Nova Scotia Mayor Comes Out as Gay After Threat of Being Outed: WATCH

Cecil Clarke, the mayor of Nova Scotia’s second-largest municipality, has come out as gay after someone threatened to out him.

Clarke, mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, made the announcement in an interview with Canada’s CBC network:

Clarke said someone “wanting to possibly shame” him threatened to expose his personal life, so he made the decision to share the information himself.

“If that’s homophobia and the fact that I’m gay in political life, then shame on people that do that,” he told CBC’s Mainstreet Cape Breton.

Clarke is expected to announce on Saturday that he will seek the leadership of the Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Party. He said he wanted to come out before then.

“I’m not going to go forward and announce my intentions about the Progressive Conservative Party leadership race having people think that they are going to shame me, or hold something over me, or make it negative that, in this day and age, that being gay is somehow a bad thing,” he said.

Added Clarke: “I hope on Saturday anyone that’s coming to hear me is there to support me as Cecil the politician and the fact that I am gay, if they have a problem with that as a Progressive Conservative, then they’re not my Progressive Conservative of today.”

The post Nova Scotia Mayor Comes Out as Gay After Threat of Being Outed: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

Nova Scotia Mayor Comes Out as Gay After Threat of Being Outed: WATCH

빙하가 수백년 생을 마감하는 곳, 다이아몬드 비치에 가다

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  우쓰라
  바트나요쿨의 거대한 빙하 지대. 위로는 눈이 쌓이고 쌓여 새로운 빙하가 생성되고 아래의 빙하는 밀려서 바다 쪽으로 이동하게 됩니다.
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  우쓰라
  그렇게 수백년을 느릿느릿 이동한 빙하들은 이윽고 이 빙하호수인 요쿨살론에 다다르게 되지요.
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  우쓰라
  잠시동안의 정착이랄까요. 그렇게 호수에 있던 빙하들은 또 큰 바람이 불거나 홍수가 나면 바다로 떠밀려가며 마침내 생을 마감합니다.
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  우쓰라
  이렇게 빙하들이 저승(?) 가기 전 잠시 쉬었다 가는 다이아몬드 비치는 많은 사람들이 찾아오는 명소가 되었습니다.
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  우쓰라
  마지막 모습을 이렇게 많은 사람들이 봐주니 빙하에게 생을 마감하는 시간이 그렇게 외롭지만은 않을 거예요.
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  우쓰라
  다이아몬드 비치에서는 운이 좋다면 정말 각양각색의 빙하 조각들을 만날 수 있습니다.
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  우쓰라
  이렇게 조각이라 부르기 힘든 덩어리가 큰 빙하들도 종종 볼 수 있는데요. 이런 큰 녀석들은 다리를 기준으로 오른편에 있는 해변에 많이 있습니다. 오른쪽 해변이 파도가 약하기 때문이지요.
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  우쓰라
  위 빙하를 클로즈업해 촬영해 본 모습입니다. 어쩜 이렇게 신비한 색과 또 결을 갖고 있는 걸까요? 어떤 위대한 조각가도 흉내낼 수 없는 세월이 만든 예술품입니다. 이 커다란 빙하조차 또 언제 해변에서 밀려나 바다에서 사라질 지 아무도 모를 일입니다. 그래서 이렇게 사진으로 담은 빙하의 모습은 지구 역사의 기록이요. 또 촬영이란 행위는 영원히 이 보석을 소장하게 되는 작업이기도 합니다.
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  우쓰라
  파도가 거의 없다시피한 오른쪽 해변에 비해 다리 너머 왼쪽 해변의 파도는 제법 거셉니다. 그래서 제법 큰 빙하들도 파도에 쓸려 점점 바다로 향하게 됩니다.
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  우쓰라
  운 좋게 해변 안쪽까지 밀려 와 느긋하게 바다를 바라보고 있는 듯한 이 녀석도 언젠가 곧 파도에 휩쓸려 생을 마감하게 될 것입니다.
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  우쓰라
  해변 쪽의 빙하조각들은 파도와 함께 생의 마지막 아우성을 치고 있습니다.
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  우쓰라
  이곳에서 촬영을 한 3일 동안 그렇게 파도에 사라져 가는 빙하조각들을 수없이 보았지요.
