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Coronavirus Cover Story
Pandemic Tests the Mettle of the Region's Small Businesses
Over the course of this long, trying year, BusinessWest has offered a number of what we call 'COVID stories.' These are the stories of small-business owners coping with a changed world and challenges they could not possibly have foreseen a year ago. As this year draws to a close, we offer more of these sagas. Like those we documented before, they put on full display the perseverance, imagination, and entrepreneurial will that has defined the business community's response to the pandemic.
Hot Oven Cookies Seizes Growth Opportunities During Pandemic
COVID Tails
Pandemic Has Forced This 'Pet Resort' to Consolidate and Pivot
Greenfield Recorder Stays Locally Focused on Pandemic — and Everything Else
At Hadley Printing, the Presses Have Started Rolling Again
For This Dental Practice, COVID Has Brought Myriad Challenges
More Business Dreams Are Dying
By Editorial December 22, 2020
While the arrival of vaccines is fostering some optimism across this country and we're hearing phrases like 'beginning of the end' (for the pandemic) and 'light at the end of the tunnel,' the sad fact is that relief won't come soon enough for some businesses in this region.
The latest victim of the COVID-19 crisis is Gateway City Arts in Holyoke. Owners Lori Divine and Vitek Kruta announced they can longer continue operating their cultural-arts center, which had become such a critical part of Holyoke's resurgence, and will now attempt to sell the complex.
Their message to the community sums up the plight of so many businesses in this region and the frustration that has accompanied the restrictions, shutdowns, and general lack of support from state and federal officials.
"We have reached the point where we just don't have the resources and energy to try to survive," they wrote, echoing the sentiments of many who have been trying, unsuccessfully, to hang on. "It took us 10 years to start feeling that we could make it, and then COVID took it all away."
The two went on to talk about life just before they were forced to close their doors. There was a sold-out concert with more than 500 people in the Hub (and an impressive upcoming slate of big-name artists), a theater production with more than 100 people, and a full house in Judd's restaurant. And in the veritable blink of an eye, it was all gone.
Like most small businesses in this region, Gateway City Arts received a PPP loan last spring. It was intended to provide eight to 10 weeks of support and keep people paid — and that's exactly what it did. The problem, as everyone knows, is that the pandemic has lasted far longer than a few months. No further relief, other than a GoFundMe campaign, was forthcoming, and with no end to this crisis in sight, Divine and Kruta had to let their dream die.
As we all prepare to turn the calendar to 2021, many businesses are some state of peril — and many more dreams may have to die. If there is a lockdown or further restrictions, as many fear is possible, if not imminent — or even if the status quo continues — many more small businesses will be forced to close their doors.
Yes, the vaccines are coming, and yes, there just might be some light at the end of this incredibly long, exceedingly dark tunnel. But for many, it won't come soon enough. As this issue was going to press, Congress was making some progress toward a new stimulus package, one we have to hope will include some relief to embattled small businesses.
But these companies need more than that. As we've written on many occasions, they need the support of the community, in any way it can come, to get through this.
We were encouraged to see that a number of businesses were stepping up during the holidays to help. Indeed, instead of sending the traditional gift basket or tray of cookies to an office where few if any people are working anyway, some businesses have sent gift certificates or even small, pre-paid credit cards, with instructions to use them to support local businesses.
Likewise, instead of having that holiday party at a local venue, some businesses are instead giving employees gift certificates for local restaurants, a step that shows appreciation not only for valued workers, but for the local eateries that have been devastated by this pandemic.
It's unlikely that such steps would have saved Gateway City Arts, a intriguing, potential-laden business that was just hitting its stride when the rug was pulled out from under it. Unless the region rallies around the still-surviving small businesses, other dreams may die as well.
Small Businesses Need Support
By Editorial August 4, 2020
The recent news that two small businesses located in the Shops at Marketplace in downtown Springfield — Serendipity and Alchemy Nail Bar — will be closing permanently due to a sharp decline in business from the pandemic provides more direct evidence of the damage being done to the business community from this crisis.
A number of small businesses have already closed over the past four and a half months, and those numbers will surely rise as the pandemic continues to keep people in their homes. Many of these closings are seemingly unavoidable — they involve businesses, such as event venues, bars, and restaurants, where people gather in large numbers indoors, something the pandemic has made all but impossible if people want to stay safe.
But some could be avoided if the residents of this area find ways to provide needed support. Many are already doing that, but these numbers need to grow if the Western Mass. business community is to avoid losing more of its valued members.
And we say valued, because that's exactly what they are. Businesses are not simply establishments that occupy space in buildings and provide goods and services. They are part of the community, and often a big part.
They employ people. They pay taxes. They support organizations like the United Way and the Chamber of Commerce. Their employees often serve on boards and commissions and lend their support to local causes.
When a business closes, we lose a lot more than a place to buy shoes. When a restaurant closes, we lose more than our favorite pizza joint. When a tourist attraction shuts its doors, we lose more than a place to take the kids on a Saturday.
Supporting local businesses has always been important, but it is even more so during this crisis because so many of them are imperiled. As we have chronicled over the past several months, ventures in every sector of the economy have been rocked by this pandemic.
Indeed, companies recording sales of 60% or 70% of last year's totals are having a good year. And most are not in that category, with declines of 70%, 80%, or even 90% over last year. Many of these businesses have been helped by assistance from the federal government in the form of PPP loans, SBA loans, and small grants from individual cities and towns. But many have exhausted those funds, and the pandemic shows no signs of letting up.
It doesn't take someone with a degree in accounting to understand that most businesses simply cannot sustain losses like this for much longer. And some have already concluded that they can't sustain them any longer.
With each headline like the one about Serendipity and Alchemy closing, there is regret about what we've lost. And as mentioned earlier, we lose more than a shop that sells an item or makes good Italian food. We lose tax dollars, and we lose a piece of our community.
There are many ways to support a business even if you can't visit it in person — from buying a gift certificate to getting takeout to buying online. And by exercising these options, we can perhaps avoid losing some of the businesses that still call Western Mass. home.
Cloud Voice Makes Small Companies Look Like Big Businesses
By Columnist March 3, 2020
Air Apparent
By Sean Hogan
Small businesses have been drawn to VoIP technology because of the substantial cost savings they gain when making the switch. However, as VoIP has continued to evolve over the years and moved into the 'cloud,' small businesses have begun to leverage VoIP in new ways to gain competitive advantages in their respective industries.
The growth of virtual companies and remote workforces has brought everyone to the same playing field, and customers across every industry are looking to work with credible, prestigious, large companies. Here are some ways in which cloud voice can make your business look bigger than it is today.
Your office just got a receptionist you don't have to pay for. Cloud-based phone systems today include features that completely eliminate the need for a receptionist. Systems can be configured in order to route calls directly to the intended employee via a unified auto-attendant. Also, if your office doesn't have a receptionist, systems can distribute incoming calls among specific groups.
This goes beyond simply sending sales calls to salespeople and admin calls to support employees. For example, you can use caller ID to send specific accounts directly to the CEO's cell phone. Or if none of the salespeople answer an incoming call, it goes to the sales manager's cell phone.
"Small businesses have begun to leverage VoIP in new ways to gain competitive advantages in their respective industries."
Unlimited locations, one office number. With the rampant growth of startups and virtual companies, many businesses need to have a communications system that supports both in-house and remote workers while maintaining a professional image across the board. With cloud voice, calls to the main office can be sent out anywhere simply by asking the customer to dial an extension, just like how large corporations are doing.
Seamless conference calls and lightning-fast voicemails. Conference calls or online meetings are often a source of frustration for most companies. Cloud voice solutions enable businesses to host conferences during meetings so you can be face to face, even when you can't be in the same location.
Furthermore, all technology is hosted through a single solution, so when it's time to host a meeting, businesses can rest assured that the technology will perform as promised. Another way in which cloud voice accelerates collaboration is through its ability to convert voicemails into MP3 files, which can be sent as e-mail attachments. Additionally, voice calls can be converted to text and vice versa for easier retrieval and communication.
Collaborate on the fly. Today's employees need to be constantly connected. Collaboration can't always be planned out in advance, and when a good idea strikes, everyone needs to be in the loop. Cloud technology has made it easy for employees to see from their desktop what their co-workers are doing and how to best access them (e.g. instant message, voice, or e-mail) so communication can happen immediately.
There are many advantages to moving a company to cloud voice. For small business, the rewards are plentiful because they can utilize the same technology as large enterprises for a fraction of the cost and make them look just as big.
Sean Hogan is president of Hogan Technology.


Tuesday, June 21, 1870.
Wm. Goat and his numerous family from the mountains, had possession of the square yesterday morning. This family, 1,000 in number, were being sold at from three to ten dollars each.
A verdant youth whose ambition to become a brakeman was uncontrollable, got in a situation yesterday on the H. & St Joe R. R. He coupled one coupling and left a couple of his fingers there. He has quit railroading.
"Shoo Fly" is in everybody's mouth and it's a wonder it don't make 'em sick; any other kind of fly would.
Bishop Robinson, of this Diocese, will preach at St. Luke's church next Sunday.
We have now on a visit to our city a gentleman from the East, of some capital, and an experienced business man, who is desirous of forming connection with an established house, or with a party acquainted with the Western trade. He is a gentleman of high character and ability with a large connections in the East. Address, P. O. Box 1413, Kansas City.
The coolest thing of the season is ice cream, and it is in a "melting mood."
The "bold Britons" who are this far from the white cliffed shores of Albion, had a meeting at Turner Hall last night.
Biggor's slaughter-house is a stench in the nostrils of the Bottomites. They say "it smells to heaven," and it does, at least as near there as we can speak from personal experience.
The wreck of a lost bark is lying at the corner of Fourth and Delaware streets. Some one ought to remove it, it smells bad. Anyone doing so will doubtless be entitled to full salvage. In plain words that dead dog lying there in the summer sun is an unmitigated nuisance that ought to be abated.


