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Things All Filmmakers Should Know About the "JOBS Act"/
Karen Robson and Steve Goodman of Pryor Cashman LLP have kindly provided us with a copy of an analysis they've written about the recent changes in securities laws because of the JOBS Act. It contains vital information about crowdfunding and how it relates to film -- and is an important read for all filmmakers. JOBS ACT TO HELP FILMMAKERS RAISE CAPITAL By: Stephen M. Goodman, Karen M. Robson and David E. Parsly May 2012
NOTE: This is a general analysis of the statute and should not be considered legal advice.
On April 5, 2012, President Obama signed into law the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (the "JOBS Act"). The JOBS Act encompasses a series of proposals that emerged in Congress over the past year, and that were ultimately brought together in a single piece of legislation receiving substantial bipartisan support. The stated purpose of the JOBS Act is to stimulate job growth and capital formation by removing and/or reducing certain costs and regulatory burdens applicable to smaller companies.
Specifically of interest to independent filmmakers, the JOBS Act introduces reforms to a certain widely, used private offering rule to remove the prohibition on "general solicitation" and creates a new exemption for "crowdfunding", which, when rules mandated by the JOBS Act are finally adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") in approximately nine months, will offer the potential to raise money through small investments from a larger number of investors.1 Since rulemaking related to the elimination of the general solicitation rules in private offerings must be completed within 90 days, this exemption will have a more immediate impact than crowdfunding on capital formation for filmmakers.
Private securities offerings under Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), are frequently used by filmmakers to raise capital through the issuance of equity or debt securities. Regulation D offerings are exempt from registration under the Securities Act, which eliminates the substantial burdens and expenses associated with public registration and reporting. The most popular exemption used for domestic private placements is Rule 506 under Regulation D, because the amount that can be raised under Rule 506 is virtually unlimited and, so long as the offering is made only to "accredited investors" (i.e. generally investors that meet certain minimum annual income or net worth requirements), the number of investors is likewise (at least theoretically) unlimited.
However, issuers relying on Rule 506 have been prohibited from engaging in any form of "general solicitation or advertising" to attract investors. The SEC has never precisely specified what constitutes a "general solicitation," but the SEC has cautioned in no, action letters that to avoid a general solicitation an issuer must approach only investors with whom the issuer has a "pre,existing substantive relationship."2 Over the last several years, many commentators have noted the deleterious effects on issuer's capital raising created both by this "general solicitation" limitation and by the vagueness and apparent internal contradiction in its interpretation.
Title II of the JOBS Act amends the Securities Act to specifically permit general solicitation or general advertising in connection with a Rule 506 private placement, so long as everyone who eventually makes an investment is an "accredited investor". The intended result is to permit issuers, such as companies formed to finance and produce films, to reach a broader pool of potential investors, regardless of whether they have a pre,existing relationship with the issuer.
It is important to remember, however, that the ultimate investors must be "accredited investors", and here the rules have changed slightly. The JOBS Act mandates that issuers relying on Rule 506 must now take "reasonable steps" to verify that each investor constitutes an "accredited investor" as defined in the Securities Act. At the least, this means that an issuer will no longer be able to rely on an unsupported representation by the purchaser that the purchaser is an accredited investor. Therefore, while the JOBS Act provides filmmakers the ability to cast a wider net and attract any accredited investor by means of a general solicitation, it will likely also place additional burden and expense on filmmakers to conduct some level of diligence on their investors to prove that they are accredited. The changes to the law also leave unanswered what methods or content the SEC will permit (or require) to be used in connection with a "general solicitation" and how activities conducted in connection with general solicitations may affect other fundraising efforts by issuers.
Despite these uncertainties, the removal of the general solicitation prohibition may provide filmmakers the ability to seek direct access to potential investors. Depending on SEC rulemaking regarding general solicitation, it may in some cases mitigate the need for filmmakers to rely on intermediaries such as brokers, placement agents and finders to introduce investors and to bear the financing fees associated therewith.
In recent years, films and other art and charitable projects have used Internet "crowdsourcing" donations to raise revenue. Instead of donations, "crowdfunding" would permit companies to take in small amounts of money as investments from numerous individuals. Websites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo have previously acted as crowdsourcing portals based on a donation model. The JOBS Act responds to a growing belief among many politicians and business people that entrepreneurs should be able to use this model in an investment context.
Title III of the JOBS Act adds a new "crowdfunding" offering exemption to the Securities Act. The exemption is available to film producers and other issuers if the aggregate amount of all securities sold to investors by the production entity and its affiliates during the 12,month period prior to the latest transaction (including but not limited to any crowdfunding securities) does not exceed $1,000,000. The crowdfunding exemption restricts the aggregate amount that may be sold to any investor by the issuer during this 12,month period to either $2,000 or five percent of the investor's annual income or net worth (if his or her annual income or net worth is less than $100,000) or ten percent of the investor's annual income or net worth (if his or her annual income or net worth is $100,000 or more). In the latter case, the maximum aggregate amount that can be sold to the investor during the 12,month period is $100,000.
Both the overall limitation on the aggregate amount of securities that can be offered in the 12 months prior to the offering date and the caps expressed in the limitations on individual investors include not only securities sold pursuant to the crowdfunding exemption during those 12 months but also any other securities of the issuer purchased by that investor without regard to the 12,month period. This means, for example, that if a producer has raised $500,000 in a Rule 506 private placement, then for the next 12 months it cannot raise more than $500,000 in a crowdfunding offering.
However a filmmaker seeking to rely on the new crowdfunding exemption will not be able to simply post its offering on a website and accept offered cash. Rather, there will be a significant number of requirements on the manner of offering the securities and the types of information that must be made available to investors, the SEC and state regulators, as well as requirements for updating the information during the offering and after the offering is completed.
Perhaps most significantly, the JOBS Act requires that any crowdfunding offer be conducted through a registered broker or "funding portal"3, not directly by the production entity itself. To satisfy the JOBS Act's requirements that the broker take responsibility for the crowdfunding offering, the broker is required to:
• provide various disclosures, including disclosures relating to risks, and other investor education materials (to be prescribed by SEC rule);
• ensure that each investor (a) reviews these disclosures and materials (in accordance with standards to be established by the SEC), (b) affirms that the investor understands the risk of potential loss of the entire investment and that the investor can bear the loss and (c) answers questions demonstrating that the investor understands the risks of start,up investing, illiquidity of the investment and "such other matters as the SEC determines by rule";
• take measures (to be established by the SEC) to reduce the risk of fraud, including obtaining a background check and securities enforcement history on each officer and director of the production entity and each person holding more than 20 percent of that entity's securities;
• make certain information required to be provided by the production entity (see below) available to the SEC and to potential investors at least 21 days prior to the first sale of securities;
• ensure that proceeds are only released to the production entity after a target offering amount is reached and allow for investors to cancel their commitments (as determined by SEC rule);
• verify (to the extent deemed necessary by the SEC) that no investor has exceeded the limits on aggregate investment in the production entity required by the exemption (see below);
• protect the privacy of information collected from investors (to the extent determined by SEC rule);
• not compensate any finder, promoter or others for providing "personal identifying information" of any potential investor;
• prohibit its own directors, officers orpartners from having any financial interest in the production entity; and
• meet such other requirements as the SEC may deem appropriate for the protection of investors.
To rely on the new crowdfunding exemption, the production entity must also comply with a number of disclosure and offering requirements. In particular, the production entity must:
• file extensive disclosure with the SEC and provide to the investors and the relevant broker or funding portal information regarding (1) its name, address and website address; (2) the names of its directors and officers and each person holding more than 20 percent of its shares; (3) its business and its anticipated business plan; (4) its financial condition4; (5) the stated purpose and intended use of the proceeds of the offering; (6) the target offering amount, the deadline to reach the target amount and "regular updates" on the progress of the offering; (7) the price (or the method for determining the price) of the securities offered and a reasonable opportunity to rescind the purchase commitment if the final price is not determined at the time the commitment is made; (8) a description of the ownership and capital structure of the production entity and the terms of the offered securities (including how the offered securities have been valued and the risks of being a minority owner); and (9) such other information as the SEC may require;
• not advertise the terms of the offering, other than to direct investors to the funding portal or broker;
• not compensate anyone to promote the offering unless the person clearly discloses the receipt of compensation in connection with any such promotional communication (pursuant to rules to be adopted by the SEC);
• file at least annually with the SEC (and provide to investors) reports of the results of operations and financial statements (as specified by SEC rule); and
• comply with such other requirements as the SEC may prescribe.
The SEC has been given 270 days to promulgate rules and regulations clarifying the crowdfunding exemption.
The information required to be made available by the issuer as described above is also to be made available to any state securities agency. Securities issued in a crowdfunding offer are exempt from certain state "blue sky" requirements except that notice filings may be required in the state where the principal place of business is located or where purchasers of 50% or more of the offering are residents. The production entity accepting the investment remains liable for material misstatements and omissions in information provided in a crowdfunding offer. Securities purchased in a crowdfunding transaction may not be transferred by the purchaser for one year following the date of purchase except to the production entity itself, to an accredited investor, as part of a resale registration statement filed with the SEC, to a "member of the family of the purchaser or the equivalent" or, in the discretion of the SEC, in connection with the death or divorce or other similar circumstance affecting the purchaser. Finally, the JOBS Act provides that purchasers who acquire securities in a crowdfunding transaction will not be included in calculating the number of record holders that an issuer may have before it is required to make public disclosures under the federal securities laws.
Due to the 270 day period for the SEC to implement crowdfunding rules, filmmakers will be forced to take a wait and see approach on what the impact of crowdfunding will be on the film financing industry. The costs associated with engaging a funding portal remain unknown, as well as the full extent of legal and other professional assistance that will be required. In light of the $1 million cap on the amount of crowdfunding offerings permitted per year and the recordkeeping and other potential burdens associated with having a large number of micro investors, it is possible that crowdfunding may be less popular than some anticipate. Still, as Kickstarter and Indiegogo have proven in the context of donations, there are masses of previously untapped investors out there that the JOBS Act may now allow filmmakers to access.
If you have any questions or would like any further information about the JOBS Act or how Pryor Cashman can serve your legal needs, please contact the authors of this Legal Update or the Pryor Cashman attorney with whom you work.
1 On April 23, 2012, the SEC issued a notice reminding issuers that until the SEC adopts implementing rules any offers or sales of securities purporting to rely on the crowdfunding exemption would be unlawful under the federal securities laws.
2 See, e.g., Bateman, Eichler, Hill Richards, Inc. (pub. avail. Dec. 3, 1985); Lamp Technologies (pub. avail. May 29, 1997).
3 A funding portal is defined by a new Section 3(a)(80) of the Exchange Act as an intermediary involved specifically in the offer or sale of securities pursuant to Section 4(6) that does not (1) offer investment advice, (2) engage in solicitation of transactions in the offered securities, (3) compensate anyone for such solicitations or on the basis of sales of such securities, (4) handle investor funds or securities or (5) engage in any other activities that the SEC deems inappropriate. A funding portal is to be exempt from registration as a broker or dealer, but will nevertheless have to register with the SEC as well as with "any applicable self,regulatory organization". It remains, however, subject to the examination, enforcement and other rulemaking activity of the SEC and such other requirements of the Exchange Act as the SEC deems appropriate and it must be a member of a national securities association registered under Section 15A of the Exchange Act (although the national securities association can only enforce rules adopted specifically for such portals).
4 Specifically, issuers using the exemption must provide the following financial information, depending upon the size of the offering: (a) income tax returns and financial statements certified as true and complete by the principal executive officer (if the aggregate offering amounts within the previous 12 months is $100,000 or less), (b) financial statements reviewed by an independent public accountant (if the aggregate offering amounts are between $100,000 and $500,000) or (c) audited financial statements (if the aggregate offering amounts are more than $500,000 (or such other amount as the SEC may establish)).
Copyright © 2012 by Pryor Cashman LLP. This Legal Update is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or the creation of an attorney-client relationship. While all efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents, Pryor Cashman LLP does not guarantee such accuracy and cannot be held responsible for any errors in or reliance upon this information. This material may constitute attorney advertising.
STEPHEN M. GOODMAN Partner
Stephen M. Goodman is co-head of the Mergers and Acquisitions Practice at Pryor Cashman LLP. He has extensive experience representing companies in public offerings, private placements, and other complex financing and acquisition arrangements.
Mr. Goodman has also written on topics ranging from raising seed capital for entrepreneurial companies to the SEC's whistleblower rules to the Supreme Court's decision regarding material nondisclosure in Matrixx Initiatives, Inc. v. Siracusano, and has lectured on various aspects of capital formation at Columbia University, the City University of New York and the New York Academy of Sciences. His most recent article is "Still Room for Finders? Courts Question SEC View of Broker Activity" (BNA Securities Regulation & Law Report, November 14, 2011).
Mr. Goodman is a 1977 graduate of New York University School of Law, where he was Order of the Coif and Articles Editor of the Annual Survey of American Law.
KAREN M. ROBSON Partner
Karen Robson has worked primarily in the Film Finance and Production practice of the Entertainment Group since 1986 and heads the Los Angeles office of Pryor Cashman LLP. Karen represents a variety of financiers, banks, equity investors, high,profile independent producers and production companies for which she structures film finance transactions and also provides production legal representation. She also represents individual writers, directors and producers in the motion picture and television areas. For over twenty years, Karen has handled financing on multiple picture deals and single pictures, television mini,series and major documentaries. In recent years, Karen has represented both producers and lenders with respect to film financings which include senior and mezzanine debt and/or equity; international co,productions and U.S. tax incentivized financings.
Karen is also experienced in representing properties in the film, video, television and merchandising areas including properties in the family entertainment arena, including The Berenstain Bears, I Spy, a children's television series featuring music artist Dan Zanes, and theatrical feature films based on a series of major children's television and merchandising properties.
Prior to her career as an attorney, Karen had a brief career as a film actress in Australia, including a major role in Peter Weir's cult favorite, Picnic at Hanging Rock.
DAVID E. PARSLY Associate
David Parsly is an associate in the Corporate Group and represents public and private companies in a variety of general corporate matters, including corporate formation and governance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, and securities issuance and compliance.
David is a 2007 graduate of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, and earned a B.A. from the University of Michigan in 2004. While in law school, David served as a judicial intern for the Honorable Richard B. Lowe III in the Commercial Division of the New York State Supreme Court, New York County.


