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pcttrailsidereader · 4 years

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The Scariest Encounters Women Have on the Trail are with Men

One of the more chilling episodes in Wild was when Cheryl Strayed encountered two hunters in Central Oregon, one of whom made her rightfully uncomfortable . . . “She’s got a really nice figure, don’t she?” the sandy-haired man said. “Healthy, with some soft curves. Just the kind I like.” And it got worse. In the end, she was able to extricate herself but not without considerable anxiety.

Natasha Carver in “Walking Down a Dream” from The Pacific Crest Trailside Reader: California shares a story of camping near a road. A car stops late at night. Natasha and her hiking partner feel very exposed and very vulnerable. Indeed, the scariest encounters women have on the trail are with men.

This article, taken from the Daily Beast, focuses on the AT . . . but, in general, the issues are . . . sadly . . . the same.

By Melanie Hamlett, the Daily Beast

As a 30-year-old nurse who works with terminally ill patients, Julia (who prefers to remain anonymous) asked herself one day what she would be proud of doing if she too were given a diagnosis of only six months to live. Shortly after, she left Pittsburgh to start hiking the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail—a highly coveted peacock feather in the cap of outdoor adventurers. But this epic odyssey from Georgia to Maine proved to be far more challenging for Julia and over a dozen women interviewed for this piece because of one factor.

Their being female.

It’s no surprise women experience annoyances like casual or even outright sexism in the outdoor adventure world, but on the Appalachian Trail some are facing more traumatizing problems like stalking, sexual harassment, and even assault. Last May, the unthinkable happened—a brutal murder.

People had been warning local officials for six weeks about James Jordan, a violent “fight angel” who is currently being tried for murder in Virginia. In April numerous hikers reported disturbing behavior, including being verbally assaulted by Jordan and even threatened with a machete. He was later arrested on multiple charges, including possession of weed, and was ordered to stay off the trail. In May he returned anyway and allegedly threatened to pour gasoline on four campers and burn them alive in their tents.

He later chased two of them down the trail before finally giving up. When he returned, he allegedly stabbed Richard S. Sanchez Jr. to death, then chased Sanchez’s female hiking partner down the trail and stabbed her. She only survived because she played dead, then ran down the trail for help once he left. Jordan was found and taken into custody early the next morning. This tragedy became a traumatizing reminder that even in a majestic wilderness sanctuary like the Appalachian Trail, America is a violent, scary country, especially for women.

As a frequent solo traveler and former professional wilderness guide, I’m a huge advocate of women exploring the world, especially alone. It’s empowering as hell. I’ve never let fear (or too many episodes of Law and Order SVU) deter me from solo adventures. The point of telling the following stories isn’t to scare anyone off the trail but rather to educate women on how to protect themselves and to ask should-be male allies to stop turning a blind eye. Until the outdoor industry, which prides itself on being quite woke-ish, is ready for its own #MeToo reckoning, women won’t feel safe.

“Women have no way of knowing who will be the next James Jordan versus who’s just an awkward dude or entitled asshole.”

The Appalachian Trail is a microcosm of American culture but with far higher stakes. Statistically, women are way safer on the trail than on college campuses or in even their own homes. There’s only one rape reported (....reported) every few years on the trail and the chance of getting murdered there is 1,000 times less than in America as a whole. And yet, the absence of deadbolts to lock oneself behind or of multiple witnesses around to deter violent men from attacking us means the occasional trail creeper can be a million times scarier and more dangerous. The only thing protecting a woman alone in a tent from that sketchy stranger she previously encountered on the trail or the seemingly cool one she’s been hiking with for weeks is a thin piece of nylon. “I physically ran into a bear,” says Julia, “and I’d take that over running into a crazy drunk dude any day.”

Despite having overwhelmingly great experiences with trail men, all of the women I spoke with encountered men, especially older white ones, who either made sexist, condescending comments or made them feel unsafe. “I even got ‘smile more,’” Julia says. “It’s exhausting.”

Surprisingly, even woke-ish/feminist-type men creeped many of these women out. Julia said one of her first hiking partners, who seemed progressive, asked to rub her legs. Later, another one repeatedly hit on her and made her feel unsafe. The other guys in her group eventually sided with her and ditched him, but only after she showed enough evidence, like his unnerving texts. The men just didn’t see it, she says. “I’m thinking, how the fuck do you not see this guy is a creep?” Later, while hiking alone, a random guy aggressively probed her about where she was going and who she was with, then found her 200 miles down the trail and threatened to come into the women’s tents while they slept.

Hilary York, a 30-year-old piano technician from Denver, felt a bit gaslit by should-be allies. There were only three men who made her really uncomfortable during her 2,190 mile trek, two of them sketchy enough to scare even the men away. But the third was “your standard hippie type” who undressed her with his eyes and was clearly looking to hook up. When she told her guy friends he made her uncomfortable, they thought she was being dramatic and overly sensitive. Her female friends, on the contrary, unanimously agreed he was creepy. “I think the most frustrating thing is having your intuition downplayed,” says York. Which is why she turned to Facebook.

Most people go into the woods hoping to escape the traps of modern life, especially social media, yet women on the trail don’t always have that luxury. York says an Appalachian Trail group for women on Facebook has become a priceless space that helps women feel as comfortable, safe, and empowered as possible. The moderators are careful not to allow any man-bashing or vague accusations.

As a woman who’s worked almost exclusively in male-dominated industries, namely the outdoors, comedy, and film, I too have relied on whisper networks to feel safe, which is what this women’s FB group does. York says this group was quite critical in getting important information out about James Jordan when rangers couldn't. Oddly enough, the FBI is in charge of crimes committed on the AT because it’s administered by the National Park Service. Some hikershave criticized the FBI for failing to warn or protect everyone from a man they knew was dangerous.

There are a lot of men out there scaring the shit out of women in other ways, which is why we need men to be more thoughtful, pay attention, and be better allies. The stakes are too high in the woods. Women have no way of knowing who will be the next James Jordan versus who’s just an awkward dude or entitled asshole and relatively harmless. Women have to assume the worst.

Since York hiked with a man and has a solid poker face, she felt lucky compared to the “kinder-faced, solo female hikes.” Kristin Forster, a 28-year-old pastry chef living in Hamburg, Germany, had previous experiences with a stalker on the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail), so she knew how to handle sketchy dudes—be nice and calm but don’t answer their questions. But stranger danger wasn’t her problem in the end.

“Other hikers along the way also promised to back Cowan up and help her. But when it came to actually doing anything, none stepped up.”

For eight weeks Forster hiked with a trail partner who seemed chill and supportive. Being on the trail, she says, means you get closer to people faster, especially during extreme weather situations. Like me and my coworkers when I guided on the trail, Forster and her hiking partner would have to snuggle to warm up on brutally cold, rainy days. During one of these times, she felt his dick in her back. “That’s when it got weird.” She doesn’t blame him for getting a boner at all. But when she casually reminded him that she had a boyfriend back home, he flipped a switch and started mocking her and being super mean. She eventually left him because he made the trail so intolerable for her.

