May God bless and keep you always May your wishes all come true May you always do for others And let others do for you May you build a ladder to the stars And climb on every rung And may you stay Forever young Forever young Forever young May you stay Forever young May you stay Forever young
May your hands always be busy May your feet always be swift May you have a strong foundation When the winds of changes shift May your heart always be joyful May your song always be sung And may you stay Forever young Forever young Forever young May you stay Forever young
May you grow up to be righteous May you grow up to be true May you always know the truth And see the lights surrounding you May you always be courageous Stand upright and be strong And may you stay Forever young Forever young Forever young
Posted inhappiness, Music, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young” – an anthem for retirement communities
Ed note: At Skyline we remember Leonard for his gentle manner and inquisitive mind. He dealt with his failing health with quiet acceptance and kept his smile and sense of humor until the end. We sorely miss this man who gave many the gift of survival following cardiac arrest.
It’s difficult to pinpoint how Dr. Leonard Cobb came up with the idea to train firefighters in emergency medical care, but friends and family believe one particular afternoon more than 60 years ago played a role.
Cobb and his wife, Else, had stopped at a market in Seattle’s Madrona neighborhood for a frozen snack when they noticed a man slumped over in a nearby car.
When Cobb opened the car door to check on him, the man sagged to the ground.
Cobb stayed with the man while his wife rushed to a nearby fire station for help. A firefighter hurried over to bring oxygen, but there wasn’t much else he could do until the man was taken to the hospital, Else Cobb, 88, remembers.
“It was an incident where Leonard felt the fireman could have done more if he had known what to do,” his wife said this week.
In the following decades, Cobb devoted his career to researching cardiac care and developing Medic One, one of the country’s first efforts to deliver emergency medical care to patients before they arrived at the hospital. He was 96 when he died in his home at the Terraces of Skyline last week, surrounded by family.
The former Harborview Medical Center doctor was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1926, eventually earning undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of Minnesota.
In the late 1950s, Cobb moved to Seattle to practice cardiology at the University of Washington — where he eventually met his future wife, Else Snoep at the time.
Their first date, a UW football game, was the first time she had seen the sport.
“I’m a Dutch girl, and I grew up with soccer,” she said. “I told him that maybe he should take someone else because I wouldn’t know what was going on. He said, ‘I’ll explain it all to you.’”
Cobb was already passionate about improving areas of cardiology in the 1960s, but was particularly determined to find faster ways to get care to patients outside the hospital, said Dr. Michael Sayre, current medical director of the Seattle Fire Department and its Medic One program, which now responds to about 550 calls a year.
At the time, the idea of firefighters providing serious medical care was “pretty radical,” Sayre said.
Paramedics didn’t exist then, and extensive medical training wasn’t required for many ambulance crews. Ambulances were stocked with bandages and oxygen, but little else, he said.
The Graystone tower crane is coming down currently.
That 17,300-pound weight to the left is to counterbalance the usual concrete weights on the back side of the transverse beam, so there will be no tilt when they remove a section on the vertical.After the crane lowers the counterweight, it comes back up to fetch the removed section, lowering it to the street and picking up the counterweight again. They rebalance so the cage can be slowly lowered to fit around the next section and then locked in place.
You might recall the crane that fell across Mercer Street in 2019. The winds became gusty while they were doing such a takedown; in a hurry, workers bypassed some stability safety measures. The lawsuits were settled for $150 million.
A version of this story appeared in Science, Vol 379, Issue 6633. Download PDF
IN THE SHADE of a mango tree, Mamadou Ngulo Konaré recounted the legendary event of his childhood. In 1987, well diggers had come to his village of Bourakébougou, Mali, to drill for water, but had given up on one dry borehole at a depth of 108 meters. “Meanwhile, wind was coming out of the hole,” Konaré told Denis Brière, a petrophysicist and vice president at Chapman Petroleum Engineering, in 2012. When one driller peered into the hole while smoking a cigarette, the wind exploded in his face.
“He didn’t die, but he was burned,” Konaré continued. “And now we had a huge fire. The color of the fire in daytime was like blue sparkling water and did not have black smoke pollution. The color of the fire at night was like shining gold, and all over the fields we could see each other in the light. … We were very afraid that our village would be destroyed.”
It took the crew weeks to snuff out the fire and cap the well. And there it sat, shunned by the villagers, until 2007. That was when Aliou Diallo, a wealthy Malian businessman, politician, and chair of Petroma, an oil and gas company, acquired the rights to prospect in the region surrounding Bourakébougou. “We have a saying that human beings are made of dirt, but the devil is made of fire,” Diallo says. “It was a cursed place. I said, ‘Well, cursed places, I like to turn them into places of blessing.’”