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Contact Center Installation
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The Contact Manager package can be downloaded here:
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Renaissance Hotels Waukegan hotels are listed below. Search for cheap and discount Renaissance Hotels hotel rates in Waukegan, IL for your upcoming individual or group travel. We list the best Renaissance Hotels Waukegan hotels/motels so you can review the Waukegan Renaissance Hotels hotel list below to find the perfect place.
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Google Head in Brazil Has to Go to JailLike
A Brazilian court has issued an arrest warrant for the country's most high-ranking Google manager, Fabio José Silva Coelho. The reason for such harsh measures was that YouTube had refused to take down a video.
Now guess what video it was. The Innocence of Muslims? Nope. It was a video about one of the ... (read more)


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(Reuters) - Kentucky Democratic Governor Steve Beshear said on Thursday he will expand Medicaid coverage under President Barack Obama's healthcare reform law, a move that will cut the state's uninsured population almost in half.
The expansion will extend coverage to adults earning up to 133 percent of the federal poverty line, providing public health assistance to more than 300,000 people.
That would nearly halve the number of people in the state - 640,000 - who lack health insurance, Beshear said in a statement.
Kentucky's current Medicaid program provides no coverage for adults without dependent children.
Under Obama's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, states can expand coverage starting January 1, 2014. About 11 million people nationwide are expected to benefit by 2016.
In recent months, opposition to Obama's Medicaid plan has grown louder in Republican-controlled states such as Florida and Texas, with state legislatures rejecting the expansion or choosing not to consider it.
In Kentucky, the governor is revising the state's Medicaid eligibility rules, said Beshear spokeswoman Kerri Richardson. Legislators have the power to review the changes and accept or reject them. But the governor can still implement them, she said.
Kentucky's government is split between Democrats and Republicans but its politics has a strong conservative flavor. The state's representatives in Congress include U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and Republican Senator Rand Paul, a favorite of the fiscally conservative Tea Party movement. Both want the law repealed.
The Medicaid expansion is one of the healthcare law's biggest provisions. But a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year allowed states to opt out. So far, 22 states and Washington, D.C., have accepted the expansion, while 18 states have turned it down, according to the consulting group Avalere Health.
The federal government is offering to pay 100 percent of the cost of the expansion for the first three years, falling to 90 percent by the end of the decade.
Beshear made the decision after an internal analysis and outside studies conducted by the University of Louisville and the Price Waterhouse Coopers accounting and actuarial firm. The research concluded that the expansion would create 17,000 new jobs and add $15.6 billion to the state's economy between 2014 and 2021.
Beshear said Kentucky considered but ultimately rejected a plan like one proposed by Arkansas, which would expand coverage to low-income people by using federal Medicaid dollars to buy private insurance. The governor said that idea proved too costly.
Additional reporting by David Morgan in Washington; Editing by Doina Chiacu


