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Friday Recruitin': Space Whale Edition
Hi. Ace is off for the next week and I, Brian, am piloting you through the interstellar gulf that exists between your brain and those of extremely talented young football players who haven't instantly chosen to play at Michigan, which like come on man.
Shall we take stock?
Taking Stock
Michigan's scholarship count stands at 15 right now. Technically it's 14 since Michigan is at 86, give or take a long snapper scholarship and Will Hagerup's existence. It'll be 15 by August. From there normal levels of attrition will see them reach 20 or so. Assuming 20:
QB(1): Wilton Speight, check.
RB(1): Unknown. Michigan has a few offers out to three-star sorts. Colorado Kalen Ballage may be your leading candidate; more likely Michigan's RB in this class will be someone you haven't heard of yet.
WR(3): Drake Harris is in the barn, mid-four-star KJ Williams is still saying Michigan is his leader after the post-visit glow has worn off. Instater Maurice Ways is reputedly on the verge of an offer he won't take long to accept. Mason Cole teammate Artavis Scott has backed off the promise of a package deal but is still high on Michigan and just visited for spring. Childhood M fan Corey Holmes is another possibility.
TE(1): Whoever it is, he'll probably be from Illinois. Daniel Helm has backed off after announcing Michigan his leader and now maintains a top four with Michigan and a few Southern schools. Alarmingly, Ole Miss is amongst them. Ian Bunting may favor Notre Dame at the moment but will visit USC and Michigan before a forthcoming decision. Nic Weishar is also coming up on a decision.
OL(4): Mason Cole is in the barn. Jabrill Pepper's teammate Juwann Bushell-Beaty maintains Michigan as his leader; Blake Bars's brother Alex Bars is a top 100 prospect at tackle; Drake Harris's teammate Tommy Doles has seemed to be on the verge of dropping for months but recent scuttlebutt has him holding off despite the possibility of a crunch.
NT(1): Bryan Mone in the barn. With Hurst/Pipkins/Henry(?) in front of him Michigan can be done. Mone could play three tech, but if Michigan gets Hand and McDowell, he's the nose in that group.
SDE/3T(2): Michigan trails VT for #1 overall player Da'shawn Hand… probably. See below. Instate star Malik McDowell is rumored to be a Michigan lean.
SAM/WDE(1): Ferns barn, likely a SAM. With Ojemudia and Charlton they could skip a WDE. If they don't there's an obvious candidate in instater Lawrence Marshall. He was briefly an OSU commit; he'll come down to those guys and the two in-state schools.
ILB(2): A spot where OSU has held onto some in-state stars Michigan was after; now M is on to plan B. Those appear to be IL LB Kyron Watson and PA LB Chase Winovich. Winovich is a big guy a 6'4" and may end up a SAM type; Watson is more of a WLB. Both are three stars, but Winovich also has an OSU offer.
CB(2): If Michigan can hold off Stanford they'll reel in consensus five star Jabrill Peppers. Todd Howard protégé Parrker Westphal seems likely to join up. Californian Adoree Jackson is another five-star who has Michigan high on his list.
S(2): Californian Juju Smith has Michigan a solid member of a top five that leads you to believe a CA exit is possible; he could play WR but Michigan's in on a bunch of those. Pennsylvanian Montae Nicholson is another option.
K/P(0): With Wile, McGrath, and Allen on the roster next year they can go without. Would not be surprised to see them look for a quality walk-on kicker to compete with McGrath.
ESPN ranks them all
gentlemen appearing
ESPN has put out its top 300. Players of interest (bold: commit; italics: have at least a 50-50 shot):
- #2 NJ CB Jabrill Peppers
- #4 VA DE Da'Shawn Hand
- #5 CA CB Adoree Jackson
- #29 LA WR Malachi Dupre
- #55 TN OL Alex Bars
- #62 CA S John "Juju" Smith
- #69 MI DT Malik McDowell
- #72 UT DT Bryan Mone
- #75 FL WR Corey Holmes
- #85 FL WR Artavis Scott
- #87 IL CB Parrker Westphal
- #96 MI WR Drake Harris
- #107 MI DE Lawrence Marshall
- #112 OH LB Michael Ferns
- #120 NJ OT Juwan Bushell-Beatty
- #125 VA QB Wilton Speight
- #145 FL OT Mason Cole
- #208 AZ TE Mark Andrews
- #239 PA S Montae Nicholson
That's a pretty long list of targets, one that includes every Michigan commit so far in their top 150. Michigan has a good shot at bringing in ten to twelve of the ESPN 150. Pants? Off.
