Mass of Consecration of the United States of America to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Mass of Consecration of the United States to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Thursday - June 11th @ 4:00 PM EST

https://www.youtube.com/live/j1WyC4TSeoo?is=OhLgW4EPNudSal0Z

New AdventHealth ER on former Holy Land Orlando site cuts ribbon

The Black Adventist Youth Directors Association (BAYDA) Convention

What Is Pulse, The Nightclub Where The Orlando Shooting Took Place? It's More Than A Bar

KYLIE MCCONVILLE

A DAY AGO

Gerardo Mora/Getty Images News/Getty Images


Shortly after 2 a.m. on Saturday, June 12, a gunman opened fire at an Orlando-area nightclub in Florida, killing a confirmed 50 people and injuring more than 50 people.  Pulse, the nightclub where the Orlando shooting took placewas clearly a staple nighttime destination in the Orlando area, but its importance stretched far beyond that. According to a USA TODAYreport, one of the owners of Pulse started the club in an effort to promote awareness about the area's gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual communities after her brother died from AIDS. Barbara Poma first opened Pulse with friend and co-founder Ron Leger in 2014, USA TODAY reports. They're known for hosting themed performances and a monthly program of LGBT-related educational events. The night of the deadly attack was Latin night.


(Update: The FBI has updated the death toll to 49 victims. The shooter was also killed.)

According to its About page on its Facebook, Pulse was "Orlando's Premier Gay Nightclub and Ultra Lounge/Bar," and reviews for the nightclub tout it as the "best gay bar" in the Orlando area. After Poma's brother John came out as gay to his friends and family, Pulse became a space to help foster community, love, and support. Of Pulse's creation, a quote on their website read,

It was important to create an atmosphere that embraced the gay lifestyle with décor that would make John proud. Most importantly, (we) coined the name Pulse for John’s heartbeat — as a club that is John’s inspiration, where he is kept alive in the eyes of his friends and family.

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It's a puppet act with a purpose

Watch video: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-homeless-puppet-20150410-premiumvideo.html

A man and his puppet perform on Semoran Blvd. to make a living.

George Skene . Contact Reporter

Orlando Sentinel


Third-generation ventriloquist and his puppet give street performances in Orlando

April 17, 2015, 6:05 PM 

Nelson Camacho says he is a third-generation ventriloquist and has traveled around the country supporting himself and his puppet Jose with donations from his street performances.

The performances involve a personal goal to share his faith by singing Christian songs and hymns despite the occasional argument with Jose about who should get top billing in their act.

They perform on South Semoran Boulevard near Pershing Avenue in Orlando.

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Discovery Church illustrates how power of pulpit can lead pastors to affairs

By Jeff Kunerth, Orlando Sentinel

5:34 p.m. EDT, May 7, 2013



It happened again. Another Orlando-area megachurch pastor is stepping down after admitting to having an affair. Discovery Church Pastor David Loveless' resignation last weekend makes him the third in six months to step down after stepping over the line of adultery — following Summit Church's Isaac Hunter and The Gathering Place's Sam Hinn.

It has nothing to do with anything in the water and all to do with the pressures, adorations and temptations that come from being a high-profile pastor in a large church, say experts and fellow pastors.

"You're a brilliant preacher, you are a wonderful pastoral person in times of crisis, you can raise money, you can administer a staff, you have a vast array of gifts," said David Swanson, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Orlando. "That's a lot for one person to carry."

Related

Discovery Church pastor resigns after admitting to affair

Pictures: Florida religious scandals

Read The Religion World blog
Topics
Adultery
Rick Warren
First Presbyterian Church of Orlando


That high position of respect and responsibility can elevate a pastor to the point of isolation, Swanson said. Without trusted confidants who can listen to the pastor's own doubts and burdens — and steer him back in line when he wavers — the megachurch pastor can be susceptible to his own impulses.

"Every pastor needs a group of male friends he trusts, who will ask him what is going on in your life, are you walking the talk?" Swanson said.

Sheila Strobel Smith, who has done extensive research on megachurch pastors, said failure often follows the pastor who becomes overwhelmed by the job's demands. In any size church, pastors deal with a multitude of responsibilities and expectations — and that's where the trouble starts.

"The common thread is when a pastor is in a personal vulnerable spot, these things happen. You are reaching out for something, and you make bad decisions," she said.

Those who successfully handle the demands and resist the temptations are deliberate in their spiritual, physical and mental health, Strobel Smith said. They don't neglect their family for their congregation, they cultivate people they can trust and confide in, they follow the "Billy Graham Rule" — never be alone with a woman who is not your wife.

But constructing a life that is healthy, balanced and normal is difficult for ministers whose jobs are by nature taxing, erratic and unpredictable, said James Coffin, executive director of the Interfaith Council of Central Florida.

They feel the success or failure of the church rides on them. Members of the congregation depend on them for advice, guidance, consolation and encouragement at all times — not just Sundays.

"Ministers live this very disjointed style of life," Coffin said.

Coffin said with the pulpit comes power and with power comes ego. Elevated by the congregation as a beloved and admired spiritual leader, the pastor is susceptible to an inflated sense of self.

"It's a self-perpetuating spiral — the more they look at you that way, the more you feel that way. You have that pedestal syndrome," said Coffin, a former Seventh-day Adventist pastor.

