Flagler College Associate Professor of Art History Dr. Chris Balaschak was recently selected to attend a seminar at the Yale Center for British Art focused on “Landscape and Identity in Britain and the United States, 1770-1914.”
The seminar is organized by The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and will be held between July 24 to 28 in New Haven, Conn.
“Part of my interest in going is to learn more about the pedagogical role of the Flagler art collection (most of which is in the Flagler Room),” Balaschak said. “I’ve used it in my teaching, and for student research and writing projects. We actually have fairly limited information on Flagler’s collection. While at Yale, I am hoping to gain a broader context for the material we have on campus in such a way as to benefit my classes and scholarship.”
Balaschak received his doctoral degree in 2010 from the program in Visual Studies at University of California, Irvine, and his bachelor’s degree from New York University in 1998. Dr. Balaschak specializes in the history of photography, contemporary art and visual culture. His research looks at how ‘photography in print’ (books, essays, ephemera) constructed an American sense of place during the mid-20th century. The legacy of American social documentary photography, the political context of the Cold War, and the socio-economic conditions of post-industrialism are common themes in his writing. His work has recently appeared in several different books, including “Paper Cities: Urban Portraits in Photographic Books” (Leuven University Press), “Conflict, Identity and Protest in American Art” (Cambridge Scholars Publishing), and “Truth in the Public Sphere” (Lexington Books).
According to CIC, the week-long course at Yale will address British and American landscape painting in a global context. Seminar participants will view major works of art at the Yale Center for British Art and the Yale University Art Gallery, and will take trips to New York City to view the great collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Hudson River Valley, a favored subject among American landscape painters; a visit to Olana, the home of painter Frederic Church; and to the Thomas Cole National Historic Site.
For more information on the seminar, click here.
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Gov. Rick Scott to Host Zika Preparedness Roundtable in West Palm Beach
Tomorrow, March 30th, Governor Rick Scott will host a roundtable with community leaders in West Palm Beach on Zika preparedness ahead of the rainy season when mosquitos are most prevalent in Florida.
WHAT: Zika Preparedness Roundtable
WHEN: 3:00 PM
WHERE: Florida Department of Health Palm Beach
1150 45th Street
West Palm Beach, FL 33407
Florida Access to Justice Project statement on House passage of judicial term limits
The Florida House today passed a measure that would impose term limits on state Supreme Court and appeals court judges. Progress Florida Executive Director Mark Ferrulo issued the following statement on behalf of the Florida Access to Justice Project:
“Today’s vote is yet another in a series of attacks against the courts for doing their job and striking down unconstitutional actions by the legislature. We hope the Senate takes a more responsible approach and doesn’t continue to move this dangerous proposal forward.
“This resolution is nothing more than petty political retribution on the part of leaders in the Florida House who resent the court for doing its job and acting as a check on their abuse of power.
“We don’t need to limit the terms of the judges on our highest courts. What we need is experienced, seasoned jurists, and we need to keep politics out of our judicial system.”
ICYMI: MaryLynn Magar statement on high-speed rail bill
Yesterday, House Bill 269, sponsored by Representative MaryLynn Magar, was temporarily postponed in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee. The bill would establish a statewide framework for dealing with safety and maintenance costs associated with high-speed rail.
State Representative Magar made the following statement regarding the bill:
“This bill would have clarified that the costs associated with crossing upgrades and maintenance is the responsibility of the rail company, not state or local governments.
“All Aboard Florida calls this a ‘privately funded project,’ yet the project is shifting the costs of required safety upgrades and maintenance of their rail system to the local governments. Indian River and Martin County’s fiscal impact study found the costs of safety upgrades in the millions of dollars, and all of these costs are to be borne by the taxpayers throughout the life of the All Aboard Florida system.
“Although this bill has been temporarily postponed, my co-sponsors and I will continue to work with stakeholders, constituents, and fellow legislators to move this issue forward.
“It is unfortunate that All-Aboard Florida says that this legislation will kill jobs. This bill simply asks that All-Aboard Florida pay for their rail system and not place the burden on the backs of local governments and the taxpayers of Florida.”
