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Pope Francis has died at age 88

In National News, Uncategorized on April 21, 2025 at 7:32 am

Updates Courtesy THE ASSOCIATED PRESSUpdated 7:18 AM EDT, April 21, 2025

(Editorial Note: The Jamestown Comet will post updates and news regarding the Pope’s passing on our Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/thejamestowncomet)

Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until his death on Easter Monday, 21 April 2025.

Pope Francis, the Catholic Church’s first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor, has died, as announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo. He was 88.

Live view from the Vatican after Pope Francis dies at age 88. He was the first pontiff from Latin America and brought a new tone to the papacy with his informality and humility.

Here’s what to know

  • Pope Francis has died. “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church,″ Cardinal Kevin Farrell said. Read the full announcement.
  • Francis became pope in 2013. The Argentinean-born Jorge Mario Bergoglio brought a breath of fresh air into a 2,000-year-old institution. He took over as the Catholic Church’s influence waned during the troubled papacy of Pope Benedict XVI, whose surprise resignation led to Francis’ election.
  • The next pope is still to be decided. Eligible cardinals vote for a papal successor in the Sistine Chapel ina centuries-old ritual. It comprises sacred oaths, Latin chants and white or black smoke emanating from the chimney from burned ballots.

Churches in the Philippines ring bells to mourn Francis

By JIM GOMEZShare

Churches in the Philippines, the largest Roman Catholic nation in Asia, rang their bells Monday to mourn Francis. He visited in 2015 to console survivors of Typhoon Haiyan and celebrate Mass before millions in Manila.

“Pope Francis showed us what it means to suffer with others and find hope in the midst of pain,” Manila Archbishop Jose Advincula said, citing the pope’s visit to a central region where Haiyan left more than 7,300 people dead or missing in November 2013.

“The Holy Father has reminded us that the church must be close to the poor, merciful to all and a welcoming home for the forgotten,” said Advincula.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Francis “taught us that to be a good Christian is to extend kindness and care to one another. His humility brought many back to the fold of the church.”

Flags across UK ordered to fly at half-staff

By DANICA KIRKAShare

British authorities ordered that government buildings fly flags at half-staff until Tuesday evening in light of the pope’s death.

Mother of a slain Israeli-American hostage praises Francis

By JOSEPH KRAUSSShare

The mother of a slain American-Israeli hostage praised Pope Francis’ advocacy for Hamas-held captives in the Gaza Strip.

Rachel Goldberg-Polin, who was among families of the hostages who met with the pope in November 2023, said he “felt our sorrow and suffering, and we so appreciated his advocacy on this topic, and on trying to find peace and reconciliation.”

Francis had repeatedly called for the release of the hostages abducted in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack and for an end to the war it sparked.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages were killed by their captors last year as Israeli troops closed in on the tunnel where they were being held.

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From the New York Times : Say, Old Sport

In Entertainment, Media, Opinion on April 19, 2025 at 6:14 pm

A Fresh Look At “Gatsby.”

Author Headshot

By A.O. Scott

I’m a critic at the Book Review.

“The Great Gatsby,” F. Scott Fitzgerald’s tale of a tragic Long Island millionaire, was published 100 years ago to tepid reviews and disappointing sales. Since then, especially in the decades since World War II, it has become a staple of English classes and a fixture in popular culture. The novel has been memed, mocked, tweaked and reimagined countless times, a multifarious afterlife that I wrote about recently in The Times.

In my article, I explored some of the reasons for this longevity. But I didn’t focus on the most obvious one. In spite of what many critics of the 1920s thought, it’s a good book!

Let me be clear: I don’t mean a Great Book, though “Gatsby” may also be that. We tend to approach literary masterpieces in a spirit of deference and duty. They’re assigned in school or placed on authoritative lists of what we have to read before we die, which can be more off-putting than enticing. “The Great Gatsby” is profound and important, but it’s also all kinds of fun. Here are some of the kinds.

It’s a short, quick read.

At under 200 pages, “Gatsby” can be finished in the course of a rainy afternoon or a long plane ride. There’s a bit of wheel-spinning at the beginning, as our narrator, Nick Carraway, indulges in some philosophizing, but as soon as he mentions Jay Gatsby, whose name arrives in a cloud of mystery, glamour and foreboding, our interest is piqued. And Fitzgerald teases that interest, keeping the title character shrouded in an enigmatic aura until the very end of the book, revealing him — through Nick’s eyes — by means of a series of riddles, glimmerings and sideways glances.