In 2012, he recruited Chapman Petroleum to determine what was coming out of the borehole. Sheltered from the 50°C heat in a mobile lab, Brière and his technicians discovered that the gas was 98% hydrogen. That was extraordinary: Hydrogen almost never turns up in oil operations, and it wasn’t thought to exist within the Earth much at all. “We had celebrations with large mangos that day,” Brière says.
Within a few months, Brière’s team had installed a Ford engine tuned to burn hydrogen. Its exhaust was water. The engine was hooked up to a 300-kilowatt generator that gave Bourakébougou its first electrical benefits: freezers to make ice, lights for evening prayers at the mosque, and a flat-screen TV so the village chief could watch soccer games. Children’s test scores also improved. “They had the lighting to learn their lessons before going to class in the morning,” Diallo says. He soon gave up on oil, changed the name of his company to Hydroma, and began drilling new wells to ascertain the size of the underground supply.
The Malian discovery was vivid evidence for what a small group of scientists, studying hints from seeps, mines, and abandoned wells, had been saying for years: Contrary to conventional wisdom, large stores of natural hydrogen may exist all over the world, like oil and gas—but not in the same places. These researchers say water-rock reactions deep within the Earth continuously generate hydrogen, which percolates up through the crust and sometimes accumulates in underground traps. There might be enough natural hydrogen to meet burgeoning global demand for thousands of years, according to a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) model that was presented in October 2022 at a meeting of the Geological Society of America.
“When I first heard about it, I thought it was crazy,” says Emily Yedinak, a materials scientist who devoted a fellowship at the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to drumming up interest in natural hydrogen. “The more that I read, the more I started to realize, wow, the science behind how hydrogen is produced is sound … I was kind of like, ‘Why is no one talking about this?’”
Since 2018, however, when Diallo and his colleagues described the Malian field in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, the number of papers on natural hydrogen has exploded. “It’s absolutely incredible and really exponential,” says geologist Alain Prinzhofer, lead author on the Mali paper and scientific director of GEO4U, a Brazil-based oil and gas services company that is doing more and more hydrogen work. Dozens of startups, many in Australia, are snatching up the rights to explore for hydrogen. Last year, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists formed its first natural hydrogen committee, and USGS began its first effort to identify promising hydrogen production zones in the United States. “We’re in the very beginning, but it will go fast,” says Viacheslav Zgonnik, CEO of Natural Hydrogen Energy. In 2019, the startup completed the first hydrogen borehole in the United States, in Nebraska.
Malian businessman and former presidential candidate Aliou Diallo casts his vote in 2018 (first image). Now, his company is preparing to extract hydrogen from underground deposits near the village of Bourakébougou (second image). (FIRST IMAGE) MICHELE CATTANI/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES; (SECOND IMAGE) PAUL CHOUINARD/VERSATILE ENERGY SERVICES
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania — Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro said Thursday he will not allow Pennsylvania to execute any inmates while he is in office and called for the state’s lawmakers to repeal the death penalty.
Shapiro, inaugurated last month, said he will refuse to sign execution warrants and will use his power as governor to grant reprieves to any inmate whose execution is scheduled.
In doing so, he is exercising an authority used for eight years by his predecessor, Gov. Tom Wolf, to effectively impose a moratorium on the death penalty in a state where it has been sparsely used.
Shapiro went further, asking lawmakers to repeal the death penalty and calling it fallible and irreversible.
“Today, I am respectfully calling on the General Assembly to work with me to abolish the death penalty once and for all here in Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said in a news conference at Mosaic Community Church in Philadelphia.
The state, he said, “should not be in the business of putting people to death.”
Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks during a news conference in Philadelphia, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023.AP Photo/Matt Rourke
The first execution warrant came to his desk last week, Shapiro said.
Twenty-seven states allow the death penalty, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
On the campaign trail last year for governor, Shapiro had said he was morally opposed to the death penalty, even though he had run for attorney general in 2016 as a supporter of the death penalty for the most heinous cases.
Shapiro is shifting his stance amid shrinking support nationally for the death penalty.
While Wolf was governor from 2015 until last month, judges delivered eight more death sentences. In the meantime, Wolf issued eight reprieves to inmates who had been scheduled to be put to death.
Wolf had said he would continue the reprieves until lawmakers addressed inequities in the use of the death penalty, but lawmakers never did and Wolf’s reprieves remain in effect.
Wolf’s use of reprieves was upheld by the state Supreme Court in a legal challenge brought by county prosecutors, who argued that Wolf was unconstitutionally turning what had been intended to be a temporary tool into a permanent one.
Pennsylvania has 101 men and women on its shrinking death row, according to statistics from the Department of Corrections. The state has executed three people since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, as courts and now governors have blocked every other death sentence thus far.
All three men who were executed gave up on their appeals voluntarily. The state’s most recent execution took place in 1999.
