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THE average weekday New York Times contains nearly 130,000 words of news, information and opinion distilled from millions cascading in from throughout the world. The newspaper employs layers of editors and multiple policies and procedures to make sure that every one of those words is as accurate as anyone can determine in the daily rush of history.
But, with all the safeguards, bad things still happen. Last month, because reporters and editors in three different parts of the paper did not take enough pains to verify information, The Times reported as fact a political telephone call that didn't happen, fell victim to a faked letter to the editor, and published a sensational anecdote about a college football recruiting battle that the paper cannot be confident is true.
Each failure had its unique causes, but all show how little breakdowns can lead to big mistakes and how, in a business that relies heavily on trust, it is imperative to stay vigilant and skeptical.
The Phone Call
On Dec. 9, David Halbfinger, the metro politics reporter, wrote that Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts had called Gov. David Paterson of New York on behalf of his niece, Caroline Kennedy, who was eyeing the Senate seat being vacated by Hillary Clinton. Halbfinger's sources were unnamed "Democratic aides," and the story said a Kennedy spokesman had no comment.
But the next day, after Paterson denied speaking to Kennedy and Kennedy's spokesman said the senator had not called anyone in New York about his niece and the Senate, The Times acknowledged that it had not contacted either Kennedy or Paterson to seek response before the article was published.
How could such a basic step have been missed? A chagrined Halbfinger took full responsibility and said there was "no rational explanation." He said, "I had an out-of-mind experience for two hours, and I can't believe it happened. It was just awful." The circumstances Halbfinger described amounted to a breakdown in communication with sources and fellow reporters.
He was the lead reporter on a story with three other contributors. Carl Hulse in Washington said he was asked to request an interview with Senator Kennedy but knew nothing about the reported phone call. He sent a message to Anthony Coley, Kennedy's spokesman, asking if Kennedy would talk about "the prospect of his niece joining him" in the Senate. Kennedy has not given press interviews since returning from surgery for brain cancer, and Coley signaled that there would be no interview this time. Halbfinger then sent his own message to Coley, referring to "the Caroline thing," and later asked Coley to call him. Coley replied that he would have "nothing for you on that story."
Halbfinger said he mistook the answer as a no-comment on the phone call. Instead, Coley was simply letting him know there would be no interview. Coley told me that had he been asked the direct question he would have waved The Times off. He said he thought the newspaper had made an "honest mistake."
Halbfinger thought he had some corroboration because Nicholas Confessore, a reporter normally in the Albany bureau, was near him in the New York newsroom monitoring an interview on television with Kerry Kennedy, another niece of the senator's. Confessore announced that she had confirmed that her uncle had lobbied Paterson on Caroline's behalf, and he posted that on the City Room blog. It turned out to be wrong.
Halbfinger said he couldn't explain why he didn't try to call Paterson. Also unexplained is whether the anonymous sources were in a position to know what they were talking about or had motives to mislead the paper. Craig Whitney, the standards editor, said the skimpy description of them was "inadequate."
The Faked Letter
In his nine years as editor of letters to the editor, Thomas Feyer figures he has read a million letters and spotted more than one fake. But on Dec. 18, he was taken in by an e-mail message from someone claiming to be Bertrand Delanoë, the mayor of Paris, who said Caroline Kennedy's bid for the Senate was "a dynastic move" and "not very democratic."
Feyer knew Delanoë to be outspoken and not always diplomatic, so he didn't heed the little alarms that this might be a hoax: the e-mail address was paris.com instead of paris.fr, and there were none of the required contact telephone numbers. Feyer also should have been suspicious because the message carried an ad at the bottom, unlikely with government communication. But he said the fact that the real mayor's name was in the originating address helped persuade him that the message was genuine. He has since learned how easy it is to create false e-mail addresses.
The letter was lightly edited and sent back to the writer for approval, as required by Times policy. Although there was no response, the letter went in the paper on Dec. 22. When the real mayor's office objected, The Times apologized. "There were warning signs, " Feyer said. "I should have held the letter."
He told readers last Sunday that, from now on, The Times will adhere strictly to its verification policies for letters to the editor. All letter writers will be called before their submissions are published.
Andrew Rosenthal, the editor of the editorial page and Feyer's boss, said Feyer is "one of the most reliable, sensible editors I have ever known, with impeccable news judgment." But he made "one real clunker," Rosenthal added.
Feyer said he felt terrible about the incident because "the credibility of The Times is everything." He said he also felt a bit sad because "we were operating with a level of trust that I suppose in today's Internet world you can't have."
The Wild Party
On Dec. 26, Thayer Evans, a Houston-based freelancer who writes frequently for The Times, reported that one of the nation's most intense college football recruiting battles had ended: Jamarkus McFarland of Lufkin, Tex., was going to Oklahoma, not Texas.
Evans had stayed close to McFarland and his mother, Kashemeyia Adams, for months, and he recounted an intense courtship of them by coaches and boosters. He quoted from a paper that McFarland had written for his high school English class that described the recruiting process, including comparisons of the football programs. McFarland's paper described a party at an upscale Dallas hotel, hosted by Texas fans after the Texas-Oklahoma game, where he said drugs and alcohol were plentiful and young women took off their clothes and were "romancing each other."
But McFarland later told rivals.com, a football fan Web site, that he had "spiced up" the description of the party and intimated that, if he had known Evans was going to quote from his paper, he could have told the reporter what was accurate and what was not. Evans told me he went over the paper in detail with McFarland, and Adams told me that she knew the reporter reviewed what he was writing with her son, although she didn't know the details of their conversation.
The Times asked McFarland to clarify his conflicting remarks, and after two days, he sent a text message that cleared up nothing. It said he had respect for Evans, that his school paper was written "to capture and inform my audiences," and "I stand by this story and I have moved on."
Adams said that since The Times article was published, her son has been the target of racial slurs from angry Texas supporters, and she said she would not let him talk to reporters in the future. But she defended Evans's story. "An article was written, and I was very well pleased with it, and that's that," she said.
What really happened? I asked Evans how much he pressed for independent verification of the party. He said he asked for the name of the hotel, and McFarland could not remember it. The reporter did not ask who invited the young man to the party, who accompanied him or who else might have witnessed the lurid events.
Evans said that in retrospect, he could have done more to get independent corroboration of the party. But he said that McFarland and his mother had never misled him during their long association.
Tom Jolly, the sports editor, and Mike Abrams, who was editing the 2,800-word article on deadline on Christmas Day, said they did not press Evans about the party. Abrams said the allegations were in a school paper, and "there's a trust between this kid and a teacher." McFarland is a good student, and "submitting this document for a grade added credibility," Abrams said "maybe too much credibility."
The article also contained allegations by Adams that she had received various offers to induce her son to go to Texas, although it made clear that she did not believe that anyone associated with the university was responsible for any misconduct. Nick Voinis, a spokesman for the University of Texas athletics department, complained to me that Evans did not call the university for comment before the article was published.
Evans did alert the university just before his article was published on the newspaper's Web site. Why didn't he seek reaction beforehand? He said that if anyone at Texas had spoken to him, it would have violated N.C.A.A. recruiting rules. And, he said, he did not want to give either Texas or Oklahoma information they could use to try to influence McFarland's decision.
"I felt like we made the best efforts we could under the circumstances," Evans said.
Regardless of whether Texas officials would have commented, Evans should have given them the chance. As in each of the other cases, a phone call could have headed off much embarrassment.
Ronald Reagan may not have loved the press, but he had good advice for every reporter: Trust but verify.


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Visit our keyboard shortcuts docs for details
Nikolai Lekanoff, born in 1925, shares his experiences growing up in Makushin and Unalaska, and the pain of forced relocation during World War II, which marked the end of his small village. [open captions]
As part of the "Beginning of Memory Project," Ray Hudson conducted interviews with Unangax̂/Aleuts who were forced to evacuate from their homes during World War II. Many of the evacuees from the Aleutians faced years away from their childhood homes, sometimes in deplorable camps. Many communities - the "Lost Villages" - were never resettled.
Nicholai S. Lekanoff was born in Makushin in 1925 and in 1937 moved with his family to Unalaska. He served as an alter boy in Unalaska Village and continued service to the Church of the Holy Ascension throughout his life. After WWII he married Pauline Kudrin of Kashega.
Download a full transcript of Nicholai's interview.
Last updated: November 9, 2017

subset: commoncrawl


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"They are one of the largest industries on the planet, with the biggest environmental impact. And they are trying to keep us in the dark about how they are operating…" – Will Potter, Independent Journalist
UPDATE: You can watch Cowspiracy online for free at Disclose.tv right now. Tell everybody!
Watch Cowspiracy Online at Cowspiracy.com
As those of you who read my Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret review know, I think this is one of the most important films ever made.
If you haven't seen it yet, there's good news! You can now watch it streaming online on Cowspiracy.com, or order the DVD through the website.
Host a screening at your house and invite all of your friends, family, neighbors, acquaintances, enemies and frenemies!


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How We Do It
How we do it
We take a practical approach to designing and conducting research. We see research as a needed step in the evolution of developing enhanced marketing strategies and innovative consumer campaigns. We design and execute research with the goal of achieving our clients' objectives and uncovering insightful strategic recommendations. We take pride in being able to effectively communicate the value of the end research and socialize the insights among decision makers.
Quant Surveying
We have designed, conducted and analyzed hundreds of quantitative-based survey projects. We are experts in crafting survey questions, developing sampling plans designed to capture robust, defensible results, and managing online and offline fieldwork. We work with a preferred network of fieldwork partners in the countries where we operate including through our long-term online supplier, Research Now.
Our quantitative surveys are designed to benchmark brand perception, identify and profile key market segments and measure the drivers of brand loyalty.
Focus Groups
We are experts in moderating and analyzing focus groups designed to probe consumers' underlying perceptions, attitudes and behaviors. Either through in-person groups or online discussion boards, we use a variety of proven techniques to probe opinions and capture insights. We typically co-create the discussion guide used to stimulate active conversation during the groups with our clients to ensure relevance. Post groups we take a holistic view of the data including cognitive rational analysis and underlying psychological patterns.
In-depth Interviews
We believe some of the most valuable insights companies can obtain from research involving listening to a handful of informed consumers and stakeholders. We are experts in identifying and recruiting informed general consumers and more senior-level decision makers and engaging them in a respectful manner. Through active conversations either via telephone or a hybrid audio-enabled web interface we engage in semi-structured dialogue to uncover underlying brand perceptions and behavior.
In-home Ethnographics
Pioneered at Insignia with our work for the Canadian Tourism Commission, we use this qualitative research technique to 'get into the mind set' of consumers. Whether it is observing British travelers plan a vacation from the comfort of their living room or viewing a reader navigate online blogs while researching book titles, we have developed a series of methods to map consumer behavior relative to specific trigger points.


