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Monday, April 23, 2012

Tom Tucker - Superintendent of Cabrillo National Monument Memorial Service



Today, Tom Tucker, former superintendent of Cabrillo National Monument was laid to rest.
His memorial service was simple, yet full of meaning, for it exemplified the way that Tom led his life. God, Country and Family.
Tom's passing closed another chapter in the relationship between the Cabrillo National Monument and the Portuguese Community in San Diego.
It was Tom Tucker's foresight that gave worldwide projection to the Portuguese explorer at the service of Spain, Juan Rodrigues, Cabrillo, first European to set foot on what is now the shores of the Western United States.
Under his leadership, along with the late Mary R. Giglitto, the perfect team, Cabrillo Festival, gained international recognition, making it the premier history festival in the United Sates.
My first contact with Tom was in late 1974, during the Cabrillo Festival when I was introduced to him by Mary R. Giglitto and Paulo Goulart.
It was a moment of instant bonding, of mutual respect, trust and understanding that was to last many years. I appreciated his deep understanding of the human psyche, and many were the conversations we had about the relationship of the Portuguese Community and Cabrillo, both the park and the person. In his baritone voice, all conversations started with " You know Joe ....".
I will always cherish having known Tom Tucker, for he touched me in a way that only he knew how. I will always cherish his friendship and and most of all his being, Tom.
As a last gesture of my friendship and respect, I was very proud to convey to the family the condolences of the Consul of Portugal in Los Angeles, Mr. Edmundo Macedo on behalf of the Portuguese Government, who could not be present.
Tom R. Tucker, Sr. received a knighthood, from the Portuguese Government in the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator with the grade of Commander.

Below is the biography of Tom Tucker as presented in the memorial pamphlet distributed prior to the memorial service. 
I think that it is also important to review what was written by Ross Holland on the achievements of Tom Tucker and his impact on two of the parks he supervised. 

In 1963, a change of superintendents occurred and Thomas R. Tucker took over the reins of the monument. The great bulk of the development of the park was under his energetic and capable supervision. Complicating his work at this time was the fact that the other park under his jurisdiction—Channel Islands National Monument—demanded increased attention. Visitation and public use—some of it adverse—of the islands was growing, as was the acreage. The result was that personnel and equipment, including patrol boats, were added to the park. About the time that developments at Cabrillo reached an end, Channel Islands had grown to such size that it was ready to stand on its own feet, and in the spring of 1967, the Park Service broke away from Channel Islands and established it as a separate area. It had been an arduous four years and Tucker could feel a deep sense of satisfaction as each project reached its conclusion.

The developments at Cabrillo began fittingly in 1963—the fiftieth anniversary of the monument. Many changes in thinking have taken place in those fifty years. It has, unfortunately, taken that long to give Cabrillo the honor due him and get his story before the American public.

The completion of the developments at the monument moved the park into a more important position in the National Park System, for it now had the accouterments of a park—a museum and visitor center, a refurnished historic lighthouse, and a more sophisticated interpretive program. Gone were the days of the makeshift amphitheatre where the park interpreters gave lectures on the gray whale and whaling in San Diego. No longer was it necessary to give talks on Cabrillo and on the old lighthouse in the parlor of that structure. But even with these good things, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was still hardly more than a figure of state importance. He had not yet taken his place in the public mind with Coronado and DeSoto.

The first fifty years were spent trying to secure an appropriately developed park to memorialize Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, and that was accomplished in 1965. The next fifteen years were devoted to giving Cabrillo the national recognition he deserved and bringing the park into focus. Both finally came about because of two things: the imaginative, energetic, and competent leadership of Supt. Tom Tucker, and the establishment and growth of the Cabrillo Festival.

IN - THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF CABRILLO NATIONAL MONUMENT
F. Ross Holland, Jr.
Published by Cabrillo Historical Association
Copyright© 1981

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Guitarra de dois corações



    The heart that departs

                The heart that stays

                             Join in a single tear 

                                          A tear of emptiness
Tradução livre de JMLA

The twelve string two heart guitar(viola de dois corações) has been part of the baggage of many an immigrant from the Azores
Este apontamento está no Museu da Imigração Açoriana na R. Grande - This notation can be seen at the Azorean Immigration Museum in Ribeira Grande, Azores.http://mea.cm-ribeiragrande.pt/ We suggest a virtual visit.

Os dois corações são, sem dúvida, a parte mais simbólica de toda a Viola da Terra. Segundo a explicação popular, estes dois corações são o coração que parte (que emigra para o estrangeiro) e o coração que fica.
Estes corações estão ligados por um "cordão umbilical", que se une numa lágrima, a lágrima da Saudade. Esta lágrima da Saudade é também referida como simbolo do Ás de Oiros, representando a busca de fortuna aquando da emigração.
Em:http://www.freewebs.com/violadaterra/asuasimbologia.htmFormore information regarding the viola da terra consult this link.
Obrigado Maria de Lurdes Alves pela alerta.