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  우쓰라
  그 모습은 참 처연하면서도 또 눈부시게 아름답습니다.
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  우쓰라
  이 빙하조각은 뭔가 비장한 느낌까지 들더라구요.
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  우쓰라
  빛을 받으면 황금색으로 물드는, 진짜 다이아몬드보다 더 빛나는 빙하 다이아몬드.
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  우쓰라
  자신을 휩쓸고 가려는 파도와 함께, 또 그 순간 떠오르는 태양의 빛까지 받으며, 빙하가 생을 마감하는 순간은 이토록 황홀하게 아름답기만 합니다.
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  우쓰라
  그렇기에 이 다이아몬드 비치는 사진가들에게는 참 멋진 촬영포인트요, 파도와 빙하조각이 만들어낸는 앙상블은 장노출로 촬영하면 좋은 매력적인 피사체입니다.
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  우쓰라
  날씨가 아주 짖궂지 않다면 이 해변은 그렇게 무서운 파도가 치는 곳은 아닌데 그래도 장노출을 제대로 담으려면 장화를 신고 촬영하는 게 좋습니다. 이번에 함께 간 일행 중 한명은 이렇게 맨발로 들어가 촬영하는 투혼(?)을 불사르기도 했지요.
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  우쓰라
  셔터스피드를 조금 느리게 설정하면 이렇게 빙하조각을 휩쓸고 가는 파도의 결이 눈으로 보는 것과는 다르게 표현됩니다.
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  우쓰라
  그래서 이곳에서 사진을 찍다 보면 정말 시간 가는 줄 모르게 시간이 가게 됩니다.
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  우쓰라
  사진 촬영을 목적으로 가는 분들이라면 날씨가 어찌 될 지 모르니, 또 길 건너 요쿨살론도 지긋이 봐야 하고, 그곳에서 출발하는 동굴투어, 빙하투어 등 꼭 즐겨야 할 액티비티도 많으니 다이아몬드 비치가 있는 스비나펠스요쿨 지역은 꼭 2~3일 정도를 할애하면 좋을 것입니다.
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  우쓰라
  큰 빙하조각에게 “나도 곧 따라갈게요…”라고 속삭이고 있는 듯한 작은 빙하조각의 모습.
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  우쓰라
  아무튼 이 다이아몬드 비치는 단지 ‘아름답다’라는 표현으로는 부족한 아우라가 있는 곳입니다. 짧은 일정으로 아이슬란드를 가시더라도 이곳은 꼭 한번 가보시길 바라며 빙하의 마지막 순간을 담은 포스트를 마칩니다 🙂
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www.huffingtonpost.kr/entry/diamond_kr_5a7461bce4b0905433b34709

Brexit Must Bring A Clear End To Free Movement – But Britain Will Remain A Welcoming Society To EU Citizens
Freedom of movement from the EU was one of the biggest factors behind the Brexit vote. A Brexit without a clear end to free movement in its current form is neither possible nor desirable.

But contrary to the scaremongering voiced by Vince Cable and others, ending free movement will not turn Britain into a kind of European North Korea with our young people all sitting miserably at home while the rest of Europe goes to the dance.

In fact, I predict that not very much will change in the general movement of people to and from Europe, the one caveat being that if people from the EU want to work in the UK (and vice versa) they will need a work permit.

As there are about 35million arrivals each year to the UK from EU countries, both the immigration authorities and the tourism industry have a strong interest in retaining visa-free travel for tourism and short visits (and the same is true in the rest of Europe). So don’t throw away the back-pack and railcard.

And in a report published today for the think tank Policy Exchange I further propose that we should offer continuity in arrangements for EU students in terms of fees and access to the government loan system (in the expectation that European colleges will do the same).

The number of undergraduates from the EU is not large, about 25,000 a year, and it would send a helpful signal about the UK wanting to remain the leading European centre for higher education, innovation and research (nearly half of EU students are postgraduates).