He loves me, he loves me not
ESPN has just released preliminary rankings—remember when they were supposed to be getting rankings out before these kids' junior year?—and we're getting a look at their usual idiosyncrasies. One to the good is Wilton Speight, who makes Tom Luginbill's top ten quarterbacks:
7. QB-PP Wilton Speight
Richmond, Va./Collegiate School
College: Michigan
This guy has some juice to him. The more you watch Speight, the more subtle, savvy traits show up. Physically he reminds us of Brock Osweiler (the Arizona State Osweiler, not the high school version). He possesses great size and adequate bulk. He's strong with deceptively good mobility and athleticism. Stands tall and is balanced in the pocket. Drop speed and set up is quick and steady. Plays with poise and confidence in his abilities.
Luginbill says the position is down a bit nationally. FWIW, he's the #4 pocket passer in their rankings. Last year the #4 pocket guy was 64th overall (Stanford commit Ryan Burns). Shane Morris was 8th; the top 10 were in their 150. Ballpark Speight around 100th, it would seem.
On the other hand, while two Michigan WR targets do appear in Luginbill's take on the WR class Drake Harris does not. Luginbill on Holmes:
7. WR Corey Holmes
Fort Lauderdale, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas
College: Undecided
Holmes is a lean and lanky prospect with ideal height and long limbs. He is flexible and plays primarily on the inside as a slot in high school, but could be an outside threat for the next level. He is shifty and fluid, which makes it difficult to gauge his deceptively good speed and acceleration.
Complete eval | Highlights
9. WR Artavis Scott
Tarpon Springs, Fla./East Lake
College: Undecided
Scott has very few physical weaknesses, but he also lacks ideal measurables in terms of bulk and strength. Given his frame, he still needs to add strength to aid his physicality. He displays good straight-line burst off the line of scrimmage. This is a very fluid and smooth player in his overall movements. Does not show breakaway speed on tape, but does have good enough downfield speed and quickness to be an adequate outside route runner at the next level.
Complete eval | Highlights
Harris must have been #11.
The next to drop
If aforementioned MI WR Maurice Ways does pick up an offer that means a couple things: Michigan is ready to take his commitment and they like the kid quite a bit since they've got higher rated guys on the hook and are willing to push one of them elsewhere. The offer situation as of ten days ago($):
"They said I'm very high on their radar," Ways explained. "I've been their most talked-about recruit the past two weeks. They're saying just to be patient. They're going to watch my film again as a staff Monday, and make a decision from there."
Monday was, uh, Monday, and the chatter out there indicates that offer could be forthcoming soon. Other candidates include Pick A Tight End and the aforementioned Parrker Westphal, who will also be in this weekend.
Tight ends resolved while you wait
More on that Ian Bunting kid: the small-forward-sized Illinois TE did just go to Notre Dame and came back speaking thusly:
"I found out that Notre Dame is a special place," Bunting said. "It's really cool with all the history. There is something special there with all the tradition they have and I love the way they use their tight ends. I'm definitely higher on them than I was before."
He's at USC today; tomorrow he will be at Michigan. A decision "could come shortly after." Bunting's been reticent about stating anything more than a vague top group. ND is probably the team to beat given the above quote; his only other visits since last year's football season were to Oregon, Wisconsin and Northwestern, and I can't find anything similarly positive on those trips. Hoke and company have shown an ability to flip kids' minds once they get on campus, which I think we say every week but you're probably not tired of that fact yet. It is thus concluded we will keep saying it.
IL TE Daniel Helm's timeline is getting shorter($) as well:
"Originally I was hoping to take official visits, now I am realizing positions fill up and sometimes the scholarship you may want might not be there. So, I am pretty confident I will make a decision before the season, but I'm not sure when."
Helm's been to each of his top four schools (Michigan, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Florida); Michigan may have an advantage since they just got a second, this one with his dad. Helm also publicly favored Michigan not too long ago($), and was telling Nebraska sites it was M.
Meanwhile, IL TE—they're all IL TEs—Nic Weishar will visit($) the twin spires of Mordor this weekend, whereupon he'll sit down and come out with a short top list. Weishar visited Michigan a month ago($), and hit up a few other schools earlier. Dollars to donuts this comes down to an old-fashioned Midwestern three corners match between ND, M, and OSU.
Michigan also has AZ WR/TE Mark Andrews coming in. He's ranked as a WR by most of the scouting services despite actually being heavier than Bunting and Helm; he's checking Michigan out as part of a ND/OSU/M Midwest swing. He grew up an Oklahoma fan($) and has a brother there, so they're the tentative favorite. Michigan will either be in a leading group or out after the weekend.
The Hand Of God
Da'Shawn Hand demonstrating the fish story coaches who do not successfully recruit him will tell.
