Kent golfers urged to take up drive challenge
11:49am Tuesday 26th June 2012 in Sport
BIRCHWOOD Park golf centre in Dartford will play host to Kent’s long drive challenge early next month.
Golfers from across the county are being invited to test their skills and attempt to hit the longest drive on the driving range at the public pay-and-play centre during a special event on July 4.
The long drive challenge will be held from 3pm to 7pm on the 41-bay covered and floodlit driving range, with the longest hitter winning a dozen brand new Nike 20XI golf balls.
Drive distances measured using Birchwood Park’s state-of-the-art ball flight monitors.
As well as testing their skills for prizes those attending will also be able to sample the latest products available from leading golf manufacturers.
Birchwood Park general manager Graham Rolland said: “This is a great opportunity for the golfers of Kent to test their mettle and see who really is the biggest hitter around, while also trying out some of the latest golf equipment available on the market.
“We are calling on all golfers, whether they are regular players at Birchwood Park or not, to come down and give it a go and sample our facilities.”
For more information, call head PGA professional Stephen Lee on 01322 662038 or visit birchwoodparkgc.co.uk
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Source: www.newsshopper.co.uk
One of first gay couples to get married in New York set to be first to get divorced - Daily Mail
By Leon Watson
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They were at the forefront of an historic change in New York's marriage law.
But a year on from being one of the city's first gay couples to tie the knot, Katie Marks and Dese'Rae Stage have split.
The pair, both 28, had been together since 2008 and were planning to have their big day in Boston this year.
Split: Katie Marks and Dese'Rae Stage, from Brooklyn, were one of the first gay couples to get married in New York
Yet when New York, the sixth state to allow gay marriages, passed the Marriage Equality Act on June 24 last year they decided to bring it forward in their home city.
'It was kind of one of those things, to be a part of history,' Dese'Rae told The Atlantic Wire.
On July 30, the first Saturday that gay marriages could be performed in New York City, Katie and Dese'Rae joined 23 other couples at the Pop Up Chapel, a one-day wedding event in Central Park, as part of New York City's first wave of legally married gay couples.
Katie and Dese'Rae had gone to middle school and high school together, but went their separate ways before reconnecting on MySpace in 2008.
They picked up their marriage licences at the City Clerk's Office in downtown Manhattan on the day gay marriage became legal.
The on the Saturday, Katie wore a magenta dress and Dese'Rae skinny jeans and pink Chuck Taylors.
Katie and Dese'Rae had gone to middle school and high school together before getting together in 2008
Problems in their marriage started in January and they went their separate ways
After the wedding, Des wrote on her blog, in a post titled 'We Did It!'.
By January, things had started to go wrong. Dese'Rae and Katie have since separated and moved out of their Washington Heights apartment.
They're now one of the first married gay couples - if not the very first - in New York to divorce.
'I feel like I'm the president of the loneliest club in the world,' Dese'Rae said. 'I was the first gay person in my group of friends to marry, and now I'm the only gay divorce I know.'
The pair got married on July 30, the first Saturday that gay marriages could be performed in New York City
Bex Schwartz, one of the Pop Up Chapel's organisers, said: 'Of course, the news made us sad, but as ministers who perform weddings, marriage equality means marriage is marriage. Unfortunately, the other side is divorce is divorce.'
Figures quoted in The Atlantic Wire show, nearly half of U.S. marriages - both same sex and different sex - end in divorce.
Research by the Williams Institute's Lee Badgett and Jody Herman from November 2011 found: 'In the U.S., over 140,000 same-sex couples have formalised their relationship under state law and nearly 50,000 have married.
'The data shows that same-sex couples marry at much higher rates than they enter civil unions or other legal statuses… When a state allows marriage for same-sex couples, over 60 per cent of those who marry come from other states.'
Their research found that on average the annual divorce rate for same-sex couples is similar to, though slightly lower than, the rate for different-sex couples.
About 1.1 per cent of same-sex couples in legal unions end their relationship, they found, while about 2 per cent of married different-sex couples divorce.
Raoul Felder, a New York divorce lawyer who has handled numerous high-profile breakups including Rudy Giuliani's split from his wife of 18 years, said: 'We have 34 [gay divorce] cases right now in the office, compared to 150 [heterosexual] divorce cases.'
The six states that allow same-sex marriage are Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, and Vermont, plus the District of Columbia.
