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When Springfield Art Association director Betsy Dollar moved to town a little over a year ago, she learned early on of the poor reputation of McClernand Elementary School, the building at North Sixth Street and Enos Avenue directly across the street from her organization's headquarters. Ninety-four percent of the school's students are considered low-income, about 47 percent of its students transferred in or out during the 2010 school year and the school consistently scored low on standardized tests.
"I was just told that it was this absolutely struggling school that had a pretty poor reputation, partially because of the incredibly high transient rate of the neighborhood and how kids are in and out of there." Appealing to Dollar was the idea of turning the school into an arts-focused magnet school to breathe new life into both the school and the neighborhood. But she soon learned that the school was already on an upward path and that the snapshot statistics weren't really telling the whole story.
Indeed, the school's reputation is a remnant of problems that the school, which hosts about 280 students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, is now successfully overcoming. In the spring of 2008, only 43 percent of McClernand students met and exceeded Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) standards in reading, compared to 64 percent district-wide. Also in 2008, only 53 percent of McClernand students were meeting and exceeding standards in math, compared to 69 percent district-wide. Last year, McClernand's numbers were up dramatically, to about 61 percent in reading, an 18-percentage point difference from 2008, and to about 76 percent in math, a 23-percentage point difference from 2008. District-wide, 64 percent of students in reading and 69 percent in math met and exceeded standards during 2010 testing.
As a result of its increased scores, McClernand has earned an Illinois 2010 Academic Improvement Award. The upward trends should be credited to increased community and family involvement, a team of dedicated teachers and a commitment from the school to use student data to help individual students, says Principal Jennifer Gill, who took the helm at McClernand in fall of 2008.
"I think maybe three or four years ago, what I was told was true," Dollar says about McClernand's reputation. "But they really have gotten in there and made huge changes. Now they just have to have more support in terms of implementing what they've already got going." With that in mind, Dollar has ditched the magnet school idea. "I'm much more inspired to support what they have in place and elaborate on that than try to impose anything from the outside," she says.
Instead, the Art Association is working with Gill and a handful of McClernand teachers to build a strong partnership that can compliment the many other community relationships that have become integral to the culture at McClernand Elementary.
While still in the early stages of building programs, a team of teachers is working with Dollar to develop ways McClernand can benefit from the resources of the Art Association – from more space in which to create, to new types of materials, to resident artists' expertise. Dollar wants to help students create community art installations that instill pride in both students and the surrounding community, to help host Saturday Academies that are both fun and educational for students and their families and to help teachers think of ways to integrate the arts into daily instruction.
"Art is very hands on," says Sarah Bentson, one of two teachers who provide each McClernand class with one hour of art every week. "I think it motivates kids when they're not just sitting and doing work on paper."
"Art takes such a bad rap as being frivolous when in fact it teaches incredible critical thinking and hierarchical thinking skills," Dollar says. "Creating a picture doesn't just happen. Every single movement of the crayon or the pencil or the material across the page is a decision toward achieving a final goal."
Integrating art with core subjects, Bentson and Dollar add, can also make reading, writing and arithmetic more accessible to students who find those subjects difficult. "It's another way to reach those testing goals."
Overcoming the odds
Partnering with the Springfield Art Association is just another building block on top of several the school has already put into motion to provide its high population of mobile, low-income students with a quality education.
Along with a high low-income rate, McClernand hosts the highest "mobility" rate of any District 186 elementary school. A student is designated as mobile if he or she transfers in or out of a school during the school year. Every year since at least 1999, McClernand has had a mobility rate ranging anywhere from 36 percent to nearly 55 percent. Often, highly mobile students move because their parents miss a few months' rent, forcing them to move across town. Sometimes the cycle repeats itself and a student changes schools over and over again.
All of that change is hard on both teachers and students, who have to build new relationships and make sure incoming students are on the same track as the rest of the classroom.
For years the district has tried to align curriculum across the schools so that students transferring from one school to another mid-year will only be a day or two behind their peers. Still, change is hard.
Amy Thomas, a third-grader who came to McClernand last year, seems to have adjusted well and she likes her new school – "They have real cool food, you get to read a lot and they have cool teachers," she says, as she takes a quick break from reading Eloise and the Big Parade during her lunch period. But she adds that she misses her friends from Ridgely Elementary.
For teachers, it's a matter of having enough materials on hand to accommodate new students and of managing a classroom that's always in flux. "You just start from scratch and get to know that kid pretty quick," says Wendy Flach, a fourth-grade teacher, who this year has seen two students leave her class. The school as a whole from October to February is showing a mobility rate of about 18 percent, with two students who since the beginning of the school year have left and returned and three new students who had been to McClernand in previous years.
"I think sometimes they get used to it," says Flach, adding that returning students are common and sometimes easier to accommodate than brand new students. "We already know them, we already know their families and we don't have to rebuild those relationships."
To help combat the problem of mobility, Congress in 1987 passed the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which requires all schools to bus to their home school all children who become homeless. This year, McClernand is providing that service to between five and 10 students. As an extension of that, District 186 is allowing students who are forced to move out of McClernand's residence boundaries to remain at McClernand if their parents can provide transportation for them. This year, of about 30 transfers into the school, 21 of them are students who were attending McClernand already but whose families moved outside of McClernand's regular boundaries.
On top of mobility problems, McClernand is dealing with an extremely high low-income rate, which can manifest as poor student behavior and a lack of parental involvement. Supported by the district, McClernand understands that parents aren't always able to overcome on their own the obstacles presented by their economic status, so the school is working on multiple fronts to help students as well as their parents.
Parent educator Nicolette Lovingood, who splits her time between McClernand and Wanless Elementary School, works to keep parents involved by checking in with them either by phone or a home visit. If parents need a ride to a parent-teacher conference, she makes sure they have one. If a child shows up to school sleepy and hungry, she finds out why and figures out a way to help parents make the situation better.
"If you provide a good support system for the parent, especially if they really want it, the child tends to do better," Lovingood says. "The parent tends to focus more on what the child needs because their own needs are also being met, and then the child does better in school."
Community partners like Eastside Pride and Grace Lutheran Church help the school meet those needs by providing food baskets when school is out and warm clothing when the weather turns cold. Those and other organizations and individuals are also vital to the school for providing mentoring and tutoring opportunities for students having trouble keeping up with their schoolwork.
Since she came to the school three years ago, Lovingood has built community partnerships to bring to the school lunch-time programs like PAVE (Project Anti-Violence Education) and Girl Power Hour, which teach girls about self-esteem, and a life skills class for fourth- and fifth-grade boys through the Triangle Center.
In addition, the school sends 15 students to the district's Saturday school program held five weekends each year at Harvard Park Elementary. For two and a half hours, students receive an education disguised as fun. One Saturday, for instance, they built a recipe. While it was fun, they were also learning critical thinking, math and reading skills.
Another district-wide program that McClernand is taking full advantage of is F.A.C.E. (Family and Community Engagement), in which schools each build a team of parents who meet with school administrators to weigh in on school issues and organize programs designed to bring families and community members into the schools, thus paving the way for education to extend into students' home lives. For McClernand, its F.A.C.E. team is the closest thing it has to a Parent Teacher Organization (P.T.O.).
Partnering with the Springfield Urban League and the Boys and Girls Club, the school also hosts 21st Century Learning, an after-school program funded by the federal government. About 80 students are enrolled in the program and receive an hour of tutoring every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, before spending another hour gaining exposure to new activities, like volleyball or karate.
"It takes a lot of time to get all these things and it takes a lot of peoples' time and energy and resources to get everything set up, but we're dedicated and that's the key – having that great staff," Principal Jennifer Gill says, including volunteers and outside organizations in her definition of "staff."
While community support is an essential element in McClernand's recent academic success, the primary factor in a successful school is good classroom instruction provided by quality teachers, who are supported by quality leaders such as Gill.
"The teaching is done with great skill and fidelity," says Kathy Crum, the district's director of teaching and learning. "The big change that they've done is to have really focused intervention blocks in their school. It's all hands on deck there when the kids are in intervention block." Intervention blocks are set periods during the day in which academically struggling students break off from the rest of the class to receive individual instruction tailored to their needs.
Every six to eight weeks, McClernand sends substitute teachers into the classrooms to give regular teachers time to analyze data about each student's academic performance. If they find that a student hasn't improved in a subject, teachers look for new ways of teaching that topic and reaching that student. The process is generally referred to as intervention, or response to intervention (RTI), a method focused on early detection and correction.
"They (teachers) are just willing to try things and if that doesn't work, they'll try something different," Crum says. The focus on intervention is so strong and students feel the benefits so much that they're eager for that part of their day, she adds.
Marie Schroeder's third-grade grandson transferred to McClernand as a second grader. When he first arrived, he could only read 16 words per minute. After a year of specialized intervention – 30 minutes of additional reading every day and a private tutor paid for by the school with federal funding – her grandson was reading 98 words per minute. "It was a partnership between the school, tutoring the school district offered and the work at home," Shroeder says.
Schroeder appreciates the welcoming atmosphere the school exudes. About a decade ago, she transferred her own children out of McClernand, in part because she didn't feel like her efforts to be more involved were welcome. That's certainly not the case any more.
"Their policy is [for parents] to drop in at any time, and I do," Schroeder says. "When you walk in the door, someone always greets you. The principal knows your name. All of the teachers are very responsive."
She lists a number of programs – such as Muffins with Mom, in which mothers can eat breakfast with their child at school – that provide some parents with an opportunity to view school in a new light.
"I think in low-income schools, a lot of parents had a not-so-good experience at school themselves, so it's hard to get them in the door. They're afraid to come in," Schroeder says about lack of parent involvement. "Once they get in and see how it is, they come back. The problem is we have to get them in the door first."
With that in mind, Gill says one of the benefits of after-school programs that provide both academic and recreational activities, such as 21st Century Learning, is that parents have to come in to pick up their children. "So they're getting a personal connection with our school every day when they are greeted by staff and have time to look at the things we have posted in the hallways," Gill says.
Being better neighbors
Steve Combs, president of the Enos Park Neighborhood Improvement Association, is a retired teacher and lives just a stone's throw away from McClernand Elementary School, but he admits that in his drive to turn the neighborhood around he's completely neglected the school. It was only after his organization this past fall unveiled a new master redevelopment plan for the blighted neighborhood that he realized a neighborhood rebirth is largely dependent on McClernand's success.
Combs wants to increase the number of families that own homes in the area and that will take pride in their property. In recent decades, many single-family homes have been converted into multi-family residences, which now make up about 38 percent of Enos Park's housing stock. Combs says that, in order to keep home-owning families in neighborhoods like Enos Park, the school systems have to provide what those families want – a great education.
"Somehow, some way, our efforts to improve the housing stock have to be complemented by whatever we can do to help improve the educational environment in our neighborhood and the city proper. That's what's driving us to be a partner with and a better neighbor to McClernand," Combs says.
Combs isn't sure yet what that will entail, but Gill is already hoping to partner with the association during its annual neighborhood walk of historic houses. Opening the school during such events is just another way to connect to the community and build pride in the school.
"We're the heart of the community," Gill says about McClernand School. "People can choose to go to a charter school, they can choose to go to a school that might have a different theme or need, and neighborhood schools are just one piece of that pie. I think that this school is a great neighborhood school and that's what we want to be."
Contact Rachel Wells at email@example.com.


