text:
VAH Financial Result for Half Year Ended 31 December 201123/02/2012
Financial Highlights
- Statutory Net Profit After Tax of $51.8 million, a 118% improvement
- Underlying Net Profit Before Tax' of $96.1 million, a 34% improvement, despite continuing high fuel prices
- Total Revenue increased 18% to $2.0 billion
- Strong yield growth in domestic business of 13.7%, with 11.5% growth across the Group
- Significant improvement in liquidity, with $506 million of unrestricted cash, and $851 million total cash balance
- International network EBIT of $35 million, a 39% improvement
- Maintained tight control on costs, with underlying CASK2 growth (excl. fuel) of 4.7%
Operational Highlights
Key drivers in place for future revenue growth:
- Game Change Program milestones achieved ahead of schedule, delivering results earlier than expected
- 121% increase in high-yield fares, driven by improvements in fare class structure, network and product offering
- Comprehensive international network established ahead of schedule
- ATR regional operations launched with higher than expected seat factors and yields
- Growth in corporate and government revenues of 81%
- Proposed new structure to achieve ongoing compliance with ANA and enable future growth
- Sabre IT system to be implemented in Q4 calendar year 2012
Virgin Australia group of airlines (Virgin Australia Holdings Limited (ASX: VAH) and its controlled entities) today reported a statutory Net Profit After Tax of $51.8 million, an improvement of 118% on the prior corresponding period. The company reported an underlying Net Profit Before Tax1 of $96.1 million, which is a 34.4% improvement.
Virgin Australia group of airlines Chief Executive Officer John Borghetti said: "Today's financial results demonstrate that our strategy to reposition the business is having a material impact on the company's financial position ahead of schedule.
"We have made significant progress in diversifying our revenue sources, with an 81% increase in corporate and government revenue, an increase of more than 100% in interline and codeshare revenue on our domestic network and with strong performance from our recently launched regional turboprop operations. Furthermore, with the changes to our fare structures in May 2011 and the improvement of our network and product offering, we have achieved strong yield growth of 13.7% in the domestic business and 11.5% growth across the Group.
"While we have continued to see high fuel prices and an uncertain economic environment, the Game Change Program strategy has helped us to improve earnings stability and achieve growth during this half.
"Key to this success has been the ability of our team to embrace and drive the program of change and innovation. Their commitment to becoming the airline of choice in Australia is evident in increasing customer satisfaction levels.
"I would like to thank our people for the important role they continue to play in changing the competitive landscape in Australian air travel, bringing superior service and true competition to all sectors of the domestic market", Mr Borghetti said.
Financial and Operating Performance
"Over the past six months, the business has been focused on diversifying the revenue base and driving yield growth in order to build a more stable financial future.
"We have made significant progress in this area particularly in the high-yield corporate and government market. This important segment now makes up close to 17% of our total revenue, up from 13% in the 2011 Financial Year. The airline also secured 35 new accounts during this period and maintained every one of our previous accounts, the vast majority of which were renewed with increased spend. This produced corporate and government revenue growth of 81% on the prior corresponding period.
"We continue to see yield improvement following the restructure of our fares in May 2011 and the enhancement of our product and network, with high-yield fare revenue increasing by 121%, due in large part to the popular take-up of the new Flexi Fares.
"Furthermore, during the first six months of operating our Airbus A330 "Coast To Coast" service between Sydney and Perth, we carried triple the number of Business Class guests compared to sales of Premium Economy in the prior corresponding period. Following the implementation of Business Class across our domestic network on January 18 2012, early indications are very positive and we will provide an update on our progress at the Full Year results.
"Key to our ability to produce higher margins has been our commitment to maintaining a tight control on costs. Even with our investment in product and brand enhancements (including establishment costs), we have contained costs, with underlying CASK growth (excluding fuel) of 4.7% for the half. Consequently we saw a 10% improvement in underlying operating margins during the half.
"We also introduced a new tiered hedging policy which provides us certainty in the short term and enables us to manage medium term risk, which has helped us to manage in the continuing high fuel cost environment.
"In line with previously stated guidance of 4 – 6% domestic capacity growth for the first half of Financial Year 2012, we have maintained capacity growth across our domestic network of 5.3%. We have focused capacity increases on high-yield routes such as the Sydney-Melbourne-Brisbane triangle, the trans-continental routes between Perth and the East Coast and key regional centres in Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales. Mr Borghetti said the airline would continue to maximise flexibility in capacity management.
"On Time Performance is also a strong focus for our team and we are pleased that the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) figures show that, at 82.8%, we have achieved the best on time performance among the major carriers for the first half of Financial Year 2012.
While our January performance was affected by a number of factors, including the introduction of our new Business Class catering, we are now back on track in February and we remain committed to maintaining the industry-leading position over the long term", Mr Borghetti said.
Capital Management
"While we have made significant progress in repositioning the business, we have also been focused on cash generation and building up our cash reserves.
"The Group has harnessed strong operating cashflows to achieve a very solid cash position this half, with a total cash balance of $851 million and an unrestricted cash balance of $506 million, a significant improvement since the end of the 2011 Financial Year.
"We are focussed on maintaining a strong unrestricted cash balance into the future while improving our balance sheet efficiency.
"In light of the uncertain economic environment and the need to support our current and future strategic initiatives, we will not declare an interim dividend. We will continue to review our dividend policy having regard to the ongoing cash requirements of the company", Mr Borghetti said.
Network, Fleet and Alliances
"The company is continuing to benefit from the roll out of our network and alliance strategy.
"Internationally, our Abu Dhabi service continues to develop well in line with expectations as awareness grows of its seamless onwards connections to Europe with alliance partner Etihad Airways.
"The Air New Zealand alliance was launched in July 2011 and has driven strong growth in passenger numbers on our trans-Tasman services, despite a challenging environment. We expect to see further growth in response to our newly aligned schedule and the operation of the first trans-Tasman aircraft in Virgin Australia livery next month.
"Our operations to the United States have been enhanced by the launch of our alliance with Delta Air Lines in late 2011. The joint venture has allowed us to offer three trans-Pacific services per day, improve our connection times and expand our network with access to 250 destinations across North America. We are also now able to leverage Delta's distribution strength in the United States to draw passengers onto our international and domestic services.
"We received final regulatory approval for the Singapore Airlines alliance in December, and moved quickly to launch frequent flyer program cooperation and announce new international and domestic services to Darwin. Singapore Airlines began codesharing on our domestic services this month and we look forward to launching codeshare on their international services across Asia and beyond in the next few months.
"Our Boeing 737 services to the Pacific Islands and South East Asia are also performing well. We have added further frequencies on these routes, including extra services to Indonesia and Vanuatu.
"We will continue to forge niche alliances to cover other key international leisure and business destinations. In October we began codesharing with Hawaiian Airlines to Hawaii and next month we will begin codesharing with Virgin Atlantic to Hong Kong, extending our international network to cover 19 out of the 20 most popular international destinations from Australia.
"Furthermore, our expanded global network has enabled us to significantly grow our share of international traffic connecting onto our short-haul international and domestic network, with interline and codeshare traffic up more than 100% compared to the prior corresponding period.
"Domestically, we have focussed on shifting capacity to strategically important corporate and leisure routes where there has been strong demand and strong yields. For example, Adelaide and Darwin are both strong performing markets where we have recently announced capacity increases.
"Our new ATR 72 turboprop aircraft have enabled us to grow our regional network, with the launch of new services to Emerald, Gladstone and Port Macquarie. These services have been very popular and are already among our best performing regional routes. There are currently four ATR aircraft operating on our network and the fleet will grow to 12 by the end of the 2013 financial year. This will enable us to build frequencies on existing markets and to continue to expand our regional footprint through the launch of new routes.
"We recently received interim approval from the ACCC to expand our alliance with regional airline Skywest. This alliance will allow us to offer an integrated schedule and charter operation in response to growing demand from the resource industry", Mr Borghetti said.
People, Product and Brand
"Over the past six months we have made significant progress on our goal to create a seamless, first-rate experience for Guests, both in the air and on the ground.
"Key to this progress is our people, and we have invested significantly over the half in staff training, as well as growing our frontline workforce. For example, over the past 12 months, over 1,800 of our Cabin Crew have completed an intensive "Elevate" development program, designed to take our service levels to even greater heights in line with the new brand and Business Class offering.
"We maintained our commitment to building jobs in Australia, creating around 500 new roles in areas such as Cabin and Technical Crew, Ground Operations and Engineering, to support our growing operations. Over 66% of our airframe maintenance is performed here in Australia and, across our entire fleet for Financial Year 2012, half of our heavy maintenance will be performed here in Australia. We will also be growing our maintenance work here, with our first new wide-body aircraft hangar to be built at Sydney Airport by mid 2014. This facility is expected to generate more than 300 jobs.
"By the end of this Financial Year, we will have selected our first group of cadets for our new Pilot Cadet Program, helping develop the next generation of Australian pilots.
"We believe that our people are our greatest asset and they are a key driver of our customer satisfaction. Guests continually tell us that it is our people and the pride they take in delivering excellent service that differentiates Virgin Australia in the market.
"On January 18, 2012 we commenced our Business Class offering across our Boeing 737-800 fleet and the feedback from Guests on these services has been excellent. These positive indications, along with the fact that forward bookings are tracking ahead of our expectations, demonstrate the market is readily embracing our move to bring competition back to the domestic business class market for the first time in a decade.
"Today we have announced a new Business Class product for our Embraer 190 services, in a 2-1 configuration. This will provide premium Guests with space and privacy on services to important business destinations such as between Canberra and Sydney.
"We're also very pleased to announce today that from April, Business Class Guests on-board our Boeing 737 and Embraer fleets will experience a new era of inflight entertainment with our offering of Samsung Galaxy tablets loaded with television shows, movies and audio.
"Virgin Australia will be introducing a state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment system on our Boeing 737 aircraft that uses Wi-Fi technology to deliver content to Guests' own hand-held devices by the end of 2012.
"On the ground, we continue to roll out our new lounges to locations across the country. We recently launched a new lounge in the growing regional hub Mackay and will soon be launching a lounge in the Gold Coast and one in Darwin next year, as well as enhancing our lounges in Sydney, Adelaide and Perth.
"To improve the experience of Guests at Sydney and Melbourne domestic airports, we will be expanding and refreshing terminals over the next 18 months, including building additional aerobridges at both airports for our wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft.
"We have also announced today that from next month, Guests at Brisbane Domestic Airport can be greeted kerbside at our new dedicated Premium Valet car park and check in for their flight at a dedicated desk. This will soon be followed by a dedicated Premium Valet car park at Melbourne Domestic Airport, later this year. The next major milestone will be the refit of our international long-haul Boeing 777 aircraft with new designer interiors, the first of which will be completed before the end of Financial Year 2012.
"Finally, over the last half, we have seen impressive growth in our Velocity Frequent Flyer program, following its relaunch last August. Membership is now close to 3 million, up from 2.5 million at the end of June 2011, which is an average of 1,700 new members signing up each day. Our recent status match program was very successful, with many thousands of new members now regularly flying with us as a result of the promotion.
"We will continue our strategy to create strong partnerships that add value for our Members, adding important partners such as Singapore Airlines, Westfield Online, Foxtel, Lumo Energy and Secure Sentinel over the half.
"Going forward, the Velocity Frequent Flyer program will continue to be an important focus of the business as it is a key driver of future earnings", Mr Borghetti said.
Future Growth Enablers
1. New Structure for International Business
"Over the past 12 months, our foreign ownership levels have been sitting close to the 49% cap and therefore we have been exploring options to ensure we do not breach this.
"Today we have announced a new proposal that will allow us to achieve ongoing compliance with the Air Navigation Act (ANA), while also greatly improving the growth prospects of our airline and the value of the business for our shareholders.
"It involves creating a new unlisted entity Virgin Australia International Holdings Pty Ltd (VAIH) which will hold VAH's international airlines, facilitating overseas institutional investment in the domestic business", Mr Borghetti said.
2. New Reservation System
"Many of the Game Change Program initiatives completed so far have been centred around repositioning the business to ensure it is on the right course. Now that these foundations have been laid, our key strategic focus is on enabling the growth of the business.
"The new Sabre IT reservation system will act as one of the key enablers. In order to drive growth, we need to enhance our ability to provide seamless domestic and international travel experiences for our Guests across our global network and enhance our global distribution capability.
"This Program will bring that capability to our business: by enabling us to integrate the airlines with one system and one designator code, improve customer recognition and experience, provide integrated seamless travel with our alliance partners and access a more efficient industry standard Global Distribution System (GDS) process. Sabre will facilitate enhanced interactions with Travel Management Companies and travel agencies worldwide.
"We aim to commence implementation of the Sabre systems across our business in the final quarter of the current calendar year", Mr Borghetti said.
"Virgin Australia has delivered a strong underlying result for the first half of the year. We expect an improvement in underlying performance for the full year in comparison with Financial Year 2011.
"The consistent yield improvement we have seen year-to-date, has continued into January. However we are unable to provide specific guidance at this stage, due to the uncertain economic environment", Mr Borghetti said.
Financial and Operating Performance Summary
The summary financial results for the six months ended 31 December 2011 are as follows:
Period ended 31 Dec
2011 ($ million)
2010 ($ million)
% movement
Total Revenue
Statutory net profit after tax
Operating Statistics
% movement
Available Seat Kilometres
Revenue Passenger Kilometre
Passenger Load Factor %
0.7 pts
Operating Performance Group
Total revenue increased 18% to $2,006.4 million. Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPKs) were 16.0 billion, up 6.2% on the prior period comparative. The passenger load factor increased marginally 0.7pts to 81.0%.
Yield growth of 11.5% on the prior comparative period along with consistent performance over the entire half, attributable to benefits associated with Game Change Program strategic repositioning.
Underlying CASK9 growth of 4.7% but includes the product costs of repositioning (including significant product enhancements) which have delivered higher revenue yields.
Underlying Net Profit Before Tax8 for the Group of $96.1 million, representing a 34.4% increase on the prior comparative period result. Statutory Net profit after tax for the Group was $51.8 million, being a 117.6% increase on year to date 31 December 2010. This improved result has been delivered in a continuing high fuel cost operating environment.
This statutory net profit after tax result includes significant items of $10.5 million relating to the write-down of assets (including Navitaire) associated with the strategic repositioning of the business and asset write downs and loss on sale of $9.3 million.
Underlying EBIT7 for the Domestic business was $92.4 million, an increase of $21.0 million on $71.4 million EBIT in the prior comparative period despite higher unit fuel costs.
This performance was driven by strong consistent revenue growth associated with product launches associated with the Group's strategic repositioning, with domestic yield growing 13.7% on the prior comparative period.
Underlying EBIT7 for the International business was a profit of $35.1 million, an increase of $9.8 million on a $25.3 million profit for the prior year comparative period. This performance reflects the benefits of network restructure undertaken along with virtual international network benefits being derived.
Balance Sheet and Cash Flow
The Group has strengthened its cash position, posting a closing cash position of $851.4 million compared to $731.3 million in June 2011 and $772.3 million in December 2010. The Group posted closing free cash as at 31 December 2011 of $506.0 million which is an improvement of 35% and 26% on June 2011 and December 2010 respectively.
Strong net operating cash inflows of $232.3 million were delivered for the period, driven by strong revenue performance. Net investment outflows were $206.9 million, being a positive variance to last year, primarily relating to the sale and leaseback of aeronautical assets and a lower level of property, plant and equipment purchased during the period.
Hedging Strategy
Virgin Australia introduced a new tiered hedging policy in May 2011 which provides us certainty in the short term and enables the company to manage medium term risk. Virgin Australia also hedges directly in Australian denominated Jet fuel, ensuring additional certainty and efficiency.
ASIC Guidance
In December 2011 ASIC issued Regulatory Guide 230. To comply with this Guide, Virgin Australia is required to make a clear statement about whether information disclosed in documents other than the financial report has been audited or reviewed in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards.
In line with previous years, the Media Release is not audited or reviewed. Notwithstanding this, the Media Release contains disclosures which are extracted or derived from the Interim Financial Report for the half-year ended 31 December 2011 which has been reviewed by the Group's Independent Auditor and can be located on the ASX website. We note that the following non-IFRS financial measures have not been audited or reviewed by the Group's Independent Auditor (underlying NPAT, underlying EBIT).
7Underlying EBIT is a non-statutory measure used by Management and VAH's board as a primary measure to assess financial performance of VAH and individual segments, it excludes Ineffective cashflow hedges and non-designated derivatives, significant items and asset write downs and loss on sale. Underlying EBIT for 2010 includes the add back of $18.2m in costs relating to the Navitaire outage
8Underlying Net Profit Before Tax (PBT) is a non-statutory measure used by Management and VAH's board as a primary measure to assess financial performance of VAH and individual segments, it excludes ineffective cashflow hedges and non-designated derivatives, includes significant
9Underlying CASK represents Statutory PBT less revenue, fuel, asset write downs, loss on sale and restructuring costs divide by network ASKs


