August 2016 - James DeCamp Photography

Gahanna Grill Menu

Images, Products

Food photography for a new menu at the Gahanna Grill photographed Wednesday August 24, 2016.

Food photography for a new menue at the Gahanna Grill photographed Wednesday August 24, 2016. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

August 24, 2016/0 Comments/by James

Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station

Images, Places, Scenics, Travel

The Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station photographed Sunday August 21, 2016.

The Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station is a decommissioned nuclear power plant built by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) in Herald, California.

In 1966, SMUD purchased 2,100 acres (850 ha) in southeast Sacramento County for a nuclear power plant, which was built in Herald, 25 miles (40 km) south-east of downtown Sacramento.

In the early 1970s, a small pond was expanded to a 160-acre (65 ha) lake to serve as an emergency backup water supply for the station. The lake has always received its water from the Folsom South Canal and has no relationship with the power plant’s daily water supply. Surrounding the lake is 400 acres (160 ha) of recreational area originally operated by the County of Sacramento for day-use activities.

The 2,772 MWt Babcock & Wilcox pressurized water reactor (913 MWe) achieved initial criticality on 16 September 1974 and entered commercial operation on 17 April 1975.

On 20 March 1978 a failure of power supply for the plant’s non-nuclear instrumentation system led to steam generator dryout. (ref NRC LER 312/78-001). In an ongoing study of “precursors” that could lead to a nuclear disaster if additional failures were to have occurred, in 2005 the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission concluded that this event at Rancho Seco was the third most serious safety-related occurrence in the United States (Behind the Three Mile Island accident and the cable tray fire at Browns Ferry).

The plant operated from April 1975 to June 1989 but had a lifetime capacity average of only 39%; it was closed by public vote on 7 June 1989 (despite the fact that its operating license did not expire until 11 October 2008) after multiple referendums.

Operation of the recreational area was assumed by SMUD in 1992. In cooperation with the Nature Conservancy, SMUD dedicated in June 2006 the Howard Ranch Nature Trail, a seven-mile (11 km) long trail that follows riparian and marsh habitat along Rancho Seco Lake and the adjoining Howard Ranch that once belonged to the owner of the famous racehorse Seabiscuit.

All power generating equipment has been removed from the plant and the now-empty cooling towers remain a prominent part of the local landscape. Also scattered throughout the area around the plant are abandoned air raid sirens that at one time would have warned people of a radioactivity release from the station. Additions to SMUD’s Rancho Seco property have included massive solar installations and, more recently, the natural gas-fired Cosumnes Power Plant, brought online in 2006.

On 23 October 2009, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission released the majority of the site for unrestricted public use, while approximately 11 acres (4.5 ha) of land including a storage building for low-level radioactive waste and a dry-cask spent fuel storage facility remain under NRC licenses. The plant cost $375 million when it was built in 1974 and it cost about $120 million (in 1974 dollars) to decommission according to the SMUD Rancho Seco Nuclear Education Center.

The Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station is a decommissioned nuclear power plant built by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) in Herald, California photographed Sunday August 21, 2016. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

August 21, 2016/0 Comments/by James

Calaveras Big Trees State Park

Images, Places, Scenics, Travel

Giant Sequoias photographed along the South Grove Loop at the Calaveras Big Trees State Park in the Stanislaus National Forest photographed Sunday August 21, 2016.

More images available in a gallery HERE.

Calaveras Big Trees State Park is a state park of California, United States, preserving two groves of giant sequoiatrees. It is located 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Arnold, California in the middle elevations of the Sierra Nevada. It has been a major tourist attraction since 1852, when the existence of the trees was first widely reported, and is considered the longest continuously operated tourist facility in California.

The area was declared a state park in 1931 and now encompasses 6,498 acres (2,630 ha) in Calaveras and Tuolumnecounties.

Over the years other parcels of mixed conifer forests, including the much larger South Calaveras Grove of Giant Sequoias(purchased in 1954 for US $2.8 million, equivalent to US $25 million in 2017 dollars), have been added to the park to bring the total area to over 6,400 acres (2,600 ha). The North Grove contains about 100 mature giant sequoias; the South Grove, about 1,000. According to Naturalist John Muir the forest protected by the park is: “A flowering glade in the very heart of the woods, forming a fine center for the student, and a delicious resting place for the weary.”

