text: wp-2707 vom 2014:12:28 13:09:51 Jürgen29.12.2014 No Comments Kamera: NIKON D750, Brennweite: 120mm, Belichtung: f/11.0 – 1/250 sec – ISO 125, © Juergen Arndt « Previous Next » Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Current ye@r * Leave this field empty Security Question: What is 2 + 10 ? Please leave these two fields as-is: IMPORTANT! To be able to proceed, you need to solve the following simple math (so we know that you are a human) :-)


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5 hip crossbody bags and how to wear them
See Gallery
There is something about summer that makes us want to have the least amount of stuff on our person, and that includes what we're carrying. Most handbags feel too cumbersome, whether they're totes, clutches, duffles or shoulder bags. Hands-free just feels like the way to be.
Backpacks are one option, but those aren't for everyone and can come with their own anxieties (am I the only one who worries someone will steal stuff from behind without me noticing?). And while a few fanny packs are hitting the market lately, I'm not sure the general public is quite ready for that.
So, that brings us to small crossbody bags, which seem to be everywhere lately, and have become a bit of an "It" girl staple. We rarely see ladies like Harley Viera-Newton, Alexa Chung and Hannah Bronfman without one. Who wants to deal with holding a thing when you're so busy being cool? And best of all, they're ideal for all kinds of situations (even for us normals), from hitting the club, to weekend strolls, to music festivals. So, read on for some of our faves and some ideas for how to style them in your day to day life.
Click on the slideshow above to see how to wear 5 hip crossbody bags!
More from Fashionista:
Steve Madden's shoe business is better than ever
5 bathing suit trends to try this summer
Balmain trades Rihanna for Cara
Sorry, America: the Brits dressed better than you this week

subset: commoncrawl


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More retail competition for alcohol sales benefit consumers: study
WATCH: In Ontario, where liquor stores are strictly government run, there are growing calls to pop the monopoly's cork. Mike Drolet explains.
TORONTO – Ontario could drink up more profit from booze sales and consumers could pay less for alcohol if the provincial government opened up the business to more retailers, a new report found.
The study, released Wednesday by the C.D. Howe Institute, said the government is actually foregoing revenue by preserving its virtual monopoly on the sale of alcohol.
Western provinces with more competition had seven per cent more per capita in provincial alcohol profits than those with government-run monopolies, according to the report written by two economists, Paul Masson and Anindya Sen.
It recommends that Ontario allow wine and beer sales in grocery and convenience stores, permit beer to be sold by other retail outlets and grant licences for off-winery stores to wineries and to new wine retailers.
"These changes would increase the choices available and reduce prices for Ontario consumers, as well as improve the competitiveness of Ontario's smaller wineries and breweries and generate more revenue for the government," it said.
Ontario is the only jurisdiction in North America that limits off-site liquor sales to a chain of government stores, a single private beer retailer and a fixed number of off-winery wine stores, the report said.
The publicly owned Liquor Control Board of Ontario sells hard liquor as well as beer and wine. The Beer Store, run by three foreign-owned brewers, also has a quasi-monopoly of beer sales and retail distribution. It generates about $1 billion for the province in taxes, the report said.
READ MORE: Opposition warns Liberals may sell LCBO, Hydro One or Ontario Power Generation
The high costs of the LCBO – including salaries and benefits for employees – are unlikely to shrink without more competition, it said.
There's also little incentive for The Beer Store to lower prices to consumers and commercial establishments, provide better service or give more shelf space to competing brands since it commands about 77.5 per cent of beer sales in the province, the report said.
But an organization representing the companies that run The Beer Store said the report draws misleading conclusions from what it called poor research on price differences between Ontario and Quebec.
"The reality is, we have a highly competitive beer market where brewers compete with each other for market share by setting their own prices," said Jeff Newton, president of Canada's National Brewers.
"The result of that is we have the lowest prices, on average, for beer in the entire country."
Meanwhile, two large vintners – including one owned by U.S.-based Constellation Brands – can sell Ontario-blended wine in retail stores the Wine Shop and the Wine Rack, but can't undercut LCBO prices. Other wineries, as well as distilleries and brewers, are only able to sell their wares through the LCBO or on site.
That gives the two big wineries a lot more retail shelf space than the other vintners, said Derek Saunders, who co-founded Calamus Estate Winery near Beamsville, Ont.
There's also pressure to reduce prices for the premium wine they produce because the LCBO can buy cheaper wines that are popular with their customers from other sources in Chile or elsewhere, he said.
The government should allow wine to be sold in private stores, Saunders said.
"There's nobody in government bold enough to make a change that will help this industry," he said in a recent interview.
"And I repeat: this industry will collapse under the current system because we just can't sell our wine. We can't get it to the people."
Finance Minister Charles Sousa was unavailable for comment, but his spokeswoman said Ontarians are well-served by the current system. The LCBO poured $1.74 billion into provincial coffers last year.
"This is important funding that supports vital services for all Ontarians, such as health care and education," Susie Heath said in an email.
She noted that Ontario wines can now be sold at local farmer's markets and that a small number of LCBO boutiques will be set up in grocery stores. But the governing Liberals have steadfastly refused to open up sales of wine and beer in the vast majority of grocery and convenience stores.
"The strength of the LCBO model is in a balance between customer convenience and selling alcohol in a socially responsible manner," Heath said.
However, the report notes that rather than discouraging alcohol sales, the LCBO publishes brochures touting various wines, beers and spirits.
The Liberals had a committee look at alcohol retailing in 2005, but didn't act on their recommendations to open the sector to private competition.
"The quasi-monopoly enjoyed by the LCBO and TBS imposes excessive costs on consumers, restricts their menu of choices, and limits the accessibility of stores selling retailing alcohol," the report said.
"In addition, it imposes distortions on small domestic breweries and wineries and puts them at a competitive disadvantage relative to a few large Canadian and foreign producers."
Other provinces have moved away from monopolies, the report said. Quebec allows wine and beer sales in grocery and convenience stores, British Columbia will allow liquor sales in grocery stores next year and Alberta privatized the sale of alcohol 20 years ago.
Almost all retail alcohol in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba is sold in government-run stores, the report said. But Manitoba and Saskatchewan allow take-away beer sales in licensed hotels and Saskatchewan said it will allow a limited number of privately held stores to sell booze.
Convenience stores as well as those belonging to a government-owned corporation can sell beer in Newfoundland and Labrador. The provincial stores also sell wine and spirits.


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Group Events
Available Monday - Thursday
Prices vary based on number of kids and time
Call us for more details!
You can't spell "fundraiser" without "FUN," and we'll help you make sure your event is upbeat and exciting. Is your group looking for a fundraiser that is fun, healthy, safe, profitable and hassle free? Your guests will love our food, our atmosphere, and our bounce structures - and, of course, your organization gets to keep a portion of the proceeds. We are proud to support schools and non-profit organizations in our community.
Put a little extra bounce in your step!
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We've got huge inflatable playgrounds, endless games and even a blow-up birthday throne!
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It's just you and your invited guests in our enormous bouncy house arenas and party rooms!
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You can tailor every detail of the party experience to make it as special as the birthday kid!
"Other Group Events" was last updated June 14th, 2016 by


text: Nina Dobrev's Secrets to Getting Sexy\\nClearly, Nina Dobrev, star of The CW smash The Vampire Diaries, has stuff figured out. So we've tapped her know-how for the move she swears changed her body and how to celebrate in style.\\n\\"I have a flat tummy, but I'm not rock hard. If I'm going to be in a bikini, I'll train more and skip desserts for a couple of weeks. But usually, I work out to feel good.\\"\\n\\n\\"Exercising gives me endorphins and energy. I do it four days a week. I Spin with Candice Accola and Claire Holt from the show. Running is my solo time; working my muscles outside in fresh air is therapeutic.\\"\\n\\n\\"Starving to be skinny isn't my thing. When I don't eat, it affects my mood! On-set, I fuel up with small meals and I'm always grabbing high-protein snacks, like almonds. Chai lattes with espresso also keep me going.\\"\\n\\nGryphon New York dress, $370; Saks Fifth Avenue. Earrings, $375; [MiguelAses.com](http://MiguelAses.com/).\\n\\"Using my imagination, spelling out what I want to achieve and creating a reminder of those things helps me move forward.\\"\\n\\n\\"Remembering my roots matters to me. We were on a tight budget growing up, and my parents gave so much to get me where I am. Now, at Christmas, I rent a house in the Rockies and take my family snowboarding.\\"\\n\\nShirt; [Zara.com](http://www.zara.com/) for similar styles. Shorts, $168; [DylanGeorge.com](http://www.dylangeorge.com/). American Eagle Outfitters belt, $30; [AE.com](http://www.ae.com/). Miguel Ases earrings, $300; [Fragments.com](http://www.fragments.com/). Turquoise stone bracelets, $147 and $219; [VanessaMooney.com](http://www.vanessamooney.com/). Chloe + Isabel thin bracelets, $34 each;[ ChloeAndIsabel.com](http://www.chloeandisabel.com/).\\n\\"When I fly, I never check my bags. I bring a carry-on, an eye pillow, noise-canceling headphones, a big pillow and a blanket. I usually travel with a castmate and fall asleep in the most contorted positions, with my leg splayed out on the lap of whoever is next to me.\\"\\nYes, Dobrev gets paid to have costars Ian Somerhalder (also her real-life boyfriend!) (left) and Paul Wesley ravish her.\\n\\"Yoga changed my body 100 percent. It tones everything and leans you out. Dancer's pose is amazing. It works every muscle! And you have to focus. If your mind is somewhere else, you'll fall.\\"\\n\\n__Try it!__ With feet hip-width apart, arms down, bend right knee and bring right heel toward butt. Reach back with right hand to grab right ankle; lift foot up until right thigh is parallel to floor. Extend left arm forward as you feel the stretch in the raised leg and your abs firing. Repeat on other side.\\n\\"If you can't quiet your mind, try Downward Dog. It makes you concentrate on your breath, which resets you.\\"\\n\\"Savasana is the easiest and most important yoga move because it's so simple. Lying there is meditative.\\"\\n\\"I love this color! I buy a few pieces that are meaningful, versus a lot of things. My mom says only buy something you think is special enough to be worth three times its cost.\\"\\n\\nIn Donna Karan: \\"I wore this gown to the 2011 Emmys. I felt so good in it!\\"\\n\\"Breathe deep, and let things go.\\"\\n\\nHaute Hippie jacket, $1,295; Saks Fifth Avenue. Cami, $220;[ CamillaAndMarc.com](http://www.camillaandmarc.com/). Shorts, $168; [DylanGeorge.com](http://www.dylangeorge.com/). American Eagle Outfitters belt, $30; [AE.com](http://www.ae.com/).\\n\\"I just got an ice cream maker, and I've been making coconut-milk ice cream topped with shredded coconut. So yummy!\\"\\n\\n\\"I'm a health nut and eat organic, but I also enjoy eating at restaurants and, recently, cooking. I love having dinner parties at my place in Atlanta, where we film.\\"\\n\\n \\n__[Emily VanCamp Talks Love, Flat Abs and Body Image](/healthystars/2012/10/emily-vancamp-slideshow)__ \\n \\n__[How SELF's Favorite Celebrities Give Back](/healthystars/celebrities-give-back-slideshow)__ \\n \\n__[Demi Lovato Opens Up](/healthystars/2012/08/demi-lovato-opens-up-slideshow)__