text:
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Went to the John Carter advance screening...
First we left our house about 3 hrs before it was to start, which for an approx hr and a half trip was quite generous...but between highway closures/re-opening, and crazy busy in-town traffic, we got there with FIVE mins to spare. OMG. I for sure thought we were too late, but phew we got our tickets.
At the door, there was a heavy security presence...REALLY?! They took our phones, checked bags, scanned us with metal detectors!! I was shocked. Is this normal? or a Disney thing?!
Next up was this was the first 3D movie the mr and I had been to...VERY FRICKIN COOL! (yes, we live under rocks! lol)
And as for the movie..it was BRILLIANT..i absolutely LOVED it, and Taylor Kitsch is one FINE-looking Canadian! (eye-candy!!) I can't wait for it to come out because i know that Hero(11 yr DD) will LOVE it too. It's rather science-fiction/fantasy, with some strong female characters(yay!!), and that is right up her alley. I also found out after the movie that it was a series of books from a long time ago..I have a feeling i will be looking those up for her to get from the library so she can read before watching..
Here's the trailer:
All in all, it was a fun adventure, and a really great date night!
What do you think? Have you been to a movie screening like that? and will you be seeing John Carter?
16 comments:
wow... on the security sounds nuts... did they take your phone for the whole show?? Or just while they scanned you??ReplyDelete
I have to ask did you set off the detector at all. LOL
I just saw the preview for this the other day. It looks fabulous. Security at the door? Crazy! But we live in a digital world :)ReplyDelete
@Annie, Yes, my phone was gone for 2 hrs and 15 mins. I felt like they took a limb!! I missed it very much!ReplyDelete
and no, i didn't set off the detector, though i was totally nervous!!!
I've had that happen a couple of times for screenings. Guess they are worried about pirating. Looks like a good movie thoughReplyDelete
He's CANADIAN. Wow. This moving looks good the name kinda sets me off but, I think I will have to check it out. I LOVE action movies!ReplyDelete
Wow, I have never had a phone taken from me before!!!ReplyDelete
I haven't heard of John Carter until now... I guess I too live under a rock. I will probably see it now that I know about it!ReplyDelete
Wow! I've never had my phone taken from me at a screening.ReplyDelete
I love going to movie screenings!!! So glad you got to go and write about it! Fun! Thanks for sharing!
I've been to a few movie screenings but never have I had my cell phone taken! That's crazy!ReplyDelete
I've never even heard of this but it sounds really cool! Glad to hear you had a good time though.ReplyDelete
I'm looking forward to seeing this movie. I've seen the trailer on tv a few times, can't wait to see it!ReplyDelete
On our to see list, I think the security was probably so due to it being a screening. Never heard of such a thing, following on twitter and Net blogs.ReplyDelete
I so very much would like to go see this film this weekend, but with the kids sick I may have to put it off. I've been bugging hubby for ohh... about 4 months now, ever since I saw my first trailer. I love the books and am so eager to see this!ReplyDelete
I've been to a couple of Disney screenings, and the security was nothing like that! In fact, it was nothing at all.ReplyDelete
Personally, I have such a personal pet peeve about the use of cells in theatres (mainly targeted at teenagers, but anyway, cannot stand when someone clicks on their phone even for a moment and it shines in my eyes in the theatre!)... I'd be happy if phones were always confiscated! hahaha. But that's just a personal pet peeve, and I'm not a crazy person so I know that's not actually appropriate most of the time. (A girl can dream, though, lol).
I wasn't sure if this was a movie I'd want to see, but you do make it sound good! Maybe I'll watch more previews and see if it'll appeal to me!
I went to the Cars 2 screening and they did the same thing with the detectors and bag checks. I go to a lot of screenings and Disney are the only ones that have done it so far.ReplyDelete
I can't believe I turned down that role!! Taylor's lucky I did that...
Um, they took your phones? How the heck did they track that they gave you back the correct phone? That would have made me nervous. Sounds like a good time though :)ReplyDelete

