island offers financial incentives for buyers from abroad. In terms of resales on Eden Island, Mr. Maurel pointed out that foreign purchasers pay only a 5% government-stamped duty on sales, a 1.5% application fee and a 1.5% notary fee. “That total —8% is far less than the 17.5% required on the other islands,” he said. “For Seychelles natives, the total for all the fees is even lower—6.5%.” While the Seychelles islands have no property or capital-gains taxes, Eden Island residents pay a monthly levy of US$4.15 per square meter of inside space. With its white-sand beaches, pocket parks, three swimming pools and a clubhouse that offers tennis and a gym, Eden Island is designed for those who want to get away from it all and live in the lap of luxury. “People go island hopping to go fishing, snorkeling, surfing and take chartered boat tours,” Mr. Maurel said. The shopping section of Eden Island features small shops. “We have several international brands like Quiksilver, which sells swimsuits and beachwear, and the SPAR supermarket, but most of the shops are local,” Mr. Maurel said. Eden Plaza, which is close to the connecting bridge to Mahé, has more than 60 shops, restaurants and boutiques. In addition to a bank and laundry, there’s Giraffe, a bookstore; Sri Spa; X-Trim Gym; the jewelry and watch store Jouel; Jayne Clothing; the home décor and textile boutique Island Living; and Eden Art Space, the largest contemporary art gallery in the Seychelles. Hungry and thirsty shoppers at Eden Plaza head to the seafood restaurant Tamassa; 1770 Brewery, the first microbrewery in the archipelago; Eden Ice Cream, which offers gourmet treats; Chatterbox, which heats up the coffee shop experience with fine dining; Mama Mia Deli, which specializes in imported foods; and Sey Si Bon, which serves smoothies, sweets and sandwiches. Outside of the plaza, there are other restaurants, including Bravo!, a café/bar/eatery; the Boardwalk Bar & Grill, a nightclub with DJ music and food; and The Maharajas, which serves Northern Indian cuisine and has a spectacular marina view. The Eden Bleu Hotel, which faces the marina, is a hub for travelers and features the Marlin Bleu restaurant, which was designed by South African celebrity chef Luke Dale Roberts. It has sophisticated gourmet fare that conveys the exotic flavors of the Seychelles. Eden Island features a marina, and every homeowner has a private berth at the dock. Photos: Michele Risoli Eden Island’s reputation as a luxurious retreat means that only about 15% of buyers live there permanently, Mr. Gradner said. Mr. Maurel noted that “it attracts a variety of people from around the world—South Africa making up about 40%, Europe, Russia and the Middle East, including a good percentage of clients from the U.A.E. There are high-net-worth residents who own more than one residential unit.” He said that these buyers usually rent out the home that they do not use and in some instances rent out both for the additional income. Mr. Gradner added that the development has sold units to people of more than 43 different nationalities. “There’s a large mix of people—from young working types to older retired people,” he said. “However, a large portion of the homes are rented out through our rental division.” Dominic Dugasse, a judo expert who participated in the men’s 100 kg event at the 2012 Summer Olympics, is from the Seychelles. Poet Magie Faure-Vidot, recipient of the 2017 Seychelles Arts Award in literature, lives in the Seychelles. The editor of Sipay, the only Seychellois literary magazine, she’s also a major contributor to the cultural life of the island nation. Although the residential market in the Seychelles has been tough over the last year as it has been worldwide, Mr. Gradner said that homes on Eden Island continue to sell. “About 25% of our homeowners have more than one home on the island,” he said. “This shows their belief in the product and that it is working for them.” He added that homeowners have achieved on average 5% year-on-year growth in prices since 2006, when Eden Island properties first came on the market. “The cost of a one-bedroom apartment in 2006 would have been about US$250,000; today the same property would be US$455,000,” he said, adding that the cost of a two-bedroom unit has risen from US$425,000 to US$650,000 over that same period. Mr. Murel, noting that he has 15 resale units available, said that because there are few new units left to buy and there’s no more room on the island to build more, prices have been steady, despite the fact there’s been a slight dropoff in prices of unrenovated resale units that are 13 years old. “I advise people to buy for enjoyment, with the return on investment an added bonus,” he said. Views of the marina and private boat docks. Photos: Michele Risoli DISCLAIMER: The currency conversion is provided for illustration purposes only It is meant only as an approximation based on the latest information available and should not be relied upon for any other purposes We are not responsible for any loss that you may incur as a result of relying on these currency conversions All property prices are as stated by the listing agent and welcome to the latest episode of What’s for Dinner?!   The Wife and I have company this weekend; my two younger Sons and her youngest Daughter & Fiance (and their 3 dogs...) Chicken Eden Isle has been a favorite of my Wife’s family for many years.  Her Mother apparently got the recipe from a Bell’s Best cookbook many years ago.  I couldn’t locate that particular recipe, but This One seems pretty close.  My Wife was ok with it except for what she called “that sour cream and cream cheese nonsense”… ;/  Her Mother’s version is pretty awesome without them!  A few pics: What’s for Dinner? is a Saturday evening get-together where friends share recipes talk about good food and help others answer culinary questions We welcome you to our virtual table every Saturday evening 4:30 PT/7:30 ET. If you would like to write a post for an upcoming date just send a message to ninkasi23 Not signed up for Daily Kos yet? Create a free account PETERSBURG — About 1,500 gallons of raw sewage bubbled up from a manhole on Eden Isle Monday according to Florida's Department of Environmental Protection It flowed into a stormwater catch basin located at the 1200 Block of Eden Isle Blvd NE and managed to clear enough of the blockage to allow the flow of sewage to continue but they are still working to clear it fully Water samples are being taken and warning signs are posted in the neighborhood The location is in the northeast part of St replacing the gravity line at the site should eliminate future issues Petersburg experienced a sewage crisis in 2015 and 2016 when up to a billion gallons of partially-treated wastewater was released into the city's waterways and streets St. Petersburg has spilled 2 million gallons of wastewater in the last three months St. Petersburg spills 70,000 gallons of wastewater over the weekend St. Pete sewage crisis ends with no charges, $326 million bill The state found in 2016 the city had discharged more than half of all sewage spilled in Florida and the next year imposed a consent order which required St. Petersburg to spend $326 million to fix leaky pipes and sewage infrastructure. In 2018, a string of wastewater discharges in the city violated the order and St. Petersburg was slapped with a $25,000 fine. Contact Kavitha Surana at KSurana@tampabay.com. Follow @Ksurana6. Kavitha SuranaFormer Times Reporter Four people were killed Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022, in a house fire in the Eden Isles subdivision in Slidell, authorities said. (photo by Brett Duke, NOLA.com and The Times-Picayune) Four people were killed Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022, in a house fire in the Eden Isles subdivision in Slidell, authorities said. (photo by Sara Pagones, NOLA.com and The Times-Picayune) in a house fire in the Eden Isles subdivision in Slidell Four people died in an overnight house fire in Slidell Update: Slidell house fire kills 4 family members, including 2 children: 'It's just ... it's horrible' Firefighters were called to the scene on Constellation Drive just after 1:30 a.m. Kaufmann said there were reports of four or five family members inside the home He said firefighters searched the first and second floors pulling the victims out but they did everything they could to give this family a chance," Kaufmann said were killed in a fire that swept through a two-story home in a Slidell neighborhood… Firefighters initially thought there might have been a fifth person inside but Kaufmann said that family member was not present Two adults and two children were killed. (Update: Mom, dad and their two young daughters died in the fire, coroner says. Read more.) Kaufman said the cause of the blaze remains under investigation but that indications now are that it was accidental "There’s no question" working smoke detectors would have given the people inside a better chance to survive  Several agencies are involved in the joint investigation Staff writer Carlie Kollath Wells contributed to this story Email notifications are only sent once a day News Tips:nolanewstips@theadvocate.com Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Material from the Associated Press is Copyright © 2025 audio and/or video material shall not be published rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use The AP will not be held liable for any delays errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing -- Mindy McCready ran away from her faded fame from her scandals and her history of drug and alcohol problems to a small town six hours away from Nashville Set in the small resort town of Heber Springs Eden Isle is surrounded on three sides by Greers Ferry Lake topped by a lush canopy of 100-foot-tall pines and filled with small clusters of vacation and retirement homes McCready killed herself on the front porch of one of them whose rise out of karaoke bars in the late 1990s became overshadowed by the speed and ferocity of her decline first shot the family dog and then herself She left two fresh crimson stains on the same porch where her longtime boyfriend was found dead just a few weeks earlier wasn't up to speaking about her daughter's death Monday said they had not made funeral arrangements "We're not giving any comments right now," he said McCready had moved to Heber Springs in 2011 but it's apparent she continued to struggle with drugs and alcohol Her father earlier this month asked a judge to take her kids away saying she had been abusing those substances again to the state and checked herself into a court-ordered rehab program a Florida man who fathered Zander in the course of a long said she stayed in the substance abuse treatment center for about 18 hours before walking free yellow police tape cordoned off the Eden Isle property Another band of tape wrapped around the bloodstained porch a child's bicycle leaned against a portable basketball hoop possibly left behind by crime scene technicians Local authorities aren't saying much about