So gradually, the man of God falls prey to the mortal flesh — one small temptation at a time.

"I'm sure David Loveless and Isaac Hunter didn't wake up and decide they were going to have affairs today," Swanson said. "It was a thousand little decisions they made that opened that door a little wider each time."

Swanson says he has built safeguards around himself because the cost of betraying the principles of the faith is the loss of trust. Pastors who sin cause harm not only to themselves, their families and their congregations, but to the perception of clergy as hypocritical, he said.

Because of what has happened to Loveless, Hunter and Hinn, Swanson said he is writing a piece for the next edition of his church newsletter to reassure his congregation that this won't happen to him.

"I have been careful to lead in a particular way," Swanson said, "because those who lead are held to a higher standard."

Rick Warren, pastor of the megachurch Saddleback Church in California, has addressed the cost of ministerial misbehavior and offered strategies for other clergy.

At the top of his list is, "Never consider yourself above temptation." Also high on the list is "Remind yourself regularly of the damaging consequences of moral failure."

"Sit down and watch the confession of Jimmy Swaggart," he writes. "It's high drama, probably the most dramatic church service you'll see. You see how sin destroyed a congregation."

jkunerth@tribune.com or 407-420-5392

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Gay Games 2018 has potential to be in Orlando

By Bethany Dickens

Contributing Writer


Published: Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Updated: Thursday, April 11, 2013 08:04





Courtesy of Federation of Gay Games

Sports for the Gay Games include traditional events such as cycling, swimming & track and field, as well as categories such as cheer, darts and bodybuilding.

If you were playing a word association game with the phrase “Olympic athlete,” you might come up with the following adjectives: strength, power and excellence. And you may be less likely to go with participation, inclusion and personal best.

Converge Orlando, Inc. is hoping to change that — at least for those in the Central Florida area. The company has put in a bid to make Orlando the site of the 2018 Gay Games. This unique sporting and cultural event promotes respect and social awareness in athletes, instead of bulging muscles and aerobic endurance. The sporting events are flexible, with participants determining what should be included. Local sports — gator wrestling, anyone? — are highlighted. Niche activities can be enjoyed by athletes at any level of fitness.

While this feel-good description makes the games sound lightweight, participants actually pack a hefty economic punch. The Gay Games is the largest sporting event of its kind. Ann Gynn, director of marketing and communications for Gay Games 9 in Cleveland and Akron, Ohio, said the games will bring $57 million dollars to the region. This information is quite meaningful, considering Florida’s near-absolute reliance on tourism, which became evident following the 2008 recession. The Federation of Gay Games has expressed concern that Florida may not prove as inclusive as the games themselves. But given the popularity and revenues of Disney’s Gay Days, Florida’s history of conservatism will probably not prove much of an obstacle.

Nicholas Simons, UCF’s OUTreach Advocacy Board student director, agreed with this perspective. He will soon be the director of the new Pride Coalition, which facilitates educational programming that promotes diversity and inclusiveness on campus, according to the Pride Coalition website.

Simons said Orlando could be a viable destination for the 2018 Gay Games.

“You have UCF. You have the Disney area. I think generally Orlando is an accepting city, especially because we have support from the city of Orlando as well as Orange County, which both have anti-discrimination protections and domestic partnership registries,” he said.

Converge Orlando project manager Gabrielle Shulruff wrote in an email that Orlando offers “world-renowned venues, boundless hospitality experience and thriving LGBT and allied communities.”

Orlando will face off against London, which is also bidding to host Gay Games 10.

Shulruff said London is steeped in history, but she feels Orlando’s variety of travel options makes it an ideal location. According to its website, one of Converge’s goals has been to take a percentage of these tourism dollars for Orlando.

The Gay Games’ chosen location is not exclusively about glitz and glamour, however. Gynn said the 2014 Gay Games are being held in the Cleveland/Akron area in part due to its “reputation in the LGBT community as a great destination” and its strategic position “in America’s heartland.”

“Cleveland and Akron are the smallest regions to ever host the games,” Gynn said. “The Gay Games will require the entire community to work together.”

And Orlando has at least one community known for coming together for special events. When asked if UCF students would want to participate in the 2018 event, Nicholas Simons said absolutely. Shulruff said she would like to see UCF students be more active during the event, and that the games will offer a chance for UCF students to become involved in a number of ways, including internships.

If the Gay Games are held in Orlando in 2018, UCF’s LGBTQ community would have the opportunity to participate in games and help raise awareness for diversity and respect. Pride Coalition and LGBTQ Student Services have been actively involved in the community, and the Gay Games would provide a new and exciting opportunity for outreach.

Shulruff said Orlando does not have the equality enjoyed by some other cities in the running, and hosting the Gay Games could help change that.

“We are on the cusp of equality,” she said. “This could really push us over the edge.”

UCF students should take note as Converge continues to pursue its bid for making Orlando the site for Gay Games 10.

While 2018 is a long way off, Simons agreed partnerships would be possible. After all, the Gay Games’ effect comes in more than dollars, and its purpose is more than providing a fun outlet for oddball sports. When it comes to celebrating history for the LGBTQ community, tourist dollars are temporal in comparison with the exciting opportunities the games will offer. These include community collaboration, opportunities for UCF students, and, of course, participation, inclusion and personal best.

