Bishop Cook Resigns as Priest and Bishop, Due To Fatal DUI Charges. She Posted Bail. What about Ski's Bond in Milwaukee?

This is the hilarity pose favored by the Left and by Church Shrinkers:
Bishosp Tweedle-Dee, Tweedle-Dumb, and Tweedle-Dumpster -
for putting the entire Episcopal Church in the dumpster.

Episcopal bishop accused in drunken-driving death resigns

1 of 1© Juliet Linderman/AP Photo

Episcopal Bishop Heather Cook leaves Baltimore City Circuit Court after her arraignmrny Thursday, April 2, 2015 in Baltimore. Cook faces vehicular manslaughter, drunken driving and distracted driving charges stemming from a Dec. 27 accident when she fatally struck 41-year-old Tom Palermo on his bicycle. Cook entered a not-guilty plea, and a June 4th trial date has been set.

The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland announced Friday that it accepted the resignation of Heather Cook, who was bishop suffragan. Separately, the Episcopal Church announced it has revoked Cook's clergy credentials, under an agreement with Cook. She is now considered a layperson.

BALTIMORE — A Maryland bishop accused of fatally striking a bicyclist while driving drunk in Baltimore has resigned, and her credentials have been revoked, according to officials with the Episcopal Church.

The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland announced Friday that it accepted the resignation of Heather Cook, who was bishop suffragan. Separately, the Episcopal Church announced it has revoked Cook's clergy credentials, under an agreement with Cook. She is now considered a layperson.

Cook had been the second-highest ranking Episcopal leader in Maryland. The revocation of her credentials resolves any disciplinary matters with the church, officials said.

Cook faces charges of vehicular manslaughter, drunken driving and distracted driving stemming from a Dec. 27 accident. Prosecutors say Cook was drunk and texting when she fatally struck 41-year-old Tom Palermo on his bicycle. Cook is free on a $2.5 million bail.

A June 4 trial date has been set in the case. Cook pleaded not guilty during her arraignment in April.

Cook's attorney David Irwin confirmed that Cook had resigned.

"She will no longer function as an ordained person in the Episcopal Church," Irwin said. "More importantly on behalf of Ms. Cook, we continue to express our deepest sympathy and regret to the Palermo family for their tragic loss."

WELS District President DUI? - No problem.
WELS Worship Professor DUI - No problem.
WELS Shrinker DUI - Give him a fake church to play and drink in.
Fat, drunk, and stupid is a positive role model in WELS.

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Dual actions end Heather Cook’s ordained ministry, employment

By ENS staff | May 1, 2015 4 Comments |

[Episcopal News Service] Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori announced May 1 that she and Episcopal Diocese of Maryland Bishop Suffragan Heather Cook have reached an agreement that deprives her of her status as an ordained person in The Episcopal Church; moreover, that announcement came on the same day that Cook resigned her diocesan post.

Cook is scheduled to go on trial in June for allegedly causing the Dec. 27 car-bicycle accident in Baltimore that killed bicyclist Thomas Palermo. The simultaneous May 1 announcements do not involve the legal proceedings against Cook, but they do end all ecclesiastical disciplinary matters pending against her.

Maryland Bishop Eugene Taylor Sutton had placed Cook on administrative leave shortly after the accident. Jefferts Schori restricted her ministry on Feb. 10

The statement from the Office of the Presiding Bishop is here and below.

“Pursuant to Title IV of the Canons of The Episcopal Church, the Presiding Bishop and Bishop Cook have reached an Accord. Under the terms of the Accord, Bishop Cook will receive a Sentence of Deposition, pursuant to which she shall be ‘deprived of the right to exercise the gifts and spiritual authority of God’s word and sacraments conferred at ordination.’

“As such, Cook will no longer function as an ordained person in The Episcopal Church.

“The Accord resolves all ecclesiastical disciplinary matters involving Cook.

“This Accord is separate from any resolution of employment matters involving Cook and the Diocese of Maryland as well as from criminal matters pending in the secular courts.”

The statement from the Diocese of Maryland is here and below.

