The Week that Was ...
Ending Sunday, March 16, 2025
Welcome to the latest edition of The Week that Was, my rundown of what happened last week, curated, in the loosest sense of the word, for your reading pleasure, or displeasure.
This week I’m getting positive: The Festival of Lights; Bernie Sanders; Suburbanites Save a Beaver. I’m even going to attempt to bring some clarity to the public debate about beleaguered NY Mayor Eric Adams.
1. Photos of the Week: Child Celebrating the Festival of Lights in Chennai, India
2. Senator Bernie Sanders Mounts a “Fighting Oligarchy” Tour
3. Kingstowne residents petition to save local beaver ‘Wally’ from extermination
4. Political Profile: Eric Adams
1. Photos of the Week: Child Celebrating the Festival of Lights in Chennai, India
© AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.
2. Senator Bernie Sanders Mounts a “Fighting Oligarchy” Tour
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (remember the mittens at Biden’s inauguration?) is on tour. His rallies are standing room only unless the venue cannot absorb the people who want to hear a political message that is heartfelt, sincere, and resolutely on behalf of the people. This is the Fighting Oligarchy tour.
“Hundreds were turned away from a packed Bernie Sanders event at an Omaha hotel ballroom. A crowd of thousands showed up in Iowa City to hear the U.S. senator from Vermont go after President Donald Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk. And Sanders filled a baseball stadium in Kenosha, Wisconsin, at a rally that felt like something from the presidential campaign trail.
“As the Democratic base clamors for more action from leaders, the independent with a complicated, intertwined relationship with the Democratic Party has found significant enthusiasm on a tour of the country he launched last month to speak about Trump’s economic agenda. His ‘Fighting Oligarchy’ tour has made five stops in four states since Feb. 21, targeting House districts with vulnerable Republicans who are weighing just how much to embrace Trump’s plans.”
This is what we need. Economic inequality is the number one issue of our times. We’re not going to be able to address other forms of inequality or climate change or anything else unless we’re also attacking economic inequality.
3. Kingstowne residents petition to save local beaver ‘Wally’ from extermination
This is item came from a friend. This story is heartwarming. I mean it. Really.
Residents of Kingstowne, Virginia, have mounted a campaign to save a local beaver from being killed.
“Wally the Beaver’s days at Kingstowne Lake may be numbered.
“The beaver has become something of a local mascot for some nearby residents, who recently launched a petition to Save Wally that has amassed over 1,000 verified signatures, as of press time. However, property owners and licensed wildlife experts say the beaver poses a danger to the local ecology, making its removal an unfortunate necessity.
“According to nearby residents, Wally moved into the lake in September, setting up a dam and lodge just off the main trail around the perimeter of the pond — though wildlife experts and property management said it’s possible there’s more than one beaver at the site.”
Wally’s work ethic is exemplary:
“Auer admitted that Wally has been a busy beaver, causing damage to trees around the lake.
“’It’s been cutting small trees in the woods,’ Auer said. ‘He’s [cut down] trees — mostly pretty small, a couple are larger ones. I understand that he has taken his first planted tree or bush.’
“While Wally was nowhere to be seen around the lake when this reporter scouted it out yesterday (Tuesday), the impacts were clear. Multiple trees sported Wally’s dental dents, and his lodge was visible just off the main trail.”
UPDATE!
Wally has been spared relocation or death.
“A petition campaign to save a local beaver at Kingstowne Lake won property management over: Wally will live.
“According to residents, Wally moved to the man-made stormwater management pond known as Kingstowne Lake sometime in September last year. Whether it’s just one beaver or a couple is unclear — a licensed wildlife expert said over 60 trees had been damaged by the beaver, indicating there could be more than one.
“In January, the Kingstowne Community Association started moving forward on a plan to trap and kill the beaver. Virginia prohibits beavers from being relocated, but the Department of Wildlife Resources says owners are allowed to “humanely dispatch” any animals that have damaged property without needing a permit.
“However, the Friends of Kingstowne Lake — an association of residents and other community members who support the lake — had advocated for Wally’s life to be spared, offering to pay for fencing to protect trees.
“In response, the Kingstowne Community Association, which manages the lake, said in a release today (Thursday) that it has decided to switch to non-lethal mitigation strategies “after more deliberation and recognizing the strong feelings about the matter from many residents.”
“According to the release:
“After consulting with a licensed wildlife expert, the Association initially implemented a trapping solution to address the issue; however, after more deliberation and recognizing the strong feelings about the matter from many residents, we have decided to take a different approach. The traps have been removed, and we are shifting to non-lethal mitigation strategies to explore if these strategies can resolve the issues of concern regarding the loss of trees and the functionality of our stormwater facility.”
And everyone lived happily ever after.
Okay, that didn’t happen, yet.
Wally is saved: Kingstowne beaver granted reprieve by property management
4. Profile of New York Mayor Eric Adams
I hope the below-linked profile can bring some clarity to the public debate about beleaguered New York Mayor Eric Adams.