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
7-alarm Kent Island brush fire consumes acres of forest - msnbc.com
After a hard-fought battle, firefighters on the Eastern Shore said Monday that they finally have a seven-alarm brush fire under control.
The fire began around 6 a.m. Sunday in Stevensville on Kent Island, Queen Anne's County, and continued to build throughout the day before it consumed 50 acres of forest, according to fire officials.
A military helicopter made water drops on the fire, and the forestry service cut paths to direct the flames.
About 50 residents had to evacuate their homes.
"They came to our house. They came to all the houses around here and asked us all to evacuate because the fire was moving this way," resident Lou Raszewski said.
Fire officials said the fire came within 50 feet of the Raszewski's street.
"We thought it was pretty serious because you could see the smoke was getting quite heavy. There was ash falling out of the air, and we just didn't want to mess with it," Raszewski said.
Resident Tim Wells said he and his wife left their home when he walked outside and saw smoke and falling ashes. He said they grabbed their dogs, pictures and insurance papers on their way out. A shelter was set up at Kent Island Elks Lodge.
Firefighters said fighting the blaze was exhausting.
"It was hot. It was coming out quick, and we had it contained mostly 90 percent of the way, and they had the helicopters come down and drop what they call water bombs. It's like 300 gallons of water they dropped down," volunteer firefighter Tyler Elzey said.
"It was kind of a small, slow creeping fire. As the day progressed and lower humidity came up, the fire grew up to 48 acres," said Chip Broadwater of the Maryland Fire Service.
There were still some hot spots in the area that were on fire Monday.
"The more it burns freely, the more smoke you have. ... So we're here. We're watching it and we're keeping it in check," Broadwater said.
The Forest Service carved out dirt roads, or fire breaks, to keep the fire from spreading.
"The fire breaks that we put in, we use mineral soil. That way you have fire on one side. It stops at the dirt road," Broadwater said.
None of the homes in the way of the fire were damaged and no injuries were reported.
Although investigators believe the fire may have started with lightning or carelessness with fireworks, the cause remains under investigation.
Source: www.msnbc.msn.com
Footballer Mark McCammon takes Gillingham FC racism claim to tribunal - BBC News
A black footballer has claimed he was dismissed by his football club after it racially discriminated against him.
Mark McCammon, 33, claims Gillingham FC refused him treatment for an injury, docked his wages, and fined him for not turning up during heavy snow.
At the start of his employment tribunal in Ashford, Kent, he alleged he and other black players at the club were treated differently from white players.
The League Two club has rejected the allegations.
In his witness statement, the striker alleged the club tried to "frustrate him out" by refusing to pay private medical bills to help him regain his fitness following injury when he still had eight months left on his contract.
Three-year contractHe said he was instead offered the choice of undergoing the same operation on the NHS rather than privately, which was "completely out of character" for a Football League club.
“Start Quote
End Quote Paul Scally Gillingham FC chairmanMcCammon's actions were highly inappropriate, disrespectful and not what we expected from a professional footballer”
The former Charlton, Swindon, Millwall and Brighton player said: "The way the chairman approached the matter was that he saw my injury as a way to get rid of any financial obligations such as my wages he might have as a result of my contract."
He also claimed he and two other black players were ordered to come into the ground amid "treacherous", snowy driving conditions otherwise their wages would be docked, while some white players were told they were not required.
It resulted in a confrontation with manager Andy Hessenthaler, who Mr McCammon claimed lost his temper with him after he had accused him of being "racially intolerant" over the decision to order them in.
Mr McCammon was subsequently ordered to attend a disciplinary hearing and later received a letter saying he was dismissed for aggressive conduct towards the manager and racism, it is claimed.
'Aggressive manner'In a statement to the tribunal, Gillingham FC chairman Paul Scally said Mr McCammon had been "aggressive, physically and verbally, after he confronted Hessenthaler in his room".
"All of us felt that [Mr McCammon's] actions were highly inappropriate, disrespectful and not what we expected from a professional footballer.
"You just cannot barge into a manager's room and act in a highly aggressive manner to the extent that witnesses believed that [Mr McCammon] was going to hit the manager."
The Barbados international striker signed a three-year contract with Gillingham in 2008, and was released three seasons later.
He claimed that after leaving the club, Gillingham FC tried to sabotage his career and "were effectively campaigning covertly against me".