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Technology supports growers to cope with water shortage challenges.
Water shortage forces growers to irrigate with less water or even with water of a lower quality. To avoid crop damage and income losses they need to manage their water and fertilizers more precisely. This may also reduce nutrient leaching, one of the major aims of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). New knowledge and technology to help growers to make the best possible operational decisions has been developed In the FLOW-AID project.
Agriculture is the largest user of water in the world. Irrigation water use efficiency must be increased drastically to secure food production for future generations, in other words: we need 'more crop per drop'. The general approach is to avoid water loss and to ensure that all irrigation water is being utilized by the crop. However, in many cases this is not enough.
Working under deficit conditions means that the grower needs to operate his water management more precisely to prevent income losses. In the FLOW-AID project scientists of universities and research stations have co-operated with engineering companies to develop new systems and technologies for irrigation and drainage. The program has now resulted in innovative sensor technologies, which are integrated into a grower decision support system. The system has been evaluated at sites located in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain and over the years it has been improved. The fi nal system has been demonstrated to growers during the third year at the test sites.
The case studies have shown that the introduction of innovative technologies may raise water use efficiency by up to 60% while maintaining existing crop yields. The use of fertilizers may be reduced by up to 30%, which reduces costs and saves the environment. It has been shown that in fact yields often increase thanks to the new water management system. Growers might use this extra income for investments in new technologies.
This site presents all newly developed technologies in the FLOW-AID project and illustrates the promising case study results. We are convinced that FLOW-AID can help growers in meeting future water constraints and that our effort for "more crop per drop" will advance sustainable water use.
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Nation & World
Army launches Bergdahl probe
The Army on Monday started its investigation into the mysterious June 2009 disappearance of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in Afghanistan and his capture by the Taliban shortly afterward.
The Army placed Maj. Gen. Kenneth R. Dahl, who held senior command posts in Afghanistan and served earlier in Iraq, in charge of the probe.
Dahl is currently deputy commanding general of I Corps at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Wash.
After five years in captivity, Bergdahl was released June 1 in exchange for five Taliban militants who'd been held at the U.S. military detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
As head of the investigation, Dahl will explore claims by some of Bergdahl's former platoon mates that he went AWOL on June 30 shortly before his capture, leaving his combat outpost in Paktika province in eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border.
"The truth is, Bergdahl was a deserter, and soldiers from his unit died trying to track him down," Nathan Bradley Bethea, a veteran from Bergdahl's unit, wrote June 2 in The Daily Beast, an online news site.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told Congress last week he had seen no evidence that any soldiers died in the search for Bergdahl.
Should Bergdahl eventually face a court-martial, Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a possible site for the military trial as the closest major installation to his hometown in Idaho.
Dahl will have access to the 2009 investigation and report the Army completed on Bergdahl's disappearance, but his probe will apparently be a new initiative.
The swap of war prisoners has sparked controversy with mainly Republican lawmakers accusing President Barack Obama of breaking longstanding U.S. policy of not negotiating with terrorists.
At a tense House Armed Services Committee hearing last week, Hagel, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, said the deal vindicated the more venerable military policy of not leaving a fallen warrior behind enemy lines.
Hagel said the United States negotiated directly with the Qatari government, which brokered the deal. The five freed Taliban must remain in Qatar at least a year under the terms of the accord.
Bergdahl was treated for 12 days at the U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, and then flown to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio on Friday.
"The Army's top priority remains Sgt. Bergdahl's health and reintegration," the Army said Monday in a statement.
Dahl will not interview Bergdahl, 28, until the team of doctors and psychologists treating him clears him for such questioning, the Army said.
Dahl, a 1982 graduate of the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., served in Afghanistan from 2010 to 2013 during the period in which Bergdahl was held captive.
The appointment of a two-star general to head the investigation of Bergdahl's disappearance and captivity indicates the case's high profile.
In a normal review of possible misconduct, called a 15-6 report for the number of the Army regulation that governs it, an officer two or three ranks above the rank of the soldier being probed would lead the initiative.
That precedent would have placed a captain or a major in charge of examining Bergdahl's case.


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As we approach New Year's Eve and the start of 2007, I can't help but reflect on the past year and the changes our family has seen and things we have done.
Of course, the biggest change in our lives occurred when I got pregnant back in February and then Julian joined our family in November. 🙂
I did a lot of soul-searching and research before deciding mid-pregnancy to switch from a traditional OB-attended hospital birth to a midwife-attended home birth. It's a decision that really changed my life in a lot of ways (those of you who read my birth story know why) and I'm so thankful that I made that choice. One of these days I hope to write more about home birth and why it was such an amazing experience for me.
We took three trips this past year – one to Oklahoma and Kansas to see my in-laws, one to California in May and the other to Michigan to see my family in August, and we had a visit from my parents in both June and December.
I made some good progress with my photography business, building up my portfolio and gaining experience.
The company Jody works for was acquired by Google, which was a positive move for the company and Jody personally.
And Ava celebrated her second birthday in June with a Sesame Street-themed party at a park.
At the end of 2005, I wrote a blog entry with my goals for 2006, which were:
* Become more aware about the food and drinks I ingest and feed to my family. – to include researching vegetarianism and veganism and learning about the impact of current farming and food production in this country on the animals and environment so that I can make informed dietary decisions
* Research voluntary simplicity
* Take a photography course and LEARN, LEARN, LEARN
* Continue portfolio building and practicing for my photography business
* Be mindful that all of my words and actions have consequences
* Focus on healing and acceptance (with regard to being an adult child of an alcoholic) – to include reading some of Claudia Black's books on the subject
I feel like I've accomplished most of those or at least worked on them to some degree. The one I feel I didn't do as much on as I would've liked is the first one. While we do try to eat organic whenever we can afford it, my choice to go vegetarian didn't last long. I don't know if complete vegetarianism will work best for our family, but I would like to see us decrease our meat consumption in the coming year.
So here are my new goals for 2007 (in no particular order):
* Continue to be aware of the foods we eat and decrease meat consumption
* Continue to declutter and organize our house a la FlyLady (working towards voluntary simplicity)
* Return to photography (semi-professionally) at some point – I'm currently taking a break since having Julian.
* Be mindful of my patience, as well as practicing gentle discipline and empathic parenting
* Continue to be mindful that all of my words and actions have consequences, especially with regard to my husband, Ava and my sister
I think that's all for now. Of course, I also have goals for things that need to be fixed around the house with the ultimate goal of finding a new home to move to in the next year or two, but I'm not including those things in my list.
I would like to add that my Christmas cards finally arrived on the 28th and were mailed out the same day. (I sent Jody out to the post office in the snow. How horrible am I?) I wasn't thrilled with how they turned out, but oh well! After all of that waiting, they were being sent no matter how they looked. :oP
Thankfully, we only got about 4 or 5 additional inches of snow on Thursday. The piles from the plowing (hooray, our street finally got plowed) are gigantic. Jody was able to work from home both Thursday and Friday, so that was nice. Ava and I did some crafts together on Friday. I'll post pics another time.
No special New Year's plans for us this year. We were invited to a party, but since Julian is still such a newbie and this is major flu and RSV season, have decided to stay at home. I'm still trying to come up with something fun we can do tomorrow night as a family. Any ideas?
Wishing everyone a safe and happy New Year! 🙂 Cheers!


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At a certain point, you've watched the new Iron Man 3 trailer so many times that one more viewing would send your body into catatonic shock. It's time to take a breather. And what better way than to watch a homemade version that's almost as good? Or, you know, as charming.
Sweded trailers are nothing new, of course, but this is particularly strong one, churned out in what might be record time. My only complaint? Let's work on our action figure budget, guys, if only to do that last scene justice.


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Sept. 9, 2007
Head Coach Jerry Smith, on the game against Virginia:
"The type of game we saw this afternoon is what we expected from this tournament. There should have been four very tight games given the quality of the teams participating in this year's tournament. Both teams were very tough defensively and we were the fresher team going into the second half and the overtime periods."
On the Broncos' defensive unit:
"I have to give a lot of credit to our back four players and to Curtis McAlister who works a lot with them. They played against two very tough teams and came together really well to put a stop to both of them. I also have to give credit to our goalkeeper, Meagan McCray. Although she didn't make a ton of saves today, those that she did make were smart. She definitely made her job look easy this afternoon."
On all-tournament team selections Brittany Klein, Meagan Snell and Kiki Bosio:
"Brittany is our on-the-field leader. She played with her all this weekend. Meagan's versatility helped us tremendously in both games. She created a lot of problems from Virginia today, and Kiki is picking up right where she left off last year. She was last year's most outstanding player and she made a lot of great plays for us this weekend."
On next weekend's tournament:
"We are going to have to build on the momentum that was established this weekend. The challenge we faced today was that we were the favored team to win. Next weekend we are in a similar situation. We need to go into next weekend's games with an underdog mindset, as we did Friday night against Notre Dame. If we step our game up and keep in mind how difficult and precious it is to win, we'll do fine."


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Digging in with Ohio's Soil Experts
a changing climate. Ninety-five percent of our food comes from soil and thirty-three percent of our global ... soils are already degraded (U.N. 2018). Restorative ecosystem management and regenerative agricultural ... University, and why soil matters to Ohio's conservation community from our state conservationist, Terry ...
Pesticide and Fertilizer Applicator Re-certification Training
Piqua, OH 45356 Fertilizer Recertification 8-9 am Pesticide Re-certification 9am- 12 pm Pre-register here ...
EPN Breakfast- December 4, 2019
Registration now open for "Digging in with Ohio's Soil Experts." ... https://epn.osu.edu/events/epn-breakfast-december-4-2019-digging-ohio%E2%80%99s-soil-experts_self Marquee Slide Gray Marquee ...
Ohio State News features new study on household thermostat interactions
part on whether you're a man or a woman, new research suggests. The study has taken an initial glimpse ... conflict. The research also found that men were more likely to report their interactions with other ... to explore in future work," she said. "The fact that we also found that women in our study were ...
Ohio State Ranks #1 in Big Ten for Short-Term Faculty-Lead Education Abroad Participation
our students take part in an international experience before they graduate. Every year we offer ...
SENR Seminar Series- Out of sight, out of mind: Geographic variability in belowground carbon response to landscape disturbance across time
knowledge. Most of our understanding of factors influencing soil organic matter dynamics and nutrient cycling ... Hall 103 at 4:10 p.m. Abstract The world's soils play a major role in carbon and nutrient storage, in ... comes from research in northern and mid-latitude soils and shallow depths, despite the global importance ...
Soil Health Testing
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Faculty member visits fisheries faculty and labs in the Czech Republic
at the University of South Bohemia, and Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology, in ... Roman Franek, who presented "Germ cell manipulations as a tool to manage and produce isogenic lines in ... fish". Several other doctoral students presented their fisheries research on subjects as diverse as ...
CFAES Food Drive, November 11th-22nd To celebrate our CFAES sesquicentennial and this season of ... giving, we need your help to collect nonperishable and toiletry items for our on-campus pantry. Student ... operations manager Jason Holbrook.144. Please complete the Google Doc below by November 18th if your club is ...
CFAES Sesquicentennial
CFAES Food Drive, November 11th-22nd To celebrate our CFAES sesquicentennial and this season of ... giving, we need your help to collect nonperishable and toiletry items for our on-campus pantry. ...


