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TUESDAY, March 23, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- The United States could save thousands of lives each year by addressing its lack of enough primary care doctors, a new study projects.
There has been a shortfall of U.S. primary care doctors for a long time, with much of the problem concentrated in rural areas and poverty-stricken urban centers.
And the future looks bleak: A report last year from the Association of American Medical Colleges projected a shortage of up to 139,000 physicians -- many in primary care -- by 2033. It cited the aging American population, and the large number of doctors reaching retirement age, as two major factors.
The new study attempted a different kind of projection: What if primary care shortages in underserved U.S. counties were alleviated?
The answer: More than 7,000 lives could be saved each year, and Americans would see two months tacked onto their life expectancy.
That's in large part because many of the things that improve life expectancy are "relatively simple," said Dr. Sanjay Basu, lead researcher on the study.
Basic medical care, he said, can catch health problems earlier or help prevent them. Detecting and treating high blood pressure or cholesterol, for instance, cuts the risk of heart attack and stroke. Routine cancer screenings can pick up tumors at an earlier stage, when they are more treatable.
Yet the United States underfunds the basics, said Basu, director of research at Harvard Medical School's Center for Primary Care in Boston.
A root issue, he explained, is the way health care is typically reimbursed: Doctors are rewarded for doing medical procedures, but not for talking to patients about diet and exercise.
So there are financial incentives, Basu said, for doctors to go into procedure-heavy specialities -- such as urology, dermatology and ophthalmology -- but comparatively few to go into primary care. The incentives are fewer still to practice primary care in remote rural areas or marginalized urban neighborhoods.
Over the years, efforts have been made to address the supply problem, Basu said. They include programs that repay doctors' medical school loans if they commit to practicing in an underserved area for a set amount of time.
But while those measures help, Basu said, they are not enough on their own.
Melinda Abrams is executive vice president for programs at the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit focused on health care issues.
"Primary care is the backbone of any well-functioning health care system," said Abrams, who was not involved in the study.
Past research, she noted, has shown that death rates are typically lower in U.S. communities with a greater density of primary care providers.
Like Basu, Abrams said the supply problem can be traced to the way the United States pays for medical care. "We put a premium on care that happens after a person gets sick," she said.
Abrams also agreed that measures such as loan-forgiveness programs help, but are insufficient: More needs to be done to not only attract, but also retain, providers in underserved areas, she said.
Those providers, Abrams noted, go beyond doctors and include nurse practitioners, physician assistants, social workers and midwives. She said it's important for underserved areas to attract and retain those health professionals, too.
"We really need a paradigm shift in how we pay, and how we train," Abrams said.
The study -- published March 23 in the Annals of Internal Medicine -- is based on data from 3,100 U.S. counties. Just over 1,200 had a shortage of primary care doctors as of 2017.
Basu said the official definition of "shortage" comes from the federal government and includes counties with fewer than one primary care doctor for every 3,500 people.
The researchers found that in line with past studies, shortage counties had higher death rates and shorter average life expectancy than counties with more doctors. The same was true even in counties with less-acute shortages -- fewer than one doctor per 1,500 residents.
Basu's team estimates that if the provider supply for those counties were increased to one for every 1,500 residents, that would save over 7,000 lives annually. Average life expectancy, meanwhile, would increase by about 56 days.
The study focused on doctors, Basu said, because there is good data on the physician supply. But he agreed that primary care should involve a "team" of providers who communicate with one another.
That could make a difference not only in deaths, but in people's satisfaction with their care, according to Abrams.
"People want good communication, and to be treated as a whole person," she said.
More information
The Commonwealth Fund has more on improving U.S. health care quality.
SOURCES: Sanjay Basu, MD, director, research, Center for Primary Care, Harvard Medical School, Boston; Melinda Abrams, MS, executive vice president for programs, Commonwealth Fund, New York City; Annals of Internal Medicine, March 23, 2021, online


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Right-Wing Media Attack Fair Housing In Continuing Disinformation Campaign Against Civil Rights Law
Written by Sergio Munoz
In the continuing campaign against effective civil rights law, right-wing media have recently stepped up their attacks against a federal statute that prohibits acts that have a discriminatory effect on housing patterns. Contrary to this misinformation campaign, "disparate impact" analysis (as this technique is known) is not unconstitutional under the Fair Housing Act of 1968, and conservatives' rejection of this analysis abandons its bipartisan origins.
Disparate impact is the legal term for antidiscrimination law that prohibits actions that have a disproportionate effect on vulnerable groups. Despite its effectiveness - most recently, blocking discriminatory mortgage policies and voter suppression that targeted communities of color - conservative media have attacked disparate impact's legitimacy and dismissed it as a partisan technique only progressives support.
The National Review Online is a frequent critic, calling civil rights litigation based on disparate impact "not grounded...in sound constitutional theory" and part of a "partisan policy agenda." The Wall Street Journal has echoed claims about this "dubious legal theory," joining NRO in criticizing a recent withdrawal of a disparate impact Supreme Court case under the Fair Housing Act, Magner v. Gallagher. This week, WSJ columnist Mary Kissel recycled her conspiracy theory that the Obama administration's participation in convincing the parties to withdraw the case was "shady" because the administration "didn't want the High Court to rule on the legal theory[.]"
But these right-wing critics ignore that disparate impact has been legally accepted under numerous civil rights laws for decades, and in the housing context was part of a bipartisan effort to aggressively prevent the segregation of American society. They also ignore basic Supreme Court litigation strategy.
The constitutionality of disparate impact under the Fair Housing Act has never been addressed by the Supreme Court. There has been no need to take up the issue, as all 11 Circuit Courts have recognized it as a legal method of fair housing enforcement. As explained in a recent ProPublica report, this unanimity is expected given that aggressive government attempts to reverse discriminatory effects in housing patterns were originally considered a core function of the bipartisan Fair Housing Act:
The plan, [Republican Secretary of Housing and Urban Development] George Romney wrote in a confidential memo to aides, was to use his power as secretary of Housing and Urban Development to remake America's housing patterns, which he described as a "high-income white noose" around the black inner city.
The 1968 Fair Housing Act, passed months earlier in the tumultuous aftermath of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, directed the government to "affirmatively further" fair housing. Romney believed those words gave him the authority to pressure predominantly white communities to build more affordable housing and end discriminatory zoning practices.
Furthermore, with regards to the Obama administration's alleged influence in the Magner dismissal, there is nothing unusual about Supreme Court litigators considering the Court's ideological composition in deciding whether to pursue a legal theory that breaks on ideological lines. The ability to calculate a majority is basic Supreme Court litigation strategy. Indeed, it would be surprising if the Department of Justice did not calculate the odds regarding how justices are likely to rule in its cases. This is especially true of civil rights cases, in which conservative and progressive justices have sharply diverging views on the law. As Reuters recently reported, this is why DOJ's opponents are currently rushing to the Court in their attempts to overturn decades of civil rights law:
[I]n recent years liberals have sought to avoid going to the Supreme Court in cases ranging from affirmative action to voting rights. Advocates for liberal concerns such as abortion rights and gay marriage have also kept a wary eye on the justices while devising strategy in lower courts. Some abortion-rights advocates, for example, have so far declined to challenge state restrictions on abortion based on the notion that a fetus can feel pain, even though they believe the restrictions unconstitutional.
Those on the other side have taken the opposite tack. Conservatives who have labored to get their cases to the court include Edward Blum, director of the Project on Fair Representation, founded in 2005 to challenge race-based policies in education and voting. He recently helped lawyers bring an appeal by a white student who said she was denied admission to the University of Texas because of a policy favoring minorities.
"The timing is fortuitous," said Blum, who for two decades has worked with lawyers to challenge racial policies in education and voting districts. Citing the makeup of the Supreme Court, he said: "It's well-known that there are three members of a conservative bloc who have already expressed opinions on this and it's likely that the two new members of the conservative bloc will fall into that camp as well."
If the right-wing media do not like disparate impact theory because the modern conservative movement has abandoned it, or because the theory rejects the dissenting "colorblind" perspective on modern equal protection law, it should say so and leave it at that. By instead falsely asserting disparate impact laws are illegitimate and thereby calling for the reversal of decades of precedent - and bipartisan legislation - the right-wing media not only misinform their audience, they also disregard the words of Justice Antonin Scalia in one of the Court's most recent Civil Rights Act cases: "If [disparate impact litigation] was unintended, it is a problem for Congress, not one that federal courts can fix."