Mr McCammon is suing the club and chairman Paul Scally for race discrimination, breach of contract, unfair dismissal and failure of his ex-employer to pay him.
The case is expected to last four days.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Kim Kardashian's Divorce Gets Nasty - ABC News
Elizabeth Travis, country singer Randy Travis' ex-wife and former manager, has asked a judge to throw out her ex-husband's lawsuit in which he claims she breached her contract and ruined his career.
Elizabeth Travis insists her former husband's "intentional interfering" with her job undermined "the effectiveness of his career in the entertainment industry," according to TMZ.
The couple divorced in 2010. Elizabeth Travis, or "Lib" as she's known, sued Travis last April, claiming he "intentionally interfered with" her role as his manager. She was married to Travis for 19 years and managed him for 30, until, she claims, the singer and his attorneys terminated her contract without any written notice. She says her ex "had a large truck, an armed guard and several other men" haul computers, documents and memorabilia from her Nashville office.
Travis, 52, shot back with a lawsuit of his own, claiming his ex-wife breached her contract by spilling "personal details" about him in a plot to ruin his career, according to TMZ. He also claims that his wife tried to cheat him out of his money by inflating her travel reimbursement requests. He wants a judge to block her request to be paid back management fees. She is also seeking damages for lost earnings.
The "Forever and Ever, Amen" singer has had his share of troubles lately. In February, he was arrested outside a church in Sanger, Texas, for public intoxication. He later apologized for what he said resulted from an evening of celebrating the Super Bowl.
Source: abcnews.go.com
Divorce attorneys really like Facebook - Winnipeg Free Press
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THE Wall Street Journal's blog Smart Money reported that although founder Mark Zuckerberg recently took the leap into marriage, Facebook is itself is prompting many divorces around the world, and justices are getting wise, and using evidence on Facebook during divorce hearings.
Smart Money said more than a third of divorce filings in the U.K. last year contained the word Facebook, according to a survey by Divorce Online, a U.K.-based legal services firm. And over 80 per cent of U.S. divorce attorneys say they've seen a rise in the number of cases using social networking, according to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
Gary Traystman, a divorce attorney in New London, Conn., told Smart Money that of the 15 cases he handles per year where computer history, texts and emails are admitted as evidence, 60 per cent exclusively involve Facebook.
"Affairs happen with a lightning speed on Facebook," says K. Jason Krafsky, who wrote the book Facebook and Your Marriage with his wife Kelli. In the real world, he says, office romances and out-of-town trysts can take months or even years to develop. "On Facebook," he says, "they happen in just a few clicks." The social network is different from most social networks or dating sites in that it both reconnects old flames and allows people to "friend" someone they only may have met once in passing. "It puts temptation in the path of people who would never in a million years risk having an affair," he says.
Even when extra-marital affairs develop with no help from Facebook, experts say the site provides a deceptively comfortable forum for people to let off steam about their lives and inadvertently arouse the suspicions of spouses. "The difference with Facebook is it feels safe, innocent and private," says Randy Kessler, an Atlanta, Ga.-based lawyer and current chair of the family law section of the American Bar Association. "People put an enormous amount of incriminating stuff out there voluntarily." It could be something as innocuous as a check-in at a restaurant, he says, or a photograph posted online.
Courts are increasingly examining Facebook for evidence, also, the blog reported.
Last year, a superior district court judge in Connecticut ordered a divorcing couple to hand over the passwords of their respective Facebook accounts to the other's lawyers.
-- McClatchy Tribune News Service
Source: www.winnipegfreepress.com
Federation of Small Businesses gets behind quicker broadband bid - thisiskent.co.uk
THE Federation of Small Businesses has thrown its weight behind the drive to bring superfast broadband to Kent.
Branch chairman for Kent and Medway Roger House has urged people to sign up to the Make Kent Quicker campaign and secure internet speeds of up to 20 mega-bytes per seconds for 90 per cent of properties.
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support: Roger House says businesses need faster broadband
His call follows the publication of the federation's latest survey that found six out of ten firms in rural locations were still suffering from a snail-paced service.
In Kent, just 14 per cent of federation members said they were satisfied with their broadband.
Mr House said: "It shouldn't matter where a business is located.
"With the technology we have today, all firms should be able to trade overseas, throughout the UK and from town to village.