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The Eclipse Foundation's M2M Working Group has added new Machine-2-Machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) development projects to its current cadre of interests.
M2M connection between machines and devices (via a network) is one of the fastest growing technology segments — by some estimates approaching $100 billion in total market value.
This new technology segment presents a number of software development challenges due to the complexity of the hardware and network architectures, lack of open standards, and issues of interoperability between vertical solutions.
The Eclipse M2M Working Group is a collaboration of companies working to address this lack open protocols, frameworks, and tools for M2M software development.
Eclipse M2M has three existing open source projects — Koneki, Mihini, and Paho — that provide open source technology for M2M developers. Four new open source projects are being proposed to join the Eclipse M2M community:
- Ponte: A framework that will allow reading and writing of data from sensors and actuators via M2M protocols, accessible via a REST API. Ponte will also provide the ability to convert and exchange data between protocols.
- Eclipse SCADA: An open source implementation of a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system typically used to monitor and control large scale industrial processes; e.g., solar farms
- Concierge: An implementation of the OSGi core specifications that is well suited for embedded and mobile devices. Concierge will target a footprint with a jar file size of less than 400KB, allowing it to run on devices that have limited resources.
- Kura: A Java and OSGi-based application framework for M2M service gateways. Kura will provide a set of common services for Java developers building M2M applications, including I/O access, data services, network configuration, and remote management.


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|Home > States & Groups of States > Groups of States & Special Status > Groups of States
|This category provides access to the web sites of those organizations which are comprised of representatives from various states. The composition of these groups is based upon a commonality among the member states. For instance, states which share a geographic location or which may share a common interest.
Primary Documents
Web Sites
|[1] 2 3 Next


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When a 1,000kW engine gen-set burned up at a cogeneration plant, the owners were left with much more than the cost of repairs. They also received several days worth of stiff utility penalties for failure to provide promised power. Hoping to pass off these costs to a third party, the plant's insurance company called for a forensic investigation. This investigation uncovered some surprising results.
Since the relay failure that caused the fire was due to "wear and tear," as opposed to a design or construction defect, the investigation cleared the relay manufacturer of any responsibility. However, improperly designed and installed oil piping and controls left the consulting engineering firm and installation contractor with an embarrassing liability.
When responding to the alarm, firefighters found the gen-set, which stands more than 5 ft tall and measures about 20 ft in length, engulfed in flames. Once extinguished, they discovered limited damage; affecting only various hoses, building wiring in conduits above the fire, and external wiring.
As I started my investigation, the staff directed me to the service deck above the burned engine. There was a trail of char and oil on the plywood floor originating at a small tank. This oil had traveled to a hole in the floor penetrated by the engine's exhaust pipe. When the oil contacted the exhaust pipe, it ignited on the hot surface, spreading the fire to the engine's rubber hoses and control wiring.
After asking the operating engineer the purpose of a small 15-gal tank, I found it served as a "day tank" and contained lubricating oil for the crankcase of the engine. A float-operated needle valve in the engine crankcase controlled the amount of gravity flow from the day tank to the engine, maintaining a set oil level in the crankcase. A vent at the top of the day tank allowed the free flow of oil. There was a 1-in.-dia overflow pipe that exited the tank at the top and proceeded down to a "used oil" storage tank outside the building.
As the engine operates, it loses lubricating oil. As the day tank gradually drains, another float operates a switch that signals its need for more oil. A 1.6-gal-per-min positive displacement gear pump (located 12 ft below on the engine room floor) starts at the signal from this float switch and then replaces that oil. This pump draws lubricating oil from a large "new oil" storage tank outside the engine room, supplying it through another 1-in.-dia pipe to the day tank until the level rises enough to cause the float to turn off the switch and stop the pump.
The unburned oil path on the service deck clearly indicated the source of the oil was the air vent in the day tank, located about 15 ft from the hot engine exhaust pipe. Outside the engine room, within a containment berm, lay the two large tanks. Plant maintenance personnel reported about 230 gal. of oil were missing from the "new oil" tank (the main lubricating oil source), and there was no measurable rise in the oil level of the "used oil" tank, which should have received an overflow from the day tank. No oil had flowed through the overflow pipe; that system had failed to perform as intended. Instead, the excess oil left the day tank by means of the vent opening and overflowed onto the engine via the opening in the floor. The obvious questions were: Why was there excess oil, and why didn't the overflow pipe remove the surplus oil?
An unusual starter, which included a disconnect, overload switch, and separate contactor, controlled the 208V, single-phase gear pump motor. Operated by the day tank's float switch, a small relay controls the coil of wire creating the magnetism that activates the contactor. This way, only a minimal safe amount of current flows through the float switch. This small relay comes enclosed in a clear plastic housing with delicate electrical prongs on one end that plug into a socket. Due to their size and appearance, we sometimes refer to this type of relay as an "ice cube" relay.
The day after the fire, plant maintenance personnel found the motor contactor's coil still energized through the "ice cube" relay: even though there was no power from the float switch, and the pump was not running.
I electrically and mechanically checked each component of the lubricating oil pump controls. I opened the day tank and checked the functioning of the float ball, arm, and linkage to the switch. I checked the operation of the switch contacts as I moved the float arm up and down. Everything functioned normally. I even checked if someone might have erroneously connected the float switch wiring to the grounded side of the control circuit. Although I found the device wired properly, I checked the wiring to the float switch for shorts and grounds. There were none. Next, I went downstairs to the oil pump's contactor and overload switch, checking each for wiring errors or signs of malfunction. Again, each checked out.
What caused the lubricating oil to overflow? Intending to do some circuit tracing to learn what ultimately caused the fire, I carelessly stuck the ice cube relay back into its socket. I jumped at the spark it made when inserted and the loud clunk of the motor contactor pulling in. This puzzled me. I had just left the float switch open. How could this relay activate the contactor? And why wasn't the pump running? Several similar tries confirmed my discovery.
Looking at the relay's plastic base, between normally open terminals 1 and 4, I found burned and carbonized plastic. I measured the resistance between these terminals, which was less than 30 ohms. The resistance between all other terminals was essentially infinite. What did this mean, and how might it have contributed to the fire?
High ambient temperature and heat from contact resistance caused the initial breakdown of the insulation. The carbonized plastic then allowed a small leakage current to flow continuously, through the pump motor contactor's coil. Initially, this current was not enough to activate the contactor, but it did facilitate further deterioration of the relay's plastic insulation over time. It takes less current to hold the contactor in the closed position than to initially pull it in. On the evening of the fire, the leakage current flowing through the carbon would finally be enough to hold the contactor in, even after the relay dropped out. As oil flowed into the day tank, the float switch control went into the OFF position, but the now effectively shorted ice cube relay caused the pump to continue operating.
The oil kept coming. It quickly rose beyond the level of the 1-in.-dia overflow pipe. That pipe proved to be insufficient to accommodate the incoming oil due to a combination of the restrictions caused by the pipe length, number of elbows, and the flow resistance of two check valves. The relentless pump easily filled the day tank to the top of the air vent, then pushed oil onto the floor. Finally, I'd found the cause and origin of the fire. Now, there were just a few loose ends, such as: Why did the lubricating oil pump stop operating, even though there was voltage at the starter.
The overload (O/L) switch responds to heat, normally caused by motor current flowing through it. However, the heat could be from any source. The pump continued to supply oil through the day tank to the fire, until its thermally activated motor overload switch tripped out: not by a motor overload, but by the radiant heat from the fire! The O/L switch has a manual reset. Thus, the starter's contactor could be in the closed position but with the O/L switch tripped out, there was no power going to the pump.
The engineering design drawings for the day tank indicated overflow and vent pipesbut omitted layout or size specifications. Often, the mechanical contractor must handle these details. Logically, it seemed like a 1-in. pipe should have been able to handle any overflow, but no one had ever tested it. Unfortunately, this became expensive oversight. The plans and physical evidence could not indicate which party was responsible.
The relay had three sets of contacts: each rated to accommodate the current drawn by the pump's contactor. However, installers only used one set. They should have allowed the connecting wires to reach through the adjacent pins, enabling all three sets of contacts: to conduct the current in parallel and reduce the heating, arcing, and wear. Had the installers followed this simple solution, they could have prevented the fire. Had someone periodically unplugged and visually inspected or measured the relay's insulation resistance, they could have identified the defect and rectified the situation by simply replacing it.


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You Tube
February 27, 2013
Checkpoints (some would say illegal checkpoints) have been popping up quite frequently in the USA. Many are established 50 miles or even 100 miles inside the United States, yet are termed "border" checkpoints. As you see in this video, you DO NOT have to comply with their question's or demands. Don't forget, you have rights.