the circumstances around McCready's suicide or the still-unresolved death of her boyfriend McCready's," said Cleburn County Sheriff Marty Moss Moss said Wilson's cause of death is still under investigation He confirmed that police had been called out to the couple's home at least one other time in 2012 but declined to give a date or the nature of that call Moss called McCready's death a "very sad situation." Her death was particularly poignant for him He spent 1995 in Nashville unsuccessfully trying to make his name as a songwriter the same year McCready signed her first record deal McCready's fall in Heber Springs is a long way from her days as a bright-eyed teenage phenom rising to the top of the country music charts with hits such as "Ten Thousand Angels" and "Guys Do It All The Time." Discovered at age 18 public decline that included arrests on charges for drugs and drunken driving allegations she had a sexual relationship with former Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens while she was still a minor a sex tape and an appearance on MTV's "Celebrity Rehab." It was "a pitiful process to watch," said Dr the chief medical officer at drug and alcohol treatment center Cumberland Heights in Nashville her story was typical of other celebrities who fall from grace Becoming a reality television star didn't help and her boyfriend's death may have pushed her over the edge "There are many psychiatric conditions that are comorbid (simultaneous) with addiction The few people who knew her in Heber Springs had their own thoughts on McCready's end who befriended McCready when she shopped at his family's store who was a fan of her music before meeting her She never acted like she once topped country music charts filled arenas and dated a man who played Superman on television — Dean Cain It's hard to find anyone in this town of about 7,100 who even knew she lived there it was easy to remain a stranger even in a neighborhood like Eden Isle The brown brick and wood house where McCready lived — owned by Wilson's family for at least three generations "I don't think most people even knew she lived here," said Norman Gross an Eden Isle resident since 1980 who lived just up the street from McCready He looked out from his golf cart at her home and shook his head The Allens said they were shocked to hear about Wilson's death and then stunned again by McCready's especially because life had been looking so bright for the couple McCready promised she'd bring her boy in to see the Allens after his birth "David had a lot of equipment set up and Mindy was recording," Max Allen said "They always said we'd get the first CD when they released it." McCready had also hoped to release an autobiography she talked of being a survivor and fighting to stay above water despite being knocked down time and time again But even she had to admit that her demons were very real "My drive came from an abusive upbringing and the dependence of two younger brothers My fame came from my success as a country music singer My infamy came from outside my career: Bar-brawls and suicide attempts," she wrote on her website "I could say that the information was taken out of context blown out of proportion and completely misconstrued however — more than I'd like to admit — are just the sad truth." Contributing: Fort Myers News-Press reporter Charles Runnells Tennessean reporter Jim Myers and the Associated Press Four people were killed Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022, in a house fire in the Eden Isles subdivision in Slidell, authorities said. (photo by Brett Duke, NOLA.com and The Times-Picayune) Four people were killed Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022, in a house fire in the Eden Isles subdivision in Slidell, authorities said. (photo by Sara Pagones, NOLA.com and The Times-Picayune) dad and their two young daughters were killed in a house fire early Wednesday at their home in the Eden Isles neighborhood of Slidell Their son was not home at the time of the fire and has been notified of the death of his family and the family most likely died of smoke inhalation His office will perform autopsies to determine their official cause of death The cause of the fire appears to have been accidental Firefighters were alerted to the blaze around 1:30 a.m Wednesday after a neighbor reported hearing an explosion at the home on Constellation Drive in Eden Isles The noise was from propane bottles exploding at the burning home Firefighters arrived within five minutes and began searching the home through heavy smoke and flames Three victims were found on the second floor; one victim was found on the first floor Firefighters also searched the home for the older son Kaufmann praised the work of the firefighters Tiffany Santangelo stood with her daughter outside the property that was surrounded by yellow tape The victims were the aunt and cousins of her daughter "I was just talking to her last night about 8 o'clock We were making plans to get together for the weekend," she said Family enjoyed fishing and canoeing in the canal Santangelo said the family had moved into the house over the summer and had frequent get-togethers They enjoyed fishing and canoeing in the canal behind the house but he was frequently at the house on weekends "There's no question" working smoke detectors would have given the people inside a better chance to survive a visibly emotional Kaufmann added during a news conference outside the home Kaufmann said in his 34 years on the job this is the first time he or many of his firefighters have encountered such a scene He said he and firefighters offered their prayers and that he plans to arrange counseling for the firefighters Local breaking news delivered as it happens News headlines delivered at 7:00 am Monday - Friday News headlines delivered at Noon Monday - Friday News headlines delivered at 4:00 pm Monday - Friday Weather forecast delivered at 9:00 am daily This article was produced in partnership with Verite and WWL-TV along with The Times-Picayune | The Advocate which was part of ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in 2022 Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like this one as soon as they are published a community of about 8,000 nestled on the eastern shore of Lake Pontchartrain “You need to turn on the news!” her mother said that afternoon in early February “The governor just announced the state is forgiving all the Road Home lawsuits.” saying she had misused a $30,000 grant meant to elevate her home to protect it from future flooding after Hurricane Katrina the largest disaster recovery program in the country’s history Ruiz said she had been told by Road Home representatives that she could use the money for repairs so she withdrew $31,000 from her retirement account and sent it as repayment That money was supposed to go toward the care of her severely autistic son after she dies But rather than hiring an attorney to fight the suit or ignoring the demand and facing the possibility of a lien being placed on her home she decided paying back the grant was the right thing to do working 12-hour shifts for the past 15 years is to put money into that account for my son because he’s going to require 24-hour care after I’m gone,” said Ruiz she got the call from her mother and thought for a moment that the state would fully reimburse her 425 people had made partial or full payments — totaling $6.8 million — to the state But while thousands more would now be freed from legal peril no longer required to pay what the state said they owed officials said those hundreds who had already paid would not get refunds “It’s not fair for people who were trying to do the right thing when there was no benefit for doing the right thing,” she said 16 announcement that the state was no longer pursuing about 5,000 lawsuits against homeowners who allegedly misused recovery grants after hurricanes Katrina and Rita officially ended the 17-year odyssey of Road Home about 3,500 specifically targeted families who received grants to elevate their homes to safe levels but failed to do so it cost at least three times that amount to put a home onto raised footings When some of those homeowners contacted the state to say they didn’t need or want to elevate their homes they were told by Road Home representatives they could use the funds for repairs according to court records and the news outlets’ investigation Ruiz said she was quoted as much as $160,000 to elevate her home told her she could instead use the elevation grant to finish rebuilding So it was very easy to take those words and say This is a blessing.’ So that’s what we did,” she said At least five appeals court rulings support homeowners’ contention that they were told they could use the grants for repairs But state officials said homeowners have been unable to identify who told them they could use the money for repairs Years of mismanagement of the recovery program left Louisiana on the hook to the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development for nearly $300 million in misspent grants about $103 million of that for the elevation grants alone Under pressure from the federal government to recoup that money and the state and HUD spent years trying to negotiate a way out of them The biggest question was how much the state would have to repay to satisfy its debt to the federal government Only then could it close out the Road Home program and drop the lawsuits “It’s been a miserable thing for the state of Louisiana to pursue these individuals because we knew the vast majority of them were never going to pay,” Edwards said in February The deal that the state and HUD eventually brokered allowed the state to repay just $32.5 million in misused funds and release homeowners from “unpaid judgments and payment plans,” according to a HUD spokesperson Louisiana is using two separate pots of money: $12 million from a settlement with ICF Emergency Management Services the third-party contractor the state sued for mismanaging the recovery program; and an anticipated $20.5 million appropriation by the state legislature in the current session Ruiz questioned why the state can’t appropriate additional funds to reimburse her and others but state Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne said doing so would likely run afoul of the state constitution which explicitly prohibits public money being “loaned chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations The legislature could seek an opinion from the attorney general approving the appropriation of additional money but there is a good chance such an opinion would be challenged and overturned by the courts Asked whether the legislature is even considering such a move “It hasn’t been brought up until you asked about it.” As part of the deal reached with the federal government the state will also forgo receiving $37 million in unused Road Home funds from HUD can’t be used to reimburse those who already paid back their grants a HUD spokesperson told the news organizations a professor at the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law called the state’s argument “weak” and a “perversion” of the state constitutional clause’s true intent which is to prevent the use of public funds for influence peddling and cronyism: “The state collected this money it really shouldn’t have collected in the first place.” He said restoring funds to the 425 residents who paid back money under threat of being sued is “a kind of reparation that seems appropriate to me.” If the legislature were to authorize compensation “that would be a perfectly legitimate use of state funds,” Lovett said Dardenne said that by dropping the lawsuits the state was not admitting they were illegitimate or that the money was wrongfully collected He pointed to numerous cases in which the courts ruled in the state’s favor and against homeowners as proof the suits were on solid legal ground then all the lawsuits would have been thrown out,” he said entering the legislative session with a $1.5 billion surplus At his February press conference about the suits "Thank goodness we have excess money in the state of Louisiana today which we didn’t have when I became governor," he said who represented more than 300 families sued over their Road Home grants said reimbursing homeowners who already repaid grants is exactly what the state should do ‘We don’t think you should have to pay this money back anymore.’ And to this other group And it shows a lack of concern for the average citizen.” Szeto has not ruled out filing legal challenges on behalf of his clients the state refuses to reimburse “We’re looking at all possible solutions,” he said just weeks after the news outlets reported on the lawsuits the state announced that it was pausing collections By that point it had received about $5 million But it failed to notify homeowners who had ongoing monthly payment plans Cali & Walsh — a law firm representing the state — continued to cash them about a quarter of the total repaid by residents under threat of suit by the state Cali & Walsh $11.1 million since 2009 to litigate claims of fraud and waste for all Road Home programs Judy Baptiste started sending the state $400 a month in March 2018to pay down about $23,000 the state claimed she owed for misspending her elevation grant Her sole source of income — Social Security payments — was less than $1,100 a month she rarely had enough left over for food or utilities and had to rely on friends and family to help her financially “They just kept sending me letters in the mail telling me that if I didn’t pay them that they would put a lien on my house,” she said of Shows which did not respond to a request for comment Even after the state paused its collection a lakefront subdivision of New Orleans East ultimately sending the state $3,083.38 after the announcement was made you have to stop paying.’ They just were taking the money.” who live in the Gentilly neighborhood in New Orleans agreed to a plan that required them to make monthly payments of $250 for five years plus a balloon payment of about $15,000 at the end She later learned the state had paused its collection efforts back in May but afterwards still cashed four of their checks Her husband called the state’s actions “reprehensible.” and they would have continued to take our money and not said a mumbling word,” he said When asked why the state continued to accept monthly payments from homeowners after the state paused its collection efforts Dardenne said those payment plans were court-ordered “Those were legal judgments that had been rendered,” he said we determined that we couldn’t stop what was in place But that wasn’t the case with either the Tillmans or Baptiste Their payment plans were out-of-court agreements signed by notaries that said nothing about the state being required to accept the payments called the state’s argument that it couldn’t stop collecting monthly payments “very strange.” Any debt collector can choose to forgive a debt “I think the argument about their inability to stop collecting is putting form over substance,” Lovett said “There was no reason they should have continued to collect once they knew it was wrong because they stopped trying to pursue other people.” Sitting in her one-story ranch-style home that was left submerged in 3 feet of water by Katrina Angie Tillman questioned whether she and her husband made the right choice to stay in New Orleans after the storm And then you come back and nickel-and-dime us?” Angie said ProPublica will focus on the areas most in need of scrutiny Here are some of the issues our reporters will be watching — and how to get in touch with them securely Learn more about our reporting team. We will continue to share our areas of interest as the news develops I cover health and the environment and the agencies that govern them including the Environmental Protection Agency including the companies working in those fields and the regulators overseeing them If you don’t have a specific tip or story in mind, we could still use your help. Sign up to be a member of our federal worker source network to stay in touch We’re trying something new. Was it helpful? Email Address: Arrow Right Sign Up ProPublica Investigative Journalism in the Public Interest © Copyright 2025 Pro Publica Inc Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) Thank you for your interest in republishing this story You are free to republish it so long as you do the following: HEBER SPRINGS — Gary Redd is the 2019 Heber Springs Citizen of the Year but he could just have easily earned that title a long time ago Support journalism that digs deeper into topics that matter most to Arkansans. Donate today to preserve the quality and integrity of local journalism. KARK – This week marks six years since a platinum-selling recording artist was found dead outside a home near Heber Springs 2013 authorities found Mindy McCready dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound She was lying on a front porch outside a home in Eden Isle The outdoor furniture that sits outdie the home today looks eerily similar to the furniture shown in crime scene photos it doesn’t get brought up very much,” Chris Brown says Brown is currently the sheriff in Cleburne county He was one of the first to find McCready on the day of her death “Mindy was a very sweet person,” Brown says “She had demons like everybody else does Exactly one month prior to McCready’s death David Wilson was found dead on the same front porch The sheriff believes it was likely self-inflicted McCready’s country music career peaked in the 1990s Several of her songs found success on the Billboard charts McCready’s celebrity became more synonymous with reports of drug abuse and child custody battles Brown says the sheriff’s office was called out to the Eden Isle home where she lived about six months prior to her death She was reportedly keeping her children there amid a child custody battle You never know what someone else is going through,” Brown says “Sometimes it takes a turn for the worse.” Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" these are the actual most popular baby names so far in 2025 Whether it’s a short vacation or they’re jetting off to begin their career show the future traveler you care with a meaningful graduation gift National Teacher Appreciation Week begins May 5 take advantage of these freebies and deals has ignited a "storm" of debate online credited to Chris Finch and shared by WVUE Fox 8 and TikToker @jessecbrooks shows a car—identified by some commenters as an electric BMW—barreling across front lawns to dodge floodwaters While the driver's audacity might amuse some The comments section quickly became a hotbed of strong opinions with many people upset at the driver for not respecting private property people,” wrote Jessica O'Neil, echoing how most felt and don’t drive in people’s yards.” Property damage was the biggest concern “Hope the license plate is clear,” Emma Brady wrote “This looks like vandalism plus a host of other charges.. every house needs to receive several thousand dollars from this criminal.” Another commenter shared a personal story: “I had a fool do that… needless to say he got caught up on cinder blocks I had to protect my water meter Moral of the story: you never know what’s in the water “Couldn’t drive that EV through water while others suggested this move might have been the car’s owner attempting to avoid costly repairs they wouldn’t have tires anymore,” Brittany Campo threatened while Suzanne Guidroz revealed a “spike strip” defense plan these residents are left to deal with the ruts and tire tracks on their lawns hoping the video evidence will lead to accountability it’s not just inconsiderate; it’s criminal Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF A car is seen recklessly driving through lawns on private property in south Louisiana to avoid flooding on the street.\nRead More Car drives across lawns to avoid flood waters in Eden Isle south of Slidell Car drives across lawns to avoid flood water in Eden Isle south of Slidell "In the heart of Arkansas lies a treasure," reads the first sentence of "Feasts of Eden," a cookbook penned by Ruby Thomas Petersburg sidewalk and seawall nearly sank into the bay during Hurricane Milton The area has remained a public safety hazard for nearly a month The city council approved a $3.48 million construction proposal to replace the waterfront infrastructure Thursday afternoon. However, the Vinoy Yacht Basin’s sidewalk and seawall will highlight Mother Nature’s force – and the astronomical cost of citywide improvements – for at least another 15 weeks engineering and capital improvements director said the city would continue monitoring adjacent sections along 5th Avenue NE that experienced “the same loading condition during the storm.” Councilmember Gina Driscoll questioned why administrators would wait to fix neighboring problematic seawalls The council also approved a $2.5 million and a $655,000 proposal to rebuild Bear Creek’s storm-damaged walls and Eden Isle Culvert Those projects are in residential neighborhoods Driscoll noted the downtown sidewalk receives a steady stream of foot bicycle and baby stroller traffic from residents and visitors Officials often refer to the waterfront as St and she said it has “multiple areas that need to be fixed.” Driscoll said the storm damage has created safety issues as people walk into the street to avoid the area The city installed a temporary traffic control sign directing pedestrians to an alternate route “People are not going through the detour we provided,” Prayman said we can push the contractor to put fencing up.” St. Petersburg officials have long known that repetitive flooding and sea level rise have rendered miles of aging seawalls functionally obsolete. The city, a peninsula, boasts 244 miles of shoreline said the city dedicated $31 million to infrastructure improvements around 5th Avenue The money stems from Intown Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) coffers Officials launched the Citywide Seawall Inspection Renovation and Replacement project in fiscal year 2021 it could potentially list over $1 