1. The Cuillin of Skye
1a. South Skye Landscapes
2. The Peaks of the Three Stars
3. Canigou and Bugarach
3a. Cardou, Rennes-les-Bains and River Salz
4. Tree Woven Lands
5. Andorra suite 2015-2016
6. The Sacred River ran
6a. Gorges de l'Aude
7. Pyrenees Orientales
8. The Wonder Tales
8a. Creation of the Unicorn
9. The Gods and Heroes
10. From North to South: Painting as Ecology
11. The Look that has Seen
12. The Painter John Slavin
profile history
comments from exhibition guests
John Slavin Art
Portfolio: 10. From North to South: Painting as Ecology
John Slavin's Art by Monika Kostera
Moving Mists Eilean a'Cheo
Loch na Beiste
The North Atlantic Island Skies
The Road to Montsegur
Bugarach from the Devil's Armchair
Autumn Rain River Salz
The following excerpt is from Professor Monika Kostera (Jagiellonian University), in Occupy Management (Oxford: Routledge, 2014) pp 193-4.
'When I met him last winter, John Slavin told me his story of finding the right landscape to paint. He is intuitively drawn towards a type of scenery and stays in it for some time to paint it. As it happened, the journey is leading him to the South, perhaps because of the light and shadow. In his view, light and shadow belong together, they are intertwined and cannot be separated. To see it and to paint it is for him more than enough, he does not long for any cultural references or echoes of human civilization. Shadows and light can best be enjoyed in nature, and recently it is the deeper tones and sharper contrasts he is interested in, rather than the greys of North Scotland, which fascinated him a few years ago. His paintings of the Isle of Skye depict cliffs and mountains, the colours are foggy, dark, the greyscale dominating over some accents of green and blue, the lines firm but rounded.
Moving Mists, Eilean a' Cheo shows the primordial power of the Earth, where the mountain protruding from the sea is still in movement, among the water and the black forest in the foreground, it is the moment of the birth of a mountain. We see the moment from the point of view of the Earth: millions of years, measured by the clock of the movement of tectonic plates, a rhythm beyond human imagination. Loch na Beiste shows the rivalry of three elements: rock, air and water, locked in a battle for dominance, entangled in a brotherly but lethal embrace. They are, perhaps, fighting for Gaia's attention, at heart not all that much concerned about power for and by itself, but they know that the mightiest of them will win her interest. The North Atlantic Island Skies shows a scene where the mountains and the water are seemingly at peace, but this is just a moment of dreaming, the cliffs look as if they were purring, caressed by the white clouds, leaning over them from a blue sky. Upmost there is a suggestion of menace, a presentiment of the violent awakening that is awaiting the sleeping landscape.
John Slavin's southern landscapes show another face of Gaia. Here she is more of an indulgent mother, she seems to be smiling at her offspring playing in the sun. The colours are lively and bright, vibrant yellows, reds and oranges springing out from the frames, entwined with deep greens and blues, with very active contrasts and intense lines. The Road to Montsegur has a mountain as its main scene, happily allowing trees and moss to play in its lap. Only the way it holds its back against the sky shows how powerful it really is, an old giant secure in its skin. Bugarach from the Devil's Armchair is about chestnut trees, with the mount Bugarach visible in the distance, through their entangled branches. Their pulse is so much more rapid than the mountain's they must appear to it as a bunch of rowdy children. There is, however, an aura of infinite patience emanating frm the wizened cliff. Not that it in any way is able to mitigate the mischievous trees: they are losing themselves in the game they are playing, one excluding everyone else outside. Autumn Rain River Salz portrays a vibrant river, cascading through a hilly landscape, among trees and bushes that seem to be longing to get in tune with her. Out of the shadows there radiates a desire, maybe to fuse with her, maybe just to grasp and hold her. In the distance a mountain lives at its own pace, it could not care less for the tomfoolery of the young ones.
The paintings convey an understanding of Nature, her energies, rhythms and moods more than any other artworks I have encountered, they seem to spring from a profound link between the Earth and the artist. As John himself has written, "I feel I am open enough to channel the harmonious universality of nature through brush work. My surname 'Slavin' is probably of Old Irish origin denoting sliabh, a mountain. Without a doubt, the splendid stature and magnificent bearing of the Scottish Highlands, home of my ancestors, finds heartfelt expression in the core of my work."'


Thank Folk It's Friday – 10th January
January 10, 2014 at 14:17	(News, Week in Review)
Tags: afenginn, bandito folk, ben stephenson, communion melbourne, emily and the woods, emily smith, folk music, forginia, glen hansard, inside llewyn davis, jack carty, james vincent mcmorrow, jimeoin, jordan millar, lisa o'neill, redvers, the beez, trouble in the kitchen
– Stream the self-titled debut album for Sydney brother duo Forgonia. Details here
– James Vincent McMorrow wrapped up his Australian tour this week and released his new video "Red Dust". Details here
– After you listen to the Redvers track "Impressions" make sure you reach out to the man himself for an exclusive stream of his new album. Details here
– Danish ethnopunk band Afenginn are in the country and have a bunch of shows around the place that you need to get to. Details here
– To showcase his upcoming album Jack Carty is heading out on a national house concert tour from this week. Details here
– London's Emily and The Woods released their new single "Helios". Details here
– Today marks the release of Sarah Blasko's new live album I Awake Live at Sydney Opera House. Details here
– Brisbane five-piece Bandito Folk released their new video for the track "Don't Wanna Be Like You". Details here
– Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard has announced Australian dates in March with Lisa O'Neill in support. Details here
– It may be a shameless cash-in on the buzz surrounding Inside Llewyn Davis but the upcoming compilation Greenwich Village in the '60s has a pretty impressive track listing. Details here
– Jordan Millar has released his new single "If Only…" which he's offering as a free download. Details here
– Scottish singer Emily Smith has released the video for her new single "My Darling Boy". Details here
– Following the sad news that The Staves have cancelled their Australian tour due to illness, Communion Melbourne have added Ainslie Wills and Tigertown (DJ set) to their January lineup. Details here
"It's great to get away from a Berlin winter and if work is slow, you might as well be able to visit your friends and family, be in good weather, and actually have some work to do" – Peter D'Elia from The Beez chats to Bill Quinn. Interview here
I Awake Live at Sydney Opera House – Sarah Blasko
JB HiFi
Timber and Steel Recommends – Go To This Gig
Arguably the best mandolinist in the world, Chris Thile returns to Australia in solo mode with his new album Bach: Sonatas & Partitas Vol. 1 in tow. Thile will reportedly be dipping into his back catalogue along with his new album which will make for some pretty special shows
Tuesday 14th January – The Spiegeltent, Sydney, NSW
Wednesday 15th January – The Spiegeltent, Sydney, NSW
Thursday 16th January – Riverside Theatre, Parramatta, NSW
Friday 17th January – MONA FOMA, Hobart, TAS
Afenginn
Friday 10th to Sunday 12th January – Cygnet Folk Festival, TAS
Monday 13th January – MONA, Hobart, TAS
Tuesday 14th January – Lizotte's, Newcastle, NSW
Wednesday 15th January – Lizotte's, Central Coast, NSW
Thursday 16th January – The Basement, Sydney, NSW
Friday 17th to Saturday 18th January – Illawarra Folk Festival, Bulli, NSW
Friday 10th January – The Merry Muse, Southern Cross Club, Canberra, ACT
Saturday 11th – Katinya Environmental Centre, Moruya, NSW
Sunday 12th – Cobargo Folk Club, Cobargo, NSW
Friday 17th to Sunday 19th January – Illawarra Folk Festival, Bulli, NSW
Cygnet Folk Festival
Friday 10th to Sunday 12th January – Cygnet, TAS
Saturday 11th January – Circus Ronaldo Tent, Sydney, NSW
Sunday 12th January – Circus Ronaldo Tent, Sydney, NSW
Monday 13th January – Sky Terrace at The Star, Sydney, NSW
Tuesday 14th January – Sky Terrace at The Star, Sydney, NSW
Illawarra Folk Festival
Thursday 16th to Sunday 19th January – Bulli, NSW
Jack Carty
Wednesday 15th January – House Concert, Thornlands, QLD
Thursday 16th January – House Concert, Fig Tree Pocket, QLD
Friday 17th January – House Concert, Brisbane, QLD
John Grant and John Murry
Thursday 16th January – Sydney Town Hall, Sydney, NSW
Jordan Millar
Friday 17th January – Name This Bar, Sydney, NSW
Kaurna Cronin
Wednesday 15th January – The Moon Cafe, Perth, WA
Friday 17th January – White Star, Albany, WA
Kim Churchill
Thursday 16th January – Solbar, Maroochydore, QLD
Friday 17th January – The Sound Lounge, Gold Coast, QLD
Mat McHugh
Friday 10th January – Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour NSW
Saturday 11th January – Great Northern, Byron Bay, NSW
Thursday 16th January – Live at Lizottes, Lambton, NSW
Friday 17th January – Entrance Leagues Club, Bateau Bay, NSW
Friday 17th January – Spotted Mallard, Melbourne, VIC
Sarah Blasko
Tuesday 14th January – St Stephen's Uniting Church, Sydney, NSW
Wednesday 15th January – St Stephen's Uniting Church, Sydney, NSW
Thursday 16th January – St John's Cathedral, Brisbane, QLD
Tamar Valley Folk Festival
Friday 17th to Sunday 19th January – George Town, TAS
Tamworth Country Music Festival
Friday 17th to Sunday 26th January – Tamworth, NSW
The Beez
Saturday 11th January – Camelot Lounge, Sydney, NSW
Saturday 11th January – Crown and Anchor Hotel, Adelaide, SA
Thursday 16th to Sunday 19th January – Illawarra Folk Festival, Bulli, NSW
Thredbo Blues Festival
Friday 17th to Sunday 19th January – Thredbo, NSW
Tom Dockray
Saturday 11th January – The Vic Hotel, Sydney, NSW
Unpaved Sessions feat. Samantha Stephens, Trevor Shard, Sophie Rose, Leo Kahans, Kaidee Grzankowski
Monday 13th January – The Old Bar, Melbourne, VIC
Zoe Elliot
Friday 10th January – The Merry Muse, Canberra, ACT
Monday 13th January – Smiths Bookshop, Canberra, ACT
Friday 17th January – Limonata, Grafton, NSW
"Untitled" – Ben Stephenson (Trouble in the Kitchen)
A couple of years ago the National Museum of Australia put together a series of videos on Youtube, hosted by Jimeoin, on Irish Music in Australia. In this clip Ben Stephenson from Trouble in the Kitchen talks about his research into Irish music at the National Library of Australia and plays an untitled jig he learnt from a recording of box and harmonica player Sally Sloane. You can link to the full series of videos here.