Beth, a 39-year-old consultant who’d rather remain anonymous to protect her safety, hiked with a seemingly cool guy for 10 days before he started to attach himself to her “like glue,” hovering over her constantly, even when she needed alone time. She tried to hike ahead several times, but he’d always catch up. After Beth reminded him she was in a committed relationship with a guy back home, he started making comments on her appearance and how attractive she was.

One day he walked up on her changing clothes in one of the shelters, despite her warning him, saw her full frontal naked, then got defensive that she was upset. “I was completely humiliated yet I convinced myself it wasn’t a big deal,” she says. She eventually decided to ditch him for good. Afraid of his reaction to feeling rejected, Beth waited until they were at a hostel in town with the safety of people around to break the news. “His face literally blackened.”

She felt safe once the trail logs were showing him 2-3 days ahead of her. Then she ran into him. He admitted he’d seen her name registered at a hostel and had taken a “zero” day (zero miles) to wait for her. Panicked, she ran after another guy hiking by, told him she was being stalked, and asked if he’d let her hike with him for a bit. Her stalker passed them shortly thereafter and was never seen again. Beth and her new hiking partner, who became a dear friend, hiked all the way to Maine together.

“As women we are programmed to be nice and polite,” she says, “and I actually found it harder to advocate for myself because I had gotten to know this guy.” Other men have since tried to attach themselves to her on long-distance hikes, but she’s learned how to protect herself sooner. “A lot of men on the trail are desperately lonely and will prey on women who come across as sweet and compliant,” she says. Especially if you don’t set firm boundaries out of the gate.

Jessica Cowan, a 38-year-old freelancer from Ohio, set out on the AT alone, assuming she’d find a “tramily” (trail family) like everyone talks about. But she never quite fell in with a group hiking her pace. When she met her stalker, who we’ll call Doc, he seemed charming, generous, and cool. Although she made it clear she had a boyfriend and wasn’t looking for a trail fling or a relationship change, he eventually started to express interest and asked about her relationship. “I found his behaviors really, really creepy, but when I talk about it, nothing I say sounds incredibly creepy,” she says. “I don’t know if it's an overreaction on my part… or if I’m gaslighting myself.” She was even hesitant to use the word stalking when telling this horrific story.

When crashing in shelters, he’d try to scoot his mat next to hers to sleep, wouldn’t avert his eyes when she announced she was changing, and even got caught staring at her when she was using a privy one day. After seeing Doc go on some hostile rants over the smallest things, she knew he was truly unstable. It was another woman briefly hiking with them, a psychologist, who helped her realize he was obsessed with her and that she needed to get a lot of miles ahead of him.

After that, Cowan tried everything to keep distance from Doc. She “slack-packed” (paying someone to drive her gear up the road), pushed her body to the limit, day after day, and even bought a new tent with wildly different colors to camouflage herself. Whenever she thought she was far enough ahead of him, another hiker would say he was nearby. Doc eventually caught up to her at a hostel after paying someone to drive him up the road.

Cowan finally filed a police report so they’d at least have him on their radar. Hostel workers promised her not to welcome him, but in the end, only one kept his word. The rest gave him the benefit of the doubt. Cowan thinks it was just easier to take his money. Other hikers along the way also promised to back Cowan up and help her. But when it came to actually doing anything, none stepped up. Despite her having mostly pleasant encounters with men on the trail, their blind-eye approach was disappointing. “I think a lot of men are guilty of taking that path of least resistance.”

Cowan did keep her boyfriend, Cowboy Knueve, apprised of the situation the whole time. “You have no idea how much sleep I lost,” he says. “I was sitting home worrying about her and this asshat.” Right after Cowboy dropped her off at the beginning of her hike, James Jordan murdered one hiker and wounded another on the trail in Virginia. “I knew how important this whole thing was for her,” he says. “It just pissed me off that he ruined her trip.” Even though Cowan told him she had it handled, Knueve finally drove 700 miles to make sure.

Knueve stayed with Cowan at night and ran shuttles for fellow hikers during the day while she hiked. He says he met at least a half a dozen women who’d done a lot of night hiking and “busted their ass” to get away from this same guy. Cowan and Kneuve tried to warn everyone about Doc.

One day they actually saw him at a campsite, so Knueve decided to confront him. Having googled the guy, he knew he was a multiple felon and had been charged for unlawful imprisonment of a woman. “I wanted to spray the man and kick him until he’s tired…. but I didn’t want to go to jail.” Instead he told Doc he knew he was stalking women and harshly warned him to stay away.

“If anyone fucks with me on the trail this year, I’m gonna punch you in the fucking face and carry the fuck on.”

Before leaving to go home, Kneuve drove Cowan 200 miles up the road to give her a safe distance from Doc. Shortly after, though, they picked up another hitchhiker and she was running away from Doc. That’s when Cowan realized this just wasn’t fun anymore. “I should only have to worry about where I’m getting water and where I’m gonna sleep,” she says. “Not if he’s gonna turn up.” She made it a few hundred miles farther, but finally gave up. Instead of enjoying any hard-earned sense of accomplishment or pride for hiking one thousand miles, Cowan couldn't feel excited about her milestones. It all seemed pointless. “I felt like I was running for my life every day.”

“I encountered a lot of promises of support that didn’t really hold up. Except for my boyfriend, I didn’t see anyone else confronting him or calling him on his bullshit. I think they all just wanted to stay away,” she says. “Especially after the murder.” She’s still amazed that one man could affect hundreds of miles of hiking for so many people. More than anything, Cowan hopes this story will lead to men stepping up. Or at the very least, believing women.

Having solo hiked the Appalachian Trail before, Missy Barger went into her 2019 hike already prepared to play by different rules than men have to. “We have to be hyper aware, but also not jump to any conclusions,” says the 49-year-old photographer from Boston. She watches men closely but plays it cool, never giving them hugs or smiling too much. “And men?” she laughs “Well, they... just get to hike!” Being older, more experienced on the AT and more confident than a lot of her twentysomething female peers, she knows she’s regarded as “one tough motherfucker.” That usually “keeps guys off” her. And yet, despite all this, even Barger ended up with a stalker.

She’d been camping right down the road when the murder happened, so she was even more careful this year. “An odd person doesn’t strike me as different. We’re all odd… cuz we’re out here,” Barger says. But when a guy, who we’ll call Bear, started going on aggressive political rants and undressing in front of her, she knew it was time to bounce. The next day he popped up on her path and wouldn’t let her through. When he appeared a third time and started to verbally assault her, she and her “tramily” hiked four hours in the middle of the night in the pouring rain to get away. They later reported him to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC).

In the end, Barger had to skip the whole state of New Jersey and half of New York to get away from Bear, but she went back and completed that section later. This detour and return trip cost her nearly $600. Whether it’s the actual price of shuttles, extra nights in hostels, a new tent to camouflage yourself or the emotional burden of fearing for your life, the “female tax” is a hefty one, even in the woods.