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KC adds pop, acquires Willingham from Twins
KANSAS CITY -- Now it's official. The Royals are all in on this pennant chase.
The club made a significant move on Monday, acquiring a power bat in outfielder Josh Willingham from the Minnesota Twins. Willingham is expected to see most of his action as the designated hitter.View Full Game Coverage
KANSAS CITY -- Now it's official. The Royals are all in on this pennant chase.
The club made a significant move on Monday, acquiring a power bat in outfielder Josh Willingham from the Minnesota Twins. Willingham is expected to see most of his action as the designated hitter.View Full Game Coverage
"We felt the time was right to be aggressive and add another bat," general manager Dayton Moore said.
In exchange, the Twins acquired right-handed pitching prospect Jason Adam, who had been with Triple-A Omaha.
To clear room on the 40-man roster, the Royals requested unconditional release waivers on Omaha pitcher Wilking Rodriguez. The Royals must make another move on Tuesday, dropping a player from the 25-man roster.
Willingham, 35, had a .210 average, 12 home runs, 34 RBIs and a .345 on-base percentage for the Twins with 42 walks in 278 plate appearances in 68 games.
"We claimed him when he went through waivers and we were able to execute a deal," Moore said. "Josh is a proven bat, one of the best on-base guys with 250 plate appearances right now in the game."
The deal came as the Royals were within a half-game of first place in the American League Central and had won seven straight games.
Willingham has spent the last three seasons with the Twins and in 2012 won the AL Silver Slugger Award as a left fielder, belting 35 home runs with 110 RBIs. He's also played for the Marlins, Nationals and A's in his 11-year career.
A right-handed hitter, Willingham helps fill the DH void left when Billy Butler switched to first base full-time after Eric Hosmer went on the disabled list with a hand injury on Aug. 2.
Willingham belted a two-run homer in the Twins' 6-1 win on Sunday, his first blast since July 30.
Moore indicated that Willingham and left-handed-hitting Raul Ibanez would not form a strict platoon in the DH slot.
"With the DH spot being somewhat fluid for us right now, we feel that he can complement that role very well," Moore said.
Willingham has played 53 games at left field and 13 at designated hitter this season. He has not played any other position since 2009.
"We talked about needing a veteran right-handed bat, and he fits that bill perfectly for us," Yost said. "We'll mix and match, but he's going to be involved pretty much every night."
The Royals will pick up about $1.8 million of what remains from Willingham's $7 million contract this year. He is in the final year of a three-year, $21-million deal signed with the Twins.
"If we find players that make sense, Mr. [David] Glass has always been willing to add a piece that we think can help us win and we think that Josh is the right presence in our clubhouse and in our lineup right now for what our team needs," Moore said.
Adam, 23, from Overland Park, Kan. has a 4.67 ERA in the Royals' farm system this year. He began the season as a starter at Double-A Northwest Arkansas, before being promoted and working out of the bullpen in all eight of his games for Omaha.
"He's a quality pitcher, a great person and he's got a great arm. He's going to be a quality Major League pitcher," Moore said. "He's in Triple-A right now but you've got to give up something to get something. That's the nature of the game. Jason's a terrific pitcher and he's got a great career ahead of him."
Rodriguez, 24, had a combined 2-1 record and 2.36 ERA in 24 games this season for Omaha and Northwest Arkansas. He was called up to Kansas City on June 2 and pitched in two games with two scoreless innings before returning to Omaha.
The Royals passed through the July 31 Trade Deadline without making a move.
"We want to be aggressive all year but, at the deadline, we didn't feel there was anything that made a lot of sense for us at that particular time," Moore said. "We were virtually in on every player and weren't really caught off guard on anybody that was moved and just couldn't come to agreement on deals that made sense."
The Royals aren't sure when Hosmer might be back. He was expected to miss anywhere from three to six weeks.
"We don't really have a timetable. It's not like you're going to be able to send him out on a rehab assignment - the Minor Leagues are probably going to be over," Moore said. "He'll be back at some time but it's hard to predict when that'll happen. He was obviously swinging the bat very well when he got hurt but we have to deal with what we have healthy at the time."

