Voir le texte source

== Port town fun on the Foss Waterway ==

<html>It s a rare festival where you can board a luxury yacht, walk on water, ride a train, touch a sea urchin,[http://www.newelitejerseys.org/ Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys], build your own boat and clash a medieval sword all in one day, but the Tacoma Maritime Fest is one of them. This weekend, the Thea Foss Waterway will ring with the sounds of cannon and medieval gunfire, cruising boats and growling pirates at the 21st annual festival celebrating Tacoma s maritime traditions and it s all free. 

Of course, the favorites will be there: port tours, train rides, walk-on boats, live entertainment, the quick-and-dirty boat-building competition and watery fun for kids. But this year, the festival s new director, Sue Schaeffer, is adding an emphasis on learning about maritime activities past and present.


 I noticed last year that Maritime Fest had gotten away from its roots and become more commercial,[http://www.newelitejerseys.org/nfl-jerseys-dallas-cowboys-jersey-cheap-1_37 Cheap Dallas Cowboys Jersey], says Schaeffer, a former teacher, boat captain and director of the Tacoma Waterfront Association. (This year) I tried to make every booth maritime-themed ... and focus on the trades. If we don t educate people about them and how important the economy of the port is,[http://www.7k7kgamezone.com/bbs/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=43326 'Hyperloop' Travel Inspires Fans, But Is It Doable-], they ll die. 


As a result, there will be an array of opportunities to learn about all things maritime. There will be a maritime surveyor, a boat builder (Eric Hvalsoe) and nautical-themed vendors, including one woman who makes tote bags out of sails. The Flagship Maritime School will offer seminars each day in earning a captain s license, the art of sailboat cruising, and Puget Sound s tall ships and tugboats, among others. For the kids, there will be the popular remote control boat pond and fishing pond, plus a touch tank with sea creatures brought up by divers, zorb balls that enclose you and let you walk on water, and toy boat building. The newly renovated Foss Waterway Seaport also offers family classes in how to become a marine biologist, oceanographer or environmental scientist, along with access to the inside touch tank.


The big part of Maritime Fest, though, is the boats and this year s lineup is stellar. The Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain tall ships will be docked, shooting off mock cannon battles Saturday afternoon. Other boats at the dock include the Talaria IV, the S/V Yankee Clipper, the R/V Plover and the M/V Thea Belle. All are available for walk-on tours.


A big highlight will be the M/V El Primero, a luxury yacht that first steamed into Tacoma 107 years ago. Newly renovated in Gold Rush-era style, the yacht was built in 1893 for Edward Hopkins and is the only West Coast vessel rated First Rank. More than 130 feet long with six staterooms and a fireplace, the yacht counted Tacoma s Chester Thorne (of Thornewood Castle) as one of its owners, and has had U.S. Presidents William Howard Taft, Warren G. Harding, Teddy Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover among its guests.


You also can ride on boats at Maritime Fest. In addition to the usual Sunday boat port tours, there will be Saturday tours by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) of Commencement Bay wildlife habitats, daily rides with the Sea Scouts on their training vessels, and small rowboat tours. There ll also be hydrofoils zooming up and down the waterway both days, and a tugboat ballet Saturday.


A shuttle will run to Tacoma Rail on Saturday for the annual free train rides and open house. Live entertainment includes variety acts such as magicians, aerialists,[http://www.etnografia.cl/index.php?title=Usuario:Jonathan Andy Pettitte, Curtis Granderson lead surging New York Yanke], a pirate comedian, clowns and breakdancers on the kids stage, plus bands such as Kim Archer, Passages, Battersea and John Sparrow on the main stage.


Back this year is Knights of Veritas, a historical reenactment and education organization that will host an interactive medieval history pavilion with original medieval artifacts such as buckles, armor and crossbows, and handle replicas. It will have a 30-inch model of the Mary Rose, an English warship and one of the first to fire broadside cannon, and the group will offer talks and demonstrations of replica medieval handguns. 


 Smaller and more portable than a cannon, the handgonne was likely the first kind of gunpowder weapon used aboard ships, explains Eric Slyter, who runs Knights of Veritas. 


Visitors 12 and older can participate in medieval Swordplay for Sailors classes (with safe wooden weapons), learning from 15th-century manuscript sources how to fight with the short, machete-like messer.


If it seems the focus is on battles, that s not intentional, says Schaeffer.