Interview: The Beez (Germany) 2014 Australian Tour
January 6, 2014 at 11:43	(Interviews, Tour News)
Tags: folk music, the beez, tour
Image Courtesy of The Beez
The Beez are one of many international folk bands who make Australia a regular part of their touring itinerary. In 2013, they toured as here as a duet with the Don't Mention The Wall show, but are returning with the full band in January to bring their pop/folk/originals/parody repertoire down under again.
Bill Quinn spoke with Peter D'Elia from Berlin on the eve of the tour about what Australian audiences can expect.
Bill Quinn: You're heading back to Australia; it's been a regular visit for you over the years, hasn't it?
Peter D'Elia: Yes, it's my fifth time and it's the sixth time for the band. Rob Rayner (guitar and vocals) is from North Sydney. He likes to get back home, and what's a better way to visit your home than to mix it with your work? Which is hopefully your pleasure!
BQ: So it's more than just trying to get away from a Berlin winter!
PD: Our work here does get slow in the winter. So yes, it's great to get away from a Berlin winter and if work is slow, you might as well be able to visit your friends and family, be in good weather, and actually have some work to do.
BQ: Going back to 2013, it was an unusual year for The Beez in terms of line-up, wasn't it?
PD: Yes, we had 'Sweet Felicia' [filling in on bass for new mother, Ulischka], originally from Queensland and now living in Victoria. It was a lot of fun, and very different to have a different member.
She had to learn a lot, different kinds of ways of singing and melodies. As a blues musician, she was definitely pointed in another direction with our intricate four-part harmonies.
And for us, it was great fun to do a lot of blues songs. I have another guitar now – a slide guitar – and I was doing a lot of slide playing on her songs, so that was fun for me and for everyone. Definitely for Rob, who loves a lot of rock and blues. For all of us, it was just a different experience, which is good to have sometimes.
BQ: You've got a loyal following in Germany. How did they react to having a new member of the band?
PD: It was always positive. Felicia's a very strong performer; she wins a crowd over.
BQ: It was a temporary fill-in because of Jule/Julishka.
PD: Yeah, her son will already be a year old in February.
BQ: And you've been performing in Germany and Europe with the baby on tour?
PD: We've had two tours. He's definitely not crazy about too many hours in the car. So you've got to take some breaks, and keep him moving around.
He loves music; he reacts very positively to music.
BQ: He'd have to with those parents [Beez bass player Jule plus sound man and musician Georg].
PD: Two bass player parents! I'm voting him to be more of a drummer, maybe. But some people think he's going to follow in his parents' bass-playing steps.
BQ: You're out here for just short of four months. In the past, you haven't always had the best experiences in terms of venues, have you?
PD: There was one tour that wasn't what should have been the next stepping stone. Had it been our first tour we would have been fine with it, but on one tour we were promised some venues that did not happen. It was still enjoyable to be there, but as a band that wants to progress every tour, it was not the stepping stone that it should have been.
Every other tour's been positive.
We're doing about five festivals on this tour. Every weekend is busy except the Easter weekend, and I'm sure other things will creep up while we're there.
BQ: Four months travelling with a very small child – are you all going to be friends at the end of it?
PD: We will! We will!
BQ: And you're looking forward to going back to some favourite venues and towns?
PD: Yeah, our first show is at Camelot Lounge the night after we arrive and I'm really excited about that. I love that place. They have so many great bands there. My memory of it last time: all the staff there were really great people.
And of course Illawarra Folk Festival's the next thing. We've been there so many times, it's just like going back to see our friends on the other side of the hemisphere.
Full list of tour dates for The Beez:
Monday 20th to Saturday 25th January – Tamworth Country Music Festival, NSW
Saturday 1st Febraury – Tilba Winery, NSW
Sunday 2nd February – The Artists Shed, Queanbeyan, NSW
Thursday 6th February – Braidwood Folk Club, NSW
Friday 7th to Sunday 9th February – National Multicultural Festival, ACT
Friday 14th February – Newcastle and Hunter Valley Folk Club, NSW
Saturday 15th February – Blackheath, NSW
Sunday 16th February – Bundanoon, NSW (house concert)
Wednesday 19th February – Smith's Alternative Bookshop, ACT
Saturday 22nd February – George Kerford Hotel, Beechworth, Vic
Sunday 23rd February – Gerogary, VIC
Friday 28th February – The Piping Hot Chicken Shop, Ocean Grove, Vic
Saturday 1st March – Bendigo Folk Club, Vic
Sunday 2nd March – Mildura Arts Festival, Vic
Friday 7th to Sunday 9th March – Burke and Wills Festival, Mia Mia, Vic
Friday 14th March – Old Mill Flour Gallery, Mildura, Vic
Saturday 15th March – Richmond, Vic
Sunday 16th March – Burrinja Café, Upwey, Vic
Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd March – Yackandandah Folk Festival, Vic
Friday 28th March – Taste Canowindra, NSW
Sunday 30th March – Tamworth, NSW (house concert)
Saturday 5th April – Wauchope Arts, NSW
Sunday 6th April – The Royal Exchange, Newcastle, NSW
Tuesday 8th April – Newcastle University, NSW
Friday 11th April – Candelo Arts Society, NSW
Friday 25th to Sunday 27th April – Mount Beauty Music Festival, Vic
Illawarra Folk Festival Reveals Full 2014 Lineup
October 18, 2013 at 08:26	(Festival News, News)
Tags: andy irvine, chaika, dom flemons, folk music, handsome young strangers, illawarra folk festival, jane aubourg, martin pearson, oh pep, sarah humphreys, the beez, the miss chiefs, the timbers, the whitetop mountaineers
Image Courtesy of Sarah Humphreys
Just a week or so after revealing their first lineup for 2014 the Illawarra Folk Festival has gone the whole hog and given us every single artist for the event. We could call out a bunch of Timber and Steel favourites that have just just joined the lineup – like Martin Pearson, Sarah Humphreys (above), Handsome Young Strangers, Jane Aubourg, Oh Pep! and Chaika – but instead we though we'd bring you one full list of all the musical acts:
Afenginn, Andy Irvine, Dom Flemons, Gordie MacKeeman and His Rhythm Boys, Harry Manx Band, Jaaleekaay, John John Festival, Klezmorim, London Klezmer Quartet, The Beez, The Hollands!, The Latchikos, The Underscore Orkestra, The Whitetop Mountaineers, Astro Cobalt, Bitchpick, Harman and Hellens, Cassidy's Ceili, Enda Kenny Band, Riogh, Ange Takats, Another Train, Australian Union Choir, AZ-I-AM, Belle Jar, Bernard Carney, Bygone Error, Chippo Days, Chloe & Jason Roweth, Fly With Me, Graeme Morrison All Stars, Greg Champion, Jim Green, Kavisha Mazzella, Lola Wright's Keg Night, Martin Pearson, Matthew Fagan "Lord of the Strings", Merryweather, Rough Red, Sally Harris & Little Big Smoke, Sarah Humphreys, Solidarity Choir, Swingaleles, The Three Sisters, Tia Juana, Wongawilli, Bazinga!, Big Erle, Bruce Mathiske, Frank Povah and Chris Cruise, Funkier Than Alice (and Friends!), Glenn Skuthorpe, Graeme Morrison All Stars, Handsome Young Strangers, Jane Aubourg, Kay Proudlove, Kenny Bartley/Super Kenny, Love In The Jungle, My Secret Window, Oh Pep!, Pete Thomas & Blue Salt Band, Shellie Morris, Smokehouse, The Lazy Farmer's Sons, The Ribbon Gang, The Timbers, Tracey Bunn, Alison Johnston, David Beniuk, Gemma Glendenning, Glenn Skuthorpe, Kavisha Mazzella, Merryweather, My Secret Window, Patrick Lyons & The American Creek Band, Robbing Steve, Shellie Morris, The Lazy Farmer's Sons, The Littlest Fox, The Miss Chiefs, The Ribbon Gang, Tracey Bunn, Another Train, Bob Campbell Band, Bush Music Club 'URBAN SCRUB', Bygone Error, Chloe & Jason Roweth, Chord-eaux, Christiaan Dolislager, Denis McKay, Franklyn B Paverty, Good Tunes Session, Illawarra Pipe Band, Kavisha Mazzella, Lola Wright's Keg Night, Louisa Lawson Tribute, Songs you do not sing to children!, The Raglins, The Roberts Family Reunion, Ayanamsha, Beatmeisters, Belle Jar, Chaika, Dall' Italia All' AUstralia, I Viaggiatori, Mat Brooker, Mr Cuttlefish, Rapskallion, Ruido, SingGongGo, Somesing Laik Zat, Spirit of Serpentine, Spyglass Gypsies, Taiko no Wa, The Con Artists, Zumpa, Alison Johnston, Caitlin James, Harry O'Brien, Lucette, Melanie April, Nyssa and Alex, Paddy & The Wonderband, Rosie and the Bluesters, Shalani Thomas, Tim Lukey, and many more
The Illawarra Folk Festival will take place from the 16th to 19th January next year – for more information on the festival including how to get your hands on early bird tickets check out the official site here.
Illawarra Folk Festival Drops First 2014 Lineup
Tags: andy irvine, dom flemons, folk music, illawarra folk festival, the beez, the miss chiefs, the timbers, the whitetop mountaineers
Image Courtesy of Dom Flemons
The Illawarra Folk Festival, held in January each year in Bulli near Wollongong, NSW, last night announced a very exciting selection of international artists for 2014. The international artists announced so far include Afenginn (Denmark), Andy Irvine (Ireland), The Beez (Germany), Dom Flemons (USA), Gordie MacKeeman and His Rhythm Boys (Canada), Harry Manx Band (Canada), The Hollands! (USA), Jaaleekaay (Gambia), John John Festival (Japan), Klezmorim (Brazil), London Klezmer Quartet (UK), Underskore Orchestra (USA) and Whitetop Mountaineers (USA).