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If you are lucky enough to be planning a trip to Banff, than you better bring a lot of cash and takes some notes from here. The activities to do here seem to be never-ending. I spent 6 days in Banff and I hardly did justice to the place. If you have not got a car during your stay, hire out some bicycles ($30 – $50/day). It's the best way to get around, being a lot of the hot spots are a good distance out from the town.
Here is my 7 favourite things to do in Banff:
- Gondola ride – Take the amazing (slightly terrifying) ride up to the summit of Sulphur Mountain to experience the Rockies in a whole new way. A whopping $49 CAD if you don't fancy the never ending walk up
- Dog Sledding – Although I have never done this, I will get around to it one day. Available nearly all year round, I'm sure this is something everyone cn enjoy. If you're willing and able to pay $150 -$200 CAD
- Ski – I have not actually skied in Banff (cheaper European options) but again, one day soon. Costing approximately $30/day for a chairlift pass (depending on which mountain) and around $40/day for the basic equipment rental
- Canoe Lake Louise – One of most rewarding/tranquil experiences in my life. Take plenty of pictures of the incredible turquoise waters, your friends will think they are edited. Prices for kayaks/canoes per hour are $40 CAD
- Bask in the Hot Springs – Take a dip in the naturally heated upper hot spring. Ticking over at a cool 38°C, with excellent views of Mount Rundle. Price is $8 CAD
- Walk a Trail – Take a hike you're on holidays! Tunnel Mountain trail is my favourite
- Get Lost – Yep, just go an a random adventure and get lost. Every inch of Banff is as picturesque as the next and who knows, maybe you could stumble across something unknown. Just be careful of the bears! And wolves. And moose. And coyotes. I think that's all.


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In January 2015, as part of our planning we developed a Memorandum of Association which outlined our aims, objectives, values and vision.
Our vision is to continue to have a shop in Hallbankgate that provides local residents with an attractive, friendly place that meets most, if not all of their shopping needs. We want to ensure that the shop is viable and has a secure and certain future.
It should be owned and controlled by the community in whichever way that is set up, for example a Community Benefit Society where any profits made will be ploughed back into the shop or into community projects. Whichever model of ownership is used we want the running of the shop to be open and transparent with a strong organisational team who are receptive to new ideas and offers of help.
As well as being a place to buy food we foresee the premises being used as a hub for other services and a place to meet. Services may include a post office, library link and a small tea shop. Other suggestions are dry cleaning, parcel drop off, prescription collection point and displays of local crafts and artists. These services will develop over time and respond to the needs and suggestions of the community.
We want our shop to provide a high standard of service and be a beacon of excellence. In this way we hope that we can draw custom from many of the surrounding villages and be a true competitor to the large supermarkets and their online delivery services. We hope that when people experience the personal and responsive service from our shop, they will change their shopping habits. In this way we hope that the shop will grow and expand.
We want members of the community to be involved in the day-to-day running of the shop and so create a sense of ownership and a high level of commitment and determination that it will succeed. We can be innovative in what we supply. Operating within environmental health legislation, we could sell home baking, bread and preserves made by members of the community.
We want to be able to provide local employment with the initial recruitment of a paid manager. As the shop expands and becomes successful, future employment opportunities may arise.
We want the shop to have strong links to other organisations within the community such as the pub and school. We can see possibilities for projects and community events that bring these institutions together.
We are now there! (nearly)
The shop and café have been open since 12th of December 2016 in the front half of the building (we call it Phase 1). We've had plenty of visitors since then and the numbers keep growing as local residents and passers by rediscover this community resource and appreciate what we have to offer.
The work on the back half of the premises (Phase 2) is in full swing and we expect to 'move in' some time this spring (2017). We are looking forward to expanding our coffee shop, both its foot print and its menu, adding library link and exhibition area for local arts & crafts. An enclosed consultation room will also be available for use by community outreach businesses.


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Don't be afraid!
Well, what do you think? I don't know, author photos are funny things. I had this one done in a bit of a desparate panic some time ago (my hair is now less and greyer) but recently, on a school visit, a teacher was surprised to meet me and said 'You don't look at all like a serial killer.' which, I suppose I should take as a compliment.
Anyway, DO NOT BE AFRAID. I will be appearing at the Pop-Up Festival of Stories in Central London on Sat 30th June. The festival runs Saturday and Sunday and there will be delights for young and old, short and tall, thin and not-so-thin! I repeat, though my author photo may be on the scary side, I am not! I am house-trained, do not bite and delightful company. Just as almost anyone who've met me. Okay, not anyone I've actually worked with but certainly my publishers feel I'm safe to meet the public.
As well as me (as if that was not enough) there will be Jon Mayhew! Alexander Gordon Smith! Katie Dale! Candy Gourlay! Many other authors and artists wise, talented and edible! These are your new best friends or your money back! Money, what money? The festival is FREE! FREE!
There are plenty of details here.


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Maritime communications
Broadband maritime satellite communication systems have become an indispensable part of the communication needs in commercial and military shipping. With the ever increasing size of ocean going vessels getting the data from an antenna system to the inside of the vessel is a growing challenge.
InterTronic Solutions supplies a range of products that cover the transmit, receive and L-band connectivity areas of maritime satellite communication systems. The product range includes:


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by Paul Bowers
In a referendum Tuesday, residents of the town of Latta, S.C., voted to restructure their government, taking power away from the mayor and handing it to Town Council. The vote was prompted by an April 15 incident in which Mayor Earl Bullard fired Police Chief Crystal Moore, the town's first female and first openly gay chief.
But this morning, before the restructuring could take effect and Town Council could re-hire Moore, Mayor Bullard announced the hiring of a new police chief, a man named Freddie Davis. TV station WMBF is reporting that Davis was hired on a two-year contract with a $40,000 salary.
"Yeah, we won the vote 328 to 136 to hire me back, but the mayor just hired a new chief of police as we're standing here," Moore says.
Town Councilwoman Lutherine Williams, a vocal proponent of the restructuring, says she thinks the mayor hired the new chief as an act of retaliation. She says Town Council was not consulted on the decision.
"That's because he's crazy," Williams says. "I was [at Town Hall]. They stayed locked up in the room for about an hour, and he comes out introducing Mr. Freddie Davis from West Florence as the new chief of police. And I politely informed Mr. Davis that he doesn't realize what he has done, because he may hold the office for three days, but come Monday morning, he wouldn't have a job."
Under Latta's strong-mayor form of government, Chief Bullard has the power to hire and fire unilaterally. But as soon as the Town of Latta notifies the S.C. Secretary of State's office of the referendum results and changes its town code, Council will have the power to override Bullard's decision and re-hire Moore as chief of police. All six council members voted to hold the restructuring referendum; Mayor Bullard was the lone Nay vote.
Mayor Bullard could not be reached for a comment. A receptionist at Town Hall said the mayor had left the building after spending some time in the office this morning.
In case you missed it back in April, here's a recording that one Town Council member took of Mayor Bullard explaining his view on "somebody whose lifestyle is questionable":
Showing 1-14 of 14


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Ministry Of Finance Says No Funds For LC1 and LC 2 Elections
The Ministry of Finance has said government does not have money to organize elections for administrative units in the local governments.
According to a letter dated 8th August, 2016, by Permanent Secretary, Secretary to Treasury, Keith Muhakanizi to the Electoral Commission, there are no funds in the 2016/2017 financial year to cater for the Local Council 1 and 2 elections.
The last LC 1 and LC 2 elections were held in 2001.
The letter, which was presented by EC officials, led by deputy chairperson, Joseph Biribonwa, before Parliament's Public Service and Local Government committee on Thursday 22nd September 2016, stated that the Ugx 33.148 billion which had been requested by EC for the elections was not available this financial year.
"I wish to reiterate that the budget for 2016/2017 is constrained and we are not in position to provide additional resources required. You are advised to rationalize this expenditure within the resources appropriated under your vote's budget for 2016/2017," Muhakanizi wrote in the letter addressed to EC Secretary, Sam Rwakojo.
Biribonwa told the MPs that Ugx 3.341 billion which the Commission had also requested to operationalize the newly created districts of Omoro, Rubanda, Kagadi and Kakumiro and fill vacant positions would also not be provided.
He said the Commission has for years requested for the funds however there has not been a positive response, hence postponing the elections.
In the 9th Parliament, the Local Government Amendment Bill 2014 was passed, to provide for voters to line up during elections for the LC 1 and LC 2 leaders at village and parish levels respectively.
Last month, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanyah directed the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Kahinda Otafiire to set a date for the elections however the deadline has since expired.
The committee had summoned State Minister of Finance, David Bahati to give an update on the elections; however he made a brief entry and later moved out.
Shadow Minister of Local Government, Betty Nambooze, who is also Mukono Municipality MP, lamented over delays in conducting the elections, noting that the lower administrative unit system is broken down due to the absence of the LCs.
Nambooze suggested that the EC consults with the NRM party, to establish how they conducted their LC I and 2 elections last year.