Luckily, Barger found great male allies, like Eric Bellavance. This 51-year-old heavy equipment mechanic from Boston and trail vet waited to pursue a romantic relationship with Barger until after they completed the trail. One way he believes men can be supportive of women is to use more self-restraint than they might back home. “You want to be extra aware of being creepy. It’s that simple,” he says. “If they’re whipping off their clothes, just turn away and start doing stuff,” he says. Give them their privacy and space when they need it, keep your distance, and don’t touch them, he says. While Bellavance thinks most thru-hikers, by a certain point, become acclimated on how to interact with women and not freak them out, there are still those who do whatever they want because “it’s kinda lawless” on the trail. “They’re out here because society won’t tolerate their behavior back home,” he says. “We’re all out here because we don’t fit in society.” But this lack of social codes and rules is exactly why women need men to be more careful and step up.

Bellavance says some day-hikers and locals will hang out on the trail and wait for solo women to pass by, just to prey on them. Warning others or reporting them to authorities is one thing men can do. Sometimes he says hikers have to take trail justice into their own hands, though. Last year a section-hiker touched a woman in her sleep at one of the backpacker hostels, so Bellavance and his friend tracked him down and threatened to kick his ass if he did it again. When another male hiker exposed himself to a woman on the trail, Bellavance welcomed her to hike with them.

“We are asking men in the outdoor industry to listen, believe us, step up, and use your privilege to call out other men.”

“I look at it this way—it’s already hard enough, women don’t need any shit from men.” Bellavance lets spooked women latch onto him when they need to since women are way less likely to be approached by a guy when they’re already with one. He never asks women for their phone numbers, real names (most go by a trail name), or social media handles because he knows men are harassing and stalking women online too. When Barger hikes solo, a lot of men ask to be snapchat friends. “Fuck, I just want to hike,” she says. “I have to have extra guardrails up when I post on social media.”

In general, Barger has run out of patience for men’s bullshit. “If anyone fucks with me on the trail this year, I’m gonna punch you in the fucking face and carry the fuck on.” She refuses to be scared off by men and encourages other women not to be either. To help protect current and future female hikers, Barger is very active on FB groups.

Unfortunately, those groups aren’t always safe either.

Shilletha Curtis, a writer from Newark, New Jersey, plans to hike the entire Appalachian in 2021. As a Black woman and a lesbian, though, she’s not sure who will have her back out there, as she’s already faced harassment on her trail day hikes. In a co-ed AT Facebook group, white men have already been harassing her about her recent publication, some posting “Hikers Lives Matter.” The male FB administrators have accused her of race baiting when she talks about racism on the trail. “We need to make these groups a safe space for everyone, not just white members, as Black people do hike.” Latrina Graham’s powerful essay about being a Black woman just trying to hike goes even deeper into this huge problem.

Until white hikers, particularly white men, do more to make the trail safer for everyone, what do the rest of us do? Not hiking isn’t an option, nor should it be. Most women I spoke with agreed that the best way to stay safe is to trust your intuition and to avoid gaslighting yourself or being too “nice.” Always sign guest books as two people or use a male/ambiguous name, invent a “dude backstory” about a “friend” that’s nearby, and never post photos at recognizable spots on social media. Obviously it’s #notallATmen making women’s lives hard... but it only takes one.

We are asking men in the outdoor industry to listen, believe us, step up, and use your privilege to call out other men. That’s what will help us feel safe. We are tired. We need your help.

Because we belong here, too.

#male predators #females on the trail #safety

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expatimes · 3 years

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Trump in last-ditch bid to keep Senate under Republican control

Georgia, USA – On the eve of an election that will determine control of the US Senate, President Donald Trump urged his supporters to vote for the Republicans in Tuesday’s twin election runoffs while still claiming, falsely, that he defeated Democrat Joseph Biden in the presidential election last November.

Speaking to thousands of supporters gathered on an airport tarmac in northwest Georgia, the outgoing president praised Republican candidates Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue and called on people in the state of Georgia to participate in what he referred to as “one of the most important elections in the history of our country.

“America as you know it will be over and it will never, I believe, be able to come back again. It could be your last chance to save the America you love,” Trump said, in a tone that sounded bored and distant at times.

Voters in Georgia return to the polls on Tuesday for two runoff elections in which Senators Loeffler and Perdue face challenges from Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, respectively.

A Democratic victory in both runoffs will give the party control of the White House, the Senate and the House by January 20. Heading into election day, polls show both races at dead heats.

‘I don’t concede’

In his remarks on Monday, Trump promised his loyal supporters that he would continue to fight to overturn the election results.

“They’re not taking this White House,” Trump said. “We’re going to fight like hell, I’ll tell you right now.”

“I don’t concede,” he added. “I think we’re gonna win, in which case we’ll be the last line of defence.”

The president’s false accusation of a rigged election in Georgia has put him at war with Republican officials who oversaw the vote count in Georgia.

Over the weekend, a leaked audio recording of a telephone call Trump held with Georgia Secretary of State Ben Raffensperger showed the president pressuring his fellow Republican to “find” votes after the fact that would carry him to victory.

Trump has also vented much of his frustration on party members who refuse to break rules on his behalf.

On Monday, he fumed at Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who recently declined Trump’s request to hold a special legislative session that would overturn the result of the presidential vote.

Trump called for Kemp to be voted out of office.

“I’ll be here in about a year and a half campaigning against your governor, I guarantee you that,” Trump said. “People will remember the people that don’t support us.”

Certification of votes

On Wednesday, Congress is scheduled to certify the presidential election results, adding another layer of formality to Trump’s defeat. Dozens of Republican legislators have promised to vote against certifying the results, including Loeffler, who on Monday announced that she would join the effort to thwart the vote.

“On January 6, I will object to the Electoral College vote,” Loeffler said while appearing on stage alongside Trump.

Perdue, who could not be present because he is in quarantine after coming into contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19, delivered recorded remarks played on a large screen before Trump’s speech.

Final rally as president

Monday’s rally could be the final campaign event of Trump’s presidency. It comes after a tumultuous term in office that resulted in his impeachment and overlapped with a worldwide pandemic.

He lost his bid for a second term in November, with President-elec Joe Biden winning 306 Electoral College votes and beating him by about seven million votes. A candidate needs 270 Electoral College votes to win the presidency.

Trump campaigned with Senator Loeffler in Dalton, Georgia on Monday night

Despite these realities, Trump and his supporters still contend that Trump won.

“I believe God put him in there and it’s going to take more than man to take him out,” said Cheryle Purdi, a Trump supporter who attended the rally.

Many voters at the rally voiced concerns about the country and said they looked to Trump to reassure them. They are convinced that Trump was victorious and fearful that their vote will not count on Tuesday.

“I think we’re all a little nervous and angry at what’s happened. We need peace of mind that he’s still there fighting for us and our country,” said Danesa Steele from Dallas in Georgia.

“We’re nervous about the Democratic Party. Communism, socialism, Marxism, whatever you want to call it. The loss of American freedom. This election looks like it’s been stolen. Where are we headed? That’s scary.”

On Monday, Trump asked his supporters to hang on just a little longer, and made more promises that he would soon reveal information that would vindicate him. (In reality, there is little to nothing he can do). But between his insistence on the importance of the Senate elections he suggested that despite the promises, he seemed to understand that his days in office are coming to a close.

“The election is over, the presidential election,” Trump said near the end of his speech here.