subset: commoncrawl


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Phillies BP pitcher becomes hitting guru
CHERRY HILL, N.J. (AP) Tossing batting practice to Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and the rest of the Philadelphia Phillies has turned into a busy, post-retirement career for Rob Potts.
The 55-year-old former postmaster starts his seventh season as a batting practice pitcher for the Phillies in April. His first year in 2008 ended with a World Series title.
''I'm very blessed to be able to do what I do,'' Potts said. ''It's been an unbelievable run. It's a fun thing to throw batting practice to some of the greatest players in baseball.''
It's nerve-racking, too.
''I still get nervous every day because you want to be perfect for these guys,'' Potts said. ''They're depending on you to be perfect because they need as many swings as they can get. It's not an easy job. You have to know what they're trying to do and put the ball in spots where they like it.''
Potts tosses BP before every home game to the reserves. He takes throws in the infield, shags flies in the outfield and then spends the rest of the game helping players in the cages. Starters come in to hit off a tee or machine, take soft-tosses or overhand throws. Potts also works closely with bench guys during games as they prepare for pinch-hitting appearances.
''It's really neat to see how they work together,'' he said.
Potts soaks in all the information he can about hitting and takes it to his day job. When he's not working with All-Stars at Citizens Bank Park, Potts helps little leaguers to minor leaguers try to achieve their dream of reaching the majors.
Potts, who retired from the post office in 2012, is director of baseball operations at AFC Baseball, one of the area's top training centers. It's an attractive place for young kids, high school athletes, college players and even guys already in the pros.
''Steve Henderson, Wally Joyner, Greg Gross, Milt Thompson, they were all great about helping,'' Potts said about past and present Phillies hitting coaches. ''I'm the teacher here but the student at the stadium. I just listen and learn from all those guys. They know so much. I bring it here and apply it to whatever the kids need.''
Potts had three clients when he started giving hitting lessons a few years ago. The list has grown to over 190 players, ages 6 to 25, including Jamie Jarmon, a second-round pick by Texas in 2012.
''My hitting philosophy is you have to be comfortable,'' Potts said. ''Everybody stands differently, holds the bat differently. I teach them to stay inside the baseball with their hands. The only thing the same is their swing paths.''
Minnesota Twins right-hander Vance Worley, Atlanta Braves lefty Ryan Buchter, Texas Rangers righty Jason Knapp, Kansas City Royals minor leaguer Johnny Walter and Jarmon worked out at AFC Baseball during the winter. Some of the pitchers also worked there as instructors.
''The key to Rob's system is being personable to not only the kids but their parents,'' said Buchter, who is competing for a spot in Atlanta's bullpen after posting a 2.51 ERA in 51 games at Triple-A Gwinnett last year. ''We do one-on-one training. Parents sit next to Rob. I bring the mother and father over as I go through the session because as the season goes on, if the kid doesn't remember something, the parents will.''
Teaching younger pitchers various mechanics, arm motions and angles and different techniques helps the pros improve at their craft.
''Having to describe to younger kids what I want them to do makes me a better pitcher because it helps me understand it easier,'' said Walter, who had a 1.01 ERA in 18 games at Class A Lexington in 2013.
Knapp, one of the key players traded to Cleveland in the deal that brought Cliff Lee to the Phillies in 2009, credits Potts with helping him get another chance in the big leagues. The hard-throwing 23-year-old hasn't pitched since 2010, and is returning from three surgeries on his shoulder. He was working toward a degree in Economics at the University of Pennsylvania when he found AFC Baseball.
''I spent two months looking for a place to throw and couldn't find anything but turf,'' Knapp said. ''After I started throwing there, scouts came in to watch and I signed with the Rangers. Pottsy was the one who facilitated the whole process. He has the best facility for a pitcher, the only indoor clay mound, and he was helpful and supportive throughout.''
Worley, an 11-game winner for the NL East champion Phillies in 2011, is also working his way back following an injury-plagued season. He stayed in shape by throwing at AFC Baseball.
''It makes it more realistic,'' Worley said of throwing off a clay mound. ''Throwing off something plastic, fiberglass, or turf, it doesn't feel the same. It's hard to judge if your foot is going to slip, if you stride out too far. You want to get a feel for what you have to throw off.''
So much for retirement. Between running AFC Baseball and working for the Phillies, Potts puts in plenty of long hours.
''When you can wake up every day and do what you want, it's not a bad problem to have,'' he said.


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Phone: 503-823-7529
1120 SW Fifth Avenue, Portland, OR 97204
Unique Geology and Habitat
Rising steeply on the east bank of the Willamette River, the Willamette Escarpment is a unique geologic artifact of the Lake Missoula floods from 15,000 years ago. The well-drained, gravelly soils of the south and west facing escarpment landscapes were once covered with Oregon white oak, Pacific madrone, and native grassland habitats.
Pre-Settlement Fire
Fire is a natural part of the Willamette Valley ecosystem. Although few lightening strike fires have occurred in recent history due to changes in the climate, Native Americans learned from observation that burning enhanced many aspects of the landscape. Fires reduced build-up of dead grasses, twigs, and limbs that accumulated on the ground, making way for fresh growth of herbaceous plants and pruned dead twigs and limbs from oaks, maple, and madrone, and enhancing new growth. Before modern settlement in the mid-1800s, Native Americans used fire to favor oak woodlands and grasslands by igniting grass fires that would kill conifer and shrub seedlings keeping them from overtaking oak habitats. These burns enhanced acorn crops, grasses, and other useful plants and kept the landscape fuels low and easily manageable.
Degradation of the Escarpment
People have lived along the Willamette's banks for approximately 10,000 years, but the major alteration and degradation of the river did not begin until European settlement in the mid 1800s. Portland was incorporated as a city in 1851. Logging, land clearing and conversion, and fire suppression began to be regularly practiced here as they were across the country. Trees along the Willamette riverfront were clear-cut and a rectangular grid of buildings took their place. Historic drawings, photos, and survey records from the 1850s document the degradation of the escarpment landscape since the early days of Portland's settlement. First, logs were cut from the bluffs for steamship fuel and plank roads, then all lands on the banks of the river, except the steepest sloped escarpments, were developed. In many areas, after the last trees were cut, impenetrable thickets of clematis, Scot's broom, and Himalayan blackberry began to envelop the landscape and the remaining native oaks and other indigenous plants were smothered.
Weeds Fuel Fire
Fire suppression and the profusion of invasive weeds have increased fuels significantly across the landscape. Many non-native, invasive plants have altered fire conditions throughout the West because they produce highly flammable resins or an abundance of dry material on an annual basis, thus increasing the potential frequency of fires. Here in the Willamette Valley, Himalayan blackberry, clematis, and Scot's broom grow faster; produce more dead and dry plant material; and have more flammable chemicals in their tissues than native plants - traits which have markedly increased fire occurrences.
Reducing Fire Hazard by Restoring Native Habitat
Fires play a natural and necessary role in the health of forests and grasslands. When fires are routinely suppressed, flammable material can build up and increase the risk of large wildfires that could threaten homes and neighborhoods.
Although planned fire will be used in certain areas to reduce fuels and restore ecosystem health, its use will be limited due to the proximity of homes, steep slopes, and heavy fuel loads that have built up along the Willamette Escarpment over the past 150 years. In most cases, other methods of fuel reduction will be used instead. There are many methods of reducing hazardous wildfire fuels like Himalayan blackberry. Manual cutting, mowing, applying herbicides, and using planned burns are all effective methods of invasive vegetation reduction, which is an essential step towards the restoration of oak woodland and prairie habitats.
Restoring native grassland habitat along the bluffs and basin of Oaks Bottom will reduce fire risk by reducing overall fuels as well as the occurrence of the more flammable invasives. On the bluff slopes, fire risk will be reduced by replacing flammable shrubs and lianas, such as Himalayan blackberry and clematis, with native grasses and shrubs.
Since the mid-1990s, Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) and the Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) Watershed Revegetation Program have been managing 180 acres of the escarpment landscape - 40 acres at Oaks Bottom and 140 acres at Mocks Crest - working to restore Oregon oak woodlands and grasslands. Much work remains to be done and the continued buildup of non-native vegetation puts these landscapes at high risk of catastrophic wildfire.
The 75-acre South Escarpment Unit extends from the Sellwood Bridge north to the Ross Island Bridge and includes Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, which is publicly-owned and managed by Portland Parks & Recreation. The wildlife refuge is a focus area for fire reduction projected along the south escarpment unit. The south unit also includes additional State of Oregon and Metro parcels, and several privately-owned properties.
The 200-acre North Escarpment Unit of the escarpment rises abruptly from the east bank of the Fremont Bridge and parallels the river northwest to the St Johns Bridge. This unit is composed of several small degraded PP&R natural areas, referred to as the Willamette Bluffs, which is a focus area for the north unit. It also includes parcels of unmanaged lands currently in the jurisdiction of other City bureaus and the Port of Portland, Waud Bluff on the University of Portland campus, and many privately-owned properties.
Funds from the FEMA Wildfire Risk Reduction Project will be used through April 2009 to reduce highly flammable non-native plants along the Willamette Escarpment, as well as in Powell Butte Nature Park and Forest Park. With consent of property owners, these funds will also allow the City to aid private landowners within the project areas to accomplish similar goals on their property.
In addition, FEMA project funds will be used to plan for the long-term management of the Willamette Escarpment project area by supporting the development of a Desired Future Condition (DFC) plan for each focus area, which will be used to:
For additional information about the FEMA Wildfire Risk Reduction Project, please contact:
Mark Wilson, PP&R Ecologist
Agee, James. 1996. Fire Ecology of the Pacific Northwest. Island Press.
Apostle, D. & M. Sinclair. 2006. Restoring the Pacific Northwest: the Art and Science of Ecological
Restoration in Cascadia. Island Press.
Institute for Applied Ecology: http://www.appliedeco.org/
Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife Oak Woodland Conservation Strategy
Oregon Oak Communities Working Group Paper http://www.pwri.com/documents/OakWebsite20050719.pdf
Oregon State University Extensions Oak Woodland Conservation and Restoration
Vesely, D. & G. Tucker. 2004. A Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing White Oak Habitats. Pacific Wildlife Research publ. http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/dspace/handle/1957/48