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Head of Episcopal Church visits Orlando Diocese

posted by jeff kunerth on March, 3 2013 5:24 PM



Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori

Rev. Katharine Jefferts Shori, head of the Episcopal Church in the United States and 15 other countries, is visiting the Central Florida diocese for the first time since she became presiding bishop in 2006.

Shori is scheduled to visit St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church in Titusville this morning, where she will learn about the congregation’s ministry to laid-off Space Coast workers and its youth outreach program.

Lated in the day she will visit the Mary S. Harrell Black Heritage Museum in New Smyrna Beach, which is supported by the St. Peter the Fisherman Church.

From New Smyrna Beach, she will stop at Grace Church in Post Orange, which has a ministry for the homeless and a food pantry. Her tour of Episcopal churches conclued in the afternoon with St. James Episcopal Church in Leesburg, which assists in a medical ministry in Jamaica.

On Sunday, Shori preached the sermon at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Leesburg. In her sermon, Shori spoke on the significance of ash Wednesday and evangelism in the Episcopal church.

“Episcopalians all across this church has been taking ashes on Ash Wednesday out into the streets for the last several years. They’ve gone to the train station or the subway, bearing ashes and offering to share that sign of immortality to all comers,” Shori preached. “More than one person observed that this kind of evangelism makes sense to Episcopalians…Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return.”

She spoke of the parable of Jesus and the fig tree, whose roots needed to be pruned and manure applied to make sure that the tree born fruit and not just grow more branches and leaves.

“This fig tree needs manure — not ashes or fish meal or bone meal, but good old barnyard manure. It’s a reminder that the stuff we try hard to avoid, the messiness of incarnation, is absolutely essential to real life,” Shori said. “We will not bear fruit or find life abundant unless we are willing to encounter the smelly and the dirty and the lowly around us.”

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Whistleblower lawsuit alleges Florida Hospital filed millions in false claims

Photo (Courtesy) http://www.huntonbrady.com/florida-hospital-ginsburg-tower-2

5:03 p.m. EST, August 8, 2012|By Marni Jameson, Orlando Sentinel

A whistle-blower lawsuit based on insider information from a former Florida Hospital-Orlando billing employee and a staff physician alleges that seven Adventist Health hospitals in Central Florida have overbilled the federal government for tens of millions of dollars in false or padded medical claims.

The suit claims Florida Hospital used improper coding for more than a decade to overbill Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare, all federal government payors. In addition, it alleges, the hospital commonly overbilled for a drug used, for example, in MRI scans and billed for computer analyses that were never performed.

Plaintiffs Amanda Dittman, a bill-coding and reimbursement compliance officer, and Dr. Charlotte Elenberger, a radiologist, were either employed or affiliated with Florida Hospital Orlando between 1995 and 2009. They filed a lawsuit in July 2010, alleging that the improprieties occurred during those years.

Last week their suit received a green light from U.S. District Judge John Antoon to proceed. In his ruling, Antoon denied Adventist Health System's motion to dismiss the claim, calling the evidence "extensive and sufficient."

Adventist Health, based in Altamonte Springs, asked the judge to dismiss the case for insufficient evidence. However, Antoon refused the request, saying the complaint "satisfies the [False Claim Act] requirements of describing the alleged fraudulent acts, why they were fraudulent, when they occurred, and who engaged in them."

Among the Florida hospitals cited are Florida Hospital Orlando, Florida Hospital Altamonte, Florida Hospital Apopka, Florida Hospital East Orlando, Florida Hospital Celebration Health, Florida Hospital Kissimmee and Winter Park Memorial Hospital.

In February, four local Adventist Health hospitals paid $3.9 million to the federal government to settle allegations that they overbilled Medicare.

'Could exceed $100 million'

Marlan Wilbanks, attorney for the plaintiffs, said that, although he can't determine the total amount of damages until he gets sworn depositions and gathers more records, "we know the sum is very large because it went on for over a decade."

If found guilty, the health system would not only be responsible for repaying the excess money received, but also for paying civil penalties of $5,500 to $11,000 per false claim, and damages, he said.

"When you're looking at something that happened thousands of times, and that carries substantial civil monetary penalties for each claim and treble damages, the total exposure could exceed $100 million," Wilbanks said.

A trial is set for December 2013.

Gabriel Imperato, attorney for Adventist Health, would not discuss the case, saying, "It is our policy not to comment on pending litigation for our clients."

Hospital spokeswoman Samantha O'Lenick said that, although she was aware of the case, "we don't comment on any cases that are in active litigation."

Dittman worked for Florida Radiology Associates from 1996 to 2001 and then for Florida Hospital Orlando from 2001 to 2008. During that time, the lawsuit alleges, she witnessed billing-code "modifiers" routinely misused in ways that would result in extra payments.

"This allegation is not limited to Florida Hospital Orlando," said Wilbanks, but extends to the other hospitals named in the suit. Dittman ultimately had billing responsibilites in each of the hospital's radiology departments.

Dittman also alleged that the hospital routinely used a billing code for a larger dose of the drug octreotide than was actually administered. A radioactive agent given intravenously or by injection, octreotide is used to enhance radiology images. Rather than bill for 1,000 micrograms of the drug, it billed for 5,000 micrograms, the suit alleges, overcharging the government by nearly $2,500 per dose.