“But there’s never been anything like this in the history of our country.”

#world Read full article: https://expatimes.com/?p=16382&feed_id=26628 #donaldtrump #news #unitedstates #usampcanada #uselections2020

#DonaldTrump #News #UnitedStates #USampCanada #USElections2020

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negahc · 3 years

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March 2021

It is with great regret and sadness that we announce History Center Board Member, supporter, and dear friend Jackie Cooley passed away On February 9. She had been a Board member since 2016, but she and her husband Counte had been involved with the History Center for much longer, especially in relation to the White Path Cabin. Along with Counte she had operated Electronic Sales Company for 23 years. She was incredibly active in the community, including as co-founder of For Her Glory, an organization that helps cancer patients in need in medical assistance. Jackie always had a smile, an encouraging word, and a sharp insight, and she will be truly missed.

We have lots of exciting livestream programs for the month of March! Every Wednesday at 2 PM EST we host free livestream programming to the general public. Every Friday at 2 PM EST we host special Members Only programs.

Become a Digital Member today for as little as $3/month or $35/year at www.negahc.org/member.

View our entire March lineup at www.negahc.org/events

Homeschool Connection is going great. It is hard to believe we are approaching the midterm point of our 2nd semester already! We have just entered the 20th century in our American History Course. Last week we learned about WWI and we time traveled to meet a German Imperial Soldier who had been fighting in the trenches in France.

Is the pirate life for you? Come to the Northeast Georgia's virtual family day made possible by the Ada Mae Ivester Education Center on March 14th from 1PM to 5PM EST and find out. We will have lessons on the history of piracy, the weapons and tactics used by pirates, and you'll get to meet some of the most famous pirates to ever sail the seven seas! We will also talk about pirate legends and why are pirates are so popular today. And to end the family day be sure to join us live at 5pm to play our Pirate Trivia Game. If you win you may just get some treasure!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our February Family Day: Voices for the Vote! It was held on February 14th which we learned is the League of Women's Voters Day. We had a wonderful time learning about the women's suffrage movement through the virtual tour of our special exhibit, crafts, fashion, and dance. We even had famous suffragists Sojourner Truth, Lucy Stone, and Frederick Douglas come and speak about their views. This program was made possible through the Ada Mae Ivester Education Center and viewers like you!

March Forum: Plagues in History

I know, we're all tired of hearing about, thinking about, and living through COVID-19... but what about some of the other pandemics from the past? Join us for a socially-distanced, mask-free virtual presentation on Tuesday, March 9, at 7PM ET for a MEMBERS ONLY Forum as we look back through history at some of the not-so-good days where plague walked the land and what our ancestors thought about disease and it made it through... Eventually.

Not a member? It's not too late! got to https://www.negahc.org/member and become one in just a few minutes!

We exceeded our February donation goal! Our goal was $200 and our generous viewers and members supported us with $215. Thank you to all of our donors: Eric Falls, Dale Granata, Sue, Leigh Elkins, Rosann, Phil Fortin, Jeanne, Arrelina Bernal, Stella, Anonymous, and HandsOnHomeschool Academy!

In March, we are going to try to reach $250. If you donate toward our March goal, you will be automatically entered into a raffle to win a $15 gift certificate to our online museum shop. Every $5 gets you one raffle ticket! So if you donate $20, you will be entered into the raffle four times. Donate today at bit.ly/march21goal

In our latest episode of Then Again, Glen discusses the geological history of Appalachia with geologist and professor Jim Buecheler from Northern Virginia Community College. Learn the effects of continental collisions, mountain formations, and more in this ROCKIN' episode! You can also follow Jim on his Twitch channel to watch his fascinating geology lessons at www.twitch.tv/geojim2006

Visit our website to listen to this episode (and all other episodes) at: thenagainpodcast.com

The brand new online Museum shop is now open! We have over 70 items currently in the store, with many more items soon to come. We also have discounts of up to 70% off on select books!

Visit our new store at: http://negahistorycenter.square.site

CJ Payne: Digital Studio Intern

My name is CJ Payne, I’m a recent graduate of the University of North Georgia. I got my bachelors’ degree in Film & Digital Media with a minor in Graphic Design. I’m passionate about bringing stories to life through editing videos. I love working on documentaries because true stories have much more of a lasting impact with their message, in my opinion. I am interning at the Northeast Georgia History Center because I want to gain more experience working as a video editor. I enjoy learning about the lifestyles of people in past time periods especially those from cultures other than my own like the Cherokee nation. There’s much to learn from people living in a different era than mine.

I love spending time on set with friends, watching movies, and hiking. I dabble with outdoor photography and take way too many pictures of my dog. I also love to read and take my dog for long walks.

Andrews Gless: Digital Studio Intern

Raised in North Georgia, I fell in love with music and movies at a young age. From action movies to historical biopics and classic hip-hop to opera, music and movies are something that I have always loved. History is very special to me. Apart from being one of my favorite subjects in school, I love learning about different figures and events through time. There is always a lesson about life that can be learned through the study of history.

I have a Bachelor's Degree in Film and Digital Media with a Production Concentration from the University of North Georgia, where I was able to work on several different award winning films throughout Georgia and the South, (A Devil in God's Country, Dead Winter, Halfway). I wanted to continue to hone my editing and production skills. The History Center offers the unique opportunity of being able to help produce different types of content for all ages with a variety of professionals. I hope that I will be able to assist in bringing more stories of North Georgia and the United States to life. I love good stories, great food and movies of all types. I'm an amateur vinyl collector, avid gamer and I can always be found sharing a laugh with my close friends and family.

From Cheryl and Jerry Vandiver in memory of Dinah Wayne, Jack Frost and Frank Norton Sr.

From Cathy and Tony Herdener in memory of Frank Norton Sr., Dinah Wayne, Jack Frost, Jackie Cooley, Jim Walters and Jo Ann Adams.

From Sandra Williams in memory of Jackie Cooley and Jack Frost.

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52murders · 12 years

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5 - One In, One Out

On the 1st of January at 12:02 AM, the following took place at The Wash nightclub in Dalston.

On the roof terrace:

Graham shuddered to the first orgasm he had ever shared with another person and thought that this was going to be the best year ever.

Florence suddenly wondered if she had remembered to take her pill. She was pretty sure she had. Almost definitely.

Paul was one of many people who were pretending they couldn’t see the couple shagging behind the azalea bushes.

Simone was wondering why there weren’t any fireworks. Weren’t there supposed to be fireworks on New Years Eve? Where were the fireworks?

Fergus was considering throwing Simone off the roof if she didn’t shut up about fireworks.

Tammy was having her last cigarette before quitting.

Keith was trying to discreetly roll a spliff without attracting too much attention.

Georgina thought Keith looked like a young Jeremy Vine. Apart from the dreadlocks, obviously.

Maria was trying to get people singing and didn’t understand why no one was joining in.

Claudette was one of several people wondering why Maria was singing “How Much is That Doggy In The Window?”

Hadley wanted to go back inside.

Sandeep was wondering who his ex-girlfriend had kissed at midnight.

Tara thought she and Sandeep had a future together.