That would be #1 overall player VA DT Da'Shawn Hand, who Michigan is after in a serious way. Hand talked to Yahoo radio recently, and declaimed thusly:
- he "recently decided" he wants to major in sports management, something that came up as he's talking Alabama.
- What is it about Michigan? "Everything. The coaches, the players, the town, the professors, the academic buildings, the food… it was cold, but I can manage that, I'm from Philly. Everything was just great about it."
- Meanwhile, on VT: "Well, first, they're close to home. Bud Foster's been my favorite coach… it just feels like home there. [garbled] …I'm just comfortable there and they play good football."
- He wants to take his officials; has no timeline.
He hasn't been down to Florida yet and his statements about the other SEC teams in his top five (South Carolina and Alabama) were considerably more lukewarm than the two I transcribed above. Everyone says VT is on top, but if you had to pick from the quotes above…
Numbers crunchin'
From Wolverine Nation, an article on the potential for guys to hop aboard($) the class before their spot gets full. MI OL Tommy Doles:
"I'd like to know by the summer and whether or not I'd have to [decide] before then, I guess I'd have to think about that when it came around," Doles said. "But yeah, it could accelerate things if it were to happen."
A couple of the WRs pop in to say similar things. We could see some quick movement at the catching positions if Ways is offered and commits as KJ Williams, Artavis Scott, and possibly Corey Holmes think it over.
Let's all debunk RCMB nuts
MI WR Drake Harris's recruiting process took a major turn during the course of his junior year, when he found out he was a capital-E Elite football prospect and only a good basketball prospect. He changed what sport he was going to play; thus the decommit. This is not an eyebrow-cocking Gunner Kiel saga.
"Drake is firmly committed to playing at Michigan, and I would be absolutely shocked if he didn't follow through it," Fellows said. "People forget that Drake was going to Michigan State to play basketball and football, and MSU was the best choice for him to play football and basketball. …
"Once he decided to play just football, that all changed, so it's unfair to compare the two scenarios. Drake told me his heart is at Michigan, and I am taking his word at it. I've known Drake since the eighth grade, and he has never lied to me. He went to Ohio State on Friday and Michigan on Saturday, and he told me that's all he had to see."
Never say never and all that; Harris is no more likely to decommit than anyone else Brady Hoke's picked up in his three years. He in fact got his re-recruitment done early because he's sick of the song and dance. You have a 2% chance, decommit-chasing guys. Have fun storming the castle.
The Periphery
Michigan has an offer out to OH S Erick Smith, who is at Glenville and thus has visited OSU all the time($). He is planning a Michigan trip in the near future along with visits to Alabama and Tennessee; in general prospects with a Glenville kid who has an OSU offer are always going to be dim. This is a hill to climb for a guy who hasn't been on M's campus:
He's seen the Buckeyes more than once and always walks away feeling good. His last visit was nine days ago at student appreciation day, where he brought his parents along for the ride. All three liked what they saw.
"It's the atmosphere and the people," Smith said. "When you go there, they're all for real.
"My dad is getting used to it, so he enjoyed himself. My mom loved it. She talked about getting down there and getting to know them better."
Michigan offers TX RB Vic Enwere, a three-star with middling offers. Unless it was actually Michigan State who offered. The usual with three-star sorts from far away: he'll be on the radar once he visits. [UPDATE: Rivals's Tim Sullivan passes along a note that the Enwere offer was erroneously reported; it's actually an MSU offer.]
The future: the usual
2015 KY RB Damien Harris, you have the power:
It would be pretty tight if me and Drake Harris both committed to Michigan!
Harris, regarded as one of the top tailbacks in his class, already has an offer and mostly tweets 1) things about how he likes Michigan and 2) retweets of other people telling him to go to Michigan (which is an NCAA violation, don't do that). If he doesn't end up in the next class it'll be a surprise.
Malik McDowell offered by Alabama and LSU. M offers LA S Mattrell McGraw, says he'll visit soon with teammate and consensus top 100 prospect Malachi Dupre. McGraw's rankings haven't caught up to a booming offer sheet. NJ OL Juwan Bushell-Beatty says he's "getting closer to a decision($)," possibly after visits to offerees Florida and Tennessee. An early decision is better for Michigan.
things are going well? We're probably around 50/50 or better for the #1 and #2 guys this year, plus there's a whole flurry of 4-star guys who are 50/50 or better, and one of the top RB's (or the top RB) for 2015 is in love with Michigan
So yes, pants: off
2014 is off to a great start with tons of interest from the very good to great/elite players. 2015 already has some top players visiting and talking up Michigan. Harris, Campbell, DeBerry and others. Very exciting.
Anyobdy else check to see what day it is? (headline says Friday Recruitin) Definately thought I put my trash cans out a day late.