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Predictions for BlackBerry Don't Look Good
An analyst at Gartner Research put out a note earlier this week saying that BlackBerry will take less than 5% of worldwide smartphone market share by 2016. The company hasn't has much good news lately, and this latest one certainly doesn't help. But BlackBerry is three years out from 2016, so let's take a look at what's currently going on with the company's smartphone and see if the prediction is likely to come true.
A new direction
BlackBerry is betting that its new BB10 operating system can steal at least a little bit of Android and Apple smartphone share in the consumer and enterprise spaces. If they didn't, they would have tethered their new Z10 phone and upcoming Q10 to the Android platform instead of building their own OS. It was a bold step for BlackBerry, considering that the iPhone and Android phones make up 87.8% of total global smartphone market share.
Source: VentureBeat.
When the BlackBerry Z10 initially launched in the U.K. and Canada, some early numbers were positive for the company. Sales in the U.K. were three times higher during the first week than previous BlackBerry model launches. More good news came from Canada where a large mobile phone retailer reported Z10 sales were outpacing iPhone 5 and Galaxy S III sales. Unfortunately for BlackBerry, those numbers are now waning.
Earlier this month, Pacific Crest analyst James Faucette said in a note, "Our checks indicate that as sell-through run-rates for the Z10 have declined meaningfully in the weeks following launch, we believe carriers and third-party retailers in the U.K. are already well above typically targeted inventory levels." He went on to say, "Canadian carrier stores and retailers also appear to be rapidly approaching targeted levels, in our view." Faucette pointed out that retailers in both regions are already discounting the phone and that sales in the May quarter are estimated to fall far below shipment numbers.
But analysts' opinions vary and Paul Peterson at BlueFin research firm recently said about the Z10, "Our checks indicate that some suppliers are seeing 6-month order coverage that is several orders of magnitude larger than the previous 6 months, with some suppliers believing that they can get back to 2011 revenue levels if the present forecast levels hold up."
Forecasting sales isn't an exact science, and investors will have to wait for more concrete numbers to come out to see how the Z10 launch has done overseas. But one of the most important launch for BlackBerry hasn't even happened yet, and it's likely to have a major impact on the company -- for better or worse.
Visiting the old stomping ground
The Z10 will be available to the U.S. this Friday, which will be one of BlackBerry's toughest countries to crack. A recent poll by Bite Interactive showed that although 47% of responders said they were interested in the Z10, only 13% would consider buying one and just 1% said they were going to buy one right when they launched. Those aren't inspiring numbers for BlackBerry, but they shouldn't come as a surprise to the company or investors. Let's look at how BlackBerry currently stacks up against the other OS platforms in the U.S.:
Source: comScore.
After Android and iOS, the next most popular OS, according to comScore, is BlackBerry -- but that doesn't paint the entire picture. When it comes to actual smartphone market share, not just platform market share, Microsoft's Windows Phone OS actually overtook BlackBerry in Q4 2012, according to Strategy Analytics. With the launch of the Z10 looming in just a few days, it may be possible for BlackBerry reclaim the No. 3 spot, but fighting for third place isn't a great place to be.
The big picture
Gartner research said this week that, "Although BB10 presents a modernized new platform based on touch technology, market conditions will make it extremely difficult for BlackBerry to rise above iOS, Android and Windows Phone 8 platforms." Their statement seems spot on with the current smartphone market share numbers in the U.S., as well as polls from current Android and iPhone users.
The challenge for BlackBerry isn't just creating a great phone and operating system -- it's making people want to buy it. Based on the stranglehold that Android and iOS have on the market and the rise of the Windows Phone platform, I don't think BlackBerry can pull it off. Even if BlackBerry could build its former enterprise base back up, it would still need to increase consumer-side demand for the product, which it simply isn't doing.
Based on recent quotes, BlackBerry's CEO thinks the iPhone's OS is outdated, but there's no doubt that Apple is at the center of technology's largest revolution ever. However, there is a debate raging as to whether Apple remains a buy. Eric Bleeker, The Motley Fool's senior technology analyst and managing bureau chief, is prepared to fill you in on both reasons to buy and sell Apple and the opportunities left for the company (and your portfolio) going forward. To get instant access to his latest thinking on Apple, simply click here now.
The article Predictions for BlackBerry Don't Look Good originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Chris Neiger has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of Apple. It also owns shares of Microsoft. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Garage Door Service INC
BBB A+ Rated Licensed & Insured
Garage doors are designed to be reliable and long-lasting workhorses. However, even if they are maintained professionally, they can fail after a few years. Professionals like us can help you when this happens.
We offer a wide range of garage door repair, replacement, and installation services at very affordable prices. Our professionals have years of industry experience. This means that we can fix any problem.
Colorado ( (listen), other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains. Colorado is the eighth most extensive and 21st most populous U.S. state. The 2020 United States Census enumerated the population of Colorado at 5,773,714, an increase of 14.80% since the 2010 United States Census.The region has been inhabited by Native Americans for more than 13,000 years, with the Lindenmeier Site containing artifacts dating from approximately 9200 BC to 1000 BC; the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains was a major migration route for early peoples who spread throughout the Americas. "Colorado" is the Spanish adjective meaning "ruddy", the color of red sandstone.
Athmar Park, Baker, Barnum West, Belcaro, Berkeley, Capitol Hill, Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods, Central Park, Chaffee Park, Cheesman Park, City Park, Clayton, Cole Neighborhood Historic District, College View, Country Club


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Light Rails travel on routes inside and along the busiest corridors in the market, delivering your message to commuters and vehicular traffic during rush hour and throughout the day. This continuity builds familiarity with your brand, so customers will think of you when making purchasing decisions. Light Rail ads are great for branding campaigns, which typically run for at least one year.
Use a high quantity of smaller Light Rail ads for 'call to action' campaigns.
Light Rail ads are highly effective for announcing a 'call to action' that consumers should take advantage of within a set period of time. They are designed to saturate the market in point-of-purchase locations, so consumers act upon a particular promotion or seasonal special immediately. Light Rails provide exposure in upscale areas, reaching an affluent audience.
The State of Montana increased tourism in a weak economy using out of home formats to target and influence those individuals already prone to travel. Read more »
Read more »
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Mallory Falk
Mallory Falk was WWNO's first Education Reporter. Her four-part series on school closures received an Edward R. Murrow award. Prior to joining WWNO, Mallory worked as Communications Director for the youth leadership non-profit Kids Rethink New Orleans Schools. She fell in love with audio storytelling as a Middlebury College Narrative Journalism Fellow and studied radio production at the Transom Story Workshop.


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SACRAMENTO (AP) — When Nik Stauskas upgraded his game to add playmaking skills to his elite outside shooting, he vaulted himself into the NBA lottery.
But it's still that unlimited range that made him so valuable to the Sacramento Kings.
The Kings looked to fill their shooting void by taking perhaps the best marksman available in the draft when they selected Stauskas with the eighth overall pick Thursday night.
"As much as I've expanded my game over the past couple of years, shooting is definitely the thing I do best," he said. "I take pride in that. I feel like when I get my feet set and I get a good look at the basket, there are not many people in the league who can knock down shots like I can. I'm looking forward to bringing that skill-set to Sacramento."
It's much needed on a team that made the third-fewest 3-pointers in the league last season with 491 and had the fourth worst accuracy from long-range at 33.3 percent.
This marks the second straight season the Kings used a top 10 pick on a shooting guard. But Stauskas is a much more accomplished shooter than last year's seventh pick Ben McLemore, who shot 38 percent from the field and 32 percent from long range as a rookie, and also showed last year that he has the ability to run an offense as well.
"I think I can play multiple positions," he said. "I think I can play a little bit of one and also the two. I know this team has kind of struggled shooting the ball. Obviously, that's probably the best part of my game to this point. Knocking down shots and spreading the floor is something I'm excited to do for this team."
The 6-foot-6 Stauskas became one of the nation's most well-rounded offensive players, averaging 17.5 points last season on the way to winning Big Ten player of the year honors.
Stauskas shot 44 percent from 3-point range in two years in college and improved his ball handling and defense considerably in his second season when he took over a big share of the playmaking role with the departure of star point guard Trey Burke to the NBA.
Stauskas excelled as a shooter and passer in pick-and-roll situations that are so prevalent in the NBA.
"That's the reason why teams have been intrigued with me in the draft is because I made those improvements," he said. "I feel like I'm a smart basketball player. I have a high IQ for the game and I like making the right plays."
Stauskas grew up in Mississauga, Ontario, and followed top pick Andrew Wiggins as the second Canadian taken in the draft. A third Canadian, Tyler Ennis, was taken 18th by Phoenix.
The Kings are coming off their eighth straight losing season but are looking for improvement in the second season under owner Vivek Ranadive, general manager Pete D'Alessandro and coach Mike Malone.
There was little progress in the first year under the new leadership as Sacramento went 28-54 for a second straight season as Malone was not able to turn the Kings into the defensive-minded team as he had hoped.
Sacramento is looking to build around a core led by temperamental power forward DeMarcus Cousins, small forward Rudy Gay and point guard Isaiah Thomas. Cousins signed a four-year, $62 million contract extension before last season, Gay exercised his $19.2 million option earlier this week and Thomas is expected to stay despite being a restricted free agent.
The Kings have struggled in recent years to add to the core as first-round picks Jimmer Fredette (2011) and Thomas Robinson (2012) are no longer on the team and McLemore struggled as a rookie.
Kings take Nik Stauskas with 8th pick in draft