billion in projects Prayman said Canada-based PCL Construction will replace 310 linear feet of seawall downtown for $3.48 million the company will remove debris and sediment from Bear Creek and stabilize 200 linear feet of canal walls PCL will remove and replace between 15 and 20 linear feet of seawall and reinforced concrete piping and restore the adjacent sidewalk around the Eden Isle Culvert The $655,600 cost for 20 feet of work equates to $32,780 per foot Prayman said using sheet concrete is “substantially more expensive” than steel The repair materials have a 75-year service life must accommodate heavy vehicle traffic and are more expensive to build He said the city paid roughly $7,000 per square foot for new seawalls in 2016 before construction costs increased exponentially during and after the pandemic “Sea wall replacement is not a cheap process,” Prayman added “We are seeing prices escalating drastically.” Those prices include paying PCL’s project managers $250 an hour Unskilled laborers will make $34 an hour throughout the 12-to-15-week projects Additional taxpayer costs include $15.62 an hour for a pickup truck and $150 monthly for PCL’s cell phones Documents state that completing project contracts will take two weeks Officials committed $6.64 million to the three relatively small projects Thursday With the lowest recent cost of $11,225 per square foot the city would pay $1.185 billion to replace 20 miles of seawalls Prayman said the seawall study would provide citywide condition assessments. Administrators will then prioritize critical projects. “We will probably be bringing an amendment to the contract we already have for the 79th Street (North) seawall project because we realized during the storm there was an additional failure.” with the limited funding we have right now we’re really focusing on the sections that are critical,” Prayman added He agreed with Driscoll’s assertion that additional seawalls along 5th Avenue need repairs I would do it all right now,” Prayman said Driscoll agreed that “things keep getting more and more expensive.” She also reiterated that the city has money designated for area infrastructure improvements The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) could also help fund storm-damaged seawall replacements Greene said the projects are eligible for reimbursement Your voice is being heard and I couldn’t say it better The initiative ‘Save Spa Beach Park” never got any support from Driscoll she played politics without any concern for her constituents and I quote “Driscoll’s obsession with the Rays will haunt the well-being of a great city for decades It’s what happens when you sell-out the city to try to make a political point It’s called special interest leadership vs what’s best for the public good Sad.” The initiative ‘Save Spa Beach Park” never got any support from Driscoll she played politics without any concern for her constituents who adamantly opposed the garish giant floating net costing 10 million being placed on the passive Spa Beach in the heart of Vinoy Basin Glad to report we prevailed only to land on the Pier to be destroyed by Milton (The city was warned repeatedly that would happen) You will never catch up with it Each year the seawall problem will continue to compound itself and there is no way to stop it There will never be enough money to stop it But we r rich let’s skip fixing stuff and build a new baseball stadium What great leadership: Let’s way overpay on the worst baseball deal ever so that we can say we have the money to fix billion of dollars in hurricane repairs for the average citizen Driscoll’s obsession with the Rays will haunt the well-being of a great city for decades Maybe it’s time to wake up to the reality of what St We can find infrastructure or we can find the stadium Hopefully when they do these seawall repairs And these seawall have been crumbling for many years now Been crumbling since 2001.Hindsight is foresight that happens too late Add your idea below. Review Catalyst posting guidelines here. By posting a comment, I have read, understand and agree to the Posting Guidelines Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value" Students rocket toward STEM careers at community hub 2025 Florida legislative session extended through June 6 Multiple affordable senior housing projects advance  The Catalyst honors its name by aggregating & curating the sparks that propel the St Pete engine.  It is a modern news platform, powered by community sourced content and augmented with directed coverage your perspective and your spark to the St Pete Catalyst and take your seat at the table Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_4" ).setAttribute( "value" Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2020 The St Petersburg Group Enter the details of the person you want to share this article with There is still no sweeping explanation for why so many water bills skyrocketed in the months following hurricanes Helene and Milton. Customers citywide have reported receiving bills totaling thousands of dollars when the average should be around $150. Some have been billed repeatedly and about 900 flagged accounts have not received a bill due to delays. Under public pressure, the city two weeks ago pledged to not shut off water or issue late fees and vowed to get to the bottom of the issue. The St. Petersburg City Council voted Thursday to move forward with giving the billing and collections department more flexibility to adjust inflated bills in order to give residents relief. That came after council members received a more elaborate presentation city leaders suggested a few culprits that might’ve caused high water consumption: flooding, old meters and running toilets. They were given data that showed clusters where the most high water bills were: Shore Acres and Snell Isle; Pasadena and Yacht Club Estates; Isla Del Sol, Bayway Isles, Maximo and Bayview; Northeast Park, Placido Bayou and Edgemoor; Riviera Bay, Gandy, Meadowlawn and Fossil Park. Billing Manager Lauren Gewandter said some customers may have had water loss due to a leak in homes that were flooded, causing appliances to be submerged. A toilet that was under water, for example, would be constantly flowing. For customers who hired plumbers that could not find any leaks, the city proposed a simpler explanation: a faulty toilet flapper. “Toilets typically tend to be the problem,” said Customer Support Manager David Flintom. About 75% of the city’s 98,000 meters are older, analog meters that may be in poor condition. For example, the lens may be foggy or scratched, making it hard to read the meter. The city began swapping out those meters for new digital ones five years ago. That raised an alarm with council members. Public Works Administrator Claude Tankersley said the city has a plan to accelerate those replacements in 2028, and it will cost more than the estimated $38 million price tag. Water Resources Director John Palenchar said the city has tested newer digital meters and said they record accurate at low and high volumes 99% of the time. “They are highly accurate especially in comparison to older mechanical meters,” he said. Still, residents who tuned in to the meeting didn’t buy the explanations. “After hearing the discussion at the morning utility billing meeting, I would love to hear the theories as to why flooding would cause high water use, and then without any intervention, once the water receded, the water usage would stop,” said Joseph Sowers, who lives in Edgemoor, during a public forum. “It would seem improbable that rising water could turn on a faucet and receding water could turn it off.” Subscribe to our free Stephinitely newsletter You’re all signed up!Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started. Robert Craven said a digital meter was installed on his Eden Isle home in 2022. He said he finds it isn’t accurate and sees great fluctuations. “My concern is, I didn’t hear anybody question whether or not these digital meters, which were submerged for an extended period of time during Helene, whether they were impacted at all,” he said. The city also adjusted 429 bills for issues on its end, though Tankersley previously indicated that wasn’t possible. Meters are city property. Council member Brandi Gabbard took issue with that miscommunication. She said the city should’ve been be more up-front about issues with utility bills. “It would’ve saved, I think, a lot of grief,” she said. In another storm-related action, the council also voted Thursday to urge the state to act on construction crane safety laws after a crane toppled during Hurricane Milton and destroyed an office building in downtown St. Petersburg, which was home to the Tampa Bay Times among other businesses. The council called on the state to create uniform crane safety standards for hurricane preparedness and repeal current law preventing local governments from regulating cranes in the name of public safety. the artist/writer of the fantastic comic strip Pogo once drew a panel that featured Pogo the possum and his sidekick surveying a pasture overflowing with man-made litter “We have met the enemy and the enemy is us.”  In 1948 eden ahbez) must have felt the same about America and its  9-5 rat race It was a race that he sat out as he took refuge in caves This wasn’t exactly the go-to look or lifestyle in the 1940s but in the late ’60s a swath of Americans (translation: hippies) had the same mindset and wardrobe eden ahbez purposely spelled his name in lowercase letters because he felt only “God” and “Infinity” should be capitalized a photograph of him looking like a Woodstock attendee standing beside the impeccably dressed Nat King Cole is evidence that eden may have been a time traveler as well as the “first hippie.” He was born Alexander Aberle to Brooklyn-based parents who were so poor that they put him in an orphanage where he learned to play piano He was adopted by the McGrew family who raised him in Chanute But Alexander longed not to be in Kansas anymore and in his teens He temporarily set up camp under one of the “L”’s of the “HOLLYWOOD” sign in LA were adherents of Lebensreform (English translation: “life reform”) which pushed the then-unheard concepts of organic farming and vegetarianism loved one of eden’s songs called “Nature Boy” and urged him to get the sheet music into Nat King Cole’s hands Eden took Cowboy’s advice and galloped to the Lincoln Theater in Los Angeles where Nat was playing with his trio The theater’s employees refused to let the scruffy stranger see Nat but Cole’s valet “The guy I talked to is a genius or a nut.” Cole loved the tune and successfully tested it out in nightclubs The song wound up selling 8 million records and has been covered by Sinatra Paul McCartney stated in Barry Miles’ book “I seem to remember writing ‘Mother Nature’s Son’ at my dad’s house in Liverpool so it was often a good occasion to write songs I’ve always loved the song called ‘Nature Boy.’ ‘There was a boy enchanted boy.’ He loves nature and ‘Mother Nature’s Son’ was inspired by that song.” Even though eden professed that he had “not much use for money” and could live on three dollars a week he collected writing residuals for “Hey Jacques” (recorded by Eartha Kitt in 1955) and “Lonely Island;” sung by Sam Cooke in 1957 and the last ahbez song to crack the Top 40 eden was a father to his twelve-year-old son named Tatha Om Ahbez (though he went by Zoma) and had released his album Eden’s Island (The Music of an Enchanted Isle) perhaps because the songs were part of a musical genre called “Exotica” or “Tiki” music Some Exotica songs sound as if they were recorded in the middle of a jungle and roared over a piano or vibraphone playing mellow jazz and “exotic” instruments like bamboo flutes and Burmese gongs But although the record-buying public wasn’t impressed with eden’s solo effort Donovan had a meeting with his fellow seeker of the cosmic truth in 1967; that same year eden visited Brian Wilson at the Beach Boys’ Smile recording session He also never recovered from his wife passing away at 44 from bone cancer and his son’s death from a drug overdose at 21 Eden died in a car accident when he was 86 he drove safely when he picked up a 19-year-old hitchhiker and fledgling musician eden’s hitchhiker friend said: “When I first started I was a folk singer and I remember hitchhiking in the rain with a guitar and I got picked up by a guy in an old Volkswagen bus — long hair beads over the rear-view mirror swinging back and forth — and eden picked me up and dropped me off about a quarter of a mile up the road ‘I don’t really know anybody in show business I now know somebody literally who is in show business.’ It was a big thrill for me And he dropped me off somewhere that was worse than the one where he picked me up but I didn’t mind.” Tom Waits’ career slowly took off and is still running Fair use image of “Eden’s Island” Mark Daponte is a copy/blog writer for an advertising company and has published/sold four short stories nine short screenplays (including two animation scripts) and punches up screenplays—because they don’t punch back He has had six short comedic plays performed by various theater companies When he isn’t sinking down to a thirteen-year-old’s level to make his teenaged sons laugh he can be found seeking signs of intelligent life in his hometown of Brooklyn Δdocument.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()) That song would hypnotize me when I was little I never knew the scope of Aden’s reach Mother Nature’s Son WOW thanks Mark COPYRIGHT © 2025 - CULTURESONAR, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Residents who live in neighborhoods south of Slidell are reporting an increase in alligator sightings Although the gators are no stranger to residents of the area Clipper Estates and Lakeshore Estates all say they've seen more alligators than usual The gators have been reported to be as big as eight feet and they don't seem to be scared of people Officials are urging folks who encounter one to contact the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Copyright © 2018 TTWN Media Networks LLC Photo: Getty Images Understanding a local celebrity like Ray Phillips is a daunting task After a considerable amount of time investigating his story and writing about it I still feel myself working clumsily with the details of his life Central to my uneasiness is an ever-present sense of insurmountable distance Ray’s daily horizon must have been very different from my own Ray’s own lifestyle complicates even his generational context He appears to have been living in a time period unto himself—an amalgamation of near-and-distant past and present that is incongruent with the actual time in which he lived There are several historical traditions within his persona He is depicted as at once a biblical shepherd and a modern American consumer of canned pineapple and fortune cookies There is also the problem of focal length. How near or distant from the day-to-day physicality of Ray’s life is my lens adjusted to capture? Am I working with the idealized hermit, dwelling in an Edenic landscape around which newspapers have “spun fantasies,” and to which people are drawn from all over the country?[3] Or am I looking at the hermit’s habitat up close—mired in material ruin and personal inconsistencies the hermit’s legend into fragments and ambiguity Neither alone can address the complexity and significance of an individual who was both a private soul and public hermit I therefore attempt to draw Ray’s image—the legend and the human—through several mediums—old newspaper articles my own matrix of associations and memories which even before I’ve digested the details of this man’s life begin to fill out that image with archetypal expectations for aged solitary characters temporally “from away” –  I draw together a mix of hearsay and supposed fact to sketch out some semblance of an individual with a legacy in current memory I prefer to call my findings what they are Somewhere Between Near and Far: The Life of Ray Phillips Ray came to live on Manana Island and built a driftwood shack for himself would fish and lobster to suit his needs and lived on a small veteran’s pension and social security checks and likely ate a lot of canned and processed food as there was no evidence of a garden near his shack His sheep and a goose named Donald Duck reportedly kept him company in his isolated home Their constant presence was said to have given him a distinct odor but built a home on Manana—a tiny islet just across the harbor He owned one-sixth of the island but was its sole inhabitant Although a harbor separated Manana and Monhegan Ray’s shack was visible from Monhegan Island as was Monhegan Island from his shack While his position allowed him to observe the goings on in Monhegan from an outside perspective people in town always had Ray on their periphery—his shack and figure an anachronistic Ray was an iconic feature of the landscape claimed by the people who saw him as part of the natural outline of an otherwise barren islet He often took his small fishing boat to Monhegan to get supplies and talk to fellow islanders He also accommodated the journalists and tourists who visited Manana to ask him questions about his 19th century lifestyle and sneak a peek inside his peculiar home In the 1950’s photographer Yolla Niclas came to the island and photographed Ray with a local boy who used to ferry tourists over to visit the hermit The resulting images were published in a children’s book called The Island Shepherd He is described as regarding his publicity as curious and amusing Ray was well liked by the people on Monhegan although some saw his lack of ambition as laziness Ray reportedly grew more removed from the residents While Monhegan acquired modern conveniences—electricity chief among them—Ray grew increasingly attached to his sheep He often made “baaing” sounds in his speech to a degree of unintelligibility He thought once of bringing a woman to Manana Island but felt he had not the money or “skill” for marriage and as the years passed he stayed on his island increasingly often Ray was paddling across the harbor when his hands froze to the oars Ray fell seriously ill with pneumonia; an illness from which he never fully recovered People in town tried convincing him to move onto Monhegan where he could be looked after but Ray preferred to live out his days on Manana He told the concerned residents that he would light his kerosene lamp each night to signal that he was okay the islanders turned west at sundown—reassured by the sight of that singular flame And then one evening in spring the kerosene lamp went unlit Ray was discovered dead the next morning alone on his island of nearly half a century From Far Away: The Island Shepherd in Eden Though Monhegan today has modern conveniences like the mainland, it still maintains a sense of its past. The environment is carefully managed. Three quarters of its surface is covered in trees. It has headlands, rolling pasture, a freshwater pond and rocky coves—essentially, “almost all the natural landscapes of mid-coast Maine” are compressed in its one-and-a-half-mile length.[13] There are pelagic and passerine birds – raptors and lupine grow beside small cottages and old captain’s homes The place evokes New England of a century passed—the last vestiges of a slower ostensibly better time—and is adorned in the summers with painters capturing it all on their easels The whole scene is straight out of a Barbara Cooney children’s book or a Sarah Orne Jewett short story but from the vantage point of the ferry deck It is that same mythos of “non-reality” which governs what George Lewis calls “the Maine that never was.”[18] This Maine, advertised as a rural “Vacationland” for lost urbanites, “exists as an earlier, perhaps even timeless place…from which one can grasp and understand ‘Life as it should be.’”[19] Ray’s life apart on Manana offers the curious tourist an analogous The shepherd’s story appears so entrenched in Lewis’s mythic Maine paradise one wonders if the Hermit of Manana Island could have existed without it; if that Maine made him—the hermit that never was Ray’s “rambling shack,” as David Boynton refers to it functions as a primitive hut very literally kept in sight David described the sight of Ray’s home as “comforting,” a staple in the periphery of their daily lives on Monhegan a desire that the island should always remain “a million light years away” from the rest of the world The Hermit of Manana Island is essential to the integrity of that utopian landscape They were peeking in his windows for a glimpse of atavistic activity—a man interacting with the world as if that “earlier epoch.” were still in play the visitor—the “stranger with a camera,” as Cameron calls them—is chronically estranged Hermits, as Edith Sitwell documents in English Eccentrics, traditionally embody that escapist ideal the “stranger with a camera” seeks: “Whilst these [hermits] of varying respectability were trying, in their several ways, to preserve their lives, others, equally, or more praiseworthy, were trying to escape the consequences of being alive.”[36] The hermit’s choice to retreat from society for the sake of finding a spiritual home provides a model for other common folk fettered to the trivial material concerns of society Visiting is supposed to signify a return to a “true place,” an ‘original’ American place insofar as vacations have historically been designed as “getaways” from the tedium of daily life one that is all the more real because of its perceived distance from the precincts of (over)civilization offers a true “homeland of the soul” for its annual pilgrims While Ray Phillip’s popular reputation paints him as Manana’s sole shepherd, a reclusive holy man, with emphasis on the books he kept in his home and the notes he was said to have scribbled on his walls,[47]“[Ray] wasn’t a particularly deep thinker, or doing it for philosophical reasons, so much as, this is just how he enjoyed living,” says David Boynton.