Catholic School Battles UFO Cult -Oh, Canada!

This nearly had me micturating my Boxers. Thank you to Pundit & Pundetta/Creative Minority Report for this link.

If you think that PC is whacked out wild here in the USA, Hoss, take a gander to our neighbors to the north.

TORONTO, Ontario, December 20, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has ordered a Catholic school board to compensate three members of a prominent UFO cult after finding the board guilty of religious discrimination.

Daniel, Michel, and Sylvie Chabot, members of the Raelian cult, were hired in November 2006 by the Conseil Scolaire Catholique Franco-Nord to offer ‘emotional pedagogy’ training sessions for teachers. They delivered such sessions through what they call the Academy of Pleasurology and Emotional Intelligence (APEI).

The Catholic board chose to end the contract in January 2007 after discovering their membership in the cult, which claims that humans were planted on Earth by benevolent extraterrestrials.

On December 15th, Tribunal vice president Michelle Flaherty ruled that the board had discriminated against the three siblings on the basis of their beliefs. The parties had agreed to mediation, but asked the Tribunal to determine if the human rights code was violated. The decision does not reveal how much the board must pay in penalty.

The Raelian sect was founded by former French sports journalist Claude Vorilhon, now known as ‘Rael’, in 1973 after he claimed that he had an encounter with aliens. The cult is known for its strong support of human cloning, which is based on their belief that cloning will usher in a paradise where people live forever.

Daniel Chabot, who calls himself a bishop, said they have filed dozens of human rights complaints, but this is the first to side with them. “It took us 17 years of relentless battles and one case before a Human Rights Tribunal in Ontario to finally have our voices heard,” he stated in a press release. “This sentence was ironically delivered on Human Rights Day, December 10, 2010 and was, needless to say, a sweet victory.”

Ronald Demers, the school board’s chairman, told the Catholic Register that they will not appeal. LifeSiteNews.com did not hear back from the board by press time.

WHO was the nitwit at the school who brought these grapenuts to "teach" Pleasurology?

I know several esteemed Pleasurologists and all have hair growing in the palms of their hands and have gone blind, due to their dedication to Pleasurology.

Great idea, there Pascal!

Milwaukee Archdiocese Goes Bankrupt - Media Ignores Claim Jumping Attorney

“This action is occurring,” Archbishop Listecki said in a letter to parishioners, “because priest-perpetrators sexually abused minors, going against everything the church and the priesthood represents. As a result, there are financial claims pending against the archdiocese that exceed our means.”

"If there's anyone to press this case, it's Jeff," said David Clohessy, national director for Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, a longtime ally of Anderson. "Jeff doesn't get sole credit, and he wouldn't claim it, but he was among the very first to see the magnitude of this cover-up and is still among the most dedicated to its undoing."

The Milwaukee Archdiocese is Tapioca. Attorney Jeffrey Anderson has been using the priest pedophile tragedy to make millions of dollars. Jeffrey Anderson wants more.

In December, a Los Angeles attorney by name of Donald H. Steier issued a ten page court filing with the Los Angeles Superior Court detailing the fact that more than half of the claims of abuse are spurious at best. The Media ignore that - Chicago Tribune's Spiritualist Ink Slinger Manya Brachear trots out every instance of Catholic Church failure or the navel gazing of self-professed Catholics who don't like the rules. However, any serious inquiry to the fact that there are at least two sides to a story goes into the can. No reporter in Chicago has taken even a gimlet-eyed, much less a hard-eyed view of Jeffrey Anderson, his long and helpful association with SNAP, nor the quality of the claims made against any diocese.

Jeffrey Anderson wants more 'transparency' - opportunities to bring suit against any Catholic diocese -

Twenty-three alleged victims have sued or announced their intention to sue the archdiocese for fraud. Mediation sessions between the archdiocese and the victims’ lawyer, Jeffrey Anderson, who has handled hundreds of abuse lawsuits against the church, ended in a stalemate last month after just two meetings.

The victims had demanded that the archdiocese agree to 14 abuse prevention policies, the most contentious of which was releasing the names and personnel files of every priest accused of abuse. Mr. Anderson said some accused priests might still be in ministry.

But a church spokesman, Jerry Topczewski, said the archdiocese had already released the names of diocesan priests that had been judged by its independent review board to have been “credibly accused” — the standard used by most diocesan review boards.