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Minutes of meeting held on Monday 12th February 2018 in Ardgay Hall at 7.00pm
Minutes approved 12th March 2018
Present: Betty Wright, Chair (BW), Silvia Muras, Vice Chair (SM), Marion Turner, Secretary/Treasurer (MT), Andy Wright (AW), Rob Pope (RP), Buster Crabb (BC)
Police Scotland: PCs Angus Morrison, Steve MacKenzie Minutes Secretary: Mary Goulder
Apologies: Highland Councillor Linda Munro (LM), Leslie Pope (LP)
Items 1/2. Welcome/Apologies (as above) Chair Betty Wright welcomed everyone, then invited the police officers to give their report. This was very brief with only one advice call, one fixed penalty road traffic offence, one lost property and one external force entry. There were no matters raised by the CC.
Item 3. Minutes of last meeting. The minutes of the December meeting were approved as a true and accurate record, proposed: Marion Turner; seconded: Betty Wright.
Item 4. Matters arising. (1) Ardgay/Bonar straight/where to site seats. Two sites identified as satisfactory to provide seating at roughly the third-way points. If possible, seats could be set to face both ways to allow for best views. BW will price seats and concrete base installation and share quotes with CCs. She will also ask Creich CC if they wish to contribute to project costs.BW Action. (2) Defibrillators, Ardgay and Culrain. Discussion with BT now complete and community will go ahead with plans to site defibrillator in Culrain phone box. SM shared quotes with CC and will submit application to Beinn Tharsuinn for project match funding. SM Action. (3) Christmas lights newsletter article. AW will submit an article seeking local opinions and volunteers for next December. AW/MT/BW plan to erect the tree as last time. AW Action. A separate article may be submitted regarding the continuation of providing floral displays. (4) Polling station review. MT made online submission with views of CC.
Item 5. Police report. See above (Item 1).
Item 6. Chairperson's report. (1) Plant tubs. BW will speak with Jean Richardson regarding possible arrangements for floral displays. BW Action.
Item 7. Secretary's report. All relevant email correspondence has been circulated. (1) Information received from Zurich Insurance regarding administration changes as the company takes over CC cover. It is understood that payment of the premium will continue to be deducted by THC before payment to CC. (2) It has been reported that street lighting in the parking area at the station are not working. CCs were reminded to advise locals of the facility on THC website to report such faults. A small item to this effect will be placed in the Newsletter. LM/SM Action.
Item 8. Treasurer's report. (MT) The 3 January 2018 balance at the bank was £21,545.77 of which £20,667.04 are restricted funds. The Admin/General Fund has £ 878.73 available to carry out the business of the CC. The balances of the restricted funds are: Toilet Caretaking – £29.76, BTWF – Community Projects – £5,098.15, Newsletter – £3,013.00, BnO – £11,855.73, EON Path – £670.40.
Item 9. Correspondence/Matters raised by local residents. (1) Received emails have been circulated. A request to invite RBS and Bank of Scotland for the mobile bank to have a stop in the new square has been put to the banks. The response indicates that the schedules are full and no extra stops can be added at this time. Secretary will write formally to the banks asking that the schedules be reconsidered to allow this stop. MT Action. (2) THC's draft Core Path review is now open for comments on updates made to the original plan. There have been additions to the path network around Ardgay, including new paths at Glencalvie.
Item 10. Regular updates:
(1) Planning. No issues raised.
(2) Newsletter. (SM) Copy date for next issue is 21st February with distribution expected in the week beginning 12th March. Contributions are already being received and new advertisers are booking. The entries for the A&DCC 2nd Children's Art Competition have been collected. Winners will be chosen very shortly. Awards will appear in the next edition along with the date of the exhibition. This year the intention is to organise the event on a week day to give the pupils the opportunity to attend as a school activity.
(3) Ardgay Regeneration. A charging point for electric vehicles has been placed in the Square but is not yet operational.
(4) Broadband. BT personnel have been in Culrain with residents being advised that rewiring is to be done to bring faster Broadband to the village.
(5) Windfarms. (1) Braemore. Nothing heard from Braemore regarding community benefit. Chair will write again. BW Action. Croick. Nothing further. Sallachy. Conversations with Creich and Lairg CC are ongoing.
(6) Kyle of Sutherland Development Trust. At the recent AGM, MT stood down from the Trust. Grateful thanks were given to her for her years of service since the early days of the Trust and her work in helping progress the various exciting projects which have already reached fruition. It was proposed that AW, who is already a Trust director, should take on the role of CC representative as well. With approval of all present, AW accepted. He then advised that the Trust website has not been kept up to date recently due to staff illness but that a new person is now in post so the site will be updated and maintained. This will help with keeping the public informed of Trust activities. Anyone with questions is encouraged to call into the new office in The Barn at any time.
Item 11. Highland Council. (1) Temporary Ward Manager Garry Cameron is moving to a new position with Phil Tomalin returning to take up the manager's post. Secretary will send message of thanks to GC for his help and support while covering this job. (2) Cllr McGillivray's 6% Plan. In response to Cllr McGillivray's email the CC will write suggesting several items which could qualify for Capital Budget spending. (3) Notice has been received of some of the proposals in THC Budget, to be approved on 15th February which includes the proposed reduction of CC annual grants by 50%. Secretary will write to the three local councillors clearly stating the financial position of the CC, explaining the Restricted Funds and making the case for the outgoing expenses which are incurred simply to keep the CC functioning. She will also mention the way in which the CC operates the Ardgay public toilets and state how well this system has worked. MT Action all points.
Item 12. Any other competent business. (1) Sutherland Community Partnership. Three people are now based in the offices at The Barn working on locality plans. The CC was not made aware of this and will write to Peter Allan to ask what the remit for this is. MT Action.
Item 13. Date and time of next meeting. The meeting will be held on Monday 12th March 2018 at 7pm in Ardgay Public Hall.
Private Session. Beinn Tharsuinn/Beinn nan Oighrean Community Benefit awards. Application by Invergordon Academy for funding to help support a World Challenge Expedition to Nepal was rejected.
Application by the Invershin Hall for a grant of £45 to run further Balance Bike sessions was approved with an award from BnO. Applicants will be advised. MG Action.
Meeting closed 8.55pm
Tags: Minutes, Minutes 12 February 2018