subset: commoncrawl


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Keep a lid on it
SAN FRANCISCO — They just introduced the lineups for the celebrity/legends softball game here at AT&T Park and there were a couple of cap controversies sure to have a few Canadians scratching their heads.
Former Expos and Cubs outfielder Andre Dawson trotted out of the dugout as a member of the American League squad, sporting a Boston Red Sox hat. Dawson spent all of two of his 21 seasons in the AL with Boston — and one of those years was during the strike-shortened '94 campaign. Maybe the powers that be thought a Red Sox hat might get him some more Hall of Fame votes.
As if that sight wasn't odd enough, former Expos and Mets Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter jogged out of the National League's dugout wearing a … Giants cap? Carter spent 1990 in Frisco and his other 18 seasons elsewhere in the NL. I guess having him wear a Nationals cap was out of the question.
Among those playing in the softball game: Kevin Dillon, Dane Cook, Jerry Rice, Rob Schneider, Bobby Flay, Jimmy Kimmel, Alyssa Milano, Miss USA Rachel Smith, James Denton, Dave Winfield, Ernie Banks, Ozzie Smith, Rollie Fingers, Wade Boggs, Rickey Henderson, Goose Gossage, Fred Lynn, J.T. Snow, Matt Williams, Robby Thompson, Robb Nenn, Kevin Mitchell, among others.
FYI, Dawson just cranked out a homer — in a Boston cap.
Stay tuned for more…
4 Comments
So Jordon, how many times has Rachel Smith fallen down?
Ha…none yet, but she did do a nice little dance move with Jerry Rice a la Dancing with the Stars.
Hey, I can't actually believe that I am starting to feel good about Towers taking mound. 8 plus innings without a run? Nice job!
Well, I hope for Rice's sake, he scored a touchdown, the quarterback certainly looks capable of throwing a pass.
Hey, Towers pitched a great game today; maybe the best he's ever pitched. Probably the most important win of the year for The Jays.
Now, we go into the second half only 8.5 games back in the WC and 10 back of a Boston team starting to show signs of slowing down. They're also starting to get injuritis and we're getting healthy.
All in all, other than Seattle the Jays performed well in this last very tough stretch. Taking 2 of 3 against Oakland and Detroit is no easy task, they're both strong teams.
We have two tough series with 4 in Boston and 4 in NY after the break which will likely tell the tale of the season.


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Nosebleeds during pregnancy may be caused by increased blood flow to
the tissue lining the inside of the nasal passages (mucous membranes).
Increased blood flow to the mucous membranes of the mouth and gums
during pregnancy may also cause bleeding, especially when you brush your teeth.
Your gums may appear more swollen than usual. Try using a soft-bristled
Regular visits to your dentist during pregnancy are important to
prevent problems. Inform your dentist of your pregnancy. Some dental work
(usually any dental procedures requiring anesthesia or X-rays) may be postponed
until after you deliver.
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> Crested Pigeons Use Feathers To Sound The Alarm
09-Nov-2017 13:10
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Many animals will sound an alarm to alert other members of their group of impending danger. Now, researchers have shown that crested pigeons do this in a surprisingly non-vocal way. One of their main flight feathers produces a critical high-pitched sound as the birds fly away. As they flap faster to escape a predator, that alarm signal automatically increases in tempo.
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Catering Platters for all your soirées and shindigs!
For catering inquiries e-mail email@example.com or call (617) 553-4822
- 48 hour notice is recommended for all orders.
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Breakfast catering platters are customized to fit your needs. Our baked goods are delivered fresh every day from local artisan bakeries. Choose from a wide selection of pastries, croissants, tea breads, muffins, scones, and bagels. Cream cheese, butter and local jams can be included upon request.
We are proud to offer Equal Exchange Fair Trade Organic Coffee. Equal Exchange coffee is roasted locally in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts. They work directly with small farming cooperatives, ensuring the highest quality beans while supporting the well-being of the small farmer. We brew a Medium roast, a French roast, a French decaf, and a special featured coffee of the month.
Available in two sizes:
96 oz Coffee Box: serves 8
160 oz Coffee Box serves 13
All Coffee Service includes 8oz cups, stir sticks, sugar, sugar free sweetener & ½ + ½. Dairy-free creamers are available upon request.
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Small serves up to 10
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A collection of our most popular sandwiches, a mix of vegetarian and meaty options sure to please a hungry omnivorous herd. The Feed includes sandwiches: #1, #3, #5, #9
The Herbivore
Perfect for vegetarians or those looking for a little lighter fare, the Herbivore platter boasts 3 sandwiches that will satisfy most anyone. These are a tasty bunch: The #5: Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil, #7 Tofurky, #9: The Farmers Lunch features our own pickled green tomatoes made just for us, sharp Vermont cheddar and granny smith apple.
Meat Land
For carnivores and occasionalivores alike. This platter includes your faves in the meat category: the #1: Smoked Turkey (it ain't called the #1 for nothing!), the #3: Deluxe Italian, which is just that, and the #12: Roast Beef, simple and darn good.
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Classic Cheese Platter
This platter features a selection of cheeses, based on traditional European recipes. The cheeses will change seasonally to include the freshest cheeses available. This platter also includes an assortment of fruit to accompany the cheeses.
New England Farmhouse Cheese Platter
This platter features the best New England cheeses available. Handpicked by our City Feed cheesemongers, the cheeses on this platter are sure to excite any cheese enthusiast. This platter also includes an assortment of fruit to accompany the cheeses.
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Small Platter
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Large Platter
The platter includes your choice of home made dips: zesty hummus or creamy ranch.
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Our desserts are made fresh locally & just like mom used to make! From chocolate chip cookies to locally made macaroons, we can customize a dessert platter to please any sweet tooth. Please call for current selection and pricing.


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It has been nearly nine months since the Department of City Planning (DCP) and Department of Transportation (DOT) met with bicyclists and residents at Maspeth High School to help plan for bike infrastructure in the region, and now the results from the workshop are in and development is on the way.
Himrod and Harmon streets in Bushwick and Ridgewood, as well as Onderdonk and Woodward avenues, are the first thoroughfares in line for the traffic-calming bike infrastructure, expected to begin being installed this spring.
"The plan was recommended by the Transportation Committee [of CB5]," said Kristina Schmitt, highway transportation specialist with the DCP, at a Maspeth Industrial Business Association (MIBA) meeting held at the Petro on 58th Street in Maspeth.
Phase I plans and the potential for a future layout of dedicated bike lanes and shared paths were presented at both CB5 Transportation Committee and MIBA meetings last week for further feedback.
"There is going to have to be a study on some of these lanes to see if they're safe," she said. "We're really sensitive to the fact that there are a lot of traffic issues and we're really concerned about squeezing in biking lanes without affecting traffic flow."
Initial plans called for bike infrastructure along Eliot Avenue in the first phase of development, but it was later tabled for the second phase as some concerns arose with the narrow street.
"It (Eliot Ave.) wasn't taken out, but it isn't a dark blue line," she said, referring to the map outlining the updated plans. Dark blue lines on the map represent Phase I of the bike infrastructure.
Some portions of the second phase of bike lanes are slated for portions of the manufacturing district of Maspeth along Grand Avenue and Rust Street.
Jean Tanler, director of industrial business development and MIBA coordinator, said she is mostly concerned with biker safety and the potential liability issues with industrial businesses in the event of an accident.
"I think having the shared lanes is a good use as far as the ticketing is concerned," Tanler suggested. "It has been an issue in other industrial areas if there is a bike lane with trucks getting tickets."
Mike Cristina, a truck driver with BoroWide Recycling Corp. in Maspeth and member of MIBA, said his main concern is with the combination of narrow streets and busy industrial traffic.
"The bicyclists don't know all the laws," Cristina said. "A bicycle is a vehicle and a vehicle should be inspected, just like a driver should have a license."
Cristina added that he is worried his company would have to factor in a larger portion of the budget towards parking tickets if the lanes were put near the industrial business zone.
"Unfortunately, in my business we have to double-park to pick up the refuse," he said. "We get tickets for that. I have to factor that in to the budget and unfortunately the customer winds up paying a little more because of that."