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Ms. Aleisha Arnusch
Ms. Aleisha Arnusch has been a Research Analyst at the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre since 2006 and is currently the Lead Researcher on the Rule of Law. In 2008, she worked as a Civilian Advisor to the NATO International Security Assistance Force Headquarters in Afghanistan. Ms. Arnusch has been a consultant with NATO since 2007 on civil-military issues and worked in the United States, Portugal, Turkey, and the Netherlands on NATO courses, exercises, strategic assessments, and special projects. She has conducted conflict risk assessments, developed course curriculums, facilitated courses, helped mediate conflicts, managed a journal, and led research projects. Ms. Arnusch holds an MA (with distinction) from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University, with a focus on conflict analysis. She also holds two BA degrees (with honors) in international relations and psychology.
*The above information may not be current. It was current at the time when the individual worked for SSI or was published by SSI.
SSI books and monographs by Ms. Aleisha Arnusch
Security Sector Reform: A Case Study Approach to Transition and Capacity Building
January 05, 2010
Authored by Dr. Sarah Meharg, Ms. Aleisha Arnusch. Edited by Professor Susan Merrill.
Security sector reform (SSR) has emerged since the end of the Cold War as an important tool for stabilizing and reconstructing post-conflict countries. It offers a means of arresting the failure process in failing states and supporting failed state recovery. The U.S. Government endorses the concept of SSR as a component of stabilization reconstruction in the new (October 2008) U.S. Army Field Manual 3-07, Stability Operations.


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NEW ORLEANS (AP) Heading back to his hometown, Jacoby Jones couldn't afford to tell the truth.
The All-Pro kick returner for the Baltimore Ravens got 15 tickets for the Super Bowl as a participating player. The demand from family, friends in New Orleans was way beyond that.
No Big Easy there.
``I told my family before I left (Baltimore) I only got nine,'' Jones said, shaking his head and smiling. ``They're expensive and I'll do something for you during the game, so y'all can be together.''
Each Raven and San Francisco 49er player and coach had access to 15 tickets: two complimentary, the rest for purchase. Prices range this year from $800 to $1,200, the same as last year in Indianapolis.
When the game was last played in New Orleans 11 years ago, every seat cost $400.
Tickets also are available to players on injured reserve. For the 49ers, that's almost 90 people, not counting front office personnel who generally had access to two tickets each.
``I said I only got nine so they'd fight over them,'' Jones said with a laugh. Then he did a really smart thing: He put his mother, Emily, in charge of ticketing. ``My mom is old school, no nonsense. She's from here, born and raised. It will be immediate family.''
Jones tried to make up for the shortfall by buying the rest of his family jerseys, about 30 in all.
Teammate Ed Reed was in the same pickle. He's from New Orleans, too. So the star safety sought advice from Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who played in a Super Bowl in his hometown of Miami three years ago.
``I would actually auction off tickets to random folk if I could,'' Reed said. ``I'm still kind of chopping things down, making sure you've got your lists right, especially when you come home. You want everyone to come to the game.
``Honestly, I could fill the Superdome up. I could fill every seat. I would love to, but you can't. So I want my family to know that right now. Things are starting to get a little pricey, but I'm just grateful to go through it. I could do this every year.''
With a seven-figure salary, he could. Some other players who don't quite earn those big bucks might find a yearly Super Bowl trip too expensive.
``I took all 15, for everybody in my family and my boys back home in Indy,'' said second-year receiver Tandon Doss, a backup for the Ravens. ``It's the Super Bowl.''
The NFL keeps about one-fourth of the tickets, with many going to league sponsors. Each participating team gets 17.5 percent for the organization and for its fans, who generally enter a lottery to purchase tickets. The host club gets 5 percent, and the other 29 clubs get 1.2 percent each, or 34.8 percent overall.
The Superdome's capacity for the Super Bowl is approximately 72,000.
Players who don't fill their allotment become more popular than ever with teammates who need as many tickets as they can get their hands on.
Niners defensive lineman Ricky Jean Francois attended LSU and most of his pals are still in Baton Rouge. But he didn't buy all the tickets available to him.
``I had a lot of requests but I only take care of the immediate family,'' he said. ``I ain't worried about all the friends and everybody else out there. I just stuck with the immediate family. Let's get that over with - and save money, too.''
Teammate receiver-punt returner Kyle Williams only wanted friends and relatives at the game if he was playing. He's on injured reserve. His popularity quotient probably spiked because it meant extra tickets for other Niners.
But Williams' decision was rare. Many other players grabbed their 15, then handed them to family members to distribute.
``My mom handled it all,'' San Francisco All-Pro linebacker Aldon Smith said, echoing many 49ers and Ravens. ``People have to understand the ticket thing, so we made it clear: Go through my mom.''
Ravens cornerback Corey Graham set some ground rules for his tickets: Only people who came to his games all season.
``You have a lot of people that are going to want to come to the game because it's the Super Bowl,'' Graham said. ``But if you haven't been supporting me throughout the year, going to the regular games when we were playing the Detroit Lions or the Cleveland Browns, then why would I want to bring you out here to come to a great place like New Orleans to see the Super Bowl on the greatest stage in the world?''
Online:http://pro32.ap.org/poll andhttp://twitter.com/AP-NFL


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"Why should a square mean "stop" when the road sign is hexagonal?"
Geometry fail.
About half the people with a BlackBerry know that if you press space twice you get full-stop space. But only a few of them know that you can use space in email addresses to get full-stops and @ symbols. Tell them and their eyes light up with the thought that their little tool has just become that much more productive. This is …
that I so dislike my e52. I keep on comparing it to the 6310 that until very recently was still in regular use -- though even there I would've liked to re-arrange a couple menu items as my usage pattern differs enough that it'd save me about half the selection related keypresses. The e52, by contrast, costs about double again not counting the spurious backspaces and the missed deliberate ones causing having to start all over again. And all the other stupidity that blocks me from or at least impedes my doing what I want for no discernible reason. Like how the voip client --a selection criterion-- just doesn't work because of some entirely-by-the-book incompatability with everyone else. Even after installing the optional app that is pretty much required to even configure this "built-in" functionality. This sort of thing is in fact endemic in this device. Way to go, nokia.
Why I haven't switched back? I don't use the phone bit all that often but I find it useful to have a nicely small device that let me install software to do impromptu wifi site surveys, or lets me take a picture --even a more than disappointingly crappy one-- of something --like some poster in a window or other-- for later reference. And more importantly, the 6310's battery is just about dead.
A device with the form factor and all the advertised functions of the e52 working but the interface sophistication of yore would be more than welcome.
It's clear why I will never have a crackberry, though. I loathe the badly-written, top-posted diarhea that passes for non-spam email these days. If you actually pay attention to what's said in replies it's obvious nobody even reads emails any longer so the popularity of always wanting to "check their email" eludes me. It cannot be anything but ego stroking and otherwise a massive waste of time. It certainly isn't about the content, and clearly hasn't been about thoughtful discourse since 1993.
Is shitty manuals/help systems that don't mention any of this stuff, or have it scattered all over hell's half acre. Windows at least has a page that's easy to find that lists all the common F-key operations, and unfortunately they're a major exception.
There's still buttons on the XINE UI where I haven't a clue what they do despite being uselessly "labelled" with a cryptic little tooltip.
It's not mentioned in the article, but for me that was Nokia's other big score (at least the two I owned about 10 years ago) - calm, well written and organised printed manuals that went fairly meticulously through the functions. They were on a par with Sony's for thoroughness of content, but also set a fairly high bar in terms of design and layout.
The LG I had about six years ago was the complete opposite; dreadful UI with inexplicably labelled icons leading to functions that always fell some way short of working as advertised in the scant and overly optimistic manual. I'm revisiting that at the moment with my Dad's (rash with hindsight) purchase of a cheap Alcatel with a printed manual with what appears to be six point type.
Its a mystery why we don't make more use of psychologists to design UIs. We have to use them to design aircraft cockpits... Asked one of my LA's crap highway engineers recently if he had had training in occupational psychology and he just looked puzzled (he was quite young - I would not dare to ask the older ones that question). Mind, I never used them in my design work - my native cunning was good enough.


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Just copy and paste the code below to embed this station in your blog, website or social profile.
You've chosen Thunder Country 95.7 - WDMO, if you want to select another radio station, go back to the Radio Directory
Back to Thunder Country 95.7 - WDMO - FM 95.7 - Baldwin, WI.
Note: You can also go further and add a Banner of Streema in your site, to do that, go here.