While working for Florida Radiology Associates from 1995 to 2008, Elenberger had staff privileges at Florida Hospital Orlando and alleges the hospital was billing — and being paid — for services related to a computer-aided-detection analysis that helps doctors interpret mammography scans, even when the CAD analysis wasn't performed.

For three months in 2006 the CAD system wasn't working, yet the hospital billed for the CAD scans, the suit alleges.

Taxpayers recover

Under the False Claims Act, whistle-blowers stand to gain substantial amounts, sometimes as much as 10 percent to 20 percent of the award, experts say. However, coming forward with knowledge of fraud is "always difficult for health-care professionals," Wilbanks said. It can be career-limiting.

Since filing suit, Elenberger continues to practice in Central Florida, although in Nov. 2009 she chose to resign her staff privileges at Florida Hospital. Dittman now works for a hospital in California.

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Adventists Celebrate International Day Festival on Saturday

Uncategorized — posted by jeff kunerth on June, 2 2010 10:11 AM

The Orlando Central Seventh-day Adventist Church is hosting an International Day Festival on Saturday, June, 5, featuring a parade of more than 25 countries. The day of celebrating cultural diversity will include an international food court, music and messages of hope around the theme of “United in Love.”

Participants and spectators are encouraged to dress in traditional cultural attire.

The festival is from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Adentist church, 624 N. Broadway Ave., Orlando.

For more inforatnion, contact the church office at 407-841-7510 or visit the church website at http://www.orlandocentralchurch.org/.
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Source: http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features-the-religion-world/2010/06/02/adventists-celebrate-international-day-festival-on-saturday/
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Southern Baptists' budget vote shapes new evangelism approach

(Courtesy)http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100616/so-baptists-adopt-major-changes-to-tackle-lostness/(Photo: SBC / Matt Miller)

Posted 41m ago

By Bob Smietana The Nashville Tennessean

ORLANDO, Fla. — A decade ago, Southern Baptists fought over the belief that Jesus is the only way to heaven and the inerrancy of the Bible.
Today, they're divided over budgets and baptisms.

As the older hard-line conservatives fade into the background, a new group of leaders is jostling over the priorities of the country's largest Protestant denomination. These new leaders are less concerned about conservative politics and more concerned about saving souls.

"Status quo is not the way to go," said the Rev. Matthew Surber, the new pastor of Two Rivers Baptist Church in Nashville. "To pretend like everything is fine and we just need to try harder is not going to work."

At a gathering of 11,000 Southern Baptists on Tuesday at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., Baptists overwhelmingly approved a plan that will channel funds away from established Baptist programs and use them to fund new churches and more missionaries. It's called the Great Commission Resurgence. The national meeting concludes today.

Baptists also underscored their desire for change by electing a new president, the Rev. Bryant Wright, pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga., who is somewhat controversial for promoting the idea of letting churches give money directly to the Baptist International Mission Board. That worries some Baptists who say churches should give money to a longstanding Baptist fund called the Cooperative Program, which then divides the funds among shared Baptist causes.

Wright said his church changed its method of giving after many church members traveled overseas on mission trips and developed friendships with missionaries. They returned to the United States questioning where the church was sending its money.

"We really believe that a majority of those funds should end up on the mission field," Wright said.

Rev. Frank Page, a former convention president, said it is possible to save souls and Baptist programs as well.

Page, newly elected president of the Southern Baptists' Nashville-based executive committee, is concerned that the Cooperative Program, and by extension certain Baptist interests, will suffer if churches start giving directly to missions. He said the convention needs the Cooperative Program to survive.

"We need to use time-honored methods to advance the Great Commission," said Page, who was also a member of the task force that drafted the Great Commission Resurgence plan. The plan is named after Jesus' command in Matthew 28 to go into the world and make new disciples.

Each year, the Cooperative Program collects about $600 million for Southern Baptist causes. State conventions keep about two thirds of the money. About $200 million is then divided among Baptists entities — with about 50 percent going to international missions and 25 percent going to evangelism in the United States through the North American Mission Board. Some of that money in the U.S. then gets recycled back to the states.

That has caused some Baptists to reduce their giving to the Cooperative Program. This past year, Long Hollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville gave money directly to the mission board, rather than to the Tennessee Baptist Convention.

Many of the church members didn't grow up Baptist, and so they don't feel obligated to support the state convention, said the Rev. David Landrith, pastor of Long Hollow.

"For a lot of our lay people it was an issue of stewardship," said Landrith. "Is it the best idea to keep the majority of money in Tennessee when there are so many places that don't have an evangelical witness."

Ed Stetzer, president of Nashville-based LifeWay Research, said to keep Southern Baptists working together, three things have to happen: States have to send half of the money collected to the national denomination, churches have to give more to the Cooperative Program, and the denomination has to work more efficiently.

Says Stetzer, "Increasingly pastors see denominations as a tool rather than a goal. If the goal is the evangelization of the world, the denomination is a tool to achieve that."

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Source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2010-06-17-Baptists16_ST_N.htm

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What's cooking at school? Chef Kevin's specials

Article Photo removed by Newspaper...