The archdiocese offered the victims a settlement of $4.6 million, but Mr. Anderson said he would not discuss monetary compensation until the archdiocese met the victims’ demands for transparency.

Jeffrey Anderson, SNAP and the clergy abuse industry ( open any Yellow Pages) needs some light shed on their activities. Donald Streier did so and the media ignore it.

The Catholic Church as an institution bollixed the job on predator priests. Not only did the bishops protect monsters in stiff collars, they opened the door to media opportunists and ambulance chasers. Every creep in a collar has earned a special place in ignominy - Hell, Purgatory or any violent Penitentiary matters not to me. Likewise, those whose motives are money and power deserve a special hot seat as well.

What PC is Doing to the Navy - Enterprise Skipper is Part of a Great Tradition -Rogers and Hammerstein

By Greg Jaffe
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 4, 2011

The Navy moved quickly on Monday to pledge to investigate videos in which a senior officer uses anti-gay slurs and mimicks masturbation, while a prominent gay rights group praised the military's condemnation of the videos.

Capt. Owen Honors, who commands the USS Enterprise, based in Norfolk, Va., stars in the videos that were aired on the aircraft carrier's closed-circuit television system in 2006 and 2007 when he was the ship's second in command. In recent days, the videos have made Honors an Internet sensation.

"What we see here is, unfortunately, a 49-year-old Navy captain acting like a 19-year-old fraternity boy," said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which has advocated for gay military members. "There is no place for that type of frat-house behavior."

In The Navy? Anywhere? Not Broadway? Not Hollywood? Perhaps Rogers and Hammerstein were too 'Gender Specific.' Nothin' Like a GBLTQ? N'cest Pas?
Really, Aubrey? Hasty Pudding? Village People? SNL?

Oh, SNAP! Clergy Abuse Cases Inflated Claims L.A. Investigating Attorney - No Media Report on This Bombshell.

I would love to see every child-abuser hanging by his goodies from a high wire. Nevertheless, I believe that the clergy abuse industry and the American Progressive media will continue to assault the Catholic Church until doctrine becomes Gay Friendly and Abortion just ducky.

Here is some news.

In a stunning ten-page declaration recently submitted to the Los Angeles County Superior Court, veteran attorney Donald H. Steier stated that his investigations into claims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests have uncovered vast fraud and that his probes have revealed that many accusations are completely false.

Counselor Steier has played a role in over one hundred investigations involving Catholic clergy in Los Angeles. In his missive Mr. Steier relayed, "One retired F.B.I. agent who worked with me to investigate many claims in the Clergy Cases told me, in his opinion, about ONE-HALF of the claims made in the Clergy Cases were either entirely false or so greatly exaggerated that the truth would not have supported a prosecutable claim for childhood sexual abuse" (capital letters are his).

Mr. Steier also added, "In several cases my investigation has provided objective information that could not be reconciled with the truthfulness of the subjective allegations. In other words, in many cases objective facts showed that accusations were false."

Mr. Steier's declaration is a stunner. He is as experienced as anyone in studying the claims of abuse against Catholic clergy in the Los Angeles area. Also among Steier's eye-opening statements:

"I have had accused priest clients take polygraph examinations performed by very experienced former law enforcement experts, including from L.A.P.D., the Sheriff Department, and F.B.I. In many cases the examinations showed my clients' denial of wrongdoing was 'truthful,' and in those cases I offered in writing to the accuser to undergo a similar polygraph examination at my expense. In every case the accuser refused to have his veracity tested by that investigative tool, which is routinely used by intelligence agencies."
"I am aware of several plaintiffs who testified that they realized that they had been abused only after learning that some other person - sometimes a relative - had received a financial settlement from the Archdiocese or another Catholic institution."
"In my investigation of many cases, I have seen the stories of some accusers change significantly over time, sometimes altering years, locations, and what activity was alleged - in every case, the changes seemed to have enabled or enhanced claims against my clients, or drastically increased alleged damages."
"I am aware that false memories can also be planted or created by various psychological processes, including by therapists who might be characterized as 'sexual victim advocates,' if not outright charlatans."
"Most of the approximately seven hundred psychiatric 'Certificates of Merit' filed in these Clergy Cases, as required by [California] Code of Civil Procedure § 340.1, were signed by the same therapist." (!) (Note: A "Certificate of Merit" from "a licensed mental health practitioner" is required in California before filing an abuse lawsuit.)
Steier signed and submitted the declaration "under penalty of perjury" November 30, 2010. Los Angeles County Superior Court officially filed it at 11 a.m. on December 15, 2010. (Images of Steier's declaration: pages 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10.)