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Lexington 205 Sage Green Fire Resistant Curtains
Currently 3-4 Weeks
Our printed flame retardant curtains are manufactured using flame retardant fabric that is certified to BS5867. This means they can be used in commercial enviroments, including; Care Homes, Schools, Hotels, Hospitals and more.
- All our curtains are made to measure to your exact requirements,
- we use double fullness in the curtains as standard, so you have plenty of gather when on your track giving them a hotel quality finish. Other fullnesses are available if you want a slightly less gathered look
We pride ourselves as being one of the best in the country at manufacturing curtains so please speak to the team if you have any questions and we can assist.
Curtain Headings for Made to Measure Curtains
At direct fabrics we offer a truely flexbile choice for your made to measure curtains.
Pencil Pleat Heading
Pencil pleat is the traditional style of curtain heading that is a used in most windows and gives a lovely finish. You have the flexibility from the stitched in curtain tape which allows you to alter the height above your track and pole.
Eyelet Curtains Heading
A modern finish which the pole slots through the curtains, this means you can a lovely feature of your pole with a contrast of the metal against the curtain fabric.
2 Options Available
- Standard 44mm Eyelets for 28mm & 35mm Pole
Pinch Pleat Curtain Heading
A traditional heading style that looks grand in any setting.
Wave Style Heading 60mm or 80mm
Ordering Made to Measure Fire Resistant Curtains
To order made-to-measure curtains from Direct Fabrics you can enter your details in the boxes above and receive your quote. We use the finest flame retardant lining with our curtains to ensure they hang well and use the finest eyelets and tapes. We pride ourselves on quality and know that our curtains are some of the finest for the best prices.
Bespoke Quoting - Our team can help
Let our team help you with your project. We are here to help with your measurements and the best fabrics and designs for you. Speak with one of the team today and we can put everything together for you. On larger jobs we can offer various made-up samples so you can see what you will be buying
Reviews and Testimonials - People Love Us
For reviews and case studies please refer to our Trust Pilot review platform where you will find all our client reviews. We also have a case study section on our website where you will find pictures and information about projects we have been involved with. Testimonials . You can also see all our Trustpilot Reviews
Where the curtains can be used
- Care home curtains
- School Curtains
- Theatre curtains
- Surround curtains
- Hotel Curtains
- Domestic Curtains
Further Information
Our curtain fabrics are selected and checked for quality issues and then we cut and measure everything by hand
In our UK based workrooms we continue the traditions of master curtain makers and offer the very best curtains that are British Made Specification
Our curtains are manufactured with various fullness's to suit our customer's requirements. For standard made to measure curtains, they are manufactured with 2x fullness also known as 100% fullness. This means that you get beautifully pleated curtains
Please see the further information section about curtain fullness
When manufacturing curtains we join widths of the curtain material to get the required width to cover your curtain track. Example a track width of 140cm in a single curtain would have circa 2 widths of material in assuming the material is 140cm wide. Widths are rounded up to the nearest full width. This means there will be a joining seam in larger curtains.
Our curtains are delivered pulled and hooked. So the curtains are pleated to your track widths and folded neatly for delivery. The hooks have been inserted so all you have to do is clip them into your track or pole.
All lining options from Direct Fabrics are flame retardant certified to BS5867 and can be used in commercial environments.
Unlined Curtains are a good option if you are looking for a low cost option. If the fabric is dimout or blackout it will provide you with a good amount of shading for the rooms with these curtains, dimout will be 90%+ and blackout with a 3 pass coating will be 100% blackout. Obviously depending where the track is located it will depend how much light will come through.
Standard polyester fr lining is a low cost option that provides extra fullness and helps your curtains drape better. The Polyester lining can be washed at 50 times and is inherently flame retardant. It will provide additional shade on standard fabrics and on dimout and blackout fabrics it is used to add a more luxurious feel.
3 Pass blackout lining is Direct Fabrics choice for all curtains as it makes a room have no light come through the curtain. Certified to BS5867 Part2B so can be washed 10 times. The 3 pass coating is very hard wearing and provides a thermal benefit aswell as making your curtain drape better./p>
Duo Blackout Lining Fleece Flame Retardant Lining Ivory
Duo Lining Fleece Blackout Lining , a very heavy weight full lining that is an interlined option with the 3 pass blackout lining attached. The Duo lining is an excellent acoustical absorber of sound and will improve room acoustics.
Additional Information
Features | Flame Retardant, Blackout |
Composition | 100% Polyester |
Delivery | Currently 3-4 Weeks |
Flame Retardant Certified Rating | BS5867 Part 2C |
Washing / Cleaning Information Face Fabric | 71 Degrees C (Unlined or Polyester Ivory Lined) |
Fabric Style | Patterns, Stripes |
Flame Retardant | Yes |
Pattern Repeat Vertical (cm) | 64 |
Fabric Width (cm) | 140 |
Product attachment |
How to Measure For Curtains, Blinds and Tracks.
Pen and Paper
For recording your
Someone to assist if your
windows are large .
Metal Tape Measure
As this will allow you to get a
rigid full length measurement.
Make sure your curtain tracks and poles are fitted in the position you want.
Choose the type of curtains that you would like and how you want to hang your curtains. See our heading styles guide
We recommend fitting your hardware first before measuring, this avoids any issues with not getting the perfect fit.
Measure your window using our main guide. Quick summary below. Remember wave, pinch, and designer headings require slightly different measurement
Measure in 3 places and take the shortest drop – Floors and ceilings can run out.
Double / Triple check your measurements
Choosing your Curtain Track Width
The width of the curtain track should extend past your window this allows for the curtains to stack back away from your window and allow light in.
Measure your recess and then add on 15cm on either side. For acoustics , we recommend further to fully cover the window and the surrounding area. In our test we added an additional 30cm to the width and also made the curtain floor length.
Wave curtains, for every 100cm of track the curtains will stack circa *18cm
Eyelet curtains, they will stack back circa 10cm per *70cm of track width
Pencil Pleat will stack approx 25% of the track width. eg. 210cm track will stack 52.5%
* all dependent on thickness of fabric
Selecting your Curtain Drop
Where to Measure From for Different Type of Curtains
Type of Curtains | Fitted On | Where to Measure from - to desired length |
Pencil Pleat Curtains | Curtain Track | Top of the Track - If using a extra wide track or designer track like silent gliss metropole, then measure from the underside of the track. |
Pencil Pleat Curtains | Curtain Pole | Measure from small ring at the bottom of eye under the ring, this is where your curtain clips into. |
Eyelet Curtains | Curtain Pole – Only | Top of the pole *we add on the upstand to our curtains, |
Pinch Pleat Curtains | Curtain Track | The underside of the track |
Wave Curtains | Curtain Track Designer Pole | The glider underneath the track. The curtain will sit under the track. |
Acoustic Curtains | See Heading Style of Choice above | Same but make sure wider than normal ideally 30cm past either side and 30 above. Also to the floor. |
How to Measure for Blinds going Inside the Recess
- Measure the exact width of the recess in three places; at the top of the recess, in the centre of the recess and near the bottom - then take the smallest size.
- Measure the exact drop of the recess in three places on the left hand side of the recess, in the centre of the recess and on the right hand side of the recess - then take the smallest size.
- We will take one cm off the finished width size you have given us, to allow for the blind to pull up and down easily.
- Double check your measurements
- Cord Safety - Mounting Height - We ask for the mounting height of your blinds to allow for the cord to be 150cm off the ground. If mounting at 210cm This is what you enter in the Fitting height box. We make a deduction to ensure the cord is 150cm from the floor. Thus the cord loop will be 60cm
How to Measure Outside of the Recess
- Measure the recess in 3 places on the width and also 3 places on the drop. Take the widest measurement.
- Measure the width of the actual recess plus an additional amount – Usually from 7cm-15cm whatever you think looks appropriate. This is for overlap.
- Measure the exact drop of the recess. The blind would be fitted above the recess, so check the space above and add an amount on to the drop – usually from 7-15cm
- These sizes you have taken will be the size of the finished blind.
- Double check your measurements
- Cord Safety - Mounting Height - We ask for the mounting height of your blinds to allow for the cord to be 150cm off the ground. If mounting at 210cm This is what you enter in the fitting height box. We make a deduction to ensure the cord is 150cm from the floor. Thus the cord loop will be 60cm
Cubicle Tracks you have to measure with right angles from wall to wall where you want the track to go
Draw your room on a piece of paper with a sky view
Now measure from the wall to wall for straight tracks,
L Shape Tracks Measure to a point on the floor and mark with a piece of tape. Then for the other sides measure from the other wall to that point.
Always check for obstructions and fitting issues you may need to work around
SAVE TIME - Send your project requirements, large or small. Sample Lists etc


text:
The GIFs of these thick and sexy Asians prove that the ladies of the east can be just as full figured as anyone else. It takes more than rice to get a body as filled out in the right spots as these lovely vixens.
We're a fan of all kinds of females, including Vietnamese, Chinese, Cambodian, Filipino, Japanese, Laos, Korean and many more. In other words, we have a big appreciation for the thick ladies, especially when they've got an hourglass figure. We wanted to show that there are plenty of Asian honeys out there who can have stunning, anime-like proportions. Just remember that there can be perfect, thick girls in every corner of the world, and the GIFs of these sexy Asian goddesses prove it.


text: Zen Shorts - "Michael," said Karl. "There's a really big bear in the backyard. " This is how three children meet Stillwater, a giant panda who moves into the neighborhood and tells amazing tales. To Addie he tells a story about the value of material goods. To Michael he pushes the boundaries of good and bad. And to Karl he demonstrates what it means to hold on to frustration. With graceful art and simple stories that are filled with love and enlightenment, Jon Muth -- and Stillwater the bear -- present three ancient Zen tales that are sure to strike a chord in everyone they touch.


text:
UIA received the second Boeing 777 aircraft
Friday, May 4, Ukraine International welcomed the second of four wide-body long-haul Boeing 777-200ER aircraft into its fleet. The plane received the UR-GOB registration number.
The aircraft accommodates 361 passengers in three-class cabin configuration, i.e. Business Class, Economy Premium Class, and Economy Class. UIA will operate the aircraft on routes between Kyiv and New York, Beijing, and Bangkok. The UR-GOB is leased from the world's leading lessor AerCap that will deliver two more Boeing 777-200ER aircraft by 2018 year-end.
The aircraft is equipped with Panasonic Corporation AVOD (Audio Video On Demand) individual IFE system. Every seat is equipped with personal screen with a vast content menu, which includes over 80 feature movies, works of Ukraine's cinematograph, TV shows, children's films, and cartoons. Entertaining content is available for viewing in Ukrainian, English, Russian, Chinese, French, Hindi, and other languages.
Moreover, great functionality of the multimedia system makes possible to track the aircraft in real-time mode by using the interactive touch-sensitive 3D-map with 3D globe image, 100 city guides, including 20 cities of Ukraine, Kids map – Animals App, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity.
The aircraft cabins are equipped with Bruce Aerospace Sky Interior modern lighting system, which creates a special atmosphere and the most comfortable conditions for the passengers during the flight.
"The growth of the long-haul fleet by adding the second Boeing 777-200ER will significantly increase the level of comfort for passengers traveling long distances, - noted Evgeniya Satska, UIA Communications Director. The qualitatively new product of UIA will be interesting both for Ukrainian and for transfer passengers, and will raise the attractiveness of the Boryspil International Airport as a hub and attract new transit flows to Ukraine"
UIA keeps enhancing the long-haul fleet. Two more Boeing 777s are scheduled to arrive in Q2 – Q3 2018, one of them is expected to join the UIA fleet in late May.
UIA operates 43 aircraft including 29 medium haul Boeing 737 NG aircraft with the average age of 9 years. Currently, UIA fleet's average age amounts to 11.4 years.
For information:
Ukraine International (UIA) was founded in 1992. UIA is a 100% privately owned carrier. The airline connects Ukraine with over 50 capitals and key cities of Europe, Asia, America, Africa, the Middle East, and CIS countries and provides connections with its international partners' flights to over 3,000 other destinations worldwide. UIA operates over 1100 scheduled flights per week. The base airport for UIA is Kyiv Boryspil (KBP). For more information on UIA visit the company's website www.flyUIA.com
Ukraine International Airlines Press Service
Tel./fax: (044) 238 26 97,
Email: email@example.com
Boeing 777-200ER UR-GOB aircraft
Business Class:
- Seating: 2х3х2;
- Seat pitch: 74 inches (188 cm);
- Seat width: 21 inches (53 cm), fully converted ergonomic seats (length 72 inches, i.e. 183 cm) with pneumatic control mechanism and lower back massage option;
- 16-inch Elite V2 screen with remote control;
- Individual electric power socket and USB-unit;
- Hot meals, onboard bar menu, press materials, and travel kit (blanket, pillow, hygiene kit, socks, and eye mask).
Economy Premium Class:
- Seating: 2х4х2;
- Seat pitch: 38 inches (97 cm);
- Seat width: 19 inches (48 cm); seat back falls back by 8 inches (20 cm);
- 13-inch Elite V3 screen with remote control;
- Individual electric power socket and USB-unit;
- Hot meals, onboard bar menu, and travel kit (blanket, socks, earplugs, and eye mask).
Economy Class:
- Seating: 3х4х3;
- Seat pitch: 30 – 32 inches (76 – 81 cm);
- Seat width: 17 inches (43 сm) seat back falls back by 5 inches (13 сm);
- 9-inch Eco V2 screen and USB-unit.


text:
- Collection
- 1983-08-15 - 1984-03-26
A series of interviews conducted by Linda Brody regarding Pittock Mansions.
Tape 1: Marjorie Wright discusses her time living in the gatehouse of Pittock Mansion with her parents from 1920 to 1945, including the work her father did as head gardener.
Tape 2: Betty L. Meier discusses her childhood as a granddaughter of Henry L. Pittock and her memories of visiting Pittock Mansion.
Tape 3 and 4: Louise Barry discusses her relationship to the Pittock family and her memories of Pittock Mansion.
Tape 5: Robert "Peter" Gantenbein discusses the Pittock family and living in the Pittock Mansion. Eric Ladd is also present.
Tape 6: Allyn Staley discusses the restoration of the Pittock Mansion in the 1960s.
Tape 7: Alexander Bolton Pierce discusses the political process involved in the purchase of the Pittock Mansion by the City of Portland and its restoration in the 1960s.
Wright, Marjorie, 1920-2012


text:
Possible Duplicate:
How would you know if you've written readable and easily maintainable code?
It is often said that readability is perhaps the most important quality-defining measure of a given piece of code for reasons concerning maintainability, ease of understanding and use.
What defines the word readable in context of program source code? What kind of definitive aspects are there to code readability?
I would be grateful with code examples of readable code, along with reasoning why it is readable.


text:
Was it really just four months ago that Obama was explaining (to bipartisan derision) that his new operation against ISIS would be modeled on our Big Success in Yemen?
Well, the government of Yemen has fallen and the country is splintered:
SANA, Yemen — The American-backed government of Yemen abruptly collapsed Thursday night, leaving the country leaderless as it is convulsed by an increasingly powerful force of pro-Iran rebels and a resurgent Qaeda.
The resignation of the president, prime minister and cabinet took American officials by surprise and heightened the risks that Yemen, the Arab world's poorest country, would become even more of a breeding ground for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which has claimed responsibility for audacious anti-Western attacks — including the deadly assault on Charlie Hebdo in Paris this month.
Charles Schmitz, an analyst with the Middle East Institute and an expert on the Houthis, said that of all Yemen's many political crises, Thursday's was among the worst yet.
"We're looking at the de facto partitioning of the country and we're heading into a long negotiating process but we could also be heading toward war," he said.
Deep in the Silver Lining Briefing Book is the news that an Iranian backed rebel group hates the US but hates Al Qaeda even more, so Obama's got that going for him.
Although the Houthis, who are believed to be financed by Iran, are strongly anti-American, they are even stronger opponents of Al Qaeda. The Houthis are dominated by a Shiite Muslim sect, the Zaydis, while Al Qaeda is rabidly anti-Shiite.
While the Houthis now control the capital, Sana, and many parts of northern Yemen, Al Qaeda has been strongest in Sunni tribal areas in Yemen, and has used Sunni anger at the swift rise of the Houthis as an effective recruiting tool — particularly in oil-rich areas of eastern and southern Yemen.
So mark up your scorecards - we are counting in Iran to carry the fight in Iraq against ISIS as well as the fight against Al Qaeda in Yemen, even as we pretend to talk tough on ongoing sanctions (and we all deal with $50 oil). Great - the enemy of my enemy is my other enemy.
COMING SOON: I see John Kerry starring in 'The Bad, The Worse and the Stupid'.


text:
The Moldenhauer Archives
The Rosaleen Moldenhauer Memorial. Music History from Primary Sources. A Guide to the Moldenhauer Archives
The Moldenhauer Archives at the Library of Congress contain approximately 3,500 items documenting the history of Western music from the medieval period through the modern era and is the richest composite gift of musical documents ever received by the Library. Before his death, Hans Moldenhauer (1906-1987) established a directive and provided funds for the Library of Congress to publish The Rosaleen Moldenhauer Memorial: Music History from Primary Sources: a Guide to the Moldenhauer Archives (2000). The book features a series of essays by musicologists discussing individual items from the Archives and contains a comprehensive inventory of the Moldenhauer Archives that are held in ten institutions worldwide.
This online presentation includes representative examples of more than 130 items from the Archives including many complete works and, as a special presentation, an electronic version of the book's text, which is intended to replace the printed edition. In addition, the book's inventory of the Archives appears as a finding aid.
A Guide to the Moldenhauer Archives