The North Grove included the “Discovery Tree”, noted by Augustus T. Dowd in 1852 and felled in 1853, leaving a giant stump, the only remainder of the tree. It measured 25 feet in diameter at its base and was determined by ring count to be 1,244 years old when felled. At the time the grove was discovered by white explorers, the Discovery Tree was measured by Dowd and others as the largest tree, and it was cut down to advertise the tourist attraction. Today only a fire-blackened snag remains of the Mother of the Forest, and the Discovery Tree has been renamed the Big Stump; the largest tree in the North Grove today is the Empire State tree, which measures 30 feet at ground level and 23 feet at 6 feet above ground.

In addition to the popular North Grove, the park also now includes the South Grove, with a 5-mile (8.0 km) hiking trip into a grove of giant sequoias in their natural setting. The South Grove includes the Louis Agassiz tree, 250 feet (76 m) tall and more than 25 feet (7.6 m) in diameter 6 feet (1.8 m) above ground, the largest tree in the Calaveras groves. It is named after zoologist Louis Agassiz (1807–1873).

Other attractions in the Park include the Stanislaus River, Beaver Creek, the Lava Bluff Trail, and Bradley Trail.

The park houses two main campgrounds with a total of 129 campsites, six picnic areas and hundreds of miles of established trails.

Giant Sequoias photographed along the South Grove Loop at the Calaveras Big Trees State Park in the Stanislaus National Forest photographed Sunday August 21, 2016. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

August 21, 2016/0 Comments/by James

DTFA – Tyler

Features, Images, News, People

This is the fifth of a series of assignments that I had for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. This was a very meaningful project for me, as I too was adopted, but I had found a forever family when I was only months old. Many of the children I documented in this series were not so fortunate, spending years in a system that passed them from one home to another until DTFA stepped in and helped them find a stable home life and loving forever family.

Soon after Robb and Marc met Tyler, then nine, he cut right to the chase. “When are you going to adopt me?” he asked as they drove to a coffee shop.

The question caught Marc off guard. “I’m not usually at a loss for words,” says Marc, “but it took me a minute to figure out what to say. I ended up telling him that we’d need to see how it went and make sure it was a good fit.” “I think it’s a good fit,” Tyler answered immediately. After two weeks, Marc and Robb knew Tyler was right. He moved in with them soon after. “It was very meant to be,” Robb says.

“Tyler is so polite, so kind. He takes our next door neighbor’s trash cans in for her. He walks the elderly across the street. Seriously.” Together, the family travels, cooks, entertains and takes walks. “We’re loving, fun and outgoing,” Tyler says.

“That’s what makes this a really great family. “When strangers tell you things about your son, like ‘what a great kid,’ it just makes you so proud.”

The Koeningsburg family photographed Saturday August 20, 2016. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

Below is an except from a Readers Digest article written by Jen Babakhan about Tyler’s family:

In 2009, Marc and Robb were living a life that many dream of, filled with successful professional careers and frequent travel, but they both agreed that something was still missing. Having a child had always been important to the couple, and it felt as though the time to pursue an addition to their family had arrived. Robb tells Reader’s Digest, “We’ve always known someone was missing at the table, and we’ve always wanted a family. We’ve always wanted someone to teach to tie their shoes, someone to visit colleges with.”

Once the decision had been made to begin the adoption process, Marc and Rob completed a “Family Available” sheet, a document that uses photographs and personal information to introduce a child to prospective parents. “It’s an opportunity to give a child the chance to feel like they get to choose you, instead of you choosing them,” Robb explains. Originally looking for a child from infant age to seven, the couple scanned several thick binders full of profiles of waiting children. Robb recalls, “There were these huge binders—just full of children, all waiting for families.” When a social worker showed them the profile of a nine-year-old boy named Tyler, they decided to schedule a meeting with him even though he was older than their original preference. “We had previously talked to friends about it, and we just came to the conclusion that it would be crazy to say we would take him if he were six or seven, but not nine,” Robb says.

Marc and Robb met Tyler on a cold January day at an aquarium. “I had this excited and nervous feeling,” Robb says. “We wanted to love this child, and we wanted him to love us, too,” he adds. The initial meeting proved to be exactly what Tyler and the couple had hoped for—they all felt as though they were meant to be a family. On the way back to his foster mother’s home, Tyler softly asked from the backseat as Robb drove, “So when are you going to adopt me?” This was a question Robb hadn’t been prepared for, but a perfect way to confirm what they had all been feeling. “I pulled over and told him that we needed to make sure that it was a good fit for him, and for us—and he responded with ‘I think it’s a good fit.’ That’s when I just knew.”

Tyler was placed in foster care due to parental neglect at the age of six, and had experienced three separate foster homes in the three years prior to meeting Marc and Robb. “We think of each situation he’s been through as a tool to help him navigate his adult life. His past does not define him,” explains Marc. On December 10, 2009, Marc and Robb officially became the parents of Tyler, an event that felt a lifetime in the making.” He’s been a part of our family his entire life, it just took him a little while to get to us,” Robb says.