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Neta Dare Roberts and Joey Keith Edwards II were married in Greenville.
Neta Dare Roberts and Joey Keith Edwards II, both of Winterville, were united in marriage at 4 p.m. Sept. 15, 2012, at The Martinsborough in Greenville. The Rev. Vito Bisogno of Trinity United Methodist Church officiated the ceremony.
Escorted by her father and given in marriage by her parents, the bride is the daughter of Bill and Debbie Roberts of La Grange. She is the granddaughter of Eleanor Roberts of La Grange and Virginia Cunningham of Grifton.
A graduate of ECU, she is employed with the State of North Carolina.
The groom is the son of Joey and Cindy Edwards of Goldsboro.
A graduate of Wayne Community College, he is a self employed auto technician.
Following a wedding trip to the Dominican Republic, the couple resides in Winterville.
The bride wore an ivory, cap sleeve lace gown that featured a trumpet bodice and keyhole back. She carried a bouquet of white hydrangeas and white roses.
The bride�s cousin, Lauren Spinks of Raleigh, was matron of honor.
Bridesmaids were the bride�s cousins, Amy Whitfield of La Grange, Molly Taylor and Leah Leggett of Kinston, and Sarah McLawhorn; sister-in-law of the bride, Caroline Roberts of La Grange; Hope Dail of Ayden; and Beth Wade of Greenville.
The groom�s brother, Chris Edwards of La Grange, served as best man.
Groomsmen were John Roberts of La Grange, brother of the bride; Nathan Petterson of Snow Hill; Scott Baker of Farmville; Chris Schmidt of Greenville; Chris Waddell of Winterville; Jonathan Mitchell of Goldsboro; and Jason Bridgers of Greenville.
Wedding music was provided by violinists Mary McKeel and Wrenn McCrae Whitfield.
The wedding was directed by Elizabeth Gunst. Register and program attendants were Madison Slye and Layla Whitfield, respectively.
Following the ceremony, a reception was held at The Martinsborough in Greenville.


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Recent Diner Surveys in Ocean Park
An American food lover from Long Beach, WA tried Berry Patch, didn't like it, and rated it . They liked the food, liked the service, and liked the ambiance.
- Pros
- Everything!!!
An American chowhound from Portland, OR tried Berry Patch.
An American chowhound from Seattle, WA tried Berry Patch.
A diner from Seattle, WA tried Berry Patch, liked it, and rated it . They liked the food, liked the service, and liked the ambiance.
- Pros
- Good food and good service. Prices were reasonable for the quality and quantity
Recent Ocean Park Restaurant Reviews
Be the first! Write a Review
Ocean Star Seafood in 2006. Photo by Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times Five years ago, I wrote a Menuism article about why I generally did not eat at Chinese restaurants in the United States that w... read more
With something in the neighborhood of 50,000 Chinese restaurants in the United States, Chinese food is one of the most popular types of ethnic food here. Indeed, Chinese restaurants outnumber the 1... read more
Photo by Wanyun C. / Yelp West Yellowstone, Montana offers authentic Chinese food options that Los Angeles Chinatown doesn't. Let me say that again: You can eat Chinese dishes in Montana that you c... read more
Photo by foodmapnyc A few years ago, I first discussed the concept of the "Chinese stomach," which describes the preference of Chinese diners for Chinese food over other types of food. My initial a... read more
Ocean Park Dining Blog Posts
Do you blog about dining in Ocean Park? Share your experiences with Menuism users!
What restaurants do you recommend in Ocean Park?
Join Menuism and tell us!
- Remember your favorite restaurants by saving it to your personal dining journal.
- Read and write reviews on individual dishes, and upload your food photos for all to see.
- Interact with local foodies with comments and Menuism mail.
- View top rated dishes and online restaurant menus (we're the web's largest menu aggregator).
Have a Menuism account? Sign in first to link it.
Recent Ocean Park User Activity
- Nothing yet.


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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Billy Joel, Maroon 5, Willie Nelson, Fleetwood Mac and Hall & Oates are among the acts headlining this year's New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
The outdoor spring music festival spans seven days over two weekends in such genres like jazz, gospel, rhythm and blues, Cajun and zydeco. In all, hundreds of acts will perform on about a dozen stages on April 26-28 and May 2-5.
Other national acts include Earth Wind & Fire, Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Jill Scott, Widespread Panic and B.B. King.
Most of the lineup is from Louisiana and includes festival favorites Irma Thomas, jazz singer-pianist Allen Toussaint and Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews.


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Cloud Services
TRIP Project - Transport Research & Innovation Portal
In DownloadFriday, 24 August 2012 13:57
The Transport Research & Innovation Portal (TRIP) gives you an overview of research activities at European and national level. For in-depth information, consult our programme and project profiles.
Research & Innovation Participation Portal
In DownloadTuesday, 21 August 2012 13:54
All related to last Call of FP7 2007-2013.
The Participant Portal is your entry point for electronic administration of EU-funded research and innovation projects, and hosts the services for managing your proposals and projects throughout their lifecycle.


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*Enjoy free ground shipping when you create an account on radioflyer.com. Account holders must be logged into their account to receive free shipping. Free shipping is valid only in the United States. Limit of three products per order. Free shipping is not valid on replacement parts, expedited shipping options, or orders shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, US Military or US Territory addresses. For orders that do not qualify for free shipping, the standard UPS shipping rate will apply. Individuals with an account will also receive email communication with exclusive offers. For more details regarding Radio Flyer Accounts, please see our Terms and Conditions. Click here to join or log in to your account.
The Radio Flyer Classic Red Dual Deck TricycleTM is The One You Loved as a Kid!® This sturdy trike features steel construction, spoked wheels, a 12" front wheel and real rubber tires for durability. The controlled turning radius prevents tipping for safe and confident riding. This bright red tricycle is classically styled and includes chrome handlebars and fender. Your child will also love the streamers and ringing bell, and the double-deck rear step makes climbing on and off easy. The adjustable seat grows with your child..
See How they Roll
Scroll through the gallery to see how others have enjoyed this ride!
|2½ -5 Years
|Body Dimensions:
|27.87" L x 19.88" W x 23.86" H
|Front Wheel:
|12" x 1.25"
|Rear Wheels:
|7" x 1.5"
|Seat to Floor:
|16" & 17"
|Seat to Handle:
|16.5" & 16.75"
|Seat to Pedal:
|21.5" & 22"
|17.64 lbs.
|Weight Capacity:
|49 lbs.
|Carton Dimensions:
|24.00" L x 8.70" W x 12.20" H
|Download Assembly Instructions
Enter postal code:


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Escapism: Farm it or don't-- your choice
ADDRESS: 661 Farmview Road
SIZE: 3784 fin. sq. ft., 864 unfin.
NEIGHBORHOOD: Greene County
CURB APPEAL: 6 out of a possible 10
LISTED BY: Jim Duncan, Century 21 Manley Associates 977-7300
When is a commune not a commune? Apparently when you can pay a "homeowner's annual fee" and get out of the work.
At least that seems to be the case at "The Farm Colony" in the far reaches of Greene County. The agent explains that a large farm was transformed into an unusual sort of "subdivision" several years ago: People who buy land, build or buy houses, and move here have the option of being part of the farm community and enjoying the fruits of everyone's labors... or not.
If you don't want to do your day's work each month, you can just pay a $420 annual fee. So if this house catches your fancy, take your pick.
What sort of person will be tempted? Our first guess is a group of partiers with some extra jingle and frequent free weekends. It's just like one of those big made-for-a-crowd places at the beach that groups like to rent to get away from it all. This house has the advantage of being closer than the ocean, but it's just as big as those places, with plenty of amenities.
The disadvantage, of course, is that there's no beach but it does have mountain views and all the benefits of country life a huge wrap-around porch for kicking back in the summer, and a wet bar and fireplace in an enormous 20' x 40' living room with 30' cathedral ceiling for cocooning as the snow blows.
There are six bedrooms– the master suite on the main level, four on the second level (two on either side of a big balcony overlooking the living room), and one in the basement. If the gang needs to include more than six people to make the mortgage payments, the balcony is big enough for cots or sleeper sofas.
The four full bathrooms are interesting. The agent doesn't know who designed this place, but it's clear that whoever it was had not taken a course in space arrangement. The master suite bath, for example, spreads over three separate rooms: a WC for the toilet and bidet, another room for the sink, and a room with a privacy-fenced gravel patio just beyond a glass wall for the shower and an unusual deep whirlpool– we hesitate to say bath, because it's really more like a hot tub for one. Weird, but appealing.
In addition to the huge living room on the main level, there's a very large country kitchen (fitting if this isn't country, nothing is) and dining area with access to the porch, a pantry, and a mudroom with washer/dryer, which has a separate entrance from the driveway.
That presents one of the reasons why the house doesn't seem appropriate for a family or for older people: the difficult access resulting from its position on the side of a mountain. The steep stairs that would pose problems for oldsters mirror the lot that seems to preclude play areas for kiddies not to mention the isolated location of the whole spread.
On the other hand, if a large family has Waltonsesque dreams, this might be the ticket, what with the farm and all its paraphernalia just down the hill.
Other things deserving mention: dual zone electric heat system with central air; large storage spaces everywhere, including a walk-out basement; two- or three-car separate garage with huge attic; and fireplace in the master suite.
It's not fancy, and it's not close by. But if you and the boys have been dreaming of reviving the old frat house days, or if you and the gals have been dreaming of a weekend place to flee the little monsters, go for it.


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Watch a Deleted Scene From 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty'
Ben Stiller's film "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" is being released on Blu-ray/DVD today, and Speakeasy has a clip from one of the disc's bonus features: a deleted scene.
In the film, Stiller plays the title character, a photograph manager at Life Magazine prone to daydreams about high adventure and about his coworker, Cheryl (played by Kristen Wiig).
In this deleted scene, Walter and Cheryl bump into each other at the office, and as they conduct a regular conversation, he imagines life as Cheryl's manservant in period costume.
Watch the clip.