Along with that pretty impressive group of musos the Illawarra Folk Festival has also announce a bunch of national acts including Belle Jar, Bernard Carney, Bruce Mathis ke, Dave de Hugard, Enda Kenny Band, Frank Povah, Glenn Skuthorpe, Greg Champion, I Viaggiatori, Kavisha Mazzella, The Miss Chiefs, Rapskallion, Rough Red, Shellie Morris, Spyglass Gypsies, Tai ko no Wa, The Timbers, The Wollemi Band and about 100 more to come.
Interview: Don't Mention The Wall!
January 2, 2013 at 09:04	(Interviews)
Tags: don't mention the wall, folk music, the beez
Berlin folk pop band The Beez have been frequent visitors to Australia in recent years with their latest tour taking place at the start of 2012. The band is now taking a short break at the start of 2013, however, band members Rob and Deta Rayner will be coming to Australia very shortly with a new show: Don't Mention The Wall! — songs and stories from the fall of the Berlin Wall and beyond.
On a variously muggy mid-summer's Australian morning or frosty Berlin midnight hour, depending on your hemispherical perspective, Bill Quinn (Overheard Productions) spoke with Rob Rayner about the show.
Bill Quinn: The Beez left our shores back in April, was it?
Rob Rayner: It was May. It was the epic tour of four months. We never thought we'd get through four months but we did. AND the amazing thing is that we're still talking to each other!
BQ: I was going to ask how that went after four months on the road!
RR: You probably thought, "Ooooh, they're having a break; there must be some sort of internal disputes or musical differences", but there weren't.
[Acoustic bass player] Jule's having a baby. She's the big mama!
BQ: How has the rest of 2012 been going for The Beez
RR: It's been really good. The funny thing was that we were supposed to release the record [Freischwimmer] when we came back [to Germany] and then there was all this umming and ahh-ing because our record company said, "Well, perhaps we might get to 'Stage B' on the steep curve to the top" (us having been at 'Stage A' for the last 20 years or so).
"Why don't we just spend a little bit of money, promotion and maybe we can get you to 'Stage B'."
So we talked about that. We talked about various modes and how we were going to do the whole thing.
The practical upshot of that is that now that the CD is officially coming out in April or March 2013. So, it's taken all up a year and a half which is a lesson for all of us.
BQ: That is a bit of a break considering that you ostensibly launched it in Australia on your tour in 2012.
RR: Yeah, well we did. And it was released on iTunes.
BQ: So what happens now that one of your members is great with child?
RR: Well, we have Sweet Felicia. She's a wonderful bass player and a really gutsy blues singer who has played with/for, amongst others, Chris Wilson for many years. And she was over in Germany this year with a blues band doing a couple of festivals, and we met her with Chris Wilson.
And she will be filling in for Jule from April to November.
And it's really good because it's a completely different feel, a different personality. It's not a competition thing; it's two completely different people. And The Beez will be a different band for six months.
We're really happy, Jule's really happy because she and Felicia get on really well, and we really love Felicia.
She played in May here at Commusication, which is the show that we have every month, and she just went down a treat. The Germans loved her. She's just great. Look her up.
BQ: Moving on to the duo project, tell us all about Don't Mention The Wall!
RR: We [Deta and Rob] were going to have a holiday because of the pregnancy break – 'maternity leave' is the official designation for what's happening. Deta and I thought we'd come out for a little holiday.
And then we thought because I want to come back to Australia in the next ten years and we figured we'd probably spend the twilight of our careers wandering around as a duo or we'd pick up other musicians. We'd love to do it with The Beez, but we can't reasonably expect Jule and Peter to hang on for that long and spend that much time with us.
So we thought, why don't we give it a shot and see what happens with just the two of us. And we had this idea about doing a show about the Berlin Wall. Because we were both here – I got to Berlin about six months before the wall came down, and Deta being a native Berliner, it's something close to our hearts.
So we're doing a show with songs and stories. And pictures.
We talked about different ways of doing it, and thought of getting a collection of songs together to do with the wall. And we were running with that for a while until about two months ago when I thought, 'No, this is not working'.
Because we're coming to Australia with a bunch of songs that don't really have that much to do with the wall when we're purporting to do a show that's all about the wall.
And I thought this is not good, so I'm going to have to write some songs. And really specifically address all the issues.
Now we're in headless chicken mode.
Because I wrote all these songs and we have to rehearse them and we're recording them so we can get an album out so we can bring them on tour!
It's just a total schmozzle!
And we know we're going to do a multi-media show. Well, a 'multi-media show' – what does that mean? Just having a few nice slides from our chequered past.
So we're at our wits' end at the moment.
BQ: I can see that concept working well in a festival setting. Do you think it will go as well in smaller venues?
RR: Yeah, probably pretty well. Because they're first-hand stories; we're not making a big thing of it. There'll be a couple of dramatic little bits there, but it's mainly anecdotal, and an intimate look into a historical event. Because we were both there.
But not wanting to make a big thing of it because it's a very personal thing. There's a little bit of historical background, but it's just really personal stories, anecdotes and photos and songs. And there's really funny things in there, and probably some pretty moving ones as well.
I think it's going to be good and with the smaller gigs we'll be able to do the slideshow as well, and with the festival gigs, we'll just be doing the songs and a few stories.
BQ: Is it something that you'd see yourselves taking back to Berlin? Would you play it back to…
RR: No. [Laughs loudly.] Not at all!
No one would be remotely interested in it. This is not something you could do in Germany. On the other hand, the songs speak for themselves and as they're all in English and there are a lot of good pop songs and don't all deal with the Berlin wall. Not like:
Oh, I got to Berlin and I saw the wall
And I was very impressed
Oh, the wall; oh, the wall
No, we do some different things about the rise of racism, a song about German white trash – which is a fun little song.
There's a song in three and a half minutes about how the wall was built, because there was a famous quote from the leader of the SED, the ruling party in East Germany at the time. He said – and this was three months before the wall was built – "Nobody has the intentions of building a wall here to divide East and West Germany".
And the wall was up three months later. The song's called, "No One Has Intentions Of Building A Wall".
And there's a song about a friend of ours who escaped from East Germany, got to West Germany, and was actually kidnapped by a Stasi spy and taken back into the east.
So there's lots of dramatic and amusing stuff. It's a real roller-coaster ride.
BQ: And there'll be an album too. Gott-willing!
RR: There will! We're just in the process of doing it – a very spontaneous thing. Almost all original songs and a couple of rather surprising cover songs. One from Deep Purple, if you can imagine that. And I can tell you it's not 'Smoke on the Water'!
BQ: I'm so glad to hear it!
RR: I bet you are! I'm glad to hear it as well.
BQ: We shall wait with bait on our breaths for your arrival!
Full list of tour dates for Don't Mention The Wall featuring Rob and Deta Rayner:
Thursday 17th January – Camelot Lounge, Sydney, NSW
18th to 20th January – Illawarra Folk Festival, Bulli, NSW
21st to 26th January – Tamworth Country Music Festival, NSW
Sunday 27th January – Dubbo Folk Club, NSW
Saturday 2nd February – Mildura Arts Centre, Vic
Friday 8th February – Gunnedah, NSW
Saturday 9th February – Uralla Arts, NSW
Sunday 10th February – Bellingen, NSW
Thursday 14th February – Congo, NSW (house concert)
Friday 15th February – River Music Folk, Nowra, NSW
Saturday 16th February – Nerrigundah Hall, NSW
Sunday 17th February – Tilba Valley Wines, Tilba Tilba, NSW
Thursday 21st February – Braidwood Folk Club, NSW
22nd to 24th February – Cobargo Folk Festival, NSW
Friday 1st March – Tara Guest House, Sydney, NSW
Saturday 2nd March – The Shack, Narabeen, NSW
Friday 8th March – Humph Hall, Allambie Heights, NSW
Saturday 9th March – Artists Shed, Queanbeyan, NSW
Sunday 10th March – Wongawilli Hall, NSW
15th to 16th March – Beechworth, Vic
Friday 22nd March – Springwood, NSW (house concert)
Thursday 28th March – Newcastle University, NSW (lunchtime show)
Review: Blue Mountains Music Festival
March 26, 2012 at 15:23	(Festivals, Reviews)
Tags: abigail washburn, blue king brown, blue mountains music festival, claude hay, eric bibb, folk music, fred smith, frencham smith, harry manx, judy collins, liz frencham, my friend the chocolate cake, the beez
Image Courtesy of the Blue Mountains Music Festival
To start, an admission: I'm a terrible festival attendee. My handful of must-sees quickly gives way to a fickle drifting, distracted eyes and ears rarely attentive for a whole set. I'm also, as you'll quickly discover, musically illiterate yet fascinated and enthralled by a language I don't understand. Lyrically, I feel adept to make comment; instrumentally I flounder and use inappropriate and often incorrect words. You've been warned: what follows is a review of the beautiful Blue Mountains Folk, Roots and Blues Music Festival by a musical illiterate with a deep love and appreciation for what she hears.
Thanks to Timber and Steel's Editor in Chief Evan Hughes plans to marry one of my oldest (very youthful) friends, the lovely Sarah Tuz, and my convenient home in the misty, mystical Blue Mountains, I'm writing my first review for Timber and Steel.
Like many fellow festival attendees, I spent the preceding week checking the weather forecast, anticipating a repeat of last year's perpetual rain and shin-deep mud bath (not atypical in the Bluies). Yet I also knew, as you can read in Evan's review of last year's festival, that the residents of the Blue Mountains and those attending from afar, are resilient and undeterred by a bit of soggy trudging between venues, and well-equipped with assorted gumboots and waterproof parkas.
The seventeenth Blue Mountains Musical Festival was, as the program described, the usual motley affair of folk, roots, blues, latin, world, jazz, bluegrass, Indie, reggae, blessed with artists from the quirky, theatrical The Beez, to the determined and socially conscious Blue King Brown. Young local musicians such as the passionate young Claude Hay played just metres away from the iconic Judy Collins, tackling themes from the intimate to the comical to the political and everything in between.