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Principal Medical Writer – Medical Education agency – London – Job Ref: LAPW4
- Employer
- Meet Recruitment
- Location
- South West London
- Salary
- Circa £50k
- Posted
- Feb 04, 2013
- Closes
- Mar 04, 2013
- Ref
- Discipline
- Operations, Editorial, Marketing
- Result Type
- Jobs
- Position Type
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full Time
The ideal candidate will have several years writing experience in medical communications.
Based in South West London, this agency has grown to be one of the leading global medical communications agencies in the world and has recently been acquired by a top network. Have a broad range of expertise and experience in virtually every therapeutic area which for this role in particular includes working on oncology, ophthalmology, anti infectives as well as 8 other accounts. This role has sprung up due to new business win where you will be working in a dynamic group and reporting to the Scientific Team Leader.
· Write and manage delivery of scientific content
· Provide writing services to key clients
· The Lead Writer for several major accounts
· Form close working relationships with clients
· Able to work with clients to develop their claims, key messages and marketing objectives
· Line management responsibility
· Coaches and mentors junior writers
· Utilizes and initializes freelance assistance
· Uses strategic insight to provide input to communications programmes
· Provide medical advice
· Develop new business for existing and new clients
Several years experience in a medical communications agency; a scientific background; excellent interpersonal skills; excellent time management and organizational skills; problem-solving/diplomacy skills
Commutable locations: London, Greater London, Surrey Middlesex, Kent, Buckinghamshire,
To discuss this role in more detail in confidence please call Laith Al-Hashimi on 0203 178 7488 or out of office hours on 07854 045304 E-mail - email@example.com
Contact via LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/meetlaithalhashimi
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/meet_laith
Find out more about Meet at www.peoplewithchemistry.com
Meet are good people who are great at recruitment. We're proud to partner with the industry's leading Pharmaceutical and Healthcare companies, helping them find and secure the best global talent available.