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Hello Everyone! It's Crystal Hendrix from Hendrixville again! Being from Utah and home of the Great Salt Lake, what do we have a lot of? Salt Water Taffy! So when I saw that there was a line that was called, Salt Air and was full of bright colors, what else could I think of, Salt Water Taffy!
I'm pleased to bring you not just one, but TWO twin-size quilts! Amazing what you can get from a single jelly roll! Enjoy!
*If you want to make either 2 boy quilts or 2 girl quilts, change the color of your sashing fabric. Make sure you have a large variety of all the colors (from the jelly roll and charm pack) in each quilt if you do this. *
1 Jelly Roll – Salt Air by Cosmo Cricket
1 Jelly Roll – Bella White
1 Charm Pack – Salt Air by Cosmo Cricket
2 1/8 yard 37025 21 (dark blue/ocean) – Boy
2 1/8 yard 37025 12 (red/coral) – Girl
5/8 yard 37027 15c (multi-color/summer) – Boy
5/8 yard 37027 15c (multi-color/summer) – Girl
4 1/8 yard 37022 16 (blue) – Boy
4 1/8 yard 37021 11 (pink) – Girl
To start out, take your Salt Air Jelly Roll and separate them into 2 different piles, one for the boy quilt and one for the girl quilt. Each pile will have 20 pieces each.
Then take your charm pack and separate them into 2 piles as well, one for the girl quilt and one for the boy quilt. Each pile will have 21 pieces.
Now from one strip of each jelly roll (Salt Air and Bella White) you will cut it into the following :
4 – 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ 2 – 2 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ 2 – 2 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
You will be using EVERY strip of both jelly rolls. Just make sure that you keep your piles for the boy and girl quilts separate, this will help reduce confusion as you put together your blocks.
Now with your charm pack piles, trim each block down to 4 1/2″ x 4 1/2″. You will have 2 extra charm pieces left.
Now we are going to assemble our blocks! You will be using a 1/4″ seam allowance throughout.
#2 – Sew each column (5 different ones) together. * You can sew together your blocks together in a different way, but I was able to organize and keep track of my blocks better doing it this way, just do what makes you feel more comfortable*
# 3 – Sew together your columns. You will have two sets of 2 and one column left out.
# 4 – Sew the extra column to one set of your columns.
Once you have your rows put together, cut 4 – 3 1/2″ x 57 1/2″ from your sashing fabric (You may need to cut 8 strips and sew together the strips.) Sew your long strips to your rows now.
Now for the final step, cut from your sashing fabric, 2 – 5″ x 57 1/2″ and 2 5″ x 82″ and sew them to your quilt top. (Once again you may need to cut 8 strips and sew together 2 to make your desired length.)
Baste, quilt and bind each quilt as you desire.
Once finished you will have beautiful quilts for a boy and a girl! Each one is approximately 67″x82″.
I would love to see any quilts that you have made using this tutorial or any of my previous ones. Please feel free to email me a picture at nmommy02(at)gmail(dot)com
Crystal Hendrix


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Australia 26-19 South Africa, Rugby Championship
Australia dig deep to edge out South Africa
ESPN Staff
September 8, 2012
Australia's Scott Higginbotham is engulfed after scoring
© Getty Images
Story of the Game
Australia opened their account in this year's Rugby Championship with a battling 26-19 victory over South Africa in Perth.
The under-fire Wallabies, reeling from back-to-back defeats to New Zealand in their opening two games and amid widespread speculation regarding the future of coach Robbie Deans, returned to winning ways thanks to a gutsy second half comeback with replacement Scott Higginbotham and prop Ben Alexander crossing for crucial tries.
The Springboks had looked on course for victory with a try from winger Bryan Habana powering them into a 13-6 half-time lead but the kicking exploits of fly-half Morne Steyn and centre Frans Steyn were not enough to cement their advantage with the home side, inspired by a sensational double-tackle from centre Adam Ashley-Cooper, claiming a much-needed and deserved victory.
South Africa, looking to bounce back to top form themselves having escaped with a surprising draw against Argentina in their last outing, dominated the opening period with a Wallabies side understandably low on confidence lacking precision and guilty of kicking an alarming amount of ball away.
The Boks were quick to punish their rivals' shortcomings with Morne Steyn opening the scoring from the kicking tee after just three minutes. Australia rallied with centre Berrick Barnes notching the first of four penalties midway through the half but they were not on level terms for long.
A mistake at the re-start gifted the Springboks great field position and having driven deep inside the Wallabies' 22, they grabbed the opening try of the game with Habana burrowing over from close range for his 42nd Test try and an amazing fifth in four matches in Perth.
Morne Steyn added the extras before tempers flared between Wallabies lock Nathan Sharpe and his Springboks counterpart Eben Etzebeth. Television replays appeared to show the South African second row attempt to headbutt his Australian rival but the incident was not spotted by referee Nigel Owens. However, it was noted by the citing officer and is currently being reviewed.
Frans Steyn extended South Africa' advantage a few minutes later with a trademark long penalty but Barnes swiftly cancelled that score out with his second successful shot at the posts.
The game then appeared to swing in Australia's favour with South Africa prop Tendai 'Beast' Mtawarira sin-binned for taking out Australia's Kurtley Beale as he attempted to chase a kick but the home side were unable to capitalise on their numerical advantage.
The half-time break appeared to do Australia good with a more assured side taking the attack to South Africa in the second period. Barnes' third penalty reduced the arrears before Higginbotham, fresh off the bench, powered through a couple of poor tackles to touch down under the posts and give his side the lead for the first time.
Barnes' conversion made it 10 unanswered points for the Wallabies but they were soon on the back foot again. A sweeping move from the Boks had their rivals stretched but a moment of magic from Ashley-Cooper snuffed out the danger with the tackle-hungry centre shackling replacement winger Lwazi Mvovo and then forcing Boks skipper Jean de Villiers into touch in one desperate defensive effort.
However, the Boks kept the scoreboard ticking over with Frans Steyn landing his second penalty to level things up before a tit-for-tat exchange between Barnes and Morne Steyn. But the scores were not tied for long with a superb burst of speed from Alexander carrying him away to the corner for his side's second try and Barnes would once again add the extras.
The Wallabies' hopes to a blow with a serious-looking knee injury to scrum-half Will Genia as the game entered the final 10 minutes but his side dug deep to thwart a final onslaught from the Springboks and claim a victory that also sees them retain second spot in the IRB World Rankings.
"We went into the second half and felt that we hadn't played as much as we would have liked to," said Genia, the third Wallabies skipper to succumb to injury this year following James Horwill and David Pocock. "So we came out with a lot more enthusiasm and energy. We have a lot of pride in what we do. We know we're a good side and just happy to get a good win against a quality opposition."
Springbok captain Jean de Villiers was disappointed to see a great chance for victory slip away for his young team. "It was probably one we should have won but credit must go to Australia for coming back when they were down at halftime," he said. We have to learn from this and if we're in that situation again, we can capitalise and get a win.
"We probably made one or two errors and that cost us big time. A much better effort than against Argentina but unfortunately not good enough on the day again."
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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Synthetic marijuana widely used at Naval Academy, some midshipmen say
Monday, February 28, 2011; 12:57 AM
A synthetic form of marijuana is widely used at the U.S. Naval Academy because it cannot be detected in routine drug tests, according to several former midshipmen who have been removed from campus for using or possessing the substance.
Since its introduction at the academy last year, synthetic marijuana has become popular among rank-and-file midshipmen and on the football and wrestling teams, the former midshipmen said. Some isolated corners of the historic Annapolis campus, they said, have become well-known gathering spots for smoking it.
Synthetic marijuana is an herbal potpourri sprayed with chemicals that, when smoked, produces mood-altering effects. It is illegal in at least 12 states, although not in Maryland, and is prohibited in the U.S. military, including at its service academies.
The popularity of synthetic marijuana has spawned a major investigation within the academy that has led to the expulsion of eight midshipmen, including one last week. Several of those caught up in the probe say they expect the number of midshipmen who will be "separated" - the term academy officials use for expulsion - to reach more than a dozen. A substantial number of others have used synthetic marijuana but have not been caught, these former midshipmen say.
Academy leaders acknowledge that the four-month-old investigation into synthetic marijuana use is ongoing and that more expulsions are expected. In some cases, expelled midshipmen are required to repay the government for their education.
"The Naval Academy continues to actively investigate suspected illicit drug use," Vice Adm. Michael H. Miller, superintendent of the academy, said in a statement. The academy "has been and will continue to be transparent in disclosing the results of this ongoing investigation. If and when there is sufficient evidence and testimony of alleged drug use by additional midshipmen, they will be processed for separation."
The descriptions in this story are based on interviews with eight midshipmen, five of whom have left the academy because of the synthetic marijuana scandal and three of whom are still on campus. Two of them said they had never used the substance but knew others who had. All spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to talk candidly about sensitive matters under investigation.
Use spreading in military
The use of synthetic marijuana, which often is called "spice" after a popular brand name, is rising at an alarming rate across the military, commanders say. It cannot be detected in the random urine tests that are a routine part of military life.
Synthetic marijuana is sold in head shops and gas stations. It often is marketed as herbal incense, but at a far higher price than most incenses - typically $20 or $30 for a few grams. Midshipmen who have smoked it describe a "buzz" akin to a high from marijuana.
The Drug Enforcement Administration has banned five compounds found in the product, and Virginia's legislature recently passed a measure to criminalize it. No other state in the Washington area has done so. The bill has not been signed by Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R).
The Navy's Atlantic and Pacific fleets disciplined 113 sailors for use or possession of synthetic marijuana in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. At least 180 sailors have faced allegations of using it since, according to Lt. Alana Garas, a Navy spokeswoman. Synthetic marijuana busts netted 28 sailors at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Fla., and 15 crew members on the aircraft carrier George Washington in 2009 and 16 sailors on the amphibious assault ship Bataan this month.
The Air Force disciplined 260 of its personnel over allegations involving synthetic marijuana in 2010. Five cadets have been separated from the Air Force Academy in Colorado, and about 28 others remain under investigation for spice use, officials said.