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Pokie stools are a huge investment and it is essential that you avoid the common pitfalls and 'get it right'!
Below are the most common frequently asked questions. If you do not find the answer to your question, contact us for assistance.
Frequently asked questions.
- Gaming area location - Are gaming stools different for indoor and outdoor areas?
Gaming stools used in outdoor or alfresco gaming areas may be open to the elements, including direct sunlight (UV radiation), rain and dust, and these stools should be designed to withstand such environmental conditions. As an example, most nylon 5-star stool bases are not UV protected, so extended use in direct sunlight may cause the nylon to become brittle and lead to an unexpected failure. As the 5-star base supports the entire stool, the sudden failure of this component can result in injury to anyone that may be sitting on the stool at the time. In the case of swivel mechanisms used in alfresco areas, an important consideration is the possibility of dust and/or humidity, either of which can cause premature degradation of the swivel's bearing surface leading to poor performance of the swivel action.
Karo offers a variety of pokie stools suitable for outdoor use. Our unique nylon disc base is UV protected and being nylon, won't damage the tiled or timber floors commonly used in alfresco gaming areas. Our polished aluminium 5-star base and 4-legged gaming stools are frequently used in both indoor and outdoor gaming areas, while our black nylon 5-star base stools offer a cost effective solution for both indoor and outdoor areas. However, these black nylon 5-star base stools are not UV protected and are therefore not suitable for use in those outdoor gaming areas that are exposed to continuous direct sunlight.
- Seat foam - The seat is the 'heart' of the gaming stool, so why is the foam so important?
The foam seat is the 'heart and soul' of any gaming stool and it is essential that this component is manufactured from durable and resilient polyurethane foam to not only increase player comfort, but also to prevent early degradation and 'foam collapse'. During their useable life, most pokie stools will undergo some form of re-upholstery, and superior seat foam will permit this process to be repeated a few times until the foam degrades to the point where its replacement is unavoidable.
Karo is one of the few manufacturers of gaming stools and office chairs that produces its own polyurethane (PU) injection moulded foam. This places Karo in the unique position of not only offering customised foam products, but allows us to produce resilient PU foam that is ideally suited to the demanding environment found in the gaming rooms of clubs, pubs, hotels and casinos.
Furthermore, Karo's unique Velcro Quick-Release seat option allows the venue operator to rapidly exchange an unusable seat cushion, thereby minimising stool downtime.
- Gaming Stool Base - Disc, 5-Star or 4-Legged, which is the best option?
The choice of a gaming stool with a 4-legged, disc or 5-star base is a matter of personal preference. Normally, 4-legged pokie stools have a smaller seat, are lighter and less costly than their disc or 5-star base counterparts, but they are also generally less comfortable.
Disc base stools are traditionally heavy as the base is frequently manufactured from cast aluminium or pressed steel. The 'flatness' of the base is preferred by some venue operators as the risk of 'tripping' over the stool base is perceived to be less when compared to a 5-star or 4-legged base stool.
In the 5-star base category, there are by and large 3 options, i.e. steel, aluminium or nylon. Steel 5-star bases are usually welded and powdercoated which makes them susceptible to weld breakage and rust as the powdercoating is worn off the metal surface. Aluminium and nylon 5-star bases are respectively die-cast or injection moulded and require no further surface coating which makes them more durable in the harsh Australian environment. It should be noted that both aluminium and nylon bases can easily be recycled.
Karo manufactures a broad range of 4-legged, disc and 5-star base gaming stools. Due to the total interchangeability of all our stool components (seats, backrests and bases), we can combine these components in any configuration to create a pokie stool that is ideally suited to your venue. Our 4-legged stools are available with either an elliptical or round steel leg that is powdercoated in black, silver or gold. Our disc base is manufactured from glass-reinforced nylon which is not only cheaper and lighter than the older cast or pressed steel bases, but it is also scratch resistant, will not rust and being UV protected, is suitable for alfresco gaming areas exposed to direct sunlight. For quality and durability reasons, we only offer 5-star bases that are die-cast or injection moulded from aluminium or nylon and we do not offer a welded steel 5-star base. In both cases, we use a 640mm diameter base for greater gaming stool stability and safety.
- Gaming Stool Height - Can the pokie stools be manufactured to suit the height of the machine bases?
Recently there has been a tendency in Australia to use lower machine bases which naturally impacts the height of the matching gaming stools. Although a gas height adjustment on the gaming stools can negate the impact of a lower machine base, many gaming stools are of the 'fixed' height variety. This means that any change in the height of the pokie stool requires a change in the centre-column length to either lower or raise the height of the stool. Commonly, the centre-column assembly is a welded construction that is difficult to modify, so the widespread technique is to replace the entire centre-column and base assembly when the stool height is no longer ergonomically correct and results in continuing player discomfort.
Karo's unique tapered column construction allows the centre-column assembly to be exchanged on-site with a minimum amount of cost and effort, even after the gaming stools have been used for a number of years. While this feature is not possible with a 4-legged base, all Karo 4-legged pokie stools are custom-manufactured in a variety of heights to suit your gaming environment.
- Can the gaming stool height be changed retrospectively?
Many gaming stools are of the 'fixed' height variety. This means that any change in the height of the stool requires a change in the centre-column length to either lower or raise the height of the stool. Commonly, the centre-column assembly is a welded construction that is difficult to modify, so the widespread technique is to replace the entire centre-column and base assembly when the stool height is no longer ergonomically correct and results in continuing player discomfort.
Karo's unique tapered column construction allows the pokie stool centre-column assembly to be exchanged on-site with a minimum amount of cost and effort, even after the stools have been used for a number of years. While this feature is not possible with a 4-legged base, all Karo 4-legged stools are custom-manufactured in a variety of heights to suit your gaming environment.
- Swivel mechanism - What options are available for your gaming stools and which is best?
The highly demanding Australian gaming environment requires a robust and durable swivel mechanism for your pokie stools to ensure trouble-free stool rotation. There are two basic types, i.e.
360 degree rotation swivel plate and 190 degree swivel-return plate with 'spring-back' feature.
In Australia the most popular swivel plate is the standard 360 degree swivel that will allow the gaming stool seat to rotate freely about its axis, while the 190 degree swivel-return has a 'swing-back' feature that will return the seat to a neutral position. While numerous types of swivel mechanism are available, the regular "TV swivel" with less than 20 ball bearings should be avoided as they generally are unable to withstand the rigors of the modern gaming room. Better quality swivel plates will typically have 50 or more ball bearings.
360 degree rotation swivel mechanism with gas height adjustment.
This full-rotation swivel plate incorporates a gas height adjuster to allow the user to set the gaming stool to their preferred height. Usually gas height adjusters will allow for a minimum of 60mm height adjustment.
Karo offers a variety of gaming stool swivel mechanisms, i.e. fixed-height 360 degree swivel or 190 degree swivel-return, both of which are imported from USA and have a 52 ball bearing race. Alternatively, we also offer a gas height swivel mechanism that allows for a full 360 degree rotation and 80-120mm seat height adjustment.
- Gas height adjustment - Is this an important consideration?
A gas height adjustment mechanism allows the user to set the gaming stool at their preferred height, which in addition to the 360 degree rotation and "shock absorbing" capacity of a gas column, improves the overall ergonomics and comfort of the stool.
Karo offers a gas height swivel mechanism on all our Disc and 5-Star Base pokie stools that allows for a full 360 degree rotation and 80mm seat height adjustment. Click here for more information.
- What warranty do I get with my gaming stools and why is this important?
Suppliers offer various warranties on the pokie stool construction, typically starting from a minimum of 12 months. In most cases, the warranty on the swivel mechanism and upholstery fabric is covered by their respective manufacturers.
Karo now offers a 7-year warranty on all our casino seating and gaming stools, with the exception of the swivel mechanism and upholstery covering that carries the respective manufacturer's warranty. Contact us for more details.
- What upholstery options are available for your gaming stools?
Karo offers a standard range of upholstery fabrics and vinyls. Should none of our upholstery options suit your requirements, we will manufacture our gaming stools using any commercially available fabric, vinyl or leather covering.
Certain gaming stool importers may only offer a limited range of upholstery covers, while others will allow the venue operator greater choice. It should be noted that many fabrics available in Australia are actually imported which can impact on their availability, lead time and ultimately the cost of the gaming stools.
- Are the gaming stools supplied by an importer or manufacturer, and why is this important?
Gaming stools in Australia are sold either by manufacturers or suppliers/importers. Whether or not the venue operator purchases their pokie stools direct from the manufacturer is a matter of personal preference that may include other factors such as design, price, and delivery. In many cases, venue operators believe that by purchasing their stools directly from the manufacturer they will have greater control over the design and/or configuration of the stools, coupled with a clearly defined line of recourse should there be any problems with their purchase.
Karo has been manufacturing office chairs and gaming stools since 1986 and we sell our stools directly to all clubs, pubs and hotels in Australia.
- Continuity of Supply - Can I protect my investment?
This may be an important issue for some gaming room operators considering the significant investment usually associated with any gaming stool purchase. A manufacturer or supplier that has been in business for a longer period of time is typically judged to be more stable and offer better product continuity than a 'younger' counterpart. This is more important for those venues that would like to maintain pokie stool continuity in their gaming areas over a prolonged period of time.
Karo has been manufacturing office chairs and gaming stools since May 1986 and has a proven track record in both the Australian and international markets.
- Do Karo prices include import freight costs?
Some suppliers prefer to show freight charges separately when quoting on their products. At Karo however, we like to keep pricing simple by ensuring our quoted prices are always "to your door", i.e. inclusive of all freight charges.
Simply put, this means we have taken into account the following import costs:
- Road freight to port of loading (overseas)
- Fumigation as per Australian regulations
- Sea freight
- Marine insurance
- AQIS fees
- Australian Import Duties
- Australian Customs Clearing & Admin fees
- Port Services (Botany Bay)
- Quarantine Inspection
- Slot, maritime and customs entry fees
- Local delivery charges.
- Why buy gaming stools from Karo?
Gaming stools are a significant investment and it is essential that they satisfy the requirements of both the venue operator and the patrons. For the venue operator, a reliable product and service package is a priority. The patrons on the other hand, demand ergonomic comfort. So why choose Karo?


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BC: All things grow better with love.
FC: My Journey to be a Successful Teacher | Life Starts NOW!!!!
1: Getting My Bachelor Degree At UNC-Chapel Hill | My First year Salary is almost $22,000. | I am gonna be the best teacher in the world.
2: My very first car. Used of course. Only $129 per month. | Sadly Gas in $5.15 per gallon. | Oil Changes are getting expensive too.
5: My house cost 57,000. $688 per month for mortgage. | My water bill is low and thats good. | My electricity bill is only $167 per month.
6: Food wasn't a great expense. | Taking a vacation to the beach.
7: We spent almost $150 in gas to get here. | The Hotel charged 100 per night. I won't be staying too long.
8: The End | I am now a happy teacher still traveling the road of success touching others lives and helping everyone achieve their dreams like i did.
20: A family is pieced together with hope and faith. A family is quilted and bound with love and grace.


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David Bellemore, B. Comm., CPA, CGA,
Direct: (519) 944-4777
Fax: (519) 944-4011
David has been involved in public practice since 1991, when he joined the accounting firm originally established by his late father Jean Paul Bellemore, CGA (1937-2002).
David is a Chartered Professional Accountant and received the legacy Certified General Accountant (CGA) designation in 1997. He also obtained his Bachelor of Commerce degree, Honours Business Administration, from the University of Windsor in 1991.
Now, as a partner in TurnerMoore LLP, David proudly serves the Windsor, Essex and Kent County regions in both official languages (English and French).
A proud husband and the father of three wonderful children, David enjoys serving his community and currently volunteers, in the capacity as treasurer, with the Belle River Rochester Goodfellows, and the Cassels and Adjoining Lakes Association (CALA).
Away from the office, David has a passion for the outdoors and enjoys spending time with his family at their cottage in the Temagami region.
- Income tax preparation and planning for individuals, estates, small business and corporations.
- US income tax preparation for individuals and consultation in regards to cross-border tax issues.
- Farm tax and related services.
- Year-end accounting and assurance services for small business corporations, not-for-profits and registered charities.
- Business start-up consultation, including business plans, budgets and forecasts.
Gordon D. Boggs, TEP, CPA, CGA, LPA
Phone: (519) 972-3030
Fax: (519) 944-4011
Email: email@example.com
A prominent community figure in Windsor and Essex county, Gordon D. Boggs has been serving his clients and community for over 30 years.
As a CGA with executive experience, as a V. P. of Finance and as a business owner, Gordon has been providing a diverse range of accounting, tax (Canadian, U.S. and Estate) and business advisory services across a breadth of industries. Gordon is also a member of the Society for Trust and Estate Practitioners and the National Association of Public Accountants in the United States.
During his professional career, Gordon has served on the boards of many not-for-profit organizations. Most recently, he completed a term as a member of the Board of Governors for the University of Windsor. While on that Board, Gordon was Chair of the Investment Committee, Audit Committee and also served on the Pension and Executive Committees as well as the Toldo Education Building Committee. Having completed his term, Gordon continued to serve on the Pension Committee, most recently as Chair of that committee. He is continuing his involvment with the University by continuing to serve on the Investment Committee.
TurnerMoore has used the tagline "Building Trusted Partnerships" in the past. Gordon has lived this philosophy for 30 years. Not only has he built caring, long term relationships with his clients but also a network of banking, legal and financial planning professionals throughout Windsor/Essex County and Southeastern Michigan. This enables Gordon to reach out to a wide variety of professionals in the border city area so that he can offer various solutions to his clients to meet their business and financial needs.