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Raiders, Jaguars counting on quarterbacks to spark change this season
OAKLAND, Calif. – Terrelle Pryor started taking snaps with the first-team offense about three weeks ago after spending most of training camp as Matt Flynn's backup. Chad Henne has shuffled in and out of the starting lineup almost every year of his NFL career, and he began the regular season behind Blaine Gabbert.
Suddenly, both are starting — and it's only Week 2.
That pretty much sums up the state of the Oakland Raiders (0-1) and Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1) right now. Two of the NFL's worst franchises the past few seasons are each counting on their quarterback to spark change, starting Sunday when Pryor and the Raiders host Henne and the Jaguars at the Oakland Coliseum.
Pryor beat out Flynn in training camp with some eye-popping plays and wowed with his arm and his legs in a 21-17 loss at Indianapolis in the season opener. He completed 19 of 29 passes for 217 yards and a touchdown — with two interceptions — and set a Raiders franchise record for rushing by a quarterback with 112 yards on 13 carries.
The former Ohio State standout will be making his third career start, second this season and first at home.
"It's going to be electric this time instead of trying to quiet another team's crowd," Pryor said. "So I'll feed off it and it's just going to get me even more excited and it's going to get me on my game."
Henne, a second-round pick out of Michigan by the Miami Dolphins in 2008, is 14-23 as a starter. He's back in the lineup because Gabbert sliced the back of his throwing hand on a defender's facemask in the closing minutes of a 28-2 loss to Kansas City last week, when the offense managed a league-low 178 yards and no points.
It's unlikely Henne will remain the starter when Gabbert returns. But he's hoping a strong performance could give new Jaguars coach Gus Bradley something to consider.
"My job is to play as well as I can and hopefully just keep the job," Henne said. "That's how I'm going to play it. I'm going to prepare as the starter, play my best and show the coaches that I can get the job done."
Here are five other things to look for when the Jaguars and Raiders play Sunday:
JONES-DREW'S HOMECOMING: Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew, born in Oakland and raised in San Francisco's East Bay, hasn't had much success as an NFL player back home — or in his home time zone. He is 0-4 in West Coast games with a total of 41 carries for 146 yards and no TDs at Oakland, San Francisco, San Diego and Seattle. Last season at Oakland, he injured his left foot on the first play of a 26-23 overtime loss. "I'm not talking to any of my family until after the game. How about that?" he joked.
MISSING MCFADDEN: The Raiders have depended on Darren McFadden the past few seasons and are hoping he returns to form soon, especially with Raiders coach Dennis Allen scrapping his preferred zone-blocking scheme for a straight-ahead, power-gap scheme after McFadden averaged a career-low 3.3 yards per carry last season. Oakland is 10-2 when McFadden rushes for at least 100 yards. He had 17 carries for just 48 yards and a TD in the season opener.
DEPLETED JAGUARS: Henne's latest chance at quarterback comes amid concerns for Jacksonville's offense. Top wide receiver Justin Blackmon is suspended the first four games for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy. Tight end Marcedes Lewis is considered a long shot to play because of a nagging left calf injury. And receivers Cecil Shorts III (groin) and Mike Brown (back) and linemen Uche Nwaneri (back) and Will Rackley (knee) all were limited or sat out a portion of practice this week.
OAKLAND'S O-LINE: The Raiders likely will shuffle the offensive line again. Rookie Menelik Watson was supposed to start the season in place of left tackle Jared Veldheer, who is on injured reserve with torn left triceps. But Watson is still nursing a left knee injury and is expected to miss his second straight game. Khalif Barnes shifted to left tackle against the Colts, and Tony Pashos — signed just two weeks ago — was at right tackle.
CALF CONCERN. The big left leg of Sebastian Janikowksi is fine. It's his right calf that has some Raiders fans concerned. The usually reliable kicker missed a 48-yard field goal against Indianapolis, which forced Oakland to go for a touchdown on its final drive that ended with Pryor throwing an interception. Allen limited Janikowski's kicking in practice but said he doesn't think the injury is an issue.
AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org


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Digging around in the past for a glimpse of the future
Declan Hughes's 'Digging for Fire' is more than 20 years old, but its current revival shows it was – and remains – ahead of its time for Irish drama
Back in 2000, Declan Hughes published one of the most important essays yet written about contemporary Irish drama. Adopting a trenchant tone from the start, by calling the article "who the hell do we think we still are?", Hughes set out to argue that there was something terribly wrong with theatre in this country.
Why, he asked, do so many dramatists write plays that are set in nostalgic versions of rural Ireland? In a nation that was rapidly changing with the onset of the Celtic Tiger, our theatre-makers were still using an exhausted repertoire of images. "Even if we do it in an iconoclastic way, the iconography remains powerfully the same," Hughes complained: "half-door, pint bottle, sacred heart".
Impatient with the multitude of Irish plays that were set in pubs and country kitchens, Hughes suggested that the Irish stage wasn't confronting our present because of cowardice: "We fear [that] the set of identities we have for ourselves won't add up any more. And foolishly, we think the fear is better avoided than faced."
For many readers, Hughes's words had the force of a manifesto: he was calling for an Irish drama that would engage with the country that we actually live in – a drama that would force us to face uncomfortable truths. And importantly, he was also providing an insight into his own thinking as a writer: to read his article now is to understand why Hughes has spent more than 20 years writing plays that are unlike anything else on the Irish stage.
That distinctiveness and willingness to be provocative were evident in Digging for Fire , Hughes's breakthrough play, which is now getting a long overdue revival by Rough Magic, the company that premiered it in 1991.
On the surface, Digging for Fire might seem like other Irish plays. Its emotional high-point involves a woman dancing alone, an image that may remind audiences of Brian Friel's Dancing at Lughnasa . And in its presentation of a group of twentysomethings who grapple with emigration, loneliness, and alcohol abuse, it evokes Tom Murphy's great dramas.
Profoundly innovative
Yet in its 1991 premiere, Digging for Fire was also doing something profoundly innovative. It gave audiences a Dublin we could recognise: Hughes had created characters whose tastes and language matched our own. There was a frankness about the play – about sex and sexuality, the Troubles, gender and pornography, and more – that felt startling, urgent and true.
Hughes's Ireland was also outward-looking: his characters spoke about New York as if it was a much more familiar place than Friel's Ballybeg. And the cultural references seemed pointedly relevant: the original production featured a debate about Bret Easton Ellis's controversial novel American Psycho , for instance.
Then there was the brilliant music. The play takes its name from a song by the American alternative rock group Pixies (described by this newspaper as "the coolest band in the universe" when they played at the Point Depot shortly before Digging premiered). It also features tracks from REM, Iggy and the Stooges, the Sex Pistols, Tom Waits, and, most memorably, New Order. In the Irish dramatic tradition, writers such as Friel and Murphy had often integrated music into their plays for emotional impact; here Hughes was doing something similar, but using songs that were international, contemporary, and vigorously iconoclastic.
Those traits also dominated Hughes's most recent play, The Last Summer , which appeared at the Gate during the 2012 Dublin Theatre Festival. Drawing on everything from The Great Gatsby to the music of Rush, Hughes offered one of the best explorations of post-Celtic Tiger Ireland to date – showing us how we got to where we are, but also offering hope for the future.
It's important to say, though, that Hughes was challenging the orthodoxies of the Celtic Tiger period long before any other dramatist. His 2003 play Shiver argued that rapid enrichment had made Ireland an unpleasant place: materialistic, vulgar, casually racist, smug. It also predicted that the Celtic Tiger would come to a sorry end. If, as Hughes contends, too many Irish dramatists focus on the past, Shiver showed that the best theatre can have the capacity to anticipate the future – and thus to warn us about it.
But does Digging for Fire have anything new to say? The revival's director Matt Torney believes so. "Rough Magic did a reading of the play as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations [in 2009]," he says. "And it created a huge buzz, particularly among the younger generation."
Torney is convinced that the play is still relevant: that its themes of "unfulfilled dreams, political disillusionment and faith in friendship" will resonate as strongly today as they did in 1991.
"This is a new production which is attempting to talk to the present moment," says Torney – and by doing so, it will, like all of Hughes's plays, "start a dialogue about the future".
So the revival of Digging for Fire offers an opportunity to enjoy a play that is cosmopolitan, intellectually lively, political, funny, and provocative. And it therefore provides the chance to reconsider the question Hughes posed over a decade ago: why aren't there more Irish plays like this one?
Patrick Lonergan directs the d rama programmes at NUI Galway. Digging for Fire opens tonight at the Project Arts Centre, Dublin and runs until May 4th. In a series of pre-show talks, Irish Times music writer and blogger Jim Carroll will discuss the Irish music scene 1991-2013, with Paul Brady and Bill Whelan (Saturday, 6pm); on Saturday,May 4th, Ciara Kenny and Ann Marie Hourihane will discuss emigration issues from the 1990s to the present
Since 2000, many Irish theatres have started to look closely at contemporary Ireland, and groups such as Anu Productions, TheatreClub and Brokentalkers are celebrated for the bravery and honesty of their work. But there are still relatively few plays like those written by Declan Hughes: set in contemporary Ireland but international in outlook; focusing on middle-class characters; and facing issues that we might prefer to ignore. Here are four recent Irish plays that deserve to be better known.
Contemporary Ireland on stage
Freefall by Michael West with
Corn Exchange (2009)
One of the earliest post-Celtic Tiger plays, Freefall (right) was an extraordinary celebration of an ordinary Irish life. Dealing subtly with the collapse of the Irish economy and the Ryan Report, West's play was angry, engaged, and ultimately uplifting.
There Came a Gypsy Riding
by Frank McGuinness (2007)
Frank McGuinness hasn't premiered an original play in this country for more than a decade; Gypsy Riding shows what we're missing. McGuinness's play is astonishingly brave, and deals with the difficult topic of youth suicide.
How Many Miles To Basra
by Colin Teevan (2006)
As with McGuinness, Teevan's work is mainly produced in Britain, and Basra is one of his best plays. Focusing on an Irish journalist who's embedded with the British army during the invasion of Iraq, the play asks troubling questions about where Ireland stands in the global "War on Terror".
O Go My Man by Stella Feehily (2006)
Feehily is another writer known much better in Britain than in Ireland. Like all of her plays, O Go My Man is a witty and intelligent investigation of contemporary Irish life, and it focuses on issues of infidelity, globalisation, and the role of journalists in mediating our understanding of wars overseas.