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The Best of Maui with The Travel Channel and Jason Latas
The Best of Maui with The Travel Channel and Jason Latas
"Live Like That" - jaywtaylorblog.com
explore your heart's meanderings
Language, Learning, Literature, Leadership, Lyrics, and Living!
A Melbourne-based food and nutrition blog
The Best of
If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you
healthy, easy, simple and tasty recipes for busy people
learning and sharing information on healthy and happy aging
the Story within the Story
Buy a product, help a person in need + see your impact.
Learn Mind. Breathe Action.
the way the word was meant to be....
Health. Fitness. Relationships. Parenting. Career.
Insights from Master of Influence, Mentor, Trainer, and Body Language Expert, Kirk Duncan
Yoga, Meditation, Mindfulness, Spirituality, Divinity
Stuff and things.
My journey to becoming a raw vegan and everything in between!


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They arrive before the sun, traveling from Longmont and beyond to the corner of Champa Street and Park Avenue West. The small man carrying two plastic grocery sacks stuffed with clothes. The adolescent boy wearing a pressed white shirt and perfectly parted hair. The old woman huddling inside a plaid blanket. They lean against storefronts, slouch on the curb, sit on top of suitcases, backpacks and cardboard boxes. And they wait.
For them, and for the hundreds of other men, women and children who come here every day to catch a bus to Mexico, this busy intersection has become a kind of purgatory, a grimy way station where they must bide their time until the next passenger coach rumbles up. Three bus companies operate out of this corner, shuttling passengers back and forth from the border as often as six times a day. Each company has a small waiting room with plastic chairs, TV novelas and whirring fans, but come rush hour, there's not enough room for everyone. The travelers and their families spill over into nearby businesses and residential areas, darting through traffic, crowding sidewalks and pushing this edge of Curtis Park into chaos.
For years now, tensions have been rising and falling with the ebb and flow of traffic. The city has held meetings, discussed solutions and applied band-aids, but every year, as more immigrants arrive in Denver and Curtis Park continues to gentrify, the situation grows a little uglier.
Late last month, the neighborhood celebrated a small victory when the Los Angeles-based Golden State bus lines, which had the heaviest schedule, stopped its operations in Colorado and six other states, laying off 280 employees, including three in Denver. The embattled company, indicted by U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft last December for allegedly smuggling illegal immigrants, had been struggling financially. But the neighbors' cheers were soon drowned out by the sounds of buses from other lines, including Los Paisanos, gearing up to fill the void; still other bus companies are interested in renting Golden State's former terminal on Champa.
The neighbors know it. The bus companies know it. Authorities know it. This intersection is, as one Denver official says, "a collision waiting to happen."
As morning commuters roar by, the man with the plastic bags, the boy with the pressed shirt and the old woman with the blanket file onto a crowded bus, which lurches from the parking lot and disappears into the stream of traffic on Champa. Back on the corner, a rumpled man hawks packages of disposable razors from a backpack, a homeless couple rattles a shopping cart along the sidewalk, and a bus-company employee wearing a black T-shirt sweeps corn cobs and cigarette butts into the gutter. Slowly, another line begins to form.
When John Hayden arrived in Curtis Park eight years ago, he considered the neighborhood one of Denver's best-kept secrets. Just blocks from downtown were rows of elegant Victorian homes, tree-lined streets and endless potential. But Curtis Park also had a blend of culture, history and demographics that he hadn't seen anywhere else in town. As he settled into his first home there, he was pleasantly surprised to discover that neighbors were committed and active, not at all shy about hosting July Fourth barbecues, Valentine's Day parties and spring picnics.
"I just fell in love with it," Hayden recalls. "Everyone knows everyone else. We take care of each other. We're not just neighbors; we're friends."
That's not to say that Curtis Park is perfect, he adds. The neighborhood has seen more than its share of drugs, petty crime, poverty and decay. And although things have improved, getting police, firefighters and code-enforcement officers to respond to complaints can be like pulling teeth. One night in January 2001, Hayden arrived home and found a man in his living room, stealing the original stained-glass windows that he'd planned to use for a renovation project in the Champa Street house. Hayden confronted him, the burglar pulled a knife, and Hayden fled to his yard and dialed 911. The police arrived twenty minutes later.
"Their response was, 'Well, there's a lot of transients in this neighborhood,'" Hayden recalls. "It was like, 'It's your fault for living here.' There were tracks in the snow and everything, but they didn't go after him. They didn't seem to care."
Yet few problems have plagued Curtis Park like the crowded conditions at the bus terminals. The companies began arriving in the early '90s: first Turismos Rapidos (now Americanos USA) at 2147 Broadway, and then El Paso-Los Angeles Limousine Express, at 838 Park Avenue West. But Turismos Rapidos stood on a wedge of land about five blocks from the Victorian homes along Champa, and both companies had parking lots that accommodated the flow of buses and passengers relatively well.
As immigration increased, though, Turismos Rapidos and Limousine Express expanded their schedules, and more bus companies appeared on the scene. In 1996, Golden State moved into a space at 2301 Champa that had once been a drugstore. Of all the bus lines, neighbors say, Golden State was the worst. At its peak, it ran ten buses, from 7 a.m. to 4 a.m., and hauled about 400 people per day. The company didn't have an on-site parking lot; coaches simply wheeled up to a curbside passenger loading zone and loaded and unloaded passengers.
Every day, but particularly on weekends, Golden State's buses roared through the neighborhood, idled outside homes, stole parking from nearby businesses and double-parked on Champa. Passengers, meanwhile, overflowed the narrow plastic benches inside the bus station and moved out onto the sidewalks. They congregated outside shops and left trash everywhere. With the added traffic at Limousine Express and Camionetas Chihuahua, which opened at 2249 Champa in October 1999, the scene grew chaotic.
"It was just really unsafe," recalls Hayden, who lives a block away from the Golden State station. "Huge groups of people were milling around, with no way to separate passengers from their families. Instead of being allowed to use a regular terminal, they were being unloaded on a street corner. I often thought, 'Someone is going to get killed here.'"
Which is exactly what happened.
On July 20, 1998, a studious and deeply religious fourteen-year-old named Alfonso Carrillo Jr. accompanied his mother to the Golden State station to say goodbye to an aunt who'd been visiting from Chihuahua, Mexico. As the bus pulled north onto Park Avenue West, the boy, who'd been waving goodbye, stumbled on the curb and fell beneath the rear wheels. He was killed instantly.
Hayden happened to pass by the intersection after the accident and saw the sheet covering Carrillo's body. After that, he and his neighbors demanded change.
"When a child died, I thought that would galvanize the city into doing something," Hayden says. "If this would have happened in Highlands Ranch, the city would be all over it. But nothing happened. Nothing changed."
Joi Afzal, who owns the Hue-Man Experience bookstore at 911 Park Avenue West, became just as frustrated. Buses have taken her customers' parking spaces, rumbled by her window and filled her shop with noxious fumes. Passengers have lounged on her front steps, trashed the alley, puked on her sidewalk. But no matter how many calls she's placed to the city, the problems have remained. "It's been one big headache," Afzal says.
Melissa Muñoz's family has operated Foto Muñoz, at 2253 Champa, since 1957. Their shop is surrounded by Chihuahua, which stands next door; El Conejo, which opened two doors away at 2255 Champa in 2001; and Limousine Express, which operates across Champa. Although bus passengers occasionally visit her shop for passport photos, their business doesn't make up for the squeeze.
"It's like they moved in and took over everything," she says. "On weekends, it's like little Mexico."
When Bill Muff opened B-Line Snowboards at 2239 Champa this past June, he had no idea the buses created so much congestion. If he'd known, he says, he wouldn't have moved there. Although he and his buddies enjoy sitting outside the shop on weekends, watching the activity and munching on the palateros' banana popsicles, the crowds have become too unruly. Every morning, he picks up the litter on his property. Every night, he watches people congregate outside.
"I've been here at midnight, and they're still out there partying," Muff says. "It scares customers. Not only can't they find parking, but when they come out here and see this, they really don't know what's going on. It kind of creeps them out. There are shady people out here sometimes. It's a real mess."
Eugene Tepper was born in Curtis Park. For eighty years, his family operated a plumbing shop at 2300 Champa. He remembers the drugstore, the market, the laundry, the gas station, the bar, the printing company and the barbershop that have all come and gone. He's seen the intersection grow and change and grow and change again. But the bus lines and the traffic they bring are a "blemish," he says. And once the nearby Stout Square and Park Avenue West apartment buildings are completed, the congestion will be unbearable.
"If you draw a two-mile circle, you've got close to 4,000 units in that area," Tepper says. "And that's all you need is those bus stations in the middle. Can you imagine trying to sell those units with the buses coming and going and the people wandering back and forth? It certainly does not enhance the value of the property. Those buses should be gotten out of there. They've been a very deteriorating factor."
Hayden accepts that the bus companies are providing a necessary service. The nationality of the passengers has nothing to do with his complaints, he says. He prefers to live in a diverse neighborhood. In fact, he feels for the customers who've been dumped onto a crowded street corner without adequate facilities. Still, he says, this many bus companies should not be allowed to operate side by side on the edge of an expanding neighborhood. The city should not allow it.
"The city is not doing the enforcement job it should be doing," Hayden concludes. "They say they don't have enough people, but they seem to have enough people to make sure no one's parking meter goes ten minutes over in LoDo on a Friday night. This is unsafe."
At City Hall, the files are thick with explanations. First, the bus companies are operating in an arcane pocket of Denver zoning -- B-8 -- that aides describe as a "no-man's-land." B-8 was established in 1956, when this edge of downtown was a hodgepodge of homes and businesses such as auto shops. Although over the years, zoning administrators had modified B-8 regulations in neighborhoods such as the Golden Triangle and the area around Coors Field, they had not gotten around to Curtis Park -- because no one had asked them to.
"It's the type of zone that does not take into account incompatible uses next to each other," explains Kent Strapko, the city's zoning administrator. "There's not a lot of controls."
When bus companies asked permission to do business in this neighborhood, city officials essentially opened the zoning books, ran their fingers down the list of acceptable B-8 uses, found "bus stations" and said okay. As long as the companies followed basic regulations, such as property maintenance, they could haul as many passengers to and from Mexico as they wanted. They could even load and unload customers on the sidewalk.
"If the ordinance says you can do it, it's automatically allowed," Strapko says. "There's no negotiating."
But in the late '90s, as neighboring businesses and nearby residents became increasingly vocal in their complaints, the city gathered all sides around a table with a mediator and tried to negotiate.
It wasn't easy. Authorities couldn't simply "down-zone" the area and add more restrictions -- not without a fight. Many of the area's landowners believed that this part of town could become the next LoDo, and they resisted any suggestion that might restrict development.
Not only that, but the bus lines already had permission to operate and had more or less complied with the provisions of the B-8 zoning. Changing the rules after the fact could result in a nasty court battle. "You can't just change the law and make them go away," Strapko says.
Instead, the city tried to crack down by citing a Denver regulation that limited idling to ten minutes, but then the feds stepped in and overruled the city, saying that buses must idle more than ten minutes to operate safely, so a compromise of up to thirty minutes was reached.
Authorities could, however, make sure the bus lines followed noise, litter and traffic laws, which the companies agreed to do. Among other things, Golden State ordered its drivers not to park outside homes or businesses, and it stored coaches overnight at a maintenance lot on 58th Street. Limousine Express, meanwhile, hired security guards to help buses maneuver in and out of traffic, ordered employees to pick up trash, asked the city to empty its dumpster more often during the busy season, and directed customers to park in a nearby paid lot.
In September 2000, officials finally amended the B-8 zoning to require that any new bus companies moving into the area provide parking and passenger loading and unloading on the same lot. But since most of the bus companies were grandfathered in under zoning's original provisions, they were exempt from these changes.
And the newest arrivals on the block, El Conejo and Chihuahua, managed to wriggle their way through the amendment by sharing a single parking lot and knocking down a brick wall behind their terminals to give their coaches more room. Strapko had denied the original permit, saying the configuration would cause traffic problems, but he was overruled by the city's Board of Adjustment.
"Most urban problems are usually solved through give and take," says Denver City Councilwoman Susan Barnes-Gelt, who has wrestled with the issue for years. "With this one, there really is no give and take."
Councilwoman Elbra Wedgeworth, who represents the area, agrees. In hindsight, she says, none of the bus stations should have been allowed to operate at a busy intersection near a residential neighborhood. But once the city has given permission, it's hard for officials to rescind it.
"It's a real catch-22," Wedgeworth says. "We cite them and things are fine, and they try to make improvements, and then it starts all over again. Basically, our hands are tied."
Jose Mendez leans against a wall facing Champa. Beside him, his wife bounces their shirtless seven-month-old son in her arms while their seventeen-month-old daughter fidgets nearby. Mendez is here to say goodbye to his mother, who's been visiting from El Paso. He checks his watch, folds his arms and watches the elderly woman in blue slippers shuffle off to check the departure time.
He and his family picked the worst time to come to this corner: 6 p.m. on a Friday. The sidewalk is packed, almost festive. Paletero bells ding, ding, ding over the grind of rush-hour traffic, vendors hawk bottles of Gatorade and peach nectar from ice chests, norteño music jangles from passing cars, and the muggy air carries the aroma of hot grease from a nearby lonchera.
Mendez comes here about once a month, he says, and it's always the same: crowded, dirty, noisy. The service is bad, the parking is nonexistent, the security is minimal. Sure, the ticket prices are reasonable ($40 one way to El Paso), and the eleven-hour bus ride to the border beats driving himself or forking out a few hundred bucks to fly. He's not happy -- not happy at all -- about his family having to wait outside and breathe in diesel exhaust. But what can he do?
"I have no choice," he says. "This is where the buses are."
Across Park Avenue West, near the El Conejo office, Leticia Flores waits with her husband, two daughters and a niece, who's returning to El Paso. A dozen yards away, outside the Chihuahua bus station, a Ford F-150 jumps the curb and parks on the sidewalk beside a Cherokee, which had done the same thing a few minutes earlier. A family carrying pillows and suitcases piles from the pickup and joins the mob.