About MaryLynn Magar for State Representative
MaryLynn Magar was first elected in 2012 and represents District 82 in the Florida House of Representatives. She is Vice President and General Manager of HeartCare Imaging, Inc. She is the former Republican State Committeewoman in Martin County and has been a member of the Martin County Republican Executive Committee since 1993. She was active in the campaign efforts for Jeb Bush for Governor and George W. Bush for President. Within her community, Magar is a Eucharistic Minister for St. Jude Catholic Church and is Team Mom for Jupiter-Tequesta Athletic Association. Magar lives in Tequesta with her daughter, Samantha, and husband, Bob, who is President and CEO of HeartCare Imaging, Inc., and a board member of Florida Atlantic University.
ON THE WEB: www.marylynnmagar.com
Paid by MaryLynn Magar, Republican, for State Representative
Cortes continues to call on Gov. Scott for Ayala suspension
State Representative Bob Cortes releases a statement
advocating for the suspension of State Attorney Aramis Ayala
“Governor Scott’s removal of State Attorney Aramis Ayala from the Markeith Loyd case was the only way to fully ensure that justice for the victims of these heinous crimes will be done. State Attorney Ayala’s unilateral decision to not seek the death penalty would do great damage to our judicial system, and yesterday’s decision to keep her off the case was the right one. I hope her removal will continue to be upheld and that the victims’ families will find some measure of comfort that the case against Mr. Loyd is being prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
While I’m glad State Attorney Ayala is off this case, I continue to believe she should be suspended, and I urge Governor Scott to seriously consider that option. By saying that she will not pursue the death penalty in this or any other case, she is failing to fully do the job she was elected to do. For that reason, in addition to the Loyd case, all of State Attorney Ayala’s cases should be re-assigned to prosecutors who will consider the full range of appropriate options for seeking justice in the Ninth Circuit.”
Gov. Rick Scott to Host Military Roundtable in Tampa
Tomorrow, March 30th, Governor Rick Scott will host a roundtable with community leaders in Tampa to discuss economic development and jobs programs that the Florida House voted to eliminate. Governor Scott will specifically speak to those programs under Enterprise Florida that invest in Florida’s military and defense communities.
WHAT: Military Roundtable
WHEN: 9:00 AM
WHERE: VFW Post 424 Tampa
105 West Broad Street
Tampa, FL 33604
Flagler’s Theatre Arts Department wins big at Kennedy Center Festival Awards
Students Brian Matthews and Sissy Hofaker in ‘The Maids.’
Flagler College’s Theatre Arts Department has taken the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) Awards by storm, earning seven national awards, including Outstanding Production of a Play for its November performance of Jean Genet’s “The Maids.”
Other awards for the play included Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Play, which went to student Brian Harold Matthews; Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Play, to students Sissy Hofaker and Becca Woods; Outstanding Costume Design, to resident designer Elaina Wahl-Temple; Outstanding Ensemble of a Play, to the production’s cast; and Distinguished Director of a Play, to guest director and Flagler alumnus Joe Kemper.
This is the first time Flagler College has been recognized at KCACTF nationally.
“Having the Theatre Arts Department’s production of ‘The Maids’ recognized in this way is an incredible honor,” said Associate Professor and Department Chair Andrea McCook. “These awards and attending the national festival is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
McCook also emphasized broad institutional support for the department’s participation in the festival.
“From Dean (Alan) Woolfolk and the Office of Academic Affairs, to Barbara Blonder and the Office of Undergraduate Research and to the Business Office, we are extremely grateful to the institution, which made it possible for the production to go to the regional festival, where we were noticed on the national level,” she said.
KCACTF hosts the Irene Ryan acting competition and is comprised of a network of more than 600 schools throughout the country. Theater departments and student artists showcase their work and receive outside assessment by KCACTF respondents. Of the eight regions nationally, Flagler College is a part of Region IV. This year’s competition, held at Georgia Southern University, took place Feb. 8 to 11.
The students, along with Kemper and Wahl-Temple, will be attending the national festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. the week of April 18, 2017.
To see a full listing of the awards, click here.
2016-2017 PNC Bank Concert Artist Series Concludes with Alexander Frey April 2
On Sunday, April 2, The University of Tampa will welcome multi-talented pianist Alexander Frey, whom Leonard Bernstein referred to as “a wonderful spirit,” for the final concert in the 2016-2017 PNC Bank Concert Artist Series at the Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values. The performance begins at 2 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
The program for the concert will include works by Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957) and Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990), including the North American premiere of Korngold’s Walz an Luzi and the world premiere of Bernstein’s Valse Gaea. Frey will also perform Korngold’s Don Quixote and Marchenbilder, Op. 3, and Bernstein’s Thirteen Anniversaries.