Chef Kevin Fonzo is greeted by students of the Orlando Junior Academy. Fonzo is a celebrated chef, but when he learned about a small private school that didn't have any cafeteria service this year, he volunteered to cook for the school and work with their small budget. Now the kids are eating butternut squash lasagna and Portobello mushroom burgers. (Ricardo Ramirez, Orlando Sentinel / February 23, 2010)

By Linda Shrieves, Orlando Sentinel

February 25, 2010

At most schools, lunch is the kids' favorite time of the day.

But at Orlando Junior Academy, lunch is everyone's favorite time of day now – including teachers, administrators and parents, who show up regularly hoping to get a taste of the school lunch.

And no wonder. The menus include portobello mushroom burgers, butternut squash lasagna, grilled eggplant sandwiches and whole-wheat quesadillas topped with caramelized onions, tomatoes, black beans and guacamole.

The reason? The man working the stove in the cafeteria is Kevin Fonzo, acclaimed chef behind two well-known College Park restaurants, K and Nonna Trattoria ed Enoteca.

"School lunch has become very popular," said principal Nicole Agbonkhese. "The hospital chaplain brought his staff to a lunch meeting here. The pastors come and volunteer now."

And the kids – who are usually most finicky - rave about the food.

"It's all great," said eighth-grader Wesley Jordan, 14, as a plate of spaghetti, served with a Caesar salad and baguette came out of the kitchen. "See that? Now that's just delicious!"

The story behind the marriage of the chef and the school of 220 kids is a tale of one man trying to create change – and a school that needed help.

"I'm a big believer that we shouldn't be feeding our kids crap," said Fonzo, 45. "I wanted the kids to eat real food, including as much organically grown food as possible – not just the empty carbs and sugars that kids get in most school lunches."

So when Fonzo learned from one of his customers – a parent at the school -- that the small Seventh Day Adventist school had a cafeteria, but no food service, he volunteered to help out.

The former cafeteria cook retired last year, leaving principal Agbonkhese with no hot food service – and parents who wanted healthier options for their kids. Even though Seventh Day Adventists follow a vegetarian diet, not all the lunches were healthy.

Brad Jones, one of Fonzo's regular customers and a school board member, and Agbonkhese asked Fonzo if he would help the school develop a healthy menu. Even better, perhaps he could teach a new employee how to make dishes like grilled eggplant sandwiches?

Instead, Fonzo volunteered to cook the food himself. Now he cooks most of the food in his restaurant kitchen and brings it to the school Monday through Thursday (Friday is pizza day – sacred even to these kids). Fonzo doesn't earn anything on the deal – the $4 that each student pays provides for the food and the cost of a dishwasher.

What he gets back, he says, is a break from the pressures of the restaurant business and a chance to hang out with kids, even the preschoolers who call him "Baldy."

"I love kids," said Fonzo. "I think that if I ever leave the restaurant business, I'd like to become a teacher."

From parents, the praise is effusive.

"Kevin is basically doing this out of the goodness of his heart," said parent and board member Denise Butler, who spent lunchtime on Wednesday dishing up Caesar salads and manning the window where students pick up their lunches. "Can you imagine having a James Beard-nominated chef cooking in your school cafeteria?"

But the best reviews come from the diners.

"One day I forgot to bring my lunch and I had to get a Chef Kevin lunch," said Jonathan Dobias, 11. "It was chili and all I can say is: It was good, awesome, delicious and scrumptious."

For Kahlil Josephs, 10, nothing compares to Chef K's interpretation of "haystacks," a vegetarian version of taco salad.

"It's a pile of wonder," said Kahlil. "That's the best way to describe it."

Linda Shrieves can be reached at lshrieves@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5433.
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Source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/os-chef-cooks-for-school-20100225,0,1578712.story

My opinion on Chef Kevin Fonzo's menu:

Chef Kevin Fonzo is doing a formidable job; But, "Portobello Mushroom" burgers? Does Chef Fonzo know that a mushroom is a fungus, and has no notable nutritional value? Sure, for the trained epicurean palate that enjoys such things as Sushi (raw fish) or escargot (snails), it might be a treat; However, growing children need not be exposed to such creature comforts or whims. By the way (as stated in article) most Seventh day Adventists are vegetarians, some are specifically 'vegans'. Why would the chef offer pizza on Friday? Cheese is a product of cow's milk that possesses all types of hormones and diseases that humans, or their young would be better off not consuming.

If a lactating woman were to offer you a cup of her own (human) milk; Would you drink it? Yet, you drink the milk intended for a cow's calf?

Chef Fonzo reminds me of the saying: "Beware of strangers bearing gifts".

He's doing an altruistic duty..feeding ..The Children.

But, at what cost?

Could he be perverting the Health Reform that the parents of many of these youngsters instill in them; Or, that the SDA movement has as one of its fundamental pillars: Health Reform.
You are what you eat! Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit; Therefore, keep it holy (wholly).

Arsenio.

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1 killed in whale attack at SeaWorld Orlando’s Shamu Stadium

Orange County Fire Rescue responded to the theme park.

By Jason Garcia, Bianca Prieto and Amy L. Edwards, Orlando Sentinel

February 24, 2010 | 1:13 p.m.