It’s romantic.

Or at least Gatsby himself is. Nick describes him in the opening pages as possessing “some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life.” But modern life — crass, dishonest and materialistic — betrays those promises and destroys Gatsby’s life. Even though he’s a rich man with underworld connections, his motives remain pure. Above all, he’s driven by his love for Daisy, his former sweetheart, now married to the repellent Tom Buchanan. The tension between Gatsby’s noble spirit and the tawdry decadence of his surroundings brings the book to life. If Fitzgerald’s social criticism were less astute, the love story might seem corny; if the romance didn’t sing, the satire would collapse into cynicism.

It’s funny.

The Jazz Age reviewers who liked the book admired it as an acid-etched portrait of the times. Fitzgerald’s eye for hypocrisy and buffoonery and his ear for puffed-up speech remain sharp. Tom Buchanan, whose awfulness has a serious, violent side, is at the same time a brutally comic takedown of a certain kind of know-it-all blowhard, still familiar a century later:

“I read somewhere that the sun’s getting hotter every year,” Tom said genially. “It seems that pretty soon the earth’s going to fall into the sun — or wait a minute — it’s just the opposite — the sun’s getting cooler every year.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald could write.

Almost too well! “Gatsby” often shifts from brisk comedy to swooning lyricism to philosophical rumination within the space of a single page, somehow keeping a steady, conversational, modern tone. Fitzgerald knows when to accelerate the narrative with clipped, telegraphic sentences and when to draw it out in flights of elaborate description. The last sentence (“And so we beat on, boats against the current, borne ceaselessly back into the past”) is justly famous, but it follows a score of others that are at least as evocative, or even more so.

It has so many great characters …

Meyer Wolfsheim, the gangster who fixed the 1919 World Series. Jordan Baker, Nick’s feline sort-of girlfriend. Old Mr. Gatz, who shows up at the end to clear up the mystery of Gatsby (but really to deepen it). And of course the central triangle of Daisy, Tom and Jay.

… and so much to talk about.

There’s a reason English teachers love this book. But even if you only read it in school — or never did — there is endless fodder for discussion and debate, much of it still remarkably current. The state of the American dream, the bedazzling and corrupting power of money, the green light at the end of the dock.

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In the news from the wire, April 18, 2025 – Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen posted photos of himself meeting in El Salvador with Abrego Garcia and much more…

In Local News on April 18, 2025 at 8:03 am
By Jayakumar MadalaApril 18, 2025
 Good morning, I’m Jayakumar Madala, filling in for Sarah Naffa.

In the news today: The Kilmar Abergo Garcia case pulls Democrats into the immigration debate Trump wants to have; a deep staff cut at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is the latest step in an extraordinary reshaping of the federal government; and survivors talk about the lessons of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Also, scientists find possible chemical signs of life on a faraway planet.  AP Morning WireMaryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, right, speaks with Kilmar Abrego Garcia in a hotel restaurant in San Salvador, El Salvador, on Thursday. (Press Office Senator Van Hollen, via AP)POLITICSThe Abrego Garcia case pulls Democrats into the immigration debate Trump wants to haveFor Democrats, the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case is about fundamental American ideals — due process, following court orders, preventing government overreach. For the Trump administration and Republicans, it’s about foreigners and gang threats and danger in American towns and cities. Read more. 
Recent developments:This dichotomy is playing out as Democrats double down on their defense of Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man mistakenly deported and imprisoned without communication. On Thursday evening, Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen posted photos of himself meeting in El Salvador with Abrego Garcia. The lawmaker did not provide an update on the status of Abrego Garcia, whose attorneys are fighting to force the Trump administration to facilitate his return to the U.S.

In defending his administration’s position, Trump says he is doing what he was elected to do and justifying the need to deport millions. “I was elected to get rid of those criminals — get them out of our country or to put them away, but to get them out of our country. And I don’t see how judges can take that authority away from the president,” Trump said Thursday.
RELATED COVERAGE ➤Rubio suggested the US will drop Ukraine-Russia peace efforts if no progress within days
Supreme Court keeps hold on Trump’s restrictions on birthright citizenship but sets May arguments

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Family-Owned Businesses, Parrot Promo Essentials and Parrot Sports Gear Celebrate 30 Successful Years

In Business, Local News on April 17, 2025 at 7:37 am

BELLBROOK, Ohio, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — This year marks a significant milestone for Parrot Promo Essentials and its sister and origin company, Parrot Sports Gear, as they celebrate 30 years of innovation, growth, and community impact. Founded in Bellbrook, Ohio, by Kim Massie, she and twin daughters, Holly Beard and Krista Guiliano, have grown these family-owned businesses into staples in the promotional products and sports gear industries.