Although living in Berlin, Frey’s career as a conductor, organist, pianist, harpsichordist and recording artist has taken him all over the globe with performances in the music capitals of Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa.
As pianist and organist, Frey has performed with many of the world’s great symphony orchestras. He also served as principal conductor of the Rome Philharmonic Orchestra from 1996–2002 and the Bohemia Symphony Orchestra in Prague from 2000–2006, and his many guest conducting appearances include performances with almost 50 orchestras on five continents. This year, he is serving as artist-in-residence for the Gaulitana International Music Festival in Malta.
Amongst his many recordings, his award-winning recording of Korngold’s Between Two Worlds was listed by Gramophone Magazine as one of the “250 Greatest Recordings of All Time,” and his recording of Bernstein’s Peter Pan reached No. 8 on the Billboard Classical Music Chart. He released two new albums in 2016, Tribal Domestic (Sony) and Big Americana Box (Bach Guild).
Doors open at 1:30 p.m. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Parking is available on campus, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd.
The 2016-2017 PNC Bank Concert Artist Series is underwritten by PNC Bank and the UT College of Arts and Letters. For more information, contact [email protected] or go to www.ut.edu/sykeschapel.
Former Flagler Beach Pastor Sentenced in Investment Fraud Case
The Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) today announced that former Flagler Beach pastor, Wesley Alan Brown, was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison followed by 22.5 years of probation for his role in an investment scheme that defrauded members of his congregation. Today’s sentencing follows Brown’s conviction in January 2017, where he was found guilty of multiple felony charges, including organized scheme to defraud. Restitution is anticipated once the amounts owed to the victims have been verified by the court.
Commissioner Drew J. Breakspear said, “Abusing a position of trust for personal financial gain is heinous and will not be tolerated in Florida. I applaud the work of OFR’s investigators and the Flagler County State Attorney’s Office to end this scheme and prevent additional unsuspecting victims from experiencing financial harm.”
Brown, who was an associate pastor at a Flagler Beach area church, solicited church members to invest in the stock of Maverick International, Inc., telling them that Maverick was a diversified private company that invested in precious metals and commodities. He led victims to believe that investments in the company had high growth potential and no risk. However, OFR’s investigation revealed that Brown deposited at least $60,000 of investors’ money into his personal account, and that Maverick paid Brown’s personal credit card bills, totaling more than $84,000.
If you feel that you may be a victim of fraud or to report suspicious activity, please file a complaint with the OFR online, www.flofr.com, or call (850) 487-9687.
For tips on avoiding investment fraud, check out OFR’s Consumer Alert: Top Red Flags of Investment Scams.
Nelson, others seek to block Trump's executive order
One day after President Trump signed an executive order to roll back many of the Obama administration’s policies aimed at combating climate change, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and others filed legislation to nullify the order.
“Florida is ground zero when it comes to the effects of sea-level rise and climate change,” Nelson said today. “Rolling back these policies puts Florida’s economy and environment at risk – and it’s a risk Floridians shouldn’t have to take.”
The legislation would block federal agencies from implementing the actions outlined in an executive order Trump signed Tuesday instructing the Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies to begin undoing several initiatives aimed at limiting harmful emissions from power plants.
In addition to Nelson, the bill is cosponsored by Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tom Carper (D-DE), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Al Franken (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Ed Markey (D-MA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tom Udall (D-NM), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
Text of the bill can be found here, and below is a background story on the president’s executive action.
Trump Signs Executive Order Unwinding Obama Climate Policies
By CORAL DAVENPORT
Published: March 28, 2017
President Trump signed on Tuesday a much-anticipated executive order intended to roll back most of President Barack Obama’s climate-change legacy, celebrating the move as a way to promote energy independence and to restore thousands of lost coal industry jobs.
Flanked by coal miners at a ceremony at the Environmental Protection Agency, Mr. Trump signed a short document titled the “Energy Independence” executive order, directing the agency to start the legal process of withdrawing and rewriting the Clean Power Plan, the centerpiece of Mr. Obama’s policies to fight global warming.
The order also takes aim at a suite of narrower but significant Obama-era climate and environmental policies, including lifting a short-term ban on new coal mining on public lands.