At the Outback Bowl this year we went deep sea fishing and happened to get seated next to Alex Bars, his dad and his older brother Brad. Besides being like the nicest family ever, Alex said his top two choices were Michigan and Georgia and he didn't have a clear favorite at the time.
Given that his dad played for Notre Dame, his oldest brother plays for Penn State and Blake is with us, it doesnt seem like the family plays "favorites" when it comes to school selection.
Cool story. Just curious, where did you guys go fishing and did you guys catch anything?
Was it a small charter or more of an open party thing? I just ask because I regularly go deep sea fishing from the west coast, but have no idea what kind of boats/charters they have on the east coast.
Clearwater beach and yes we caught a ton of Grey Snapper and the coolest thing of all was they cleaned them for us and then we walked about 100 yards to a bar that cooked them for us. Had a couple or three cold beers, fries, cole slaw and our own very fresh fish for lunch.
That was a good day.
What kind of man can't clean his own fish..
/s what the hell right?
Awesome amount of info, beats the heck out of paysites.
I love the recruiting write ups on here...I love the good news, but appreciate the straight talk when it comes to recruits.
Thanks to Brian for throwing this quick little post together.
If I remember correctly, Hand's change of major to sports managment really started after his UM visit when he spent a bunch of time talking to some big-wig in the UM sports management program and loving it. So plus for UM? Someone also brought up that Florida also has a good sports management program I believe.
Little surprised to see Alex Bars not in itallics. I get I assumed we'd have at least a 50/50 with him.
Anyway, fantastic info and my word, what a list of prospects.
For a second... I thought it was Friday, and my heart dropped a little with excitement. Now, I want to bury myself under my desk and pout until tomorrow, when it will actually be Friday. Nonetheless, thanks for awesome and free information.
Exactly. My normal existence on this Thursday was okay. Then, "Friday Recruiting". HOLY SHIT IT'S FRIDAY! Except it's not. And now this Thursday feels like a Monday. I have been trolled.
I don't blame Brian for convincing me it's Friday, I blame all you assholes for reminding me it's not.
the fact we now know the espn 300 michigan related rankings, without having to wait for espn!
I was wondering about was that in an ironic way adding Maryland and Rutgers to the B1G might be helping us with Peppers. Our major competition for him looks to be Stanford, and from what I have heard about his family, going to the West Coast for games actually could be cost-prohibitive for them. Given that we will most likely be in the same division as PSU, Rutgers, and Maryland, and we ourselves are probably about a 10 hour drive from home, that's a decent number of games his family could drive to, as opposed to not going to, or flying to.
Good observation. If UM is in the "East" division, that potentially helps open up a couple of key areas in NJ and VA. Lots of talent there, and the coaches have recently dipped into that talent pool for some big names, with a few more still on the horizon.
Virginia, in particular. I don't know if my memory is just crappy, but I don't remember Virginia being nearly as loaded as it has been over the past few classes (2013, 2014, and apparently 2015). If this keeps up, then UVA, come on down.
I feel very Spiritualized reading this.
Because absolutely every Michigan writer seems to think that Michigan leads for Da'Shawn Hand, but they're all terrified to say it and be wrong, so most of them put down Virginia Tech leads.
I'm not trying to be a jerk so apologies if that comes across, but I think most writers have Hand as a VT lead because VT actually is the team to beat in his recruitment. Hometown, Bud Foster and so on. Michigan is doing well to even be in the conversation but it's still VT in front.
You don't come across as a jerk at all, I think it's reasonable assumption that they could lead. I just know that a lot of the Michigan writers think that Michigan very well could, and I do tend to agree with them.
I'm a firm believer in reading into the quotes that players give after a visit. They all say positive things because most of the schools have their act together, but you can tell based on the verbs and adjectives they use whether or not they truly loved it. I just think he gives off better vibes about Michigan than about VT.
I do agree about the quotes bit, some of the things he has been saying indicate some degree of "over-the-moon"-ness.
I think it's sort of silly to designate whether Michigan or VT is "leading" at this point. Keep in mind that we're trying to project the result of a decision a 17-year-old will make almost a year from now. I think it's amazing that he has even narrowed it to a top two by now. Heck, I had absolutely no idea where I wanted to go to school when I was a HS junior, and I changed my mind twice in the two weeks leading up to my decision, and I wasn't even being recruited for anything.
Valid point, but in this case i think a leader is fair. It's his 'hometown' school where his family can see him in every home game without a flight. He can visit his family on off days no problem. I don't think it's a stretch to say that the school he's been most comfortable with, and the coach he has the best coach-player relationship with to date is leading.
but like, when UVA and UNC join the B1G in like a year, what then?