I also propose that we should extend the current Youth Mobility Visa that offers two year access to the UK for 18-30 year olds from places like Australia and Taiwan to all EU states, something that should allay the fears of the hospitality sector.

So, a balanced outcome is posseible which allows for gradual reductions in inflows, especially of low skill EU workers, while retaining a high degree of continuity in other areas. We can respond to the legitimate anxiety about over-rapid change and labour market competition while remaining an open, hub economy and country, especially in relation to skilled professionals and students from the EU.

My report advocates several other steps to achieve this balanced outcome. They include: no automatic right of residence for EU citizens coming in the future; a “light-touch” five year work-permit for future EU professionals to be cleared in less than a month; more restrictive two year permits for unskilled workers with preference for those willing to work anti-social hours; creation of new temporary work programmes including in agriculture and for young people.

There is a bigger opportunity available too. The creaking British growth model has been based in the past generation on easy hire and fire and constant expansion of the labour supply, and it has thus become dependent on high levels of immigration (most from the EU is of low and middling skill level).

Ending free movement in a measured way is just what the low-productivity British economy needs. EU citizens make up about 7% of the UK workforce, rising to 17% in London, and some sectors such as food manufacturing (30%) and London house-building (56%) have become damagingly over-dependent on EU labour.

These inflows over the last 15 years have underpinned economic growth but at some cost to British people in the bottom half of the income and educational spectrum: some irresponsible employers have sharply cut training budgets, while others have filled entire factories and warehouses with people from eastern Europe.

And so long as already trained labour was flowing in from abroad there has been insufficient incentive for government and business to sort out our own education and training systems, especially for people at the bottom end of society (many from ethnic minorities). Yet this is key to both higher productivity and to renewing the national social contract with some of our most powerless citizens. We need to focus more on raising “the general competence of society” (as Christopher Lasch put it in his book The Revolt of the Elites) rather than sending everyone to university.

As Chris Bickerton of Cambridge University has written: “Immigration was a big issue in the referendum not because British people are xenophobic but because immigration is at the heart of the British growth model. As a result the UK experiences life in the EU single market through the prism of EU nationals coming to live and work in the UK.

“Other EU states, with different growth models, experience the EU single market in other ways: through violations of the labour code or through high levels of emigration.”

In this country there is a cultural aspect to this too. Freedom of movement has created a “neither one thing nor the other” category of resident: someone who is neither a temporary visitor/guest to a country, such as a tourist, nor someone who is making a permanent commitment to a new country in the manner of the traditional immigrant. The openness of free movement has also made it very hard for local and national authorities to plan for future population growth and infrastructure needs.

Nevertheless apart from that work permit requirement—light touch for skilled, much less so for unskilled—much continuity is possible and even when it comes to jobs and social rights future EU citizens should continue to have some limited special access to the UK labour market and welfare state as a symbol of the “deep and special” relationship the UK is seeking.

Britain will remain a welcoming society to future EU citizens, on top of the three million already here. Ending free movement is, however, a necessary (though not sufficient) condition for healing domestic wounds and nudging us onto a new growth path, ironically one that’s more like the higher-productivity continental economies.

David Goodhart is Head of Demography, Immigration and Integration at Policy Exchange and the author of Immigration After Brexit, published this week

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/freedom-of-movement_uk_5a7461f6e4b0905433b3478c

HRC to Honor Texas Pediatrician For Her Lifesaving Care of Trans Youth

HRC announced that it will honor Dallas pediatrician Dr. Ximena Lopez, who founded the only clinic in the Southwest specializing in transgender youth, at the organization’s fifth annual Time to THRIVE Conference on February 16-18 at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek in Orlando. She will receive HRC’s Upstander Award.

“Dr. Ximena Lopez’s groundbreaking health care work continues to literally save the lives of countless transgender and gender expansive youth in a state where anti-equality politicians routinely target transgender people for discrimination,” said Vincent Pompei, Director of HRC’s Youth Well-Being Project and Time to THRIVE Conference chair. “When transgender and gender expansive youth get the medical care they need and deserve, they are able to thrive in schools and in all areas of their lives. We are proud to be honoring Dr. Lopez for her lifesaving work, and are thrilled she’s joining us at Time to THRIVE.”