Harry was wondering who the fuck invited their dad out for New Year’s Eve.

Ron was talking about the pills back in the day and how you just had to take one and you were on one for the rest of the night.

Chas hadn’t felt old until he’d seen the expressions of amused contempt on the faces of those kids as they took the piss out of his brother.

Billy looked at the skyline and wondered what the year ahead would bring.

On the upper staircase:

Caroline was crying.

Julianne had her arm around Caroline, was rubbing her shoulder and said “there, there” but wasn’t really in the mood to be going through these dramas so early in the evening.

Nicholas stood around awkwardly, wondering what – if anything – he could do.

Genovese was knocking on the office door, so Ken could reset the credit card terminal.

In the office:

Ken was busy racking up lines of coke.

DJ Dan Diamond was promising himself that he would stop taking crappy bookings in these shitty two-bit clubs.

Chantelle was wondering if Ken expected her to shag DJ Dan Diamond.

Vicki wished she’d been able to get tickets for Ministry.

Pete was fairly sure he’d once had a handjob from DJ Dan Diamond at a festival in Berlin.

In the stock cupboard:

A mouse was nibbling on a pistachio nut.

In the first floor bar:

Sam was ignoring his boss’s previous warnings about drug use and necked two pills behind the bar.

Georgia thought that if Sam wanted to keep his job, he should either be more discreet or learn how to share.

Hamish still couldn’t get served, even when there was nobody else standing there.

Chris wasn’t sure whether to say Happy New Year to Pauline or Sabrina, so just stood there with his arms half outstretched to the room in general.

Sabrina was hugging Pauline and telling her that it was going to be their year. THEIR YEAR.

Pauline wished that Sabrina hadn’t eaten so much garlic before coming out.

Freddie was waiting for Sabrina to shut up so he could say Happy New Year to Pauline.

Tim was putting something in Pauline’s drink.

Kenneth wasn’t sure he wanted to hang around with Tim any more.

Michelle was wishing that she had stayed at home.

Tom was wishing that Michelle would take that look off her face and at least pretend to have a good time.

Carol hoped that she and Julius didn’t end up like Tom and Michelle.

Julius felt homesick.

Maxine was sick, but kept her mouth shut and was doing her best to swallow it without anyone noticing.

Jack tried to make a move on Maxine and didn’t understand why she wouldn’t kiss him.

Sharon watched Jack make a fool of himself and knew that she would be the one he went home with at the end of the night.

Andy thought he definitely was in with Sharon.

Penelope suddenly felt a sharp pain under her chin, like she’d been punched by an iron fist. She fell to the floor and was dead before reached it.

Kevin thought that Penelope was just staggering because she was drunk and was about to laugh at her. Then he saw the blood.

Jocasta was about to slap that fucking bitch that was bumping into her.

Coralina wished she’d worn better shoes. That heel was just about to snap.

Patti wasn’t going to be able to take her top back tomorrow. Not with Bacardi spilled down the back and sweat in the pits.

Carl had his hands on the skinny arse of some girl he had been introduced to twice, but whose name he had forgotten.

Jemima wondered if wanting to get off with a black guy - any black guy - was racist.

Callie had never seen what happened to Jemima when she drank and now understood why she generally only had lemonade at their works do’s.

Samson wanted to know why this one wasn’t as much fun as her friend.

Roxanne wondered what the point of wearing makeup and putting on nice clothes when guys went for scruffy old tarts.

Jack thought seventy-five a gram was extortionate, even for New Year’s Eve.

Toby would have given the gear away for free if it meant he could go home and be with Joy and the baby, but Ansell needed his money and wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Sandra watched the deal go down and reminded herself that she was off-duty.

Bea was only pretending to be drunk. It was the only way she could justify acting the way she did.

Kayleigh wondered why Bea had to get so wankered every time they went out.

On the lower staircase:

Kyle was explaining this theory about a universal consciousness and how we are all different vibrational frequencies of the same energy.

Sharon had no fucking idea what this guy was on about.

Pauline was just pleased that she had found somewhere to sit down.

Derek had surreptitiously bombed a load of speed and wanted to head back to the dancefloor.

Rose made a joke about ants in the pants, then blushed furiously for no discernible reason.

Luke had no idea that the woman he was snogging would be his wife by this time next year.

Cora was glad she had brought mints and condoms out with her.

Dave skipped down the stairs two at a time, keen to get back to the serious business of strutting his stuff.

In the gents toilet:

Bill was completely missing the target and pissing all over his shoes.

Kamal couldn’t go.

Wendall was thinking that if he didn’t pull tonight, he might try being gay for a bit.

Nigel was remembering the time he ate a urinal cake for a bet and had to go and have his stomach pumped. Why didn’t he have nights like that any more?

David didn’t notice that there was blood in his piss, but could feel the stinging sensation.

Pete was trying not to be rude as he knocked on the cubicle door, but he was about twelve seconds away from shitting his pants.

Clyde told whoever it was outside knocking to fuck off and die.

Jacques was tapping his arm, trying to find a vein.

Andre hated toilet men and tried not to make eye contact.

Keith smiled as he held out a towel to the guy washing his hands.

Idris waited patiently for his turn and was careful not to make eye contact with anyone or any thing.

In the main room:

DJ Cheddar didn’t care if it made him a sellout - this year he was definitely going to produce a mash-up version of “Auld Lang Syne” and make a fortune.

Cheryl had dropped a contact lens and was weighing up the pros and cons of trying to find it versus spending the rest of the night winking like a pirate.

Liz wished she wasn’t on her period.

Kevin thought Liz smelled funny.

Theresa had dropped six pills and didn’t feel a thing. If she saw that scrawny fucker that had ripped her off, she was going to rip his tits off.

Dreamer was just there for the music. He didn’t hold with this new years shit.

Christos had been dancing for over and hour and hadn’t moved his feet once.

Sami thought house was for poofs and hairdressers, but these girls seemed to be into it, so…

Hector made the box.

Charlene liked to dance, but preferred it if guys were a bit clumsy. For some reason, she found it reassuring.

Veronica had been saving the last few drops of her vodka and coke for twenty minutes, waiting for someone to buy her a drink.

Bettina wondered why she was getting funny looks.

Lewis didn’t want to stare, but couldn’t help but notice that girl’s dress had gone totally see-through.

Bernard didn’t mind staring at all.

Francis thought they didn’t make tunes like this any more, even though the song had, in fact, only been released three weeks ago.

Indigo would rather have been in Bali.

Karl couldn’t work out what that guy was so upset about.

Frank knew trouble when he saw it and was pushing Karl and Dayton away from the dance floor.

Dayton was pissed off they had to leave. That girl in the see through dress was hot.

Fiona saw the flash above the crowd and thought it was a firecracker.

Ben did his best to aim Stephan’s hand way from the crowd, but couldn’t stop him from pulling the trigger.

Stephen had got the gun from his uncle and would have used it on that pussyhole motherfucker, if Ben hadn’t smacked his hand upwards and sent the shot into the ceiling.

Jason felt his eardrum burst as something loud exploded near his head.

Isaac knew what that pop meant and started running for the door.