Every non-Michigan writer also has Virginia Tech leading. I think that where we are sitting is a good spot. VT has been his leader for a while. He loved his trip to Michigan, but has not come out and said that Michigan is his new favorite. There is abviously reason to be excited. If there was a sizable gap before it has narrowed. Should be fun to follow.
And VT a few times, and they are essentially even. That's much better for Michigan, than VT IMHO.
Just took a look at Jabrill Peppers junior season highlights. MY GOD.
Watched them the other day and came away equally impressed. Considering his ability to return punts and kicks, he'd be like a Woodson 2.0. Which like, yes please.
He's seriously so fucking good. He'd be the best M player since, I don't even know. Maybe Woodson.
I think Woodson is a solid comparison. The ability to be a lock down corner, play both ways, and be an electric return man. Hell, they are even both 6'1"
"Holy shit" was about my reaction to his highlights. The accelerations, speed, and suddeness with which he runs is ridiculous. His acceleration seems more than Denard's even was. And he's really well built to boot. He's going to be dangerous anywhere a team puts him. If we land him, I would like to see him get time on O as well.
He actually reminds me of Tripp Welborne more than Charles. Peppers is already pretty thick and plays WR on the offense. Both from the atlantic coast area as well. Tripp was also a WR his freshman year and then switched to safety and returned kicks and punts. Tripp is still one of my all-time favorites at UM, back to back All-American '89-'90, 238 tackles total. If he didn't blow out his knee he would've been a great NFL player. Peppers has the same tangibles - thick, fast, thumper. Go Blue! Please.
I don't see Peppers playing much receiver in his highlights. He seems to mostly play RB and he runs the wildcat. I think he has as many passes as receptions in his highlights.
Right, he's listed as CB/WR by Scout. Most media publications indicate that he plays CB/RB/WR. I just don't see the Charles comparison besides the potential for greatness. He already seems too big to play corner, maybe some nickel. What corner have we had that is 200+? He's listed anywhere between 205-210 as a junior in HS, if he gets any bigger you'd have to think he's playing Safety or maybe even WILL. He's extremely talented obviously, would love to have him at any positon.
This is really great update. I needed my recruiting fix.
Is UM really in good shape with Lawrence Marshall? I haven't gotten that vibe from him at all. Seems more likely to end up at MSU or even go back to OSU to me.
NOTE: I am not really worried about not landing Marshall, as there are numerous players I am more interested in seeing UM land.
Well, he visits Michigan quite a bit, so that's sort of a good sign. You can't be in much better shape without being the favorite, but I have also heard that he's more likely to end up at MSU. I guess it depends on your definition of "in good position."
U can tell if paying close attention hes going to msu. And during our spring game i heard he visited msu instead
Highly doubt he goes back to OSU.
Peppers isn' blue and he's recruiting for Michigan. I'd like for Bo Scarbough and him to hookup,too!!!
Michigans in on alot of very good players, I almost can't keep track. This is going to be a great class.
When you take the thirty thousand foot view of the current state of Michigan athletics, you quickly realize that you are actually levitating 71 feet above the 29,029 foot summit of Mt. Everest, next to a space whale, geting to watch Coach Hoke climb the greatest mountain with a bunch of athletes in Winged Helmets.
This is really happening, and we are about to absolutely take it to the opposition, under the lights, in the World's largest football stadium.
Wouldn't that be the 29,100 foot view? Is that better or worse than the 30,000 foot view?
I am confuse.
We are actually levitating 971 feet above Everest, to be exact.
Good stuff. Sounds like Barrs is a solid lead for UM. If this staff can pull in one of the top 2 kids, that would be amazing. And as for the Drake Harris situation, only a couple of reactionary MSU people think there is anything wrong with the situation beyond the usual hatred for UM. MSU should be used to soft commits given the past couple of years.


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There's no question of suggesting that we won't invite her to future paid events. That could be a friendship breaker. I really love my BFF; we have been friends for 20 years and do an awful lot for each other. I think she's got some deep-seated resentments about the lopsided family life of a single person with no children.
Oh e-hell no. If Auntie wants to go Auntie can pay for it. If it was a financial issue, I would offer to pay. Otherwise, no way.
You are put in the position of choosing to stand up for principle and avoid setting a dangerous precedent vs. offending someone who is so much a part of your life and really does go over and above in her involvement in the life of your kids.I still stand by the idea that it's not reasonable for her to ask you to do this. However, only you can really assess how important it is to you and whether it's worth fighting or not. How badly will her feelings be hurt? Will it kill the friendship or just make her sad for an hour? Or something in between? If it really will make an indelible mark, is it worth that? On the other hand, will you always be resentful, having to pay ever time this comes up, and believe me, it will come up again and again. Regardless of what we all say, only you know (or at least can guess) how giving in will affect you and how insisting she pay will affect her. You need to think that through and come to a decision on which will work best for the friendship itself, both from her point of view and yours.