Today, Tyler is a 17-year-old senior in high school who works summers at the local zoo and plays the piano. He’s touring colleges with his parents and excited for the future—a future that now looks brighter than ever. “Everyone that knows Tyler loves him. He’s such a wonderful human being. We would do what we did a million times over to get Tyler,” Robb says. Marc and Robb are motivated to share their story of adopting Tyler to help others understand that adopting an older child can be wonderful, and full of some of the same things you would expect to experience with a younger child. “These kids are not in foster care because they had great parents,” Robb says. “You’ll have the firsts with older kids that you would have had with younger ones—we taught Tyler to ride his bike, brush his teeth—all of those things,” he adds. Robb and Marc were once told by a family friend to not forget about older children as an option for their family. “He said, remember that they come back home during college—they’ll come back to you for the rest of their lives,” Robb recalls. “You don’t parent a child only until they’re 18. You adopt a child for a lifetime,” Marc says. Adopting from foster care is free in many states, but the cost of adoption in other scenarios is often higher than you might expect.

Marc and Robb are both passionate about the joy that adoption, and specifically adoption of an older child, has brought to their lives. “I feel as bonded to Tyler just as much as if he were my biological child,” Marc says. “I would sacrifice myself for him in an instant, without a second thought,” he adds. The couple want others to know that parenting an adopted child is no different than parenting a biological one. “Every child has issues—biological or not—but that’s just part of being a parent,” Marc explains. “Every child is entitled to a childhood. I just want people to know that they shouldn’t make assumptions. Children in the foster system deserve a chance to be considered,” Robb adds.

Considering adoption? Please check out this guide

Also, please prayerfully consider your financial support of this great organization.

August 20, 2016/0 Comments/by James

Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament

Architecture, Images, Places, Religious

The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament photographed Friday, August 19, 2016 in Sacramento, California. Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It is the mother church and seat of Jaime Soto, the ordinary bishop of the Diocese of Sacramento. The Cathedral is located downtown at the intersection of 11th and K Streets.

Currently, the cathedral is considered both a religious and civic landmark. It is the mother church of the diocese, which stretches from the southern edge of Sacramento County north to the Oregon border and serves approximately 1,000,000 Catholics. The diocese encompasses 102 churches in a 42,000 square mile region. The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament is one of the largest cathedrals west of the Mississippi River. Because of its size, it has sometimes been used as the site of final funeral Masses for former Governors of California, most recently that of Pat Brown in 1996.

August 19, 2016/0 Comments/by James

Walk To End Alzheimer’s

Events, Images, News, People

The 2016 Walk To End Alzheimer’s photographed Saturday August 13, 2016 in Delaware, Ohio on the Ohio Wesleyan University Campus.

The 2016 Walk To End Alzheimer’s photographed Saturday August 13, 2016 in Delaware, Ohio on the Ohio Wesleyan University Campus. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

August 13, 2016/0 Comments/by James

DTFA – Raychelle

Features, Images, News, People

This is the fourth in a series of assignments that I had for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. This was a very meaningful project for me, as I too was adopted, but I had found a forever family when I was only months old. Many of the children I documented in this series were not so fortunate, spending years in a system that passed them from one home to another until DTFA stepped in and helped them find a stable home life and loving forever family.

Laverne Moore-Jenkins and her husband Terry have been fostering children for almost 30 years — in addition to raising nine of their own. They’ve always enjoyed working with teens especially, to help them get the skills they need to transition out of the foster care system as well as provide them a place to come back to.

When Raychelle was placed in their home, Laverne didn’t want to let her go. “Had Raychelle aged out of foster care, her only option was to go to a group home,” Laverne says. “I knew that wasn’t a good place for her, and I wanted to make this her home.” By the time Raychelle joined the Jenkins family at the age of 15, she’d lived in about 26 homes. “She’d lost a lot in all those transitions,” Laverne adds. “She’s deaf and developmentally delayed. When we first met her, she only knew about 10 words of American Sign Language.”

She was in good company: Laverne and Terry didn’t know ASL either. Working together, they learned. Now they sign to each other, and Raychelle knows hundreds of words. And communication isn’t the only improvement Raychelle has made. Laverne describes Raychelle as shy and withdrawn at first. After a time, she came out of her shell. “She’s my social butterfly,” Laverne laughs. “Always giving everyone hugs and compliments I have to translate. She’s truly happy now.”