Jen wanted to know where the fuck Isaac was going.

Freya didn’t know what the fight was about, but felt certain that her stupid little brother had been the cause of it.

Gemini thought it was typical. You couldn’t go for a dance without stupid men ruining everything.

Inga wanted chips.

Marco was feeling self conscious, but didn’t want anyone to know it.

Heidi was never drinking Jagermeister again.

Delores was considering a round of Aftershocks.

Jacqui thought she might go blonde this year.

Krystof kept one eye on his rucksack, which was in the corner of the room.

In the ladies toilet:

Kirsty had noticed that one of her pupils was larger than the other and couldn’t stop staring at them.

Petra was wondering if her top made her look too slutty… or not slutty enough.

Christine was systematically washing every square centimeter of her hands while counting to five hundred and fifty five.

Jessie was using her lipstick to write “Cora is a big fat slag” on the cubicle wall.

Verity was wondering whether she could ask the girl in the next cubicle if there was any loo roll in hers.

Kat thought she felt something snap in her nose as she took that last bump.

Gina didn’t like the way Kat was scratching.

Louise had totally emptied her stomach, but still had the dry heaves.

Clair was holding back Louise’s hair and wondering whether putting her in a cab and sending her home alone made her a bad person.

Joe was having his first night out as a woman and apart from a couple of odd looks here and there, was actually starting to have a good time.

In the cloakroom:

Petra realised that she’d forgotten to put any tickets on hangers and was looking intently at items of clothing to see if she could remember to whom they belonged.

Paolo slid an iPhone out of a coat pocket and put it in his bag.

On the door:

Ansell was telling a pissed student to fuck off home.

Miguel was laughing.

Donald didn’t know why these guards were outside his hall of residence and wouldn’t let him go to his room.

Tania was one minute into the New Year and had already broken her resolution to stop smoking.

Heidi was wishing she’d worn tights. It was freezing out there.

Donna thought that drunk guy went to her university and might be on her Introduction to Economic Theory course.

Marie was trying to get a signal on her phone to send messages to all her friends.

Penny had a signal, but no messages.

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keywestlou · 3 years

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MAJOR KEY WEST TRAGEDY

Coronavirus has struck a Key West family in a violent way. One of Key West’s most prominent. Craig and Crystal Cates and their daughter Crystal.

The three were struck low by the virus. Their infection most difficult with which to deal. The three were sent to a Miami hospital several weeks ago for care. Fighting for their the lives the entire time.

Little news is presently available other than two had passed away. As I understand, Crystal first. Then her mother Cheryl. All within a very short time.

Craig remains in bad shape. He is back on the ventilator. A representative of the Key West Citizen tried to talk to him by phone. Craig could not take the call. He did text the reporter however and said he was unable to talk on the phone because he was “struggling to breath.”

I never met the Craig family. Their life was politics. Socialization involved politics. When I moved to Key West, I decided to forego political involvement. Ergo never met Craig, Cheryl and their family. My loss.

Craig was Mayor of Key West for 10 years. Cheryl was Key West’s first lady. Craig was recently elected a County Commissioner.

Even though I never met the family members, I feel a great loss this morning. To the extent of teary eyes as I read about the deaths and the Mayor hanging in there in the Key West Citizen.

I felt I had lost a family member or close friend. It has to be the belief Key Westers hold. We are one human family.

May Cheryl and Crystal rest in peace. God willing, may Craig survive.

The coronavirus numbers are going crazy all over the country. Yesterday’s deaths totaled 3,157. More than died on 9/11.

Coronavirus in the U.S. is less than one year. Trump never appreciated its significance and danger. Interestingly, he has not spoken of the virus since the election.

Locally, bar and restaurant owners have proposed a plan to deal with the virus and their businesses. One facet is they will decide what restrictions, if any, are to be imposed. Beware! It’s like letting the fox in the hen house.

Think for a moment of the theme from Love Story. Where Do I Begin. Recall the words: “Where do I begin to tell the story of how great a LOVE can be…..with angels’ songs, with wild imaginings.”

The emphasis on “love” mine. Delete the word and substitute LIE for it. One word changed and it could be Trump’s theme song.

Trump continues to be a mad man on the stump. He argues he won, Biden lost, and the election was rigged. Not even the courts believe him. He has lost 38 out of 39 lawsuits brought to invalidate the election result in one fashion or another.

Saturday, he will be in Georgia. Purportedly for a “press conference.” It will actually be an opportunity once more to decry the election result.

The man needs a psychiatrist.

The run off election for the two Georgia U.S. Senate seats is January 5. Trump will attack the run off also.

He has already advised Georgia’s Republicans to sit out the vote, claiming it will be another “rigged election.” He also takes the position the two Republican candidates “have not earned your vote.” How this plays in, I am not sure.

Trump’s press secretary Kaylegh McKenany was asked a question about the many large White House parties over the holidays. She responded, “You get looting and protesting, we get the parties.”

A flippant young lady for such an important position.

Pompeo is also throwing parties over in the State Department.

I have a question: Who pays for these parties? The taxpayers? Some special fund? Rich supporters? Who!

I suspect somehow that the monies are coming from some source it should not be. Trump never pays for anything himself. Pompeo cannot afford anything on the scale of large parties.

Trump did a 46 minute video yesterday which was distributed immediately. His talk combative and emphatic. No mention of coronavirus. Merely the election result.

Will he ever give up?

Philip Rucker of the New York Times wrote Trump spewed allegations of voter fraud and outright falsehoods in which he declared the nation’s election system was “under coordinated assault and siege” and “argued it was “statistically impossible” for him to have lost to President-elect Biden.

Second day in a row I have been impressed with an editorial cartoon in the Key West Citizen: “Little Donnie T. wants his run not to die and Little Rudy G. wants his dye not to run.”

The weather. Cold during the night. Turned the heat on again. Supposedly will be better today. Heat turned off a couple of hours ago.

May Johnson a lucky young lady on this day in 1896. Everest missed his boat yesterday. I assume no boat today as he remained all day and into the late evening hours in Key West.

May and Everest got together after school finished and stayed together till evening.

They played by Mama’s rules: “Everest stayed till 11 o’clock. OH SWEET.”

Enjoy your day!

MAJOR KEY WEST TRAGEDY was originally published on Key West Lou

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under-the-riverwolf-fanfiction · 7 years

Text

Can Love Conquer all/Chapter 2

Hey guys, here is chapter 2, I'm not exactly happy with it but at least it is longer! I hope you guys like it, in this chapter I wanted to introduce Betty's relationships with Cheryl, Kevin, and Veronica and show how important they are, Bughead gets closer and Archie is just a jerk. Hope you guys enjoy

Link to AO3

Betty is moved into Jughead’s AP English class, Archie acts like a douche bag and something isn’t right with Veronica, and Jughead and Betty finally have a decent conversation.

P.S Thank you to my sister for proof reading and editing this story for me. Love you!

The next day I couldn't wait until science when I entered my form class and I realized that he wasn't on this team. I was filled with sadness for some reason. I didn't understand why not seeing him made me so upset.