Parrot Promo Essentials and Parrot Sports Gear owners celebrating 30 years - Krista Guiliano, Kim Massie, and Holly Beard.
Parrot Promo Essentials and Parrot Sports Gear owners Krista Guiliano, Kim Massie, and Holly Beard are celebrating 30 years.

Massie’s journey into entrepreneurship began with a desire to channel her creativity into something meaningful. Having started her career in the pharmacy business, Kim spent years in the healthcare industry before the entrepreneurial opportunity arose. “I was constantly seeking ways to fulfill my creative side, which wasn’t possible in my previous career,” Kim recalls. “Starting Parrot Sports Gear part-time allowed me to explore that passion while supporting my family.”

Motivated by her daughter Holly’s involvement in competitive swimming, Massie started by selling goggles and swim caps. “I remember setting up at swim meets to sell supplies,” Massie explained. “It was a labor of love, and seeing my daughter’s enthusiasm for the sport inspired me to keep going.” Later, Parrot Sports Gear expanded to branded apparel and promotional items, particularly those for swim teams.

In 2013, Parrot Promo Essentials became a full-time venture that quickly gained a reputation for its personalized approach and wide range of products. Their partnership with Proforma Albrecht & Co. provided access to high-quality vendor relationships and buying power, further solidifying their position in the market. Meanwhile, Parrot Sports Gear continued to thrive. They opened brick-and-mortar space and expanded swimwear and activewear lines for teams and individuals.

Holly Beard, now co-owner of both businesses, fondly remembers those early days. “My mom’s dedication was incredible,” she said. Her sister, Krista Guiliano, co-owner of Parrot Promo Essentials, came aboard a while later. “What I love about this job is connecting with people, learning about their businesses, and educating them on ways they can use products to promote their businesses.”

Parrot Promo Essentials 30th Anniversary open house at Proforma Albrecht near Cincinnati.

Holly also emphasized the importance of adaptability. “The business landscape has changed so much over the years, but our ability to evolve while staying true to our core values has been key to our success,” she said.

“We are very different people. But we each bring different strengths to the table, and that diversity has been our greatest asset,” Krista noted. “It’s what allows us to provide the best possible service to our clients.”

What do the next three decades have in store for the business? “We’re constantly exploring new ways to innovate and serve our customers,” Massie said. “The next chapter will be just as exciting as the last 30 years.”

“We’re grateful for the support of our community and clients,” Holly said. “They’ve been with us every step of the way, and we’re committed to continuing to exceed their expectations.”

Krista believes that the future will be met with the same passion and dedication that has carried them thus far. “This anniversary is not just about looking back, but how to serve our customers moving forward,” she said. “We want to maintain the same personalized service but on a larger scale.”

The 30th anniversary of Parrot Promo Essentials and Parrot Sports Gear is a celebration of family, perseverance, and the impact of small businesses on their communities. The company continues to expand its reach, serving clients across the country. As Kim, Holly, and Krista forge ahead with heart and vision, their story inspires entrepreneurs everywhere.

For more information about Parrot Promo Essentials and Parrot Sports Gear, visit their websites – www.parrotpromoessentials.com and www.parrotsportsgear.com.

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Booker: Truth to Power

In history, National News, News Media, Opinion, Politics, sociology, Uncategorized, World News on April 11, 2025 at 1:57 pm

Deer In Headlines II

By Gery Deer

Last week, we saw an incredible example of unmitigated patriotism to provide a voice for those who have none in the face of a president who runs roughshod over anyone who dares oppose him. Cory Anthony Booker, the senior senator from New Jersey, took and held the Senate floor for 25 hours and 5 minutes in a marathon speech in opposition to President Trump’s haphazard and potentially illegal actions during the first three months of his term.

Until now, congressional resistance toward the president has been lackluster, to say the least. This is understandable considering the GOP’s control in both houses and the way this administration has reacted to any opposition, as a petulant child would on a playground when denied an ice cream cone. It’s embarrassing and troubling. Congressional town hall meetings across the country have been disrupted by constituents demanding that Trump be held accountable for the repercussions of his actions.