Steier also took aim at the outspoken advocacy group SNAP (Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests):

They maintain an interactive Internet website with a user 'Forum' and 'Message Board,' among other features, where people can share detailed information between alleged victims pertaining to identity of specific alleged perpetrators, their alleged 'modus operandi,' and other details of alleged molestation. In effect, a person who wanted to make a false claim of sexual abuse by a priest could go to that website and find a 'blueprint' of factual allegations to make that would coincide with allegations made by other people. Law enforcement also uses the S.N.A.P. website to attempt to locate new victims and allegations against Catholic priests.

Needless to say, SNAP had a fit at the sight of Steier's declaration. In a frantic press statement dated December 13, 2010, SNAP derided Steier's declaration as a "legal maneuver" that was "among the most outrageous and hurtful ever made by a church defense lawyer." In addition to claiming it will file a complaint with the California Bar Association, it demanded that Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony "denounce Steier's claims and to disclose how much archdiocesan money has been paid to Steier." (Gee, the last time I checked, SNAP steadfastly refused to divulge how much of its income is derived from the number of lawyers with whom it closely corroborates!)

Yet there is a glaring absence from SNAP's statement. The organization does not refute nor deny any of the specific claims made by Steier. It simply labels them as "outrageous" and "hurtful." That is hardly a blow to the explosive declaration aired by the veteran attorney.

Yes, Catholic priests terribly abused minors, and bishops failed to stop the harm. That's an undeniable truth. There are few crimes that revolt more than sexual abuse. The abuse of minors is a dark episode that the Church will forever have to live with.

Yet major media outlets have largely ignored a major element to the entire Catholic abuse scandal narrative.

Here is Wall Street Journal writer Dorothy Rabinowitz:

"People have to come to understand that there is a large scam going on with personal injury attorneys, and what began as a serious effort has now expanded to become a huge money-making proposition."

Surprise: Ms. Rabinowitz made her remark in 2005. Since then, the Church has doled out an additional $1 billion in settlements.

Will 2011 be the year that the media finally begins to take a closer look at many of the claims being made? What about the suspicious relationships between SNAP, lawyers, and many in the media? (Vincent Carroll at the Denver Post is a rare voice of acknowledgement: "[F]raudulent or highly dubious accusations are more common than is acknowledged in coverage of the church scandals — although they should not be surprising, given the monumental settlements various dioceses have paid out over the years" (Oct. 10, 2010).)

Stay tuned.


-- Dave Pierre is the author of the heralded book, Double Standard: Abuse Scandals and the Attack on the Catholic Church. Dave is also the creator of TheMediaReport.com and is a contributing writer to NewsBusters,org, the popular media-bias blog of the Media Research Center.

Leave It To Bashir! Coming Soon to the U! Very Funny!

Wadid Cleaver calls the boys Walid and The Bashir into the den for a 'man-to-man' chat.
Junah, Mom knows best! Humas before your dates, Boys! Oh, those Boys!


In response to Katie Couric's demand* that America Needs a Muslim Cosby(which is the iconic African American Family but too Female Friendly)Family, TV Production has begun on a spin-off of the Iconic Leave it to Beaver!

Leave It to Bashir! Follow the adventures of the Dearborn Michigan Cleavers!

Meet the Cleavers!

Hugh Beaumont as Wadid; Barbara Billingsley as Junah; Tony Dow as Walid and Jerry Mathers as The Bashir!

Tune into the U and catch the Pilot Episode when The Bashir issues a Fathwah on Infidels Larry Mondello, Whitey and Gilbert for ratting out The Bashir to Miss Landers!



*she thinks there may need to be a Muslim version of "The Cosby Show."

"'The Cosby Show' did so much to change attitudes about African-Americans in this country, and I think sometimes people are afraid of what they don't understand," she said.