Dr. Lopez founded the GENder Education and Care, Interdisciplinary Support (GENECIS) program at Children’s Health in Dallas in 2015. She also contributed to HRC’s resource “Supporting & Caring for Transgender Children,” and shared her expertise at the 2016 Time to THRIVE Conference. In a powerful interview with Cosmopolitan, Dr. Lopez said this about her work with transgender young people: “I feel great satisfaction when I meet with these families, how thankful they are for all we’re doing…The parents feel like you’re saving their children, and these patients feel like you’re saving them. You’re helping them start a new life, and after I met with these families, I feel like I’m walking in the clouds. It makes it all worth it.”

A groundbreaking new survey of LGBTQ youth from HRC and the University of Connecticut found that transgender youth face significant and enduring challenges in healthcare settings, at school and at home. More detailed results from the study will be released later this month — affirming that the work of professionals like Dr. Lopez could not be more crucial.

HRC previously announced that it will also honor advocates Betty DeGeneres and  Gavin Grimm with Upstander Awards during the Time to THRIVE Conference. HRC National Press Secretary Sarah McBride, along with HRC’s Parents for Transgender Equality Council, Youth Ambassadors and Welcoming Schools Program will also be featured at the conference.

The event brings together a wide range of youth-serving professionals to discuss best practices for working with and caring for LGBTQ youth and their families in schools, community centers, health care settings and beyond. It is co-presented by the National Education Association and the American Counseling Association. Toyota, BBVA Compass and AT&T are presenting sponsors of the event.

To register, visit www.TimeToTHRIVE.org.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-to-honor-texas-pediatrician-for-lifesaving-care-of-trans-youth?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Trump Tweets Attack on FBI and DOJ, Laying Groundwork for Sham Memo Release

Laying the groundwork for the release of a sham hyper-partisan memo prepared by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), Donald Trump tweeted an attack on the FBI and DOJ Friday morning which reveals what Democrats have been saying is the purpose of the memo all along: as a tool for Trump to use to try and discredit the investigation into his campaign’s collusion with the Russians.

Tweeted Trump early Friday: “The top Leadership and Investigators of the FBI and the Justice Department have politicized the sacred investigative process in favor of Democrats and against Republicans – something which would have been unthinkable just a short time ago. Rank & File are great people!”

The top Leadership and Investigators of the FBI and the Justice Department have politicized the sacred investigative process in favor of Democrats and against Republicans – something which would have been unthinkable just a short time ago. Rank & File are great people!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2018

A short time later Trump added: ‘“You had Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party try to hide the fact that they gave money to GPS Fusion to create a Dossier which was used by their allies in the Obama Administration to convince a Court misleadingly, by all accounts, to spy on the Trump Team.” Tom Fitton, JW’

“You had Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party try to hide the fact that they gave money to GPS Fusion to create a Dossier which was used by their allies in the Obama Administration to convince a Court misleadingly, by all accounts, to spy on the Trump Team.” Tom Fitton, JW

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2018

Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee have accused Nunes of cherrypicking intelligence which paints an inaccurate picture. The FBI released a statement this week that said “we have grave concerns about material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo’s accuracy.”

Trump is expected to approve the release of the sham Devin Nunes memo following some redactions requested by the FBI, the Washington Post reported:

The redactions were the result of a review of the memo’s classified contents by White House and intelligence community officials, including Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats. The memo, which has created a political firestorm, suggests that the early origins of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election were tainted by political bias.

Trump has been telling friends he believes the memo will discredit the Russia investigation, CNN reported:

In recent phone calls, Trump has told friends he believes the memo would expose bias within the agency’s top ranks and make it easier for him to argue the Russia investigations are prejudiced against him, according to two sources.