A SeaWorld employee died this afternoon during an incident at SeaWorld's Shamu Stadium, an Orange County Sheriff's Office official confirmed.

SeaWorld, rescue personnel and the Sheriff's Office are not revealing the identity of the victim, although a local TV station is reporting that it was a female employee who was killed after she was grabbed by one of the theme park's whales at the start of a public show.

Park guest Victoria Biniak told Local 6 that the trainer was a veteran of SeaWorld and had just finished explaining to the audience what they would see during the performance.

At that point, Biniak said, the whale came up from the water and grabbed the woman.

"He was thrashing her around pretty good. It was violent,'" Biniak told Local 6.

The whale "took off really fast in the tank, and then he came back, shot up in the air, grabbed the trainer by the waist and started thrashing around, and one of her shoes flew off."

She said sirens went off and everyone was forced to leave the stadium.

Guests were evacuated from the area, and the whale show was cancelled. The park is not shut down.

Orange County Fire Rescue personnel arrived on scene within five minutes of receiving a 911 call for an unknown medical condition just prior to 2 p.m., a spokesman said. The woman was dead when rescue officials arrived.

The Sheriff's Office is on the scene.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration dispatched an investigator from Tampa to investigate, an OSHA spokesman said.

Local 6 is reporting that the whale involved in the incident is named Tillikum, and that whale has been involved in at least one other incident at the park.

Tillikum, nicknamed "Tilly," has a controversial past. The large whale was blamed for the drowning of one of his trainers in 1991 while he was performing at Sealand of the Pacific in British Columbia.

Sold to SeaWorld as a stud in 1992, the whale was involved in a second incident when authorities discovered the body of a naked man lying across his back in July 1999.

Authorities later concluded the man, who had either snuck into SeaWorld after hours or hidden in the park until it closed, most likely drowned after suffering hypothermia in the 55-degree water.

But they also said it appeared Tillikum had bit the man and tore of his swimming trunks, likely believing he was a toy to play with.

SeaWorld has had incidents with its killer whales in the past. In 2005, a trainer was injured by what park officials called an "overly excited" whale that bumped the trainer during a live performance. The injuries were minor.

Many animal-rights activists have long criticized SeaWorld and other marine parks for keeping orcas and other wildlife in captivity. Russ Rector, a former dolphin trainer in Fort Lauderdale, said keeping the animals captive makes them dangerous.

"Captivity is abusive to these animals. And the abuse mounts up. And when these animals snap -- just for a minute -- they're so big and can be so dangerous that it's like a shotgun," Rector said. "It does an incredible amount of damage in just a moment."

Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/os-seaworld-orlando-shamu-injury-20100224,0,5560011.story

Bloodshed in Orlando

Orlando, Florida: A multiple shooting incident in the Gateway Office Building @ 1000 Legion Place near I-4. At least 18 people have been shot at the 17 floor luxury office building, which is currently on lock down by police. There are 2 confirmed dead. Reports began at 11:00 AM, when 911 calls were made. Police are presently searching for the shooter floor by floor. Evacuations are under way. One person found dead on the 8th floor, and another on the 12th floor. More information will follow.

Another body has been found in a car on the ground floor.


Follow up on the WFLA540: http://www.540wfla.com/main.html

*17 people have been shot. Culprit (Suspect) Light-skinned Hispanic Man said to be wearing light blue polo shirt and blue jeans. A body was found in a car on ground floor of the building. All injured have been transported to area hospitals.

Nearby schools are also on lock-down. 2 people are confirmed dead.

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*The suspect was identified as Jason Rodriguez. Date of birth: 9/26/69. He was possibly a former employee in the building.

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Apparently the shooter was known by some people at the building.

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A news conference was held and a picture of the suspect was shown by Orlando Police Dept. There were 5 victims transported to ORMC, less than 10 people were shot.

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*Injuries of victims were diagnosed as surgical, not life threatening critical injuries. So far ORMC, reports only 4 victims at the hospitals.

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The shooter is identified as Jason Rodriguez, a former employee of Smith, Reynolds and Hills (an Engineering firm) at suite 800 of the Legion Tower Building. The 40 year old suspect may have gotten away in a silver colored Nissan SUV, license plate Number D119UX.

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Coverage of the shooting continues around the Lake Ivan Hoe area of Orlando, Florida.

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Jason Rodriguez has surrendered at the Howell Apts. on Curry Ford Road in Orlando.

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Orlando Police Dept/ Chief Val Demings: There were 6 Victims; One confirmed fatality, 5 wounded. The gun man has been apprehended at his Mother's residence (Howell Brooks Apartments) by the Orlando P.D. SWAT team without a struggle. Police were on the scene within a minute of the initial 911 distress call.

The suspect Jason Rodriguez was employed at Smith, Reynolds & Hills and terminated in 2007.

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Finally, only one person was killed, 4 wounded individuals were taken to area hospitals.

The SWAT team saw the gunman through the window of his mother's apartment off Curry Ford Road; The shooter Jason Rodriguez has surrendered to Orlando Police Dept. SWAT team without a struggle.

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A witness on the scene named Aysha, stated that the suspect arrived at the Howell Brooks Apts. hastily, then ran into an apartment in a building; soon afterwards the police arrived who then rammed the gunman's vehicle. The female tenant (who was thought to be his mother) where Jason Rodriguez was arrested was not his mother. This woman did however call the police which enabled the arrest.