But I tried to distract myself by actually paying attention in devotions, who knew that devotions was so interesting. We watched a documentary on the universe and how God created thousands of stars, it would take you about a year to count all of the stars in a single picture.

Kevin was making jokes throughout form time saying that it was weird that I was actually paying attention in devotions. I love him but he is sometimes a little judgemental.

Kevin and I have been friends ever since I started at Riverdale Christian School, five years ago, he has been a good friend so far, but like any friendship we had our fights. Once in year 7, I was helping out this boy in math named Reggie, and he said that I would be a good wife someday, which completely freaked me out, but made Kevin burst out into laughter, and after class he ran outside screaming that I was Reggie's wife.

Let's just say I didn't take it very well, and he ended on the floor with me on the top of him telling him to shut up. Not my finest moment but in my defense, someone needed to shut him up.

Veronica is one of the recent friends that I have made she has just recently started at this school and we are already best friends. The only problem that I think I have with her is that she sings a lot, and when I mean a lot I mean a lot! If anyone can get a song stuck in your head it's her.

My cousin Cheryl is the only family member that I feel I can trust, other than poly of course and she has been going to this school for at least 2 years now, she is my rock, she is my best friend that I can see in the holidays whenever I like.

Even though I am 2 years older than her she has always been the one to look after me, once at the AMP show our grandmother gave us each ten dollars to spend at the show.

We both felt so grown up, we had no adults look after us. It was just us walking around looking at all the shops. But without Cheryl, I probably would have spent all of my money in the first five minutes.

_______

The first real class of the day is English and Veronica isn't in our English class because she was moved up to a year 10 class. She is so lucky she gets to see Jughead while I have to stay back here and listen to stuff I already know.

Our English teacher, Miss Grundy, who also happened to be our Music teacher, interrupted my thoughts by walking in and announcing that she has big news.

"Your English exam has been marked, and I'm happy to say that some of you are moving up a level next year," she said.

"Oh, please be me," I whispered to myself.

"Okay, so once you hear your name I want you to stand and go to S2, Chloe…Trevor……" Miss Grundy, yelled out to the class.

"Please, please let it be me," I pleaded to myself. "Georgia…… Moose and Betty," she finished.

I was overcome with joy, and before I knew it I cried out,"Yay!" Thankfully, no one cared enough to look at me; well except for Kevin and Cheryl that is, who just turned to each other and grinned.

I tried to not pay much attention to them as I basically skipped out of the classroom and started heading over to S2 with Georgia, Moose and the rest of the group.

The moment I walked through the door I felt very nervous. I mean, if Jughead was in this class how on earth am I going to concentrate on work?

Then I saw him. Him with his perfect face. He had his grey beanie that covered his head, with locks of his hair bouncing in front of his forehead. He wore a dark grey shirt, and jean jacket overtop. I couldn’t see the rest of him, as he was sat at the back of the classroom. He was scribbling something down on paper, acting like the world around him, wasn't even there.

My breath caught at the sight of him, because he looked handsome with his hard features, that portrayed the look of concentration.

When he looked up at me, I realised that I was just standing there, staring at him. I quickly looked away and started looking for a seat but not before noticing the look of surprise on his face when he saw me.

Why is he surprised to see me in this class? Doesn’t he think I’m smart enough to be in this class? I thought to myself.

I spotted Veronica at the front of the class, sneaking quick looks to the back of the classroom. She was sitting all alone which I thought was very odd as Veronica Lodge would never sit by herself. Normally, if I wasn't with her in a certain class, she would just sit anywhere she pleased, not caring who was beside her.

"What are you looking at?" I questioned her as I took a stood beside her.

"Oh! Um, nothing," she answered quickly, obviously trying to avoid conversation.

Before I could reply, a student who was friends with Jughead saw me. I think his name was Archie, if memory served correctly. He was a real douche bag, and I honestly didn't understand why someone like Jughead would hang out with him, but to be honest didn't know him well enough.

I didn't know anything about him at all. All I had was the encounter in science, which when I think about it now, wasn’t really an encounter at all. For all I knew, Jughead could be just like Archie.

"Wait seriously, she's here? Has this school gone insane!" Archie yelled across the classroom.

Who does he think he is? I have every right to be here just as much as him, and someone needs to tell him!

I glanced around the room, and nobody said anything. They all just look like mindless zombies who didn’t care about any drama outside of their own.

"Well-" I started, before I was cut off.

"Leave her alone, Archie. I know for a fact that she is smarter than three of you put together, so why don't you shut up and leave the poor girl alone," Jughead said calmly. Jughead barely glanced at me, but I could have sworn I saw him smile. I could feel my cheeks start to flush, just at the thought of his smile being for me, and it sent a shiver down my spine.

"Thank-" The teacher walked into the class, interrupting my sentence. I immediately sat down, so I wouldn’t draw attention. "What is wrong with me being here?" I whispered to Veronica.

Veronica turned to me and gave me a weak smile, but did not seem to care enough about the situation. Something was clearly up with her, but I decided not to press it.

Veronica whispered back, "Nothing is wrong with you, B. Archie is just being a jerk. Just try and ignore him.” She shrugged her shoulders for extra flourish.

"Yeah, just try and ignore him," I mumbled. I sat quietly for a few moments longer, but felt like I was being watched. I wondered if I could sneak a look at Jughead without it being obvious. So, I dared myself to glance back at him, who was staring right at me, just like he was in science the day before.

______

It was after class when I was walking out of the classroom, I felt a hand abruptly land on my shoulder. I turned around expecting it to be Veronica, but was now face to face with none other than Jughead Jones.

“Hey,” he said softly

“Hey,” I replied, trying to act cool, but the smirk he gave, clearly showed me that he wasn’t buying it.

"I'm sorry for how Archie acted back there, he can be a jerk sometimes," Jughead said, his tone soft and light.

"You don't have to apologize. Thank you for sticking up for me by the way, you didn't have to do that," I said, impressing both him and myself, by how confident I sounded.

The corners of Jughead’s mouth curled up, "It wasn't a problem. You have no idea how long I waited to say something like that to Archie," he said grinning.

I suddenly felt a burst of confidence, "Hey, I wanted to apologize for the way I acted too. You know, the other day in science.” I said. I glanced down quickly to stare at my foot, stubbing the ground. “I'm not exactly the best at meeting new people," I answered truthfully.

"Me neither," Jughead said in a soft voice.

I smiled at him as I readjusted my hold on my bag strap, when he grabbed my arm. It wasn’t a harsh gesture, but it was one that took me by surprise.

"Hey, can I maybe have your number?" he asked.

"Maybe," I said. Jughead smiled, before I reached into my pocket to produce a pen. I took his hand before I wrote my number onto the back of it.

"I'll text you sometime," he said as retracted his hand, glancing at his hand once more. I watched as his eyes locked on mine once more, before he did something so surprising it would leave me reeling all day. He winked at me

#bughead #bughead fanfiction #bughead fanfic #betty cooper #jughead jones #betty x jughead #riverdale

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chestnutpost · 5 years

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For Advanced Pancreatic Cancer, Combining Immunotherapies with Chemotherapy Shows Early Promise in Reducing Tumor Size

This post was originally published on this site

The strategy involves tackling the tough-to-treat tumor with a three-pronged attack using standard-of-care chemotherapy plus two types of immunotherapy: an experimental CD40 antibody designed to rev up the immune system and PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor that takes the brakes off the immune system.