A "favourite five" glimpse of what we saw:
Fred Smith and Liz Frencham
Fred Smith is a songwriter of 15 years. He's also an Australian diplomat who has been posted to far corners of the earth – from Bouganville to Uruzgan. Skilfully, he combines these two personas as a master storyteller, conjuring hope, despair and laughter in his audience. I was suitably curious to see him on both Friday and Saturday evening.
Fred began his collaboration with the beautiful, cheeky, passionate Liz Frencham at the National Folk Festival in 2002. Liz on vocals and cello brought balance and intimacy to Smith's performance on Friday night, enthralling the audience with her vivacious enjoyment of her instrument, balancing Fred's dry humour with a distinctly feminine presence onstage. The evening mixed the political – such as "Blue Guitar", reflecting on his time in the Solomon Islands, to the everyday and personal, such as "In My Room".
Throughout Saturday evenings Dust of Uruzgan (the title of his new album) performance, Smith used a combination of story, song and multi-media to tell of his time posted in the Uruzgan province of Afghanistan. What left the audience hopeful, despite his often tragic stories of distrust and fear, was Smith's wry yet playful sense of humour, and his overt belief that in spite of the everyday horrors he witnessed, peace is still possible.
Liz Frencham and the rest of the band served as instruments by which Smith added life to his stories. Smith gave voice to the men and women of the armed forces in the province, describing the monotony of constant threat, the loss and death and ceaseless dust. It was not all bleak- from within the reality of war; Smith described uplifting friendships, a spot of 'Schwafelen' (brush up on your Dutch to translate this one) and plenty of laughter. A memorable and poignant experience.
Abigail Washburn and Kai Welch
Abigail Washburn's sweet drawl and croaky laugh is just as compatible with Bluegrass as with traditional Chinese folk songs (hand gestures included). Vivacious, Nashville-based Washburn, complimented by co-writer and singing partner Kai Welch, blessed their Blue Mountains audience with some ramblin' afternoon tunes, from the delicate "Dreams of Nectar" to the traditional Chinese folk song whose title (ironically for the weekend) translates 'The Sun Has Come Out and we are so Happy'. Some soul-quietening, smile-delivering entertainment to bring in the Saturday evening.
My Friend the Chocolate Cake
Aptly described by our MC as 'fizzy and effervescent pop', My Friend the Chocolate Cake played us a range of tunes from their 21 years at the forefront of Australian Music.
Pianist and vocalist David Bridie started us on a melancholy note with "Strange Crumbs From the Suburban Fringe", quickly swinging between the carnival and the cinematic in a set filled with songs you recognise but can't quite place – probably from their presence on a plethora of Australian film and TV soundtracks.
Having never seen them before, I'm unsure if this is typical, but apart Bridie steering the show, and quirky Hope Csutoris on Violin, the rest of the band played along unobtrusively as if willing the audience to ignore the band and draw upon and use the music to conjure up their own images and memories. Bridies' lovely shy young daughter joined the band on vocals for a rollin' rendition of "25 Stations", as My Friend the Chocolate Cake used suburban symbols integral to the Australian identity, music like the voice of a familiar and comfortable old friend.
Harry Manx, Judy Collins, Claude Hay
Bringing in Saturday evening, living up to my wandering tendencies our 7pm timeslot was filled with three very different artists I was very curious to see.
Firstly, a storytelling session with the diverse and bewitching Harry Manx accompanied by the extraordinarily talented and energetic virtuoso Hammond Organ musician Clayton Dooley. I sat, mesmerised as Manx minimised talk between songs, telling tale after tale, fusing eastern musical traditions with the Blues. Disappointingly, our time was cut short by the desire not to miss out on the legendary Judy Collins.
We skilfully edged into the jam-packed Big Top tent for a glimpse of Judy Collins, looking radiant, relaxed and all decked out in glitter and grin. At 71, Judy's career spans more that half a century, and judging by the composition of the audience, attracts fans spanning many generations and backgrounds. The air was thick with nostalgia, and the voices of hundreds of festival attendees reminiscing in unison. The lyrics of Bob Dylans' "Mr Tamborine Man" could no doubt be heard halfway up Katoomba St, Judy leading the crowd. Unfortunately, due my partner's sore foot (see below paragraph), we hobbled across to the RSL stage where we discovered a whole generation perhaps untouched by Judy Collins.
Claude Hay had a collection of Blue Mountains youth dancing furiously to his Blue and Roots tunes. Feeling strangely old (especially compared to the rest of our time at the festival), we sat and watched the 'young people' shake and groove and chant along to defiant lyrics, while we polished our dentures and moaned about our arthritis.
A beautiful conclusion to my second Blue Mountains Music Festival. Eric Bibb, accompanied by Swedish guitarist Staffan Astner, bestowed upon the audience an exceptional set of traditional and contemporary folk-blues tunes. It was Erics' fourth Blue Mountains Festival, and second time visiting the Mountains in the space of a year- he played at Blackheath Community Centre in April 2011.
Everything about Eric contrasted with the pervasive fog outside the tent, from his bright orange shirt to his infectious and radiant smile. Staffan, dressed in black, hat obscuring his eyes and occasionally bemused smile, was Eric's quiet yet brilliant shadow. From "Stagger Lee", "Floodwater", "Troubadour", "Tell my Baby" and "Going Down the Road Feeling Bad", Eric played a mixture of covers and originals which created a warm and contented audience, pleased to be sharing the moment and the music with hundreds of others in the Big Top, rather than outside in Katoomba's best mist and drizzle.
The Pigs, The Beez and Mustered Courage Join Forces for a One Off Melbourne Gig
February 9, 2012 at 13:36	(News, Timber and Steel Events, Tour News)
Tags: bluegrass, folk music, mustered courage, the beez, the pigs
Image Courtesy of The Pigs
***UPDATE: The Double Pass Has Been Claimed. Stay Tuned For More Giveaways Soon***
Melbourne get your pickin' fingers ready, you're in for an absolute treat this March. Three of folk/bluegrass' favourite bands, The Pigs (above), The Beez (Germany) and Mustered Courage have announced a massive show at the Thornbury Theatre on the 8th March.
Tickets are a mere $18.50 and are available here. And if you're lucky we have a double pass to give away! All you have to do is be the first to e-mail us at timberandsteelaustralia@gmail.com with your name – but get in quick, this is bound to go quick.
Illawarra Folk Festival Announces 2012 Program
December 12, 2011 at 08:02	(Festival News, News)
Tags: andrew winton, big erle, cj shaw, dougie maclean, evelyn's secret, folk music, george kamikawa, get folked, illawarra folk festival, jack flash, jane aubourg, lucy wise & the b'gollies, martin pearson, quarry mountain dead rats, skipping girl vinegar, the bearded gypsy band, the beez, the fagans, the string contingent, the woohoo revue, wongawilli
Image Courtesy of The Quarry Mountain Dead Rats
While the summer months see some of the nation's biggest festivals strut their stuff it's the little regional folk festivals that really shine in our books. One of our favourite regional festivals roles around every January – The Illawarra Folk Festival in Bulli just north of Wollongong, NSW.
Being within spitting distance of both Sydney and Canberra the Illawarra Folk Festival manages to attract some amazing national and international talent and is set in one of the most beautiful parts of the country. The 2012 festival will be held from the 12th to the 15th January and boasts a program featuring the likes of Dougie Maclean, George Kamikawa & Noriko Tadano, The Beez, Andrew Winton, Cj Shaw, Evelyn's Secret, Get Folked, Jack Flash, Lucy Wise & The B'Gollies, Margaret & Bob Fagan, Martin Pearson, The Quarry Mountain Dead Rats (above), Skipping Girl Vinegar, The Bearded Gypsy Band, The String Contingent, The Woohoo Revue, Big Erle & the Limb Looseners, Jane Aubourg and of course Wongawilli.
The program for the event has just been released and is available on the official Illawarra Folk Festival web site – which is also where you can get the full lineup and all the information on how to get tickets. Looks like our January is planned then.
Blue Mountains Music Festival Announces First Artist Lineup
Tags: abigail washburn, afro mandinko, ahab, alwan, april verch, ben sollee, beoga, blue king brown, blue mountains music festival, cass eager, chris wilson, claude hay, daniel champagne, eddi reader, fiona boyes, folk music, fred smith, frigg, george kamikawa, harry manx, judy collins, krystle warren, my friend the chocolate cake, noriana kennedy, noriko tadano, peter rowan bluegrass band, phil davidson, pierre bensusan, rescue ships, shane howard, staffan astner, the beez, the buddy knox blues band, the quarry mountain dead rats, the simpson 3, tonks green, truckstop honeymoon, while and matthews
Image Courtesy of Beoga
The Blue Mountains Music Festival was by far one of our favourite events on this year's music calendar (despite the torrential rain – check out our review here) so we got pretty excited this morning when the first round of artists for next years event landed in our inbox. The Blue Mountains Music Festival celebrates music from a variety of genres but it definitely always has a strong folk, roots, blues and bluegrass contingent on its roster and next year is no different.
Rather than try and single out our favourites from the first announcement we though we'd just give it to you in one hit and let you see just how good it is. Ready? Here we go:
Judy Collins (USA), Abigail Washburn (USA), Harry Manx (UK/Canada), Pierre Bensusan (French Algeria), Staffan Astner (Sweden), Krystle Warren (USA), Ben Sollee (USA), Blue King Brown, The Shane Howard Band, Fred Smith, Eddi Reader (Scotland), April Verch (Canada), Noriana Kennedy (Ireland), Truckstop Honeymoon (USA) While and Matthews (UK), My Friend the Chocolate Cake, Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band (USA), The Beez (Germany), Frigg (Finland), Beoga (above – Ireland), ahab (UK), Afro Mandinko, The Buddy Knox Blues Band, Alwan, The Quarry Mountain Dead Rats, Chris Wilson, Fiona Boyes, Rescue Ships, Claude Hay, George Kamikawa and Noriko Tadano, Cass Eager, Phil Davidson, Daniel Champagne, Tonks Green, The Simpson 3 and more.