text:
Making Something from Nothing
by gwilson on Mar.28, 2009, under Uncategorized
The approach to teaching Microbiology labs at McMurry is really an exercise in making something from nothing. This next week my BIOL 3410 students will be conducting growth curves of bacteria. That is nothing unusual for students in a course like this. However, my McMurry students have been challenged with creating their own broth media from scratch using kitchen items. The competition pits groups against one another to come up with a medium that will support the growth of microbes. We prepared on broths on Thursday, first step being to make sure their clear broths will survive autoclaving. It is always fun to see what they come up with – this semester one group found the fluid from a can of tuna fish doesn't make a clear broth as well as an extract from boiled spinach and potato. SlimFast didn't work so well, creating an opaque medium unsuitable for our study. Another group found a protein supplement and vitamin water made a very nice medium. Tuesday and Wednesday the games begin!
The organisms they will use are another exercise in making something from nothing, as they are the natural isolates (Staphylococci and enteric organisms) my students collected, purified, and identified earlier in the course. Each group will try their medium with six of the cocci and six enterics, following growth spectrophotometrically. Then the results will be pooled to see whose medium maximized the growth for the greatest number of bacteria. All groups will report their results in the form of research posters that will adorn our walls for the remainder of the semester. Winner gets an automatic advantage on their poster grade.
I could have given each group an organism and made their medium for them. But what would my students have learned about the chemistry and content of media by doing that? What would they have learned about the distribution of microbes in nature and the thought that goes into identifying them if I had given them cultures from our stock collection? If you can get as much "bang for your buck" making something from nothing, why not make learning fun and relevant?
There is a way of teaching that brings deeper learning, the fun of competition, and the satisfaction of accomplishment in demonstrating mastery of skills and knowledge through problem-solving. It is called discovery-based learning. We do that through research-rich teaching. McMurry's BIMS program is committed to doing more to bring the science out of students – just putting science into students is not enough!


text:
Type: Infantry,
Unit: Bolt Action - WWII British or Inter-Allied Commandos,
This is an accessory out of the Bolt Action British Infantry plastic boxed set by Warlord Games.
Commandos are the elite force of the british army. These fearless soldiers are well equipped and they know how to deal with every threat. With their covert operations they initialized the counterstrike against the Forces of Germany.
The ultimate source for Warhammer & Tabletop bits!
MEGA BITZ SHOP - Your Warhammer Bitz Shop from Germany.


text:
Coast 2 Coast with George Noory
Weekdays: 12:00 AM - 5:00 AM
Studio: 1-800-437-0098
On Air
Webster and Nancy
Sue Henry
La Tarone
Program Schedule
The John Mendola Show
Audio Vault
PA News
Local News
National News
Election News
World News
Business News
Political News
Technology News
Health News
Entertainment News
Riffin w/ Freddie
Buddy Rumchik
Corbett's Corner
Karel on the Street
Corbett Cam
Friday Beer Buzz
Tinfoil Hat Tuesday
Current Contests
National Sports
PSU Football
Weather Forecast
Storm Center
Contact Us
Insiders Club
Corbett's Corner
Hear Corbett weekdays from 3-7 pm. You better listen!
Corbett on Facebook
Email Corbett
Let Him Eat Ramen
by Steve Corbett
posted Oct 11 2012 12:04PM
Thursday, October 11, 2012
If things go as planned on Nov. 30 – and, in hard coal country we know to expect the unexpected – former Democratic Party warlord Bob Mellow will stand before a federal judge and receive his sentence. The longtime state senator and admitted criminal will likely appear weak and contrite (at least as contrite as this degenerate gangster can appear) for ravaging the public trust and using state Senate staffers to aid and abet him in the commission of his crimes.
Although Mellow copped a plea, his victims – us – still don't know the identities of the public servants who helped him carry out his crimes. For all we know they are still on the public payroll, making decisions that impact the lives of hard-working, decent, law-abiding Pennsylvanians.
The judge should sentence Mellow to a lengthy prison term. But I don't expect that to happen. I hope I'm wrong but I will not be surprised if, for whatever the reasons that Mellow's slick former federal prosecutor lawyer offers, Mellow does not serve a single day behind the wire.
Attorney Sal Cognetti Jr. might dramatically beg the mercy of the court, arguing that his client is ill and, at 70, cannot suffer the awkward strain of prison that is not even close to the hard-wood paneled offices where Mellow plied his treacherous trade. No mention will likely be made of the countless people who suffer the consequences and harsh aftermath of Mellow's reign of terror that mocked democracy and set back progress that will not recover in my lifetime.
Mellow might speak, offering a statement in which he will apologize to his family and make a lame act of contrition for his sins. In case you forgot, most taxpayers are not part of the Mellow family tree.
Then we will close the book on another sordid chapter in the pornographic saga that
should shame all good men and women who expect more of government. But even otherwise decent people will remain silent. Most will not utter a bad word about Mellow.
Some, including elected state officials from Mellow's sordid old circle of friends, might even talk about the good he did, stressing how that good far outweighs the bad. They might even have written a letter on official stationery to the judge, outlining the many good deeds that resulted in the many buildings and other places named in honor of Mellow.
No, they will write, Mellow has suffered enough. Let him retire, they will say, to a soft place where he can dine among friends on linguini with clam sauce rather than cooking cups of noodles over the steam of his prison cell radiator while worrying that some rough seasoned con who never even voted might steal his dinner
To which I say, "Let him eat Ramen."
Lock him up and when he returns – if he returns – let's give him a big welcome home surprise. Every time he turns around, from a park to a street to a theater named in his "honor," let's make sure he sees that his name has disappeared.
By dishonoring our community, by disgracing the very people he was duty-bound to serve, Mellow must pay by knowing we have not forgotten what he did to us, not for us. By standing up to local tyranny, we will set an example, make an example of him, to show future generations of wannabe public outlaws that we will be vigilant, brave and unyielding in our fight against corruption.
Our one small step for community, our giant step for restoring the public trust will begin by stripping the Mellow name from every place it now is visible in our towns. Among others, there's a wellness center at Marywood University, a street and a park. Then there is the glorious theater at Lackawanna College in the center of downtown Scranton, the county seat where Mellow once held great power and probably still strikes fear into the hearts of many otherwise unflappable business and political leaders.
The former college president was a Mellow confident. The current president was a Mellow confident. The vice-chairman on the board of directors was a Mellow confident. Others who grace the masthead on the list of trustees also are likely indebted in one way or another to Mellow.
Now they must decide. Will they stand for changing the culture of corruption that created Mellow? Or will they cower and try to hide, refusing to take responsibility? Will they work publicly to restore the luster of their college name or will they try to dance around the dreadful shame that Mellow brought to their reputation? Will they set an honorable example for the brightest young students who might wonder why their school allows the name of an admitted federal felon to grace the centerpiece theater in the heart of their campus?
I left a telephone message yesterday for college President Mark Volk, inviting him to call the show at his leisure so we can talk about how I can help him help his school. Volk just enjoyed a huge induction ceremony so I figure he's ready to talk about the huge indictment ceremony that captured Mellow.
Mellow appointed Volk to the state ethics commission, by the way. Volk – who survived the attack on the Pentagon on Sept. 11 and by all accounts behaved honorably – should be ready and able to help us in Northeastern Pennsylvania survive the scourge of corruption that hijacked democracy and killed so many dreams. We'll see if Volk and others at the college are willing to declare a renewed war on state-sponsored terrorism that will once and for all establish liberty and justice for all in hard coal country.
Today I expect to start calling other lesser known Lackawanna College trustees, to invite them to enlist in this war. Will they join us in removing Mellow's name from the theater?
A relatively new Lackawanna County judge sits on the board of trustees. I want to call her first. Will she help?
We'll see.
Meanwhile, pass the noodles, Bob.
Practice makes perfect.
Tags :
Locations :
Lackawanna County
Northeastern Pennsylvania
People :
Bob Mellow
Mark Volk
Sal Cognetti Jr.
Back To Blog
Recent Posts
Tag Cloud
No Tags Found !
Feb 2017
Jan 2017
Dec 2016
Nov 2016
Oct 2016
Sep 2016