Most disruptors are ushered out or jailed for the disturbances, but their point is well taken. This president has been actively, deliberately, and defiantly testing the limits of his office and the ability of the other branches of government to keep him in check as designed.

In 1787, the men governing the 13 original American colonies had been through a great deal. They’d declared independence from the most powerful country in the world, fought them in a bloody revolution, won, and finally managed to cobble together a set of laws to live by, unlike anything seen before. The newly minted Constitution was the single most important document ever drawn up to that point – and still is today. The Preamble and Bill of Rights (the first 10 amendments for those who slept through fourth grade) are the gold standard for governing a democratic republic.

It’s doubtful the Founding Fathers ever imagined their fledgling country, still in its infancy today by European standards, would end up being tested, not by a foreign enemy, but by a power-mad oligarch occupying the president’s office. And, until today, very few have had the courage or opportunity to openly stand up to him.

Monday, March 31st, Booker took to the Senate floor and stated he’d remain there as long as he was “physically able,” and that he did – and it was no small feat, even for a former football tight-end. To hold the floor, whoever is speaking must keep talking and can’t stop, sit, lean on anything, or leave the floor for any reason. Fellow Democrats helped out, though, per Senate rules, allowing them to interrupt and ask him questions.

Over a day later, the 55-year-old senator finished speaking and limped off the floor. But, during his time, he held nothing back, walloping Trump on everything from his sweeping cuts to social services to what he called the impending “constitutional crisis” created by the president’s authoritarian actions.

To be clear, several Republicans have taken the same long-winded action on various issues over the last few years, most unsuccessfully. Such a speech isn’t a liberal or conservative move but that of a legislator committed to being heard on behalf of their constituents or the country.

Booker’s record-breaking speech was patriotic because he spoke for more than just those in his voting district. He voiced the fears not just of New Jerseyans but Americans nationwide. His words begged for compassion, kindness, and common sense – from those on both sides of the aisle. After all, when Trump’s own party doesn’t stand up to him, knowing his actions are questionable at best, someone else must.

The real question is, will Booker’s speech fuel a more dauntless anti-Trump resistance? Possibly. For more than a day, the New Jersey senator knocked the president’s agenda off the front page of every news outlet website, here and abroad. Not to mention the 350 million “likes” during the live stream on TikTok.

One thing is sure. Democrat or Republican, people must realize that Trump’s actions prove his agenda is to serve himself and his billionaire friends, not the country. So, to quote Senator Booker, “These are not normal times in America,” he said. “And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate” or anywhere else.

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Beware of storm-chasing roofing companies.

In Local News on April 5, 2025 at 8:23 am

The Jamestown and surrounding areas have been hit hard this week by severe thunderstorms which includes high wind and large, damaging hail. It’s possible your home’s roof experienced damage. But what to do?

Be cautious of “storm chasing” roofing companies that appear after storms, as they often offer low-quality services, push for quick deals, and may disappear after collecting payment, potentially leaving you with further issues and costs. 

Here’s why you should be wary of storm-chasing roofing companies:

  • They are often out-of-state and move on after the storm: Storm chasers typically lack a local presence, making it difficult to find them for warranty issues or follow-up work. 
  • They offer unrealistically low prices:These low prices often come with subpar materials and workmanship, leading to future problems and costs. 
  • They may pressure you into quick decisions: Storm chasers often use high-pressure sales tactics to get you to sign contracts immediately after a storm, leaving you with little time to research and compare options. 
  • They may inflate damage claims or create damage where none exists: Some storm chasers are known to exaggerate damage to secure insurance claims and profit from unnecessary repairs. 
  • They may not be licensed, bonded, or insured in your state: This can leave you with no recourse if something goes wrong with the work. 
  • They may demand full payment upfront:Storm chasers may insist on full payment before work is completed, and then disappear without finishing the job. 
  • They may use subcontractors who lack experience or certifications: This can result in poorly installed roofs that don’t last. 
  • They may not have an established online presence or references: Reputable companies have a track record of quality work and satisfied clients, which storm chasers often lack. 
  • They may offer to pay your insurance deductible: This is a form of insurance fraud and is illegal. 
  • They may use low-quality products with no warranty: Storm chasers often use inferior products and don’t offer warranties, so you’re stuck with the problems.

You might start with your home owner’s insurance provider and get their recommendation for repair services or ask a family member or professional contact. A direct referral from a trusted source is your best option.

The take-away is to be careful and avoid getting scammed.

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