[48] In an interview with the Boston Globe Ray recognizes that his simple life apart identifies with American transcendentalist ideals but suggests that such comparisons are more unconscious associations Ray maintains they are not are not intentionally ideologically motivated: “I don’t think I’m different from other people; any number of people think the same as I do…It’s people from the city and freak journalists who want to look for something to write about. There are 500 people just like me up the Maine coast who live on islands, maybe with some sheep, practically alone. I’m nothing unusual.”[49] Ray insists on his normality and rejects the idea that his lifestyle is reactionary to the urban New York scene he left forty years before. He is not making a political statement, or asking for attention.[50] He is simply living a life that fits him was said to bear all of the speculation and publicity with modest incredulity and a good-natured indifference and at times was said to “baa” at tourists who overstayed their welcome but he often let people come into his home to poke about he had a remarkable sense of humor about it all there is no evidence that Ray felt his lifestyle was spoiled by the presence of others Ray’s handling of tourists is admirable in that it is hospitable but also largely ignores their expectations Regardless of whether or not Ray was under a spotlight he went on living his life as he always had It is clear that what for one person is a retreat for another is life and livelihood and most certainly hard work Ray Phillips perhaps teaches us that expectations “from away,” should be challenged—not anticipated and imitated While Ray’s celebrity as a “hermit” drew many to him I speculate his true charm—like Maine’s—arises from instances in which he challenges that characterization and dismantles his own legend as the Hermit of Manana Island It’s difficult to address Paradise without its loss, Eden without ruin. Their interaction is what makes the story after all.[53] Likewise obvious fact of island life—its particular sensitivity to the reality of edges and entropy—deems the latter term unavoidable and necessary to discuss Upon inspecting the details of Ray Phillip’s life discordant and ill-fitted in places—perhaps too puzzlingly human for our liking reclusive holy man on a mythic Maine isle are much easier to tell Collecting all of these eroded bits and erroneous details which are the most tangible materials of Ray’s life undercuts the felt-presence his legend provided The mystical fallout is all part of the natural processes of storytelling—the discrepancies between stories as they happened from some vantage point and the stories we tell ourselves and others at a displaced time half-told tales are valuable in that they have the potential to offer a more complete picture of a story’s ethos details of Ray Phillips’ life and circumstances in the hopes that it will lead me to a fuller articulation—“other histories,…other geographies”—of the hermit’s saga Folklore surrounding hermits often foregrounds the hermit as a redeemer some kind of solution to the ruinous forces affecting the alienated modern individual how the hermit’s answer to the human condition plays out – in other words how the hermit secures their own survival and preserves their person – is often dramatized for effect In popular imaginings Ray lives simply and enjoys “the good life.” Monhegan artist Elaine K. Miller writes in her blog: “[Ray] would walk along the island, gazing out to sea, contented with his life” on tiny tree-less Manana, a place “only suitable for seagulls,” though somehow “perfect” for him.[57]  However the closer we get to how he managed to survive its logistics the magic of it all begins to lose some of its quality It seems that any real Paradise is necessarily interacting with its own ruin Miller writes in her blog that Ray Phillips was “a smart recycler long before it was savvy.”[59] Known to re-use even the envelopes he received to write back to his many pen pals His dwelling was made of driftwood and recycled parts of old ships He used his bathtub for storing sheep sheerings and decorated his home with old fading buoys The construction of his home itself was a restitution of ruined parts taken from their original contexts and brought into a new order loss to ruin compels us to explore the gaps he was not only directing the journalist’s attention to other reclusive Maine folk the few resources many possess to meet the challenges of an unforgiving landscape Ray privileged the physical demands of household upkeep over the pastor’s spiritual idealism Ray was devoted to a temple of his own—with all its broken parts Maine realist writer Carolyn Chute sees the true Maine in landscapes “studded with the detritus of human work and play.” She writes: Freedom for Chute, as I suspect it did for Ray, emancipates the individual from the illusion of preserved charm. Freedom is to openly acknowledge and engage with the ruinous forces that are fundamental to the “admixture of waste and life, of decadence and vitality,”[73] which constitutes any home When Ray was asked in an interview about whether he was happy living on Manana Island he said: “I’m very contented I have everything…except youth. I’d like to be young, I’d like to be 16…I’d like to get hold of that ram standing up on the mountain. I’d like to slit his throat.”[74] Ray confronts the reality of his own mortality and is unashamedly nostalgic for his youthful contests with nature in heroic there is a wish that he could have stayed a bit longer with his sheep on Manana; that there flipped through Reader’s Digest by kerosene light and opened his shack to countless visitors—there Taylor Cunningham graduated from the University of Maine in May 2016 with majors in English and Anthropology and a minor in Folklore “’Persuading the Secret’: In Search of Maine’s Hermits,” explored Maine’s most fantastically idiosyncratic hermit characters and the important roles they play in regional oral histories Colorado with some stellar pals from Maine works as a juice bar barista at Whole Foods She will be attending New Mexico State University in the Fall to pursue an MFA in fiction “Into the Eighth Generation: Monhegan Island Maine.“ In Hope and Hard Times: Communities “Introduction,” in Maine’s Place in the Environmental Imagination “When Strangers Bring Cameras: The Poetics and Politics of Othered Places.” American Quarterly 54 “He lives his way—alone on a Maine isle.” Boston Globe “Observed Decay: Telling Stories with Mutable Things.” Journal of Material Culture “Discussion on Ray Phillips.” Briegull.com http://briegull.com/Monhegan/ray_phillips_discussion.html “Identifying Fragments,” in The Powers of Philology “The Maine That Never Was: The Construction of Popular Myth in Regional Present Place: Landscape and Memory.” Geographical Review 65 The Quotable Moose: a Contemporary Maine Reader http://ekmillerfineart.com/blog/95105/the-hermit- of-monhegan- island On Adam’s house in Paradise: the Idea of the Primitive Hut in Architectural History https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFWqx_g4PLs Likes His Way of Life.” Maine Coast Fisherman Monhegan: a Guide to Maine’s Fabled Island Special thanks to Jennifer Pye at the Monhegan Museum for inviting me to the Monhegan and helping me sift through archival material early on in the research process And deepest gratitude to Sarah Harlan-Haughey for her wealth of knowledge on medieval outlaws and eccentrics in addition to inspiring this hermit study and encouraging me to trust and pursue my own questions The Eden Project is planning an ‘underground cathedral’ by transforming a Portland cavern into a £30m tourist attraction in Dorset The Eden Project is looking to transform man-made caverns beneath the Isle of Portland in Dorset into a £30m tourist attraction called Eden Portland Eden Portland’s cavern would become an ‘underground cathedral’ with exhibits exploring nature The attraction would also showcase extinct species and include fossil displays “It would be a hugely successful, world-class destination that is both a visitor destination as well as a scientific institution,” said Sir Tim Smit, co-founder of the Eden Project (via The Telegraph) It’s beautiful and it’s beguiling,” Smit added “I have zero doubt about this project Located in the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site Eden Portland would be a ‘subterranean labyrinth’ comprising a complex of mine tunnels that would become an immersive space Eden Portland is being developed as part of a partnership between MEMO and Eden Project International The site in Dorset was formerly used to extract Portland stone “Together we will tell the biggest story of all: the evolving story of life,” said Sebastian Brooke “It’s a story four billion years in the making and so far as anyone knows is unique in the universe.” “This project will be the most innovative exciting visitor experience in the world,” Smit said this bold vision of adventure into the underworld will explore life and its interconnections vanities and fragility with such a theatrical flourish as has never been seen before.” Last month, the Eden Project signed an agreement with the owners of its proposed site for Eden Project Dundee. This is one of several UK projects in development, which include Eden Project North in Morecambe and Eden Project Foyle in Derry Images: Eden Portland Get the latest attractions industry
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Employee Information “I don’t pop it as quickly as you would in the summertime,” he said Many of Marsh Man Masson’s trips into the South Louisiana marsh begin with an idea of a dish That’s what this one was all about.[…] Your Ads Privacy ChoicesIMDb 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 SEARCHThe global authority in superyachting ItineraryEXPLORE THE SERENE SEYCHELLESCaptain Peter Carlsson of 80-metre Elements pens a luxurious trip around the Seychelles that shows the best of its quiet coves lush rainforest and turquoise waters.WRITTEN FOR OCEAN INDEPENDENCE“The main island has a beautiful rainforest and its own microclimate,” explains Captain Peter the weather becomes more stable with amazing water and sea temperatures from 33 degrees Celsius." "During my last charter in the Seychelles spending every day free diving and spearfishing "They returned to Elements with incredible catches Meet 80-metre Elements in the beautiful marina of Eden Island which is a short 10-minute transfer from Victoria International Airport Allow the crew to welcome you on board with a glass of champagne and take it the mountainous surroundings.In the afternoon Elements will cruise a few miles north to Saint Anne Marine National Park - an archipelago of six islands teeming with wildlife Snorkel the reefs to spot kaleidoscopic marine life and familiarise yourself with the yacht’s brimming toybox before dinner on the aft deck by chef Pania Kenny Elements will weigh anchor and cruise 13 nautical miles west around the tip of Mahé the yacht will draw up to Beau Vallon Beach just as breakfast is served on board before the magnificent coastline peppered with swaying palm trees.Head to shore and stroll along the beach in the early morning choose from the restaurants that line the beach before heading to Trader Vik’s for a cocktail sundowners are served on deck before heading back to shore to the local night market for dinner Awake to see the verdant hills of Cap Ternay Marine Park drawing closer as Elements drops anchor off a quiet and picturesque beach where a freshwater stream runs to the sea Begin your day with a massage in the yacht’s spa before hopping into the warm shallows from the swim platform.