LaVerne and Terry Moore Jenkins photographed Monday August 8, 2016 with their adopted daughter Raychelle. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

Below is an except from a Readers Digest article written by Jen Babakhan about the Jenkins family:

Terry and Laverne Jenkins met in the armed forces and knew they were meant to be together and join their families. At the time, Terry had two sons, and Laverne had one. Over the years they adopted two nieces due to a family tragedy, and went on to have a biological son and daughter together. They decided to become foster parents out of a desire to help other families succeed, and for the last 30 years they have done just that.

Raychelle was 15 when she first met the Jenkins. Scheduled to stay with the Jenkins for a short 72 hours, Laverne says Raychelle was placed in her home with only a black trash bag containing her belongings—which were severely lacking. “She came with clothing appropriate for an older man—not for a teenage girl. It looked as though someone’s grandfather had passed, and she was given his clothing. She had no toothbrush or pajamas—none of those things,” Laverne recalls.

It was apparent that Raychelle, born deaf, had been extremely neglected in her previous foster environments. “She hadn’t bathed in weeks, and the stench was awful. Her hair hadn’t been washed or braided, and she had bald spots from the lack of grooming. I couldn’t believe it,” Laverne told Reader’s Digest. Raychelle entered the foster care system due to neglect from her biological mother right before her sixth birthday, and had bounced from home to home throughout the years—some of which were abusive. “When Raychelle came to us she was extremely withdrawn and afraid of people. She would put her hands up because she was afraid of being hit, and her ability to communicate with others was almost nonexistent,” Laverne explains.

When a social worker told Laverne and Terry that after her weekend stay with them Raychelle would be placed in a group home, Laverne knew she had to take action. “I called the social worker I knew with Wendy’s Wonderful Kids and told her I wanted to petition for adoption immediately—there was no way a group home would be prepared to take care of Raychelle in the way she needed.” Once Raychelle was placed with the Jenkins, others began noticing changes in the teen as well. “The school social worker told me, ‘We knew she had to be in a new home, because she came to school clean,” Laverne recalls. “I told her, ‘You don’t have to worry about her anymore, she’s in the right home now,” she adds.

Laverne says that adopting Raychelle, who functions at a first grade level due to brain trauma she sustained during abuse, has been a motivation for growth in her own life. She says, “Adopting her was something that God put on my heart, and looking in her eyes I knew I was meant to be her forever mom. She’s made me a better person. I’m more empathetic and sympathetic to others. People think I’ve done great things for her, but she’s done them for me, too.”

Today, Raychelle is 20, and about to graduate high school. She only knew five American Sign Language words when arriving at the Jenkins home, and she now communicates well with over 400. Learn some fascinating facts about American Sign Language. Laverne says her daughter amazes her, and she’s learning sign language to communicate even better with Raychelle. “She’s learning to read and write, and she could barely write her name when we met. I believe she can go so much further,” she explains. Previously withdrawn and fearful, Laverne says Raychelle has grown to love others. She says, “Raychelle has more of a social life than I do, she goes to dances and recreation programs. I want her to be comfortable wherever she is, whether that’s with hearing people or non-hearing people. I want her to know her world is broad.”

Laverne wants others considering adoption of older children or those with special needs to know that any child in foster care has special needs. She explains,”Foster care children all have a special need for something. If you’re considering adoption or foster care, you should pray about it—we all have a mission in life, and if this is yours, then a higher power will provide for you.” She also encourages other adoptive parents to educate themselves about advocating for their child. “Go to the doctor and tell them what you think your child needs, get familiar with the IEP (individual education program) process, and advocate for them. If you don’t, no one else will. They can’t advocate for themselves,” she says.

Considering adoption? Please check out this guide

Also, please prayerfully consider your financial support of this great organization.

August 8, 2016/0 Comments/by James

Saint Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church

Images, Places, Religious, Scenics, Travel

The Saint Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Shiner, Texas, one of the Texas Painted Churches photographed Wednesday August 3, 2016.

More images available in a gallery HERE.

On June 17, 1890, Father John A. Forest of Halletsville met with a group Catholic men to plan the building of a church in Shiner. Two acres of land were purchased from Moritz Richter, and the home of the Catholic Church in Shiner was established just east of the railroad tracks. A. Harbers drew the plans for the first church and contracted for the building, a structure 85 feet x 40 feet with a steeple 112 feet high. Construction began January 2, 1891, and was completed May 31, 1891. Father J.A. Forest blessed and dedicated the church on May 7, 1891 under the name of SS. Cyril and Methodius.