The executive order does not address the United States’ participation in the 2015 Paris Agreement, the landmark accord that committed nearly every country to take steps to reduce climate-altering pollution. But experts note that if the Trump program is enacted, it will all but ensure that the United States cannot meet its clean air commitments under the accord.
But energy economists say the order falls short of both of those goals — in part because the United States already largely relies on domestic sources for the coal and natural gas that fires most of the nation’s power plants.
“We don’t import coal,” said Robert N. Stavins, an energy economist at Harvard University. “So in terms of the Clean Power Plan, this has nothing to do with so-called energy independence whatsoever.”
Scott Pruitt, the E.P.A. administrator, said in an interview on ABC News on Sunday that the order will help the United States “be both pro-jobs and pro-environment.”
But coal miners should not assume their jobs will return if Trump’s regulations take effect.
The new order would mean that older coal plants that had been marked for closing would probably stay open for a few years longer, extending the demand for coal, said Robert W. Godby, an energy economist at the University of Wyoming.
But even so, “the mines that are staying open are using more mechanization,” he said.
“They’re not hiring people,” he continued.
“So even if we saw an increase in coal production, we could see a decrease in coal jobs,” he added.
Legal experts say it could take years for the Trump administration to unwind the Clean Power Plan, which has not yet been carried out because it has been temporarily frozen by a Supreme Court order. Those regulations sought to cut planet-warming carbon dioxide pollution from coal-fired power plants. If enacted, they would have shut down hundreds of those plants, frozen construction of future plants and replaced them with wind and solar farms and other renewable energy sources.
Throughout his campaign, Mr. Trump highlighted his support of coal miners, holding multiple rallies in coal country and vowing to restore lost jobs to the flagging industry. At a rally last week in Kentucky, Mr. Trump vowed that his executive order would “save our wonderful coal miners from continuing to be put out of work.”
While coal mining jobs have dropped in the United States, they do not represent a significant portion of the American economy. Coal companies employed about 65,971 miners in 2015, down from 87,755 in 2008, according to Energy Department statistics.
And though the percentage of coal mining jobs dropped sharply, economists said that was not driven by the Clean Power Plan. Rather, they blamed two key forces: an increase in the production of natural gas, which is a cheaper, cleaner-burning alternative to coal, and an increase in automation, which allowed coal companies to produce more fuel with fewer employees. The rollback of Mr. Obama’s regulations will not change either of those forces, economists say.
“The problem with coal jobs has not been CO2 regulations, so this will probably not bring back coal jobs,” Mr. Godby said. “The problem has been that there has not been market demand for coal.”
The coal industry nonetheless cheered the move.
“These actions are vital to the American coal industry, to our survival, and to getting some of our coal families back to work,” said Robert E. Murray, the chief executive of Murray Energy, one of the nation’s largest coal mining companies.
But even Mr. Murray conceded that he did not expect Mr. Trump’s order to return coal mining numbers to their former strength. “I really don’t know how far the coal industry can be brought back,” he said.
Mr. Trump’s directive also eliminates about a half-dozen of Mr. Obama’s smaller executive orders and memorandums related to combating climate change.
For example, the order would require White House economists to recalculate a budgeting metric known as the social cost of carbon that, under the Obama administration, limited pollution by arguing that global warming outweighed economic benefits for industries. It would also eliminate a requirement that federal agencies consider the impact on climate change when analyzing all future environmental permits.
Combined, the measures are likely to ensure the United States’ emissions of planet-warming pollution remain too high to meet the terms of the Paris climate accord.
The aim of the Paris deal is to reduce emissions enough to stave off a warming of the planet by more than 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, the level at which, experts say, the Earth will be irrevocably locked into a future of extreme droughts, flooding and shortages of food and water.
But analysts say Mr. Trump’s order signals that the United States will not meet its pledges under the Paris deal to cut its emissions about 26 percent from 2005 levels by 2025.
“Meeting the U.S. terms of the Paris Agreement would require full enforcement of the current regulations, plus additional regulations,” said Michael Oppenheimer, a climate scientist at Princeton University. “It takes a comprehensive effort involving every country doing what they committed to and more.”
He said Mr. Trump’s order “sends a signal to other countries that they might not have to meet their commitments — which would mean that the world would fail to stay out of the climate danger zone.”