Pretty impressive eh? The Blue Mountains Music Festival is held in Katoomba, NSW from the 16th to the 18th March. Earlybird tickets are available from now until the 31st December. Check out the official site for more information.


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United States Electoral Process
An election is the process by which citizens select the thousands of men and women they want to run their government--at all levels. In a democracy, government officials are chosen by the people and serve for a specific time called a term of office. Depending on state laws, an official may run for reelection once the term is over. Our system of government is called a representative democracy. American citizens do not directly make governmental decisions. They elect officials to govern for them. Most elections in our country are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. But elections for public offices may be held at any time, depending on state law.
When the Constitution was written in 1787, it basically left the decision to each state as to who could vote in elections. Most states did not at first give the right to vote to women or African Americans.
In 1870, five years after the end of the Civil War, the 15th Amendment was passed. This amendment guaranteed the right to vote to male African Americans. However, it took another 100 years for African Americans to be able to fully exercise this right.
American women were not allowed to vote at the national level until 1920. The 19th Amendment to the Constitution was passed that year, and the following November millions of American women voted in the presidential election for the first time.
The 26th Amendment to the Constitution, adopted in 1971, says that anyone over 18 is allowed to vote.
In 1965, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act. This law guaranteed that the federal government would intervene if any state attempted to deny a citizen's voting rights because of race. As a result of this act, millions of African Americans in the South were allowed to register to vote for the first time.
On the average, about 60% of voting-age Americans vote in presidential elections. For local elections, voter turn out is usually much lower.
No political parties officially existed when the U.S. Constitution was written in the late 1780s. The founders of the country actually felt that political parties were not a good thing and that they would divide people against each other and harm the democracy. However within 10 years after the Constitution was written, the U.S. had two major political parties--the Federalist party that was a proponent of a strong central government--and the Democratic-Republican party (also called the Anti-Federalist Party) that supported strong state governments. The Democratic-Republican party eventually became known as the Democratic party. The Whig party developed in the 1830s in opposition to President Andrew Jackson and his policies. The Whig party eventually split apart, mainly over the issue of slavery. Proslavery Whigs rejoined the Democratic party and many antislavery Whigs formed a new party in 1854 called the Republican party. Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican president.
Today, the Democrats and Republicans remain the two leading parties in our country. However, there are other political parties such as the Independent Party, the Reform Party, the Libertarian Party, the Green Party, the Socialist Party, the Populist Party, and others.
When you vote for a mayor, senator, a member of the House of Representatives, a judge, etc. you are voting directly for that person. However, when you vote for president, you are really voting for an elector who has pledged to represent that candidate. The electors chosen by each state are called the electoral college. They are a group of people who officially elect the president and vice president. Each state has as many votes in the electoral college as it has senators and members of the House of Representatives. For example, Utah has 2 senators and 3 members of the House of Representatives--so it has 5 electoral votes. Large states like California have more than 50 electoral votes. States small in population like Alaska only have 3 electoral votes. To be elected, a presidential candidate must put together enough states in the election to get a majority (more than half of the total) of the electoral college. Even though the American public knows the winner of the presidential election on the actual day of the election in November, that winner is not really yet official. The electoral college meets officially in December. Its votes are sealed and sent to the U.S. Senate. When the Congress meets in January, the current vice president of the United States unseals the envelope and announces the results to the Senate. This is the official moment at which the president and vice president are really elected.
Sample some of the following activities to learn more about the electoral process.
Places To Go People To See Things To Do Teacher Resources Bibliography
The following are places to go (some real and some virtual) to find out about the electoral process.
Visit Democratic headquarters and find out about their candidates, their voter outreach, and the latest Democratic news.
Elections Around the World
Travel around the globe and find up-to-date election information for worldwide countries.
Visit the Republican National Committee headquarters and find out about their platform, their party history, and their elected officials.
People To See
Democratic National Leader
Democrats.org is the official web site for House Democratic Leader.
Elmo Burns Roper, Jr.
Elmo Burns Roper, Jr. was one of the early developers of public opinion polls. One of his biggest mistakes was his forecast that New York Governor Thomas Dewey would defeat Harry Truman for president in the 1948 election.
This site is a source for information about the President, White House news and policies, White House history, and the federal government.
This site offers unbiased political information on current elected officials as well as candidates in upcoming elections.
Republican National Chair
Meet the Republican National Chair. Find all the information involving the Republican National Committee (RNC). Learn about the latest news about the GOP.
Thomas Alva Edison
In 1868, Thomas Edison invented the first machine that recorded votes. He tried to sell his machine to the U.S. Congress for when they voted on bills and resolutions. It would have speeded up the process of voting out loud. But the lawmakers rejected it because it was too fast!
Bull Moose Party
This party came about after the Republican nomination of William Howard Taft in the 1912 election. Some Republicans who felt that Taft was too conservative formed a new party called the Progressive party and nominated former president Theodore Roosevelt as their candidate. When Roosevelt said that he was as strong as a bull moose, the party became known as the Bull Moose party.
Campaign & Elections
Campaigns & Elections magazine educates, informs, entertains and connects all those who touch politics, from high-profile players to political junkies and casual observers. The magazine is published twelve times per year by Political World Communications, LLC.
The Center for Voting and Democracy
Find out how redistricting can affect election results.
CNN AllPolitics
Find current political news.
Suggest topics for the presidential and vice-presidential debates.
Learn about the origins of the Democratic party. It was originally called the Democratic-Republican party or Anti-Federalist party. The Anti-Federalist party favored a weaker central government and strong state governments. It was allied with small farmers rather than business people. Thomas Jefferson was a member of the Anti-Federalist party. Are the original tenents of this party still at the core of the Democratic party today?
Find out the history of the electoral college and how it works. In order to be elected, the person running for president must have a majority of the votes of the electoral college. If no candidate receives a majority of the Electoral College votes, the president is then chosen directly by the House of Representatives. If this happens, each state gets just one vote.
Have students find out what the duties of this commission are. What is their role in campaign financing and expenditures?
Federalist Party
Learn about the Federalist party, the first major political party in the United States. At its core was a belief in a strong central government. It was an advocate for many merchants, bankers, and business people. John Adams and Alexander Hamilton were Federalists.
Inaugural Quiz
Take this interesting 10-question quiz about the inauguration of presidents. When was the first televised inauguration?
Find teacher's guides and student activities. The goal of this site is to educate and involve youth in the election process today.
League of Women Voters: Making Democracy Work
Use this resource to find voter and candidate information.
Library of Congress: Elections in American Memory
Learn about the American system of elections.
Mechanical Lever Machines
Check out voting machines. Today, most votes are cast electronlically. But for many years mechanical voting machines were used. The first voting maching was used in an election in Lockport, New York in 1892. The United States was the first country to use voting machines.
Youth Voting Initiative
Inform students about the election process and citizenship responsibilities.
Political Memoribilia
Check out all the doodads that go with political conventions and elections--buttons, pins, watch fobs, ribbons, etc.
Learn how this party got its start. It had its roots in the opposition to slavery. The first Republican president was Abraham Lincoln.
Speak your mind, participate, raise your voice, volunteer.
VoteUtah
Discover non-partisan voter resources, an in-depth examination of Utah's candidates, information about election issues and proposed initiatives, and more at this website specifically designed for Utah voters.
The Whig Party
Find out why this political party was called the Whigs. When Andrew Jackson, a member of the Democratic party, became president in 1828, he made many enemies during his eight years in the White House. Opponents to President Jackson developed the Whig party which opposed the ideas of a pwerful presidency. Instead, they wanted Congress to be the strongest branch of government.
Lesson Plans/Webquests
Being President Webquest
C-Span Classroom Deliberations
Education World Election, Primaries, Voting Lesson Plans and Activities
Election Lessons
The Elections and Citizenship: Your Complete Guide
Edutopia: Election 2016 Lesson Plans
iCivics: The Electoral Process
iCivics: Mock Election
Gutman, Dan. Landslide!: A Kid's Guide to the U.S. Elections. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, c2000.
Henry, Christopher E. The Electoral College. New York: Franklin Watts, c1996.
Israel, Fred L. Student's Atlas of American Presidential Elections, 1789-1996. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly, c1997.
Plissner, Martin. The Control Room: How Television Calls the Shots in Presidential Elections.New York: Free Press, c1999.
Scher, Linda. The Vote: Making Your Voice Heard. Austin, Tex.: Raintree Steck-Vaughn, c1993.
Sobel, Syl. Presidential Elections: And Other Cool Facts. Hauppauge, N.Y.: Barron's Educational Series, c2000.
Wayne, Stephen J. The Road to the White House, 2000: The Politics of Presidential Elections. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, c2000.


CARROL STOCKYL
Carrol Dean Stockl, age 80, of Sandwich, passed away quietly into the arms of her Savior, Thursday, December 16, 2021.
She was born March 23, 1941, in Brosley, MO, to loving parents, Arvel and Lossie (Taylor) Weathers.
Carrol grew up in Brosley and attended nearby Fisk schools.
When she was only 17 years old, Carrol came to IL to help her sister-in-law with a new addition to the family and ended up staying. She found not only work at Burgess Norton in Geneva, but a future husband as well. Frank Stockl caught her eye and stole her heart. He eventually led her down the aisle in June of 1970. They began their new life together in Elburn while building a house in Virgil. They moved shortly after its completion and spent the next 11 years filling it with love and laughter. Frank was called home to his Lord in 1981, and although she continued to make memories in their home, Carrol made her way to St. Charles. In 1995, she made the move to Sandwich until recent years.
Carrol loved to fish, especially at her favorite place in Chetek, WI, in which the number of fish and the number of stories competed on every trip. When the snow fell, you could find Carrol riding like the wind on her snowmobile make memories as fast as she was making tracks. At home, Carrol felt most at home in her garden where tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans and host of other vegetables came in with every harvest. You could help her with her garden if you liked, but nobody messed with Carrol when it came to mowing her yard. The lines she made with her push mower were always straight as an arrow and with the grass no more than 2 inches tall. Though she never had any children of her own, her nieces and nephews (not to mention her great-nieces and nephews) were the light of her life.
