REMINDER: YOUR SUBMISSIONS ARE ENCOURAGED | | |
1. This coming Monday, May 26th, is Memorial Day. I want to express my great respect and honor to all who have served and fallen in defending freedom and democracy.
2. In From the Archive, I'm reposting a Memorial Day article about how Dutch families show their gratitude to fallen allied soldiers that Flock reader Rick Robson contributed to the Flock's June 2nd, 2023 issue.
3. In Around Town, the Tucson Pops Orchestra will perform a special Memorial Day Music Under the Stars concert with the Tucson Boys Chorus this Sunday, May 25th, at the DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center in Reid Park.
4. In The Next Gen, I'm giving an update on what the Flock's roving reporter and data analyst, William George, is doing this week. He's off at a conference in Europe. I'm sure he will return with valuable insights on the future of trade with the EU.
5. In this week's Artist's Corner, I'm revisiting husband-and-wife artists Patricia Leighton and Del Geist. They each have unique and successful careers as artists and sometimes collaborate on works together.
6. In Wellness, I have some information about the benefits of including olive oil in your diet, along with an infographic explaining the different grades of olive oil and additional information on polyphenols, the antioxidant compounds found in olive oil.
7. In Philanthropy, a friend in New York, Ron Castello, recently introduced me to the non-profit organization APOPO that trains HeroRATs and HeroDOGs to sniff out hidden landmines in areas that have experienced armed conflict. The HeroRATs are also trained to identify tuberculoses in laboratory samples.
| | Now, to this week's Flock. | | 1. Memorial Day: May 26, 2025 | | I have been making my annual trip to the Northeast, where my family is from. Memorial Day is a special day for me to remember and pay respect to my ancestors who crossed the Atlantic to settle in colonial New Hampshire and served in every American war since. Below are a few quotes that reflect the nation's collective gratitude to our fallen soldiers. | | |
“Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices.”
- President Harry S. Truman
“Spirit, that made those heroes dare
To die, and leave their children free,
Bid Time and Nature gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
“They are not dead who live in the hearts they leave behind.”
- Tuscarora Proverb
| | 2. From The Archives: A Memorial Day Reader Submission | | The following article is from the Flock Archives was originally posted in June of 2023. Rick Robinson, a Vietnam veteran, Ironman competitor, Big Island of Hawai'i denizen, and one of the earliest Flock subscribers, sent me this moving post that illustrates the gratitude earned by American soldiers who fought for the freedom of other nations during World War II. | | Remembering Our Troops who Sacrificed for Others | | |
About six miles from Maastricht, in the Netherlands, lie buried 8,301 American soldiers who died in "Operation Market Garden" in the battles to liberate Holland in the fall and winter of 1944.
Every one of the men buried in the cemetery, as well as those in the Canadian and British military cemeteries, has been adopted by a Dutch family who mind the grave, decorate it, and keep alive the memory of the soldier they have adopted. It is even the custom to keep a portrait of "their" American soldier in a place of honor in their home. Annually, on "Liberation Day," memorial services are held for "the men who died to liberate Holland." The day concludes with a concert. The final piece is always "Il Silenzio," a memorial piece commissioned by the Dutch and first played in 1965 on the 20th anniversary of Holland's liberation. It has been the concluding piece of the memorial concert ever since.
| | The year is 2014 the soloist is a 13-year-old Dutch girl, Melissa Venema, backed by André Rieu and his orchestra (the Royal Orchestra of the Netherlands). This beautiful concert piece is based upon the original version of taps and was composed by Italian composer Nino Rossi. | | 3. Around Town: Tucson Pops Orchestra | | The Tucson Pops Orchestra will perform the final Music Under the Stars concert of the 2025 spring season. The annual Memorial Day Concert will feature patriotic music and guest appearances from the Tucson Boys Chorus and the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Honor Guard. Grab your picnic blanket, snacks, and favorite beverages (no glass bottles), and enjoy a night of music and pleasant springtime Tucson weather. | | Memorial Day with the Tucson Boys Chorus | | |
An evening of remembrance and a fond farewell will complete our spring Music Under the Stars series on May 25.