Innovation Key to Chicago's Rebirth -Interesting Thoughts By Bruce Katz, Vice President and Director, Metropolitan Policy

I spoke with a skilled tradesman, a journeyman electrician, who has been out of steady work since 2008. His nest egg is being eaten up by making his mortgage payments, paying his taxes, and working where and when he can find a job. His wife works. His kids attended Catholic Schools, until this year and that is no longer viable.

Foreclosures in Chicago are ballooning. Guys who once made $ 80,000 to $ 100,000 a year as skilled tradesmen are out of work. Shakman makes even asking a neighbor in a government agency about any job an impossibility, Machine? As if . . .

The Mayoral election will be that important. While everyone is tasking the atmosphere with questions about residency and race, Chicago is losing jobs faster than a fixed income victim feeding the slots at a casino.

Chicago Chamber of Commerce posted this interesting presentation by Bruce Katz. Give this a viewing.



Chicago must take the industries already here and send them around the world and then the world will return to Chicago. Chicago has skilled workers, innovative thinkers and an infrastructure that can be productive and competitive. Chicago had better select a Mayor who knows what is here already and send it forth.

There is a skilled electrician and thousands of other skilled people hungry for work.

The Chamber of Commerce is ready -

The Summit further concluded what the Chamber has been advocating for years- that the future of our economy depends on how we innovate and transition to a "knowledge-based" economy. This includes using innovation in processes and products to modernize traditional industries and supporting entrepreneurship to grow new sectors and firms.

The Chamber has long been a supporter of innovation, the knowledge based economy, and fostering entrepreneurship to help grow our economy. In 2006 the Chamber Foundation launched InnovateNow; a major, new regional economic development initiative focused on enhancing the region’s innovation and entrepreneurial capacity. The goal of InnovateNow is to transform our region into a center of innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity. For more info on InnovateNow visit www.innovatenow.us.

Learn more at InnovateNOW -

•Expand the Innovation Capacity of Illinois Businesses---Assist Illinois businesses in improving their capacity to develop new business models, products/services, and markets, especially small and mid-sized businesses in key sectors such as manufacturing that are facing global competition.
•Strengthen Public-Private Innovation Networks ---Promote stronger linkages and partnerships between Illinois businesses and universities, colleges, and federal laboratories to drive and support innovation in Illinois.
•Expand the Innovation Talent Pool---Develop a new breed of innovation talent in Illinois that can start new businesses and drive innovation in existing businesses in Illinois. Innovate Now will promote the development of innovation talent at all education levels (P-20 pipeline) with stronger foundations in business as well as science, technology, engineering mathematics (STEM) and related creative and design fields. ( emphasis my own)

Where can we get more information?

Lance Pressl, Ph.D.
Foundation President
Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
200 E. Randolph Street, Suite 2200
Chicago, Illinois 60601
LPressl@chicagolandchamber.org

Jews, Greeks and Romans - The Feast of the Epiphany -The Heart, Head and Hands of Man

I fail to follow the Star over Bethlehem. I fail every time I fall prey to my personal monsters - arrogance, anxiety and anger. It seems that I have had a lifetime Triple A membership. This morning's Mass of the Feast of the Epiphany was another whack to the back of my ten cent head.

The Epiphany was once almost as important in Christian devotions as the Birth of Christ. According to the Gospel of St. Matthew, Magi witnessed the rise of new star signalling the birth of a Redeemer of Man in Bethlehem of Judea. These wise men or astrologers, or kings followed the star with unquestioning devotion - taking the long journeys from their homelands. Traditionally the Magi represent all the people of earth - Asian, African and Caucasian.

A wise man with whom I have the honor of knowing, Max Weismann -Director of the Center for the Study of Great Ideas - is dedicated to the study of how man can lead a happy life. The Greeks called happiness Eudaimonia (evðaimoˈnia pronounced FEW-Day Monia). Roughly translated the word is a composite for "Spirit of Well Being." Aristotle wrote in the Nicomachean Ethics that leading a happy life is not merely the pursuit of pleasure but in 'living well' - according to arete - or virtue. Doing anything well requires virtue or a tough minded application of our skills and abilities to make something useful and beautiful. It takes concentration and tireless effort to become an athlete, an artist, or a parent. Nothing springs from the head of Jove.

The Greeks it seems to me are the Head of Mankind - the Intellect.