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The NACCHO Informatics Group is looking forward to some great presentations by Caleb Wiedeman (Tennessee Department of Health) and Harold Gil (County of San Diego Public Health Services) on how their organizations ensure data quality when using BioSense 2.0 technologies. This webinar is hosted by ISDS and the BioSense Redesign Team. Please scroll down for more information.
BioSense v2.0 Webinar: Data Quality Checks and Assurance
Date and Time
Thursday, May 22, 2014 – 3:00pm – 4:00pm EDT
ISDS and the BioSense Redesign Team
Caleb Wiedeman, MPH, Epidemiologist, Tennessee Department of Health
Harold Gil, MSPH, Applied Public Health Informatics Fellow, County of San Diego Public Health Services
Presenters Caleb Wiedeman and Harold Gil will describe some of the processes their organizations use to ensure the quality of data in BioSense v2.0. First, Caleb Wiedeman will review his normal routine of verifying data quality, including checking the front end of the BioSense v2.0 application for aberrations and drops in visit counts, linking front-end data to the back end using R, and using phpMyAdmin to check daily files. This portion of the presentation will focus on Tennessee's system and the data they receive from six facilities within a single health system.
Following the data quality checks segment, Harold Gil will more broadly discuss the User Community Extension Project (UCEP) group's work on data quality. The UCEP has focused on developing and sharing tools that complement BioSense functionality and scale across jurisdictions. Webinar attendees will learn about the data quality script the group has been developing over the last several months.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to…
Describe processes that can be used to perform data quality checks in BioSense v2.0.
Identify specific data quality metrics in BioSense v2.0 (e.g., drops in visit counts).
Discuss the UCEP group's work on BioSense v2.0 data quality scripts.
Register: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/845010882
Certified Public Health (CPH) Recertification Credit Available:
You may earn 1 CPH recertification credit for watching recorded webinars. If you wish to earn credit for watching the recording, you must view the recording, complete this evaluation, and write to email@example.com and include the title of the webinar you watched. For either option, CPH recertification credits are free for ISDS members (as a benefit of membership) and are $10/credit for non-ISDS members.


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Ever struggle with writing the first sentence of a news story?
When you're finding it tough to get your thoughts down on paper, the first sentence can often seem impossible. This is especially true in the pressured atmosphere of news writing. You need to be quick, truthful, and engaging. No pressure!
A carefully crafted first sentence can grab a reader's attention and immerse them in the story. A bad first sentence, especially in the online era, can cause the reader to switch attention to something else, or even head to the comments section to provide some 'intelligent and balanced' feedback on your work!
So how do you get it right? Of course, in an ideal world, you'll be writing for a publication with a clear style guide, and an editorial team will be ready to assist you. Often, especially online, this isn't the case.
To help you out with the first sentence of your next news story, we've gathered up some inspiration. Read on to discover some example first news story sentences from a variety of publication types.
Respected News Publication – Examples Of First Sentences
Although increasingly rare, serious news publications dedicated to principled journalism still exist.
We have a lot to learn from these institutions, and this is true for first sentences.
Here are three example first sentences from respected news publications from across the political spectrum, along with some notes on how you might channel them into your own work.
"At 12:42 a.m. on the quiet, moonlit night of March 8, 2014, a Boeing 777-200ER operated by Malaysia Airlines took off from Kuala Lumpur and turned toward Beijing, climbing to its assigned cruising altitude of 35,000 feet."
This story is about the vanishing of flight MH370, one of the biggest mysteries of our time. How can this example of a serious news first sentence inspire us when writing our own work?
- Detail. The precision of the numbers used in this opening lend the story a sense of authority and detail. Using the exact time, rather than an approximate one, instantly prepares the reader for a precise, factual read.
- Evocative. The use of phrases like "quiet, moonlit night" adds some evocative description to this opening. The combination with the precise language is powerful. Readers are both descriptively and intellectually engaged from the offset.
- Informative. The use of informative language manages to answer the key questions of "what, when, where, how" within a single sentence. This is a key aspect of respectable news writing.
Mother Jones
"There are four main types of Americans fighting on the ground in Syria: special forces soldiers, CIA agents, Islamic extremists, and anarchists."
Mother Jones uses the opening sentence above to introduce its in-depth exploration of the complex situation in Syria. So what can we take away from this opening?
- Surprising. The contrast between the word "Americans" and terms like "Islamic extremists" and "anarchists" creates a sense of surprise and intrigue.
- Outlining. By reading about "four main types" in the opening sentence, the reader is given a taste of what to expect in the rest of the article.
- Engaging. The use of phrases such as "fighting on the ground" and "CIA Agents" give a sense of excitement to the article. Given its two hour read time, it's essential to grip the reader as early as possible.
LA Times
"The California sun caught the light in Bonnie Colwell's long, honey-blond hair as she stood in the gravel commons of Sierra College."
The opening sentence of LA Times' longform article on The Golden State Killer sounds like it could have come from a fictional thriller. So what can we learn from this style of opening sentence?
- Location. By talking about California, we instantly know the location of the story. More than that, the mood of the scene is conjured up as "California sun" has certain connotations in the minds of both readers.
- Visual. The visual language in this opening, including references to "sun" and "honey-blond" lend the opening an immediate visual power. They also tie in less obviously to the topic of the story, namely The 'Golden State' killer.
- Suspense. Readers of this opening know they are reading about a notorious serial killer. The tranquil image takes on an edge of tension and worry as a result, somewhat like the setup scene in a serial killer movie.
Entertainment News – Entertaining First Sentences
"When you enter the gated confines of the Hidden Hills, California neighborhood where Scott Disick lives, it feels a little like driving onto a Hollywood studio lot left over from the 1930s."
GQ has covered entertainment and men's lifestyle topics for decades, focusing on an upmarket, aspirational readership. What can we learn from this opening sentence of a Scott Disick profile?
- Second person. The use of "you" transports the reader directly into the story. This is suitable for the intimate type of profile piece this sentence opens.
- Suitability. GQ is known as an aspirational publication. By mentioning "the gated confines of the Hidden Hills", an area known for celebrity, the aspirational nature of the story is reinforced.
- References. By drawing upon cultural images such as "Hollywood" and the "1930s", readers automatically make associations between the story they are reading, and the cultural archetypes they have in their mind.
New Yorker
"Expedition: Robinson," a Swedish reality-television program, premièred in the summer of 1997, with a tantalizing premise: sixteen strangers are deposited on a small island off the coast of Malaysia and forced to fend for themselves."
The New Yorker isn't your typical entertainment publication, but there is a lot to take away from its opening sentence exploring reality TV.
- Informative. Straight away, the reader is informed what they are reading about, and given context such as time and place. These things are vital for entertainment news stories.
- Alliteration. Phrases such as "sixteen strangers" and "forced to fend" give the introduction a punchy feel.
- Intrigue. With entertainment news, the story is often told within the first sentence, not giving readers much incentive to continue beyond the start. In this story, a sense of curiosity as to how the "sixteen strangers" pan out is created.
"There's no good, normal way to say this, but: Russell Crowe once purchased a dinosaur head from Leonardo DiCaprio for the bargain price of $35,000."
Vogue is known for its high-fashion, aspirational content. But what can we learn from this entertainment piece opening sentence?
- Celebrity. Like it or not, much of the public like celebrities. Dropping names such as Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio early on appeals to the Vogue readership.
- Surprise. A dinosaur head? Being sold by two celebrities? The surprise factor is ramped up from the get go here. Readers are immediately aware this isn't an average celebrity story.
- Escapism. For most Vogue readers, dinosaur heads and casual purchases of $35,000 aren't in their everyday experiences. By offering something outside of their everyday lives, entertainment news stories provide valuable escapism.
Sports News – First Sentences That Knock It Out Of The Park
Bleacher Report
"A boy and his father walk out of a basketball game, hand in hand, into the California night, and the little one poses a question: We won the game, but why is everyone so mad?"
Bleacher Report helped to modernize and disrupt the world of sports journalism. In its profile of coach Steve Kerr, Bleacher Report Magazine gives a few pointers as to writing effective sports news opening sentences.
- Personal. It can be hard for fans to relate to the millionaires that make up pro sports. But a boy and his father walking out of the game? That's very relatable. Sometimes, a touch of the personal can make your sports news stories more effective.
- Emotional. The use of "the little one" is clever. It adds an emotional edge to the story which might not otherwise be there.
- Lack of resolution. This opening sentence is a clever device. It sets up the story in a way which makes the reader keen to get answers.
Sports Illustrated
"As the 2017 spring season wore on, it became increasingly difficult to score against one of the four clubs in the softball league at the federal prison camp in Cumberland, Md."
Sports Illustrated have a long record of providing quality sports news to their readers. This sentence opens a story mixing aspects of crime and sports news. What can we learn from it?
- Mixing expectations. At the start, the sentence reads fairly conventionally, like a run of the mill sports story. The mention of the "federal prison camp" adds a twist.
- Context. By providing both time and place, the reader is able to immediately gain the context of the story to come.
- Interest. By stating that "it became increasingly difficult to score", readers automatically want to learn more about why this is the case.
NY Times Play Magazine
"My first exposure to the precarious social status of the professional field-goal kicker came unexpectedly, at a game between the Detroit Lions and the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 8, 1970"
Play Magazine by the New York Times is known for offering quality sports news, and this story from Michael Lewis, of Moneyball and Blindside fame, is a fine example. What can we take from its opening sentence?
- Topic. The sentence "precarious social status" immediately sets the tone for what's to come. We know this won't be about kickers in general, rather their status in particular.
- Credibility. We know from the use of "my first exposure" that the author has firsthand experience of what he's writing about. This is a lot more readable than someone speculating based on secondhand information.
- History. Lewis' story was published in 2007, but its opening sentence mentions 1970. This gives the story a sense of weight and legacy which wouldn't otherwise be there.
Closing Thoughts On News Story First Sentences
Thanks for checking out examples of different ways to start a news story.
No matter what type of news you are writing, you never need to feel stuck for inspiration on how to start.
If you're writing a fresh style of news article, and aren't sure of where to start, or are simply feeling blocked, try not to worry.
By studying the best publications out there, and analyzing what they do, you will be able to come up with something that's more than good enough for your own news content.


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Lavish Events specialise in luxurious events of all sizes, ensuring as much or as little of your plans are taken care of as you desire.
We can provide full event planning services from planning, directing and managing special events, whether those are of a corporate or personal nature.
Today's modern life is busy and we want everything to be perfect. Every client is unique and every event is different from the last; each event plan is created to our client's specific needs.
Contact Jess with any questions you may have and discuss your special day further.