Rapid growth of the parish necessitated the building of a larger church. Father Wolf and architect E. Wahrenberger supervised the construction contractors as Vincent Falbo and M. Deodati of San Antonio began building one of the most magnificent Gothic structures between San Antonio and Houston. The cornerstone was laid in 1920, and the present church was blessed by Bishop Drossaerts on July 7, 1921. The structure is still known as one of the most eye-catching landmarks in South Central Texas with visitors from around the world stopping regularly to photograph and tour the church. Its beauty is enchanted by six late stained glass windows and a huge mural of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane which overlooks the altar.

The Saint Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Shiner, Texas, one of the Texas Painted Churches photographed Wednesday August 3, 2016. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

August 3, 2016/0 Comments/by James

Caldwell County Courthouse

Images, Places, Scenics, Travel

The Caldwell County Courthouse in Lockhart, Texas photographed Wednesday August 3, 2016.

The Caldwell County Courthouse is a historic courthouse located in Lockhart, Texas, United States. The courthouse was built in 1894 to replace the existing courthouse, which was too small for the growing county. The courthouse was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1976 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 3, 1978.

The courthouse was built in the Second Empire architectural style, with the design often attributed to Alfred Giles; however, recent research indicates the building was designed by Henry E.M. Guidon, who eventually became partners with Giles. The courthouse is nearly identical to the courthouse in Goliad County, Texas, as it was built from the same Guidon plans.

The exterior of the three-story courthouse is built with cream-colored limestone and red sandstone. The central clock tower houses a four-faced Seth Thomas Clock Company clock and a 900-pound bell. The mansard roof of the courthouse is characteristic of Second Empire design.

The Caldwell County Courthouse in Lockhart, Texas photographed Wednesday August 3, 2016. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

August 3, 2016/0 Comments/by James

St. Mary’s Church of the Assumption

Images, Places, Scenics, Travel

St. Mary’s Church of the Assumption in Praha, Texas, one of the Texas Painted Churches photographed Wednesday August 3, 2016.

More images available in a gallery HERE.

The present stone church was completed November 20, 1895. Since then it has undergone many phases of renovations and restorations. The latest changes took place in 1965 with the liturgical changes of the Second Vatican Council. A new altar was put in front of the reredos (the present main back altar) so that the presider would face the worshipping assembly. The wooden floor in the sanctuary was covered with green shag carpet. The rest of the church floor was covered with green and white vinyl tile. The Ambo (pulpit) was removed and replaced with a simple wooden structure. The walls of the church were painted an off white color. Ceiling fans with light kits replaced the old light fixtures installed in the 1930s with the advent of electricity.

The present Renovation/Restoration Project began in 2011 with the replacement of the leaking shingle roof with a copper roof by Tejas Roofing, Fredericksburg. A new drainage system on the west side of the church was installed to divert the rain water from flooding the basement of the church as it had done for years.

In January 2015, the church was closed to worshippers and the interior restoration work began. A part of the St. Mary’s School was converted into a worshipping space for the Sunday liturgy.

In 1865, the settlers, though having little or no money and barely enough food for their own survival, did build a small chapel.

This chapel, measuring 17-feet by 15-feet, was made of stones. The walls were 18 inches thick. Considering the thickness of the walls, the chapel inside measured only 15 1/2 feet by 13 1/2 feet – not much larger than many a room in a modern home.

The stones used in the chapel are much smaller than the ones used to build the present church, and appear to be slabs of stone ranging from one to five inches in thickness.

About 90 feet slight northwest of the chapel, the people also built a small stone hut measuring 14-feet by 14-feet wherein the visiting priests could stay while in this area. He could also robe for Mass here as the chapel was too small to accommodate a sacristy. The walls of this hut were also 18 inches thick. There was one 14-inch by 14-inch window in the north side with four criss-crossed iron bars imbedded in the windowsill, apparently to keep out large predators. The large door on the south side was made of 1 by 6 inch planks, complete with a hard-carved 1-1/2 inch peg three inches long still in place in the door frame wich appears to have been used to latch the door.

These structures still sand on Knezek Road, about 1/2 mile east of the present church, on property now owned by Elton and Henrietta Moeller. Mr. Moeller stated that the sandstone, or rock stone as they are commonly known in the area, still turned up when his pond was shaped and the land was worked. These stones are like the ones used to build the chapel and the hut.

The first Mass was offered in the chapel at midnight on Christmas Eve in 1865. The celebrant was Father Joseph Bittkowski, a Benedictine missionary priest who was serving in this area of Texas under the jurisdiction of the Resurrectionist Missionaries. These missionaries had come to Texas to minister to the Polish People.

St. Mary’s Church of the Assumption in Praha, Texas, one of the Texas Painted Churches photographed Wednesday August 3, 2016. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)