Another potentially life baring planet discovered

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/9230801/Astronomers-find-new-planet-capable-of-supporting-life.html

Annual Air Show

The date for the Legacy Flight Museum’s annual air show has been announced.  June 16, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.  Admission is free; the show is sponsored by several local businesses.  Schedule ahead and put it on your calendars now.

A Cappella Art

April 26 and 27 “Germany’s most successful a cappella export” will be performing in the Barrus Concert Hall at BYU-Idaho.

The group, vocaldente, is made up of one countertenor, Christopher Grasse; two tenors, Tobias (Tobek) Kiel and Jakob Buch; one baritone, Johannes (Johnny) Gruber, and one bass, Tobias (Tobi) Pasternack. Tenors generally sing the lead while countertenors sing the higher melodies, the baritone the lower melodies, and the bass provides rhythm.  With two tenors they are able to switch off on the lead to provide more variety in performance.  They are strictly acoustic, no microphones or amplifiers are used in performances, and their repertoire is extensive “covering pop and rock music from the past eight decades” as well as original compositions.   All of vocaldente’s songs are arranged by members of the group.

Controversy and Environmental Protection

by Allison Jones

Since the beginning of the environmental movement there has been controversy in what and how to protect and preserve nature and environmental quality.  

The Federalist No. 4

by Allison Jones

In the last paper, John Jay addressed safety from just foreign force.  7 November 1787, he continues the topic only focusing on unjust force.

He claims that one government would provide more safety to the citizens against opportunistic wars instigated by other nations.  “It is too true, however disgraceful it may be to human nature, that nations in general will make war whenever they have a prospect of getting any thing [sic] by it”.   This seems rather self-evident, humans are like this individually and they are like this when they congregate as well.  It is why altruism is remarked upon.

The Federalist No. 3

by Allison Jones

In this letter, written 3 November 1787, John Jay focused on the country being safer with a strong federal government than if the states remained separate or in loose confederations.

“At present I mean only to consider it as it respects security for the preservation of peace and tranquility, as well against dangers from foreign arms and influence, as from dangers of the like kind arising from domestic causes.”

Cowboy Poetry Gathering in St. Anthony

April 15- 21 is cowboy poetry week.  Friday and Saturday, April 20-21, there is a cowboy poetry gathering at the Roxy Theater in Saint Anthony.  Poets will be reciting their works all day with occasional performances by western bands.  The morning is open to the public, but the evening show requires purchased tickets.

For those who are unfamiliar with it, cowboy poetry is generally traditional forms of rhyming verse, frequently in ballad form.  Romantic imagery is often employed, though cowboy poetry usually sticks close to realism.  The vocabulary employed is the vernacular common to cowboys and not formal English.  It grew out of cowboys entertaining themselves around a campfire while on the trail though some early popular works were composed by people who merely lived in the west.  And, just like every literary genre, there are some that write well and many that don’t.

Meet the Madison County Candidates- Press Release

April 17, 2012

Rexburg, IDAHO— Meet the Madison County Candidates Forum and Meet the State Legislative Candidates Forum. Open to the Public.

Come, Wednesday April 25, 2012 from 12-1 pm at the Rexburg Tabernacle 51 N Center, to meet the Madison County Candidates forum. Lunch will not be served at this forum.  Public is invited.

Come, Wednesday May 2, 2012 from 12-1 pm at the Rexburg Tabernacle 51 N Center, to meet the State Legislative Candidates forum. Lunch will not be served at this forum.  Public is invited.

For further questions, contact the Rexburg Area Chamber of Commerce - 356-5700.

Donna L. Benfield
Executive Director
Rexburg Area Chamber of Commerce

REXBURG’S 2nd Annual BUSINESS COMMUNITY CLEAN-UP

Thursday, April 26-5-7p.m.-Meet at Wolfe’s Lighting and Accents Parking Lot-5p.m.
Friday, April 27-5-7p.m.-Meet at Commercial Tire Parking Lot 5 p.m.

Sponsored by Wal-Mart
And the Rexburg Area Chamber of Commerce

Areas to be worked: 2^nd East from Great Scott’s to Main St.
Main Street from 3^rd West to 2^nd East

Please join us for a community wide effort to do a Spring Clean Up of our local shopping area led by Wal-Mart associates and the Rexburg Area Chamber of Commerce. 

We are able to offer two options for convenience for you, your family, and service groups. You can work 2 hours on either day or both or whatever works for your schedule.

We will have supplies needed, but you may want to bring gloves. Please join us and help make our community, “America’s Family Community” as beautiful as it can be. We need you and we are asking you to give us a hand! YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Media Contacts: Donna Benfield 356-5700
Ex. Director, Rexburg Area Chamber of Commerce

Brad Wolfe-356-4552
President-Rexburg Area Chamber of Commerce

For questions or large groups, please call 356-5700 and ask for Donna.

AMERICAN BUS ASSOCIATION NAMES THE IDAHO INTERNATIONAL DANCE AND MUSIC FESTIVAL ONE OF NORTH AMERICA’S 100 BEST EVENTS FOR 2012

The Event is a Ticket to Fun and to Critical Group Tourism Dollars

Rexburg, Idaho, March 28, 2012 – The American Bus Association (ABA) has announced that the Idaho International Dance and Music Festival, to be held July 25^th – August 4^th, has been designated as one of the Top 100 Events in North America for 2012 by an expert tourism industry selection committee. Inclusion in the Top 100 list, published as a supplement to the September/October issue of Destinations magazine, indicates that the Idaho International Dance and Music Festival offers excellent entertainment value to both tour groups and individual travelers from around the world, according to the ABA.