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King William Fair Takes Home Six Awards at TFEA Conference
The King William Fair staff attended the annual Texas Festivals and Events Association (TFEA) Conference Awards Luncheon in McAllen on July 14 and was thrilled to win the following six Kaliff Zenith Marketing Awards for excellence in festival and event promotion in the $250,001 - $750,000 expense budget category!
Gold in Multimedia Entries – Best Event Website
Gold in Promotion Printed Entries – Best Commemorative Poster
Silver in Promotion Printed Entries – Best Promotional Poster
Silver in Festival & Event Critical Component Entries – Best Parade
Bronze in Promotion Printed Entries – Best Event Program
Bronze in Merchandise Entries – Best Pin or Button
It is an honor to be recognized alongside the cream of the crop of Texas's festivals and events industry, such as Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival, Poteet Strawberry Festival, George West Storyfest, and fellow Fiesta® San Antonio events like NIOSA, Fiesta Oyster Bake, A Taste of New Orleans and Fiesta Flambeau Parade.
Kudos and thanks to the artists, designers, Parade participants, and Fair staff who worked together to ake our 2018 King William Fair an award-winning success!
-- Syeira Budd: Fair Manager


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At LifePoint there are many opprotunities to serve:
Kids Point
Our Kids Point ministry provides a safe, caring, and fun environment for our kids to learn about Jesus. We provide classes for ages ranging from infancy to eleven years of age.
Host Team
Greet and welcome visitors on Sundays at LifePoint! The Host team helps create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, run guest central, welcome people to LifePoint, assist in ushering and, of course, ensure there is coffee!
AVS Team (Audio/Visual/Sound)
This is the behind-the-scenes team that helps the congregation fully engage in worship by providing visual content and minimizing distractions during service. The team arrives early to set up projectors, prepare texts, set the sermon recording and ensure we are ready to "go"!
Prep Team
Each Sunday our church gathers together to worship God through hanging out, song and studying His word. This team gets to prepare the environment to do that, by ensuring that the facilities are clean and everything we need Sunday morning is in the right place!
Security Team
Keeping our gatherings safe is a priority at LifePoint. This team assists in keeping our kids and congregation safe while maintaining a warm and welcoming environment. Duties include patrolling the building, and watching over the parking lot during service.
For more info on serving email firstname.lastname@example.com with the team you wish to serve with.


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Posted 10 Aug 2011
Link to this post
public static Byte[] Serialize(object obj)
using (MemoryStream memoryStream = new MemoryStream())
DataContractSerializer serializer = new DataContractSerializer(obj.GetType());
serializer.WriteObject(memoryStream, obj);
return memoryStream.ToArray();
Posted 11 Aug 2011
Link to this post
You will have to serialize it in XML.
Please, take a look at this forum topic. It discusses the same thing. The topic is for WPF, but I suppose that the same rules apply for Silverlight.
I hope this helps.
Explore the entire Telerik portfolio by downloading the Ultimate Collection trial package. Get now >>
The XML serialization is the only possible way.
Posted 12 Aug 2011
Link to this post
static public string SerializeObj(CompositeFilterDescriptorCollection obj)
System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer serializer = new System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer(typeof(CompositeFilterDescriptorCollection));
System.IO.MemoryStream ms = new System.IO.MemoryStream();
serializer.Serialize(ms, obj);
byte[] bytes = ms.ToArray();
return System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetString(bytes, 0, bytes.Length);
Posted 15 Aug 2011
Link to this post
Posted 17 Aug 2011
Link to this post
Posted 18 Aug 2011
Link to this post
Basically, you cannot serialize interface - just as the error states. Did you check out the example in the mentioned code-library, did you use the approach illustrated there ? May you provide more information about your implementation ?
Posted 22 Aug 2011
Link to this post
Although the example mentioned is for WPF, you may follow the exact same idea for serialization. Generally, what you need to do is to serialize the properties for each of the filter descriptors - Member, MemberType, IsCaseSensitive, Operator, Value. As the composite filter descriptor consists of more than one filter descriptors, you have to traverse its tree and serialize the properties for each of the filter descriptors.
Another possible approach would be to use the Telerik RadPersistentFramework (demos and documentation). I am sending you a sample project illustrating how you may save the state of the RadDataFilter.
Thank you for being the most amazing .NET community! Your unfailing support is what helps us charge forward!
We'd appreciate your vote for Telerik in this year's DevProConnections Awards. We are competing in mind-blowing 20 categories and every vote counts! VOTE for Telerik NOW >>
Posted 23 Aug 2011
Link to this post
The Telerik RadPersistenceFramework is available together with Q2 2011 release.


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Wong establishes a close relationship with Moroccan rural farmers where leather is sourced. Goat, lamb and calf are indeed commonly traded meats at local markets.
Slow Fashion
Skillful craftsmanship and the highest quality materials are used to make pieces last a lifetime. Each bag is an indulgence and investment that should be thought of and worn as wardrobe staples.
Aiming for Zero Waste
As each skin is precious and unique, Wong utilizes as much of it as possible: even scraps from the production process are recycled for other smaller parts of the bag. A creative fabrication process gives value to natural marks and blemishes.
Leather is treated with vegetable tanning methods, while colours are achieved with natural dye as to minimise the harmful effects of chemicals in the surrounding area.
Throughout the process, Wong works side by side with local leather craftsmen. Each collection is made according to the highest standards whilst empowering artisans and ensuring fair wages to sustain their skills.
"Highly-skilled craftsmen and women have become an endangered species as more young people have chosen other career options. "
Majority of the production process is handmade due to the complex and sophisticated crafts. All with extremely limited machine intervention, thus ensuring environmental sustainability.
"According to UNESCO, handcrafts represent 20% of the rural activities of developing countries, contributing to at least 3% of their GDP.
Reduce, Recycle and Reuse
Each bags is stitched by thread recycled from unraveled and spun car seatbelts.
Handbags parts are developed together with other local artisans.
Each dust bag is made by organic cotton, while sews and finishes are carried out by stay-at-home wives.
Our team is constituted of men and women of different ages, tribes, religions and sexual orientations. We strive to create a working environment free of discrimination and judgement.
Community Development
Wong herself and master artisans train each apprentice during the production process, helping young artists preserve their ancestors' traditions and avoid being caught in the 'fast fashion' business. A fair wage will be paid to train apprentice artisans from disadvantaged communities and help them sustain their careers.
"We are here to support each other along our journey, and look good while doing it!"


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We just celebrated Jock's 32nd birthday! Jock loves birthdays and has the amazing ability to remember many of his friends' birthdays, even people that he does not see very often. Jock also has an interest in adventure and likes to watch storm stories on the Weather Channel. While at BrightStone Jock says he enjoys working in ceramics, bowling, computer activities and saying the prayer before lunch. Don is a sweet, gentle man who says he enjoys listening to country music. When Lee plays his guitar for us, Don is the first one to start clapping and toe tapping! He says he also enjoys watching ice skating and eating at Logan's. While at BrightStone his favorite activities include working in the paint room, bowling, walking, learning lab activities and playing Uno.
BrightStone STARS of the week presented by


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Sabrina's After Hair (new cut and color)
As you can see, Joy did an amazing job on both of our winners. They both look beautiful! I love the new cuts and color. I really can't say enough good about Joy. She has a beautiful salon, a vibrant personality and always makes you feel welcome and comfortable. She really is the best hair stylist I have ever met. If you are in need of a hair stylist, give Joy a call. You will love her!!!
All About You Hair Salon
94 Hidlay Church Road
Bloomsburg, PA 17815


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A couple of weeks ago I bought a large jar of mincemeat to make mince pies, and the days were rapidly passing and I still hadn't done them… You know what they say about good intentions, so today I knuckled down and actually made them. OK, they won't win any prizes for appearance but they are deeeelicious though I say so myself!!
I had toyed with the idea of buying the pastry as well as the mincemeat, but pastry is so easy to make, and cheap too, so I thought I'd make it myself. I doubled up the quantities in my recipe from 8 oz plain flour to 1 lb, which it was suggested would make 24 mince pies, but in the event, kneading together all the remaining offcuts, I managed to get another 8 out of it!
You can see my recipe book open, at the back behind the jar of mincemeat. I was given this book for my 21st birthday, 41 years ago and it's still going strong – it is called "The Love of Cooking" by Sonia Allison, who used to write for the Times newspaper, and it has been my favourite recipe book throughout my adult life. It has instructions for making all the basics like pastry and scones, cakes, etc., and how to cook meat in various ways, including how long per pound and so on, and how to prepare and cook vegetables. It also includes some more exotic recipes and plenty of desserts too,. This book has been part of my life!
You can also see a bottle of wine. I used to have a nice wooden rolling pin but it has vanished without trace… Like a lot of my kitchen equipment it found its way into my studio, so I had a look but couldn't find it where I expected it to be, so I decided to use a bottle instead! This one has mulled wine in it. Filling a bottle with cold water does the trick too – it keeps the pastry nice and cool. Anyway, my mulled wine bottle did the job just fine.
On the right you can see the other half of the lump of pastry that I had made and put in the fridge to rest. It was too much to roll out all at once. Two red plastic cutters – one for the pie bases and the other for the tops. You can see the first mince pie in progress.
Uncooked mince pies waiting for the oven, and some cooked ones on the rack. I probably put in too much mincemeat because some of it has leaked out and they are all rather sticky and misshapen! They taste fine, though.
Some mince pies warm from the oven, ready to share with our cleaning lady over a cup of tea. I put them in a basket on a piece of kitchen paper. Yummy. Before she went home, she took a few over the road for our neighbour.
My hubby is wonderful! So often he goes the extra mile for me! I haven't made pastry for so long that I forgot that the recipe says half and half butter and lard, and I didn't have any lard. I'd hoped to make the pastry before lunch and leave it resting till afterwards, so that I could get a bit further ahead before our cleaning lady arrived, but it all took much longer. My hubby offered to go to the corner shop for the lard, and if they didn't have any, to go down to the main street, but he returned empty handed! Nobody had any… The wonderful man then drove out to Sainsbury's and came back triumphant – he said to me, "And all because the lady loves….. LARD!" Hahaha!
(For those who don't know, this is a reference to a Cadbury's Milk Tray chocolates advertisement from yesteryear, where a mysterious dark stranger dressed all in black braves the elements and swings from the rooftops James Bond style, to bring his lady-love her favourite box of chocolates! The caption said, "And all because the lady loves Milk Tray.")
We seem to have a LOT of food in the house now! I've just been given another large box of chocolates and I've got several panettones and some mini-stollens and lebcuchen that my hubby bought me from Lidl's (my annual treat!) My hubby took me on my first supermarket shopping trip for simply ages yesterday to do the normal weekly shop and to get some treats for Christmas day in lieu of a full traditional Christmas dinner (of which we have already had several and I didn't want to cook all that just for us). We've got some nice little canapes like mini-turkey pasties and brie and cranberry filo parcels, and I thought I'd cook a few sprouts to go with them, and we've got mulled wine, and a small Christmas pudding to follow. I bought a very small piece of Christmas cake at Sainsbury's too. Unfortunately there isn't much good TV on Christmas day but we'll watch the Queen making her Christmas broadcast and maybe watch a DVD. It will be lovely to have a nice quiet day with just the two of us.
I feel really chuffed that I've made mince pies! It's years since I did them and they are especially delicious and seasonal. I am also delighted that Kermit, my stoma, seems to enjoy Christmas fare as much as I do – many people with ileostomies cannot eat dried fruit and nuts, which feature in so much traditional Christmas food, and I'd hate to be deprived of this. I deliberately didn't put sugar on the mince pies because my hubby has to avoid sugar if he isn't going to get diabetes, and I do prefer them less sweet because you can taste the mincemeat better – my hubby agrees with me. I did brush them with beaten egg to glaze them. They won't win any beauty contests and they are a bit lumpy and uneven and very sticky but none the worse for that. Best served warm. I think I might as well hold a requiem for my diet right now…