“The Rt. Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton and the Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland today announced the acceptance of the resignation of Heather E. Cook as bishop suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland. This means that Cook is no longer employed by the diocese. The acceptance of Cook’s resignation is independent of any Title IV disciplinary action taken by the Episcopal Church.”

In late January, the Maryland Standing Committee and Sutton asked Cook to resign as an employee of the diocese.

A Baltimore grand jury indicted Cook Feb. 4 on 13 counts for allegedly causing the Dec. 27 car-bicycle accident.

Five of the charges listed in the indictment by a Baltimore City grand jury come in addition to those Cook has faced since being charged Jan. 9 with four criminal offenses and four traffic violations.

The grand jury had added charges of driving while under the influence of alcohol per se (a “per se” DUI charge involves drivers whose blood alcohol limit is above the .08% legal limit and can be charged with drunk driving even if their ability to drive does not appear to be impaired), driving under the impairment of alcohol, texting while driving, reckless driving and negligent driving.

The original Jan. 9 criminal charges included manslaughter by vehicle, criminal negligent manslaughter by vehicle, homicide by driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol per se and homicide by driving a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol.

The traffic charges filed on Jan. 9 included failing to remain at an accident resulting in death, failing to remain at the scene of an accident resulting in serious bodily injury, using a text messaging device while driving causing an accident with death or serious injury, and driving under the influence of alcohol. The grand jury added to the two failure-to-stop offenses a charge of failure to stop the vehicle as close as possible to the scene of an accident.

The failing to remain at an accident resulting in serious bodily injury and the failing to remain at an accident resulting in death are both felony charges.

Cook appeared in court on the charges for the first time April 2 during an arraignment in Baltimore Circuit Court, according to court records. Because she accepted a trial date (June 4) “there’s an inferential plea of not guilty to all the charges,” David Irwin, one of Cook’s attorneys,told reporters outside the courthouse after the arraignment.

Irwin told Episcopal News Service on May 1 that there was been no resolution to the legal charges against Cook. “We hope to make progress in resolving the case, but we’re still involved in the discovery process and in the evaluation process,” he said, referring to the pre-trial process

Diocese of Maryland Bishop Suffragan Heather Cook, who remains on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into her involvement in a fatal accident, has been as by the diocesan standing committee to resign. Photo: Diocese of Maryland

in which both sides exchange information about the witnesses and evidence they’ll present at trial.

Cook faces a combined maximum penalty of at least 39 years in prison and a $39,000 fine, depending on whether her 2010 arrest and subsequent “probation before judgment” sentence is considered a first offense for any sentence she might receive if she were convicted of the charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or driving while under the influence of alcohol per se.

Cook, who is free on $2.5 million bail, “is still in treatment,” according to Irwin. She has been living in a drug and alcohol treatment facility since shortly after the accident.

Mountain of Brush Cleared - Sweet Corn Planted

Red KnockOut Roses are joining their white rose siblings in blooming.

Springdale sent the truck to pick up our brush, but I had enough to fill the entire truck bed, so they stopped in front of the house. I went out to talk to them, anxious to have the jumbled mountain of limbs taken away. They laughed and said, "We will be back today when we are empty."

Sassy and I watched later as the claw truck came back and began loading. When I thought they were almost done, they made five more grabs with the claw. They raked up debris and took every last branch away. I walked outside and thanked them. They grinned and said, "We are proud of our work."

The red KnockOut roses began opening up, and most new roses are leafing out well. Tomorrow will be another round from the Intensive Creation Unit - barrel water and pruning shears.

I saw some ugly weeds growing in the back. Several were Queen Ann's Lace that I inserted by leaving seedheads in the back area. Once I recognized their carroty nature, I was happy to see them. Another ugly one had a reddish bottom part. Red root pigweed? I like that one too. I would like more goosefoot, which is wild spinach, good to eat.

Earlier I planted "spinach strawberries," a type of goosefoot that grows berries enjoyed by birds.

Parsley seems to be growing in the vegetable garden, although I remembered planting it early in the corn patch. Everything in the corn patch failed - it was too early during a volatile snow and sun spring.