 It s history in general, and the most popular bit seems to be banging and gunfire, she says. But (education) is my push. I m hoping people will walk away learning a bit more about the industry. 
 

Rosemary Ponnekanti: 253-597-8568 rosemary.ponnekanti@</html>

== More News Headlines 0 ==

<html>More NewsVIEW:Section:Provider:Time:
Reuters - 3 minutes 8 seconds agoBy Oliver Holmes BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria agreed to let the United Nations inspect the site of a suspected&nbsp; 
Reuters - 8 minutes agoMEXICO CITY (Reuters) - At least four people were killed when a cargo train nicknamed "La Bestia",[http://www.newelitejerseys.org/nfl-jerseys-dallas-cowboys-jersey-cheap-1_37 Cheap Dallas Cowboys Jersey], or&nbsp; 
Reuters - 10 minutes agoMOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia warned the United States on Sunday against repeating past mistakes, saying&nbsp; 
Reuters - 13 minutes agoATHENS (Reuters) - Greece can achieve a primary budget surplus this year and growth in 2014 if it sticks&nbsp; 
The Canadian Press - 14 minutes agoDAMASCUS, Syria - Syria reached an agreement with the United Nations on Sunday to allow a team of international&nbsp; 
The Canadian Press - 16 minutes agoCORINTH, Miss. - The Corinth Area Convention and Visitors Bureau voted this past week to retain its current&nbsp; 
The Canadian Press - 17 minutes agoNEW YORK, N.Y. - Even if the hotly rumoured 'N Sync reunion doesn't happen, the MTV Video Music Awards&nbsp; 
Reuters - 20 minutes agoBy Alan Baldwin SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS,[http://www.casadaculturadigital.com.br/santos/wiki/index.php?title=Usu%C3%A1rio:Jessie66#Astros_hammer_Toronto.2C_12 Astros hammer Toronto, 12], Belgium, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Australian Mark Webber indicated on Sunday&nbsp; 
Access Hollywood - 35 minutes agoBritish actor Lennie James is still part of the AMC family, playing Detective Joe Geddes on Sunday night&nbsp; 
The Canadian Press - 41 minutes agoULRICHEN,[http://www.newelitejerseys.org/nfl-jerseys-baltimore-ravens-jersey-cheap-1_9 Cheap Baltimore Ravens Jersey], Switzerland - FIFA President Sepp Blatter says the government in Russia, the 2018 World Cup&nbsp; 
Reuters - 43 minutes agoLOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Civil rights drama "Lee Daniels' The Butler" took home its second U.S.&nbsp; 
The Canadian Press - 52 minutes agoSPA, Belgium - Sebastian Vettel needed little time to remind everyone why he remains the overwhelming&nbsp; 
Reuters - 54 minutes agoBy Alistair Lyon CAIRO (Reuters) - Three leaders of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and the movement's former&nbsp; 
CBC - 1 hour 13 minutes agoPeel Regional Police are seeking information about the last hours of a Mississauga man's life, after&nbsp; 
Reuters - 1 hour 18 minutes agoBERLIN (Reuters) - The U.S. National Security Agency has bugged the United Nations' New York headquarters,&nbsp; 
The Canadian Press - 1 hour 18 minutes agoNEW DELHI - The suspended Indian Olympic Association on Sunday sought to alter the International Olympic&nbsp; 
Reuters - 1 hour 19 minutes agoWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Any U.S. response to the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria must be part&nbsp; 
Christian Science Monitor - 1 hour 25 minutes agoUS officials have confirmed that President Obama��s controversial ��red line�� on chemical weapons in Syria&nbsp; 
Reuters - 1 hour 31 minutes agoMOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Sunday that assigning blame too soon over the alleged chemical weapons&nbsp; 
Reuters - 1 hour 33 minutes agoMOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - At least 22 people were killed across Iraq on Sunday, including five soldiers&nbsp; 
CBC - 1 hour 34 minutes agoThe Alexander Graham Bell museum �� Baddeck's biggest attraction �� will stay open later than expected&nbsp; 
Reuters - 1 hour 41 minutes agoLAGOS (Reuters) - A Nigerian teenager hid in the wheel compartment of an airplane and survived a half&nbsp; 
The Canadian Press - 1 hour 42 minutes agoULRICHEN, Switzerland - FIFA President Sepp Blatter expects his executive committee to decide soon that&nbsp; 
The Canadian Press - 1 hour 45 minutes agoOTTAWA - There is method to Justin Trudeau's reefer madness. 
Reuters - 1 hour 51 minutes agoJOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), which is seeking pay hikes&nbsp; 
CBC - 1 hour 54 minutes agoAn elderly woman's nose was severed during an attack that occurred in a downtown Toronto elevator, police&nbsp; 
Reuters - 1 hour 54 minutes agoBy Alan Baldwin SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS,[http://par-technologies.com/crochet/index.php?option=com_blog&view=comments&pid=692805&Itemid=0 Settling the Score- Friday’s results], Belgium (Reuters) - Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel stamped&nbsp; 
CBC - 2 hours 1 minute agoUkrainian Day in the Park commemorates the anniversary of Ukraine's independence with traditional dancing,&nbsp; 
Reuters - 2 hours 2 minutes agoWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has little doubt the Syrian government used chemical weapons&nbsp; 
CBC - 2 hours 6 minutes agoThe burned rubble of a fish plant in Arichat is finally cool enough for fire investigators to walk t&nbsp; 