BFF genuinely loves coming to DD's events, even ones I had assumed were too "small" for her to attend. Like little classroom plays, if BFF is able to get off work. BFF has attended every (free) winter and spring concert, every (free) ceremony, even though most of the time, DD has no special role, no solo, and is not graduating. BFF also attends the (free) school break camp shows. BFF just loves the girl and doesn't want to miss out.That said, BFF's presence has become important to DD, so attendance is not 100% nonobligatory...but since BFF says she to want to go on Saturday night too, that's a clear indication that this is not a hassle, it's a pleasure to see DD on stage. Hell, maybe BFF is looking forward to the awkward carnage of an elementary school play. There's no question of suggesting that we won't invite her to future paid events. That could be a friendship breaker. I really love my BFF; we have been friends for 20 years and do an awful lot for each other. I think she's got some deep-seated resentments about the lopsided family life of a single person with no children.
My third grader will be in her first musical this Friday and Saturday. The tickets will be something like $10 (maybe $15?). In addition to the Friday show, BFF says she probably wants to see the Saturday show as well - on us. BFF reminded me of her stance: Aunts and beloved fake aunts do not pay for shows. Parents must pay.Money is not a huge issue for BFF (or for us). Now, I think it would be a nice thing to buy her ticket on Friday night. Not because there's a Rule (am I wrong about that?), but because it's nice. However, I think insisting we pay for the optional second night is really pushing it. All my Facebook friends agree. Do you?
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Saline County resident finishes Boston Marathon before explosions
Alexander resident Nate Smith, director of public health programs and state epidemiologist at the Arkansas Department of Health, participated in the Boston Marathon today. The Boston Marathon website shows he finished the race at about 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, just moments before two explosions went off near the finish line, killing two people and injuring 23.
A colleague was able to make contact with Smith and reported back to ADH. "We know he is unharmed, which is great news," said Ann Russell, director of communications for the ADH. "But of course we are saddened by what has happened."
Here is the latest from the Associated Press:
"Boston race draws 37 Arkansans"
LITTLE ROCK — More than three-dozen Arkansans were registered to run in the Boston Marathon, where two explosions were set off near the finish line following the race.
According to the race's website, 37 runners in Monday's race had listed Arkansas as their home state. Their ages were listed between 21 and 71 years of age.
It wasn't known whether any Arkansans were injured.
About three hours after the winners crossed the finish line, there was a loud explosion near a photo bridge that marks the finish line. Another blast could be heard a few seconds later.
"2 killed as 2 bombs explode at Boston Marathon"
BOSTON — Two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday, killing two people, injuring 23 others and sending authorities rushing to aid wounded spectators. A senior U.S. intelligence official said two other explosive devices were found nearby.
One runner, a Rhode Island state trooper, said the blasts tore limbs off dozens of people. As smoke rose over the glass-strewn street, bloody spectators were carried to the medical tent that had been set up to care for fatigued runners.
There was no immediate word on the motive or who may have launched the attack. Some 27,000 runners took part in the 26.2-mile race, one of the world's premier marathons.
"There are people who are really, really bloody," said Laura McLean, a runner from Toronto, who was in the medical tent being treated for dehydration when she was pulled out to make room for victims of the explosions. "They were pulling them into the medical tent."
About two hours after the winners crossed the line, there was a loud explosion on the north side of Boylston Street, just before the photo bridge that marks the finish line. Another explosion could be heard a few seconds later.
The Boston Marathon said that bombs caused the two explosions and that organizers were working with authorities to determine what happened. The Boston Police Department said two people were killed and 23 others injured.
A senior U.S. intelligence official said the two other explosive devices found nearby were being dismantled. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the findings publicly.
A third explosion was heard about an hour after the first two after authorities warned spectators to expect a loud noise from a water cannon that police apparently were using to destroy one of the devices.
Competitors and race volunteers were crying as they fled the chaos. Authorities went onto the course to carry away the injured while race stragglers were rerouted away from the smoking site.
Roupen Bastajian, a 35-year-old state trooper from Smithfield, R.I., had just finished the race when they put the heat blanket wrap on him and he heard the first blast.
"I started running toward the blast. And there were people all over the floor," he said. "We started grabbing tourniquets and started tying legs. A lot of people amputated. ... At least 25 to 30 people have at least one leg missing, or an ankle missing, or two legs missing."
A Boston police officer was wheeled from the course with a leg injury that was bleeding.