Arsenio.

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Police: Man Confesses To Murder, Rape Of Girl

Updated: 11/3/2009 9:15:38 AM EST

William Davis III
Photo: Florida Dept of Corrections

by Alan McBride


SANFORD, FLA. An Orange County man who was charged in connection with the kidnapping and murder of a woman from a Longwood-area used car lot confessed to the crime, according to law enforcement officers.

That means William Davis III now faces first-degree murder charges, along with the kidnapping charges on which he is currently jailed in Seminole County, officials said.

The incident, according to statements from the arrest affidavit for Davis, took place after he had purchased an SUV at the dealership, and had become frustrated that he was unable to get a title for the vehicle when he returned to the establishment.

Davis, 31, reportedly told investigators that he kidnapped Fabiana Malave, 19, at knifepoint, forced the woman to drive him to his car, then drove her to his home.

Davis said he then raped the woman and strangled her, according to an arrest affidavit.

Authorities said Davis wrapped Malave's body in a blanket, put it in the back of his car, and attempted to drive back to the parking area behind a tavern, where Malave's car had been parked.

Police said Davis was seen driving past the used car lot by employees, who were able to help a visiting deputy track down Davis' car and block it in the parking area until back-up arrived.

Authorities said they discovered Malave's body in Davis' SUV after he had been handcuffed.

Seminole County deputies said they were waiting on the results of forensic testing to verify Davis' claims that he had raped the woman.

Davis, according to Florida records, has a history that includes allegations of rape and physical violence.

The first case in Florida involved allegations that he raped an ex-girlfriend in 2003, according to records with the State Attorney's Office. Authorities said the woman, 22, did not want to prosecute. Records show he attacked the woman again, six months later.

Davis was eventually sentenced to five years in prison, Corrections records show, and had been released Sept. 30, 2008, after serving the minimum sentence required by state law.

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Source: http://bbn.frn.com/fis/540WFLA/storypage.asp?site=wflf2-am&storyID=10197

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Rifqa investigation ignored facts re: Islam

Chad Groening - OneNewsNow - 10/19/2009 4:00:00 AM

An author and terrorism expert says it's a travesty of justice that a 17-year-old Christian covert from Islam has been ordered by a judge to return to Ohio where her Islamic family resides.

Last week Orlando judge Daniel Dawson stated that he will sign the order to send 17-year-old Rifqa Bary back to Ohio once he obtains the proper documents on her immigration status. Bary has been in foster care in Orlando while her case is being reviewed. The teen ran away from her parents' Columbus-area home in July, saying she feared being killed for converting to Christianity. But a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation found no credible threats to Bary.

Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch thinks it is an absolute travesty of justice that the judge intends to send her back to Ohio.

"No attention has ever been paid, in any official level, to Islamic apostasy law, to the risk that she's under from that, and to the reality of Islamic 'honor killing' in the United States," he offers. "None of that registered among any of the investigators."

Spencer says if the girl's parents cannot provide the Florida judge with the proper immigration documents, one of two things could happen.

"She could end up staying in Florida until she's 18, and then she's free," says the author. "But on the other hand, it could be that the family will be deported -- including Rifqa -- back to Sri Lanka [where] she could be in very serious trouble."

Spencer says Islamic authorities in Sri Lanka would be free to punish young Rifqa for converting to Christianity.

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Source: http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=725518

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Florida Investigation Finds No Credible Threat to Teen Christian Convert

FNC
Rifqa Bary, a Christian convert whose parents are Muslim immigrants from Sri Lanka, says she fears for her life.

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Florida authorities' investigation into a teenager's claims that her life is in danger for converting from Islam to Christianity found no credible threats to 17-year-old Rifqa Bary, according to a newly unsealed report.

The 7-page summary of the probe into the Bary case by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement was unsealed on Monday.

" . . . FDLE's inquiry to date has failed to reveal any evidence of a conspiracy to commit, solicitation to commit, attempt or other efforts to commit any such action or other violence against her," the report said.

The high school student is in foster care in Orlando after fleeing to Florida from her home in Ohio because, she said, she feared being killed by her family for switching religions.

Rifqa ran away from her parents' house in suburban Columbus in July after her parents, Sri Lankan immigrants Mohamed and Aysha Bary, learned she had been baptized without telling them.

She has said she is afraid of becoming the victim of an "honor killing" if she stays with her father and mother. Her parents have said they have no intention of harming their daughter.

The girl fled to the home of the Rev. Blake Lorenz, pastor of the Orlando-based Global Revolution Church — whom she befriended on Facebook. Her father says he believes Rifqa has been brainwashed by fundamentalist Christians.

The latest findings don't negate the case or mean that Rifqa is going home. A judge still is deciding whether to return the girl to Ohio. Another hearing is set for Sept. 29.

The report synopsis includes interviews with Bary's father, who she said threatened her; officials from her school in Ohio and the person who baptized her and helped her travel to Florida, Brian Williams.

Members of the Islamic community in Columbus and the mosque the Bary family sometimes attends were not part of the investigation — only local state and federal officials in both Ohio and in Florida, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Rifqa's attorney previously characterized that mosque as a hotbed for terrorists. The FDLE report said investigating a person or organization without "specific identifiable criminal predicate" would have been inappropriate, the St. Petersburg Times reported.