text:
Joseph Uribe
Getable Rental Expert
Backhoes are commonly used in small construction projects and excavation. Due to their small size and versatility, they are commonly used for small construction projects and excavation work. Also referred to as a loader backhoe, these vehicles consist of a tractor, a front shovel/bucket, and a backhoe in the rear.
available dig depths
There are not great differences in size from one backhoe to the next. Of all heavy machinery, backhoes vary the least in size from one model to the next. While there are front-end loaders and excavators -- even skidsteers -- that are monstrous in relation to other machines in the same class, there are not incredibly large backhoes nor mini-backhoes.
Renting a backhoe is a good option if a person has a variety of jobs on a site to accomplish, but a limited number of machines. An operator can dig a trench for pipe (sewer, water or gas), for utilities or an operator can dig trench for a drainage system or irrigation. An operator can also use the bucket on the back to dig a foundation or a basement. The bucket on the front end can quickly scoop up spoils and put them in a pile or load them in the back of a dump truck or end or side dump tandem. The front bucket is also ideal for flattening or forming an area within a jobsite. A backhoe can do anything a loader or excavator can do, but on a smaller scale.


text:
Chapter 49
Jacob blesses his sons and their seed—Reuben, Simeon, and Levi are chastened—Judah will rule until Shiloh (Christ) comes—Joseph is a fruitful bough by a well—His branches (the Nephites and Lamanites) will run over the wall—The Shepherd and Stone of Israel (Christ) will bless Joseph temporally and spiritually—Jacob chooses to be buried with his fathers in Canaan—He yields up the ghost and is gathered to his people.
1 And
2 Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your
3 ¶
4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's
5 ¶
6 O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou
8 ¶
9 Judah is a
10 The sceptre shall not depart from
11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice
12 His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.
13 ¶
14 ¶
15 And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.
16 ¶
17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.
18 I have
19 ¶
20 ¶Out of
21 ¶
22 ¶
23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:
24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from
25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the
26 The
27 ¶
28 ¶All these are the
29 And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my
30 In the cave that is in the field of
31 There they
32 The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth.
33 And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the


text:
Nixon Headphones Will Blow Your Mind!
Nixon Headphones Will Blow Your Mind!
When you think of Nixon most likely you think of their edgy and quality driven watches. They have made their mark on the surf industry for years and continue to launch new and exciting watch designs for all occasions. What you may not know is that Nixon has recently ventured into the headphone market. Taking the technology they have applied to their wrist wear and modifying it for your listening pleasure. South Coast Surf Shops is one of the few proud vendors in the San Diego area to currently carry Nixon headphones. I took a test drive of some of the popular Nixon Headphones we carry to compare just how well they hold up to other brands.
Coming into this assignment of trying out the Nixon Headphones brand I was a bit skeptical. I have always been a fanatic of the brand that rhymes with rose. Most would figure it to be a daunting test for Nixon to match up with some of the more elite classes of headphones. What I found was actually surprising, and a good sign of things to come for Nixon. I tried out three of the styles of headphones we carry at South Coast currently. In no particular order, the Nomadic, the Trooper, and lastly the Whip.
Using my trusty famous Mac player I strapped in for the test. The Whip was the first headphone I tried out. At first glance it doesn't scream quality, but I was surprisingly wrong. The sound came out crisp and I was able to adjust the sound level to an almost unbearable scream. The design is light weight making it perfect for the running enthusiasts. A variety of eye catching colors made them stand out just enough, and the price was competitive based on industry standards. My only complaint was the somewhat uncomfortable design. Not exactly what your looking for in that cross country commute. Overall, a perfect fit for those looking for a inexpensive headphone with a kick in sound.
The next two test subject were the Nomadic and the Trooper. Both larger than the previously mentioned Whip, but not too bulky. As sound quality goes, these two models really hit the mark. Compared to some of the past headphones I have owned, I could definitely hear the difference in quality. A really crisp sound allowed for my songs to pop. An adjustable ear volume control system was efficient and quality driven. The Nomadic style had foam padding on the ear and I was not thrilled at first to put them on. It seemed a bit cheap for a higher end model. I was definitely proven wrong. The foam was comfortable and would be great for extended usage. Overall, both of these headphones were a pleasant surprise in the mid to upper price range. Check out South Coast's web-page for a more detailed description of each of these headphones features.
Change is often a difficult concept when it comes to technology you are comfortable with. Most times we will just roll with whatever next year's model is for the same company. I have been a fan of certain headphone brands and had a bit of a hesitant pause to change to Nixon. After trying out their new models I left impressed with sound quality and looking forward to what comfort upgrades they will make in the near future. If your looking to branch out to a new headphone, try out Nixon's new styles. For all your Nixon and other surf needs, stop in at one of South Coast Surf Shops five locations, or visit us online.


text:
Sarah's fashion diary
21. November 2014
I found those on shopbop.com and have fallen in love. They give a little edge to every outfit and are classy at the same time. And I think the price is okey as well.
What do you think? You've fallen in love, too?
P.S. The last one is my favorite! :)
31. Oktober 2014
Weekend Getaway: San Blàs
Seriously I could cry when I look at these Pictures! They were taken in April in San Blàs, Panama. San Blàs are more than 360 islands: some are bigger with people living on it and some are so small that just one palm is on it. We went there with some panamanian and columbian people we met in Panama City. It's truly paradise. It's not a massive tourist place because it's really hard to get there and not known such as some other carribian islands. Unfortunately we just stayed for one day. But that's a reason to go back one day in the future. Although it was such a short trip we enjoyed it at it's most. We made a trip with a local boot to visit some different islands. My favorite spot was a place called "swimming pool" because in the middle of the sea was a place with a lot of sea stars - estrellas in spanish :) And beside that we ate local lunch on one island which was sooo delicious!
17. Oktober 2014
URBAN OUTFITTERS top - ABERCROMBIE skirt - H&M bag
Some photos from around NYC. I will later on post some photos with more description and tips about NY and what we got to see in this wonderful city. These photos were taken in June 2014. Oh I miss you New York! If I only had the money to travel again..
16. Oktober 2014
Postcards from Torino
I was the last few days in Italy near Torino (Piemonte) to visit my grandmother. For those who didn't know I'm half italian.. :) This is also the reason why I was absent for the last couple of days.
I took this photos with my Iphone so the quality isn't that good. I hope you forgive me.
This day I was wearing TOPSHOP boots, VINTAGE silk blouse, BRANDY MELVILLE cardigan and a DIESEL bag
10. Oktober 2014
Tattoo Inspiration
NYC - Central Park
9. Oktober 2014
On the Road - California
5. Oktober 2014
Smoothie Bowl
This Smoothie Bowl was my perfect sunday breakfast! It's healthy and so super delicious. The smoothie consisted of a banana, raspberries, an apple, ricemilk, cinnamon, ice cubes and some stevia drops. On the top of it I added oats, flaxseeds and some granola.
4. Oktober 2014
3. Oktober 2014
Key West
Because my holidays began yesterday..
Unfortunately I have to work - but let us just a little dream.
Abonnieren Posts (Atom)