"With both urban and rural businesses looking to the internet to expand, it is imperative the Government takes action to close the digital divide and roll out superfast broadband to rural areas by 2015."
Mr House argued efficient broadband would help small businesses grow, improve competitiveness and ultimately allow them to take on more staff.
He added: "It is also vital for businesses to be able to access and complete Government services, such as applications for funding, business rates and tax returns, which have all been put online."
The federation is the latest group to add its name to Kent County Council's Make Kent Quicker campaign.
It was launched in February by former cabinet member for business development Councillor Kevin Lynes to demonstrate to internet providers that demand for the service exists.
The Courier came on board following the death of Mr Lynes in March, to help raise awareness and provide a lasting legacy for the popular member for Tunbridge Wells East.
So far nearly 13,000 people have pledged their support.
As well as bringing superfast speeds to 90 per cent of properties, the campaign also aims ensure the remaining 10 per cent in the most hard-to-reach places will receive speeds of at least 2mbs.
The council is prepared to spend £10 million towards the cost of upgrading the network in Kent, which the Government has promised to supplement with a further £20 million.
The remainder of the cost involved would be met by whichever company agrees to carry out the work.
Mr House added: "We would encourage all businesses in Kent to add their support."
Source: www.thisiskent.co.uk
YOUR MONEY-Divorce mistakes you can make by being too nice - Reuters
By Geoff Williams
June 26 (Reuters) - Five years ago, Devon and Emily Reese decided to divorce. There wasn't much discussion about saving their 10-year-old marriage: Devon had just come out of the closet.
It was a tumultuous time, but the Reeses, who live in Reno, Nevada, and have three children, went along with the conventional wisdom that it's best to end a marriage as amicably as possible. As Devon says, "When you get on the other side of the divorce, you're still going to parent-teacher conferences together."
So when Devon, an attorney, lost his job after their breakup, and bankruptcy and a foreclosure followed, he suggested they file for divorce only after he found new employment. That way, Emily would be entitled to far more money in alimony and child support.
Emily compromised as well. In 2009, when their divorce was official, instead of taking alimony ($1,245 a month) for the five years that Nevada law allowed, she accepted three, which meant giving up almost $30,000 over two years. She agreed because she planned to finish her master's degree within three years, so she could get a job teaching English at a local college.
She didn't plan for colon cancer.
Her illness sidelined her education and ability to earn money for a year. If Devon had wanted to be rigid about their settlement, she would have found herself in a heap of financial trouble, living off $2,000 a month in child support and trying to pay $1,325 in monthly rent. Emily says, "I would have been screwed."
The Reeses' story underscores a common dilemma. Even in an amicable divorce, financial mistakes can be made by either or both parties. In fact, experts say financial mistakes often occur precisely because both parties are trying to be friendly. "The undercurrent of being amicable masks the cold reality that your spouse is not in the position to protect or promote your interests," says John Mayoue, an attorney who has represented high-profile clients including Jane Fonda and Marianne Gingrich.
"People seeking amicable divorces often come into these very naive," says Mayoue, the author of several books about divorce with titles like "Protecting Your Assets from a Georgia Divorce."
Many divorcing couples make poor financial decisions because they don't want to rock the boat, say experts, and they gloss over details, only to be tripped up later. So if you're striving for an amicable ending, here are some common financial mistakes divorcing couples tend to make.
KEEPING THE HOUSE
Even in the current housing market, it may not be the best idea. "I see that a lot, wives staying in the family home for the good of the children," says Laurie Blazek, a certified divorce financial analyst based in Chicago. "They'll take that asset and give up cash or liquid assets in exchange for equity, but nobody's looked at the numbers to see if they can afford to stay in the home."
NOT HAVING THE ENTIRE FINANCIAL PICTURE
For instance, who gets to deduct the children when the couple files their taxes separately? "The number one thing I see is that people don't get adequately informed regarding their financial family's worth," Mayoue says.
Sometimes that's due to fear. Spouses hesitate to ask their once significant other for paperwork on retirement accounts or estate planning documents. "They're afraid they might upset them if we ask them to prove what they're saying," says Mayoue.
NOT GETTING PROFESSIONAL HELP
Since you're doing everything amicably, why bring in the attorneys who are going to muck it all up? But Erica Gongloff, an early-childhood educator in East Calais, Vermont, saw the benefits of having a neutral third party decide how much child support she should receive from her soon-to-be ex-husband, Adam Piche, a veterinary technician in Essex, Vermont. She and Piche, who have two children together, separated in 2004 and divorced in 2006.