Pagination1  (1000 stories)</html>

== Syria agrees to UN chemical weapons investigation ==

<html>DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria agreed Sunday to a  investigation into last week's alleged chemical weapons attack outside Damascus — a deal a senior White House official dismissed as "too late to be credible," saying the United States has "very little doubt" President 's forces used such weapons.
The hardening of the U.S. position came as calls for military action grow. In a sign the U.S. may be a step closer to an armed response, naval forces have already been dispatched toward Syria's coastal waters, although President  has cautioned against a hasty decision.
With France, Britain, Israel and some U.S. congressmen urging swift military action against Assad's regime if the use of chemical agents is confirmed, the U.N. team's conclusions could have a dramatic impact on the trajectory of the country's civil war.
The agreement struck in Damascus calls for U.N. experts already in the country to begin an investigation Monday into the suspected chemical attack on rebel-held areas in the capital's eastern suburbs.
Anti-government activists and  say that more than 300 people were killed in an artillery barrage by regime forces Wednesday that included the use of toxic gas. The government calls the allegations "absolutely baseless."
The suburbs hit in the suspected chemical strike, collectively known as eastern Ghouta, are under the control of rebel fighters, and regime artillery and warplanes have pounded the area for days. The U.N. inspectors will have to traverse through both government-held and opposition-controlled turf to conduct their probe. Rebels have said they will help facilitate the visit.
Under Sunday's agreement with the U.N., the Syrian government "affirmed that it will provide the necessary cooperation, including the observance of the cessation of hostilities at the locations related to the incident," U.N. spokesman  said in a statement.
In Washington, a senior administration official said the U.S. has "very little doubt" that regime forces used chemical weapons in Wednesday's attack, an assessment that was "based on the reported number of victims, reported symptoms of those who were killed or injured" as well as witness accounts and facts gathered by the U.S intelligence community.
The official, who insisted on anonymity because of lack of authorization to speak publicly about the developments, was dismissive of the Syrian government's agreement to grant access to the U.N. team, saying it was "too late to be credible."
The regime's continuing shelling of the site would have "significantly corrupted" any available evidence of chemical weapons, the official said.
The U.N. team was in Syria to look into three earlier suspected chemical attacks, with a mandate to determine whether such weapons were used, not who was responsible for unleashing them. There was no indication that the mission's brief had been expanded to assess who was behind Wednesday's attack.
Even as the pressure mounts for a strong international response, there is no guarantee that foreign powers will take action if the U.N. confirms chemical agents were used. But the scale of the attack makes this instance far harder to ignore than previous suspected cases.
A senior State Department official, not authorized to comment publicly by name, said U.S. Secretary of State  spoke with the top diplomats of Britain, France, Canada and Russia as well as U.N. Secretary .
The official said Kerry stressed that if the Syrian regime wanted to prove to the world that it had not used chemical weapons in this incident, it would have stopped shelling the area and granted immediate access five days ago.
U.S. Defense Secretary  offered no hints Sunday about likely U.S. responses, telling reporters traveling with him in Malaysia that the Obama administration was still assessing intelligence about Wednesday's attack.
"When we have more information, that answer will become clear," he said when a reporter asked whether it was a matter of when, not if, the U.S. will take military action against Syria.
"There are risks and consequences for any option that would be used or not used — for action or inaction,[http://bbs.ztzbike.com/home.php?mod=space&uid=49830 ]," he told reporters. "You have to come to the central point of what would be the objective if you are to pursue an action or not pursue an action. So all those assessments are being made."
The U.S. has about a dozen F-16 jets, a Patriot missile battery and as many as 1,000 American troops in Jordan, which all could also be used in any military action. U.S. administration and defense officials in recent days have said the most likely military move would be the launch of Tomahawk missiles off ships in the Mediterranean.