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Richard Denison Niles, known as Denny, passed away on July 11, 2011, from complications of COPD. He was born on August 12, 1933, to Wendell and Ann Niles. His father was the radio and television announcer. Denny grew up in Toluca Lake.
He graduated from North Hollywood High School in 1952 where he was the student body vice-president, president of the Esquires and a three-year letterman on Paul Xanthos's tennis team.He graduated from USC in 1956 and was a champion boxer for the Golden Gloves. While serving in the Army for two years, he was the boxing instructor at Ft. Lewis Army Base in Washington. He started his career as an actor appearing in the television series Rescue 8 with Robert Redford. He acted in numerous movies and television shows. A few years later he took his talents behind the scenes and produced The All-American College Show, traveling around to colleges all across America. The show, which ran for four years on NBC, discovered many stars including The Carpenters, who became superstars in the recording industry. Later, he worked with his brother Wendell in producing The Monte Carlo Sports Festival, which ran for almost 25 years.
He will be greatly missed by his loving wife Lila who dedicated herself to taking care of Denny during the last few years. He is survived by his four children, Debra (husband Robert), Eric (partner Tim), Rene (wife Kim) and Richard (wife Rose); six grandchildren, Eric, Nicholas, Rene Richard, Challis, Lochlan and one great-grandchild, Maya. He also leaves his brother Wendell (wife Nelle) and a number of nieces and nephews.
He loved Montana where his dad grew up and he had a home on the Yellowstone River. He spent at least a month every summer there with his family.
NILES, Denny (Rihard Dennison Niles)
Born: 8/12/1933, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
Died: 7/11/2011, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
Denny Niles' western - actor:
The Rebel (TV) - 1960 (Walt Markam)


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Rodriguez withdraws lawsuit to overturn suspension
NEW YORK — Alex Rodriguez has withdrawn his lawsuits against Major League Baseball, Commissioner Bud Selig and the players' association to overturn his season-long suspension, a sign the New York Yankees third baseman may be prepared to accept the penalty.
The notices of dismissal in the two lawsuits were filed Friday in federal court in Manhattan.
Rodriguez was suspended for 211 games last Aug. 5 for violations of baseball's drug agreement and labor contract, and arbitrator Fredric Horowitz cut the penalty on Jan. 11 to 162 games plus the 2014 postseason.
Rodriguez sued two days later.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Read or Share this story: http://pojonews.co/1fPYVTN


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Virginia Kraft was my grandma. It's not the whats in her life that made it extraordinary but the hows: how she loved without condition; how she chose joy in the hard times; how she made the mundane beautiful.
Summers were spent on her farm getting lost in corn fields and snapping beans on the swing. Her food was simple and delicious, and she whistled in the kitchen – a whistle so enchanting that anyone within earshot found themselves wanting to help with even the dirtiest dishes. She would tell her stories (which usually involved a joke at her own expense), throw her head back and laugh. Christmas at her house was like a post card – more food, more laughter, the light from the windows making the frigid trip from the car more bearable. She was always the first one to greet us at the door. As I got older I realized it wasn't the gifts that excited me, but the time that I got to spend with her.
It wasn't a picture perfect life that allowed her to be happy. Being a farmer's wife and mother of four came with hardships. She was joyful in spite of them – forever forgiving, loving, and full of God's grace.
Though her 81 years here never felt long enough for me, she left us with love, grace, and beauty sufficient for ten lifetimes. It's my hope to share them with you and my community.
For every yard sold, $5 will be donated to The Virginia Kraft Fund which helps supports women in organic and sustainable agriculture.
I started early as a maker. Creating accessories for my dollhouse, a favorite activity, was more fun than playing with my dolls. New Crayolas and coloring books were my favorite gift, and now as an adult, l get just as excited about fresh sketchbooks, pencils, ink and fabric.
Those childhood interests waned as I went through school. It never even occurred to me that I could make a living at creating things. I was on the college track to whatever would get me a good, steady job. It wasn't until I was in my late twenties that my passion for making was rekindled.
I was on bed rest with my second child and had just discovered blogs. I had no interest in writing one, but I read any of them that discussed art and design. One such blog had an interview with a fabric designer. Until then, I'd had never thought about the creators behind the bolts of fabrics that I loved perusing at the local store just to get a dose of color and pattern. That moment began my journey to becoming a fabric designer.
Sketchbooks started piling up around the house as I filled them with any and every idea that popped into my head. I researched schools and read anything I could find about textile design. I joke about how so much of what I've learned came from the University of Google! In 2008 I signed up to sell designs through Spoonflower, a digital print-on-demand company. My first line, Domesticate, was born and has been seen in HGTV Magazine, Domino, Women's Day, Country Living, and on numerous blogs. While Domesticate gave me a great start, it involves a lot of time on a computer and I began to miss working with my hands.
I wanted to create a line that comes with a history already built in - a story of the hands that drew, carved, and placed every motif. It was also important to me that it be created here in the USA. I'm honored to be a part of the "maker revolution", where good things like food, furniture, or family and conversation take time and love to create. As my grandmother showed me, all the best things do.
Please contact us to acquire trade pricing and provide the following:Federal Tax ID Number (EIN)
Orders require a minimum of one to four yards, refer to each item description for details. Payment must be paid in full before processing will begin. There are no returns on orders except in cases of damage. Please order enough yardage to complete your project and any minimum cut lengths that your workroom requires.


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Tsao Chin-hui (曹錦輝) got the win for Taiwan -- and his major leagues team, the Colorado Rockies -- with a debut performance that had local baseball fans watching on live TV celebrating yesterday morning.
The right-handed Aboriginal from the Amis tribe was the first Taiwan pitcher to start a game in Major League Baseball and only the second local player to make it to the majors.
He is now poised to become the country's highest profile sporting ambassador, with a Nike deal in the bag and fervent home support, as shown by the appearance of Premier Yu Shyi-kun at the family home yesterday in Hualien.
He allowed three runs on eight hits in six-and-one-third innings in the 7-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, but got off to a bad start when his second pitch was hit over the wall at Coors Field in Colorado.
"When that happened, I thought that's my welcome to the big leagues," Tsao said in a telephone interview after the game. "It was really good to learn."
Though clearly a little rattled, the 22-year-old responded with a mix of fastballs and change ups that kept the Brewers' offense on the back foot. He left the game in the sixth inning with the score 4-3 in favor of the Rockies.
"I just hoped that the guy following me wouldn't blow the victory," Tsao said.
"After the home run I felt empty and nervous, but I slowly calmed down and now I'm very happy. I just patted myself on the chest and told myself, `It's alright,'" Tsao said, who rated his performance as "70 percent."
Tsao said Rockies manager Clint Hurdle had advised him to avoid throwing curveballs and to stick to his fastball, which turned out to be a winning strategy.
"He told me after the game I played well, especially after being hit and said I would likely play again in four or five days."
Tsao was given his chance at the big time when the first-choice Rockies' pitcher was ruled out with an elbow injury. Tsao was called up from the AA league Tulsa earlier in the week, where he is 11-4 with a 2.46 ERA and a Texas League high of 125 strikeouts this season.
"The treatment is very different in the big leagues, compared with the minors. There's no need to share with others, we get a good hotel," Tsao said, adding the number of fans in the stadium and their passionate response to the game had impressed him.
When Tsao first walked up to the plate, supporters cheered, some waving Taiwanese flags and he was also given a standing ovation when he left the field.
Tsao picked up a US$2.2 million bonus when he was signed up by Colorado in 1999, but underwent surgery on his elbow two years later.
ERA baseball commentator and Naluwan consultant Yuan Ting-wen (袁定文) said Tsao's achievement was particularly satisfying because "rehabilitation after surgery is one of the most difficult things."
"The fact that he worked so hard to make himself better shows that he has a lot of personality. The fact that he skipped the AAA league and went straight into the majors, just shows how much promise he has and how highly he is regarded."
Sporting agent and IMG representative Eric Shih (施宣麟) said Tsao was set to become Taiwan's biggest sports personality. He said Nike had already signed up the pitcher (though he would not give a figure) and other endorsements were likely.
"We will have to see what kind of response he gets, but it all looks good. We are all very happy. He [Tsao] has done well with his English and seems to be fitting in well in the US, so they have confidence in him."