Our annual Memorial Day concert will feature as special guests the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus under the direction of Julian Ackerly, who will lead the chorus in his final public performance after 45 years with Tucson’s “Ambassadors in Levi’s.”
Bring your lawn chairs or blankets, pack a picnic basket or visit our food trucks, and enjoy another memorable evening with the Tucson Pops Orchestra.
DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center, Reid Park
Sunday, May 25, 2025 at 7 p.m.
| | 4. The Next Gen: Checking in with William George | | The Flock's favorite roving reporter and data analyst, William George, Director of Research at ImportGenius, is attending the Dataharvest European Investigative Journalism Conference in Mechelen, Belgium, this week. As William networks with journalists at the conference, his expertise in analyzing shipping data will undoubtedly be of great interest in helping to assess the effects of tariffs on European Union products. | | |
Dataharvest – The European Investigative Journalism Conference is a meeting point where networks are established and nurtured, data and documents shared, cross-border projects conceived and teams established. The conference days are all about learning, inspiration and getting some work done.
The conference is like a European editorial meeting: Participants develop story ideas, get together in new networks to work on a common story or sit down with coders and designers to analyze and present a new data set. Editors talk about how to best structure the work process or how to best protect freedom of expression in practice. This is how Dataharvest works.
| | 5. Artist's Corner: Catching up with Patricia Leighton & Del Geist | | Patricia Leighton: Sawtooth Ramps, West Lothian, Scotland | | I first featured Patricia Leighton and Del Geist in the Flock's Artist's Corner in August 2022. Both Patricia and Del are known for their public sculptures. Each artist has a unique aesthetic, while they share a sensitivity to natural materials and themes. | | Patricia Leighton & Del Geist | | Patricia Leighton: Broadway Green, Garment District, NYC | | Patricia Leighton’s earthworks reflect the history of place and the changes frequently caused by industrialization as well as naturally occurring interventions. Seeking to balance the equilibrium within what is often a fragile system, Leighton creates extensions to what already exists. | | Del Geist: Triassic Towers, Calgary Alberta | | Del Geist’s massive freestanding sculptures are fused with geology exposing the pure beauty of slate, sandstone, and brick by juxtaposing those materials with steel constructions. As a team, both Leighton and Geist develop projects associated with transportation in its multiple forms, which allow them to integrate their own art practice into site-specific works tailored to the landscape and environment. Leighton and Geist are each recipients of a Pollack Krasner Grant. | | Del Geist: Champlain, Old Westbury, NY | | Olive oil is one of the healthiest oils to incorporate into your diet. It contains a high level of antioxidants, has anti-inflammatory properties, and has a high ratio of monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats to saturated fats. Olive oil is available in several grades, with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) being the highest grade. Moroccan olive oils are often richer in polyphenols and lower in acidity due to the soil, climate, and altitude in the Atlas Mountains where the olives are cultivated. | | 6 Major Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil | | |
EVOO is full of antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties, both of which aid your body in multiple ways
Does the word “oil” seem to like it must be incompatible with the term “health benefits”? We get it. Oils are used in deep-frying (which is arguably the least healthy way to prepare food), and seed oils are associated with a variety of health concerns.
But olive oil is different — especially when it’s used with other healthy, minimally processed or unprocessed foods.
“We know that there are quite a lot of health benefits to extra virgin olive oil, in particular,” says registered dietitian Julia Zumpano, RD, LD. “It has been shown to have antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, specifically from the types of fat it has.”
Is olive oil healthy?
Not all olive oil is created equal. There are three grades of olive oil: Refined, virgin and extra virgin, which is often just called EVOO. Of the three, EVOO — the least processed version — reigns supreme.
“All forms of olive oil are good for us,” Zumpano notes, “but extra virgin olive oil isn’t heated or altered by temperature or any chemicals. It’s the closest thing to the pressing of fresh oil.”
EVOO is full of antioxidants and heart-healthy fats, making it a staple in the Mediterranean diet, which is widely regarded as one of the healthiest styles of eating. Extra virgin olive oil is associated with health benefits like:
- Decreased inflammation.
- A lower risk of heart disease.
