divingtorch

A resident of the 600 block of South Florida Avenue reported that sometime between 12:30 a.m. and 6:15 a.m. Aug. 2, someone stole a black and red BMX style bicycle and a white and black BMX style bicycle from the yard of the residence, which was unsecured.

At approximately 2:07 p.m. ADPS officers and American Medical Response personnel responded to the intersection of Ninth Street and Virginia Avenue in reference to a motor vehicle crash with injuries. Investigation revealed that a Dodge truck was traveling westbound on Ninth Street and failed to stop at a posted stop sign, where it collided into a southbound Chevrolet passenger vehicle on Virginia Avenue. After the initial collision between the Dodge and the Chevrolet, the Dodge continued westbound and collided into an Oldsmobile passenger car that was stopped and facing eastbound at the posted stop sign on Ninth Street. The driver of the Chevrolet complained of non-life-threatening injuries and declined medical treatment on the scene. The driver of the Dodge was issued a citation for alleged vehicles entering stop or yield intersection.

At approximately 4:03 p.m. ADPS officers and AMR medics responded to the 2300 block of First Street in reference to a motor vehicle crash with injuries. Investigation revealed that a Chevrolet passenger car was southbound attempting to exit a parking lot and collided with a bicyclist who was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes on First Street.
The bicyclist complained of non-life-threatening injuries and declined medical treatment on the scene. The bicyclist was issued a traffic citation for bicyclist riding on streets or bicycle paths.

Jesus Ruiz II, 19, of the 2300 block of Apache, was issued a citation for alleged criminal damage stemming from an ongoing investigation of an incident that occurred July 23. Ruiz had allegedly caused damage to two walls inside a residence by punching them. Ruiz is to appear in court as ordered.

At approximately 4:18 p.m. ADPS, fire and AMR units responded to the intersection of the U.S. Highway 54/70 bypass and U.S. Highway 54 South in reference to a motor vehicle crash with injuries. Investigation revealed that an Eagle passenger car was northbound on U.S. Highway 54 South, where he failed to stop at a red traffic light and collided into a Chevrolet truck that was attempting to turn eastbound onto the U.S. Highway 54/70 bypass. The driver of the Eagle had to be extricated from the car by fire units. The driver of the Eagle complained of non-life-threatening injuries and declined medical treatment on the scene. The driver of the Eagle was issued a citation for obedience to required traffic control devices.

MARSHFIELD —

For two weeks, Michael Chorzewski was one among many town residents mourning Steven “Zac” Woods’ disappearance in a boating accident.

Saturday he turned out to be the one who spotted the young man’s body on the ocean floor off Brant Rock.

“I don’t know why it was me who found him,” the 48-year-old businessman and snorkel diver told The Patriot Ledger Monday morning. “It was one of those things.”

Chorzewski’s discovery wasn’t by accident. He swam out from the Brant Rock beach Saturday afternoon to look for the remains of the 23-year-old Woods, who’d been missing since July 16. Woods was riding with his friend Justin McDonald when the boat’s steering jammed and Woods was pitched into the water.

Chorzewski, the owner of Boston Bathtub Resurfacing, had resumed snorkel diving just a week ago, after a 15-year break. But that past experience gave him a search plan.

“Everybody else looked right (south), so I looked left (north),” he said of the direction he took.

He swam “way out” – about 500 yards offshore – and scanned the sandy ocean floor down through the clear water. He’d just turned back in the direction of the shore when he spotted what looked like a body about 20 feet underwater.

Even though that’s what he was trying to find, “it was a shock,” he said.

He quickly surfaced, dropped his red and white “dive flag” and called for help to a nearby private boat. He waited in the water until the Marshfield harbormaster and then a State Police dive crew arrived.

When he told the private Hingham boat crew why he was there, they said, “So you know who that is?” Chorzewski said yes.

He stayed on the harbormaster’s boat for two hours before he was taken to shore. Word of his discovery had already reached divers and swimmers, so they applauded Chorzewski when he stepped from the boat.

“It could have been any of us,” he said of Woods’ accident. “That’s why the whole town was concerned.”

He hopes he gets the chance to offer his condolences in person to Woods’ parents, Brian and Leanne Woods. In the meantime, he’s still wearing a Zac Wood wristband he bought last week from a local surf shop.

On Sunday at approximately 4:45 p.m. police responded to a missing 31-year-old river rafter along Torch River, Saskatchewan.

The victim was travelling with a group of approximately 10 adults when witnesses observed the man diving into the river, however he did not resurface.

RCMP have completed a search of the area by land, water and air with negative results. However, the river is flowing at a high rate and the current is extremely strong.

The male subject is presumed to have drowned at this time and the incident is under investigation.

Torch River is approximately 280 km northeast of Saskatoon.

Richmond was the location for this year’s hotly contested National Mountain Bike Championships on what turned out to be an incredibly arduous course.

Nevertheless, Matlock Cycling Club members gained some impressive placings.

Arthur Green secured a silver medal in the juvenile category after putting in the performance of a lifetime. The Matlock Mercury Sports Award winner hammered his way around the tough course, making light work of the technical sessions and using his great form to power up the climbs.

He was in contention all the way round but Calum Magowan of Peebles CC just got the better of Green at the finish to take first place and the gold medal.

Green’s teammate Gregg Booker rode to an extremely impressive 11th place overall and was unlucky to be just nudged out of the top ten.