Related StoriesRunaway Christian Convert to Stay in Florida for Now, Judge Rules
Among Rifqa's allegations investigated were her claim that her father punched her while they were in the car because she had been embarrassed to wear a hijab, or Muslim headscarf. Her father says that never happened.

The FDLE said it didn't investigate that or other specific incidents involving claims of physical or sexual abuse because they would have happened in Ohio, outside their jurisdiction, according to WDBO. Ohio authorities told those in Florida they had no reports of abuse.

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Source: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,550442,00.html

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Fathima Rifqa Bary: Judge keeps girl in Florida, seals investigative findings

After sealing findings of a state investigation into Fathima Rifqa Bary, Circuit Judge Daniel Dawson on Thursday decided to keep the 17-year-old girl in Florida while putting the case into mediation


video Here is the Link: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/videobeta/watch/?watch=efc21007-44a8-4b9c-abfb-9b39b5f9b13e&src=front


Amy L. Edwards and Rene Stutzman

Sentinel Staff Writers

7:22 p.m. EDT, September 3, 2009

For now, Fathima Rifqa Bary is staying in Florida.

That was just one of the decisions to come from an Orange County juvenile courtroom Thursday afternoon, where lawyers argued about everything from public records to whom is allowed to visit Rifqa.

Rifqa, 17, ran away from her Ohio home in mid-July and fled to Orlando out of fear that her Muslim family would harm or kill her.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement was tasked with investigating the alleged threats, but what the state agency found will remain under a court-ordered seal.

But a brief courtroom statement from Roger Weeden, the lawyer representing Rifqa's mother, gives some insight. He said there was "a favorable report from FDLE" that says there's no threat to Rifqa, should she be returned to her home.

Before he could finish, however, Weeden was cut off by Rifqa's appointed Guardian Ad Litem, Krista Bartholomew, who reminded the court that the document was under seal.

Bartholomew said Rifqa was questioned recently by FDLE investigators with no attorneys present.

"We did get frantic phone calls that evening from the child," she said. "We have some ongoing concerns."

A tape of Rifqa's FDLE interview is also to be sealed for at least 10 days, Dawson said.

Mohamed Bary has denied making any threats against his daughter, and Ohio authorities have already concluded it is safe for her to return.

Rifqa's parents, each represented by a local attorney, phoned in to today's hearing. Rifqa said little during the proceedings.

The scene outside the courthouse was chaotic before and after the hearing, with supporters on both sides of the sensitive issue shouting at one another.

More than a half-dozen local and national news crews were joined by a gaggle of amateur videographers. Two small courtrooms (one was reserved for overflow and had a live TV feed of the proceedings) were full of reporters and spectators.

During the proceedings, Circuit Court Judge Daniel Dawson also put a gag order on attorneys involved in the case.

Bartholomew, the Guardian Ad Litem, and the Department of Children and Families requested the gag, which prevents the lawyers from talking about the case. Bartholomew said Rifqa has been distraught over things that have been reported in the media.

Shayan Elahi, a local attorney representing Rifqa's father, said the gag order was only requested after attacks have been made against Rifqa's parents. He said it will have a "chilling effect" on the First Amendment rights of people.

Elahi told Dawson if he grants the gag request, the judge would be saying, "It's OK for people to use the media to their benefit and after that, the other party basically cannot have their story told."

Bary ran away from home in mid-July, hopping a Greyhound bus from Columbus, Ohio, bound for Orlando and the home of pastors Blake and Beverly Lorenz.

Rifqa stayed with the Lorenzes for more than two weeks before police and DCF got involved in her case. Since Aug. 10, Rifqa has been staying with a foster family, fighting for the right to stay here and away from Ohio.

Dawson told the lawyers they needed to enter mediation.

After the hearing, John K. Cooper, director of the Central Region for DCF, said that mediation will allow the parties to look at several issues. There are "very complicated issues at hand," he said.

"It's going to take a lot of work to get this family back together," he said.

The lawyers also discussed who is allowed to visit Rifqa. Dawson said he will allow the three young adult children of Blake and Beverly Lorenz to visit with Rifqa.

Elahi protested. He said Mohamed Bary has a say about who visits his daughter.

"That's my client's child," he said. "Let common sense prevail."

Blake and Beverly Lorenz, who have served in the ministry in Central Florida for more than 25 years, allowed Rifqa to live with them for more than two weeks. They now pastor Global Revolution Church, but spent more than 15 years at Pine Castle United Methodist Church.

On Aug. 7, an Orlando police officer, responding to a request from Ohio authorities, was dispatched to the Lorenz's home. He picked Rifqa up, and she was eventually placed in DCF custody. The state agency placed Rifqa in a foster home, where she's remained since.

On Aug. 21, an Orange County judge ordered the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate the alleged threats against Rifqa.

In Columbus, Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Ron O'Brien wrote a letter Wednesday, saying law enforcement officials there are capable of protecting children and will take action to protect Rifqa, if necessary.

This afternoon, Dawson said the next hearing date in Rifqa's case for Sept. 29.


Source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/orl-fathima-rifqa-bary-update-090309,0,4434694.story


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