She is survived by her sister, Faye "Sandy" (Don) Bass; many nieces, nephews, cousins and a family of friends.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Arvel and Lossie Weathers, her loving husband Frank; three brothers: Bud, James and Bill Weathers and one sister, Imogene Norden.
Visitation will be from 1:30-2 p.m., Thursday, December 23, 2021, at Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., Elburn, IL 60119. A funeral to celebrate her life will follow at 2 p.m. with interment at River Hills Memorial Park, Batavia.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association at https://act.alz.org. Memories and tributes may be left on the Conley Funeral Home Facebook Page, or at www.conleycare.com.


5:13AM ( 9 hours ago ) Weather Alert
Posted 3:20PM on Saturday 12th December 2020 ( 1 month ago )
Verstappen takes stunning pole position for Abu Dhabi GP
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands ireacts after qualifying at the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Saturday, Dec. 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, Pool)
Darlington moving NASCAR throwback to Mother's DayBottas leads 2nd practice while Raikkonen puts out flamesMontoya to return to Indy 500 in 3rd Arrow McLaren entryFall Legends Series concludes on AMS Thunder Ring
YAS ISLAND, Abu Dhabi (AP) — Red Bull driver Max Verstappen produced a stunning last lap and beat both Mercedes cars to take pole position on Saturday for the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
He was .025 seconds ahead of Valtteri Bottas and .086 clear of world champion Lewis Hamilton for his first pole of the season and third of his career.
"Mega, mega lap!" Red Bull team principal Christian Horner yelled over the radio when Verstappen crossed the line under floodlights at the Yas Marina circuit.
"It's a long season for everyone and this was a great final qualifying for the whole team," Verstappen said. "We are all very happy and it's great to finally get there after being close many times in 2020."
Bottas led Verstappen and Hamilton after their first attempts in Q3, the final section of qualifying, and Hamilton then appeared on course for a record-extending 99th career pole as he led the split times on their second and final attempts.
But Verstappen showed why he is touted as a future world champion, while Bottas found some extra speed to score a rare victory over his illustrious teammate.
"Very happy with that. It was a tricky qualifying at the beginning to get laps in. In the last sector there are so many corners you can make a mistake," Verstappen said. "Luckily everything came together in that final lap."
Hamilton, who has an F1 record 95 wins, was quick to praise Verstappen, who will aim for his second win of the season on Sunday and 10th overall.
"I gave it my all, congrats to Max. It is a great way for him to seal a year of great performance. We will give them a good run for their money tomorrow," Hamilton said. "It is always nice to start first but this makes it even more exiting. I am definitely excited to see how I can turn it around."
Hamilton went well wide in Q1 and went over the curb, while Verstappen complained over the radio that his hand had got stuck inside the cockpit.
Hamilton fared better in Q2, topping the charts. But Sebastian Vettel's final qualifying session for Ferrari saw him among the five drivers eliminated from it, along with Renault drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon.
"We don't really know why we struggled, it was a surprise for sure," said Ricciardo, who has two podium finishes this season. "There is frustration that we could not do any better."
Racing Point driver Sergio Perez starts what could be his last F1 race from a lowly 15th.
The popular Mexican driver won last Sunday's dramatic Sakhir GP in Bahrain for the first win of his career and 10th podium finish. But he does not have a seat for next year after being replaced by Vettel, when Racing Point is renamed Aston Martin following a takeover.
Earlier, Verstappen was fastest ahead of teammate Alexander Albon in the third and final practice. He led Albon and Ricciardo, who is competing in his last race for Renault before joining McLaren next year.
Hamilton has won 11 races this year but missed last Sunday's Sakhir GP in Bahrain as he recovered from the coronavirus. This denied the seven-time F1 champion the opportunity to equal Vettel's single-season record of 13 wins, set with Red Bull in 2013.
Speaking after qualifying, Hamilton said he is still feeling side effects, including lower energy levels than before.
"I still have some feelings in my lungs, but I would drive if one of my arms were hanging off. That's what we do as racing drivers. It won't be the easiest race but I will manage," he said. "One of the symptoms is it really drains you. I have been trying to sleep as much as I can, but recharging is not as easy as it has been in the past."
He has also lost weight.
"I am not 100% the same as I was last time I raced," he said. "But it is in no way going to get in the way of me giving it my all."
Associated Categories: NASCAR News, Other Motorsports
Associated Tags: motorsports, Open Wheel, Auto Racing, Asphalt, road course, F1, Formula One
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen produced a stunning last lap and beat both Mercedes cars to take pole position on Saturday for the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
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Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya will return to the iconic event next year driving for Arrow McLaren SP. Montoya last raced the Indy 500 in 2017.
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By Jacob Mattinson, Teal Trujillo and Judith Wethall on Jan 14, 2022
Posted In Employee Benefits, Employment, Health and Welfare Plans
In response to a directive from the White House, based on provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act that eliminated cost sharing for COVID-19 diagnostic testing, three federal government departments—the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the US Department of Labor (Labor) and the US Department of the Treasury (Treasury)—issued guidance in the form of frequently asked questions (FAQs) that states group health plans and insurers must also cover over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 diagnostic testing. This guidance is effective beginning January 15, 2022.
In addition, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) updated the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) comprehensive preventive care and screening guidelines for women and children to cover additional services and supplies without a copay or deductible, effective 2023.
COVID-19 AT-HOME TESTING COVERAGE
On January 10, 2022, HHS, Labor and the Treasury together issued FAQs that elaborated on prior guidance and indicated that group health plans and insurers are required to cover OTC COVID-19 diagnostic tests without cost sharing. Because of the recent spike in COVID-19 cases resulting from the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, the guidance will continue for the duration of the public emergency.
Most consumers with private health coverage will be able to buy OTC COVID-19 tests and either have the cost covered upfront or be reimbursed later by submitting a claim to their health plan. The new requirement only applies to "diagnostic" OTC COVID-19 testing. It does not include the treatment of COVID-19 or testing that is for employment purposes.
The guidance provides that health plans and insurers must cover at least eight OTC COVID-19 diagnostic tests per covered individual per a 30-day period. Insurers will be able to set up networks of preferred suppliers to provide OTC COVID-19 tests directly to participants without upfront costs. Insurers must still reimburse OTC COVID-19 tests purchased outside the direct coverage program, however, the reimbursable amount is limited to $12 per test if the health plan also provides tests through its preferred pharmacy network and through a direct-to-consumer shipping program without upfront costs.
Besides the risk of increasing the average cost of OTC COVID-19 tests, the new initiative raises concerns over fraud and abuse. For health plans and insurers to protect themselves, the FAQs provide several examples of permissible activities to prevent fraud and abuse, like requiring proof of purchase or an attestation that the test was purchased for proper purposes (i.e., is being used by the covered individual, is not being reimbursed by another source, is not being resold and is not for employment purposes).
HRSA UPDATES ACA PREVENTIVE HEALTHCARE GUIDELINES
On January 11, 2022, HRSA announced that it updated the preventive health and screening guidelines for women, infants, children and adolescents. Under the ACA, certain group health plans and insurers must provide coverage with no out-of-pocket costs for preventive health services within these HRSA-endorsed comprehensive guidelines.
HRSA accepted the updates recommended by the Women's Preventative [...]
By McDermott Will & Emery on Nov 5, 2015
On October 23, 2015, the U.S. Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS) and Treasury issued frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the implementation of preventive care and wellness provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and mental health parity disclosure, adding to the existing list of 28 previous editions of FAQs on the implementation of ACA.
New Guidelines Issued on Preventive Services for Women, Including Religious Employer Exception
By McDermott Will & Emery on Aug 2, 2011
Posted In Benefit Controversies, Health and Welfare Plans
by Amy M. Gordon, Susan M. Nash and Jamie A. Weyeneth
The U.S. Departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services recently released joint guidance regarding mandatory coverage of contraceptive services for women under the preventive services requirements of health care reform. The new guidance coincides with the issuance of expanded preventive care coverage requirements for women released by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
Health care reform requires non-grandfathered group health plans and health insurance issuers to provide first-dollar coverage of certain preventive services furnished by in-network providers. The preventive services coverage requirements are based on recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and HRSA. In addition, HRSA was charged with developing additional preventive care and screening guidelines for women. HRSA commissioned the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to help to identify gaps in preventive care services already required under health care reform.
When the IOM released its recommendations in mid-July 2011, concerns about the inclusion of contraceptive services were raised by religious organizations. The regulators determined it would be appropriate to take into account the religious beliefs of religious employers and issued guidance providing for limited religious accommodation. Specifically, the interim final regulations on mandatory preventive care were revised to permit HRSA to create an exception for group health plans established or maintained by religious employers with respect to any requirement to cover contraceptive services. A religious employer is one that has the inculcation of religious values as its purpose; primarily employs persons who share its religious tenets; primarily serves persons who share its religious tenets; and is a nonprofit organization under Section 6033(a)(1) and Section 6033(a)(3)(A)(i) or (iii) of the Internal Revenue Code. The regulators noted this approach is consistent with most states that require coverage of contraceptive services under state insurance laws. The final guidelines released by HRSA on August 1, 2011, include this exception for religious employers.
Click here to view the new women's preventive services guidelines issued by HRSA. Recommended preventive services issued after September 23, 2009, are effective as of the first day of the first plan year/policy year beginning on or after the one-year anniversary of the date the recommendation is issued. Therefore, these new guidelines (including the religious employer exception) will apply for plan years/policy years beginning on or after August 1, 2012.


ITME - Marine Habitats of Dominica Version 2008
Oligospecific Coral Assemblages
The branching coral Madracis mirabilis occasionally forms large thickets. These assemblages can be well over 500m2. The architecture of these branching corals leads to sediment falling out between their branches. Any structure in the path of water flow will slow down the water flow, thus increased the amount of sediment trapped between the branches. Over time, this process starts burring the corals. These in turn keep growing and as long as the growth rate outruns the sedimentation rate the reef continues to grow.
