Please Help to nominate Ed Ristaino for heroic actions saving 5 lives-

Hello, 

This letter is in reference to my cousin, if you know or not- he just passed, while saving 5 lives.

We are attempting  a chain to produce enough signatures to make an impact.

 To nominate Ed Ristaino to receive the Presidential Citizens Medal.

An updated link version for those who do not have face book.
Please Read COPY and forward to people you know.

We broke 1,000 mark today.

 We are attempting to get 5,000 signatures or more for Ed Ristaino to receive the Presidential Citizens Award for saving the lives of 5 sky divers at the cost of his own.  Please sign and pass around.

You will have to copy the email to get the link to work if you forward to others.To forward the link to others you have to copy the email not just forward the email.

 There are two links one for face book members, and one for those who are not.

The rest of the letter is the accounts of the accident,  I am in great hope you will help us.

Thank you for your time- 

miChelle M. Vara and Dominick Ristaino

Sign and pass around (Facebook members).

http://www.change.org/petitions/the-white-house-president-barack-obama-presidential-citizens-medal-postumously-award-the-presidential-citizens-medal-to-ed-ristaino?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=autopublish

Here is the a link that will work without being on Facebook. 

http://www.change.org/petitions/the-president-of-the-united-states-postumously-award-the-presidential-citizens-medal-to-ed-ristaino

Written by the Dan Eaton a Skydiver who exited the balloon and landed safely.  A two time Bronze Star Winner while serving in the US Army.

I come to you to nominate Ed Ristaino to receive the Presidential Citizens medal

The following is a AAR of events on 16 MAR 2012 Fitzgerald Georgia.

Ed Ristaino while supporting Airborne operations in conjunction with a festival being held in Fitzgerald Georgia, distinguished himself by extraordinary meritorious service in saving the lives of 5 skydivers who boarded his hot air balloon for a evening jump.

He consistently manifested exemplary professionalism and initiative in obtaining outstanding results. His rapid assessment and solution to numerous problems greatly enhanced our chances of survival. Despite many adversities and under the harshest conditions, he consistently performed his duties in a resolute and efficient manner. Enthusiastically applying his sound judgment and extensive knowledge, he sacrificed his life so that others may live. His loyalty, diligence and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Presidential citizen's medal and reflect great credit upon himself and as a United States citizen.

I hope you will take this in to consideration this man is a hero!

Sincerely

Dan Eaton

6511 reservoir rd

Appling Ga. 30802

•  Brian Wesnofske

I am one of the skydivers in his balloon that day whose life he saved . Another 30 seconds , and my daughter and I would have had to say in the balloon and ride it out with him . He took us up another 1000 feet so we could reach a field on the ground , knowing the clouds were seconds away and nothing but forest in front of him . He made sure we all got out safe . Before we reached the ground , he was already in the clouds . We owe our lives to Ed . He knew he was in trouble but kept his cool and made sure we were going to be safe . This was my third year riding with Ed. I keep running threw my head , what could we have done different that day . But without a doubt , he put our lives before his . And I have the video to prove it . And that video will never be shown to anyone . I have turned down every news channel and morning show . All offering big money for my video . Ed saved all of us that day. I will never forget those last minutes before we left him all alone by himself . He will be in my heart forever .

•  

Barbara Van

Ed Ristaino's actions that day were indeed heroic and selfless. Even during one of his last transmissions, he apologized to his crew because he was afraid he wasn't going to make it. But that's the kind of man Ed was.

Ed used his expertise as a pilot and calmly, but quickly took actions he knew would save the life of the five passenger skydivers after this fluke of a storm came into play. He went up further to insure their safety as they jumped in case something happened and took every action possible to save them. And even in his final moments his thoughts were of his crew and what they would experience.