During their separation, Gongloff went with a "he pays me what he can pay me" attitude, because she wanted their relationship to be as argument-free as possible. But that made getting by a challenge.
Vermont's Office of Child Support (OCS) worked it out for them. "It was a formula, and it came out of his paycheck," Gongloff says, "and it relieved us from having to argue about it."
While there is a lot of information on the Internet aimed at helping divorced couples decipher their finances - the Internal Revenue Services has a lot of helpful publications on divorce and taxes - there may be issues with IRAs, 401Ks, stocks and capital gains that can be challenging to comprehend.
As Blazek says, "You don't want to make a mistake you can't reverse."
BE CAREFUL WHO YOU BRING IN FOR HELP
"Make it clear to the lawyer that the lawyer works for you," says Mayoue. "You'll listen to and respect the advice, but you aren't going to go down the path of scorched earth and literally prohibit them from doing so." He adds that it can be a difficult conversation to have with a professional, "but I think it's a necessary one if you want a friendly divorce."
STAY NICE IN SPIRIT, BUT WITH OPEN EYES
Emily Reese was fortunate. When she was sick from chemotherapy, Devon took the kids for several months and could have reduced child support for his ex-wife. He didn't, and even though he isn't legally obligated, Devon is extending the alimony time frame until his wife finishes her master's degree and gets a job, which will probably be another year. The cost to him will likely be $15,000 more than he originally agreed upon.
The two recently started a blog together about being on the same side after divorce and have an easy rapport, although it wasn't always that way.
"I had some anger to work through first," says Emily.
But they discussed their finances and still do, which is the model behavior for divorcing couples, says Howard Markman, a psychology professor and co-director of the Center for Marital and Family Studies at the University of Denver.
"Too many couples don't express as clearly as they can to each other how they feel about their financial situations. But it can be a double-edged sword," he says. "Money is the biggest thing that couples fight about in the first place."
Source: www.reuters.com
Gen Next women want to get settled early - New Kerala
Kolkata, June 26 : A study by matrimonial site Jeevansathi.com reveals that women are keen to get married before they reach the age of 25.
Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat witness the highest percentage of marriages of girls under the age of 25. 64pc of girls in Kerala, 54pc of girls in Gujarat and 53pc of girls in Andhra Pradesh get married before they turn 25.
Although the above mentioned states take the lead, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have also witnessed an increase in the girls opting for early marriages.
On the flip side if one looks at maximum under 25 marriages for men, then Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana take the lead.
Commenting on the findings of the study, Rohit Manghnani, Business Head at Jeevansathi.com, said, While its a common belief that women today are comfortable with late marriages the survey shows that most young ladies wish to get married before reaching the age of 25.
"This could be due to various socio-economic factors and also due to a personal need for companionship.
A look at the above table clearly shows that the last two years has seen a shift in the age of marriage.
Almost all states show more than 10pc increase in girls getting married under the age of 25. Tamil Nadu especially has taken a lead with 19pc increase in under 25 marriages over the last two years.
While some of this may be due to cultural factors, it may also be attributed to early employment opportunities or lack of them in some states as well. (IBNS)
Source: www.newkerala.com
Kent Spitfires set for capacity crowd and Sky TV cameras - Kent News
Kent Spitfires
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
9:20 AM
T20 match against Middlesex Panthers tonight
Big crowds, the TV cameras and big expectations will ride into the St Lawrence tonight as the Kent Spitfires look to claw the Middlesex Panthers in pursuit of reaching the knock-out stages of the Friends Life t20 tournament.
With the weater forecast promising dry weather for the rest of the day, the club is expecting a big turn-out for a season which has so far been dogged by the miserable British summer.
The Spitfires know a win should be enough to get them back into one of the top two positions, after a disappointing defeat to Hampshire on Sunday at home.
The match starts at 7.10pm.
But for those getting to the ground earlier, they will be treated to international action as England’s women face India in the NatWest International T20 series. The match gets under way at 3.10pm. Tickets gain spectators entry to both games.
Source: www.kentnews.co.uk
Yay. Now everyone can have a divorce equally. Marriage isn't what it used to be and no one takes it seriously anymore.
- Odell, U.S., 26/6/2012 14:04
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