Monday, April 9, 2012

De Coriscos a Rabo Tortos a Fuseiros - Uma viagem pelas alcunhas dos Açores

ALMA AÇÓRICA (41) 
As preocupações demográficas entre nós, fora das perspectivas partidárias, suscitam análises sobre o desenvolvimento regional e, por fim, sempre emergem as ideias dos “modelos de”, ou, ao invés, medidas como as que vigoram para as chamadas ilhas da coesão, concorde-se ou não com elas…O depauperamento da nossa pirâmide populacional tem vindo a ocorrer com maior intensidade a partir da década de 60 com forte surto emigratório para as então ex-colónias para além dos países tradicionais da nossa diáspora. Malgrado, seja problema estrutural os últimos censos voltaram a indiciar um ligeiro aumento global, nem sempre acompanho em algumas ilhas…É desta escassez de pessoas que se originou a expressão propensa para a alcunha “aquele é da Fajã do lá vem um” , significando que pouca gente se via nas artérias desses lugares… As alcunhas (do árabe alkunia=apodos, cognomes ou apelidos no Brasil) têm diferentes e diversificadas géneses (aspecto específico da pessoa ou família, traço físico ou de personalidade, ou alcunha ligada ao lugar de nascimento… Santa Maria, Cagarros; S. Miguel, Coriscos ou Almas de Pau; Terceira, Rabos Tortos ou Alferes; Graciosa, Alcavaços ou Tinhosos; S. Jorge, Capitães, Pataco Falso ou Inhameiros; Pico, Picarotos ou Cachalotes; Faial, Contrabandistas ou Madraços; Flores, Lapujos e Corvo, os Águias. Os residentes nas freguesias, por vezes, também as têm, como na ilha do Faial: Angústias, Amancebados; Capelo, Demandistas; Castelo Branco, Penteados; Cedros, Birrentos; Conceição, Faladores; Feteira, Ambiciosos; Flamengos, Soberbos; Matriz, Comerciantes; Pedro Miguel,
Lambareiros; Praia do Almoxarife, Pescadores; Praia do Norte, Namoradores; Ribeirinha, Escarnentos e Salão, Folgazões. Em S. Jorge, conhecem-se em freguesias e até lugares: Velas, Macacos; Rosais, Lavradores; Santo Amaro, Fadistas; Urzelina, Rendeiros; Manadas, Senhores; Norte Grande, Burriqueiros; Norte Pequeno, Inhameiros; Calheta, Papagaios; Ribeira Seca, Negociantes; Santo Antão, Magrinhos e Topo, Ladrões. Quanto a Lugares: Figueira (Pimpães); Fajã de Santo Amaro(Vinhateiros) Beira (Queijeiros) Toledo (Pobres) Santo António (Vaqueiros) e Ribeira da Areia (Cabreiros)…Todos estes, menos conhecidos do que os Serrotes (Vila Franca) e Fuzeiros (Ribeira Grande) ou os Lepras (Ribeiras até às Lajes do Pico)…imaginação, rivalidades e estórias, na identidade das almas açóricas….


Autor José Contente - Secretário Regional Ciência Tecnologia Equipamentos - Região Autónoma dos Açores
A série Alma Açorica pode ser acompanhada em:  http://ww1.rtp.pt/icmblogs/rtp/comunidades/

A alcunha faz parte do dia a dia da diáspora açoriana. Neste trabalho de José Contente, encontramos muitas das alcunhas que julgo a maior parte dos açorianos não conhecerem os locais a que se referem.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Páscoa - Easter - Pascuas -Pâques - 2012

Feliz Páscoa
         Happy Easter
                     Felices Pascuas
                                  Joyeuses Pâques


Monday, April 2, 2012

Macau Documentary

Sian Richards introduces this series capturing the sights, sounds and flavours of Asia. Macau offers up an intriguing blend of Portuguese and Chinese cultures and traditions, which is reflected in their cuisine - a curious mixture of Indian, Malay, and African together with the Chinese and Portuguese influences. We dine on a summer delicacy, Pork Minchi, a dish that typifies Macau's multicultural nature. Sian takes in the world-famous dragon boat races, samples Portuguese-Cantonese pastries, and wanders into a traditional Chinese medicine shop - where ancient herbs and powders are mixed to cure all ailments

Documentário sobre Macau que está feito com gosto e direcionado para o mercado internacional. Vale a pena ver.


View in full screen to appreciate. Ver em ecrã inteiro!