A fabulous hot air balloon pilot, a man that so obviously loved his family and friends, he loved doing things for others and sharing the joys he had in life with them. One of the many instances I witnessed involved Ed taking a young lady with cerebal palsy, severe physical limitations and bound to a wheel chair up in his special shape balloon. She had been around ballooning for many years with her family but this was her first flight. What a joy to see Ed make the special preparations to insure her safety as well as a pleasurable flight, his interaction with her, and the beauty of seeing "Normie" float into the sky with a very special passenger and piloted by a very special gentleman...simply amazing. And that's the kind of man Ed was

•  

Ace Henderson

My friend and I were the last 2 people to jump from the hot air balloon that Ed was piloting just moments before he lost his life. Ed was a very kind, friendly, courageous man who put our lives before his own.

•  

Elissa Bacso

Ed saved my family that day, two of them were among the five in the balloon. Two years before, we were all at that same festival where he took us all on our first balloon ride. Not an experienced skydiver, I didn't jump. Instead I took a joy ride with Ed and got to watch as the skydivers jumped, ascending to earth before we too made the trip back down. I will never forget that balloon ride. He was a wonderfully kind man, and no doubt a hero.

What do Steve Jobs, Tom Cruise, Lewis Carroll, Steven Spielberg and Leonardo daVinci have in common?

I met Serena Kovalosky years ago at the winter carnival in Whitehall NY. Where I drove my team of North American Spotted Draft Horses as the hay ride entertainment. We had lovely conversation  and come to find we use the same photographer Jim McLaughlin. Years later she now published and article interviewing me on dyslexia art and life.

So here goes-

__________________________________________________________

#103 – While not all Artists are dyslexic, the Artist Mind is the portal through which dyslexics experience their world.

A vivid imagination. An appreciation for color, tone, texture and form. Exceptionally visual and highly innovative. These are some of the characteristics of an Artist. They also represent the positive side of dyslexia.

I met miChelle M. Vara many years ago and, being a fellow artist, our conversation quickly turned to the subjects of art and the creative process. Vara works in a variety of mediums, from sculptural work in metal to paintings and murals, to airbrush commissions, faux-finishes and installations. She is a whirlwind of creative energy.

Our paths crossed again recently as a result of this blog, and as I researched her work and background, I discovered she is severely dyslexic.

Vara has what’s known as “crossed optic lobe”, where incoming information goes to the opposite side of the brain, and is therefore received upside-down and backwards. “I think in pictures,” says Vara. “I remember people, events and ideas as if they were photographed. I also remember feelings, emotions, textures, lighting,…..but no words. I connect very differently from everyone else.”

At a young age, miChelle Vara’s father placed her in a Montessori school system. “I was considered an extreme case,” says Vara. “It took a very long time for me to develop verbal and reading skills. Had I been left to a parent who was not understanding and caring, I would have been labelled as retarded. I would not have blossomed in a public school system, even though my IQ is actually well above average, because I am unable to take regular tests.”

"Neon Flames" by miChelle Vara

How has art figured into her life? “I’ve been an artist from Day One,”answers Vara. “Thankfully. I grew up in an environment that embraced my differences, feeding my imagination. But don’t let me kid you, my path has not always been easy. I still received enormous pressure from the outside world – people would call me stupid, make fun of me. I got picked on terribly by adults as well as children.”

“Art is my refuge,” she continues, “and any uncomfortable situation would send me into creation mode. My best friends were a thoroughbred horse named Socks and a dog named Cherice. I am thankful I have always had the ease of art and the love of animal friends and I think all handicapped children should have a pet and a safe place to escape.”

I ask Vara if art helped her with her understanding of how her mind works.

“No,” Vara replies. “My mind works because of my art.”

“Art is where I feel safe and at home. I am driven on a soul level to create, which is why I feel a compulsion to be in that creative state continually, making visual statements and conversations. My art is my life – it’s all very metaphorical.”

“I draw daily,” she continues. “My life is one artistic picture after another – it is nothing more than visual accounts of time. I create sculptural work because I often feel compelled to create an idea/statement of dimension that is not only ascetically pleasing but structurally sound. I often don’t have time to get all my ideas and thoughts into a physical object, so I may come back to it years later.”