text:
Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Larry King Live
Firefighters of 9/11
Aired September 16, 2006 - 20:00 ET
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (NEWSBREAK) LARRY KING, CNN HOST: Tonight, two great hours. Coming up later an exclusive interview with President Jimmy Carter on the threats facing all of us, terrorism, nukes, the Middle East mess. But we begin with something that is near and dear to my heart. We all love heroes and there are perhaps no greater heroes than the firefighters of 9/11. In the panic to escape the blazing twin towers, they rushed in. I had the privilege of visiting a fire station on the front line of that terrible attack, a station that today stands as a symbol of 9/11's unimaginable loss. Here are the heroes of Firehouse 54-4. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The World Trade Center Tower 1 is on fire! UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Send every available ambulance, everything you've got to the World Trade Center now. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A plane has crashed into the World Trade Center. LT. ROBERT JACKSON, ENGINE 54: People come out covered in soot, a multitude of people just running for their lives. MAUREEN SANTORA, CHRIS SANTORA'S MOTHER: Our words to him were "Goodbye son, be safe. Have a good tour." UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was on Engine 54 going towards the towers. JIM DWYER, NEW YORK TIMES REPORTER: The elevator was a mangled mess and that's when Ladder 4 arrived. KING: Did you have a sense that your buddies were in trouble? JACKSON: Yes, because I knew the brothers would be in the building and the way that building came down, it came down hard. GEORGETTE GILL, MOTHER OF PAUL GILL: I went up to Lieutenant Jackson and I said, "Can I talk to somebody who was with him?" He said, "They're all gone." JESSICA OTTICE, DAUGHTER OF SAM OTTICE: He's still a Superman to me, even though he didn't make it. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do we got Lieu? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Smoke from the (INAUDIBLE). KING: It's 9:00 a.m. and the men of this Manhattan firehouse are making their second emergency call of the day but these calls are routine. It's the busiest fire station in New York City. Firefighters here answer nearly 14,000 emergency calls a year. FIREFIGHTER JOHN FILA, ENGINE 54: People say wow, you work at 54 Engine. You're working 4 truck. That's a busy place. It's pretty much you're running all the time. KING: Each day begins with roll call and a check of the assignment board. JACKSON: This is out riding list for the day. It has each position, each name, has some pertinent information for the day. KING (on camera): This is what each has to do? JACKSON: Yes, that's the chauffeur, the ECC, nozzle man, back up, door control and somebody had a detail out. KING: Could any man do any of the jobs? JACKSON: Oh, yes. KING (voice-over): Firefighters check their equipment, crank up chain saws, suit up and answer an average of 20 calls a day. Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9, was founded over a century ago, nicknamed the Pride of Midtown. The firehouse stands in the shadow of Times Square. FILA: This is our home, the theater district, as you can see by our logo of our fire engines, so you can just see they're continuously running on Broadway, which is what we do. We never miss a performance. We're always going. KING: But the station also has another distinction. On September 11th, the firehouse suffered one of the worst losses of any in the city. All 15 men on duty that morning died that day. Members of the firehouse remember their fallen heroes. (on camera): Santora. JACKSON: Probie (ph), he was our probie on 54 Engine, young guy, still lived at home. KING: Was he the youngest? JACKSON: Yes. KING (voice-over): Just eight weeks out of the academy, Christopher Santora was the probie, the rookie of the station. Just 24 years old, Chris was raised in a large, close-knit Italian family. M. SANTORA: He was a person that loved to laugh and tell jokes and he was the only boy in a family with four sisters, so he was the most outspoken, the most vocal. AL SANTORA, CHRIS SANTORA'S FATHER: He was only about 5'7" and one of our neighbors who lives upstairs, Joey Farentino (ph), who was about 6'4"? M. SANTORA: Six foot four. A. SANTORA: And they would go at it in basketball but my son would run rings around him. My son had this spirit of competitiveness. KING: Before joining the fire department, Santora was a social studies teacher but firefighting was in his blood. PATRICIA SANTORA, CHRIS SANTORA'S SISTER: He always wanted to be like my dad from like when he was a little kid, you know, played with fire trucks, played with any kind of fire anything. JACKSON: I used to tease his father. His shirt was always hanging out, always had a rag out of his back pocket. His dad was a retired deputy chief. And Chris would, you know, always be checking the rig, doing stuff, always sweating, you know, so you could tell that he was into the job. KING: Firefighters also remember their brother Paul Gill. JACKSON: Paul Gill, artist, fantastic artist. KING: He could paint? JACKSON: Oh, his family when we got to meet everybody afterwards, the families, they brought out all their personal items, an artist. G. GILL: Yes, he used to stay up late. JOHN GILL, FATHER OF PAUL GILL: Yes, he'd stay up late and write. G. GILL: Did his poetry and his artwork. KING: Georgette and John Gill cling to the artwork and poetry their son created during his life. The 34-year-old was a carpenter- turned-firefighter, who loved tattoos and drawing. J. GILL: It was an outlet for him. For some reason he found this thing inside him which all of a sudden you sit down one day and you say "Yes, I can do that." KING: A sketchbook could always be found in his hand, even in the fire truck. FILA: He was an unbelievable artist. I remember in probie school he was doing a lot of drawing in the down time either before probie school or after and his drawing was just absolutely incredible. KING: Gill was also known for being an incredible loving father. He helped raise two boys, one with physical disabilities. AARON GILL, SON OF PAUL GILL: He was good as a firefighter, you know. The reason why he wanted to be one is because he wanted to be a hero. JOSHUA GILL, SON OF PAUL GILL: I have one of his firefighter shirts and every time I think about him I see that and it makes me feel that he's there. Sometimes I wear it and I feel that he's right there. KING: Jessica Ottice's father Sam had become her hero long before September 11th. J. OTTICE: I thought he was Superman, you know. As a little girl I was like "Oh yes, you know, my dad's a firefighter" and it's such a big deal until what happened. He's still a Superman to me even though he didn't make it. KING: The 45-year-old father of two coached roller hockey, even formed a league. He had a reputation for being the toughest in the station. JACKSON: The strongest guy I ever met. He could lift every weight in this house, good with drilling, always called me boss, not that you had to keep the guys in line but he would say "Hey, you're not doing the right thing" or "You are doing the right thing." KING: Camaraderie is what 54-4 is built on. They call each other brothers and have an unbreakable bond in and out of the firehouse. FIREFIGHTER PETER CONTE, ENGINE 54: They're getting paid to hang out with their friends. That's really what it is, you know, and then like, you know, you have dances together. You watch each other's kids grow up. FIREFIGHTER AL SCHWARTZ (RET.), LADDER 4: You hit the word family. It is a family. People that don't have any attachments to the fire department don't really realize how much of a family it is and a closeness. When we go to work, we have to depend upon each other and if something happens, I have to know the next guy is going to be there getting me out of trouble and he has to know that I'm going to be there to get him out of trouble. KING: While others run away from burning buildings, firefighters, brothers, rush in. M. SANTORA: It's part of their being, part of the fiber of them is helping other people and doing and being servers rather than takers. This is what they do. CONTE: Firefighters are a special breed. They want to go where the excitement is. They want to go in harm's way to see if they can save a life. KING: The risks are part of the job. SCHWARTZ: If you're going into a fire you never know what you're going into and you never know if you're going to come out. You know you go to work in the morning you never know if you're going to come home at night. (END VIDEOTAPE) (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) pretty quiet today, beautiful weather midwest, northeast. KING (voice-over): And the day starts out quiet for Firehouse 54-4. FILA: Chris Santora was new in the firehouse before the 11th. Chris was working my tour that day, something I'll never forget. M. SANTORA: We spoke to him the day before, you know, he went off to duty. Our words to him were "Goodbye son, be safe. Have a good tour." KING: Sam Ottice was getting ready to leave the station. JEAN OTTICE, SAM OTTICE'S WIDOW: He was scheduled to get off at nine o'clock and the call came in at 9:15 for them to go. KING: Paul Gill was heading in. TINA GILL-LAMPART, PAUL GILLS' WIDOW: My son Joshua and I were waiting for the school bus in the morning and Paul came, drove by. He says, "I'm on my way in" and he was very early. KING: Also on duty that day Guadalupe. JACKSON: Jose, one of my chauffeurs, fantastic guy. KING: Ragaglia. JACKSON: Great sense of humor. KING: Lynch. JACKSON: Very proud man. KING: Angelini. JACKSON: Quiet guy, great cook. KING: Tipping (ph). JACKSON: Funny. KING: Comedian. Brennan. JACKSON: Oh, (INAUDIBLE) the best, funnier (INAUDIBLE) funnier. KING: Funnier than Tipping? JACKSON: Oh, yes. KING: Fineberg (ph). JACKSON: Character. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Character. There you go. JACKSON: Good guy. KING: Hobb (ph). JACKSON: Hobb, the German, he was... UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Hobbinator (ph) that was his nickname. KING: Assaro (ph). JACKSON: Grateful Dead lover. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dead head. KING: O'Callaghan (ph). JACKSON: Intense. KING: Garrity (ph) the chief. JACKSON: A leader, second to none. KING: Wooley. JACKSON: Again, how can you say one of the best. KING: 8:46 a crystal clear morning in New York City is suddenly shattered. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This just in. You are looking at obviously a very disturbing live shot there. That is the World Trade Center and we have unconfirmed reports this morning that a plane has crashed into one of the towers of the World Trade Center. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A plane has just crashed into the World Trade Center. Oh-oh! UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clear out of here now! UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It came in like a -- like a -- like a -- like a spear. It just speared through the building. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The World Trade Center Tower 1 is on fire, the whole outside of the building. There was just a huge explosion. Send every available ambulance, everything you got to the World Trade Center now! JACKSON: Any time you hear an alarm come in, like a multiple it will come over the voice alarm so hey had to know this was coming and they want in. KING: Fourteen minutes later Engine 54 answers the call. CONTE: They were going to the big one. Something you learn like as a joke in probie school almost is that they always tell you whatever you're doing in the firehouse don't miss the big one. It's the big call, the big fire, because there's nothing worse than coming in the next shift and everybody tells you "We had a huge fire and you missed it." KING: 9:03, a chaotic scene of confusion gets worse. A second hijacked passenger plane is visible overhead. As the world watches on live television it slams into the south tower. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My God! UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mayday, mayday, another plane hit he second tower OK. KING: Both towers are now in flames. Thousands of people are trapped on the floors above the impact. Additional crews are needed. Again, the alarm sounds at the Midtown firehouse. Ladder 4 responds. JACKSON: Ladder 4 was done. They were not working the day tour on the 11th. They were off duty. They volunteered to go. DAVID TURNER, LADDER 4: We were watching right after the first plane hit and at that time I knew how bad it was and I knew I had to come in. So, I told my wife I had to leave. KING: By now 15 of Turner's co-workers are racing to the scene. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looked like the plane was aiming towards the building. Transmit a third alarm. KING: Families back home watch as the horror unfolds. KATHLEEN SANTORA, CHRIS SANTORA'S SISTER: I was expecting the worst and the worst being either he was -- his life was taken in the devastation or he was so badly injured that he wasn't able to contact us. KING: A picture given to the firehouse years later shows the firefighters rushing to the scene. JACKSON: This is a picture of 54 Engine responding to the World Trade Center on 9/11. KING: I know this is hard for you. Did he come here and give it to you much later? TURNER: Yes, about... G. GILL: I think when they left the firehouse they might not have known what they were facing but by the time they were getting there they knew. KING: Engine 54 is among the first to arrive. DWYER: The streets were filled with people who were pouring out of the buildings and heading north or people in adjacent buildings heading north and a huge, huge fire at the top of the towers. CONTE: Firefighters are a special breed. They want to go where the excitement is. They want to go in harm's way to see if they can save a life. SCHWARTZ: And they looked at that building and they gave close- ups of their faces and they knew that they might not be coming out. (END VIDEOTAPE) (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) FILA: We go into every fire and every situation with the expectation of coming out with 100 percent. We don't go in to any situation saying, "Well there's an acceptable number of fatalities or injuries." KING: As they start to work, the 15 men from Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9, have reason to be hopeful. Since the first terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in 1993, a truck bomb in a basement parking lot, there have been improvements. Better radio equipment has been installed. The sprinkler system is now virtually complete. And the firefighters themselves are now more experienced. DWYER: And, you know, they want to win. I think there's a competition. KING: New York Times reporter Jim Dwyer is the co-author of "102 Minutes" a detailed account of what happened inside the twin towers. DWYER: There was a tremendous reflex that this was the fire that they had all trained to fight, to take on this big roaring dragon of a fire. KING: The New York Times sued the city for release of an audio tape, radio calls of the firefighters at work. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Battalion Seven to Ladder One-Five. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One-Five. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to need two of your firefighters Adam stairway to knock down two fires. We have a house line stretched. We could use some water on it. Knock it down. Okay. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. 10-4. I'll be right to you. DWYER: In very plain, calm language you're listening to these firefighters trying to get people out and they're going about it in a very businesslike way. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tommy, listen carefully. I'm sending all the injured down to you on 40. There's about 10 to 15 people coming down to you. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Got that. I'm on 40 right now, Lieu. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tommy, when you take people down to the lobby, try to get an EMS crew back. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Definitely. KING: But from the beginning they face obstacles. DWYER: There was one factor that controlled everything and that was the inability of the firefighters to reach the upper floors. KING: There are 99 elevators in each tower but in each building only one elevator is working. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The elevator's screwed up. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can't move it? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't want to get stuck in the shaft. KING: Burdened with as much as 100 pounds of equipment they use the stairs to assault a building 110 stories tall. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, chief. I'm on 55. I got to rest. I'll try to get up there as soon as possible. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 10-4. KING: And despite the improvements for radio communications, many radio signals are nonetheless garbled and blocked by the building's steel and concrete. SCHWARTZ: You get a little panicky but the guys that we work with are trained well enough to try to get around that. DWYER: Fire department guys, one of the things they are is very on the spot inventive. They're like jazz musicians. They extemporize. KING: True to form, Battalion 9 Chief Ed Garrity is not about to miss a performance. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Battalion 9 to Command Post. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Battalion 9, I need you on the floor above 79. We have access stairs going up to 79. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, I'm on my up, Orio. KING: Garrity and men from another unit have a plan to evacuate trapped survivors. DWYER: There are injured people who can't get up. There are people trying to take care of the injured. These people think they are on the furthest spot on earth from hell. And lo and behold, here comes Orio Palmer and Joe Levy and Ed Garrity and all the men from their companies to reverse the forces of destruction. KING: Others from the Pride of Midtown are trying to rescue people from an elevator that had plunged from up high and miraculously stopped just in time. DWYER: Trapped inside this were maybe a dozen or more people and the elevator was a mangled mess. That's when Ladder 4 arrived. J. OTTICE: He was in the lobby and had just gone out to get the jaws of life and bring it back in. They were trying to open up the elevator to get the people out. KING: At the same time, there's a dramatic turn of events. DWYER: There's an extraordinary moment when a building engineer at No. 7 World Trade Center meeting in the lobby with some other people in kind of an ad hoc emergency session, says that he believes total collapse of the towers is possible. The ground fire radios were not working that day. They send a messenger dodging through this flaming debris over to the main command center to give this message to the chief of the department Pete Gansey (ph). And the messenger comes flying up the block and gets to Gansey's aide and says, "I've got a message from the building department. He thinks this thing could fall down" and they grab Gansey right away and they give him the message. And he said, "Who would tell you a thing like that?" (END VIDEOTAPE) (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bring every available ambulance you got to this position. KING (voice-over): The dispatch just before 10:00 a.m. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Major collapse in one of the towers (INAUDIBLE). KING: Desperation turns into the unthinkable. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out! Get out! KING: A wall of smoke and debris, a deafening roar and then silence. Off duty firefighters are on their way when the South Tower collapses. (on camera): Did you know that your buddies were in trouble? JACKSON: Yes, when the first tower came down. KING: How did you know? JACKSON: Just well we knew they would be in there. First of all we know the brothers would be in the building and when that tower came down like that you just looked at it and said "That's bad." It's going to be hard to find people but there's always a chance in a collapse of a lean-to, somebody in a pocket somewhere, so we had hope. KING (voice-over): But about 30 minutes later the North Tower falls. FILA: It's another impossibility. I said this is -- I'm not even driving in. Maybe it's a dream. Maybe it's a nightmare. There's no way that two 1,100-foot buildings are going to collapse, impossible. KING: Firefighter Al Schwartz has the day off. SCHWARTZ: That was just because of the (INAUDIBLE), you know that's the way it worked that day because it could have gone the other way. KING: But when Al sees the disaster he calls the firehouse. Lieutenant Dan O'Callaghan takes the call. SCHWARTZ: As I was talking to him I got the assignment and he says, "We're going now." I says, "All right, I'll come in and meet you." I figured if I could come in and just carry equipment up to the upper floors it can help somebody out that's working that day and that was the last I spoke to him. KING: None of the off duty firefighters gets there before the towers collapse and nobody is prepared for what they see. FILA: We got out and it was just such a surreal environment to be dropped off in and the people coming out covered in soot and just a horrific scene the smoke that was coming up and the dust that was -- we were there, you know, and there was still papers from desks flying in the air. SCHWARTZ: You really didn't think like you didn't visualize like the whole command structure was wiped out and, you know, firemen aren't supposed to die and you didn't think anybody was hurt until you really got closer and saw what actually happened and knew we were in for big problems. FILA: And we were going to go see who we can get out and who we can save and pull out of rubble, you know. You're fully expecting to go in there and you're going to start getting victims out left and right. And the other thing that you're thinking about is where's our guys? KING: That question is also on the mind of Al Santora, a veteran firefighter. Al and his wife Maureen lived through the jobs dangers for 40 years and now they wait to hear from their son Chris. M. SANTORA: (INAUDIBLE) collapse. Al sat down, put his hands over his head, eyes, and he said "Oh my God, it's a pancake collapse." I had no idea what that meant. I knew it was very serious because Al never, never responded. A. SANTORA: But in a pancake when it comes straight down it means there are very few voids and tremendous weight of the buildings that for the most part anybody below would be pulverized. KING: By late afternoon, still no word from Chris. Al makes his way to Ground Zero. A. SANTORA: And I went over to the command center to see if I could help out and give them a break and help out here, help out there. And, in the meantime, I was looking for Christopher. I was looking for Engine 54-4 and if anybody had seen them. KING: On the opposite side of the country the parents of firefighter Paul Gill are heading home from their ten year anniversary trip. Their layover at Los Angeles Airport turns into a full blown evacuation. J. GILL: Lockdown, everybody get out. G. GILL: Get out. J. GILL: Get out. There was nobody to show you the way just get out. G. GILL: No help. KING: They (INAUDIBLE) to a friend's home and then call their son's wife Tina. G. GILL: When I got through I said "Tina, it's Georgette. Where's Paul?" And she said, "Where are you?" And I said, "We're fine. We're in Los Angeles. Where is he?" She said "He went in." She said "He took an overtime shift. He went in this morning. We haven't heard." And all through the evening no word, no word. We went to sleep, well not really sleep and then at six o'clock California time my friend Lois came banging. We were in her guest house and she came banging on the door. And she said, "It's Tina" and I knew that if it was good news she would have been saying that already. And John took the call. He was missing. KING: But they still hold on to hope. G. GILL: John was on the floor. My friend had this big TV and he was on the floor in front of the TV with his face inches from the screen. And I said, "John, what are you doing?" And he says, "I'm looking for my son." (END VIDEOTAPE) (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KING (voice-over): Minutes after the towers fall, the sound of hundreds of small alarms worn by each firefighter so they can find each other in the dust and smoke. Finding each other and finding other survivors becomes an obsession. They go to work sifting through a debris pile that covers 16 acres and rises 100 feet. FILA: All that night working down there and the next day, the day after, the day after that, we still held out hope that maybe guys are trapped in a void. They're going to be all right. KING: But they are not all right. Of the 15 men who rushed down from the firehouse none survived, the largest toll of any firehouse that day. JACKSON: When I came back here I ran into Chief George Mayer (ph). He was assigned -- he's assigned here. And I said, "Hey chief," I said, you know, "Where's the guys from 54?" And he said, "Bobby, they're all gone. They're all gone." And I cried. He held me. I cried like a baby. That was when I realized everybody was gone. The public started coming by bringing flowers, you know, just out -- almost out to the street corner, candles, flowers, people came by singing, just like the whole -- it seemed like the whole country came here. FILA: People from other countries that didn't even speak English that came here and they would look at you and look you in the eye and they couldn't speak a word of your language and you couldn't speak a word of theirs but you felt gratified that they were there. KING: But for the firefighters the most crucial support comes from within. The New York Fire Department lost 343 people on September 11th. SCHWARTZ: When we went to funerals in the beginning nobody really knew who was missing or who was not alive anymore and people were just so happy to see each other, you know, see who was still here. KING: Georgette and John Gill get the news about their son Paul when they arrive at the firehouse. They had been stranded in L.A. for two days until the airlines were allowed to fly again. G. GILL: I went up to Lieutenant Jackson and I said, "Can I talk to somebody who was with him?" He said, "They're all gone." KING: As more family members get the bad news the packed firehouse becomes a sacred place. Everyday items like the daily assignment board take on new meanings. (on camera): On 9/11, 2001, these men wrote their names on this board or someone wrote their names down. JACKSON: Yes, I'm guessing Santora, he was the junior man working. He wrote after roll call he wrote that up there and family members started to come in and write notes to their loved one. KING (voice-over): For Chris Santora, a loved one's last ditch plea for a miracle; for Paul Gill, a note asking for one last hug. And just next to the fire trucks a wall of honor. (on camera): This is a permanent part of this? JACKSON: Yes. We see it every day. We treat it with total reverence. This is the pictures of the 15 men from the house that were lost that day. Between them they have 28 children and the families will come in and put notes on, like the Finebergs same in and they put a stone out of his cemetery plot. So they bring in things like that. The Lynch boys write cards to their dad. KING: That's too bad. JACKSON: Mike Lynch had, you know, had two boys, Mike and Jack, great kids. So, you know, different people come in. KING (voice-over): High on the wall a remnant of Ladder truck 4. JACKSON: This is probably the low grade maybe 40 feet into the -- in the trade center and that was Ladder 4's, you know, piece on the bed of their ladder that identifies their unit. KING: The firehouse shrine is the closest thing most of the men's families have to a grave. Only seven of the 15 bodies were recovered. (on camera): This says "If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to Heaven and bring you home again." (voice-over): The firehouse had the honor of bringing them home. SCHWARTZ: If they found somebody from the company, they would put the company out of service and let you go down there and carry them out. JACKSON: Everything would stop at the trade center. The workers would line the platform out of the pit and they would let the members from the company carry the Stokes (ph) basket out covered with a flag, total silence, you know. It's really the honor that they gave us and then they would call us down to carry out our brothers. (END VIDEOTAPE) (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KING (voice-over): A mountain of candles, flowers and cards, an emotional tribute to 15 of New York's bravest, 15 who gave their lives trying to save others when the towers fell. Five years later the tributes continue outside the Engine Company 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A great honor to meet you sir, God bless you. JACKSON: The people come from all over the country and they want to shake your hand, tell you how sorry they are for your loss and I am so gratified when that happens. When those people come to me that's unbelievable. There's such an outpouring of love. KING: Tributes, well wishers, a constant stream and yet five years after this firehouse paid the dearest price much remains the same, a return to the routine cleaning, shopping, cooking and joking. FILA: If you don't make light of a tragic event sometimes you'll go to pieces. You have to be that close with the guy next to you and by sharing the camaraderie and the jokes and everything else that makes us tight. KING: Still the reminders are everywhere in this firehouse, reminders of those 15 brothers lost even for those who came in after 9/11. FIREFIGHTER ANTHONY AULETTA, ENGINE 54: I saw what they was to everybody and that -- that is so overwhelming, you know, and you could see the pain in the guys' faces in the firehouse. KING: Pain over losing firefighters like Chris Santora, the rookie, who instantly fell in love with the station in the shadow of Times Square. A. SANTORA: Well he loved where -- the location. I mean you're right in the heart of the theater district. I mean doors are open. You just sit out there and you saw the most beautiful women walking by, you know, all day and they were all stopping at the firehouse. I mean, you know, you're a young guy. You're 23 years old and you're single. I mean what better place could you be? KING: Chris' sister Patricia is reminded of her brother, a former teacher, every time she walks to work. She teaches at the school that now bears his name in New York. P. SANTORA: He's not here. He can't be here. But this is his school, you know, and it's like I tell my friends, people that I work with like I'm never leaving. I'm going to work here until I die. KING: Another of Chris' sisters, Kathleen, was so inspired by her brother and the events of 9/11 she joined the army. She's seen here with some of the current firefighters of Engine 54. K. SANTORA: Before 9/11, I was just going to college. I didn't really know what I wanted to do. I didn't take a lot of things seriously. After September 11th, I joined the military and I served two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. KING: If Chris Santora was the rookie of Engine 54, Sam Ottice was the veteran, the tough guy around the firehouse. SCHWARTZ: Sammy was a bull. He was just a bull of a guy, big guy, strong guy, and he was always there. You know if you needed something, Sammy was always there. KING: Sam was always there for his family too. And five years after his death they're celebrating that devotion with the opening of this bar, dedicated to Sam's memory and memorabilia. J. OTTICE: He was a great guy. He loved the kids and as a firefighter I can't speak anything higher than him. I've always told the kids that if we were in a fire I would be really happy if he was on the other side to get us out. KING: For the widow and sons of Paul Gill, his strength lied not in his brawn but in his artistry, in his drawings, his paints, and his letters. GILL-LAMPART: He used to write me letters and leave them all over the house and say, you know, "When I die, you'll find letters for years" and I did find letters everywhere hidden in pictures, hidden behind, you know, inside drawers, hidden everywhere. KING: But it's a poem that Tina Gill-Lampart found that may best serve as his legacy to his sons Joshua and Aaron, a poem about becoming a father. GILL-LAMPART: The beauty of the eyes frighten me; skin so soft, innocent and free, I'm scared. J. GILL: Did I create this? I'm responsible. How can I help? What do you want? I will help. I'm here. Should I hold you? Do you want something to eat? Or, is it time for bed? A. GILL: Slides in parks and rides to the country, swings and bats and balls that mean fun I will provide. You are me and I am you. We are one. We are the same. You are you and yourself. I will be here and you will be there. I love my kids. KING: Paul Gill, Sam Ottice, Chris Santora, three of 15, their names forever etched in the profound history of 9/11, their engines a rolling reminder of their legacy and their ultimate sacrifice. (END VIDEOTAPE) (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (NEWSBREAK) TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


