| The British invasion of Normandy
It used to be unthinkable that Britons would ever be able to take on the French in the kitchen, but many chefs in Normandy are now raising the white tea towel in defeat. Back in 1066 William the Conqueror invaded England and bought culinary expertise with him, but nearly a millennium later it is the Brits who are returning the flavour. For decades British holidaymakers have crossed the channel for a taste of real France. Often they were prepared to rough it in second rate accommodation because the quality of the food was so much better than back home. But these days a more discerning and demanding visitor is booking into expatriate placest as they offer top quality food and accommodation. There is a huge choice - battalions of Brits have moved to the Manche in Normandy to open guest houses, chateau hotels, restaurants and catering schools.
Virginia Intermont College begins new school year nearing its $6 million fundraising goal
BRISTOL, Va. – A line of cars and SUVs snaked its way around the Virginia Intermont College campus early Friday, as freshmen students began moving in. Their welcoming committee included faculty members and upperclassmen, who unloaded boxes, bicycles and luggage, and directed traffic and answered questions – plenty of questions. Wide-eyed freshmen have been coming to VI’s Moore Street campus for 115 years but – in the wake of a spring and summer filled with financial uncertainty – Friday offered a sense of relief. "We’re almost back to business as usual, and business as usual never felt so good," instructor and faculty President Robert Rainwater said. Rainwater, who was present Friday while recovering from a broken back, said the faculty is especially "upbeat" now that students are returning to campus.
BACK TO SCHOOL - Year of change in Weymouth school system
WEYMOUTH - From classrooms to administrative offices, many positions in the Weymouth school system will be led by new faces this year. And, at each level, there will be changes in more than just personnel.The district will be led by Mary Jo Livingstone, a former assistant superintendent who takes over Sept. 1 for retiring education veteran Joseph Rull.Livingstone will be succeeded by Matthew Ferron, a former director of education and member relations for the Massachusetts Teachers' Retirement System. Livingstone said she's spent a lot of time teaching and learning from new staff like Ferron.��There's a lot of cross-training going on at the moment,'' Livingstone said.The district is expecting no less than 88 new staff members this year. There will be a new athletic director, high school dean, assistant high school principal, director of career and technical education among others.In addition to the new faces, freshmen at the high school will notice a new program called Smaller Learning Communities.The program is designed to group freshmen into small units and assign them to a special period.
How dairy herds yield the milk of human blindness
Most mornings, on the way to work, I stop and chat to a herd of dairy calves. Not that long separated from their mothers, they are skittish and curious, rushing to the fence to exhale sweet, grassy breath over me. In the past week or so, I’ve taken to telling them how lucky they are. "The world belongs to you girls," I say. "You may not know it, but you’ve suddenly become one of the most precious commodities on the planet. Not long ago you might have been looking at dog food; now you’re facing a long productive life and lots of children." Here I lean close, and they sway and blink. "And you know what, girls? We humans were too greedy and far, far too shortsighted to see it coming." Should anyone ever want a perfect example of what short-termism has done to the world, they just need to go and look at a dairy cow.
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