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Originally published Monday, November 29, 2010 at 5:03 AM
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Europe debt fears pile pressure on Spain, others
Investors sold off government bonds from Spain, Portugal and Italy on Tuesday amid worries that Europe's debt crisis has not been contained by Ireland's bailout but is putting pressure on other fiscally weak countries.
Associated Press
Investors sold off government bonds from Spain, Portugal and Italy on Tuesday amid worries that Europe's debt crisis has not been contained by Ireland's bailout but is putting pressure on other fiscally weak countries.
The yields on Spain's 10-year bonds jumped as high as 5.7 percent by midmorning, making for a euro-era record difference of 305 basis points against the benchmark Germany 10-year bond, which had a yield of 2.7 percent.
The spread on Italy's 10-year bond reached 210 points, also the highest since the launch of the euro, before easing back somewhat. Portugal, whose yields soared last week, saw its spread edge higher as well.
Spain and Portugal have continually denied they will need a bailout like Ireland and Greece but investors have become increasingly skeptical that the series of bailouts will stop with Ireland.
While rescuing Portugal would be about as costly as Greece or Ireland, who each represent less than 2 percent of the eurozone economy, a Spanish bailout would test the limits of Europe's finances. It accounts for over a tenth of the eurozone economy, and Italy is even larger.
"It is clear that the market is aware of the tight-rope that 'peripheral' governments are walking," said Neil Mellor, currency strategist at Bank of New York Mellon.
Portugal's central bank warned in a report Tuesday that the financial system is facing "serious challenges," as foreign concerns about public, private and corporate debt have made it harder for Portuguese banks to raise money on international markets.
Continuing to request financing from the European Central Bank is "unsustainable," the report warned, saying banks should adopt a commercial policy of encouraging saving to ensure their liquidity.
Traders worry that instability in Portugal could easily cross the border into Spain.
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has vigorously defended the nation's economy and finances. He insisted over the weekend that his administration will forge ahead with austerity measures and force troubled banks and regional governments to reveal information about savings and restructuring efforts so as to restore confidence.
Zapatero claims the structural reforms under way, which include loosening hiring and firing restrictions in the job market, freezing pensions and liberalizing the energy sector, will eventually boost the country's competitiveness, among the worst in the eurozone.
He maintains Spain's plans to reduce its deficit are being fulfilled scrupulously and added that the country's total debt was still 20 percentage points below the European average despite the crisis. Spain's debt at the end of 2009 was euro560 billion ($740 billion), roughly 60 percent of its GDP.
Still, the country is struggling to emerge from a near two-year recession and has a eurozone high unemployment rate of near 20 percent.
Portugal's government has also repeatedly insisted that its austerity program of tax hikes and pay and welfare cuts next year will be enough to restore its fiscal health. However, investors fear a likely economic downturn because of the belt-tightening will make it harder for the Portuguese to meet their debt obligations.
Jean-Claude Juncker, the head of the Eurogroup, which represents the 16 euro nations, was quoted as saying Tuesday that other countries in the bloc were not leaning on Portugal to accept a rescue.
"There is no pressure. It's up to the Portuguese government to decide whether it wants help," Juncker told Portuguese reporters during a visit to Tripoli, Libya, according to the national news agency Lusa.
Madrid's main stock index, which has had more than a week of negative trading and saw a sharp drop on Monday, was down another 0.8 percent on Tuesday, while Portugal's main index was 0.5 percent lower.
Barry Hatton in Lisbon and Colleen Barry in Milan contributed to this report.
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Join us every Sunday morning for worship, prayer, message and community.
Two service options: 9 or 11am (both include nursery care and Cornerstone Kids service)
Jr. High meets during 2nd service in classroom #6 and returns to the main service for response worship after the message.
High schoolers are encouraged to sit in the main service on Sundays. Youth (Jr. High and High School) services are held every Tuesday evening.


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Hey, its JMac, back with a hot, and I do mean hot, new tutorial. I'm a huge fan of the anime show Soul Eater, and Maka was one of those girls who really stuck out to me, which is why I enjoyed the series so much. Maka is a smart, young scythe meister. Her weapon partner is Soul Eater Evans, a tough young fellow, interested in the ladies. Maka and Soul have a sort of sibling relationship, bickering at unneccessary times, but yet still loving towards each other. Maka herself is just one tough gal, who really made the show awesome. I know a lot of you out there are Soul Eater fans like me, and I hope you enjoy this tutorial as much as I do :D.
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


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EPA Extends Public Comment Period on Plan for the White Chemical Corporation Superfund site in Newark, New Jersey
Contact: Elias Rodriguez, 212-637-3664, email@example.com
(New York, N.Y. – Aug. 29, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is extending by thirty days the public comment period for the plan it has proposed for the contaminated ground water beneath the White Chemical Corporation Superfund site in Newark, New Jersey. The ground water was contaminated with volatile organic compounds by past industrial activities at the site. Volatile organic compounds can cause serious damage to people's health and the environment. The proposed plan calls for the injection of chemicals into the ground water that will break down the contamination. The ground water will be monitored and its use will be restricted.
The EPA held a public meeting on August 2, 2012 to explain the proposed plan. At the request of a member of the public, the agency is extending the public comment period from its original date of August 21 to a new public comment deadline of September 20, 2012.
The final phase of the cleanup, which was announced July 25 addresses the contaminated ground water. After extensive study, the EPA has concluded that it is not technically feasible to pump out and treat the contaminated ground water because of the complex rock formations underlying the site. The depth, nature and variety of the rock formations would present extreme technical challenges.
Instead, the proposed plan calls for bioremediation, the injection of chemicals into the ground water to promote the breakdown of the pollutants. The specific process to be used to inject the chemical additive will be determined by the EPA as part of the design of the cleanup. Once the process has begun, the EPA will collect samples to confirm that the bioremediation is effective. The EPA is proposing to install additional monitoring wells to monitor the ground water and to put into place restrictions that will prevent its use as a source of drinking water in the future. The EPA is requiring periodic collection and analysis of ground water samples to verify that the level and extent of contaminants are declining and that people's health and the environment are protected.
The former White Chemical Corporation site, which covers 4.4 acres, is located at 660 Frelinghuysen Avenue in Newark, and is surrounded by many residential, commercial and industrial properties. Beginning in the 1930s, portions of the site were used by multiple businesses for industrial activities including the manufacture of acid chlorides and fire retardants. The White Chemical Corporation operated a chemical manufacturing facility at the site from 1983 to 1990 and was cited by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for multiple environmental violations before the company abandoned the facility. Thousands of drums were left behind, with many of them leaking hazardous chemicals. The site was added to the federal Superfund list of the country's most hazardous waste sites in 1991.
Written comments may be mailed or emailed to:
Ray Klimcsak, Remedial Project Manager
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Region 2
290 Broadway- 19th Floor
New York, N.Y. 10007-1866
(212) 637-3916
For more information on the White Chemical Superfund site, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/whitechem.
Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2.
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Wednesday, August 29, 2012
News Release: EPA Extends Public Comment Period on Plan for the White Chemical Corporation Superfund site in Newark, New Jersey
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"Currently, nearly 80 percent of all donated tissue has to be discarded because it deteriorates before a transplant bank can find a match with a patient who needs a transplant," James Cook, a researcher from the MU College of Veterinary Medicine and the William C. and Kathryn E. Allen Distinguished Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery, said. "By more than doubling the time we can store tissue, the odds of matching the tissue with a recipient are greatly increased."
In a study due to be published in the Journal of Knee Surgery, Cook and Aaron Stoker from MU's Comparative Orthopaedic Laboratory, Clark Hung and Eric Lima from Columbia University, and James Stannard, the J. Vernon Luck Sr. Distinguished Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery in the MU School of Medicine, tested tissue using their patented system, which includes storing the tissue at room temperature in a specially designed container and storage solution. The researchers found that their system preserved transplant-quality tissue for as long as 63 days. The collaborative team of researchers also developed a way to monitor the quality of the stored tissue simply by testing a few drops of their patented storage solution.
"Not only have we been able to increase maximum tissue storage time from 28 to 63 days, but tissue stored for 63 days using our new method is of much higher quality than tissue on its 28th day of storage using the current method," Cook said. "This is important because the quality of the tissue at the time of a transplant procedure markedly affects long-term success for the patient."
The new storage system can be used on many different types of joint cartilage, including knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, and ankle tissue. Doctors can use this tissue to treat a number of different defects including traumatic injuries, sports-related injuries, developmental defects and some types of arthritis-related cartilage loss. These tissue transplants can last for 15 years or more before needing to be replaced with traditional metal and plastic joint replacements. Cartilage grafting has been an FDA approved practice for years, so the new MU storage system is currently under licensing negotiation for clinical application. Cook is optimistic that the first grafts stored using the new system will be available to help patients at the Missouri Orthopaedic Institute within a year.
This study is a result of collaboration through Mizzou Advantage. The Mizzou Advantage was created to increase MU's visibility, impact and stature in higher education, locally, statewide, nationally and around the world. Mizzou Advantage is a program that focuses on four areas of strength: food for the future, media of the future, one health/one medicine, and sustainable energy. The goals of Mizzou Advantage are to strengthen existing faculty networks, create new networks and propel Mizzou's research, instruction and other activities to the next level.