"There are a lot of people down," said one man, whose bib No. 17528 identified him as Frank Deruyter of North Carolina. He was not injured, but marathon workers were carrying one woman, who did not appear to be a runner, to the medical area as blood gushed from her leg.
Smoke rose from the blasts, fluttering through the national flags lining the route of the world's oldest and most prestigious marathon. TV helicopter footage showed blood staining the pavement in the popular shopping and tourist area known as the Back Bay.
Cherie Falgoust was waiting for her husband, who was running the race.
"I was expecting my husband any minute," she said. "I don't know what this building is ... it just blew. Just a big bomb, a loud boom, and then glass everywhere. Something hit my head. I don't know what it was. I just ducked."
Runners who had not finished the race were diverted straight down Commonwealth Avenue and into a family meeting area, according to an emergency plan that had been in place.


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Local young musician Dervin Murphy has returned from Louisville, Ky., where he had been selected as one of two to represent California in the National FFA Band.
Local young musician Dervin Murphy has returned from Louisville, Ky., where he had been selected as one of two to represent California in the National FFA Band.
This marked Murphy's second appearance on this national stage. The highlight of this year's experience was being selected for the horn solo,
"It was so exciting," he said. "On the last day, there were 62,000 members and guests, The whole thing played live on RFD TV (a television network aimed at rural America)."
Murphy, who plays French horn, is a senior at Escalon High School. He began playing French horn in sixth grade under Dennis Robinson. At Escalon, he plays under the direction of Jason Ryan. Murphy is also a member of the Central Valley Youth Symphony and has been selected as a member of the County Honor Band. For the past six years he has attended Pacific Music Camp.
FFA plays a big part in Murphy's life. He is the Delta Cal Section reporter, the Escalon Chapter treasurer and a member of the livestock judging team. He also raises beef cattle for his SAE project. In addition to his FFA activities, Murphy is also the treasurer of the San Joaquin Junior Fair Board and teen leader for Enterprise 4-H.
When not in the barn or music room, Murphy is on the soccer field as a member of the Escalon High varsity soccer team or in the courtroom as part of mock trial.
"FFA and music helped me with mock trial," Murphy said. "I am confident getting up in front of people and talking and performing."
What's next for this young man? "College, but I have to go a school that has business and a music program." His short list: University of the Pacific.
The National FFA Organization - founded as Future Farmers of America - provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 557,318 student members in grades seven through 12 who belong to one of 7,498 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
- Information and photo submitted by Bonner Murphy


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Matt Striebel will make his ninth appearance in this weekend's MLL All-Star Game, presented by Moe's Southwest Grill, the most appearances by a player in League history.
Striebel entered the League in its inaugural 2001 season, and has competed in a record setting 146 games. The midfielder has enjoyed much success in his 13-year career, seeing his name printed on the ASG roster since 2005. "My favorite All-Star game was the game in 2005 out in Denver. It was the original Old Guns/Young Guns format, and I got the chance to run with Gary Gait, Jay Jalbert, and Jesse Hubbard, among others. Denver was not yet an MLL market, there were tons of fans there, and the fireworks display at the end of the game was pretty spectacular. The whole event seemed to mark an important 'here we go' moment for the League. Things suddenly felt a little bit more big time," Striebel reflected.
Throughout his tenure, the All-Star has amassed 341 points, 211 goals, 19 2-point goals, and 111 assists. Each statistic ranks in the top 10 of MLL's record book for individual career records. Most importantly, Striebel has won three championships, bringing home the Steinfeld Trophy to Philadelphia in 2004, 2006, and 2007. In 2007, he earned the Championship Game MVP award after a three-goal, three-assist performance. Striebel was also named to the MLL All-Pro team in 2007 and 2008.
His success has continued in Rochester, as Striebel is currently in his third year with the Rattlers. He ranks second on Rochester's leaderboard with 22 points this season, scoring at least one point in all but one game this year. Four point outings in Week 1 against Chesapeake and Week 9 against New York have highlighted this veteran's 2013 campaign.
Striebel's most recent fame has come from behind the 2-point arc. His 19 deuces are tied for eighth place in MLL's records for career 2-point goals. In his past three seasons with the Rattlers, Striebel has tallied 17, good for 89 percent of his career deep scores.
"The MLL is the most competitive lacrosse environment out there. In order to stay in the League for any length of time, you have to find a role and excel at it. Now that I'm older I've got to figure out new and different ways of staying relevant and effective for my team," he said of his 2-point progress.
Striebel credited his teammates for a lot of his achievements, "If you don't have dodgers and feeders around you, you're not going to be able to get your hands free. There's a reciprocal symbiotic relationship. The better the dodgers around you, the more open you'll be. The more 2-pointers you hit, the more open the paint is going to be for those dodgers."