text: Bowmik thought the residents living around Sundarbans should be taken to other profession reducing their dependence on the largest mangrove forest. "If their dependence on the Sundarbans is reduced, the tigers will also be safe," Bowmik said. For safety, villagers usually kill tigers wandering too close to their villages and experts estimate that over a dozen tigers are killed annually by villagers in Bangladesh every year.Residents are dependent on the Sundarbans mangrove forest, the largest mangrove forest in the world for their livelihood. The Sundarbans is the Home of the Royal Bengal Tigers. The villagers also kill tigers wandering around their village. It is estimated that a dozen tigers are killed annually by these villagers. The report did not say if the people killed were eaten by the tigers.


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September 26, 2016Global Governance
Overview Regional institutions and initiatives have proliferated in the twenty-first century. This latest wave of regional innovation raises, in new guise, a long-standing conundrum for global ord…
August 22, 2017Afghanistan
President Trump's much-anticipated Afghan policy rightly avoids troop withdrawal timelines but offers little prospect for progress against the durable Taliban.
July 18, 2017Infrastructure
The U.S. water system, among the safest and most reliable in the world, is central to the nation's economy, but chronic underinvestment, increasing demand, and worsening droughts have revealed weakne…
May 12, 2017South Korea
Rachel Brown, Sherry Cho, Gabriella Meltzer, and Gabriel Walker look at five stories from Asia this week. 1. New president, new approach? Moon Jae-in, South Korea's new president, has pledged to p…
December 16, 2016Philippines
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs has led to thousands of extrajudicial killings, raising human rights concerns, says expert John Gershman in this interview.
December 2, 2016China
Rachel Brown, Erik Crouch, Sherry Cho, Gabriella Meltzer, and Gabriel Walker look at five stories from Asia this week. 1. Bird flu outbreak puts Asian nations on high alert. A newly identified spate…
July 12, 2016Philippines
A UN tribunal's ruling upholds the need for a rules-based order that counters China's efforts to turn the South China Sea region into a sphere of influence, says expert Andrew Erickson.
June 8, 2012Trade
If there's a golden rule for economic competitiveness, it's this: "Always exploit your advantages." Yet for more than a decade, the United States has systematically undermined one of its biggest – ou…
April 7, 2014Global
Tech and auto companies in the United States, Europe, and Asia are moving forward rapidly with efforts to develop driverless cars and street networks. The benefits appear tantalizing, but roadblocks …
About CFR
The Asia program at the Council on Foreign Relations informs policymakers, business leaders, and the public at large about the complex future that lies ahead for the world's largest and most economically dynamic continent.


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Did you know?
More people in the 30-49 age group take virtual tours (57 percent) than 18-29 (47 percent) or 65 and older (29 percent) (Pew Internet Life Study)
Selected use cases
|Dohány Street Synagogue
Synagogues became key religious buildings after the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD.
The Synagogue of Budapest in Dohány Street is the world's second largest synagogue and it is the most monumental one together with the synagogue of Amsterdam. It was designed by Ludwig Förster in Moorish style, and it took four years to complete the building. Frederick Feszl, the famous architect of Vigado designed the interior of the sanctuary. The synagogue was officially inaugurated on 6th September 1859.
Do you need help using our 3D Virtual Tours? Read the quick guide to discover all features!
Detailed description of the building
The facade of the building is exactly in accordance with the religious requirements which means that it faces Jerusalem, so that's why it is not entirely parallel to the axis of the street. The towers are of 44 metres heigh; you can read a Biblical quote above the main entrance: "Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them".


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Educational Resources
"Telemedicine as a Means of Effective Speech Evaluation for Cleft Palate Patients." Annals of Plastic Surgery (2012). Whitehead, BS, Elizabeth, Valerie Dorfman, MS, CCC-SLP, Glendora Tremper, MA, CCC-SLP, Amanda Kramer, MA, CCC-SLP, Alicia Sigler, MD, and Amanda Gosman, MD.
View abstracts of scientific articles in telemedicine, reconstructive surgery and related fields, written by ConnectMed physicians, Dr. Amanda Gosman, Dr. Zia Agha, and Dr. Rhoit Khosla.


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Former Barack Obama adviser and surrogate David Axelrod seems to be a man on a strange new mission — finding every opportunity to damn his former boss Hillary Clinton with faint praise and sensational soundbites that he knows will be turned into stories to feed the "Hillary, again?" cable news beast.
There are plenty of politicos who are anti-Hillary. That's not news. What is discussion-worthy is how Axelrod went from a Clinton-loving Senate campaign adviser and "Friend of Bill," who less than two years ago seemed to be aboard the good ship Hillary in 2016, to a sniping talking head who can't seem to say enough back-handed and snarky things about a woman he once respected.
So what is his parade of horribles? Axelrod recently suggested that Hillary could win the White House because America is ready for a change and she's a "less complex" alternative to Obama:
"This tends to be a pendular thing. I think in 2016 people are going to want someone who is a little less nuanced and a little less attuned to the complexity, someone who projects more of a sense of black and white certainty."
That's his idea of suggesting that HRC would win a second presidential contest? That voters are tired of the "smart" professorial guy so they'll probably opt for a simpler candidate?
But that little turn of phrase is just the latest jab from Axelrod. He's been on a roll with the similar jabs for well over a year, popping up in the news every few months to give an interview to some major news outlet that includes an off the cuff dig at Clinton, which is surely not off the cuff at all.
Shortly after Hillary Clinton's remark last August in a discussion about Syria and ISIS, she was somewhat critical of the President Obama's foreign policy shorthand of "Don't do stupid shit," saying:
"Great nations need organizing principles, and 'Don't do stupid stuff' is not an organizing principle."
Axelrod no longer works for the Obama administration, but that didn't stop him from firing back at Hillary on Twitter for daring to disagree in any small measure with Obama.
In the run up to the 2014 mid-term elections, Axelrod took on the the Ready for Hillary PAC that's been raising funds and collecting supporters for a second Hillary run. Suggesting that HRC has no agenda and had better focus on one before she announces any presidential run, he recently pondered on social media, "Ready for what?"
"Now Hillary's task is to define what it is that she's running for and running about."
Funny. Axelrod seemed pretty "ready" for her just a year and a half ago, calling her "the likely candidate" for the Democrats. And he knows full well exactly what her agenda is, since he's been on the Clinton team (either Team Bill or Team Hillary) more than once.
And let's not forget his little Twitter stunt, tweeting that people ought not to donate to certain campaigns (subtext — Hillary's) because voters should be more focused on 2014:
With the Senate seriously at risk, and the Koch Brothers spending prodigiously, shouldn't Dem funders be focused on '14 and not '16 races?
"She has a unique status. … There are formidable people" who might run for the Democratic Party nomination, he said, "the vice president chief among them. But she has undeniable assets that would put her in a strong position relative to the rest of the field, and relative to the Republicans."
Random, disconnected remarks? Axelrod clearly has an agenda, but it's not clear at this point who the agenda is for. He's an operative — he works for others, not himself.
The only thing that is obvious from Axelrod's history of commentary, and seemingly abrupt about-face last year, is this — Axelrod has committed to run the campaign of someone else — Jim Webb maybe — and this is his run at undermining Hillary. He complained in August of 2013 that the GOP was out to bully HRC to keep her from running again; I'd say that's exactly what he's started doing one year later.
Axelrod had better be careful. Even if this series of Hillary-hate comments are just his way of getting the limelight to sell books later this year, the formidable Clinton political machine is going to be around for decades to come and that machine has a long institutional memory. Even if he's throwing his future in with a candidate other than Hillary, ignoring conventional political wisdom, as he has said he likes to do, could be his career-ending mistake.