Over the past 30+ years, miChelle Vara’s artwork has won numerous awards, and she regularly receives commissions from museums, corporations, individuals and municipal clients. The artist recently created a large-scale sculpture especially for the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake, NY, using the museum’s logo as her inspiration for the fascinating work entitled, “The Guide”.

Vara wants to make one thing perfectly clear. “Please understand that I do not see dyslexia as a handicap to who I am and what my work is,” she says. “It is my greatest birth gift. “

Life is what you make it. miChelle Vara knows how to make the best of her life, and she has the artwork to prove it.

- SerenaK    http://www.artfulvagabond.com/artists-and-dyslexia-day-103/

The Knox Trail Honor Walk

http://mvarametalandpaint.com/site/2012/04/09/the-knox-trail-honor-walk/

Today we met Benjamin Smith and Copyeditor Alex Culpepper, staff members of Patriots of the American Revolution Magazine they are walking the Knox Trail. Their goal today was to stop at the sculpture that I made “General Knox and the Train of Artillery” and marker. The Hudson Crossing; Knox Trail Pocket Park is located Route 4 and 32 on the corner of Starks Knob Rd. in Northumberland NY.

Their mission: to honor Henry Knox and his "noble train of artillery," to raise awareness of and promote the Knox Trail as a unique American historical route, and to help the American Revolution Association raise needed money for history-based museums and parks with connections to Henry Knox and the Knox Trail. Starting from Fort Ticonderoga on Friday, April 6, 2012, Patriots of the American Revolution Managing Editor Benjamin Smith and Copyeditor Alex Culpepper will march south along Lake George and the Hudson River to Kinderhook, New York, where they will veer east into Massachusetts, aiming to reach Dorchester Heights in Boston National Historical Park on Wednesday, April 18. Along the way they will take photographs of the various markers along the Knox Trail and document their trip for in-depth articles about the Trail that will run in future issues of Patriots of the American Revolution magazine.

Donations received by corporations and private individuals will be collected by the American Revolution Association and distributed directly and equally to the following four museums and parks.

Fort Ticonderoga (www.fortticonderoga.org)
New York State Military Museum (http://dmna.state.ny.us/historic/mil-hist.htm)
Boston National Historical Park (www.nps.gov/bost/index.htm)
Montpelier, The General Henry Knox Museum (www.generalknoxmuseum.org)

Patriots of the American Revolution and the American Revolution Association will keep none of the donations.

 Artist miChelle M. Vara of Ballard Road Art Studio, Wilton NY used event painted by Tom Lovell called

"The Nobel Train of Artillery"

which consisted of Col. Henry Knox and men as the reference and name sake of metal sculpture.   The sculpture was created using recycled materials and galvanized in finish. The Hudson Crossing; Knox Trail

Through this place passed Gen. Henry Knox in the winter of 1775 - 1776
To Deliver To Gen. George Washington at Cambridge The Train of Artillery from Fort Ticonderoga
used to force the British Army to Evacuate Boston.  Commissions

During the winter of 1775–1776, Colonel Henry Knox left Boston, marched to New York's Fort Ticonderoga, and—with a team of men and oxen—hauled more than 50 tons of cannons and other arms back to Boston's Dorchester Heights. The threat of these cannons firing on British ships in Boston Harbor led to the British evacuation of Boston, a major victory for the fledging Continental Army.

In 1926, New York and Massachusetts began installing commemorative markers that traced the so-called "Knox Trail" at locations in the two states. 

http://www.hudsoncrossingpark.org/master-plan/knox-trail.cfm

Happy Spring, Passover and Easter

 Passover and Easter are a few days away. Signs of Spring are budding, nature teaches us that life is always rejuvenating. Though art and life's experiences, I reach to expand ideas and thought, in the quest for expansion. 
This powerful energy surrounds us with abundant love and magical beauty. Wishing all the abundance of newness.
Happy Spring & Easter with Peace- m