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and the weekend is finally [almost] here!
that's Dave's grandson Ralphy, taken at Parker's Maple Barn last weekend
And…here we go!
1. These three words describe my significant other: caring, artistic, interesting!
2. A sunny day filled with opportunity is a delight!
3. Oh, how I adore a long weekend!.
4. It's amazing how much nicer life can be if one takes time to be friendly.
5. Inevitably, the lobster and steamers will be finished.
6. My father is someone who never ceased to encourage me.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to the start of the long weekend, Dave's grilled chicken, a walk along the boulevard and finally, enjoying the blueberry beer Dave brought home for me from one of his co-workers, tomorrow my plans include going to see my cousin, walking to the craft fair and having a hot dog & an ice cream with her and Sunday, I want to take a ride to the Cape with Dave (we'll see what happens…he's more inclined to visit the mountains!
What are you up to this weekend?
Posted in Friday Fill-Ins | 6 Comments


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Austin Mahone Rushed to the Hospital [PHOTO]by Amy Sciarretto | PopCrush
Poor Austin Mahone. The singer, 17, was rushed to the hospital this morning (Oct. 17).
Mahone shared a photo while in the sick ward, complete with the standard issue hospital gown, on his Instagram. He looked pretty sickly and miserable, with an IV next to him. Aw! Look at the poor kid's face. He posted that he never felt so bad and we feel bad for him.
Mahone tweeted that he contracted a bad case of the flu and was hit with a 103-degree fever. That's dangerous and really knocks the crap out of you.
Honestly, Mahone needs to take a second and get better.
Sadly, the singer has had to postpone the first few dates of his tour, as well, which he is not happy about. But his health has to come first.
PopCrush sends out love out to Austin Mahone! Get better soon, kiddo! Mahomies, make sure you send your best wishes and love out to the singer, too. That'll make him feel better.
Below are his tweets and his photo from the hospital. Hey, Austin, here's a digital hug from your pals at PopCrush.
Its Doctor's orders I have a bad flu 103 fever and I can't move. If I could go I would
The Miami show is now Tuesday Oct 22 & Orlando is Friday Nov 1
— Austin Mahone (@AustinMahone) October 17, 2013


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Puget Sound effort leads to an ongoing wiki on watershed management
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Project: Puget Sound and watershed management
Locations: www.epa.gov/region10/psgb, www.epa.gov/watershedcentral/wiki.html
Technology: MediaWiki, Google Maps
The Environmental Protection agency appears to be onto something with its use of wikis.
A spur-of-the-moment foray into using a wiki three years ago produced solid results, attracting input that supported the agency's management of the Puget Sound ecosystem. And EPA has followed that up with another wiki as part of its Watershed Central Web site.
It started in November 2007 with what became known as the Puget Sound Mashup.
In an interview with GCN, then-EPA Chief Information Officer Molly O'Neill said she was looking to explore the use of new technologies while at the 2007 symposium held by EPA's Office of Information in St. Louis. She wanted to try collaboration tools to address an environmental issue.
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Great dot-gov Web sites 2008
The issue arrived with a request from the Puget Sound Leadership Council, which was created to revitalize the ecosystem. EPA had responsibility for Puget Sound but needed input from state and local governments in the region, other organizations and the public. So the agency decided to set up a wiki during the symposium to collect and aggregate ideas and information, O'Neill said.
The symposium featured a mashup camp, with demonstrations on how to do mashups of datasets, O'Neill said, and that became a natural staging area for the Puget Sound wiki.
The experiment wasn't limited to the symposium. EPA e-mailed invitations to take part, and some of the recipients passed the invitation along to others. "We invited staff as well as people from state governments, local governments, Indian tribes and industry to learn about new applications and to share what is going on in the agency," she said.
During the next 36 hours, "we had over 17,000 page views and 175 good contributions," she said.
EPA is taking a similar, albeit longer-term, approach to its Watershed Central wiki.
The Watershed Central Web site is intended to support watershed management programs, offering guidance documents, tools, case studies and datasets to help users share information, analyze data, and find ways to start or strengthen watershed efforts.
Since the wiki was launched in March 2009, it has drawn 800 registered users, with about 1,000 pages of information on about 150 watershed projects, said Stuart Lehman, an environmental scientist in EPA's Office of Water. The site is a joint effort of the agency's offices of Water, Research and Development, and Environmental Information.
A lot of people are involved in watershed management, from local, state and federal levels, and they have expertise in different areas. "There wasn't one place where all of that was put in a single location," Lehman said.
The wiki provides a way for users to share information and find other people and organizations involved in watershed management. Somone writing about the Great Lakes, for instance, can map the article so others interested in the same area can find it, Lehman said.
The site is primarily educational, he said, with the goal of improving watershed management by sharing information, ideas and best practices.
EPA offices, such as the Office of Pesticide Programs and the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, also make use of wikis internally, Lehman said. And others are joining the public discussion: The agency's Urban Waters Initiative recently became part of the Watershed Central site.
Wikis might not work for every government endeavor. But in a case such as EPA's, which involves complex ecological systems and commercial and recreational interests, they provide a good way to involve the range of people who play a part in managing an ecological system.
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Posted by Editoress on 06/23/12
The men are on the road for their 180.2 km race
They head out of Lac Megantic, neutral start, the ride to Mont Morne ~ 40 km, where they will do 7 laps of a 14 km circuit with climbs up Morne every lap. At the end of the last lap, they turn back towards town and make a final run of 35 km to the finish.
Spidertech has 13 11 riders entered today. The joke last night was that Svein Tuft, Christian Meier , David Veilleux (Team Europcar), Dom Rollin and Micheal Barry should form "Team World Tour" and work together to fend off Steve Bauer's guys, who will be working together heavily. Someone had a bit of fun on the initial start list with riders names followed by SpiderTech Powered by C10, C11, C12, C13 and on with the riders
As they hit the road it is rainging really heavily and a crash has occurred, with Jacob Schwingboth (Cycling BC) going down
12:19 pm
12 km completed, lots of small attacks, but no serious riders
12:27 pm
Break at 18 km
Sebastian Salas (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies), Jean-Michel Lachance (Rossetti Devo), Will Routley (SpiderTech powered by C10), Nic Hamilton (Indépendant) and Rémi Pelletier-Roy (Garneau- Quebecor-Norton Rose) with a small gap of 10 sec
12:35 pm
All together
12:38 pm
2 riders gone at 24 km with a gap of 10 sec: Ryan Anderson (SpiderTech powered by C10) and Rémi Pelletier-Roy (Garneau- Quebecor-Norton Rose)
No longer raining and the sun is poking through
12:40 pm
Break caught, but Rob Britton (Team H&R BLOCK) then attacked and Ryan Anderson (SpiderTech powered by C10) jumped too. They have 15 sec 30 km
12:47 pm
They are caught
At 1 pm
an attack that saw a group of 9 go. Gap inceased quickly
1:20 pm
Curently. A group of 9 away with a gap of 5:50 as they hit the Climb at Mont Morne for the first time - 42 km done
Rob Britton (Team H&R BLOCK), David Stephens (Garneau Evolution), Derrick St John (Stevens Racing p/b The Cyclery), Marsh Cooper (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies), Will Routley, Ryan Anderson, Martin Gilbert, David Boily (SpiderTech powered by C10) and Bruce Bird (Wheels of Bloor/Graywood Developments)
1:31 pm
The second time up the climb and the gap is starting to come down. Now 5:10, hd been over 6 min.
The heavy rain that the riders set off in at lac Megantic had stopped, but now has returned. They may be finishing in the middle of a huge storm.
1:37 pm
The peloton goes over the top of Mont Morne and the gap is now 4 min
1:40 pm
Christian Meier (Orica-GreenEDGE) is setting a blistering pace and riders are dropping off the back of the peloton.
The 4 Spidertech riders in the break are doing most of the work
1:48 pm
Rain (and lightning) is not letting go on the back stretch of the course.
1:50 pm
Svein Tuft closing the gap, Guillaume Boivin (Spidertech) on his wheel at the top of Mont Morne
Lots of riders dropping out - 25 gone at last count
Thunder and Lightening are circling Mt Morne
The mighty Bruce Bird may have met his match on Mt Morne. He is struggling to keep the pace of the MUCH YOUNGER Spidertech boys on the climb!!! Amazing what he has done tho' for a guy of 44!!!!
2:05 pm
Gap 3:38 on the 3rd time up the climb. Tuft, Barry, Meir, Rollin doing the work at front of chase of ~ 40 remainders of the peloton
2:25 pm
3:28 is the gap on top of Mont Morne. Halfway through this race (90 km done) . And the sun is trying to peak out!
2:31 pm
95 km done and the gap is slowly coming down - approaching 3 min
2:40 pm
The gap is at 2:50 with three laps of Mont Morne to go. Laps are 14 km. When the 3 laps done they head 'home' to Lac Megantic ~ 35 km to the finish.
2:48 pm
Gap down to 2:30. Peloton being led by Barry, Meier, Rollin and Tuft
Break is:
Rob Britton (Team H&R BLOCK), David Stephens (Garneau Evolution), Derrick St John (Stevens Racing p/b The Cyclery), Marsh Cooper (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies), Will Routley, Ryan Anderson, Martin Gilbert, David Boily (SpiderTech powered by C10) and Bruce Bird (Wheels of Bloor/Graywood Developments)
3:05 pm
The rain has stopped, the sun is out and the road is drying. Temp ~ 18 degrees
The gap is 2:40. w. Spidertech on front.
3:10 pm
At the top of Mt Morne the gap is 1:30. They have one more time around /climb up Mont Morne. then the 40 km to the finish.
3:19 pm
David Veilleux (Team Europcar) has joined Tuft, Rollin, Barry and Meier in the chase. Gap continues to fall
STech in break doing a lot of work, they know who is chasing.....
3:28 pm
Gap is 1:20 as they start the last lap/climb up Mt Morne
Gap 1:10
Now attacks start
Britton, Cooper and Routley have gone off the front of the break.
Barry and Salas have attacked from the chasers, trying to bridge
3:36 pm
New leaders!!!
Breakaway as split in two groups. Routley, Britton, Cooper at the front. Main group coming up fast! being led by Barry and Salas at 1 min
3:52 pm
The 2 front groups are now together, to form a group of 11.
Break: Rob Britton (H&R Block), David Stephens (Garneau), Marsh Cooper (Optum-KBS), Derek St John (Stevens), Bruce Bird (Wheels of Bloor) and Ryan Roth, Ryan Anderson, Will Routley, Martin Gilbert and David Boily (SpiderTech), Michael Barry (Sky), Sebastien Salas (Optum-KBS).
They have 47 sec on the remainder of the peloton with Tuft, Meier, Rollin, Veilleux
<40 km to go
4:03 pm
10 riders in the break. w a 45sec gap to chase group of 3: Nic Hamilton (Indépendant), Francois Parisien (SpiderTech powered by C10) and Antoine Duchesne (Garneau- Quebecor-Norton Rose) and 1:15 to the peloton. 30 km to go
4:10 pm
20 km to go. Of the 121 starters this morning, ~ 40 might finish. They have had rain, winds, lightning and a 7 times up a 2 km climb to contend with.
Gap is 45 sec to the rejoined peloton
4:15 pm
18 km to go.
The lead group has split. Barry on the front followed by Britton, Cooper, Salas and Roth
4:20 pm
new leaders: Barry, Britton, Salas, Cooper and Roth are away <15 km to go Barry can motor. Well respected World Tour rider
4:22 pm
Gap is down to 35 sec. Peloton is chasing hard.
4:23 pm
Barry is not waiting to be caught .. He attacks. Only Roth and Cooper can go with him
4:30 pm
4 km to go
Barry leading with Roth and Cooper. Salas is trying to bridge
4:33 pm
2 km to go and it is Barry towing Cooper, Roth, Salas, Duchesne, & Britton
Finish UNOFFICIAL
1 Ryan Roth (ON) SpiderTech powered by C10
2 Michael Barry (ON) Team Sky Pro Cycling
3 Marsh Cooper (BC) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
|Return to Canadian Cyclist homepage | Back to Top