As the debate rages about whether the GOP memo is inaccurate and misleading — and whether it’s appropriate to reveal such classified intelligence at all — Trump appears to be more preoccupied with the political calculus. He views the memo as proof the intelligence community was unfairly targeting him and fodder for his ultimate goal of bringing an end to the Russia investigation that he has dubbed a “witch hunt,” sources said.

And Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) compared House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA), who prepared the hyper-partisan memo, to Joseph McCarthy in an interview on CNN: “The release of this memo is really reminiscent of the darkest days of the McCarthy era, with characterization assassinations.It endangers methods and sources of the intelligence community, and it reflects an effort to distract from the Mueller investigation.”

Sen. Richard Blumenthal slams the potential release of the Nunes memo: “The release of this memo is really reminiscent of the darkest days of the McCarthy era” t.co/iA9FW3QDb9 t.co/0xqsENsKAf

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) February 1, 2018

The memo, which allegedly claims that the FBI and DOJ abused their power with regard to Trump campaign surveillance was altered by Nunes before he sent it to the White House, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said late on Wednesday.

Schiff said the document already had “profound distortions and inaccuracies” before the changes were made, and called Nunes’ actions “deeply troubling” because the White House is now reviewing a document that was not shared with nor voted on by the entire House Intelligence Committee.

Schiff called on Republicans to withdraw the document it sent to the White House and called for a new vote on the memo and on another memo, written up by the Democrats on the committee. Majority Republicans have denied Democrats the opportunity to release a memo in response to the Nunes memo.

Tweeted Schiff: “Discovered late tonight that Chairman Nunes made material changes to the memo he sent to White House – changes not approved by the Committee. White House therefore reviewing a document the Committee has not approved for release.”

BREAKING: Discovered late tonight that Chairman Nunes made material changes to the memo he sent to White House – changes not approved by the Committee. White House therefore reviewing a document the Committee has not approved for release. pic.twitter.com/llhQK9L7l6

— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) February 1, 2018

NBC News added:

Jack Langer, a spokesman for Nunes, confirmed that the memo had been edited, but he told NBC News that the changes included “grammatical fixes and two edits requested by the FBI and by the Minority themselves,” referring to committee Democrats.

“The vote to release the memo was absolutely procedurally sound, and in accordance with House and Committee rules,” Langer said. “To suggest otherwise is a bizarre distraction from the abuses detailed in the memo, which the public will hopefully soon be able to read for themselves.”

But a senior Democratic source on the Intelligence Committee disputed that account, telling NBC News that the changes weren’t “cosmetic.”

“Instead, they try to water down some of the majority’s assertions,” the source said.

In a rare public statement yesterday, the FBI disavowed the memo.

Said the FBI in its statement: “With regard to the House Intelligence Committee’s memorandum, the FBI was provided a limited opportunity to review this memo the day before the committee voted to release it. As expressed during our initial review, we have grave concerns about material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo’s accuracy.”

FBI Director Christopher Wray has reportedly urged the White House not to release the memo. At his State of the Union address last night, Donald Trump was overheard telling a Republican lawmaker that he’s “100 percent” going to release the memo.

The post Trump Tweets Attack on FBI and DOJ, Laying Groundwork for Sham Memo Release appeared first on Towleroad.

Trump Tweets Attack on FBI and DOJ, Laying Groundwork for Sham Memo Release

“MB 당선인때 조카 이동형에게 ‘다스 맡아라’ 지시했다”

www.huffingtonpost.kr/entry/bbk_kr_5a74599be4b0905433b33747

高校野球の感動伝え43年、「輝け甲子園の星」が復刊　1975年の創刊号に登場の原辰徳氏、巻頭インタビューで祝福

　昨年春に休刊した「輝け甲子園の星」が2月5日（月）に復刊する。40年以上にわたって高校野球の感動を伝えてきた雑誌で、SNSなどでは休刊直後から惜しむ声が数多く上がっていた。読者とともに創る雑誌として再出発しようと、A-portでクラウドファンディングを実施し、支援を募っている。