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No matter what the occasion, Rockford Charter Coach is happy to get you to your destination safely and in style.
We have a vast fleet of vehicles, including fully equipped 47 & 56-passenger Deluxe Motorcoaches. For smaller events we have 28-passenger Deluxe Mini-Coach, all with DVD systems and other amenities for a pleasant and fun travel experience.


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No apologies from Club for Growth
Since the GOP's drubbing at the ballot box last month, most of the party's institutions – elected Republican leaders, advocacy groups, campaign committees and more – have engaged in some level of soul-searching about what on earth went wrong.
And then there's the Club for Growth.
Story Continued Below
The conservative outside group amassed a decidedly mixed record in 2012, spending millions to support hardline candidates in primaries and general elections. Blamed by some in the Republican establishment for foisting unelectable candidates on the GOP – inept Indiana Senate nominee Richard Mourdock, for one – the Club is utterly unapologetic for its slash-and-burn approach to intra-party politics.
( Also on POLITICO: Hill GOP cool to Obama overtures)
The organization's modus operandi was on vivid display once again this week, as the Club's leadership called for the defeat of House Speaker John Boehner's "Plan B" proposal to resolve the fiscal cliff, calling it an unacceptable combination of tax increases and phony spending cuts. That meant staking out ground to the right of even Americans for Tax Reform and its leader, high-profile activist Grover Norquist, who gave Republicans a free pass to support a measure that wouldn't have averted tax increases on Americans earning more than $1 million per year.
The Club wasn't the only entity on the right to oppose Plan B – the behemoth independent-spending group Americans for Prosperity did, too, along with Heritage Action. But at the outset of the 2014 cycle, there's no organization that provokes more frustration among GOP elites than the Club, and no electoral force with the same potential to wreak havoc on establishment-backed candidates.
( Also on POLITICO: Revenge of the purged)
In an interview with POLITICO, Club for Growth president Chris Chocola said the group views the fiscal cliff debate as a crucible for the Republican Party's 2014 lineup.
"If we do things that make people uncomfortable or angry, that's OK. But if we do things that surprise people, that's not OK," Chocola said. "Members of Congress understand what we do and why we do it. The fact that we watch these races, I think, has a positive impact on their voting patterns. I think that the discussion or the votes taken during the whole fiscal cliff and debt ceiling debates will be instructive. I think they will give context to the primary season."
Asked to defend the Club's involvement in contested, bloody primaries, Chocola responded by naming the group's most-celebrated success stories: "I'll give you three names: [Pennsylvania Sen. Pat] Toomey, [Florida Sen. Marco] Rubio and [Texas Sen. Ted] Cruz. But for the Club, we might not know those names." In 2010, the Club also endorsed South Carolina Sen.-designate Tim Scott in his first congressional primary.
( Also on POLITICO: Grand old white male party gets diversity memo)
"It's a fact that the Club for Growth supported those candidates when almost no one else did," Chocola said. "People want to throw out [failed 2010 Nevada Senate candidate Sharron] Angle and Mourdock, that's fine. We supported those candidates. And they lost."
One Club for Growth strategist put an even finer point on it, saying flatly that it's not the group's problem to worry about the overall GOP win-loss record. Nor is the Club concerned about the damage it inflicts on its foes in primaries even if it hobbles them for the general election. That's what happened last summer in the Wisconsin Senate primary, when the Club savaged former Gov. Tommy Thompson in order to boost an unsuccessful primary challenger, sending Thompson into the fall battered and drained of funds.


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I'm always looking for new ways to use what I've preserved, especially when it comes to fruit spreads! Cookies made with jam are nothing new for me, but bread-baked preserves were something I've yet to try!
Strawberry Maple Banana Bread
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup strawberry jam
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 flax egg
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Grease a loaf pan and set aside. Over medium heat, toast walnuts 'til warm and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Be sure to keep the nuts moving so they do not burn. Set walnuts aside.
In a large bowl, combine jam, butter, flax egg, maple syrup, and almond extract. Add mashed bananas, stir thoroughly.
In a small bowl, sift together both flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Slowly begin adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing well each time. Stir in toasted walnuts.
Pour batter into greased loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes. Allow bread to sit for 5 minutes before removing from pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Images and content copyright © 2009-2011 Danielle R Limoge. Recipe adapted from Food in Jars.


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Kyocera 5.5" Pink Santoku Knife
Easy, hassle-free returns online and in-store for eligible items.Learn More
Earn 5% Back in rewards4 plus free standard shipping3every day when you shop with your Williams Sonoma credit card at Williams Sonoma.Apply Now Learn More
- Summary
This traditional Japanese knife features a lightweight nonreactive ceramic blade that holds its edge ten times longer than steel. When you purchase this knife, Kyocera will donate a portion of the proceeds to breast cancer research.
• Blade is made from zirconium oxide, a state-of-the-art ceramic material that holds a razor-sharp edge ten times longer than steel.
• Designed to slice, mince and dice fresh produce and boneless meats with unrivaled ease and precision.
• Nonreactive blade won't discolor foods or affect flavors.
• Resin handle is contoured for a comfortable grip.
• A portion of the purchase proceeds go to breast cancer research.
- Dimensions & More Info
- 5 1/2"-long blade.
- 5"-long handle.
- 2.5 oz.
- Made in Japan.
- Use & Care
- Always use caution when handling sharp objects.
- Ideal straight cuts of fruits, vegetables and boneless meats.
- Always use with a plastic or wood cutting board. Avoid cutting on marble, stone, glass, ceramic or tile.
- Avoid dropping or scraping knife on hard surface.
- Do not apply force to the side of the knife blade, as you would to crush garlic.
- Hand-wash.
- To remove stubborn discolorations, wash the blade (avoiding the handle) in a mild solution of bleach and water.
- Do not leave knife in sink. Always store knife in a block or tray to prevent accidents.
- Knives may be sharpened by Kyocera. For information, call 1-888-700-7371.
- Shipping
Shipping Information
UPS can deliver most in-stock items within 3–5 business days. UPS is unable to deliver to P.O. boxes.
Shipping Rates
The shipping rate varies depending on your order total and shipping destination. View Shipping Options and Charges.
Next Day Delivery
For an additional charge of $26 per address, we can expedite delivery to most destinations. This service is not available for some oversize items, items shipped directly from the supplier (including perishable and custom-manufactured items), out-of-stock items and items to be shipped outside the contiguous 48 states.
Orders received by 9:00 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday will arrive the next business day; orders placed Friday through Sunday will arrive on the following Tuesday.
Return Policy
At Williams Sonoma, we take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of our products. Attention to design, materials, safety and construction are our priority. Upon receipt, please inspect your purchase and notify us of any damage; we will arrange for a prompt replacement.
If within 30 days, you are dissatisfied for any reason, you may return your purchase for a refund of the merchandise value. An original receipt or gift receipt is required for all returns and exchanges. Returns with a gift receipt will be refunded in the form of a Merchandise Credit for the amount indicated on the gift receipt. Returns with original receipt will be refunded in the original form of payment, cash and check refunds over $100 will be issued as a company check (may take 14 business days from time of request).
For all cutlery returns (knife sets, single knives, cutting boards, knife sharpeners and knife storage), please contact us at 888.922.4108 to initiate the return.
We cannot accept returns on monogrammed, personalized, special-order items, custom upholstery, food, items shipped direct from the vendor or on items damaged through normal wear and tear. Final sale items ending in .97 or .99 cannot be returned.
Made to Order and Final Sale Furniture items are non-returnable and cannot be cancelled once the order is placed.
For returns of items purchased from your Williams Sonoma Gift Registry, we will gladly provide a refund or exchange for the merchandise within 90 days of your event or within 90 days of purchase, whichever date is later. View Full Returns Policy.
- Free Knife Sharpening in Stores
Working with a sharp knife is safer, more effective and much less tiring than trying to cut and slice with a dull one. To ensure top performance, bring your favorite knife into your local store and one of our cutlery experts will give it a fresh, new edge using our precision equipment. The first knife is free; each additional knife is just $5.
Our stores also offer knife demonstrations to teach you the correct grip, positioning and basic knife techniques and can help you find the perfect cutlery for your needs – just ask a store associate for assistance.
- Price Match Guarantee
Williams Sonoma Price Match Guarantee
At Williams Sonoma, we're committed to bringing you the best quality at the best prices.
If you find a lower price on any of our products, we'll match it—guaranteed. Click here for details.
Rated 4 out of 5 by Max Marie from Best for medium-heft fruits and veggies Though the blade chipped the first time I used it, Kyocera mailed a replacement. Now I know to avoid squash rinds. On the other hand, it's the best knife in my kitchen for tomatoes, cucumbers, apples, and other daily fruits and veggiesDate published: 2019-09-26Rated 1 out of 5 by Max Marie from Chipped first day This knife chipped the first day. First, I read the Use and Care instructions. When a spaghetti squash arrived in my farm share box, I used the Kyocera. It chipped, the piece lost in the flesh. Kyocera claims I used the knife irregularly, so, therefore, the waranty is void. As evidence Kyocera sent the 2019 Use and Care, which does indeed warn against hard rinds. My Use & Care is dated 2016 and omits the hard rind warning. I'm disappointed in the knife, and I'm disappointed in Kyocera customer service.Date published: 2019-09-15Rated 5 out of 5 by Auntee from Love, love, love this knife! I received this knife for a birthday present. I never realized how wonderful a knife could be...I use this for most everything I cut/slice. It has a comfortable handle and smoothly and effortlessly cuts/slices everything.Date published: 2016-04-28Rated 4 out of 5 by Sueover60 from Great Knife Its Jersey tomato season and that was the reason I bought this knife. It slices through tomatoes like butter, so be careful. I originally bought the ceramic vegetable peeler and loved it, so I thought I would give this a try. I am very happy with my purchase, I am tired of picking up our other name brand knives and they are not sharp. I would have given it a 5 but I'm not sure where to store it and right now all the slots in our knife block are taken. I hope I never drop it on our tile kitchen floor.Date published: 2012-08-02Rated 5 out of 5 by LasVegasShopper from LOVE THIS KNIFE I love this knife. It is super sharp, stays sharp and is the best knife to use on Fruits and Veggies.Date published: 2012-03-09