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One of the most endearing aspects of Savannah, Georgia is its people, at least the ones we encountered in the Historic District. One late afternoon, as my daughter and I strolled along West Congress, we happened upon a tiny bookshop tucked inside the door on the first floor of an old building. Since Savannah was established in 1733, there are quite a few antique buildings in the Historic District.
The miniscule bookshop was shaped like a slice of pie. Books were displayed both outside the shop on a short bookcase, and on three walls with shelves high up inside the shop. It was as if the books had climbed ladders to place themselves on high. A handsome gentleman arranging books turned out to be the proprietor. He quickly lifted the hinged part of the counter and popped up inside the store. Although his name escapes me, as does the name of his charming emporium, his lilting Southern drawl and quirky demeanor charmed the socks off of us. He was, he explained, a photographer and a great reader of books. In making reading recommendations, he often quoted from the books displayed. He showed us the dust jacket of his coffee table book of photographs of Savannah's flora and fauna. We were willing to purchase his book, but alas, he told us, he was awaiting a shipment of it, and delivery had proved to be tediously slow. It appeared such a lovely book of photography that we understood how he had sold out of it quickly.
My daughter had not read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, by John Berendt. The bookseller admonished her that it was an integral part of Savannahian reading. He shared with her a few Savannah sites purported to be haunted, and urged us to visit them together. Cheerfully we paid him his due for the book, and promised to return to Savannah, not a difficult promise to keep. Like the horses clip-clopping down the street drawing their carriages, we too walked on to enjoy a glass of wine and Italian food with our friends, having spent another leisurely day savoring the bliss that is Savannah.
Ciao for now.


