Cartoon maze of a patient on a rollercoaster track to healthcare reform, without the rollercoaster car.
By Yonatan Frimer
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A senior Fatah leader said here on Thursday that the Israeli-Palestinians proximity talks did not yield any progress that meets previously set conditions.
The meeting between US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on Tuesday did not provide any good signs, Nabil Shaath, a Fatah Central Committee member, told reporters in Cairo after meeting with Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa.
Shaath and Moussa discussed the Middle East peace process and ways to achieve the Palestinian reconciliation and end the Israeli embargo imposed on the Gaza Strip since 2007.
"There has not been any progress through the indirect talks, and thus, a meeting (of the Arab Peace Initiative Follow-up Committee) requested by the Palestinian National Authority and was agreed to by Secretary-General of the Arab League, will take place soon," Shaath said, adding "that meeting will assess the whole situation and will make an Arab decision on the issue."
According to the Fatah leader, the Palestinian decision will be submitted to the Arab Peace Initiative Follow-up Committee's meeting scheduled for July 29, to coordinate a concerted Arab action.
A flotilla of nine vessels organized by pro-Palestinian activists is currently en route to Gaza carrying various goods. However, the total amount of supplies transported by the flotilla, 10,000 tons, is less than the weekly average amount of goods transferred by Israel into Gaza.
Private Israeli citizens organized a flotilla of their own to draw attention to the fact that Hamas continues to illegally hold abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. The Israeli flotilla is also calling attention to what they say is the poor treatment of minorities in Turkey, since some of the pro-Palestinian activists' vessels sailing to Gaza embarked from Turkey.
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Maze cartoon of a motorcycle lableled, "middle east" speeding down a road in the direction of war, and away from the direction of peace. Created by Yonatan Frimer
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Turkey’s provocative flotilla—often described in Orwellian terms as a humanitarian mission—has set in motion a flurry of diplomatic activity, but if the Iranians send escort vessels for the next round of Turkish ships, it could present a casus belli.
It is also instructive that Syria is playing a dangerous game with both missile deployment and rearming Hezbollah. According to most public accounts, Hezbollah is sitting on 40,000 long-, medium- and short-range missiles and Syrian territory has served as a conduit for military material from Iran since the end of the 2006 Lebanon War.
Should Syria move its own scuds to (Click here to read the full article)
NEW MILFORD -- On Monday, farmer Dean Schultz finished planting corn seeds that will eventually grow and be landscaped into a haunted corn maze.
Since it opened in 2000, the Larson's Farm Market corn maze has become a local tradition.
The corn maze may also be an integral part of saving Schultz's livelihood. He is hoping he can use agritourism, or bringing visitors to the farm, to sustain the business originally started by his grandfather.
Schultz sells sweet corn to a local farmers market and is getting ready to open his own produce stand in a couple of weeks, but his main focus is expanding the agritourism part of the business.
He plans to have two mazes next year and perhaps start a garden where people can pick their own produce.
Schultz tried to start a community supported agriculture program, commonly referred to as a CSA, at the beginning of the season to bring in income. In a CSA, community members buy shares of the crops before the season starts. In return, they are given part of the yield every week during the growing season.
Initial interest was strong, Schultz said. More than 300 people inquired about joining.
"But when it came time to sign on the dotted line, we didn't get enough of a response," Schultz said. Only 40 people made a commitment, so Schultz has had to scrap the CSA idea for now.
"I don't see how anyone could survive on crop sales alone," said Stephen Paproski, who owns the 100-acre Castle Hill Farm in Newtown. "A third of our income comes from agritourism."
Agritourism has been growing for the last 10 years and has become more popular in the past five years, said Jane Eckert, the president of St. Louis-based Eckert Agrimarketing.
Agritourism can include all types of activities, from pick-your-own crops to hunting, Eckert said.
"When people step into our personal properties, they're willing to pay for the experience," Eckert said. "There is a growing category of people who have their weddings or large group picnics on farms. Farms have large spaces that can accommodate large numbers of people."
Castle Hill Farm has a maze, a hay ride, a pumpkin patch and bonfires in the fall. Paproski is a third-generation farmer, but the first who has had to turn to agritourism to survive.
Schultz is also a third-generation farmer. His grandfather owned Larson's Farm, where New Milford High School was built. Schultz now leases land because it is too expensive to buy. He used to farm the cornfields on Junction Road in Brookfield, until that property was sold to the Steiner family for development.
He is hesitant to invest too much money in his current farm, out of fear it will be sold as well.
"This is my last shot, but if this piece goes I'm done for sure," Schultz said.
Contact Vinti Singh at vsingh@newstimes.com or 203-731-3331.
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