■43年の歴史を絶やすわけにはいかない−−−−。再び光を放ち始めた『輝け甲子園の星』

　球児に寄り添い、その素顔を描いた温かい記事で、読者のみならず多くの球児に愛された『輝け甲子園の星』。1975年に創刊した”甲子園のバイブル”だったが、2017年春、当時発行していた出版社が突如休刊を発表した。SNS上では驚きの声と同時に、休刊を惜しむ声が数多く上がった。そんな様子を目にした一人が、株式会社ミライカナイ代表取締役の津川晋一氏だ。

「ツイッターなどで”ホシファン”から惜しむ声が相次いでいるのを見て、この雑誌を途絶えさせるわけにはいかないと思いました」

　津川氏自身も”ホシ”の愛読者で、かつて読んだ”ホシ”の記事が、スポーツ報道を仕事にするきっかけの一つになったという。

「これからの『輝け甲子園の星』は、みんなで作る雑誌にしたいんです。復刊のタイミングから、読者の方々とクラウドファンディングを通じて交流したい。高校野球も100年。時代とか歴史を超えて、読み継がれていく本にしたいと思っています」

■創刊号の表紙、原辰徳氏が復刊号に登場　重松清氏によるコラムの連載もスタート

　復刊号では、43年前の創刊号で表紙を飾った原辰徳氏が復刊を祝福して登場。6ページにわたる巻頭インタビューでは「『輝け甲子園の星』というネーミングがクラシカルで非常にいいよね（笑）。特に夏100回という節目に向けてまた復刊したのが、素晴らしいと思いますね」とにこやかに語った。

　そして復刊号から新たに、直木賞作家の重松清氏がコラムの連載をスタートする。野球を題材にした著書も多い重松氏もまた、”ホシ”復刊に激励の言葉を惜しまなかった。

「終わらせちゃいけない雑誌だね、絶対に。無くならないでくれて、ありがとう」

■”ホシOB”から集まった祝福の声　世代を超えて早実のWエースもコメント

　かつて誌面を彩った”ホシOB”からは、続々と喜びの声が集まった。

　来季より日本ハムファイターズの２軍監督を務める荒木大輔氏は、”大ちゃんフィーバー”の早実時代を振り返って目を細めた。

　「雑誌に載るのがうれしくて、親に頼んで買ってもらったりしてね。”ホシ”は、なかなか会えない親戚や友だちへの手紙のような役割も果たしてくれていたように思います」

　同じく日本ハムの斎藤佑樹選手は、開口一番「うわっ、もしかして”ホシ”の取材ですか!? 懐かしい！」と満面の笑み。「僕たちの青春時代をより輝かしいものにしてくれた特別な雑誌」と復刊を喜んだ。

　1980年夏の甲子園に出場している荒木氏から、2016年夏の優勝投手、埼玉西武ライオンズの今井達也選手、準優勝の大西健斗選手（慶大）まで、幅広い世代の”ホシOB”が今回の復刊を祝福している。そんな選手たちの”ホシの思い出”にも注目だ。

■男子と変わらぬ熱い思い　女子野球もクローズアップ

　復刊号からは、新コーナー「輝け女子野球の星」がスタート。高校野球は、もはや男子だけのものではない。同じように日々汗を流し、鍛錬を積み、日本一を目指す女子球児にもスポットライトを当て、彼女たちの高校野球も毎号たっぷり掲載する。女子球児の登場により、ほかの高校野球雑誌と一線を画し、一層華やかで読み応えのある誌面となりそうだ。

　そのほか、グラウンドで頑張る球児の背中を後押しする応援団や吹奏楽部を主役にした「輝けスタンドの星」も新たに連載開始。復刊を機に、様々な視点から余すところなく高校野球を堪能できる１冊へと進化を遂げている。

　「輝け甲子園の星」は春夏の甲子園大会の前後に年４回の発行を予定している。A-portでは３月９日まで支援を受け付けており、２月２日正午現在、86人から87万円を超える支援が集まっている。

　詳細は、a-port.asahi.com/projects/koshiennohoshi/。

www.huffingtonpost.jp/aport/kagayake-star_a_23350908/