©️ MAPBOX ©️ OPEN STREET MAP snorkel in the lagoon looking out for eagle rays below the surface and relax on the beach with panoramic views to the green-carpeted Morne Seychellois peak take the tender to Port Launay Bay and Hotel where adventure seekers will enjoy the zip lines and rock climbing at Constance Ephelia Resort Following a gentle overnight cruise 10 nautical miles south arrive at Petit Anse - a sandy beach cove where the Four Seasons Hotel and Beach is nestled in the beautiful bay surrounded by lush rainforest.Swim and snorkel in the turquoise lagoon from the yacht’s dual swim platform and enjoy the yacht’s water toys in a beautiful setting; the crew can set up the play park for some fun or you may like to take the Seabobs for an underwater adventure Just as breakfast is served on the sundeck Elements will drop anchor before the immaculate palm-fringed beach of Anse Lazio on the northwest of Praslin Island Possibly one of the best kept secrets in the Seychelles soak up the sensational views as azure waves lap the powder-white shores Here is a great place to plan an action-packed day using all the water toys and snorkel amongst the coral whilst looking out for turtles head ashore to explore the coastal walking paths through the rich greenery of the peninsula which lead to more secluded bays and swathes of sandy beaches cosy up in the yacht’s cinema or enjoy a digestif on the sundeck Elements will take a short hop over to Curieuse island This small granite island is noted for its bare red earth strewn with the unique coco de mer palms one of the Seychelles’ cultural icons and only found on two neighbouring islands who will come to greet you and enjoy being hand fed.Walk from one side of the island to the other through mangroves teeming with wildlife and discover tiny deserted coves dotted around the coastline head to The Raffles Hotel for a spa treatment or choose to have a Raffles therapist on board.©️ MAPBOX ©️ OPEN STREET MAP After breakfast before the secluded white beach Elements will relocate nine nautical miles to Anse Source d’Argent on La Digue Island Classed as one of the top three beaches in the world swim in the turquoise waters before the granite rock before heading to shore in the afternoon Explore the museum and old coconut mills before visiting the native giant tortoises A local guide can whisk you along a hiking and rock-climbing tour or surfing lesson for those that want to stick to the water Climb to the top of the island for panoramic views whilst learning about the amazing indigenous flora and fauna that resides on this magical place Elements will relocate to the neighbouring resort island of Felicité granite isle is just a short tender ride from one of the best snorkelling spots in the world where the abundant marine life is fascinating.The luxurious Six Senses private island resort is an idyllic ecological sanctuary Fill the afternoon here with exquisite dining and spa treatments on the powder-white sands Enjoy sundowners on board as you cruise just 30 nautical miles back to Mahé ingeniously created by Chef Pania before the crew see you safely off to the airport tonight or the following morning Item 1 of 3Elements is available for charter with Ocean Independence. For more information, contact the brokers today.SPONSORED CONTENT CREATED FOR OCEAN INDEPENDENCE SubscribeSign up to our newslettersSign up to BOAT International email newsletters to get the latest superyacht news Boat International Media Ltd © 2008 - 2025 Content presented under the "BOAT Presents" logo is an advertising feature and Boat International Limited has been paid to include this content “but night fishing under lights is always better when it is calm.” Are trophy trout making big return to Venice waters You won’t find a better season than the months of April and May for throwing hard-plastic lures Savvy and seasoned South Louisiana guides and avid anglers know despite the dirty water Take a stroll round Singapore's island of pure rubbish – a manmade biodiversity hotspot By Eric Bland Singapore’s only landfill is a 20-minute ferry ride south from the main island coconut trees and banyan bushes line an asphalt road The only visible trash is a bit of driftwood on the rocky shore Water rushes out of the bay through a small opening You would never know that all the trash from Singapore’s 4.4 million residents is being dumped here 24 hours a day seven days a week – as it will be for the next 40 years This is no ordinary landfill: the island doubles as a biodiversity hotspot attracting rare species of plants and animals It even attracts ecotourists on specially arranged guided tours the artificial island is setting an example for the future of conservation and urban planning Read more Is cleaning up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch worth the effort? Pulau Semakau, which is Malay for Mangrove Island, is not the first isle of trash to rise from the sea. That dubious honour goes to a dump belonging to another island nation, the Maldives, off the southern coast of India. In 1992, the Maldives began dumping its trash wholesale into a lagoon on one of its small islands. As the island grew, it was named Thilafushi; its industries include a concrete manufacturing plant, a shipyard and a methane bottler. What distinguishes Semakau from Thilafushi – and most any other landfill – is that its… Explore the latest news, articles and features 2013 4:00 AM EDTFlorida isn’t like other places from the time the 16th-century Spanish explorer Ponce de León first landed in Florida on his (perhaps apocryphal) search for the Fountain of Youth right up to the present day people from the world over have looked to that large water-logged peninsula jutting toward the Caribbean as a kind of fathomless fantasy land as photographer David Walter Banks nicely phrases it below as “an epicenter of escapism.” Of course no state as large and as diverse as Florida (or the myth of Florida — the Florida of our tacitly agreed-upon collective imaginings — endures not because of the state’s colossally variegated landscapes In his at-once fond and forthright portraits Banks manages to illustrate much of the Floridian myth while deepening the mystery of the Sunshine State’s singularly odd appeal A long-standing interest in escapism and seeking the surreal in the every day led me to train my lens on the manifestations of those ideas in American society an epitome and epicenter of escapism in the United States or 89.3 million people visited the state of Florida bringing in over $71.8 billion in tourism spending to an industry that directly employs well over one million individuals Florida’s tourism numbers continued to climb in what is estimated as the most popular tourist destination in the world I am interested in the people who comprise these statistics the environments in which they immerse themselves and the altered realities both the people and places project nor to create a comprehensive factual documentation I aim to create a vicarious experience–that of a tourist seeking fantasy My fascination with Florida started at a young age my family would load up our wood-paneled Chevrolet station wagon every year and head down the highway toward the ‘Sunshine State’ for our annual Summer vacation We would stay in a stereotypical stucco condo building on the beach called the Summerhouse It was there that I produced some of my fondest childhood memories It was there that I built sandcastles with my mom and dug giant holes with my dad for no apparent reason It was there that I first met an older girl and hitchhiked to a club before I was laughed away at the door for my prepubescent appearance – I was 12 It was there that I snuck off to smoke cigarettes stolen from a friend’s parents during my height of preteen angst These family trips were something that I looked forward to every year I eagerly awaited the escape from our everyday life It is the memories of this escape that keep luring me back The theory of collective memory refers to the shared pool of information amongst a group of people our collective memory of Florida has become almost as much of a folk tale as it is based on reality My recollections from childhood and adolescence are not necessarily how it actually looked and felt but instead the world that I constructed from those fragmented memories which has been fed and fueled by the masterminds of advertising and marketing Perhaps our fantasized version of Florida does exist it is masked under layers of lines and litter overpriced tourist traps and drunk teens who would steal the shirt off your back – This literally happened to me while photographing Spring Break If anything is my charge while on the road for this project David Walter Banks is a conceptually based documentary and portrait photographer living in Atlanta. Follow him on Twitter @dwbanksphoto 2022Alex CórdovaSave this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links Belinda is bouncing back. After a decade away from television roles, the Latin genre pop princess is making an exciting return to acting in the Netflix series Bienvenidos a Éden (Welcome to Eden) The multi-hyphenate icon will also release new music on the soundtrack for the thriller about the perils of influencer culture Belinda has had a strong influence on helping Spanish-language music and media become more global she relocated to Mexico City with her family where she became a children's telenovela star Belinda landed her first lead role in 2000 in Amigos x Siempre She later pulled double duty playing twins in 2002's Cómplices Al Rescate crossing over 800 million cumulative views on YouTube Belinda has accepted an invitation to a remote island with her Spanish co-stars Amaia Aberasturi and Ana Mena to create a new society that could have Lord of the Flies-like results Allure: How do you feel about returning to acting in Bienvenidos a Éden the views because we filmed in Teruel and Lanzarote Allure: What more can you tell us about your character in the series she would kill someone to be powerful and successful Allure: What skin-care products would you take with you to the island of Éden B: I use hydration creams on my face, and I like moisturizers with hyaluronic acid. I love collagen I love using a [refreshing] mist that is like mineral water I do all this and I wash my face every night and use creams for the eyes and skin Allure: What makeup would you take with you B:  I love a creamy blush — I don't like to look dry B: I love to put oil in my hair so it looks wet. I use the Moroccanoil Treatment Original for this. Allure: Your fans have been waiting for new music. What