The Jews are the Heart and Soul of Man. It was the Jews who recognized that the power of God lies not in might but in forgiveness, charity and humility.

The Romans made use of everything and everyone that they conquered and offered systematic application of all that was good, lasting and worthwhile. The Romans are the Hands of Man - the great manipulators and architects of Faith, State, and Taste.

Together, civilization offers us a means by which to follow the Star of Faith with Head, Heart and Hands. One or two is not enough. The Epiphany brings three wise men together in an act of recognition, humility and fortitude. They recognized the right path, allowed the Star to guide them without questioning its place in the heavens, and ventured into a journey fraught with perils and uncertainty.

The Epiphany has come to mean an awareness of something that was once hidden. The Star of Faith is not hidden - it is merely clouded by my submission to arrogance, anxiety and anger.

I pray that God helps me allow my membership in Triple A to lapse - permanently.

Frank Sinatra & Keely Smith - How Are Ya' Fixed For Love

Al Qaeda New Years Message - More Attacks on Christians

At least 21 people are dead and nearly 80 wounded after a bomb exploded outside a Coptic Christian church in Alexandria, Egypt, early Saturday.

Officials believe a suicide bomber attacked as worshippers were leaving a New Year's Eve mass.

The Interior Ministry said the wounded included eight Muslims from a mosque across the street from the Saints Church.

Any response from the CAIR Bears? Don't hold your breath . . .you'll be needing it.

Happy New Year! Samuel Johnson's Poem: To Myrtilis - The New Year's Offering

Dr. Samuel Johnson, like me, tended to equate worth with wealth and though a poor man, - impecunious, Tapioca, short of the long-green-difference - offered the target of his manly heart his hoard of love-loot. I offer the very same, with the Great Doctor's lines.

I offer this to those I love ( agape, philia, as well as eros) this new year.

Happiness - it can't buy you money, but it's pretty damn good!


To Myrtilis - The New Year's Offering

Madam,
Long have I look'd my tablets o'er,
And find I've much to thank you for;
Outstanding debts beyond account,
And new - who knows to what amount?
Though small my wealth, not small my soul:
Come, then, at once I'll pay the whole.
Ye powers! I'm rich and will command
The host of slaves that round me stand;
Come, Indian, quick disclose thy store,
And hither bring Peruvian ore:
Let yonder Negro pierce the main,
The choicest, largest pearl to gain:
Let all my slaves their art combine
To make the blushing ruby mine,
From eastern thrones the diamonds bear
To sparkle at her breast and ear.
Swift Scythian, point the unerring dart,
That strikes the ermine's little heart,
And search for choicest furs the globe,
To make my Myrtilis a robe.
Ah, no! yon Indian will not go,
No Scythian designs to bed his bow,
No sullen Negro shoots the flood:
All, all my empty power disown,
I turn and find myself alone;
'Tis Fancy's vain illusion all,
No Moor nor Scythian waits my call.
Can I command, can I consign?
Alas! what earthly thing is mine?
Come, then, my Muse, companion dear,
Of poverty, and soul sincere;
Come, dictate to my grateful mind
A gift that may acceptance find;
Come, gentle Muse, and with thee bear
An offering worthy thee and her;
And though thy presents be but poor,
My Myrtilis will ask no more.
A Heart that scorns a shameful thing,
With love and verse is all I bring;
Of love and verse the gift receive,
'Tis all thy servant has to give.
If all whate'er my verse has told,
Golconda's gems, and Afric's gold;
If all were mine from pole to pole,
How large her share who shares my soul!
But more than these may Heaven impart;
Be thine the treasures of the heart;
Be calm and glad thy future days
With virtue's peace and virtue's praise;
Let jealous pride, and sleepless care,
And wasting grief, and black despair,
And languor chill, and anguish fell,
For ever shun thy grove and cell;
There only may the happy train
Of love, and joy, and peace remain:
May plenty, with exhaustless store,
Employ thy hand to feed the poor,
And ever on thy honour'd head
The prayer of gratitude be shed!
A happy mother, may'st thou see
Thy smiling, virtuous progeny,
Whose sportful tricks, and airy play,
Fraternal love, and prattle gay,
Or wondrous tale, or joyful song,
May lure the lingering hours along;
Till death arrive, unfelt, unseen,
With gentle pace and placid mien,
And waft thee to that happy shore
Where wishes can have place no more.

Samuel Johnson

Corey Ankum, CFD - Three, Three, Five

Old firehouses would use a bell to signal alarms. The most dreaded was a 5-5-5 Toll that announced the death of a firefighter in the line of duty. Fallen Firefighters are honored with a slow tolling of "three times three ( 3-3-3)" which signals "return to station." ( Correction to post c.10:35 )

Firefighter Corey Ankum is returning to station and Christ today. Like his brother Edward Stringer, Corey Ankum will watch over the heroes here below who must answer the tolling of bells and signals and protect all of the rest of us.

Thank you for your service, Gentleman! God speed you home to Him!

Correction on the Fire Bell Tolls - from an unimpeachable source - A Chicago Fire Captain and Loyola Grad Class of 1974 - I obviously used a much dated source in the original post* -

pat 5-5-5 is our signal for going to a fire called being stilled out 3-3-5 is for returning yo (sic) quarters mike loyola'74

*

Before whistle signals, bells were the mode of communicating for mass dispersion. Church bells rang the fire alarm before a Fire Department was founded in 1877. Many townsfolk had small, wooden handled, hand held fire bells to ring the local alarm at a moment’s notice.

The Ward Four Fire Barn at Nash's Corner had one of the first fire bells installed in 1878. The bell was placed in the bell tower in front of the station. With a weight of 422 pounds and a cost of $35.62, it was the pride of the ward and a special honor to pull the rope tolling the bell.

Fire stations were built and took over the ringing of alarms. Some churches still rented their bells for alarms in dead spots.

Fire bells rang out the nearest street box number to the fire. The locations of Fire Street box numbers were listed in the Weymouth Gazette every week. Call men and folks would run to the location to watch or help in the blaze.

The fire bells had other purposes other than fires. A lost child would ring in three series of four tolls from the firehouse belfry, then the box number nearest the last location of the child.

Weymouth school children’s favorite in hearing was the “no school” signal of two sets of 2-2-2 bell rings. Civil unrest or disaster 8-8-8 brought the State Guard out.

The dreaded 5-5-5 toll, meaning the line of duty death of a firefighter, has solemnly echoed five times in the halls of Weymouth’s fire stations.

Ward 2’s wooden fire house at Broad Street and Filament was originally located near Dizer's Shoe Factory, then Greg LaRocco’s Welding Shop, then moved to its present location a little up Broad Street. The building is now the VFW hall on Broad Street. It was the Central Station until the presently closed Station 2 was erected in 1930 at Broad and Putnam Streets.

Station 2’s bell is inscribed with “Wm. Blake and Co., formerly H.M. Hooper and Co. Boston Mass. A.D. 1879.”

http://www.wickedlocal.com/weymouth/news/x155910654/History-Mystery-Great-bells-of-fire

Universal Brotherhood of Firefighters Walk Down Western Avenue in Tribute to Fallen Hero Edward Stringer

From Ashkum to Wilmington, Illinois Firefighters paid tribute to one of the two fallen Brothers on Western Ave. yesterday. I watched with my neighbors along the route that took Firefighter Edward Stringer from St. Rita Chapel to Beverly Cemetary at 119th & Kedzie. Here is a fine story from Kane County on the Universal Brotherhood of Heroes - 1st Responders: Police, Fire and Emergency Medical.

When two Chicago firefighters died after a wall collapsed on them Dec. 22, waves of sadness spread to their fellow firefighters.

Firefighter Edward Stringer’s wake was on Monday night and he was buried Tuesday morning. Visitation for his colleague Corey Ankum is scheduled today; his burial will be on Thursday.

Some of the hundreds of firefighters who came to one funeral and will go to another are from the Fox Valley. Local officials say they came to respect those who died in the line of duty.

Among them was St. Charles Fire Capt. Nick McManus, who went to Stinger’s funeral on his day off.

“I went to honor a fellow firefighter fallen in the line of duty, to show my respects,” McManus said. “It’s just the right thing to do. It just comes with the territory of being a firefighter.”

McManus said he stood outside in the cold to salute and follow fire service funeral tradition and ceremony of saluting until the casket is brought into the chapel.

“When I saluted, I tried to make sure my arm was not shaking,” McManus said. “It was the wind.”