text:
Posted on July 7, 2012
(By Grace Dumelle, originally published in The FOGCutter Volume 6, Issue 1, January 2002.
Chicago Board of Education materials can be a treasure trove for information on living as well as deceased persons. Public school records in other cities and towns also have similar types of information on teachers and students.
The Newberry holds annual reports of the Board of Education starting in 1859 (call no. I68926.27). The early years of these reports list teachers' names, the school they worked at, and their home addresses. Later years often include photographs of newly built schools and other points of pride — the 1899 volume, for example, contains many interior views, such as a kindergarten classroom and an assembly hall. The Board of Education Proceedings (call no. I68962.26) lists names of all elementary, high school, and teachers' college graduates each school year. The 1933-34 volume continuing through the 1971-72 volume lists birthdates for all elementary-school graduates. As you probably know, the Cook County Birth Index ends in 1916. But the Proceedings list birthdates from 1913-1959, making them a marvelous source for still-living persons.
For example, I used the Proceedings to locate a long-lost relative for a client in Sweden. The client wanted to find his half-sister Viola in Chicago. He wasn't sure if she was still alive and had very little to go on. He gave me a few addresses in the old Swedish neighborhood around Belmont and Clark, where his father lived with his first wife and daughter Viola before returning to Sweden and starting a new family in the late 1930s. He wasn't sure of Viola's mother's name, or the date when his father married her. He didn't know Viola's married name. But he knew Viola graduated from high school in 1944, though he didn't know which one. All the relatives that could have supplied information were dead.
Working on the high school angle, I went to the Harold Washington Library Center and looked at the Proceedings for 1944-45 (the Newberry's holdings end with 1916-17) for possible high schools based on where the family lived. Sure enough, Viola was listed at Lake View High School. In the 1939-40 volume, I pored through the elementary school listings. Viola's distinctive first name enabled me to pick her out of all the other students of the same last name and get her birthdate. With this and authorization from my client, I was able to get a copy of her birth certificate listing her parents. I was then able to obtain her parents correct marriage record.
The next step was to find out what had happened to Viola since 1944. I contacted the high school to see if they had old school records or yearbooks that might indicate Viola's post-graduation plans. They had something better — an alumni association. Its president told me Viola was on his mailing list — the first indication I had that she was still alive. He allowed me to forward a letter to her, and she contacted me a few days after she received it. Viola was "thunderstruck" to learn her half-brother was searching for her. She consented to his writing her, and now they are in regular contact.
It just goes to show you how studying school records can bring together people thousands of miles apart.


text:
English as a Second Language
The Mission Campus offers a full range of tuitionfree English as a Second Language courses with continuous enrollment.Classes are offered at six different sites throughout the community.These courses are designed for students whose first or native languageis not English.
Studentsgain proficiency in English to find employment to continue theireducation and to function successfully in the culture of the UnitedStates. Survival skills are stressed in the first three levels of theprogram. Students are tested and placed at their appropriate levelthrough the Office of Admissions and Enrollment.


text:
An error occurred in the application. Please try again and contact our call center if the problem persists. Feel free to use the search below to assist you in finding what you were looking for.
©2016 Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. TaylorMade®, adidasGolf and Ashworth® are brands of Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc., part of the Adidas Group


text:
Allstate Funding, Real Estate - Loans, listed under "Real Estate - Loans" category, is located at 7160 Sw Fir Loop Portland OR, 97223 and can be reached by 5036551802 phone number. Allstate Funding has currently 0 reviews.This business profile is not yet claimed, and if you are the owner, claim your business profile for free. If you are not the owner you can invite this business to join by email or by phone.Browse all Real Estate - Loans in Portland OR. Discover census data for Portland, OR.
Back to Top


text:
Main Content
This item ships within one business day.
$4.99 flat rate shipping. See other shipping options.
The next time you head to the beach, send some positive vibes to your fellow beachcombers with these Radiate Love bikini bottoms from Roxy. Featuring tribal accents embroidered on the sides, a cute scrunch detail at the back, a small metal Roxy emblem and a no-slip fit, these adorable swimsuit bottoms will stay put whether you're sunbathing or perfecting your moves in the surf.
- Imported
- Moderate coverage
- Quality embroidery
- 100% Polyester lining
- Shirred center back seam
- 82% Nylon/18% Spandex
- Metal brand emblem
- Imported
- Brand: Roxy
Special event items are produced by manufacturers only after the outcome of a game or event. These are advanced sale items and will ship immediately after they are received in our warehouse.
Manufacturer direct items are shipped directly from the manufacturer. These items are not available for international or expedited shipping.
Customized items can be personalized with options such as your name, your favorite number, and/or designs. Some options may be limited by league rules.


text:
Unisa Laurel Flat Sandal
Sorry, this item is sold out!
Looks like you've got more shoe shopping to do - have fun!
Looks like you've got more shoe shopping to do - have fun!
Item # 243970
You'll shine like a star in the Laurel from Unisa. This dazzling sandal is the perfect lift to your look!
- Faux metallic leather
- Beaded detail
- Adjustable ankle strap
- ¾" covered wedge
- Synthetic sole
- Imported
- View more Women's Unisa Shoes
By: Pawita
January 22, 2014
By: MiamiGirlElli
Location: South Florida
November 20, 2013
Short Lived
"I absolutely loved these Sandals and received so many compliments from everyone. My only complaint is that after two wears, the straps broke off from the shoe. I don't do heavy walking or anything and all of my shoes last a long time. I was very disappointed in how fast the shoes lasted."
By: slms
Location: Cape Coral
September 30, 2013
"This sandal is perfect for sundress or shorts. Just the right heal and not too much bling."
By: talemi
Location: NY
July 10, 2013
Fancy sandals!
"These sandals have so many jewels on them and everyone notices how pretty they are! They can be worn with casual or dressy!"
Click anywhere to close this.


