| Feasts offered at Miller's temple of fun aren't worth worshipping
SANDY - Once upon a time, Larry Miller, king of Jordan Commons, erected a grand temple of fun. An army of craftsmen constructed stucco facades, a faux tree that soared four stories high and a dramatic waterfall where Synutiks (see-new-teks, a fictional tribe) lived their lives of musical numbers and diving at precise 20-minute intervals.
But there was much instability in the land of Mayan Adventure. In the First and Second Kingdoms visitors rebelled against subpar cuisine served first to them at tables and then from a painfully inefficient buffet line. So, a remodel was ordered and the land was open again to visitors. Word came from afar that food and service had improved so much so that double dates and families with little boys and girls endured long waits.
With promises of dining and entertainment treasures, intrepid adults and a food-loving kid (you can read his impressions of the evening, right) ventured along with me.
Anger, Sadness Mark Katrina Anniversary
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- On the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, anger over the stalled rebuilding was palpable Wednesday throughout the city where the mourning for the dead and feeling of loss doesn't seem to subside.Hurricane Katrina made landfall south of New Orleans at 6:10 a.m. Aug. 29, 2005, as a strong Category 3 hurricane that flooded 80 percent of the city and killed more than 1,600 people in Louisiana and Mississippi. It was the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States.New Orleans churches staged memorial services, including one at the historic St. Louis Cathedral on Jackson Square, and ring bells in honor of the victims. People throughout the city will hold their own private ceremonies to remember where they were when Katrina hit, and what they lost."We ring the bells today for the 17, 1,800 people who have gone on to a better place," Mayor Ray Nagin said after large bell tolled a dozen times and a crowd wordlessly sounded handheld bells for more than a minute.
11th annual Taste of Carlsbad slated
CARLSBAD ---- Organizers of the Taste of Carlsbad, a fundraiser to benefit art programs in Carlsbad schools, are now selling tickets to the Sept. 22 event.The 11th annual event, organized by the Carlsbad Educational Foundation, offers culinary treats from 20 local restaurants including Fresco Trattoria & Bar, King's Fish House and Dario's. Tri-City Medical Center will also offer tastes from its menu. The event is scheduled from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and will be held on Armada Drive near the Museum of Making Music. Amateur and professional artists will be creating chalk art on the sidewalks as part of ArtSplash. .
Virginia Intermont College begins new school year nearing its $6 million fundraising goal
BRISTOL, Va. – A line of cars and SUVs snaked its way around the Virginia Intermont College campus early Friday, as freshmen students began moving in. Their welcoming committee included faculty members and upperclassmen, who unloaded boxes, bicycles and luggage, and directed traffic and answered questions – plenty of questions. Wide-eyed freshmen have been coming to VI’s Moore Street campus for 115 years but – in the wake of a spring and summer filled with financial uncertainty – Friday offered a sense of relief. "We’re almost back to business as usual, and business as usual never felt so good," instructor and faculty President Robert Rainwater said. Rainwater, who was present Friday while recovering from a broken back, said the faculty is especially "upbeat" now that students are returning to campus.
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