Three Sisters Garden

I hope this guy is happy with his birdfood and does not covet my sweet corn seeds.

Sweet Corn
Sweet corn is the star of the Three Sisters Garden, and Silver Queen is the regent of all classic sweet corn. Some claim better versions with more sweetness.

Corn demands:

1. Warm soil, so early planting is foolish. Treat sweet corn like tomatoes.
2. Full sun. Six hours of sun is needed, so the sunniest patch is best for corn.
3. Rich soil. Corn is a heavy feeder.
4. Water. Corn grows fast and is thirsty.
5. Nitrogen. Nitrogen is green, growth compound.
6. Close quarters for wind pollination.

Seed sellers disagree about how far apart to plant the corn. The plants can be 6 to 12 inches apart. The rows can be close, 12 inches apart, or several feet across. The answer is - closer is better. I work on 12 inches for both, but I plant rapidly and somewhat haphazardly.

I bought 400 seeds and dropped in two seeds to a hole. Some gardeners put in three seeds. The idea is that the corn plants support each other, or gardener can thin them out later. 

Paul did say, "Sow abundantly, reap abundantly." I cannot tell which seeds will survive the squirrels, the crows, the weather, and my own mistakes in planting them too deep or two shallow. I do know they are almost 100% alive and ready to grow.

God's Word is not almost 100% alive, but completely alive, powerful, and effective. No one who looks across the landscape can figure out how God's Word will take root. I have seen many clergy blinded, hardened, and deafened by God's Word. They are like the hollow geodes that float in water, surrounded by water, with no water penetrating the inside.

That does not argue against the efficacy of the Word. Just the opposite is true. When people scorn the plain meaning of the Word and solemnly declare their sect has all the answers, they are hardening and blinding and deafening themselves by playing games with the Almighty God and His Word.

When thieves break into a power station and melt themselves by trying to steal live, thick powerlines because of the copper, they are doing that to themselves, no matter how clever, strong, and daring they imagine themselves to be. Electricity is powerful, far more than copper thieves realize, but God's Word is even more powerful, able even to "save souls." 

When I am planting seed, the doubts arise, and yet what I see around me chases the doubts away. Some great plans, like the Creature Convention Center, lasted a few hours at first. But the overall effect of applying the principles of Creation is impressive. I am doing very little work, a bit each day, to allow God's creatures to do the work for me. 

The corn patch, as a lawn area, was difficult to dig, so we covered it with newspapers and shredded cyprus. When we had too much mulch, we begged for more newspapers. When we had too many newspapers, I bought more mulch. For seven months the creatures worked on the grass and weeds that died under the shade of Jackson Mulch.

My wife said, "I thought you just were going to sow the corn, toss it on the ground." I answered calmly, "That is called - Feeding the birds."

The soil was soft and easy to dig with the small trowel. Assuming the corn germinates and rises above the mulch, there are almost no weeds to face. Worst case - I have an area for pumpkins and beans. In all that time, almost no weeds had grown in the entire corn patch, more than 120 square feet.

Some gourds are already planted.
Pumpkins are good for covering the floor of the Three Sisters garden.

LutherQuest (sic) Has Been Down for Several Days. No Te Deum Masses, Please. LQ Is a Clever Satire of the Synodical Conference

Reclaiming Walther is a better name for the franchise,
because the websty has nothing to do with Luther, except rejecting his doctrine.

Someone else noticed that the entire LutherQuest website has been down for several days. I needed some laughs, so I looked it up a few days ago. I thought it was just routine maintenance, but that is usually for part of a day.

Here is a ringing endorsement -

I always enjoy looking at LutherQuest -- simply because no one has any inhibitions about making the craziest comments under the sun (e.g., to vote Democrat is to sin).  But for the past few days the site has been down.  I haven't a clue as to why and know no one whom I could contact.  Thought you should know.

 Update - I did not check before, but today I saw that other parts were functioning. The discussion area is still down as of May 2, 8 AM Central Daylight Time.