He said firefighters attended not only from the suburbs, but from Canada, Houston and Dallas, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Indiana and New York City.

“I felt sadness and a great sense of pride,” McManus said.

Geneva Deputy Chief Scott Spencer said paying respects at a funeral is part of the fellowship of firefighting.

“If a firefighter is killed in the line of duty in Chicago, or Pittsburgh or New York – it doesn’t matter. It hits everybody the same,” Spencer said. “It’s a horrible loss.”

Eight firefighters from Geneva went to Stringer’s wake and funeral, he said.

Fire officials in Sugar Grove could not confirm anyone went to Chicago, but a few from Elburn went.

“It’s important to honor your fallen brothers and their families,” Elburn Fire Chief Kelly Callaghan said.

But sometimes a staffing problem prevents them from attending, as it did in Batavia, explained Batavia Fire Lt. Tim Lyons.

“We are too tight on manning,” Lyons said. “Myself and another guy were going to go [Tuesday] but because of people being out sick, we were at a bare minimum. It broke my heart not to send somebody.”

Still, Lyons said he is off on Wednesday and plans to attend services for Ankum.

“The department has always been very good about covering my time so I can go. I’m there representing them, not just myself,” Lyons said. “I look at it as a blessing to have the support of the fire department to allow me to go.”

Lyons said he went to New York after Sept. 11, 2001, and went to 10 funeral services a day for five days.

Lyons said it meant a lot to the departments and their families to have that support.

“We said we are from just outside Chicago and they were blown away, got something in their eye,” Lyons said. “I get things in my eyes once in a while. It just means so much.”

He said it is not unusual for so many firefighters to turn out and support a fallen brother.

When six firefighters died in a fire when a warehouse collapsed on them in Worcester, Mass., in 1999, Lyons said, he was among those who came to help dig them out. It took eight days to recover their remains.

“They had guys there from Ireland, from England,” Lyons said. “There were 30,000 firemen there.”

God Bless All Who Protect Us From Harm!

Kankakee Water Treatment Blast - Chief Ron Young, Chicago's Fallen Firefighters and All 1st Responders -God Bless You!

Today at St. Rita of Cascia High School at 77th & Western Ave. Chicago will send Firefighter Edward Stringer home to Christ. Last night hundreds of Firefighters from across the Midwest attended the wake at Blake and Lamb Funeral Home, in Oak Lawn and paid tribute to Firefighter Stringer. On Wednesday and Thursday, Corey Ankum will be honored back to Christ. Visitation for Corey Ankum is Wednesday at Apostolic Church of God in Chicago. Funeral services are the following morning at the church. God Bless these heroes.

Firefighter Stringer spent his off hours at a campground in Wilmington, Illinois along the Kankakee River. Only yesterday, an explosion at one of the sewage digestion plants of the Kankakee River Metropolitan Agency (KRMA) sent sludge and sewage into that beautiful river that flows north toward Joliet. One of my students at Bishop McNamara High School, Ron Young is the Fire Chief for the Kankakee City Fire Department. Ronnie is married to Deanna ( Dupuis) Young. Ron was a 145 Lb. Illinois State Wrestling Champion, whose sons became outstanding wrestlers and Christian gentlemen.

Like Firefighters Stringer and Ankum, Ron Young and his band of 50 brothers and sisters put their lives on the line every day. My nephew, Patrick Cleary, is a Romeoville Firefighter.

God Bless our first responders - Police, Fire, Emergency Medics at every level of government.


From the Kankakee Daily Journal

Kankakee Fire Chief Ron Young said it is unknown just how much untreated sewage has flowed into the river.

"I don't know if we'll ever have that," he said.

The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.

No one was working inside the digester building when it exploded, Young said. KRMA treats wastewater from Aroma Park, Chebanse, Bradley, Bourbonnais, Kankakee and Manteno. Young said service hasn't been interrupted.

The Kankakee Fire Department has 50 personnel working a 52.5-hour weekly shift (24 hours on-48 hours off) with 5 officers and 2 firefighters working a 40-hour week day shift. There is a Chief, 2 Assistant Chiefs, 5 Captains, 9 Lieutenants and 40 firefighters. 38 members are paramedics, 12 are certified fire investigators and 6 are certified arson investigators. We are supported by two full-time administrative assistants.