- Protection against cancer.
“No other oils can provide as many benefits as extra virgin olive oil can,” Zumpano adds. “It’s the far superior oil.”
Health benefits of extra virgin olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil contains more healthy fat (unsaturated) than unhealthy fat (saturated). It’s also higher in antioxidants than other types of olive oil.
Zumpano recommends 1 to 4 tablespoons of EVOO per day, but notes that the amount that’s healthiest for you depends on a variety of factors that include your age, sex, weight, activity level and overall caloric needs.
Let’s delve deeper into the health benefits of EVOO.
Rich in antioxidants
EVOO contains more than 20 types of polyphenols, a category of plant-based chemical compounds that help protect your heart and reduce inflammation throughout your body. Polyphenols are a type of antioxidant.
“Extra virgin olive oil is loaded with antioxidants,” Zumpano confirms, “which is where all of the main benefits come from.”
But what exactly does that mean for you? Antioxidants are tiny little health heroes whose job is to fight unstable molecules in your body called free radicals. If left unchecked, free radicals cause oxidative stress, which can lead to increased signs of aging and the development of chronic diseases.
“Antioxidants are almost like a shield around your cells, like a blanket around them to protect them from oxidative damage,” Zumpano explains.
Contains healthy fats
Olive oil contains mostly monounsaturated fat, a type of unsaturated fat that’s been linked to benefits, like:
But this is only true when you eat monounsaturated fats in place of saturated fats.
“You really only reap the dietary benefits of EVOO if you use it as a replacement ingredient for, say, butter or other types of oil,” Zumpano clarifies. “You can’t just add it to a diet of fried foods and junk food and expect to get the benefits.”
To get the most benefits from EVOO, it should be the primary source of fat in your diet, followed by nuts. Not sure how to get started? Explore the Mediterranean diet to figure out how you can optimize your eating style for your health.
| | 7. Philanthropy: HeroRATs | | A friend in New York, Ron Castello, recently introduced me to the non-profit APOPO, which trains HeroDOGs and African giant pouched rats, called HeroRATs, to use their acute sense of smell to sniff out landmines in rural areas of over 50 countries in Africa and Asia. The HeroRATs' sense of smell is so sensitive that they can also be trained to detect tuberculosis in lab samples with great accuracy and more quickly than conventional methods. | | APOPO save lives by training animals to rid the world of landmines and tuberculosis | | |
The Problem
Over 60 countries are contaminated with hidden landmines and other explosive remnants of war, that cause tragic accidents and hamper communities from developing their productive land.
Meanwhile, slow and inaccurate detection methods make tuberculosis the world’s most deadly infectious disease. 10.8 million new people contracted TB in 2023, 2.7 million went undiagnosed, and 1.3 million died from the disease.
| | |
The Solution
APOPO’s scent detection animals, nicknamed ‘HeroRATs’ and ‘HeroDOGs’, help to rid the world of landmines and tuberculosis – returning safe land back to communities for development, and freeing people from serious illness so they can get back on their feet.
Finding Landmines
59 countries and states suffer from the blight of hidden landmines. APOPO's landmine detection rats and technical survey dogs ignore scrap metal and only detect explosive scent, making them much faster at finding landmines than metal detectors
Detecting Tuberculosis
Detecting tuberculosis remains one of the biggest challenges facing medical professionals. APOPO’s TB detection rats can check 100 samples for tuberculosis in 20 minutes; the same task would take a lab technician up to 4 days. Suspect samples are re-checked using LED fluorescence microscopy.
| | APOPO - Who We Are and How It Works | | These Flock regulars are always here for you: | | Don't Be Shy: Share Your Stories! | | I'm looking forward to sharing more of your personal stories - oral, written, or otherwise, as we enter our third year. I'd so love to present them to The Flock, hit a mailbox below to share your story. | | Subscriptions & Idea Submissions
Reminder: Your submissions are always welcomed. | | |
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Your fan and friend,
Beth
| | | The information and materials contained or referenced in this newsletter are for informational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a physician or other qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before beginning a new health care regimen. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical advice or care based on anything contained in this newsletter. | | | | |