Plant Food Falls Free for the Taking - Creature Convention Center

A crepe myrtle bush, like all plants, creates its own free mulch,
which most people rake away so they can add the damaging fertilizer
they just bought at the gardening center.

Early spring means the trees are shedding pollen, maple tree seeds, various bud coverings, and the normal debris one expects, from twigs to large branches.

Those cleaning out their gutters are thinking, "This is disgusting. Maple trees are growing up there." In fact, that was an annual site at our home in Moline. A giant maple tree showered its leaves into the gutters in the fall, rained down its helicopter seeds in the spring. The kids loved catching the maple seeds and enjoyed the next sght. We saw rows of perky maple trees in our gutters, in neat rows -healthy, green, and growing.

The slimy dark mass in the gutters should give people pause before they despise it, scoop it out, and throw it away. How does the dark slime manage to create a nursery for so many trees?

Answer - rotting leaves absorb moisture easily, and hold it well. Dust and pollen add to the mix.  The leaves never dry out in the spring as the rain falls. The maple seeds flat spin into their compost, which is ideal to hold and nurture the little trees.

I pruned the crepe myrtle bush with my finters alone, taking twigs away from the branches, to give the bush the Lyle Lovett look. The bark is attractive, so I can understand the reason for this treatment, leaving the lower part free of growth. All the trimmings landed on the wood mulch, adding to the food supply for the roots, as the pile decayed into the soil. I have been adding grass clippings, mushroom compost, bush trimmings, and wood mulch to the base for a year, and the pile continues to be worked into the soil by God's soil creatures - earthworms, springtails, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and nematodes.

Creature Convention Center
The Jackson Bird Spa has been a bit success with birds and squirrels. I mulched an area under the trees for baths and feeders. Birds like to search for food in dry mulch rather than soggy soil, and our soil was muddy for a long time. Besides that, wood mulch is a natural environment for enticing more soil creatures to breed and come to the surface as food for birds and spiders.


All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colours,
He made their tiny wings.

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all

The purple-headed mountain,
The river running by,
The sunset and the morning,
That brightens up the sky;

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all

The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them every one;

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all

The tall trees in the greenwood,
The meadows for our play,
The rushes by the water,
To gather every day;

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all

He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

Mrs. Wright had concrete blocks only a few feet across the fence from the spa, so I asked to use them. They were once a way to keep her dogs from going under the fence, but both dogs passed away  recently.

Our helper came by to help move the blocks (toss over the fence) and build the Creature Convention Center. A few hours later, it tumbled into a heap.

Like the founders of Notre Dame, when the school burned to the ground, I said, "We dreamed too small."  I put together a new version with the blocks, more stable and closer to the house - too close. The third version will move out from the house so we can look down on the birds and squirrels enjoying food and water there.

The idea is to have nooks and crannies for food and shelter, various levels for food, a screen layer to keep food dry, and space for baths.

Logs for Food and Shelter
Our landscaper neighbor, a former Army Ranger, cut an enormous number of excess branches from five of our trees. That left several large logs and quite a few small ones.

Creation and nature lovers know that a log is food and shelter for many creatures. One will go near the Spa as a convention perch. Birds love to have a place two or three feet off the ground to use for safety and critter spotting. One log is has an upward sweeping branch, and I saw a bird using it already.

Smaller logs will go around bushes. As the logs rot into the soil, the wood will host more food for the bushes.

Don't plant sweet corn in kale weather.
Funny - people are afraid to plant peas in the cold, ideal weather for peas.

Sweet Corn Days
A butcher and I agreed that tomatoes and corn do nothing when planted early. They need warm, sunny days or they just sit there, refusing to grow. That makes tomatoes more vulnerable to cold temperatures and corn more likely to rot in the soil or be harvested by critters.

I have seen wild strawberries with lots of flowers, but no fruit so far. I suspect the fruit does not form so easily in the cold

Meanwhile the roses, far more cold hardy than people suspect, are bursting with buds and blooming, about 10 flowers so far among the KnockOuts.

Some sunshine will help wild strawberies fruit.
The bees are already working the rose blooms.