“The idea is to attack the cancer from different angles. Although the results are early, we see encouraging signs that anti-CD40 immunotherapy, checkpoint inhibition and chemotherapy in combination could be an effective new approach to treat patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer,” said senior author, Robert H. Vonderheide, M.D., DPhil, a PICI investigator, member of the Cancer Research Institute (CRI) Clinical Accelerator leadership and director of the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania.

The Parker Institute holds the Investigational New Drug application from the U.S. Federal Drug Administration.

Pancreatic cancer is now the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. The National Cancer Institute reports the disease killed approximately 44,330 people in the United States in 2018. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common form.

While clinical trials of immunotherapy alone have yielded few positive results against this type of cancer, pre-clinical work done in Dr. Vonderheide’s research laboratory suggested that adding a CD40 antibody to checkpoint inhibition and chemotherapy might work synergistically against the tumor.

Based on that research, the San-Francisco-based Parker Institute, in partnership with CRI, brought together nonprofit, biotech and pharma partners to test this novel combination in a clinical trial. It was first developed as part of the Parker Institute’s clinical collaboration with CRI, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMS) and Apexigen, Inc., that launched in 2017. The speed with which the trial opened and is yielding results illustrates that the Parker Institute’s collaborative model can successfully foster the development of faster, more efficient multi-center studies.

“We are very excited about the encouraging data so far, especially because metastatic pancreatic cancer has a five-year survival rate of less than 9 percent, making it an area of high unmet medical need,” said the Parker Institute’s Chief Medical Officer Ramy Ibrahim, M.D.

The results also offer an indication that this type of combination approach could work not only for pancreatic cancer but also other types of tumors where immunotherapy has not proven successful yet.

“What we learn in this trial can inform the work being done on other solid tumor types, so that we can make immunotherapy beneficial for more patients,” Dr. Ibrahim said. “We could not have gotten this far without our partners and PICI’s unique collaborative infrastructure, which allows us to be nimble and follow the science.”

In the study, untreated metastatic PDAC patients received combinations of the different therapies. All patients were treated with a combination of gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel, a standard-of-care chemotherapy regimen, as well as the CD40 agonistic antibody, APX005M, from Apexigen. Half the patients also received the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab from BMS.

The phase 1 portion of the trial was designed to evaluate the safety of using four drugs in combination. While a majority of patients experienced some side effects, several patients remained on treatment for about a year, indicating that the combination was well-tolerated and capable of inducing a durable response.

“Compared with most other cancers, pancreatic cancer has a challenging prognosis, so to see patients continuing on the same treatment for a year and beyond is very promising,” said Eileen M. O’Reilly, M.D., co-lead author of the study and associate director for clinical research at the David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Based on the initial study results, the trial has continued to phase 2.

“These results further validate our belief that our CD40 agonist APX005M plays a critical role in activating both innate and adaptive immunities, so that the immune system can more effectively fight cancer,” said co-author Ovid Trifan, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer of Apexigen. “We are excited to see additional results from the next phase.”

The results are a welcome sign of hope for patients with pancreatic cancer, which does not always receive the attention or funding of other cancer types.

“There are more than 2,600 clinical trials looking at PD-1/L1 combinations to treat cancers, but only 89 of them are for pancreatic cancer versus 535 for lung cancer,” said Vanessa Lucey, Ph.D., a co-author of the study and director of the Cancer Research Institute Clinical Accelerator. “Considering that pancreatic cancer is expected to be the second leading killer in the U.S. by 2025, it highlights how much work is to be done to make progress for patients, which is exactly why we at CRI chose to help support this trial.”

In addition to reporting on clinical outcomes in the future, PICI is collecting and analyzing comprehensive biomarker data from tissue and blood samples during the trial. Researchers aim to utilize the imaging, sequencing and single cell data analyses to paint a richer portrait of a patient’s immune system so that scientists can figure out why a patient may or may not respond to the combination therapy.

Abstract 8060: “A Phase Ib study of CD40 agonistic monoclonal antibody APX005M together with gemcitabine (Gem) and nab-paclitaxel (NP) with or without nivolumab (Nivo) in untreated metastatic ductal pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients.”

The most recent data from this trial is being presented by first author Mark O’Hara, M.D., of the University of Pennsylvania during the Predictive Biomarkers for Immunotherapy clinical trials plenary session that begins at 12:45 p.m. EDT in Marcus Auditorium, Building A, at the Georgia World Congress Center.

Other co-authors on the study include PICI staff scientists Jaclyn Lyman, MSc, Christopher Cabanski, Ph.D., Pier Federico Gherardini, Ph.D., Lacey Kitch, Ph.D., Cheryl Selinsky, Ph.D., and Theresa LaVallee, Ph.D.; Rosemarie Mick, MS, and Erica Carpenter, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania; Gauri Varadhachary, M.D., The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Zev Wainberg, M.D., University of California, Los Angeles; Andrew Ko, M.D., University of California, San Francisco; George Fisher, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., Stanford Medicine; Osama Rahma, M.D., Dana Farber Cancer Institute; Ute Dugan, M.D., Ph.D., BMS; and Travis Hollmann, M.D., Ph.D., Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

For additional information on this trial (NCT03214250), please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.

About Parker Institute for Cancer ImmunotherapyThe Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy brings together the best scientists, clinicians and industry partners to build a smarter and more coordinated cancer immunotherapy research effort.

The Parker Institute is an unprecedented collaboration between the country’s leading immunologists and cancer centers. The program started by providing institutional support to six academic centers, including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Stanford Medicine, the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of California, San Francisco, the University of Pennsylvania and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The institute also provides programmatic support for top immunotherapy investigators, including a group of researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Robert Schreiber, Ph.D., of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Nina Bhardwaj, M.D., Ph.D., of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Philip Greenberg, M.D., of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Stephen Forman, M.D., of City of Hope, and James Heath, Ph.D., of the Institute for Systems Biology.

The Parker Institute network also includes more than 40 industry and nonprofit partners, more than 60 labs and more than 170 of the nation’s top researchers focused on treating the deadliest cancers. The goal is to accelerate the development of breakthrough immune therapies capable of turning most cancers into curable diseases. The institute was created through a $250 million grant from The Parker Foundation.

About the Cancer Research InstituteThe Cancer Research Institute (CRI), established in 1953, is a global nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to fueling innovation in the field of immuno-oncology, also called cancer immunotherapy. CRI has invested over $384 million to support research conducted by a global network of immunologists and clinical experts at the world’s leading medical centers and universities. CRI’s clinical program, The Anna-Maria Kellen Clinical Accelerator, is a unique academic-industry-nonprofit collaboration model that serves as an “incubator” for promising new immunotherapy combinations. CRI’s venture philanthropy fund supports clinical trials within this program, which fosters a collaborative environment that enables scientists to advance their most ambitious clinical and translational research ideas, and accelerates studies that one group or company could not do alone.

SOURCE Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy