Ellen Hart: Sept. 11, the day the world changed - Fayetteville Observer
Wednesday, October 5, 2016I knew then it was true. AFN didn't normally go to a major feed like CBS, unless it was a crisis.
We sat and listened in shock for a few minutes. I pulled out of the parking lot and headed home to Kriftel, our small village halfway between Frankfurt and Wiesbaden. At home I turned on the TV to International CNN, as it was the only English-speaking channel we could get off-post. We stared in horror at the video of the Twin Towers, smoke billowing forth, huge gray clouds of poison and evil. We sat there mesmerized for I don't know how long.
The phone rang. It was Phil calling from Baumholder to see if I was OK. He said he would be driving back home and wouldn't arrive until about 10 that night. How many millions of fathers, husbands, mothers, sons, wives and daughters called each other in those moments when life stopped? I couldn't get through to the States by phone to talk to my children, so I emailed them.
The next day we awakened and wondered if it had been a bad dream. Not so. CNN was still reporting on the attack, showing over and over videos of the planes crashing into the towers. Shots of the Pentagon with its gaping and smoking hole. Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where Flight 93 crashed. Stories of Todd Beamer, a leader of brave passengers and heroes. "Let's roll!"
The long line of cars at the gate of the Wiesbaden Army Airfield where I worked hindered so many of us the next day. Many soldiers parked their cars on the side of the road and walked through the gate after being thoroughly inspected.
The German people mourned with us. Flowers appeared at the sign at the front gate of the airfield. Both Germans and Americans visited the fountain in the center of the Wiesbaden stadtmitte -- town center -- as the days passed. Flowers, notes and candles around the fountain fanned out across the cobblestone plaza.
I didn't know it at the time, but on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, a young man named Michael Tanner entered One World Trade Center in lower Manhattan and rode the elevators to Cantor Fitzgerald's corporate headquarters on the 101st to 105th floors. The offices were above the impact zone of one of the hijacked planes. Cantor Fitzgerald lost more than two-thirds of its workforce, considerably more than any of the other World Trade Center tenants or the New York City Police Department, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department, the New York City Fire Department, and the United States Department of Defense, according to a Wikipedia entry.
Michael Tanner was one of about 3,000 people who died that day.
He was my cousin.
Ellen Hart is a retired Department of the Army civilian who worked in Public Affairs at Fort Bragg. Her husband is retired from the military. They have two children and five grandchildren.
http://www.fayobserver.com/living/community/ellen-hart-sept-the-day-the-world-changed/article_cf4cad8d-6eb5-57f5-a082-f87e8ba6c5fa.html
Shirley A. Grover – Cedar Rapids,formerly Independence – Mix 94.7 KMCH - kmch.com
Sunday, January 26, 2020In her quiet time, she enjoyed reading and flowers.
Mrs. Grover is survived by 2 sons, Mike (Vicky) Grover of Cedar Rapids and Mark (Jason Hesse) Grover of Coralville, Iowa, 2 daughters, Patricia (Keith) Grover of Mountain View, California, and Beth (Danny) Hinde of Cedar Rapids, 2 grandchildren, Travis Grover and Josh Hinde, and 4 great granddaughters.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents and 1 brother, Paul.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, January 24, 2020, at St. John’s Catholic Church in Independence. Rev. David Beckman will be the Celebrant. Burial will be in Rowley Cemetery in Rowley. Friends may call for visitation from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23rd , at the White Funeral Home in Independence. On line condolences may be left at www.White-MtHope.com.
...https://kmch.com/blog/2020/01/21/shirley-a-grover-cedar-rapidsformerly-independence/
MALHEUR MOVERS: Vale native builds business to make community blossom - malheurenterprise.com
Sunday, January 26, 2020El Campo was once a routine happening in Vale but it declined over time and eventually disappeared. Rodriguez said she remembered going to the carnival as a child and linked up with Todd and Kale Hesse to revive the event.“It was time for our generation to pick it up,” said Rodriguez.Rodriguez said creating small coalitions within the community is crucial. Rodriguez said while she is involved with the community, she is just one of a large number of people who strive to make Vale a great place to live.“These community events only go on because of volunteers,” said Rodriguez. “We are surrounded by a lot of people in this community who like to give.”Rodriguez said her civic involvement can trace its roots to her youth, where she watched members of the community step up and help on a regular basis. Plus, she said, Vale has been good to her.“The community has been amazing to me,” said Rodriguez.Rodriguez and her husband, TJ, both aim to ensure their children, Thomas, Zettie, Tristan and Trent, learn how to give back to their town.Good role models, said Rodriguez, are important. “My parents, they were always giving,” said Rodriguez.The best part of her life and her business, said Rodriguez, is the people.“I get to meet some amazing people and I can go home and be blessed,” said Rodriguez.She said she also likes the variety her shop generates.“Every day there is something very interesting, every day is different,” she said.Letting people down on their orders is her worst fear, said Rodriguez.“That’s hard for me,” she said.Rodriguez said she likes her role as a local businesswoman and a volunteer.“I feel I have to do my job and if that (volunteering) is my job in this world while I am here, I will take that job,” said Rodriguez.News tip? Contact reporter Pat Caldwell: pat@malheurenterprise.com or 541-473-3377. For the latest news, follow the Enterprise on Facebook and Twitter.SUBSCRIBE TO HELP PRODUCE VITAL REPORTING -- For $5 a month, you get breaking news alerts, emailed newsletters and around-the-clock access to our stories. We depend on subscribers to pay for in-depth, accurate news produced by a professional and highly trained staff. Help us grow and get better with your subscription. Sign up HERE.
...https://www.malheurenterprise.com/posts/6546/malheur-movers-vale-native-builds-business-to-make-community-blossom
The perfect destination foHere is why Germany is the perfect destination for your next holidayr your holiday! Discover nature in Germany - Emirates Woman
Sunday, January 26, 2020Alps are characterised by green trees and extensive forests.Rhön UNESCO Biosphere Reserve: at the corner of the three German states, Bavaria, Hesse and ThuringiaThe Rhôn hills are located in the heart of Germany and offer a wide range of beautiful views! And if you are a fan of athletic activities, you can try gliding, water sports, and indulge in a spot of star gazing.Jasmund National Park Mecklenburg-Western Pomeraniait takes you right along the cliffs and features enough natural treasures for several holidays. White chalk cliffs, lush beech forests and the shimmering blue of the sea. You’ll catch sight of a rare white-tailed eagle circling in the skies, while far below a thousand different species of beetle scuttle through the undergrowth in this landscape of contrasts.Black Forest National Park, Baden-Württemberg, South GermanyPerfect for cleansing your lungs. The remarkable feature of this national park is that some areas have been able to develop for more than 100 years without human intervention. This means that all the animals and plants that are found here live in authentic, natural surroundings.You can use Deutsche Bahn trains all over Germany, where it uses 100% green energy. In addition, you can take the InterCity Express for a unique experience, as it is a high-speed train that connects all major cities in Germany with speeds of up to 300 km / hour, and this is one of the fastest ways to reach between Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne!Check out their Instagram: GermanyTourismAr, and Facebook: Germany Tourism Arabia– For more about Dubai’s lifestyle, news and fashion scene straight to your newsfeed, follow us on Facebook Media: Supplied...https://emirateswoman.com/germany/
Berlin moves to greatly reduce ‘solidarity tax’ for eastern Germany - Euronews
Tuesday, August 20, 2019We'd better invest this money in education and climate protection."Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel, parliamentary party and state leader of the SPD in Hesse, also supports Scholz.What is the Soli tax?The solidarity surcharge was introduced in 1991, to help reconstruction of the east following the reunification of Germany in the wake of the fall of the Berlin Wall.The tax was originally supposed to be in place only for a limited time but became permanent in 1995.Initially, the solidarity rate was 7.5%, but since 1995 it has been 5.5%. In addition, the surcharge has been unlimited since 1995.Contrary to some assumptions, taxpayers in the west and east have to pay the tax.According to the Ministry of Finance, in 2018 the German state received €18.9 billion as a result.Criticism of the billAccording to the Ministry of Finance, single people with an annual gross income of up to €73,874 would not have to pay anything. From €109,451 gross annual wages, the full supplement would have to be paid.Accordingly, a family with two children and an annual income of €221,375 or more would have to pay the full solidarity surcharge. Families earning less than €151,990 gross would be exempt from the solidarity surcharge.If the draft is adopted, German citizens would then have to pay around €10 billion less in tax.Criticism comes from parties outside the coalition. Katja Kipping of Die Linke said that the CDU/CSU and SPD were making politics for the rich with their proposal.FDP General Secretary Linda Teuteberg wrote on Twitter: "The Soli is unconstitutional for everyone from 2020. So it must also be abolished for everyone. Our constitution also applies to those who in reality want tax increases, and there you have to choose the normal procedures and not the back door."Many citizens on social networks are also outraged by the fact that they still have to pay the solidarity surcharge. "The solidarity surcharge was introduced in 1991 for a limited period of one year. I believed that," wrote a user on Twitter.https://www.euronews.com/2019/08/13/berlin-moves-to-greatly-reduce-solidarity-tax-for-eastern-germany