text:
This field is required
This field is requiredSign in
Remember meForgot ID or Password? Register now
Patent Trolls on Markets for Technology - An Empirical Analysis of Trolls' Patent Acquisitions
Timo Fischer
Technische Universität München (TUM) - TUM School of Management
Joachim Henkel
TUM School of Management - Technische Universität München (TUM); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)
April 28, 2011
Patent trolls appropriate profits from innovation solely by enforcing patents against infringers. They are often characterized as relying on low-quality patents, an assessment that, if correct, would imply that eradicating such patents would effectively terminate the troll business. In this paper, we shed light on this issue by empirically analyzing trolls patent acquisitions. We draw on a unique dataset of 392 U.S. patents acquired by known patent trolls between 1997 and 2006, which we compare to three control groups of 784 U.S. patents each acquired by practicing firms. Our findings regarding patent characteristics support recent theoretical propositions about the troll business model. The probability that a traded patent is acquired by a troll rather than a practicing entity increases in the scope of the patent and in the patent density of its technology field. Remarkably, and contrary to common belief, we find that this probability also increases in the patent's technological quality. On a descriptive level, we find that troll-acquired patents are of significantly higher quality than those in the control groups. This result implies that elevating minimum patent quality will not put an end to the patent troll business, and suggests that this business is sustainable in the long run. Furthermore, we discuss the fact that trolls are peculiar players on markets for technology insofar as they are solely interested in the exclusion right, not in the underlying knowledge. We posit that transactions involving patent trolls may only be the tip of the iceberg of "patent-only" transactions, a conjecture with strong implications for the efficiency of markets for technologies. Managerial and policy implications are discussed.
Number of Pages in PDF File: 36
Keywords: markets for technology, patent acquisitions, patent trolls, empirical study
JEL Classification: M10, O34
Date posted: December 14, 2009 ; Last revised: September 30, 2012
Suggested Citation
Contact Information


text:
Anthousa the Righteous of Constantinople
Akakios of Kavsokalyvia
Sergius II, Patriarch of Constantinople
Isaiah 29:13-23
And the Lord said: Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while ... |
Genesis 12:1-7
Now the LORD said to Abram, Go from your country and your kindred and your father''s house to the land ... |
Proverbs 14:15-26
The simple believes everything, but the prudent looks where he is going. A wise man is cautious and ... |
Enlighten now my mind's eye, open my mouth to study your words and understand your commandments.
Subscribe to the Daily Readings List to receive daily emails containing Scripture readings and Lives of the Saints
Document Actions
Monthly Calendar of Saints and Feasts
In 2017 Orthodox Pascha (Easter) falls on April 16
Find out what date Orthodox Pascha falls on in:
How the Date of Pascha is Determined
View Daily Scripture Readings by Month
2017 Kanonion:
English | Greek
2016 Kanonion:
English | Greek
Greek New Testament
The authorized 1904 text of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople


text:
Moda Spana Quinlan Sandal
Sorry, this item is sold out!
Looks like you've got more shoe shopping to do - have fun!
Looks like you've got more shoe shopping to do - have fun!
Item # 279281
Spice up your look in the Moda Spana Quinlan. This mixed material sandal has everything you need to kick up your look!
- Reptile embossed and suede upper
- Heel zipper
- 3½" covered heel
- Synthetic sole
- Imported
- View more Women's Moda Spana Shoes
Tell us what you think!
Everyone has an opinion. Here's your chance to share yours! Be the first to write a review of this product and help your fellow shoppers pick the best of the best.


text:
MANUFACTURER: Apex Gear
Review This Item
The APEX-GEAR Axim Archery Sight, 6x .019 Dia, Black (AG4316BK) is a rugged sight with multiple mounting and adjustment options to customize it for almost any archer's setup.
The machined aluminum body features both vertical and horizontal micro-adjustments and a completely tool-less design allowing you to make adjustments in the field without a wrench. The Axim also has a reversible bracket for greater vertical adjustability.
A large field of view is afforded by the aperture's 1.8" inner diameter and the sight accepts a 1.87" scope lens (not included). Extra-long .019" wrapped fibers are protected by small stainless steel tubes.
The Axim sight features a tru-touch soft-feel technical coating, which reduces glare as well as noise. Low-light visibility is enhanced by a glow-in-the-dark shooter's ring and a pin-illuminating micro push-button light (included). An unique dual-end fiber design allows for increased pin brightness and compact size.
The Axim 6 pin Light is adjustable for left and right handed users. It is perfect for today's modern archer.
Shipping Restrictions:Can't ship to .See more info here.
Due to the nature of this item, it may be restricted from shipment to the territories listed under Shipping Restrictions. It may require a permit or may be prohibited from ownership in these areas. Contact your local law enforcement/government officials to find out more. If you add it to the shopping cart and check out with it, it may be removed from your order by our customer service team (your credit card will not be charged for the item).
Contact for details.
Free shipping available
Shipping charges will be applied
No Sales Tax (except Texas)
Availability: Back Order
Usually ships in one business day
Usually re-stocks in 1-2 weeks
For more detailed information on the process click HERE.
Subscribe to WEBYBLAST supersavings notification newsletter.
View sample newsletter. Click here (will open a new window)
We respect your privacy. Your personal info is never sold, shared or shown to anyone outside Webyworld. Never. Ever. Read our Privacy Policy Here Click here (will open a new window)


text:
Fat-free and reduced-fat ingredients plus lots of veggies invite a second look at an easy egg bake.
Use either 1 cup sweet peas, chopped broccoli or 1-inch asparagus pieces for the zucchini.
For Garden Chicken Bake, add two 5-ounce cans of chunk chicken, drained, or 1 cup cut-up cooked chicken with the vegetables.
© 2015 ®/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved


text:
Mall helped solidify Short Pump's status
Construction of Short Pump Town Center ranks 22nd on list of most significant events in Henrico history
On a blustery November day 11 years ago, amid the flurry of confetti and polite applause, Short Pump officially arrived.
Sure, the nebulous region had existed for decades already – first as a rural outpost where farmland was plentiful and people were not, later as the butt of jokes from outsiders who couldn't quite figure the meaning behind its name, and eventually as the Henrico definition of suburban sprawl, when planned communities spread as far west as the county's borders would allow.
In its early modern years, Short Pump was perhaps best known as the place from which a plethora of historic structures were uprooted and trucked across the county line into Goochland, reassembled there as a Field Days of the Past exhibit. And no, an airplane didn't crash into an auto repair shop on West Broad Street years ago, though natives will recall the distinct tailpiece of a single-engine plane that seemed to indicate otherwise as it adorned the side of an auto repair shop on West Broad Street for years.
Short Pump was very much a "place" before Nov. 28, 2000, but on that day, as officials gathered beneath a tent amid wooded acres for a ceremonial groundbreaking, it was about to emerge from the shadows – officially.
'Something special'
Most of the 147 acres on which Short Pump's calling card sits today has been part of Tommy Pruitt's family for nearly a century. He grew up in a house still inhabited by his parents that sits on the south side of West Broad Street, directly across from the mall.
"We're back there every Sunday afternoon for Sunday dinner," he says, "the whole clan."
Pruitt says he wasn't quite sure what ultimately would take shape on the family's prime land – but he knew it would be meaningful.
"We always wanted to have something special there," he says. "We didn't know what 'special' was, but we knew we wanted something special."
In the mid-1990s, his company, Pruitt Associates, sought the assistance of a nationally prominent developer to help dream up 'special.' Following a nationwide search, he selected Forest City Enterprises of Ohio, and the two entities started a process that would span several years and dozens of blueprints.
The time was right, they decided, to introduce a new retail concept to Short Pump – and Central Virginia. Thus was born the concept of Short Pump Town Center, soon to become a unique two-story, open-air shopping mall in the heart of perhaps the last place anyone would have envisioned it just a few decades earlier.
An upscale, outdoor shopping mall? In Short Pump? Really?
Naysayers are quiet today, more than seven years after the mall opened in September 2003, bringing with it high-end retailer Nordstrom and a plethora of other retailers.
For Henrico County and Central Virginia, the $360-million project was the retail equivalent of a Triple A city landing a major league baseball team. It helped elevate the way retailers and other businesses viewed the market and announced that Short Pump was a major retail player, and for that, the construction of Short Pump Town Center earned the No. 22 spot in the Henrico Citizen's list of the most significant events in Henrico history.
A learning curve
The original plans for the mall called for a one-story, indoor facility. . . or a two-story outdoor facility with vehicular access throughout. . . or perhaps something else entirely.
"I probably have 100 different layouts in my office somewhere," Pruitt says, recalling the early iterations that seemed to change by the day. "We went through quite a few gyrations."
Construction of the mall also proved a learning process for Henrico County.
To fund infrastructure requirements necessary for its construction, county officials agreed to establish a community development authority (CDA) for the specific purpose of issuing $25.5 million in special assessment revenue bonds that would finance infrastructure projects at the mall site, such as entrance roads, stormwater management and traffic signals.
It was the first time Henrico had used a CDA, and the idea quickly was met with legal resistance by several Henrico residents – who claimed the decision was nothing more than a veiled way of giving taxpayer dollars to individual developers – and Taubman Centers, Inc., the owner of rival Regency Square, which claimed the idea was unfair and would hurt its Henrico property – for which it had unsuccessfully sought incentives of its own from the county.
The lawsuits eventually reached the Virginia Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the county and the CDA, clearing the way for the bond issue. But the process delayed construction by more than a year and allowed Taubman to speed work on its own new upscale mall, Stony Point Fashion Park in Richmond. The two malls opened within days of each other in September 2003.
"If you know you're right on the issues, you've got to move forward. We felt we were on the right side of the issue," Pruitt says.
The mall opened with nearly 100 stores and restaurants and now counts 137 tenants on its list. How has it succeeded even during some lean economic years? Pruitt credits its location – surrounded by high-end residential neighborhoods, two interstates (64 and 295), a connector to Chesterfield (Route 288) and Henrico's main thoroughfare, West Broad Street – as the primary reason. Diversity of tenants and widespread appeal have helped, too.
"They really set that mall apart," he says.
Financial payoff
Financially, the decision to build the mall paid off for Pruitt, Forest City and the county. As a condition of the CDA, Henrico officials had required that the entire associated debt service of $31.1 million be paid off within five and a half years.
"That was a tough pill," Pruitt says. But by late 2009, the amount had been paid entirely from the tax revenues generated at the mall, and the CDA was dissolved. Henrico received an additional $4 million in tax revenue during that period and more than $8 million in incremental revenue during its 2010 fiscal year.
"The Short Pump Town Center CDA is a great success story," Finance Director John A. Vithoulkas said at the time. "We reached full payoff in five years with the unanticipated benefit of significant revenue over and above the debt payments."
Pruitt credits the county with its willingness to lend support to the project.
"When they became convinced that we could produce, that's when they really became great team members," he says. "I don't think we could have envisioned [the mall] turning out better. It's been very, very popular, and we continue to build the tenant list every year."
"But even now, we're still trying to tweak that mall," he says, citing the recent addition of the Hotel Sierra on mall property as an out-of-the-box idea that has worked. More creative plans, he says, are on the way.
Short Pump pride
In the years since the town center opened, another massive development – West Broad Village – has sprouted in Short Pump, and several strip malls have developed along the outskirts of the mall. The mall regularly attracts shoppers from as far as Charlottesville and beyond.
But Pruitt downplays the significance of the mall in solidifying Short Pump's place on the local and regional map.
"I'd love to take credit," he says, "but that was a dynamic area. We're there because of the residential growth that had already occurred.
"I think Short Pump would have developed very well without the mall – a lot of it already had."
Perhaps. But like much of Henrico County, Short Pump was – and is – at times a mystery. Where does it begin? Where does it end? The mall also gave Short Pump something that was certainly – and boldy – its own. And it helped transform its name from comic fodder to corporate envy.
"I've had a lot of business associates come to me over the years, and they asked me to help change the name of Short Pump," Pruitt says. "I would politely listen, but respectfully decline. We were very proud of the name Short Pump."
"I've been in meetings in other parts of the country with tenants and clients now," he says, "and they all know the name Short Pump."
Villa's Flagler Housing wins national NAEH award
St. Joseph's Villa's Flagler Housing & Homeless Services was one of three entities to earn the National Alliance to End Homelessness' Champion of Change Award. The awards were presented Nov. 17 during a ceremony at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.
NAEH annually recognizes proven programs and significant achievements in ending child and family homelessness.
Flagler completed its transition from an on-campus shelter to the community-based model of rapid rehousing in 2013, and it was one of the nation's first rapid re-housing service providers to be certified by NAEH. > Read more.
RIR's Christmas tree lighting rescheduled for Dec. 12
Richmond International Raceway's 13th annual Community Christmas tree lighting has been rescheduled from Dec. 6 to Monday, Dec. 12, at 6:30 p.m., due to inclement weather expected on the original date.
Entertainment Dec. 12 will be provided by the Laburnum Elementary School choir and the Henrico High School Mighty Marching Warriors band. Tree decorations crafted by students from Laburnum Elementary School and L. Douglas Wilder Middle School will be on display. Hot chocolate and cookies will be supplied by the Henrico High School football boosters. > Read more.
Weekend Top 10
Given the warm weather lately, Saturday's RVA Polar Plunge Winter Fest, benefiting Special Olympics Virginia, might actually be enjoyable! Other weekend events you're sure to enjoy include the 14th annual Richmond Kids Expo at the Richmond Raceway Complex, the Richmond Symphony and The Taters in concert at The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen, and the Richmond Ballet Minds in Motion Team XXL performing at the Henrico Theatre. This is also the last weekend to check out HATTheatre's production of "Bill W. and Dr. Bob." For all our top picks this weekend, click here! > Read more.
ACLU urges McAuliffe to veto anti-immigration bills
Business in brief
Henrico to offer free workshop March 4 on outdoor improvements
Governor signs bills to fight Virginia's opioid crisis
New law lets concession stands sell cans of beer
- More News
Print Edition
Feb. 16, 2017Click here to read the print edition.
Weekend Top 10
Restaurant Watch
Weekend Top 10
American Tap Room at Willow Lawn closes
Weekend Top 10
- More Entertainment
Obituary – Anne Faudree Barker
Obituary – Jonathan "Bryan" Lawler
Obituary – Jean Harless
- More Obituaries
Villa's Flagler Housing wins national NAEH award
RIR's Christmas tree lighting rescheduled for Dec. 12
project:HOMES' 'Renew Crew' helps Henrico citizen
- More Community
Thanksgiving, Part II
Storm woes for e-junkies
'Good old days' were good – for some
- More Opinions
RIR to admit children 12 and younger free next year
Henrico teams win district, state championships
Varina HS to host Basketball Skill Development Academy June 20-23
- More Sports
|February 2017
Place an Ad | More Classifieds


text:
Item #: 4988
Altoids Peppermint - 12 / Box$29.63
Item #: 5310
Altoids Smalls Peppermint - 9 / Box$14.81
If you are familiar with Altoids, the favorite "curiously strong" mints, you know they pack a minty punch unmatched by any other. Altoids are the heavy-weight champ when it comes to fresh breath.
Shop here for your own favorite Altoids tins to carry with you to ensure that you remain dashingly minty anytime. We carry all the flavors, including Cinnamon, Peppermint, and Cool Honey, and we also have the Altoids Smalls, which despite their diminutive size are just as "curiously strong" as their larger counterparts. Altoids Smalls are perfect for pockets and purses since the tin is about a quarter of the size of regular Altoids tins.
We think empty Altoids tins are useful for storing things like paper clips and buttons, so match that with the minty glory of the Altoids themselves and you've got real value (we get excited by life's little things).
My Cart
There are items in your cart.
You have no items in your shopping cart.
Currently Shopping by:
- Remove This Item Flavor: Peppermint
Shopping Options
- Price
- $10.00 - $20.00 (1)
- $20.00 - $30.00 (1)
- Kosher
- Kosher Dairy (0)
- Kosher Parve (0)