It's not right to have so many people so close to a busy street with so many buses pulling in and out of traffic, Flores says. Like Mendez and many other Mexican nationals, she prefers to travel by bus, which usually offers Spanish-language videos and popular music. But whenever she comes to this corner, which is several times a year, she keeps a close watch on her kids. And like Mendez, she can't understand why the city and the bus companies allow passengers and their families to be treated like cattle, particularly in the winter, when they must squeeze into the narrow waiting rooms. She suspects it has something to do with the size of their wallets.
"There's nothing but working people here," she says. "If we were rich, the service would be better, but since we're not upper class, no one cares."
On the other side of Champa, in the packed parking lot of Limousine Express, Leticia Calderon stands in the lonchera line. A departing bus inches through the lot while a security guard waves men, women and children out of the way. The bus lumbers into the middle of Champa and negotiates a jerky K-turn while commuting cars stack up behind it. Suddenly, a burly guy in a sleeveless shirt elbows Leticia out of the way. Hard. Her two pigtailed girls watch wide-eyed as her husband, Louis, flags down a passing police car.
The bully says Leticia cut in front of him, but Louis maintains that "the assault" was unprovoked. The cop calms everyone down and cajoles a tepid apology from the smirking assailant, who then disappears into the crowd. The cop doesn't issue a single citation.
"People are pretty mellow here," he says. "They're either going home or picking up a relative, so they're usually in a good mood. We hardly have any problems here."
The Calderons offer another assessment.
"It's terrible," Leticia says. "I'm mad. People have no respect for each other out here. And the security guard just stands there and doesn't do anything."
"I hate it," Louis agrees. "I mean, just look at this: People all over. Buses turning in and out. People selling burritos from their cars. Is that safe? Now, don't get me wrong: These buses are cheap and convenient, but there's got to be a better way to do this. A two-year-old kid can run right into the street any time and get hit. I'll do whatever I can to change this. And you can quote me. And while you're at it, take a picture of the restroom, too. It's inhumane!"
Petra Vasquez stands beside a fence on the edge of the Limousine lot, nodding in agreement. Her son and his family will guide her through the mass of people and make sure she gets onto the bus safely, but she understands why everyone is complaining.
"I don't like it," she says. "Too many people and too much traffic. It looks terrible. I'm looking forward to going home. It's better in Mexico."
Tony Barrios, local manager of the El Paso-based Limousine Express, sits in his station's waiting room and carefully considers the complaints. He hasn't heard about any problems in quite a while, he says. As far as he knows, he's complying with all of the city's regulations. Still, he admits that the 36-year-old company has probably outgrown Park Avenue West.
"It is a pretty confined area here, and it has gotten pretty hectic at times," Barrios says. "But we are trying to deal with it. We are trying to find an arrangement that works for our neighbors, our employees and our customers."
But those customers must realize that if they want more amenities, such as parking and bigger passenger loading areas, they may have to pay for it. "We provide reasonably priced tickets," Barrios explains. "If they want more services, then the prices might go up."
Raul Ortega, manager of Americanos, says his business, too, has "grown so much that it's hard to handle everybody." In fact, now that Golden State has closed, the schedule is supposed to increase from eight buses per day to ten. To accommodate the extra customers, Americanos will remodel its Broadway station and modify the parking lot to improve traffic flow.
"Complaints?" he says. "We've had nothing. Nothing at all."
At Chihuahua bus lines, Jose Hector Nevarez leans across his broad white counter and shrugs. When he opened, the city gave him a long list of rules, and he's followed them, he says. His employees pick up trash. His buses park in an adjacent lot. His customers wait inside his station or on the adjacent blacktop. "I don't use the street," he says.
Like most of the other companies, Chihuahua started as a mom-and-pop operation. And it set up shop at Champa and Park Avenue West because that's where the other bus lines were. Customers already knew the location; Nevarez was simply following the business.
"I'm just doing the best I can," he says.
Jorge Oliva is a mechanic who runs GOP diesel on 58th Street, where Golden State serviced its fleet. He believes the bus companies are being treated unfairly.
"Sometimes, when the neighbors look at Mexican people, they automatically see a problem," he says. "But these companies are doing their best for their neighbors. The economy is growing. This is a big market. A lot of people ride these buses, and a lot of families work for these companies. They're helping the business here. More people come on these buses every day. It's good for everybody."
Socorro Martinez, who operates the Salon Libertad beauty shop, is one such beneficiary. In the five years her business has been at 2305 Champa, she's had more trouble with homeless people and Curtis Park drug dealers than with bus lines, which bring customers to her shop for a trim, a phone card and a little chitchat. Without the buses, she might have to shut her doors. The closure of Golden State is "awful," she says.
"It's better with them," Martinez adds, above the whine of hair dryers and TV chatter. "They're not my friends, but they don't bother me. People come for a few hours, then they leave. Without them, it would be lonely."
Frank Esparza, an assistant at the Dallas-based El Conejo, says that if neighbors want a solution, he has one. He waddles behind his Champa Street building with his cane, cowboy hat and grizzled chin and points toward two brick duplexes off Park Avenue West.
"Knock 'em down," he says. "Then there will be room for the buses. If people are complaining so much, why don't they get a petition and take it to the city? Have them knock these buildings, and that would fix it. If people have a problem, take it up with the city. They have all the money."
El Conejo is just trying to make a living, he says. It doesn't cause trouble, because it only handles a few buses a day. Esparza doesn't know anything about B-8 zoning or amendments, either. All he knows is that the city gave El Conejo permission to use a curbside passenger-loading zone in front of the station, and that's what it's doing.
"Hey. We're trying to clean up our act," Esparza says. "But you know what? No one is happy. That's the bottom line. No matter what you do, there are going to be complaints. Things could be better, sure. But things could be worse, too. Come on. Look on the bright side."
Curtis Park neighbors are trying to do just that. On August 29, Golden State, which had served 1.5 million passengers across the country each year, shut down after financial reorganization failed to return it to profitability. It had lost its leases in Tucson, El Paso and other key markets; rising insurance costs also squeezed the company hard. The 39-count indictment against Golden State for allegedly smuggling thousands of illegal immigrants did not influence the decision, according to Wade Gates, a company spokesman in Los Angeles.
"There was just a lack of working capital to fulfill all of our obligations," Gates says. "The company has pleaded not guilty with regard to the matter, and no trial date has been set. Other than that, I can't comment."
Although neighbors finger Golden State as the worst of the companies, Gates says they hadn't received any complaints regarding its Denver operations in quite a while. "We did meet with local officials and business owners and did make several changes to improve conditions and relationships with neighbors," he says, "but we have not heard of any issues since that time."
And anyway, Curtis Park doesn't have Golden State to worry about any longer. "We had leased that space, and we closed all operations," Gates says. "We no longer operate."
Joi Afzal welcomed the company's demise. "We might not see immediate change, but eventually it will help," she says. "And I look forward to it."
"The worst offender is gone," Hayden concurs. "But we're taking a wait-and-see attitude on how the other stations proceed and whether it's going to be safer now."
Which could be wise, because competing companies are already interested in taking Golden State's place. Chuck Capehart, Golden State's former landlord, says there's "a good possibility" another bus line will slide into 2301 Champa. If city officials and Curtis Park neighbors are upset about that, Capehart doesn't know why. The problems that existed with Golden State were solved years ago, he says.
"No one's approached me about problems," Capehart says. "And I'd hear about it, don't you think? If I go to the grievance department right now, do you know how many complaints they'd show me? None. But let me tell you something. We could walk up and down this street for two days, and I could show you complaint after complaint that needs to be fixed. You're going to have complaints. That's just the way it is. But if the city says I can't put them here, then have them find me another place."
Which, as it turns out, is just what the city is trying to do.
Late last month, city officials embarked on another round of meetings to solve the Curtis Park bus situation. They talked about possible places to move the terminals, including the RTD lot at Alameda and Santa Fe, and discussed incentives to make the companies do it, such as economic-development funding. But discussions are very preliminary.
"I really feel it's our responsibility to do something, not just on behalf of the neighborhood, but for the people who are using a service that right now is not safe," Wedgeworth says. "We have to be culturally sensitive to what's happening here. We're a changing community. We recognize that. We want to involve everyone in this process. We need to find a win-win for everyone."
The simplest solution, city officials say, would be to move the bus companies to the Greyhound/Trailways station at 1055 19th Street, where passengers could enjoy air-conditioning, a gift shop, a diner, 25-cent TVs, enclosed loading areas and a rooftop parking lot. Through a subsidiary, Sistema Internacional de Transporte de Autobuses, Inc., Greyhound owns stock in Americanos and the defunct Golden State; Greyhound executives attended the 2000 meetings on the problems at Champa and Park Avenue West. But the company has no plans to invite Limousine Express, Chihuahua, El Conejo or even Americanos to join it at 19th Street.
"In our current terminal, we simply don't have space to accommodate other carriers," says Jamille Bradfield, a Greyhound spokeswoman in Dallas. "To our knowledge, we have not received inquiries from them."
As for Golden State's demise, Bradfield says that was a separate company with its own management team and its own board of directors, and "it was Golden State's decision to make."
"This is in no way an indication that Greyhound is in trouble," Bradfield continues. "While business is down, the company is healthy and in no danger of going out of business."
In fact, Bradfield says, Greyhound is looking forward to relocating to Denver's proposed transportation hub at Union Station -- which city officials suggest could ultimately offer the best solution for Curtis Park, as well. In theory, the intermodal hub will be home not only to Amtrak, RTD buses, light rail, Greyhound, the Ski Train, shuttle vans, limousines, taxis and bikes, but also to shops and offices. Yet squeezing all that onto a 19.5-acre site won't be easy. And project completion is six years away, at least.
Suzanne Oldham, Union Station Alliance project manager, says the alliance is dealing with the largest chunks of the puzzle first, such as Amtrak, RTD, the mall shuttle and Greyhound. Once those are hashed out, they'll move to smaller components, such as additional bus lines. "We feel there is probably the ability to provide access for all of the transportation lines on the site," she says, "but we have not evaluated how they fit into specific plans yet."
"There's a lot that needs to go onto that site," echoes Shannon Gifford, advisory committee co-chair. "This really and truly is just beginning."
But even if the Union Station plan could accommodate more bus companies, those companies would have to want to make the move. Right now, they're operating without too many city regulations. If they move to the transportation hub, rules would be tougher. And rents could be much higher than what they're paying now.
"Maybe people want a big station, but a big station costs money," says Chihuahua's Hector Nevarez. "Unless everyone goes, I don't think anyone will go. People already know this place. Why should they move?"
Tony Barrios, however, doesn't rule out a move to Union Station -- if the price were right and it benefited passengers. "I don't object to that," he says. "Maybe it's time for us to leave. That's something we might like to do in the future."
If all other options fail, Barnes-Gelt says, Denver officials may just have to bite the bullet, down-zone the intersection at Champa and Park Avenue West, and boot out the bus companies on public-safety grounds.
"When the city invokes the powers of public health, safety and welfare, the courts usually agree," she says. "We have the public-safety authority. The issue isn't authority. The issue is backbone."
A gray sedan peels out from a parking meter across from Limousine Express, shoots across two traffic lanes, then speeds through the intersection. A big guy with a beer gut watches the light change, then jaywalks across Park Avenue West, cursing at the honking motorists as he does. On the curb, a wrinkled man with scuffed cowboy boots sits on a green backpack and groans through a loud yawn.
Hayden and his neighbors are pleased that the city is examining the bus-station situation again. This fall, members of Curtis Park Neighbors plan to work with Denver officials to review the B-8 zone. And in the meantime, Hayden says, they also intend to pressure Capehart into changing his mind about leasing 2301 Champa to any other bus company.
"We would be very disappointed and very upset if that were to happen," Hayden says. "We still think these buses create a safety hazard and that this is the wrong place for them. We've been working on this a very long time, and we'd like to see results. If he puts another one in there, he's going to have a fight on his hands."
He has bills to pay, Capehart says. If he agrees to not rent to a bus company, will neighbors and businesses help make his payments?
"Look," he says. "I'm not trying to cause problems for people. I'm just trying to look out for my investments, especially in this time when everything is down. If the city has something in writing about all the bus stations leaving at once, then I'd be more than happy to close the whole place up and run my people out of here. But if they get someplace that raises the rent to five grand, it ain't going to work. It's got to be somewhere they can afford."
Alfonso Carrillo Sr. hopes the city can strike a deal. He still comes to this corner when family visits from Mexico. But four years after the death of their son, he and his wife, Maria Elena, cannot easily speak about the intersection.
"It is dangerous," Maria Elena says through a whisper. "Very dangerous."
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"My heart beats very fast when I see the children there," Alfonso says. "There are too many buses and too many people and too much traffic. Everything is all mingled together. I'm afraid something else will happen there, and that will be real sad."
Instead of pointing fingers, the Carrillos think the city and the bus companies should see this as a chance to improve conditions and attract more customers.
"Immigration is not going to stop," Alfonso says. "It's only going to increase. There is an opportunity now to make things right. In Mexico, everything is separate between the buses and the people. It is like a DIA for the buses. It is time for the authorities to follow other countries."
But until that happens, this corner of the city continues on its collision course. A Limousine Express bus rumbles forward at the same time as the Chihuahua bus, inspiring a chorus of horn blasts. A boy and his father come out of a parking lot and approach the curb alongside Champa. They gauge traffic a moment, then dart into the street.


