PETER BABAROVICH 1861-1935

PETER BABAROVICH 1861-1935

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My maternal grandfather Peter (Petar) Babarovich was born April 12, 1861 in the village of Splitska on the island of Brac in the Adriatic Sea. He died in Anacortes, Washington March 5, 1935. Peter was the second child Ernest Babarovich and his wife Louise Setelich. The family exported wine and olive oil which they grew in their vineyards and olive orchards. He married Marija Mattia Vulic) in 1888, who was also born in Splitska. Peter's wife, my grandmother, was born September…

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IDENTIFYING SINNERS & PUNISHING THEM BY DENYING COMMUNION

IDENTIFYING SINNERS & PUNISHING THEM BY DENYING COMMUNION

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Barbara Johnson was one of four children raised as Catholics and sent to Catholic schools. She had been in a committed relationship with another woman for 19 years when her elderly mother became ill. It was Barbara who was with her praying when her mother, Loetta Johnson, 85, died.The funeral mass was arranged at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Maryland. Before the funeral service was held Barbara introduced her lesbian partner to the priest, father Marcel Guarnizo. After the…

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THE MAN WHO SOLD THE EIFFEL TOWER – TWICE

THE MAN WHO SOLD THE EIFFEL TOWER – TWICE

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In 1925 France had  recovered from the war and Paris was booming. It was a perfect environment for a scam artist like Victor  Lustig (1890-1947) who became known as The man who sold the Eiffel Tower – twice. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Lustig  One day in May 1925 he saw an article in the newspaper that the city was having trouble paying for the cost of maintaining the Eiffel tower. He was inspired with a new scam. He had fake government stationary printed and…

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DELORES HART – FROM MOVIE STARLET TO CATHOLIC NUN

DELORES HART – FROM MOVIE STARLET TO CATHOLIC NUN

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One of the guests at next Sunday's Academy Awards will be a Benedictine nun. Fifty years ago she left a Hollywood movie career to join a cloistered convent. Dolores Hart, 73, is featured in an HBO documentary, God is the Bigger Elvis, which has been nominated for best documentary short category. It is scheduled to be shown on HBO in April 20 12th. The documentary covers her background involving being the star in dozens of Hollywood films and ending up…

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PUBLIC RADIO TO OFFER PROGRAM ABOUT THE PAUL SATKO STORY

PUBLIC RADIO TO OFFER PROGRAM ABOUT THE PAUL SATKO STORY

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In may of this year I wrote about the fascinating story of Paul Satko and his family going to Alaska on a home built boat during the depression. See https://paulluverajournalonline.com/weblog/2011/05/university-of-washington-tacoma-history-professor-michael-sullivan-called-me-about-something-that-happened-in-anacortes-bac.html  Professor Michael  Sullivan has been researching the story and publishing it for some time. He has just notified me that there will be a broadcast on public radio which I recommend you listen to. Professor Sullivan said: Hello Mr. Luvera. I hope those with an interest in the story of…

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CATHOLICS & THE RIGHT OF FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE

CATHOLICS & THE RIGHT OF FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE

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The issue of president Obama and the health and human services ruling on mandatory coverage for contraceptives has been in the news. My own view is that his position was a poor political one as evidenced by his decision to back off and compromise. It was also a flawed one because any government action which is perceived by many people as an infringement on their religiousliberty is a constitutional mistake.That is aside from the fact that survey’s show ninety five percent…

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AMERICA TODAY & THE DECLINE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE

AMERICA TODAY & THE DECLINE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE

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As we Americans view with concern the path our country seems to be taking and the resulting fallout on employment, jobs and the homeless, perhaps we might be able to learn from history. While not a perfectly accurate comparison, it is hard to ignore the history of the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. An empire which was such a glorious, wealthy and powerful one for many hundreds of years but, which ended with a whimper. How could that…

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AMERICA, THE LAND OF THE VERY RICH, THE NOT RICH AND THE POOR

AMERICA, THE LAND OF THE VERY RICH, THE NOT RICH AND THE POOR

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David Carroll Cochran has written a very proactive article, Plutocracy or Democracy? In the February 10th issue of Commonweal magazine http://www.commonwealmagazine.org/. What is plutocracy? Cochran says it is a system in which political influence is used to maximize the interests of the wealthy and powerful at the expense of the rest of society. It is a political corruption of the Golden rule – a society in which those with the Gold, rule. In the plutocratic scenario all costs and risks…

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FIFTY FOUR FORTY OR FIGHT!

FIFTY FOUR FORTY OR FIGHT!

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So, how's your Washington state history knowledge? Do you remember learning about "Fifty Four Forty or Fight" in school? The slogan comes from a boundary dispute in the 1840's between the U.S. and Great Britain involving an area including the modern states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and parts of Montana, Wyoming and even British Columbia- generally known as the Oregon territory. It referred to the latitude line of fifty four degrees and forty minutes North which the U.S. wanted as…

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WILLIAM TAYLOR 1922 -2002 COACH AND MENTOR

WILLIAM TAYLOR 1922 -2002 COACH AND MENTOR

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Today, January 24th, is the annversary of the death of a great coach and mentor to me, William Taylor. Many of us can point to one person or perhaps several people who played significant roles in our life. People who made the difference at a tipping point in our lives. Someone whose words or actions changed our attitude and the direction of our life for the better. For me, after my parents, it is a short list of those who…

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