French Creek SP Camping Trip

For Memorial Day weekend, we went camping at French Creek State Park in Pennsylvania. Friends of ours from Monsey had been going camping with this group for some time, and invited us to come along.

This is the first time we've gone camping with the kids, so we purchased a new tent. It's similar to this one, except that the "screen room" has a floor, so it's really a two person area with a zipperable wall. The other two "rooms" are made by hanging these pieces of fabric via hooks from the ceiling. Other tents rely solely on the hanging walls, but we wanted something more private, and this tent was the only one that had a wall that used a zipper.

On Sunday morning, Mechel played on the hammock:

In the afternoon, we went to nearby Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. Here's a photo essay. (If the window doesn't open, try this instead.)

Monday was pack-up day, and we got home around 5pm. What fun! We'll definitely go on more camping trips in the future.

What? $19,000 per student per year too much?

East Ramapo's Hyde ousted; budget, bond fail
THE JOURNAL NEWS


The longest-serving school board member in Rockland lost her seat on the East Ramapo Board of Education last night in a vote that also saw the defeat of the budget and a bond issue for building repairs.

Georgine Hyde, who has been on the East Ramapo school board since 1969, garnered the least number of votes in what was unofficially called the largest turnout in the history of the district.

Both Hyde and Danielle Bright appeared stunned at the news they had lost their seats. Bright has been a board member for six years.

Victorious challengers Dr. David Resnick and Steven Rosenstock said they were pleased with the turnout and would make formal statements today. They were endorsed by the Southeast Ramapo Taxpayers Association, a group that supports candidates who have ties to private schools.

No decision has been made about resubmitting a budget to voters following the $172.7 million plan's defeat.

"Quite obviously, I'm very disappointed with the outcome, especially for our children," said Superintendent Jason Friedman.

You know that, when it would be cheaper to send all the kids in the district to a state college, the budget is a bit too large.

Call me crazy.

Here's a district map. I've added red shading to the areas with families with "ties to private schools":

RIP, "Captain" Ed Immler

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel :

Died unexpectedly May 8, 2005 while bicycle riding in his beloved lake district at age 56. Dear brother of Kathryn "Kai" Parry Immler. Also loved by his extended family, Bunny Raasch-Hooten and William Raasch and their children and many friends.

He attended Lawrence University then served in the Marines during the Vietnam War and retired from the Army. He returned to Lawrence graduating in 1995 with a degree in chemistry, then taught and worked at St. John's Northwestern Military Academy for Homeland Security.

He won several awards for his articles. He was a member of Freemanson's Lodge F&AM #363, DeMolay, Mensa and several Historical Societies. He served on several REACT teams and did extensive volunteer work for the American Red Cross, German Boy Scouts, March of Dimes, Lawrence University and others.

Ed, also known as "Dutch" was a patriot, a banjo player, a kind and generous friend and a life-long lover of learning, happiest when he was outdoors. His was a life of service to his country, community, family and friends.




From the Lawrence University Press Release:

With sadness, we report the unexpected passing of your former Lawrence University classmate, Edward "Ed" Immler, on Sunday, May 8, 2005.

Ed first came to Lawrence in the late 1960s, then left to serve with the Marines during the Vietnam War. Ed returned to Lawrence in the early 1990s, and was often seen on campus carrying his Army-issue rucksack, drinking his coffee, and even playing his banjo a couple of times at open mic. He lived off campus but was adopted by Plantz for the annual Trivia Contest. He graduated with a chemistry major in 1995.

After graduation, Ed continued to be a loyal Lawrentian, generously volunteering his time in a number of different efforts. Most recently, Ed served on the Class of 1995's 10th Reunion Gift Committee. Prior, Ed was an admissions volunteer and a member of the Viking Gift Committee. Ed was also a generous donor to Lawrence.


Ed also worked for a time at St. John's Northwestern Military Academy, where he's mentioned on the homepage.

Ed was presumably the author of this article for FrontPageMag.com.

Ed was a great guy. Even though he was 25 years older than the other members of the Class of '95, he seemed to fit right in. My two strongest memories of Ed are playing the Trivia Contest with him in Plantz Hall, and the cheering and applause that erupted when he received his diploma.

So long, Ed. You'll be missed.

Sunday Yard Work

Today I trimmed the mass o' trees in the backyard such that the trunks are visible. Before, the trunks were surrounded by a ten-foot radius of vegetative mess. Now, it looks like this:

Now we can plant that area along with the rest of the yard. Maybe some woodchips around the base.....