In the girl’s juvenile category, Matlock’s Sarah Lomas put in yet another strong performance in a National Championships. This time, Lomas finished in fifth place overall with Abergavenny Road Club’s Ffion James taking the win.

In the Junior Male category, local rider Matt Sumpton of CNP-Orbea Race Team took a well-deserved win and gold medal after fending off the challenge of Alex Baker, who pushed Sumpton all the way.

In the adult races, Matlock also had some fantastic placings with Derek Hunter finishing in the top ten of the Veteran Males. Paul Dalton finished 15th in the Grand Veteran Male category.

Great Longstone’s Annie Last capped off a great day for the local riders as she took the gold medal in the elite women’s category.

Meanwhile, Bolsover & District Cycling Club hosted a fun packed weekend of events at Hardwick Hall.

On Friday night, there was a nighttime Mountain Bike race in which Arthur Green took an eighth place overall, beating many adults in the process. The result was impressive and Green won the Youth race by a country mile.

Saturday night saw the riders tackle the closed road to Hardwick Hall as a timed Hill Climb.

Arthur’s father Chris Green rode to a win, beating many top riders in the process and setting a new course record.

The Greens’ success didn’t stop there as the father/son duo recorded a one-two in Matlock’s 10.4-mile Long Hilly time trial on Thursday with Chris Green coming out on top. He won in a time of 29 minutes and 31 seconds, exactly a minute faster than his son.

Carl Dyke set a season’s best time to finish in third place with a time of 31 minutes and 43 seconds.

Round two of the Matlock v Derby Mercury interclub time-trial was held on Tuesday on Derby Mercury’s 12.5-mile Long Lane Course.

Only five Matlock riders rode with Chris Green puncturing, so only four counted to the overall results.

Needless to say, Derby Mercury overhauled the deficit after the first round to take a convincing win.

The fastest rider on the night was once again James Tucker who riders for South Pennine. Second place went to Derby Mercury’s John Manning, with Leigh Fearn being Matlock’s fastest finished in third place.

The Seaver Institute has awarded the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB), School of Ocean & Earth

Science and Technology at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa $100,000 to fund comparative reef research at

multiple Pacific locations using advanced rebreather technology. This award and the new dive technology will

make it possible for researchers to study previously inaccessible sites.

“Coral reefs are among the most diverse and severely threatened ecosystems on Earth,” said Jo-Ann Leong,

director, HIMB. “To date reefs have been found up to a depth of at least 165 meters (m) in the Pacific, but

only the upper 30 m has been studied. These deeper reefs are largely unexplored because of the limits of

scuba technology, so the biodiversity of more than 80% of the depth range of coral-reef habitat remains

almost completely unknown. These rich coral habitats are emerging as a strong priority for management

agencies and conservation organizations.”

To learn more about these rich coral habitats, HIMB's research professor Brian Bowen and Richard Pyle,

associate zoologist, database coordinator, and diving safety officer for the Bishop Museum, are embarking on

a three-year study using advanced rebreather technology to discover, document and characterize deep coral

reefs at three locations across the Pacific Ocean. This study complements a pilot study currently underway

in Hawai‘i. These expeditions will allow researchers to record high-definition video, collect specimens for

new species documentation and various lab-based analyses, and estimate biodiversity levels.

“There are two urgent concerns about how these deep coral reefs serve coastal communities around the world,

” said Bowen. “First, they may be refuges that can replenish depleted fisheries and other resources in

shallow reefs. Second, because these reefs operate with about 1 percent of surface light, coastal pollution

that blocks sunlight may be lethal before we even know they exist.” Bowen concluded, “Funding from the

Seaver Institute will help us document this incredible trove of unknown biodiversity, and provide momentum

for research and conservation.”

Zeebaan has been supplying boutiques in Nairobi with deluxe leather bags. Their wares are sold at Adelphi in Yaya Centre and Sarit Centre and Blue Rhino in ABC Place, Village Market and the Junction. The owners of the label now feel it’s time to open their own shop.

“People like our products and they will come and see what we have,” says Yonatan Kesete, the managing director.
The past four years was spent building a workshop near Yaya Centre.

The change in business strategy, say Kesete and Merry Berhe Woldelibanos, the head of design, is aimed at better marketing as well as to allow the company to respond faster to customer demands.

Born in Ethiopia, the two met in Nairobi and in 2007 started Zeebaan; which means ‘be on top’ in the Eritrean Tigrina language.
The firm has come up with unique designs using quality leather with a touch of African and Western styles. According to its Web site, their designs “reflect the blue of the sky, the rich reds of the earth, the yellow ochres of the desert, the gold colour of the bush, and the coral of the sea”.

The bags are lined with bright African textiles; kitenge, kanga and kikoy. They also recycle beads, old tyres for soles as well as horns which are used for decorations.

“We want to give you something you will always talk about,” says Kesete of the products.

Selling ladies handbags between Sh5,000 to Sh9,000, the label has grown through word of mouth and exhibiting at crafts fairs like Soko Soko, Eco-Fair and Bizare Bazaar. Zeeban’s product range has also grown to include belts, sandals, wallets, sunglass pouches and jewellery.

Ms Woldelibanos chose to design and make leather bags to stand out from the large number of clothing designers already in the market. She also considered the availability of second-hand clothes (mitumba) and competition from the mass-produced clothes from the Far East.

Furthermore, Kenyans buy designer clothes only for special occasions, unlike bags which are an essential everyday accessory for women.