Although dominated by M. mirabilis, Porites porites is another common branching species interspersed in these ologi-specific aggregations. The largest and most impressive ones run perpendicular to the shoreline near Mero where individual ridges reach dimensions of up to 1000 m2. The local dive site where these reefs are found is called Maggie's Point. Smaller formations are found throughout the west coast where reef accretion has take place. At Cachacrou (Scott's Head) only a few remnants of large formations of this kind are alive, due to the heavy use of this reef. In 2007 our survey team also identified small patches of up to approx. 25m2 in the southern region of Dominica near Fond Saint Jean.
The 2005 bleaching episode severely affected the abundance of P. porites, which in 2006 had virtually disappeared from many sites. This was also very evident in the M. mirabilis assemblages, previously containing substantial amounts of P. porites.
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M.mirabilis assemblages
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Powerful Chile Earthquake "Not The Big One"
An enormous 8.2-magnitude earthquake struck Chile on Tuesday evening, creating landslides and cutting off power to thousands, with a possible tsunami to follow.
The earthquake was so powerful it was felt 300 miles away from its center in Bolivia's capital, CBS News' Vicente Arenas reports.
The quake hit at 8:46 pm, local time, and was located about 60 miles northwest of the town of Iquique.
There were five deaths directly related to the quake, four men and one woman – three were crushed, and two died from heart attacks, said Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo.
Due to the threats of a tsunami, thousands were evacuated from low-lying areas, but most began to return home as the Chilean tsunami alerts were lifted.
About 300 inmates escaped from a women's prison in the city of Iquique, forcing the closure of the border with Peru, Penailillo said.
Chile previously experienced an 8.8-magnitude earthquake on February 27, 2010, when nearly 500 people were killed, which had residents on edge.
"Many people are fearful after experiencing the powerful earthquake in 2010, so they immediately fled for higher ground when they heard the tsunami warning," said Fabrizio Guzman, World Vision emergency communications manager in Chile.
"There have been multiple aftershocks and communications have been cut off in many of the affected areas. So people are waiting in the dark hills not knowing what is to come, and hoping they will be able to return to their homes safely."
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued many tsunami warnings, but they were all canceled by early Wednesday.
The town of Iquique, with a population of more than 200,000, did see 7-foot waves.
"The fact is, we will know the extent of the damage as time goes by and when we inspect the areas in the light of day," Chile's President Michelle Bachelet said early Wednesday. "The country has faced these first emergency hours very well."
What is most frightening is that Caltech has warned this isn't the big one expected in Chile.
"This magnitude 8.2 is not the large earthquake that we were expecting in this area," said Mark Simons, a geophysicist at Caltech in Pasadena, California. "We're expecting a potentially even larger earthquake."
It is expected, but it could be tomorrow or in the distant future. "We do not know when it's going to occur," he said.
Chile sits on an arc of volcanoes and fault lines circling the Pacific Ocean known as the "Ring of Fire." This area sees frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, however, there is an area that hasn't been active lately and is expected to release some steam in the near future, explained Simons.
The area to the north and south of Tuesday's quake "did not rupture in this event," Simons said. And it's "still an area that hasn't ruptured in 140-odd years."
Given that it's an area of frequent quakes, and frequent ruptures, it may only be a matter of time.
"We expect another 8.8-8.9 earthquake here sometime in the future," Simons said.
The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center scrambled on Tuesday trying to determine the level of danger for the west coast so that early warnings could be issued, those areas possibly affected were: Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California, as well as Canada's British Columbia.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center's spokesman Gerard Fryer told CNN there is "clearly not going to be any hazards to the coastline of North America."
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did issue a tsunami warning for Hawaii, saying strong currents may pose a hazard to swimmers and boaters.
Tags Chile big one chile earthquake Chile ring of fire chilean tsunami
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Lim Chong BoonProbate Lawyer
Divorce Lawyer Singapore
Common Divorce Questions
What are the requirements for divorce?
In order to get a divorce, the applicant must satisfy 3 requirements.
The first requirement to be fulfilled is to have been married for at least 3 years, unless it can be proven that the applicant has suffered exceptional hardship, or the applicant's spouse has been exceptionally unreasonable and cruel. In this regard, while there is no clear legal definition for these extreme circumstances, examples may include:
1. Extreme cases of mental or physical abuse;
2. Exceptionally severe mental distress;
3. Homosexuality;
4. Extremely cruel adultery; and
5. Pregnancy caused by adultery.
.The second requirement is for either party to (1) be a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident (PR), (2) have been domiciled in Singapore at the beginning of the divorce process, or (3) have lived in Singapore for the 3 years immediately preceding the divorce application.
The third requirement is to have an "irretrievable breakdown" of the marriage. This will be covered in the section below.
What are the grounds for divorce?
There is only 1 ground for divorce, which is to prove "irretrievable breakdown" of the marriage. However, establishing "irretrievable breakdown" requires the applicant to prove one of the following 5 scenarios:
1. Adultery;
2. Unreasonable behaviour;
3. Desertion for 2 years;
4. Separation for 3 years (with consent to live apart); and
5. Separation for 4 years (without consent to live apart).
These shall now be covered in turn.
A. Adultery
Adultery will require proven consensual sexual intercourse between the applicant's spouse and the third party, who must be named in the proceedings. Behaviour falling short of sexual intercourse will not suffice, no matter how intimate. In addition, the applicant must find it intolerable to live with his or her spouse. If the applicant continues to live with his or her spouse for more than 6 months after finding out about the adultery, he/she will not be able to rely on the adultery.
B. Unreasonable behaviour
This is the reason most commonly cited for causing "irretrievable breakdown" of a marriage. In this case, the applicant must find it intolerable to live with his or her spouse due to the cumulative effect of the spouse's behaviour. From the reasons provided, the Court will then decide whether the applicant can be reasonably expected to live with his or her spouse, considering factors such as both parties' personalities.
C. Desertion for 2 years
To prove desertion, the deserting spouse must have decided to walk away from the marriage without providing reasonable justifications. Under desertion, no consent would have been given by the deserted spouse.
D. Separation for 3 years (with consent to live apart)
If the parties have continuously lived apart for 3 years prior to the commencement of the divorce process with consent, they will be allowed to divorce. In this regard, separation does not require parties to live in different places or to not be in close physical proximity with each other. As long as the parties live separate lives without interacting with each other as husband and wife, that is enough to show separation.
E. Separation for 4 years (without consent to live apart)
Alternatively, if parties have continuously lived apart for 4 years prior to the commencement of the divorce process, no consent is required.
What is a "simplified" or "uncontested divorce"?
A "simplified" or "uncontested divorce" is one where both parties agree to a divorce and all ancillary issues. Main areas for agreement to be reached include the reason for divorce, the party who will obtain care and control of the children, how the assets are to be divided, and what would be a reasonable amount of maintenance.
Under a "simplified" or "uncontested" divorce, interim judgment will be issued after 4 weeks, before final judgment is given 3 months from the date of obtaining the interim judgment.
Can I get a divorce if my spouse cannot be found?
A divorce can still occur when a spouse cannot be found, although it must then be shown that the applicant has used all reasonable means to contact or locate his/her missing spouse.
The applicant may submit documents for a dispensation of service, which must include proof of the applicant's attempts to locate his/her missing spouse. Examples of such attempts include contacting his/her spouse's known family members and friends, as well as searching for his/her spouse at alternate addresses or known locations.
If a dispensation of service is granted, procedural requirements will be waived.
Alternatively, if it can be proven that the applicant was deserted by his/her spouse with the intention to do so and this was against the applicant's will, the divorce may proceed based on desertion.
Can I get a divorce if my spouse refuses a divorce?
Even if one's spouse is not agreeable to the divorce, one may still proceed to file for divorce, although this will be considered a contested divorce. Regardless of your spouse's decision, the Court still possesses the authority to decide.
However, the downside to having a contested divorce is that it is often more time-consuming and expensive for both parties. As such, parties should strive to come to an agreement with each other on the outstanding issues.
What is adultery?
Within a legal context, adultery has a very narrow meaning. In essence, it refers to having consensual sexual intercourse with someone outside of your marriage.
As mentioned above, adultery will require proven consensual sexual intercourse between the applicant's spouse and the third party, who must be named in the proceedings. Behaviour falling short of sexual intercourse will not suffice, no matter how intimate.
In addition, the applicant must find it intolerable to live with his/her spouse. If the applicant continues to live with his/her spouse for more than 6 months after finding out about the adultery, he/she will not be able to rely on the adultery.
Does adultery or unreasonable behaviour affect the court's decision in deciding division of assets or children custody?
No, adultery and/or unreasonable behaviour do not affect the division of assets or custody of children. Adultery and/or unreasonable behaviour are merely factors that the Court will consider when deciding whether to grant the divorce, and is separate from the later decision pertaining to these ancillary matters.
When deciding on issues such as division of assets, the Court will look at the respective parties' contributions to the marriage. For short marriages, direct financial contributions will be more important in deciding how the assets will be split, while in long single-income marriages, the trend is towards an equal share for both parties.
As for custody of the children, the Court will treat the welfare of the child as paramount. In Singapore, it is common for joint custody to be granted so as to include both parents in the decision-making process for the child, while care and control will be given to the parent that the Court deems most fit to carry out the duty.
How long is the divorce process?
The length of divorce proceedings will depend on whether parties are going for an uncontested or contested divorce.
For an uncontested divorce where parties agree about the reasons behind the divorce as well as how to settle the outstanding ancillary matters, interim judgment will take about 1 month to obtain, before final judgment will be received 3 months from the date of the interim judgment.
For a contested divorce, the length of proceedings will largely depend on the complexity of the case. Most cases will take between 6 months to 1 year to complete, while certain contentious cases may last more than a year.
About PKWA Law Practice
At PKWA, our team of dedicated family lawyers will strive to deliver premium service at readily affordable prices. We fully understand that our clients are going through difficult times, and we promise to not only treat every client with the care and respect that he or she deserves, but also do our utmost best to deliver results that are closely tailored to each client's needs.
Our guiding principles have led to us being consistently named as leading Singapore family lawyers by renowned independent legal publications such as Asian Legal Business, Singapore Business Review, Global Law Experts, and Doyle's Guide to Singapore Family Lawyers.
If you need us, we are here to help.
Contact us at +65 6854 5336 for a free first consultation.