While overseas Frank Storch, Baltimore community leader, heard that a hurricane was approaching his hometown of Baltimore.

Baltimore Braces for Hurricane Sandy

“I got a call on Thursday saying there was a big storm happening. I said to myself, ‘I have to be back in Baltimore,’” said Storch.

Despite having to spend an extra $2,000 to change his flight plans, Storch and his wife returned to the US on Sunday, ready to chip in however necessary to help his neighbors and friends in Baltimore.

“I got back,” he said, “and I spent the next several hours going to every Home Depot and drug store to get batteries and flashlights.”

From his home Storch distributed the flashlights and batteries to about 500 people who came to his door on Sunday night, and several hundred more on Monday night, until there were no more remaining.

Luckily the Baltimore community was not hit as hard by Sandy as other parts of the East Coast like New Jersey and New York.  Realizing that he could help people in dire need in the New York area, Storch sprang into action. On Wednesday evening, after hearing that there were still many people in the New York area without electricity, water and other basics, Storch tracked down five truckloads of supplies including 120 generators, and drove them to Far Rockaway, an area devastated by the violent storm. In coordination with the community rescue group Hatzalah of Far Rockaway,  Storch arrived in the Queens neighborhood and began distribution of supplies.

“You get there and you do it. You just get the job done,” Storch said.

“It is really a heartwarming story,” he said, noting the reaction of the residents when he arrived who would be able to have at least some relief from the pressures inflicted on them by Sandy. “It was just so beautiful.”

Storch also had to coordinate his actions with the Community Emergency Response Team, CERT. Without their permission Storch and his crew would not have been able to enter the area. Even with their caravan of trucks and van, they were only allowed to enter because Far Rockaway was considered “bad, but not dangerous.” Thanks to Frank Storch’s initiative and the help of all those he recruited to help him, the effects of Hurricane Sandy were to some extent mitigated.

Joy Lim Nakrin

There are hundreds of nominees for the 2012 Upper Midwest Emmy® Gala to be held on September 29. Three of them spotlighted below are: Alix Kendall, Anchor at Fox 9 Buzz – KMSP-TV; Sven Sundgaard, Meteorologist at KARE 11 Sunrise – KARE-TV; and Joy Lim Nakrin, Anchor/Reporter KSTP-TV.

Alix Kendall has been the co-host of the FOX 9 Morning News since it began airing back in 1999. She began her media career in 1992 when she worked at KAAL-TV in Minnesota. In addition, she produces a monthly segment on traveling to “feed the soul” and works with Global Volunteers.

KARE 11 Sunrise meteorologist Sven Sundgaard has been part of its weather team since 2006 officially, but as an intern he was there some years earlier in 2002 while undertaking his degree in meteorology at St. Cloud State University. He also has the American Meteorological Society’s Seal of Approval. Other experience Sundgaard has had in the field was when he was Chief Meteorologist at KBJR-TV in Duluth-Superior for three years. From an early age he wanted to be a meteorologist.

Emmy-nominated Anchor/Reporter for KSTP-TV Joy Lim Nakrin has a Juris Doctorate from Duke University of School of Law, and is a member of both the American Bar Association and the Massachusetts Bar. She has been with KSTP-TV since 2010. Prior to that Nakrin was an anchor, reporter and producer with WTIC-TV in Connecticut. She also worked as an anchor/report at ESPN STAR Sports, and anchored a sportscast broadcast live in 24 countries surrounding Asia.

A dying breed has officially died in the Galapagos Islands. The world has just said goodbye to Lonesome George, believed to be the last of his sub-species. George has gained fame over the years as the world’s rarest creature, since there are no other known members of his species and he produced no offspring.

Lonesome George was first discovered by a Hungarian scientist in 1971. For the past fifteen years, he’s been living at a breeding center on the island of Santa Cruz, as scientists have attempted to help him to breed, but any eggs he’s produced with females there have been infertile.

He was found by his longtime keeper, Fausto Llerena, who was shocked to find his body, since tortoises can live to be 200 and he was only 100. The Galapagos National Park will have a post-mortem to discover the cause of his death.

And with his passage, the sub-species of Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni has become extinct. While this breed used to be plentiful on the island, they were hunted by humans to the point of extinction.

…Even If It Is An Urban Myth

On TAM Airlines a story has been told of a 50-something-year-old white lady who sat down next to a black man.  She was furious, so complained to the stewardess. “Can't you see?” she asked the stewardess, “I have been seated next to a black man. You need to change my seat,” she insisted.”  The stewardess tried to calm her down and told her the plane was full but she’d check if there were any extra seats.

She returned a few minutes later and told her, that she was indeed correct; there were no more seats in economy class, but there were seats in first class.  She added, “it is unusual for our company to allow a passenger from the economy class change to the first class. However, given the circumstances, the commandant thinks that it would be a scandal to make a passenger travel sat next to an unpleasant person.”

She then turned to the black man and said, “which means, Sir, if you would be so nice to pack your handbag, we have reserved you a seat in the first class…” All the passengers who were sitting nearby started applauding, with some of them even giving a standing ovation!

One might ask, what does Finland have in common with India and why would Finnair want to make such a fuss about celebrating India’s Republic Day?  Well, it all started when a Finnish employee of Finnair got in touch with an old colleague from India and started remembering the great culture of India and Bollywood.  A scheme was hatched and what resulted was the “Take-off to Bollywood” song and dance that passengers aboard a Finnair flight AY 021 Helsinki to Delhi enjoyed last week, January 26, marking India’s Republic Day.

Finnair Runway blog poster decided to make something of this – a Finnish-Indian (or Findian) joint endeavor through Finnair’s company slogan, “Designed for you.” The result was, those who were on the flight on that day, began it not with a speech about how to deal with gas masks should the need arise, but a beautiful, colorful song and dance by the stewardesses (some in full Indian attire) in celebration of India Day, Bollying around to send passengers (and thereafter YouTube viewers) a greeting on this special India day.

It seems that Valentine’s Day doesn’t have a thing on Christmas Day when it comes to romantically surprising the girl of your dreams and proposing.  According to an article in USA Today, Christmas 2011 was certainly the time to pop the question.  One guy said that it felt particularly appropriate because everyone’s in a good mood; there is lots of family around and it’s always nice to be near to those you love on this special, momentous occasion, so why not combine the two?

As well, according to NY professional proposal planner Sarah Pease, gets around one or two inquiries a week from grooms-to-be but from Thanksgiving it’s usually around one or two a day with most of them thinking about getting down on one knee from December onwards until the Christmas and New Year season.

It seems like people are still traditionalists at heart when it comes to romance and proposing, according to Pease.  People like doing the engagement-ring under the tree fanfare.  As well, diamond dealers see a huge jump in sales around this time.  There are also celebrity proposals around this time too – it certainly makes a great publicity stunt! 

So overall, December seems to be the month to get a wife.  Of the close to 40 percent of proposals that take place between November to February, 16 percent of these take place in December.