With the release of the American Bus Association’s 2012 Top 100 Event in North America, ABA celebrates 30 years of the Top 100 Events program.  What began as a way for motor coach operators to incorporate new product into their itineraries has grown to one of the most sought-after lists by travel professionals, motor coach operators, and the general public.

“The attractiveness of the Idaho International Dance and Music Festival as a don’t-miss entertainment event is only part of why its selection this year is such a distinction for Southeast Idaho,” said Peter J. Pantuso, CTIS, ABA’s president and CEO.  “The real news here is that the Idaho International Dance and Music Festival has been recognized as a potential magnet for tourism dollars, at a time when reenergizing domestic tourism is so important to our spirit and our economy.  The honor gives Southeast Idaho an important boost in visibility among professional tour planners.”

According to studies completed by researchers at The George Washington University and Dunham and Associates, one overnight visit by a motor coach group can leave US $5,000 to more than US $11,000 in a local destination’s economy.  Those dollars are spent on lodging, meals, admissions, fees, shopping, souvenirs, services, and local taxes.

“Motor coach groups spend more and stay longer,” Pantuso said.  “That’s why the Idaho International Dance and Music Festival is truly a local economic asset.  There is no better way to jump-start tourism than to attract motor coach groups to a great event and convince them to extend their stay.”

ABA’s 2012 Top 100 Event Selection Committee selected the Idaho International Dance and Music Festival from hundreds of event nominations submitted by ABA members.  Judges considered the event’s broad appeal, its accessibility to motor coaches and skill at handling large groups, as well as a variety of other relevant criteria.

The Top 100 Events list is available online at http://www.buses.org/News-Publications/Top-100

Earth-like Exosolar Planets

By Allison Jones

People have wondered about other stars hosting planets for centuries.  And speculation about potential extraterrestrial life on those theoretical planets is prevalent.  Part of this is just human curiosity, but we can also learn from the search for and study of discovered planets.

The first time a planet was discovered around another star, Gamina Cephei, was 1988, though it wasn’t confirmed until 2003.  By then other planets had been confirmed around other stars.  As of February 14, 2012, 760 exosolar planets have been confirmed; 609 of them are in planetary systems, and 100 of those are multiple planet systems.  About 39 of those planets were confirmed in the last two months.

This explosion of discovery has occurred because instruments have become more sensitive allowing smaller planets to be found as well as more detection methods used.  Recently earth-like planets have been discovered orbiting in the habitable zone of their parent stars.  Earth-like means that the planet has a similar mass to Earth.  The habitable zone is the area around a star where it is possible for liquid water to exist.  

In the beginning the only planets astronomers could measure the presence of were large gas giants in very close orbit around their parent star.  Now some planets smaller than the Earth have been discovered around distant stars.  While most planets discovered orbit their stars closer than Mercury orbits our sun, some scientists estimate that 1/3 of sun-like stars may have terrestrial planets in the habitable zone.

These discoveries are exciting for many people, but why should we spend resources finding out about places so far removed from us?  Beyond the drive to explore and understand the universe, we learn things that can be applied at home on Earth.  

The more we learn about other places, the better we understand our own planet.  It was discoveries about Venus’ atmosphere that clued scientists into the properties of greenhouse gasses and what effect they can have on climate.  If we find evidence of life originating elsewhere, we will have a better understanding of what conditions life requires and how things work and have developed in our own biosphere.

Other worlds

Sun-like star with 9 planets
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/life-unbounded/2012/04/10/a-star-with-nine-planets-maybe-more/

The Federalist No. 2

by Allison Jones

 

In the second letter to the people of New York, John Jay wrote about the importance of the union of the states under one government.  It was published 31 October 1787, just three days after the first was published. 

“Nothing is more certain than the indispensable necessity of Government, and it is equally undeniable, that whenever and however it is instituted, the people must cede to it some of their natural rights, in order to vest it with requisite powers.”

Jay writes that Providence, or rather the will of God, arranged things in favor of union.  There were no significant geographical boundaries between the states and that travel and communication were easily possible.  The second proof was that all of the states had a common origin in English colonists and thus shared a common culture.  There was no reason for the people to be entirely separate.

            Another reason was that the people had originally created the Articles of Confederation to unite the states because they saw the benefit of union.  The Constitution was merely the representatives of the states trying to preserve the union that the people had already decided that they wanted.

            Jay is of the opinion that American greatness is dependent on the union of the states.

            Of more interest today, Jay’s letter shows what sort of people we should be electing to Congress.  Trustworthy and dispassionately rational men are needed to weigh the issues for the nation.  He calls for “sedate and candid consideration”.  Jay describes the elected officials as “wise and experienced men” that “were individually interested in the public liberty and prosperity, and therefore that it was not less their inclination, than their duty, to recommend only such measures, as after the most mature deliberation they really thought prudent and adviseable [sic].”

            Following that description, it would be more important to vote in those you trust to carefully consider all the issues instead of those you agree with on all issues.