text: Joshua Alston asks in Newsweek if the inclusion of Isis in this cycle of America's Next Top Model will promote more acceptance and understanding of transgender people. I share Alston's hope that it can — although I wouldn't point to a little on-camera, male-titillating faux-lesbian action as an example that panic over transgender people is diminishing. As Mediaweek reports today, reality TV is filled more and more often with contestants for whom sexuality and/or gender is neither an issue nor a plot point, which is a great step forward. But I sadly doubt that Isis' appearance on ANTM (or Laverne on I Want To Work For Diddy) will usher in a new age of transgender acceptance — certainly if Fox News and its anti-transgender biases are anything to go by..I am not sure that what limited social acceptance the homosexual community has gotten from positive media portrayals — assuming that those portrayals were not a result of a growing acceptance homosexuality in the first place — can be translated into transgender acceptance because I don't think that the philosophy that guides even a basic level of tolerance among conservatives can itself be translated. Partly, I think this is because a significant level of conservative "acceptance" of homosexuals is rooted in the "love the sinner, hate the sin" philosophy. Transgender people, to many, are the actual embodiment of that "sin." Also, I think that the root of a great deal of homophobia that the gay community has had to fight lies in a complete inability on the part of homophobes to not think about the sex that other people are having. But, for the transgender community, it seems that intolerant people don't just obsess over what they're doing with their private parts, they obsess over what they look like. Just ask porn star Buck Angel, who takes shit from both breeders and gays for his genitals. Or Michelle Bruce, who was the mayor of Riverdale, Georgia and faced a lawsuit to disclose her "true" sex. (She won that lawsuit, but not before she lost her bid for reelection). Transgender intolerance comes from some of the same intolerant places as homophobia, but it also draws from people's understanding/ignorance of gender and identity, which makes it much tougher to fight. In addition, while people in America are slowly coming around to the belief that gay men and women deserve the same rights as their hetero sisters and brothers, the same cannot be said for transgender people — even within the gay rights community. When the House was looking at passing a bill last year to eliminate workplace discrimination against homosexuals — a bill, notably, that stood almost no chance of passing the Senate and less of avoiding a veto — Democratic Congressional leaders opted to remove provisions related to discrimination against transgender people. Worse yet, groups like the Human Rights Campaign signed off on it, saying that they'd totally help transgender people get their rights... but later. So, maybe a beautiful young transgender woman like Isis will be able to push the acceptance-ball slightly forward for others — I certainly hope she can. But would I stake anyone's rights on that? No. People shouldn't have to wait for the larger society to accept their sexual identities to achieve the equal rights guaranteed by our Constitution and the freedom from discrimination promised by our (supposed) political philosophy. I think we could try providing all Americans with the rights they ought to be entitled to and simply enjoy Isis' time on ANTM for the great reality TV turn that it is. The New Transgender Reality [Newsweek] Isis [ANTM] Gay Talent on Nonscripted TV Continues to Rise [Media Week] For Some, Fox Apology Not Enough [glaadBLOG] Being a Woman in Politics Is an Unfair… Advantage? [Wonkette] Good News, Crap News [Wonkette] Pelosi/ HRC ENDA 'Bargain' - The Inside Story [Gay City News]