text:
Puzzle Levels
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4D City Scape Time Puzzle - Berlin
Product Information
|4D Cityscape
|3D, 1000 Pieces
|24 in (L) x 16 in (W) x 3 in (H) / 60.96 cm (L) x 40.64 cm (W) x 7.62 cm (H)
|Cardboard Box
|Total Pieces
Product Description
This puzzle recreates Berlin's historic skyline, not only in three-dimensions, using scale-model buildings, but also along the fourth dimension of time - spanning over 700 years of architectural history. The puzzle includes 138 building replicas that depict Berlin's Skyline as it appeared as far back as 1292, through to 2006 with the completion of Hauptbahnhof. The puzzle includes such iconic structures as the Marienkirche, Friedrichstraße, Checkpoint Charlie, and Kollhoff Tower. In 1961 you replicate history as you build the Berlin Wall using 60 replica pieces. In 1989, you remove the wall as you re-join East and West Berlin together.
The base of the puzzle is a traditional 2D jigsaw puzzle that forms the city's street layout and geography. During the process of constructing the base map, one learns about Berlin's neighborhoods, streets, museums, and more. Once the puzzle base is complete, the vertical building of Berlin's Skyline begins by placing 138 buildings and structures in chronological time sequence. This is done by following the enclosed 4D Time Poster.
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Lawsuit Over Use Of Creative Commons Content Raises Contract vs. Copyright Issue
from the the-battle-continues deptOne of the more interesting issues related to copyright law is how contract law meshes with copyright law. For example, there was the recent case (still going through the appeals process) over whether or not a copyright holder (a record label in this case) could effectively wipe out First Sale rights (allowing you to resell what you bought) via a contract. As of right now, the US courts have said no -- and that's important. If you could supercede copyright laws with contractual terms, it would make the limitations on copyright law effectively meaningless, because every product would quickly include some sort of licensing agreement that took away fair use, first sale and other exceptions (including, potentially, the idea that the copyrights might someday expire). This is not a US only issue, of course. Just recently we've seen blogs from elsewhere also start to discuss if contracts can increase limitations beyond copyrights.
However, there is a new lawsuit in the US that may be worth following on this topic. It involves GateHouse Media -- a company that has been ridiculously aggressive in trying to stop others from doing things as simple as copying a headline and a lede. In this case, the primary issue is a little (if only slightly) more reasonable, in that the lawsuit involves a company that sells nice looking plaques to people with a copy of a newspaper article about them or their company. GateHouse offers such a service itself, and clearly sees this competition as infringing.
Where the case gets interesting, however, is that GateHouse's content in this case (from the Rockford Register Star in Rockford Illinois), has its content covered by a Creative Commons "Attribtuion-NonCommercial-NoDerivs" license. The lawsuit covers a bunch of ground, but one interesting inclusion: claiming that the reprints are a contract violation, because they don't follow the Creative Commons license on the content.
For quite some time, Copycense has been banging the drum that setting up Creative Commons as a contractual layer to copyright takes it into dangerous territory that isn't good for copyright law itself or overall public policy. There haven't been too many cases that have tested this point, but it sounds like the GateHouse Media one has the potential to raise certain questions (who knows if we'll actually get answers) about how copyright and contracts relate to each other -- especially within the realm of Creative Commons.
This has been one of my concerns with Creative Commons. Many folks who support Creative Commons licenses are justifiably worried about what happens in cases like the one above concerning promo CDs where the First Sale doctrine gets written out of copyright law via contract. Yet, at the same time, the whole basis of many Creative Commons licenses is based on this same ability to bring contract law into copyright. As much as I like the concept of Creative Commons, this still leaves me worried. The lawsuit itself may not end up challenging this point, but sooner or later, someone's going to do so, and people who think they're on one side of the argument may quickly find themselves on the flip side.
Filed Under: contract, copyright, creative commons
Companies: gatehouse media


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How to burn MP4 to DVD-R to play on DVD player on TV?
"How to convert & burn MP4 to DVD disc to play on regular DVD player on TV? I have a movie that is in MP4 format that I would like to be able to convert to something else to be able to play on my DVD player. What's the best program that will get this done? Any MP4 to DVD freeware?"
If you have movie clips in MP4 (MPEG4) format, you may want to convert them onto DVD to watch on home DVD player. Various programs have been written to encode and burn MP4 files to DVD disc. Rather than buying, there are some freeware that helps you burn MP4 to DVD free. This tutorial walks you through the step-by-step guide on how to easily convert & burn MP4 videos to DVD with freeware DVD Flick and professional DVD Creator respectively.
Method 1 Burn MP4 to DVD free with DVD Flick
DVD Flick is open source software for Windows that is completely free. DVD Flick is capable of importing audio tracks, video files and subtitles, composing a DVD-Video movie and burning it to a disc – or creating an ISO image for later burning. Here's the brief guide on how to burn MP4/MPEG4 files to DVD using DVD Flick.
First of all, you may want to download and install DVD Flick onto your computer. If you haven't done so, you can click here to download and follow the on-screen instructions to install it.
Step 1 Add Titles to DVD Project Click the Add title button and select one or more of the video files that you want to add.
Step 2 Edit Your Titles You can edit each title by double-clicking it or by clicking on it once and pressing the Edit title button.
Step 3 Configure Your Project Settings Click the Project settings button on the top to open the project's settings.
Step 4 Burn DVD with DVD Flick DVD Flick can burn your encoded project straight to disc if it is completed successfully.
Method 2 Convert MP4 to DVD with Professional DVD Creator
DVD Creator serves as the best and most reliable DVD authoring application for both Mac and Windows platforms. With this all-in-one program, you can create a professional-looking DVDs easily, quickly and effectively. It's not only able to burn MP4 videos to DVD that can be played on all standalone DVD players, but also provides various delicate of built-in DVD menu styles. AVI, MKV, MOV, MP4, MPEG, WMV, MOD, TOD, AVCHD, M2TS, Divx and many other files are supported. Check out the guide below and learn how this program performs as the best MP4 to DVD Converter.
(Tips: Below is the example guide on burning MP4 to DVD on Windows, you can always use DVD Creator for Mac to convert MP4 movies to DVD on Mac OS X, including Snow Leopard and Lion.)
Step 1 Free Download and Install MP4 to DVD Burner
No matter you are on Mac or Windows computer, we have the best solutions for you. DVD Creator and DVD Creator for Mac work as the best MP4 to DVD Converter on Windows and Mac platforms respectively. To get started, click the link below to download and install the software.
Step 2 Import MP4 Videos
Then launch the program, and click on "+ Import" button under "Source" tab to add your MP4 clips that you want to burn onto DVD into this DVD burning software. Meanwhile, you can also import your photos and burn with videos together. (Tips: You can create several titles according to your need.) The right big window is a built-in video player where you can preview the loaded file.
Step 3 Customize DVD Movie Project (Optional)
The "Menu" feature lets you make a DVD that looks just like the commercial one. By clicking on it, there you can see many different DVD templates covering both static and animated ones. Simply choose one of your favorite as the DVD menu. Or you may select "No Menu".
Step 4 Convert & Burn MP4 Files to DVD Disc
Click on "Burn" tab, and choose DVD as the output, and insert your blank DVD disc (DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW and other format are all supported.) Then click on "Burn" button to start burning MP4 (MPEG-4) videos to DVD disc.
This excellent MP4 to DVD Burner will get the burning task done in fast speed while keeping the best quality. Once done, the DVD disc will be ejected automatically and now you can watch the DVD on your home DVD player attached to TV. Enjoy.
Tips on MP4/MPEG4 to DVD Converter:
If your MP4 videos are bigger than 4.7GB, you may use a dual-layer DVD disc which could hold up to 7.8GB files. This professional application supports both DVD-5 and DVD-9.
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How to burn MP4 to DVD-R to play on DVD player on TV?
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
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Alice Otter is Emmet Otter's mother in Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas. She is good friends with Hetty Muskrat.
Alice and her son Emmet live together in a small house next to the river in Frogtown Hollow, where she has made ends meet by taking in laundry, knitting socks, and baking pumpkin pies since her husband died.
Alice Otter used to own a piano, but she hocked it for money. She loves to sing and really wants to buy Emmet that guitar with the mother of pearl inlays he saw at the Music Store for Christmas. After participating in the annual Waterville talent contest, Alice and the Frogtown Jubilee Jug Band become employed by Doc Bullfrog with a permanent gig singing and playing at the Riverside Rest.
Alice was puppeteered by Frank Oz, with Marilyn Sokol dubbing the voice of the character afterwards. For the songs, Oz performed the puppet to Sokol's pre-recorded tracks. As with several other characters in the special, a marionette version of the Alice Otter puppet was used for several shots.
In the original production of the stage adaptation at the Goodspeed Opera House in 2008, the role of Alice Otter was performed by Cass Morgan and understudied by Lisa Howard. The puppet from the original special was refurbished and used in bookending scenes at the beginning and end of the musical.