can you tell us about what's coming next? B: For Bienvenidos a Éden, I have a couple of songs there that I wrote. They're going to get to listen to two new songs and I'm very excited. They're going to love these songs. Allure: You have a big fan base in the LGBTQ+ community. Do you have a message for your gay fans? B: Of course! I love fans in the gay community! I'm very grateful. They're going to love África. I get inspired by them all the time with my music, with my outfits, with everything. I'm very excited for them to see this new chapter of my career. Alex CórdovaAllure: How would you describe this new chapter of your career? B: I think that I'm doing things that I love. I'm enjoying myself. I'm very happy. I have a lot of faith in what I'm doing. I believe in my projects and I believe in this series that I did. I'm very excited and I hope you guys like it. Allure: What have you learned from your 20-plus years in the industry? B: You have to be patient. You have to work hard. That's the key: to work hard. Believe in yourself. Don't let anyone tell you what you have to do. You can listen to advice, but don't take it too seriously. Allure: What would you think if Raven-Symoné wanted to bring The Cheetah Girls back to Spain? B: With her, I would go to the end of the world. She's amazing! She's my friend. She's a beautiful, beautiful woman. I love her so much, so whatever she wants, I'm down. This video is proof that textured hair can look good with a bob haircut: Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker A former model who started a global fragrance company from a gathering of pine cones and nuts in her yard has died Bill Bowden covers a variety of news for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette He has worked at the newspaper for 16 years and previously worked for both the Arkansas Democrat and Arkansas Gazette Full Moon Filmseden ahbez was the creative mind behind several hit songs in the 1940s and 1950s camping out under the first “L” of the Hollywood sign was a man with shoulder-length hair who often wore white robes and sandals He may have almost resembled the modern image of Jesus if Jesus was a proto-hippie who slept outdoors and ate only fruits Anyone who came across this man would never have guessed that he was the writer of the then-number one hit song in the United States: Nat King Cole’s “Nature Boy.” This mysterious vagabond’s name was eden ahbez — and he preferred that his name was spelled in all lowercase as the only words he felt worthy of capitalization were Nature Though ahbez was widely considered to be an eccentric for most of his life, he didn’t think his way of living was all that strange. As he once said in an interview with Life Magazine: “I look crazy but I’m not And the funny thing is that other people don’t look crazy but they are.” many believe ahbez was one of the first people to live a “hippie” lifestyle in the United States — years before it was popular Full Moon Filmseden ahbez is often considered a pioneer of the early hippie movement in America eden ahbez was born George Alexander Aberle in Brooklyn in 1908 and he spent his early years in the Brooklyn Hebrew Orphan Asylum He was adopted by a family in Kansas when he was nine years old and he was then subsequently raised under the name George McGrew the now-20-something man began wandering aimlessly around the Midwest It’s believed that he spent some time playing the piano at bars and clubs in Kansas City in the 1930s where he began learning about vegetarianism and meditation the vagabond musician had moved to Los Angeles he took on the name eden ahbez and joined up with a local community of nature mystics many of whom were passionate about vegetarianism and the idea of “returning to nature.” These philosophies all played a huge role in ahbez’s lifestyle “Put simply: he did not think society, government, legislation, or education could solve the problems of the heart and of why humans suffer and fight each other and destroy the planet,” said Brian Chidester, who’s producing a documentary on ahbez, in an interview with It’s Psychedelic Baby! Magazine “He felt that could only come through solitude awareness of nature and of the present moment eden ahbez also found love after he got to L.A While he was perusing a health food store one day a woman named Anna Jacobson caught his eye passing a note with his name and the address of the place he was staying at the time Anyone else likely would have been terrified — but Jacobson and the two were married just a month later ahbez continued to work on music — a passion that would soon lead to him creating a hit song for Nat King Cole eden ahbez approached either the manager or the valet for Nat King Cole backstage at the Lincoln Theater in Los Angeles and handed him some tattered sheet music which was titled “Nature Boy.” He began playing it live at his shows but he couldn’t officially record it until he got in touch with the mystery man who wrote the song ahbez was eventually found living underneath the Hollywood sign He gave permission to Cole to record the song “Nature Boy” rocketed to the top of the charts claiming the number one spot for eight weeks during the spring of 1948 peaceful song came at a tumultuous time for America But early sentiments of the anti-war movement that would take hold in the nation in the 1960s and 1970s were beginning to appear “For such a gentle, pacifistic song to have become the best-selling single of the year speaks to a sense of inchoate longing in the U.S. at that time, barely three years after the second world war,” wrote Jon Savage for The Guardian in direct contrast with ahbez’s lifestyle Even after earning royalties from “Nature Boy,” ahbez continued to live his itinerant lifestyle eschewing most material possessions and granting few interviews to curious reporters he would reemerge in the public eye to share more of his work with the world Magazineeden ahbez was with the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson in the studio when Wilson was recording the Smile sessions A number of other artists covered eden ahbez’s “Nature Boy,” including Frank Sinatra and Sarah Vaughan eden ahbez continued to write songs for Cole — like “Land of Love (Come My Love and Live with Me)” — and several other big-name performers Notably, in 1958, Sam Cooke released ahbez’s song “Lonely Island,” which charted within the top 30 songs on the Billboard chart In 1960, ahbez decided to release a solo album, Eden’s Island, which Light in the Attic Records later called “one of the world’s most important albums in the field of Exotica Jazz and even Proto Psychedelic Music.” One reviewer wrote in 2023: “‘edens island’ is a mix of spoken word interludes jazz and exotica that certainly stands out as original for its time I have no idea how much it sold but it certainly had an effect on Brian Wilson and you can hear its influence on ‘Smile’ in places.” (Interestingly enough ahbez was in fact photographed with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys in the studio around the time of the Smile sessions.) the album sold poorly at the time it was released — reportedly less than 100 copies — but it has come to be regarded as somewhat of a cult classic and has been recognized for ahbez’s influence on some of the popular music of his time ahbez’s influence even reached The Beatles as they recorded their White Album “I think ‘Nature Boy’ had an implicit and sometimes explicit effect on the hippie generation in general,” Chidester said “Paul McCartney said as much when he credited ‘Nature Boy’ with being the inspiration behind his song ‘Mother Nature’s Son’ in an interview a few years ago.” As The Wind: The Enchanted Life of Eden Ahbezahbez’s solo album sold less than 100 copies when it was first released but it’s since become a cult classic the hippie movement that eden ahbez had embodied early on entered into the mainstream though he occasionally resurfaced to collaborate with artists on projects he’d grant a rare interview to reporters who contacted him ahbez died in 1995 at age 86 following a car accident and there has been renewed interest in his life and music His solo album Eden’s Island was reissued shortly after his death and has since been reissued numerous times in recent decades who is currently working on a documentary about ahbez called As the Wind: The Enchanted Life of Eden Ahbez also worked with a Swedish exotica band named Ixtahuele to record and release an album of ahbez’s unrecorded songs titled eden’s ahbez’s Dharmaland I ended up doing research on [ahbez] at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C and came across a big file of copyrighted lead-sheets that he’d submitted to the library between 1955 and 1968,” Chidester said “In there were 22 titles from 1960-63 none of which I recognized from my previous research and which over time I realized had some shared themes either musically or lyrically or both.” I whittled it down to twelve tracks from the original stash of 22 lead-sheets based mainly on the way in which the tracks were interconnected and how they told a loose story of this imaginary world called Dharmaland.” While eden ahbez was lesser known during his life — save for his work on creating the beloved song “Nature Boy” — his life and influence on exotica music and the hippie movement are now finally coming to light After reading about eden ahbez and “Nature Boy,” read about the “first” American hippie, who brought the lifestyle to the U.S. in the 1910s. Or, check out these photos of the Beatnik movement of the 1950s LAKELAND | The owner of a chain of Polk County tobacco stores and six of her employees were arrested Thursday on drug paraphernalia charges Deputies searched Low Ball Louie's Tobacco Stores throughout the county and seized bongs scales and other merchandise that Polk County sheriff investigators say were sold to use for illegal purposes was charged with nine counts each of delivering drug paraphernalia and possessing with intent to deliver drug paraphernalia Six employees of stores were charged with two counts each of delivering of drug paraphernalia and possessing with intent to deliver drug paraphernalia: Khristina Arnold The arrests are part of an ongoing investigation targeting illegal sales of an incense-branded product that's smoked like marijuana Deputies arrested 12 people in November on charges related to the initial investigation were also charged in the previous investigation They were being held without bail at the Polk County Jail on Wednesday night The investigations were performed by undercover deputies who bought products and made a point to express that they intended to use them for drugs The store doesn't have control over how a customer uses a product once they sell it "This is just wrong and it's infringing on our freedoms," she said captain of the sheriff's bureau of special investigations said the investigation did not target Low Ball Louie's solely and included all stores found in violation last year "I would suggest people review the Florida state statues and educate people at their stores," she said.