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Come worship with us Sundays at 10 AM. If you can't make it to church, please join us on our live stream. To watch with us, go to the "Media" link at the top of the website.
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: June 13Wednesday Night Classes
Later Event: June 17Father's Day Show and Shine


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The 2013 SCIAC Swimming and Diving Championships opened with the diving preliminaries over the weekend at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center. One varsity record was set, while all five CMS divers put themselves in position to score points in the championships.
James Stevick set the Stag 11-dive varsity record on the 1-meter springboard. Stevick's score of 495.57 eclipsed Mark Emanuel's 2006 CMS record of 489.75 and makes Stevick the top seed going into finals. Teammate Julian Laguisma also made the finals, placing 8th with 276.45 points. Jay Kabellis finished ninth, just behind Laguisma with a six-dive score of 166.35.
Those positions were repeated on the 3-meter board, as Stevick, Laguisma, and Kabellis finished first, eighth and ninth, with scores of 465.00, 237.00 and 141.70, respectively.
Athena senior, Carmen Lundell, will be the women's meet second seed on both boards, after a pair of strong efforts. Lundell's prelim mark of 418.41 on the 3-meter board is a personal record and ranks second on CMS's all time top 10 list. Lundell's 372.06 on the 1-meter board also positions her second going into the finals.
Fellow senior, Jackie Olmos-Silverman, concluded her CMS career with a pair of consolation finals finishes. Olmos-Silverman placed 16th on the 1-meter board and set a personal record in placing 12th on the 3-meter board.
The top 8 finishers in each event will compete in the SCIAC finals on Sunday and Monday, February 17 and 18 at La Mirada Splash!


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I'm looking for a plugin that would allow me to create private groups for discussion that are invite only. These would be for people who have taken a workshop and want to remain in communication with their cohort afterwards. They would need to be invited/added by admin after each workshop and would not communicate with other participants. Anyone have any ideas? Appreciate the help!
closed as too localized by Michael, Wyck, Brian Fegter, Rarst Oct 1 '12 at 19:21
This question is unlikely to help any future visitors; it is only relevant to a small geographic area, a specific moment in time, or an extraordinarily narrow situation that is not generally applicable to the worldwide audience of the internet. For help making this question more broadly applicable, visit the help center. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
You can easily create private forums with the Simple:Press forum plugin.
It can do a LOT more than just that, and for that reason might be overkill (not sure what other requirements you have), but if you are looking for a very flexible and powerful forum system, then I can recommend Simple:Press.
BuddyPress is good for this as well. You can create public, private or hidden groups and control who can invite others.
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/buddypress/ You have the option to have forums in each of the groups as well.


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On April 18, 1992, Goodwin Field (then Titan Field) became the new home of Cal State Fullerton baseball. The occasion was marked with the Titans sweeping a doubleheader against Loyola Marymount, 8-2 and 11-3, setting the tone for the next two decades. Two-thousand twelve marked the 20-year anniversary of the home of the Titans.
Goodwin Field is the third on-campus diamond to serve as the Titans' home field. The team's first field was laid out to the west of Titan House, located to the southeast of the current stadium. Home plate was in the southeast corner of the field plowed out of the citrus groves. A new field was built around 1970 on today's site, but with home plate located where the current left field foul pole rises. The largest crowd to see a game at that field, with small portable bleachers and plenty of standing room, was estimated at 5,000 in 1979, when Fullerton hosted the University of Hawaii and heralded pitcher Derek Tatsuno.
Driving Directions
Seating Chart
In the past, the Titans have also had to play "home" games at local parks, such as Fullerton's Amerige Park and Anaheim's Boysen Park, as well as borrowed junior college fields at Fullerton, Santa Ana, and Orange Coast Colleges during the installation of lights at Titan Field in 1983.
Since its inauguration, Goodwin Field has been an undeniable home field advantage for the Titans, as they have amassed a stunning 482-154 overall record and a .758 winning percentage thru the 2012 season. In fact, the Titans tallied their best home season ever in 2003 at Goodwin Field when they won their first 22 games at home before finishing with a 32-3 (.914) mark.
Thanks in part to the extensive renovations and a commitment by the university to transform the field into a state-of-the-art facility, the NCAA named Goodwin Field as a site for the Regionals for the first time in 2000, and again in nine of the past 11 seasons. The field has also played host to the Super Regionals in eight of the last 11 seasons. For the Titans' first 21 Regionals appearances, the team was on the road, qualifying for more College World Series appearances (10) by winning on the road than any other school in NCAA history. But that record got put on hold when Fullerton hosted Mississippi State in its first home Super Regionals in June of 2001 where Goodwin Field was the site of consecutive sellout (then) crowds of 3,412. They saw the Titans sweep the Bulldogs, clinching a College World Series berth in front of a home crowd for the very first time.
The home field has definitely been an advantage in the postseason as the Titans have gone 44-13 (.772) overall, having won 14 of the 18 postseason tournaments (Regional and Super Regionals) at Goodwin Field.
In 2005, Goodwin Field's attendance records toppled the previous record attendance (3,581 set on June 7, 2003) on five separate occasions, setting a new benchmark of 3,654. During the last few weeks of the 2005 Titan Baseball season, fans flocked to Goodwin Field, selling out (3,654) four times total, three of which were consecutive games, from June 6 to June 11. In fact, in 2005, Cal State Fullerton saw a record number of fans show up for a series at Goodwin Field. In three games with cross-town rival Long Beach State, Goodwin Field held 10,355, shattering the old record of 8,728 set back in 2003 between the same two teams.
Over the years, the Titans' home field has seen many changes in name, appearance and location. In an effort to always provide the best facilities for its players, Goodwin Field remains a work in progress.
As recently as the winter of 2011-12, the Doubek V.I.P Room received the facility's most significant update. The room had its garage-like doors replaced with windows that overlook both the baseball and softball fields and a standing bar encircles the entire room. New drywall and paint created more space to show off the program's storied history. The back deck that overlooks the softball facility has a new synthetic patio cover for a more pleasurable outdoor experience and, cosmetically, the structures all received an exterior brick facade. The 18-year-old "temporary" press box also got some love with a fresh coat of paint, a new floor as well as a sheetrocked back wall and brick facade.
In December of 2010, Goodwin Field's weathered wooden fence - installed prior to the 1999 season - was removed and replaced with a new padded chain-linked fence. The fence stands 10-feet tall all the way around except where it is notched below the scoreboard in left field. In the spring of 2011, a $200,000 digital message board replaced the ancient (in terms of technology) board that was installed in 1994. In 2009, the actual scoreboard was replaced with a new digital LED board that allows for brightness controls as well as the ability to customize team names which comes in handy during postseason tournaments. A new video board was added for the 2012 season.
In 2008, a slightly larger makeover included a new laser-graded infield, state-of-the-art synthetic turf around the home plate area, a new anti-dust Hilltopper warning track much like the one used down the freeway at Angel Stadium, and upgraded gates and fencing in and around the bullpen areas.
Over the holiday break in 2005-06, Goodwin Field received its first covered batting cage and bullpen facility. The lit structure, located adjacent to right field, between the coaches' offices and the Arboretum, covers batting tunnels equipped with pitching machines and pitching mounds for use at night and in inclement weather.
A larger-scale, $3 million project was completed just before opening day in 2001, when the stadium's seating capacity was expanded from 1,750 to nearly 3,500. Also, for the first time, the stadium included an on-site clubhouse-style building connecting to the adjoining softball stadium. The clubhouse includes locker rooms, coaches' offices, umpire quarters and an enclosed VIP viewing and entertainment area.
On April 14, 2000, the stadium's name was officially changed from Titan Field to Goodwin Field, in honor of benefactors Jerry and Merilyn Goodwin. The occasion was marked by a ceremony prior to the Titans' game against Long Beach State.
The beauty and durability of Goodwin Field have also attracted many outside organizations. Numerous high school baseball tournaments, camps, television commercials and, most recently, the Golden Baseball League's Orange County Flyers have utilized Goodwin Field. The Flyers, an independent minor league baseball organization managed by the likes of MLB Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter, Gary Templeton and former Cal State Fullerton superstar Phil Nevin, played at Goodwin Field from 2005 to 2011.