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SAM (Software Asset Management) is the process and procedures backed by industry standards to manage software as you would any other valuable company asset to provides economic, security and performance benefits. Poor software management robs companies of the full value of the productivity and efficiency of software. Good software management matches the organization with the needs of the company and individuals. Poor software management can also easily mask software piracy, which is the installation or use of unauthorized copies of software.
after BSA 2014


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Grant Programs
Emergency Grants is the only program that accepts applications. FCA does not consider requests for funding outside of program guidelines. Unsolicited submissions of work samples or other materials will not be returned. Thank you for understanding.
Since the Foundation's inception, more than 3,000 grants awarded to artists and arts organizations—totaling over $14.5 million—have provided opportunities for creative exploration and development. FCA supports individual artists and collectives working in dance, music/sound, performance art/theater, poetry, and the visual arts through ten grant programs: Grants to Artists, the John Cage Award, the Merce Cunningham Award, the Ellsworth Kelly Award, the Roy Lichtenstein Award, the Robert Rauschenberg Award, the Dorothea Tanning Award, the Cy Twombly Award for Poetry, the C.D. Wright Award for Poetry, and Emergency Grants.
Foundation for Contemporary Arts distributed $1,010,000 in 2017. Seventeen Grants to Artists of $40,000 each, including the Merce Cunningham Award, Robert Rauschenberg Award, and Dorothea Tanning Award, were made—a total of $680,000. In addition, a $40,000 Ellsworth Kelly Award was made; $250,000 was disbursed for 166 Emergency Grants; and $40,000 was awarded in Contemporary Visual Arts Scholarships.


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A journey to wellness in the heart of the city
Valid until 31 December 2018.
- Accommodation in Ocean View Room.
- 60-minute Yoga or personal training session.
- 90-minute Mineral Wellness Massage at The Spa.
- Spa Lunch at Dolce Vita for two adults.
- Daily breakfast served in Melt Café for two adults.
Terms and Conditions:
- Local taxes apply.
- Offer is subject to availability, is not applicable for groups and cannot be combined with any other offers.
- Rate is subject to 10% service charge and prevailing government tax.
- No charge for bookings cancelled by 2pm local time 2 days prior to arrival.
- A credit card is required at time of booking but no charges will be made until check-out.
- Check-in is 3pm and check-out is 12pm.
- Special Event cancellation policies may apply.


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Surface Reporter, India's 1st 'Material-centric' magazine for exterior-interior products & projects, shared the experiences of the veterans in working with glass. The spotlight was on Aashish Karode & Sushil Karer, Principal Architects, Design Atelier who too shared their experiences of working with Glass. Here is excerpt from this feature:
Our design has always endeavored to work with craft, light, air, water, natural environment and technology as if they are materials in the construction of space. The use of glass to delineate the inside allows the exterior or outdoors to seamlessly penetrate the inside spaces becoming one aspect of the "whole" thing. The user are always able to register this as the major move by the architects, that actually enliven the spaces to be more than just rooms, and the form to be way more than just building construction.
The use of glass comes with multiple challenges in practice and these are not just about fragility as a material. Constraints of size and transportation, lack of highly specialized converters for operations involving combinations of glass. Lack of specialists with application and process knowledge, Weather resistance, Conversions in specialized applications like underwater, Safety, Deflection and Performance in solar applications are the major challenges we face in practice.
Glass manufacturers could provide clear graphical and numerical information and samples kits for architectural practices. They also need to develop local Application centres where special sizes and special applications can be methodically developed for architectural applications with reasonable costs and time bound project deliveries.
Design Atelier is a well known architecture firm based in New Delhi. Spanning across Architecture, Campus Design and Master planning, Housing, Hospitality, Retail and Workplace Design, the firm has developed around 250 projects till date. Their most notable glass projects include Indian Oil Refinery, Panipat, Athena, Gurgaon, Bhai Twins Corporate Tower, Noida and Lohia Group Corporate Tower.


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Zug, Switzerland – 20th. March 2015 – Coca‑Cola HBC AG (Coca‑Cola HBC or the Company), the world's second largest bottler of products of The Coca‑Cola Company in terms of volume, today published its 2014 Integrated Annual Report 'It's Good to Share – Building Trust, Spreading Happiness.'
This is the Company's third integrated report and the first time it is reporting on all aspects of business, governance and sustainability performance in a single report, celebrating the relationships and partnerships that are key to its success.
Dimitris Lois, Chief Executive Officer, said: "We know that our success is closely linked to the vibrancy and wellbeing of our consumers and the communities we serve. For more than ten years, we have continuously refined our approach to managing our business responsibly and sustainably, ensuring that we earn trust by creating value for all our stakeholders. This value is increasingly shaped by factors beyond financial performance, such as environmental and social responsibility, reputation in the communities we serve, stakeholder engagement and investment into the development of our people - all of which contribute to the resilience of our business."
Coca‑Cola HBC endeavours to deliver value through outputs achieved with the highest level of quality, efficiency and care. In 2014, these included:
- 2 billion unit cases of beverages sold
- 589 million consumers served
- 2.1 million customers in 28 countries
- 36,362 direct employees, over 600.000 people employed in the entire value chain
- €8.7 million invested in community programmes
- 31,296 volunteer hours invested to further social and environmental initiatives
- Water footprint reduced to 18.4 billion litres
- Carbon footprint reduced to 718,766 tonnes
- Packaging recovery 73%
- Recycled waste from operations 91%
In 2014, the Company's sustainability initiatives focused on three key areas: promoting health and wellness, minimising environmental impact and benefitting local communities. Highlights in these areas include:
Health and wellness
- 1.6 million active participants in sports and fitness programmes
- Low or no calorie soft drinks options available in all markets as of 2015
- Voluntary front of pack calorie information on packages
Minimising environmental impact
- Reducing total absolute carbon emissions by 7.8 % compared to 2013
- Investing €5.8 million in water saving projects in more than 20 countries, saving more than 1.1 million cubic metres of water
- Eight production plants awarded European Water Stewardship Gold certification
- €4.3 million investment in energy saving programmes, reducing energy consumption by 300 million mega joules
Benefitting local communities
- Investing €8.7 million (2.5% of pre-tax profit) in community partnerships and initiatives that address environmental and social issues
- Investing €2.4 million in supporting the education of young people to increase chances of employment, and empowering women to become entrepreneurs
- Supporting communities in need by investing over 30.000 volunteer hours combined with financial and in-kind donations at times of natural disasters
Coca‑Cola HBC became the global industry leader amongst beverage companies in the Dow Jones World and Europe Sustainability Indices in 2014 and has been listed on the FTSE4Good index since the index was established in 2001. The Company was also awarded an A rating by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and a place in its Global Climate Performance Leadership Index.
'It's Good to Share – Building Trust, Spreading Happiness' follows the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) framework and is in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative GRI 3.1. It fulfils Coca‑Cola HBC's commitment to communicate progress on the 10 principles of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the UN CEO Water Mandate and the UN Caring for Climate Business Forum.
Social and environmental disclosures in the Report have been independently verified by Denkstatt GmbH, including the content covering GRI requirements and UNGC communications on progress. Community investment data are verified by the London Benchmarking Group.
|Éda G. Pogány
External Affairs Director, Coca‑Cola HBC AG
|email: firstname.lastname@example.com
|Richard Coleman
InvesSenior Consultant, Instinctif Partners
|Tel: +44 20 7866 7891
email: email@example.com
|Floyd Jebson
Consultant, Instinctif Partners
Tel: +44 1869 353 813
About Coca‑Cola HBC
Coca‑Cola HBC is the second-largest bottler of the brands of The Coca‑Cola Company in terms of volume with sales of more than 2 billion unit cases. It has a broad geographic footprint with operations in 28 countries serving a population of approximately 589 million people. Coca‑Cola HBC offers a diverse range of non-alcoholic ready to drink beverages in the sparkling, juice, water, sport, energy, tea and coffee categories. Coca‑Cola HBC is committed to promoting sustainable development in order to create value for its business and for society. This includes providing products that meet the beverage needs of consumers, fostering an open and inclusive work environment, conducting its business in ways that protect and preserve the environment and contribute to the socio-economic development of the local communities.
Coca‑Cola HBC has a premium listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: CCH) and its shares are listed on the Athens Exchange (ATHEX: EEE). Coca‑Cola HBC is included in the Dow Jones Sustainability and FTSE4Good Indices. For more information, please visit http://coca-colahellenic.com.
About Dow Jones Sustainability Indices
The DJSI were launched in 1999 as the first global sustainability benchmarks. The indices are offered cooperatively by RobecoSAM and S&P Dow Jones Indices. The group tracks the stock performance of the world's leading companies in terms of economic, environmental and social criteria. The indices serve as benchmarks for investors who integrate sustainability considerations into their portfolios, and provide an effective engagement platform for companies who want to adopt sustainable best practices. Following an evaluation of a range of general and industry-specific issues only the top 10% are accepted for inclusion. For more information visit http://www.sustainability-indices.com/
About CDP
CDP is an international, not-for-profit organization providing the only global system for companies and cities to measure, disclose, manage and share vital environmental information. CDP works with market forces, including 767 institutional investors with assets of US$92 trillion, to motivate companies to disclose their impacts on the environment and natural resources and take action to reduce them. CDP now holds the largest collection globally of primary climate change, water and forest risk commodities information and puts these insights at the heart of strategic business, investment and policy decisions. For more information visit www.cdp.net.


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All For Yo
u Interiors
54 W. White Horse Pk., Berlin,NJ 08009
Your Subtitle text
Home Page
Photos of our work.
Page 3
Home Page
Welcome to All For You Interiors where "Everything we do is all for you". We offer every window treatment you can imagine from drapes and swags to shutters or blinds and shades. Upholstery too! We make almost everything we sell so you are buying direct and I pass those savings on to you. Call today for a free in home estimate.
Check out our photos on the next page!!
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Give Too Short a listen - it's a new offering from Vell, featuring YG. It was dropped on Thursday, September 29th, 2011. Vell's musical situation is improving with every new release, and Too Short will most definitely help the cause. It's a fine addition to the growing body of work Vell has been developing since stepping foot in the game. We're looking forward to what Vell has in store.
Have you heard Vell's Oakland (Prod. by DJ Mustard)? If you're down, make sure to visit Vell's profile page for the newest info, news, songs, and mixtapes. Follow Vell on Twitter, if you aren't already.
Who else would you like to have seen on the track? Can you dig it?