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Victoria Azarenka struck a blow for the younger generation by beating Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia 6-2, 6-3 to join a trio of 31-year-olds in the semi-finals of the US Open on Wednesday.
The 24-year-old Belarussian, the second seed and runner-up last year, will play unseeded Italian Flavia Pennetta, while defending champion Serena Williams meets Li Na of China in today's semi-finals.
The win moved Australian Open champion Azarenka one step closer to a possible Arthur Ashe court rematch against Williams for the title.
Pennetta reached her first Grand Slam semi-final on Wednesday by beating longtime friend and Fed Cup teammate 30-year-old Roberta Vinci, the 10th-seed, 6-4, 6-1.
In the women's doubles, Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan and Peng Shuai of China were defeated by 6-4, 7-6 (5) by Indian-Chinese duo Sania Mirza and Zheng Jie, while Serena and Venus Williams of the US trounced Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Lucie Safarova (11) of the Czech Republic 6-1, 7-6 (3).
Azarenka is well aware she is battling the "old guard" in the last four.
"I'm a baby, what can I say?" she added.
"It's amazing to see athletes doing so well, their careers longer so fans and themselves can enjoy their careers much better," she said. "Everybody looks much fitter, really taking care of their body and taking the sport to the next level.
Pennetta, ranked 83rd as she battles back from surgery on an injured right wrist, said times had changed for veteran players on the women's side.
"I think we just keep playing. Before, the career of the woman was shorter they retired early," she said.
The good-natured match between friends who have competed against one another since they were 10 became a rout by the second set, which Pennetta closed in 24 minutes against an error-prone Vinci.
On the men's side, second seed Rafael Nadal continued his remarkable form this year, improving his hardcourt record to 20-0 with a 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 hammering of fellow Spaniard Tommy Robredo.
Next up for Nadal is France's Richard Gasquet, who will be playing in the semi-final stage of a slam for the first time since Wimbledon in 2007.
Robredo spoiled what would have been the first meeting at the US Open between Nadal and all-time Grand Slam king Roger Federer after the 31-year-old Spaniard sent the Swiss master packing in straight sets in the fourth round.
Nadal, who has come back from knee injuries that sidelined him for seven months to win nine tournaments, including his eighth French Open for his 12th Grand Slam crown, bounded for joy after steamrolling another opponent at Arthur Ashe.
"I think I played my best match in the US Open this year," said 2010 US Open winner Nadal, who has lost just one set from five matches.
Eighth-seeded Gasquet booked his long awaited return to the last four of a men's slam with a 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3 upset of fourth seed David Ferrer of Spain.
It was the second successive five-setter for the 27-year-old Gasquet, who clinched the concluding set of a marathon fourth-round match against big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic 7-5.
Gasquet had lost eight of nine previous matches against Ferrer. The hill could be even steeper against Nadal, who has won all 10 of their professional encounters.
"Rafa, I never beat. Last time I beat him I was 13 years old," Gasquet said. "That was the only time I beat him. He's a good friend of mine. I have nothing to lose."


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Minneapolis, Minn., Jan 31, 2014 / 02:01 am ().- Those who have put discipline and hard work into sports – whether an Olympic gold medal or a fifth grade tournament – help show how Catholics should dedicate themselves to their faith, the author of a new book has said.
Alyssa Bormes, author of "The Catechism of Hockey," praised the Olympic Games' displays of accomplishment and the "gorgeous unity of the human spirit."
"Somehow, even though I'm not skiing, when I hear of my fellow Americans skiing, they're skiing for me. We won the gold. It's so wonderful that we all become one in sports. And in the Church," she told CNA Jan. 30.
Bormes said sports are attractive because of athletes' discipline, their self-mastery, and the way some have suffered for their sport.
She said the Olympics are about "the full gift of self."
"It's very Catholic to give everything to what you're doing," she said. Olympic athletes, just by qualifying for the games, in many cases have already "given everything they have."
"Some of them will have colossal failures, and others colossal wins. Our hearts will go out in both cases, for either the sorrow of the athletes who have lost or for the great joy of the athletes who have won."
Bormes' book, published by ACS Books, reflects on hockey and other sports and how they can provide inspiration for Catholic life.
The former youth minister and religious education director, compares players who neglect drills, practices, and good diet—and so play poorly--to Catholics whose private sins affect the Church.
Time in the penalty box is akin to penitence for one's sins. Coaches are like catechists, while team memorabilia resembles devotion to relics, she said.
Bormes said her book is written for sports-minded individuals and parents whose children are involved in sports.
"We fully catechize our children in sports," she said. Sports, like religion, can feature inter-generational teaching, regular observances, and an "all-encompassing" attitude.
"We tithe to sports. Some of us hemorrhage (money) to sports. We organize our schedules around sports. I'm asking parents not to give that up, but to do the same for the faith, and teach their children the faith as if it were football or basketball."
She said she agrees with criticisms that sports can become a "parallel religion" in which people are more concerned about the rules of sports and commit more to sports than to their faith.
However, everything a sports devotee is doing "can easily be translated in to the faith."
"Sports are great, and they're a great training ground," Barmes said.
She suggested a connection between dedicated athletes' willingness to submit to the rules and discipline of their sport and faithful Catholics' willingness to submit to their faith.
"It's utterly Catholic in that submitting, and yet there's this gorgeous freedom in it."
In sports, she said, "we watch greatness come from within the rules, not in spite of the rules."
"If someone were consistently to break the rules, it's not great. It's distracting, it's ugly, and we don't like it as someone watching the sport."
Like great athletes, the lives of the saints tell the story of virtue again and again.
"Even though each saint is submitting to the same rules of the Church, the same commandments, they do so in such dramatically different ways that the story is consistently interesting."
Barmes said the Catholic faith stresses "the important thing."
"It's to make saints, it's not to make Olympians, even though they're great. It's to make saints."
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HARTFORD -- After scoring 129 goals in three season in junior hockey, Christian Thomas came to the AHL with a reputation.
Thomas, a 2010 second-round draft pick, was considered a top prospect by the Rangers. With speed, skill and an NHL bloodline -- his father Steve spent 20 seasons in the league -- Thomas was seemingly on the fast track to Madison Square Garden.
But his road to New York began in Hartford and it took some time for Thomas to find his footing. He had eight goals and 14 points in his first 40 games and was scratched January 20.
But over the past month, Thomas has flourished. He notched 10 points in the past 12 games and seven in six games, displaying the offensive skill that earned him attention in the Ontario Hockey League.
"I think I'm just moving my feet out there, forechecking and working hard," Thomas said. "Starting off this year, it was a lot different than juniors. Guys are bigger, stronger, faster. You have to make plays quicker. So I think having played [52] games here, I've adjusted for the most part. Starting to feel out there."
His transformation has coincided with being placed on a line with veterans Micheal Haley and Kelsey Tessier. Like Thomas (5-feet-9), Haley (5-11) and Tessier (5-9) are smaller in stature but are high-energy players.
"Smaller guys, we work hard and create chances out there," Thomas said.
Thomas joined the Whale at the end of last season and played in the AHL playoffs, but he faced a different league at the start of this season. The NHL lockout enabled team to stock their AHL affiliates with better, more experienced players.
For rookies such as Thomas, the jump from junior hockey was immense.
"It's all the best guys from your junior league," Thomas said. "Every defenseman is good, every forward you have to watch out for. When you're out there, you can't take a shift off. You have to work hard out there or stuff is not going to happen."
Thomas also saw less ice time in the AHL than in juniors, so there was plenty of time to watch from the bench and learn. For a guy who scored 54 goals in one season for the Oshawa Generals, the perspective was different.
"As a rookie, you can't expect to play the same minutes you did in juniors, so it's tough to get going and tough to get points," Thomas said. "Now I'm getting more of an opportunity. Pucks are starting to go in the net and I'm starting to get chances out there."
Having a resource like his father helped Thomas navigate his slow start. Steve Thomas played for six teams from 1984 to 2004, including the Islanders and Devils. He scored 421 goals in 1,235 games.
These days, Steve Thomas works in the Tampa Bay Lightning front office. He watches Whale games on the Internet and is in constant contact with his son.
"I would say it's a big advantage for me," Christian said. "He played 20 years in the league, he was undrafted, he played in the NHL as a 21, 22 year old. Through all his experiences, he helps me so much, on and off the ice. If I have any problem, if I'm feeling down, he helps me out."
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The Solarbotics Arduino Freeduino Enclosure (SAFE) is a laser-cut acrylic case for your projects - now we created a line of faceplates to custom-fit a variety of microcontrollers.
Each of them is offered in 4 different colours (dark red, black, transparent blue and clear). We also designed a Clear Acrylic Lid to fit the SAFE, that can be ordered separately.