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Education/Training + Get AlertsThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that it recently awarded the State of California $174 million in federal funding to invest in water infrastructure projects. The California Department of Public Health received a $79 million grant for its Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and the California State Water Resources Control Board received a $95 million grant for its Clean Water State Revolving Fund. The funding will be used for projects to control water pollution and provide low-cost loans for both drinking water and wastewater infrastructure upgrades statewide.
"In the last 26 years, EPA has provided more than $4 billion in funding for California water projects alone," said Jared Blumenfeld, regional administrator of EPA's Pacific Southwest Region. "Without this investment at the federal level, many communities would not be able to satisfy Californians' basic needs for clean and safe drinking water."
Projects previously supported by the State Revolving Fund include a $34 million loan to Los Angeles County for the construction of a new pumping plant and renovating aging water mains and an $11 million loan to the City of Lathrop to construct an arsenic treatment facility, improve wells and lay down new water mains for over 16,000 residents.
The funds are used for a wide variety of water-quality projects, including nonpoint source pollution control, watershed protection or restoration, water and energy efficiency projects, wastewater reclamation, drinking water infrastructure improvements, technical assistance, and traditional municipal wastewater treatment projects.
The EPA's Pacific Southwest Region administers and enforces federal environmental laws in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the Pacific Islands and 148 tribal nations — home to more than 48 million people. The EPA is also a significant source of funding. In 2013, more than 85 percent of the $631 million regional operating budget flowed to state and tribal agencies, local governments, nonprofit organizations and private-sector companies in the form of grants and contracts. This funding pays for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, air pollution reduction programs, Superfund site cleanups and many other activities that protect human health and natural resources.