U.S. senators  and , who have criticized the Obama administration's hands-off approach to Syria,[http://www.unsecuredloanshotline.com/tips/uncategorized/phillies-place-of-wells-on-dl/ Phillies place OF Wells on DL], said in a joint statement that in light of the latest suspected chemical attack,[http://www.newelitejerseys.org/nfl-jerseys-baltimore-ravens-jersey-cheap-1_9 Cheap Baltimore Ravens Jersey], "now is the time for decisive actions."
"The United States must rally our friends and allies to take limited military actions in Syria that can change the balance of power on the ground and create conditions for a negotiated end to the conflict and an end to Assad's rule," the statement said.
In Paris, French President  said a "body of evidence" suggests that chemical weapons were used during last week's attacks, and "everything" leads France to believe that the Assad regime was behind it.
Conveying new urgency about the situation,[http://www.newelitejerseys.org/nfl-jerseys-minnesota-vikings-jersey-cheap-1_82 Cheap Minnesota Vikings Jersey], Hollande's office said he spoke about Syria by telephone Sunday with Obama, as well as prime ministers  of Britain and  of Australia. The White House said in a statement the two leaders discussed "possible responses by the international community and agreed to continue to consult closely."
Just over a year ago, Obama called the use of chemical arms in Syria a "red line" that would carry "enormous consequences." Since then, U.S. intelligence believes that such weapons have been used on a small scale several times, but that has precipitated no major shift in American policy or substantial action against the Assad regime.
So far, the U.S. has largely limited its support for the rebels to non-lethal supplies. In June, Washington said it would begin sending weapons to the rebels, although there's no indication that has happened yet.
Russia, a close ally of the Assad regime, welcomed Syria's decision to allow a U.N. probe, and said the U.S. should await the findings and realize that a unilateral use of force would be a mistake.
 spokesman  said Washington and European partners shouldn't take a "gamble" that could have "catastrophic consequences" for Syria and the region as a whole.
In Damascus, Syrian Information Minister  said the United States was using allegations of chemical attacks as an "excuse" to intervene in Syria, accusing Washington and Europe of turning a blind eye while Saudi Arabia and Turkey — both backers of the anti-Assad rebellion — provide chemical weapons to foreign jihadi fighters in Syria.
"The materials are coming from Saudi Arabia and Turkey," al-Zoubi said in an interview with  in the Syrian capital, adding that foreign fighters were carrying out chemical attacks to implicate the Syrian government in hopes of prompting international military intervention.
"Instead of the Americans searching for the source of these chemical weapons in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, they wait for them to be used to give a pretext to intervene in Syria," he said.
Iran, a close ally of the Assad regime, warned against a possible U.S. military move against Syria. The semi-official Fars news agency quoted Gen. Masoud Jazayeri as warning that "trespassing over the red line in Syria will have severe consequences for the White House." He did not elaborate.
Doctors Without Borders said that three hospitals it supports in the area of the attack reported receiving roughly 3,600 patients with "neurotoxic symptoms" over a three-hour period Wednesday. Of those, 355 died, the Paris-based group said.
That roughly coincided with the death toll given by the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tallied 322 killed. Casualty figures have varied widely over the alleged attack, from just over 300 to around 1,300 killed.
Rebels on the ground outraged by the images coming out of the Damascus suburbs have also threatened to take forceful action.
On Sunday, the head of an al-Qaida-linked Syrian rebel group vowed to target villages inhabited by members of Assad's minority Alawite sect to avenge the purported chemical weapons attack.
In an audio recording posted on a website frequently used by Islamic extremists, Jabhat al-Nusra leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, said: "Revenge for the blood of your children is a debt to be paid back ... 1,000 rockets will be fired at them in revenge for the massacre of Ghouta."
The authenticity of the claim could not be immediately verified.
___
Lucas reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Jamey Keaten in Paris, Jamal Halaby in Amman, Jordan, and Kimberly Dozier, Lolita C. Baldor and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.</html>