Posted inAdvocacy, Crime, Government, Law|Comments Off on Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro blocks death penalty, calls for repeal
Ed note: If you have some moments listen to wonderful music, please listen – and consider finding the movie to stream on demand. It stars Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons and Liam Neeson. The photography of Iguazu Falls is fantastic. The story is about the brutal colonization of the area.
From Wikipedia: “The Mission is the soundtrack from the film of the same name (directed by Roland Joffé), composed, orchestrated, conducted and produced by Ennio Morricone. The work combines liturgical chorales, native drumming, and Spanish-influenced guitars, often in the same track, in an attempt to capture the varying cultures depicted in the film.[3] The main theme, “Falls”, remains one of Morricone’s most memorable pieces, and has been used in numerous commercials since its original release. The Italian song “Nella Fantasia” (“In My Fantasy”) is based on the theme “Gabriel’s Oboe” and has been recorded by multiple artists including, Sarah Brightman, Amici Forever, Il Divo, Russell Watson, Hayley Westenra, Jackie Evancho, Katherine Jenkins, Amira Willighagen and Yasuto Tanaka.
Ed Note: There are now 169 subscribers to our Skyline725 blog. You can see some interesting blips in usage (note the COVID onset increase in 2020). Also, there’s an astounding increase in “hits” over the last few months. Recently, individuals outside of Skyline have subscribed — so please remember the postings on the blog are not confidential unless included in a password protected page. We’d like to keep the blog eclectic in service to the interests of residents of our lovely community. The resident portal (CareMerge) does not post activities outside of Skyline, so if you would like to have something posted or have suggestions for the blog please send it to the editor, Jim deMaine (email is listed in CareMerge).
Months and Years – numbers of monthly “visits” to blog postings
Rendering by Perkins and Will [enlarge]This perspective looks northwest at the planned medical building, with SHA’s planned new Sawara apartments at left.
As planned, Kaiser Permanente has paid a little over $36.2 million for the site of a new Yesler Terrace medical tower at 755 Alder St. The deal and planned building were announced almost exactly a year ago by the health care provider and Seattle Housing Authority. The land price was then estimated to be about $1 million higher.
King County recorded the sale last week; it was worth about $511 per square foot. SHA’s brokers were Frank Bosl, Jon Hallgrimson, Eli Hanacek and Kyle Yamamoto of CBRE. Kaiser Permanente’s broker was JLL.
The sloping corner site, at Ninth Avenue and just south of Harborview Medical Center, totals slightly over 1.6 acres. Perkins and Will is designing the nine-story building, which will have about 260,000 square feet of clinics, offices and labs. Kaiser says Mortenson will build the unnamed project, which it values at over $500 million.
Kaiser Permanente Washington COO Janet O’Hollaren said in a statement, “This strategic development furthers our mission of integrated care and meaningful partnership in our communities. Seattle Housing Authority has a thoughtful plan to invest in the Yesler neighborhood, and we’re pleased to contribute to the health of this evolving community.”
Regarding the Block 7.2 sale, SHA executive director Andrew Lofton said in a statement, “The presence of Kaiser Permanente as a health care provider, employer and Yesler community member is significant. They are exactly the type of partner SHA and the Citizen Review Committee envisioned when creating a master plan for a new Yesler that will enhance the lives of our residents and attract others to the community.”
Also notable in the ongoing, over $1.7 billion redevelopment of the 30-acre campus is that Kaiser represents the first non-apartment project. About 1,500 affordable and 2,500 market-rate units are in varying phases of development by Sustainable Living Innovations, Mack Real Estate Group, Vulcan Real Estate, Su Development, Lowe, Mill Creek Residential Trust and SHA itself. Soon there won’t be any more land left to sell and redevelop. The effort began in 2013, when the mostly 1940s-era complex had around 1,200 residents.
Coughlin Porter Lundeen, Mazzetti and Site Workshop are also working on the Kaiser project. It’ll also have about 810 parking stalls on six mostly underground levels.
Kaiser includes the Yesler Terrace project in what it calls a $1 billion initiative, announced four years ago, to expand its presence and deliver better health care in our state. As part of that same effort, Kaiser is also planning a new medical building in Everett, also announced a year ago, and expanding another next door.
The new four-story building, at 2929 Pine St. in the Riverside neighborhood, will have about 165,000 square feet. ZGF is the architect there. A new structured parking garage on the opposite side of the block, on Maple Street, will have about 750 stalls. The old Denny’s on Pacific Avenue and other old buildings will be removed. Last summer, the entire expansion/addition project received its SEPA determination of non-significance from the city. No start date has been announced, though Kaiser said 2022 was the goal for opening the facility.
Posted inHealth, In the Neighborhood|Comments Off on Kaiser Permanente pays over $36M for Yesler Terrace site
Leonard Cobb, MD speaks about Step 10 – Work Toward a Culture of Excellence, a section from the book: ‘Ten Steps for Improving Survival from Sudden Cardiac Arrest’ by Mickey Eisenberg and the Resuscitation Academy Faculty.
It was documented by this 60 minutes episode. Leonard will never be forgotten, a true pioneer in saving lives.
Seniors are increasingly left to protect themselves as the rest of the country abandons precautions: “Americans do not agree about the duty to protect others.”
Ed note: Are seniors being forgotten as we try to break out of isolation and masks? Why are so few team members and directors unwilling to wear masks when around us–even in the elevators? Paula Span in this NYT article outlines the problem. COVID is NOT GONE. Continuing precautions are reasonable. IMHO we do have a moral duty to protect others!
By Paula Span Published Feb. 11, 2023 Updated Feb. 13, 2023
In early December, Aldo Caretti developed a cough and, despite all his precautions, came up positive for Covid on a home test. It took his family a couple of days to persuade Mr. Caretti, never fond of doctors, to go to the emergency room. There, he was sent directly to the intensive care unit.
Mr. Caretti and his wife, Consiglia, both 85, lived quietly in a condo in Plano, Texas. “He liked to read and learn, in English and Italian,” said his son Vic Caretti, 49. “He absolutely adored his three grandchildren.”
Aldo Caretti had encountered some health setbacks last year, including a mild stroke and a serious bout of shingles, but “he recuperated from all that.”
Covid was different. Even on a ventilator, Mr. Caretti struggled to breathe. After 10 days, “he wasn’t getting better,” said Vic Caretti, who flew in from Salt Lake City. “His organs were starting to break down. They said, ‘He’s not going to make it.’”
At least, this late in the pandemic, families can be with their loved ones at the end of life. When the family agreed to remove Mr. Caretti from the ventilator and provide comfort care, “he was alert, very aware of what was happening,” his son said. “He was holding everyone’s hand.” He died a few hours later, on Dec. 14.
For older Americans, the pandemic still poses significant dangers. About three-quarters of Covid deaths have occurred in people over 65, with the greatest losses concentrated among those over 75.
In January, the number of Covid-related deaths fell after a holiday spike but nevertheless numbered about 2,100 among those ages 65 to 74, more than 3,500 among 75- to 84-year-olds and nearly 5,000 among those over 85. Those three groups accounted for about 90 percent of the nation’s Covid deaths last month.
Hospital admissions, which have also been dropping, remain more than five times as high among people over 70 as among those in their 50s. Hospitals can endanger older patients even when the conditions that brought them in are successfully treated; the harmful effects of drugs, inactivity, sleep deprivation, delirium and other stresses can take months to recover from — or can land them back in the hospital.
“There continue to be very high costs of Covid,” said Julia Raifman, a public health policy specialist at the Boston University School of Public Health and a co-author of a recent editorial in The New England Journal of Medicine. (continued)
Bay Area nonprofit SunLight Ukraine is bringing much needed solar lanterns to Ukrainians, as many struggle without power amid Russian missile strikes.EMBED <>MORE VIDEOS
Bay Area nonprofit SunLight Ukraine is bringing much needed solar lanterns to Ukrainians, as many struggle without power amid Russian missile strikes.
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — With a click of a button, solar lanterns are poised to bring some much needed light to Ukraine.
“We’re shipping thousands of these little light units they can use in their houses and underground shelters,” said Paul Andrews, co-chair SunLight Ukraine. The Bay Area resident founded the nonprofit with his brother and their Ukrainian American friend.
“In Ukraine right now due to the relentless bombing of power plants, millions of people don’t have power,” said Andrews.
A massive airstrike Thursday left thousands more without power after Russia launched more than 100 missiles at cities across the country.
“The three of us said, ‘Gee’ with the bombing going on these little lights could be useful,” said Andrews. Shortly, they started assembling a team. “We have freight boarders in Los Angeles, web designers here in San Francisco, we have a Ukrainian shipping company in New Jersey.”
And the manufacturer made it possible by donating the lanterns, which produce 50 hours of light on one solar charge, as well as have a USB port.
“If you have no electricity you can’t charge your cell phone, you’re alone in dark, so these will make a big, big difference to Ukrainian families,” said Andrews, noting a group of students are helping to get the lights to families.
“They’re distributed by a student-run volunteer service of Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv and they’re taking them all across the country,” said Andrews, who couldn’t be more proud.
“So what do these Catholic students decide to do? They took a big group for the first batch and they gave them out to three Jewish communities to celebrate Hanukkah as sign of interfaith solidarity.”
A gesture that was received with great gratitude.
“May the light of these lanterns help us all,” said Leonid Goldberg, Jewish Society of Drohobych. “The power of light will always overcome the power of darkness.”
To make a donation to SunLight Ukraine, visit its website here.
Posted inUncategorized|Comments Off on Bay Area nonprofit brings solar lanterns to Ukraine as Russian missiles pummel power grid
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