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1. The truck carrying the books will crash on I-57 in Illinois, and 12 boxes will be scatterd across various Midwestern cornfields.
2. All of the friends you asked to review the book will rip it.
3. No one will show up at the signing you didn't really want to do, but did as a favor for the only friend who didn't write a scathing review.
4. You'll spend your weekends shipping book orders, but the money you'll take in won't be as much as the cost of mailing the books -- math never being your strong suit.
5. Someone will rate the book 1/2 star on Amazon, calling it the dumbest thing he has ever read.
6. No one will will write a comment calling the 1/2-star review the dumbest thing she has ever read.
7. You'll forget to send a copy of the book to the Library of Congress and the copyright office.


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Remembering David Halberstam: "Education of a Coach." "Summer of '49." "The Teammates." "Playing for Keeps." "The Breaks of the Game."
God, did he write some phenomenal sports books. All covering some of the iconic names of sport – people who mere mortal authors could never do justice to: Belichick and Jordan come to mind.
(Reportedly, the fatal car crash occured en route to do an interview related to something he was writing about the 1958 NFL Championship Game, one of the biggest sports events in American history and something I would have loved to seen filtered through Halberstam.)
A day late, allow me to include my own "David Halberstam rocked my writing world" story, about a book I haven't seen anyone else in sports media mention:
"The Amateurs."
You can not care – at all – about the sport of rowing (and I'm sure you don't), but Halberstam can make you see the beauty and drive and thrill of the sport in a way that makes it well worth your time. (Buy it here.)
As it happens, I was a rower in high school and college, and reading "The Amateurs" not only helped me better understand and articulate and be energized about the sport I was about to spend the next few years of my life devoted to, but it introduced me to Halberstam.
(I remember my mom giving me the book, and I was like, "David Halberstam? Who?" And, as the daughter of a 40-year New York Timesman who overlapped with Halberstam during their respective careers at the paper, she just laughed at my naivete: "Just read it." My mom told me she remembers him being incredibly nice to her when she was in high school and living abroad in college.)
As a young wannabe writer, I was blown away by him. It was one of the earliest moments I can remember where I knew better as a consumer of great writing -- and I knew I was reading it with him.
I'm going to go back and re-read it, because it's been 19 years (and well more than half my life) since I last read it – and since my first exceptional experience reading Halberstam.
Like other of my Page 2 colleagues, I was honored to share byline space on Page 2 with a writer as all-time great as Halberstam. (I had similar feelings about Ralph Wiley and Hunter Thompson.) But it was "The Amateurs" where he and I really connected.
And what has been amazing over the last 24 hours is that fans of all ages and eras have weighed in with their own way that Halberstam's abilities as an author moved them. (And that's just the sports fans -- he had even more fans of his other spectacular non-fiction writing.)
What an incredible legacy to leave.


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NAPA COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- Crews are working nonstop to get a handle on a wildfire burning in Napa County. Buildings are burned, homes have been evacuated, and the fire is just too unpredictable for anyone to go home.
On Wednesday, cooler temperatures and higher humidity helped the 1,000 firefighters on the front lines. The fire has been burning since around noon on Tuesday and it continues to grow.
The wildfire has burned 3,800 acres and has damaged two residences and seven outbuildings. Officials say 380 structures are threatened. The wildfire is 30 percent contained and no injuries have been reported. The cause is still unknown.
The flames are just north of the wineries in Napa Valley, off Butts Canyon Road in Pope Valley. Evacuations are still in effect for people living in the Berryessa Estates area.
For firefighters, overnight inversion layers present opportunities -- the wind dies down and temperatures drop. If crews are lucky, those conditions persist after sunrise. And that's what happened in Pope Valley Wednesday morning, though no one took the brief inversion layer for granted.
That's because hotspots can be capricious; a gust here, a puff there, and a blast of flames at the most unpredictable of places.
That's what happened in Pope Valley when the inversion layer lifted Wednesday afternoon.
As firefighters worried about containing the large perimeter, they also battled countless flareups inside the lines. One along Butts Canyon Road Wednesday afternoon came out of nowhere and took a small army to knock down.
As dramatic as it looked, it was nothing compared to Tuesday. And that's the good news.
The fast-moving blaze began Tuesday afternoon and within hours covered 600 acres and then spiked to 2,700 acres by late evening as it spread northeast into neighboring Lake County. State firefighters and crews from Napa, Lake and Solano counties spent the day working in 90-degree weather.
"This fire exploded because the conditions are so dry all across California," said state fire spokesman Daniel Berlant. "We were definitely surprised by this one."
State fire spokeswoman State McCambridge said Wednesday that the fire is not affecting the lucrative Napa Valley vineyards. Pope Valley is about 20 miles north of Napa Valley.
Cate Conniff, a spokeswoman for the Napa Valley Vintners, a nonprofit trade association, agreed. "It has not come anywhere close to what we consider Napa Valley wineries. It is moving in the opposite direction, and it continues to move that way. We're keeping an eye out on it," Conniff said
Gov. Jerry Brown said Wednesday that he has secured federal funds to help fire departments absorb some of the cost of fighting the fire.
Elsewhere in California, firefighters were surrounding a blaze in Shasta-Trinity National Forest that forced the evacuation of about 15 homes. Forest spokeswoman Andrea Capps said the fire has burned through 35 acres since it started Tuesday and was 70 percent contained.
(ABC7 News reporter Wayne Freedman and The Associated Press contributed to this report)