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Burn Off Those Holiday Splurges
Go Ahead, Enjoy Your Holiday Treats
Pecan pie. Eggnog. Aunt Norma's famous sweet potatoes. Candy canes. Holiday "sugar plums" can undo us. Still, what's merriment without a bit of sweet indulgence? Splurge a little—then follow our easy tips for burning off those extra calories.*
* Note: The calories burned are estimates based on a 150-pound woman. What you burn depends on your height, weight, and how vigorously you work out.
Andy Lyons
A Slice of Pecan Pie (500 calories)
"Oh the pie! Pecan, pumpkin, apple, pecan, chocolate, pecan. Did I say that already?" asks Krista Maurer, a writer, photographer, and designer in Bountiful, Utah. "I could eat an entire pecan pie by myself."
Burn It Off This Way: Shoveling Snow
Pie-loving Maurer, who has recently lost 35 pounds, undoes her pecan pie calories by shoveling her driveway for at least an hour. "It's a hefty workout, especially when we get a wet snow," she says.
"Eighty minutes of show shoveling will burn off that slice," says fitness trainer and wellness consultant Luci Gabel, owner of Luci Gabel Fitness in Washington, D.C. "Snow shoveling works the lateral and low back muscles, abs, shoulders, biceps, and triceps, and the legs a little—depending on how low you lunge to get the snow."
Reed Davis
A Serving of Sweet Potatoes (200 calories)
Lauren O'Connor's husband undoes her willpower with his holiday cooking. Her favorite dish? "Bourbon sweet potatoes," says the Los Angeles dietitian and mother of two.
Alexa Miller
Burn It Off This Way: A Holiday Hike
O'Connor takes her holiday dinner guests on at least a 45-minute walk that includes a hill and a grueling 150-step staircase. The walk alone burns 250 calories, five minutes of climbing stairs about 50 calories—and, presto, those sweet holiday taters never happened.
Lucy Schaeffer
A Serving of Stuffing (105 calories)
For Martha Price, a human resource/accounting manager of a consulting firm in Stoneham, Massachusetts, holiday turkey is just an excuse to eat stuffing.
Alloy Photography/ Veer
Burn It Off This Way: Step or Wrap
Price escapes the punitive side of stuffing by adding 30 minutes to her stair-stepping routine at the gym. Thirty minutes burns 223 calories. Another option: Wrap presents for one hour and burn 120 calories, says personal trainer and fitness instructor Natalie Digate Muth, M.D., a spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise (ACE).
Three Potato Latkes (400 calories)
Oh, the crisp brown edges, the glistening butter—potato latkes are the savory favorites of Steve Silberberg, owner of Fitpacking.com, a backpacking company in Hull, Massachusetts.
Alexa Miller
Burn It Off This Way: Winter Sports
Silberberg, a former ACE aerobics instructor and a wilderness first responder, recommends 45 minutes of snowshoeing or an hour of moderate downhill skiing to burn off those latkes.
Scott Little
A Cup of Eggnog (400 calories)
This holiday favorite, rich in cream, eggs, and alcohol, carries a high-calorie punch.
Burn It Off This Way: Ice-Skating
Make time for exercise and you don't have to feel guilty about holiday treats, says Amber Wilson, M.S., R.D., a nutrition counselor in South Lake Tahoe, California. To burn off the eggnog, she suggests ice-skating. Ninety minutes will work the thigh and calf muscles while burning 589 calories, she says.
Andy Lyons
Honey-Roasted Ham (3.5 ounces, 122 calories)
Forget the turkey. Kelsey Bollinger, a marketing specialist in San Diego, likes to indulge in ham at the holidays. (Okay—she really likes turkey too.)
Alexa Miller
Burn It Off This Way: Jogging
Bollinger works the piggy off by taking an hourlong early morning run on Thanksgiving or Christmas day. Jogging for an hour will burn about 584 calories.
Adam Albright
Candy Cane (60 calories)
Don't worry about that candy cane you just ate. It's one of the slighter holiday sins, says Jennifer Haas, M.S., R.D., who works for Nova Medical Group in Ashburn, Virginia.
Veer Images
Burn It Off This Way: Biking
A runner and cyclist, Haas suggests hopping on a bike (indoors or out, depending on your climate) for 10 minutes to say adios to that sweet treat.
Jason Donnelly
A Cup of Hot Chocolate (150 calories)
Who doesn't want a 15-minute hot chocolate break from holiday shopping?
Burn It Off This Way: Play Ball!
"Have a vigorous snowball fight for 20 minutes straight," suggests personal trainer Jennifer Didonato, owner of Made Fit in Detroit. Or build a snowman for a half-hour.
Blaine Moats
Cranberry Sauce (one-fourth cup 100 calories)
Hoang Uyen X. Nguyen, Eagan, Minnesota, is Vietnamese, so at Thanksgiving and Christmas, her family digs into turkey and cellophane noodle stuffing, cranberry sauce, and egg rolls. "To me, the holidays mean family and feasting," she says.
Alexa Miller
Burn It Off This Way: Snow Angels
Nguyen's plan: "I just keep moving...like the Energizer bunny." For fun and calorie burning, she goes ice-skating (a 30-minute skate burns 160 calories) or plays in the snow—something there's no shortage of in Minnesota!
Two Sugar Cookies (200 calories)
"My favorite holiday food: sugar cookies, hands down," says Claire Tindall, a public relations manager in Denver.
Alexa Miller
Burn It Off This Way: A Walk in the Snow
Tindall brushes the sugar off her lips and heads for the snowy Boulder hills, hiking for two to three hours with her husband and dog. Hiking for two hours burns a colossal 810 calories. So Tindall can pack a few more cookies to munch en route.
One-Half Cup Broccoli Casserole (130 calories)
That's what Erica Maniscalco, a freelance make-up artist, beauty editor, and art director in Bellmore, New York, loves along with the cauliflower au gratin and the sweet potato pie. "I come from an Italian-American family, and the holidays are just a pig fest," she says.
Fancy Photography/ Veer
Burn It Off This Way: Cardio
Maniscalco tosses those extra calories by mixing up hourlong cardio workouts: 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer (335 calories gone), say, followed by 30 minutes on the stationary bike (260 calories, vanished).
Peter Krumhardt
One Slice of Pumpkin Pie (250 calories)
After all, pumpkin is a vegetable, right?
Burn It Off This Way: Go Shopping
Not feeling athletic after that pie? Not to worry, says American Council on Exercise spokesperson Muth. Just by window shopping for two hours, you'll burn about 260 calories—and your wallet will be slimmer too.


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Annual Report to Congress FY 2004
|MS Word (417 KB)
Putting Reading First
In No Child Left Behind , the president and Congress set a goal that all children will read on grade level by the third grade. The Department has determined that, to reach this goal, reading instruction must be based on sound scientific research. Research shows that reading difficulties and behavior problems are among the most common reasons for referring students for special education. Pre-referral interventions focusing on reading problems have been demonstrated to reduce the number of children who are placed in special education programs.
|"We will no longer accept or excuse schools that do not effectively
teach the basics. We will insist on high standards and accountability because
we believe that every school should teach and every child can learn."
President George W. Bush
OCR's experience, including previous investigations, and survey data have shown that minority and limited English proficient students in particular may be misidentified in certain special education categories. Students inappropriately identified and then placed in special education programs often do not receive the same curriculum content as regular education students and may face barriers in their later efforts to obtain a regular high school diploma, pursue postsecondary education, or prepare for employment.
In April 2003, OCR launched a nationwide initiative to conduct compliance reviews in school districts around the country on the issue of the misidentification of minority students in special education. The initiative also focused on ensuring that national origin minority students are not referred for evaluation or placed in special education programs based on their limited English proficiency.
Therefore, OCR emphasized the importance of implementing high quality research-based reading programs to reduce the number of students who are misidentified and inappropriately placed in special education. Through its investigative outreach and technical assistance activities, OCR helps ensure that all children have equal access to high quality education.
Additional reviews on these issues were initiated in FY 2004. The reviews focus on school districts' possible misidentification of minority students and ELL students as disabled and whether their placement in special education programs is appropriate.
For example, in some of our reviews resolved in FY 2004, school districts were found in noncompliance with applicable requirements of the Section 504 and Title II implementing regulations with respect to pre-referral interventions, evaluation, and placement in the least restrictive environment.
In a resolution agreement, the district agreed to provide staff training and resource support for interventions, implement a system of record-keeping, and actively monitor the intervention process in the schools. It further agreed to develop guidelines, monitor and provide training in the areas of referral, evaluation, and eligibility determination. The district agreed to review the placements of all students currently identified as Educable Mentally Handicapped (EMH) and Emotionally Handicapped (EH), reevaluate if appropriate, and exit with transition services those students who do not meet eligibility criteria. The district also agreed to develop guidelines regarding least restrictive environment and relevant placement criteria and to assess the variations among the district's schools. It will review placements of all EMH and EH students currently in separate special education classes for more than 50 percent of the instructional day and, where appropriate, initiate changes in placement.
During FY 2004, OCR also provided technical assistance to state departments
of education and local school districts on reducing referrals to special education
by implementing research-based reading programs. For example, OCR met with
representatives of the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE), the New
York University Equity Assistance Center, and the Northeast Regional Resource
Center to provide technical assistance on misidentification of minority students
to five school districts identified by NJDOE.


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