Striebel will be joined by teammates Ned Crotty, Michael Manley, and Jordan MacIntosh in Saturday's MLL All-Star Game presented by Moe's Southwest Grill. When asked what his favorite thing on the Moe's menu was, Striebel answered "Chicken quesadillas. Always."
Visit the
MajorLeagueLacrosse.com All-Star Game page to purchase your tickets to watch the MLL's best players go head to head. If you can't make the game then be sure to tune into ESPN2 for all the action.


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Bells versus the bailiff
Oh dear. In the news today is the 10-day suspended sentence of the bishop of Phoenix [1] for ringing the cathedral bells too often and too loudly. Sounding off at the top of the hour from 8 AM to 8 PM, the bells were violating the city's noise ordinance, which permits two minutes of ringing on Sundays and certain religious holidays only--at 60 decibels or less.
Not sure this is really a religious issue--the bells were only chiming the clock hours--but it's too bad if you like bells (which the city fathers and mothers of Phoenix evidently do not).
The controversy called to mind a recent article in The New Yorker [2] about the return of some Russian Orthodox bells from Harvard to Russia. In Orthodoxy bells, like icons, are "windows," aural rather than visual, to the divine. The are not tuned, so each has its own voice and, it is said, personality. When "persecuted"--whether by Peter the Great, who tried to make them into cannons, or the Soviets, who tried to melt them down--they are said to have resisted. One refused to break, five others disappeared, and another group refused to be removed from their perches--then falling off in a huff. One bell was even sent to the gulag by Ivan the Terrible.
Perhaps the Phoenix bells are still trying to figure out what to do.


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The Clerk shall be responsible for all papers and claims filed in his office, and will be required to file properly, any paper, pleading, document, or other writing filed in connection with any claim. The Clerk shall also properly endorse all such papers and claim, showing the title of the claim, the number of the same, and such other data as may be necessary to connect and identify the document, writing, or claim.
(a) Communications addressed to the Court or Clerk and all notices, petitions, answers and other
pleadings, all reports, documents received or filed in the office kept by the Clerk of this Court, shall be
endorsed by the Clerk showing the date of the receipt or filing thereof.
(b) The Clerk, upon receipt of an application for an award of compensation, shall enter of record in the docket book indexed and kept for that purpose, the name of the claimant, whose name shall be used as the title of the case, and a case number shall be assigned accordingly.
(c) No paper, exclusive of exhibits and correspondence from claimants, shall be filed in any action or proceeding or be accepted by the Clerk for filing, nor any brief, deposition, pleading, order, decree, reporter's transcript or other paper to be made a part of the record in any claim be received unless the same be upon paper measuring 8 ½ inches in width and 11 inches in length.
The Clerk shall keep the following record books, suitably indexed in the names of claimants and
other subject matter:
(a) Order Book, in which shall be recorded at large, on the day of their filing, all orders made by the Court in each case or proceeding.
(b) Docket Book, in which shall be entered each claim made and filed, with a file or case number corresponding to the number of the case, together with brief chronological notations of the proceedings had in each case.
(c) Financial Ledger, in which shall be entered chronologically all administrative expenditures of the Court under suitable classifications.
Within two years after the occurrence of the criminally injurious conduct that is the basis of a claim,
an application for an award of compensation shall be filed by a claimant, in duplicate. An application form
may be obtained from the Clerk.
The application for an award of compensation shall contain the following information:
(1) The name and address of the victim of the criminally injurious conduct, the name and address of the claimant, and the relationship of the claimant to the victim;
(2) The nature of the criminally injurious conduct that is the basis for the claim, as well as the time, date, and place of the conduct;
(3) The law-enforcement agency or officer to whom the criminally injurious conduct was reported and the time and date it was reported;
(4) A release authorizing the Court of Claims, the Court of Claims commissioners, and the claim investigator to obtain any report, document or information that relates to the determination of the claim for an award of compensation;
(5) If the victim is deceased, the name and address of each dependent of the victim and the extent to which each is dependent upon the victim for care and support;
(6) The nature and extent of the injuries that the victim sustained from the criminally injurious conduct, the name and address of any person who gave medical treatment to the victim for the injuries, the name and address of any hospital or similar institution where the victim received medical treatment for the injuries, and whether the victim died as a result of the injuries;
(7) The total amount of the economic loss that the victim, a dependent or the claimant sustained or will sustain as a result of the criminally injurious conduct;
(8) The amount of benefits or advantages that the victim, a dependent or other claimant has received or is entitled to receive from any collateral source for economic loss that resulted from the criminally injurious conduct, and the name of each collateral source; and
(9) Any additional relevant information that the Court of Claims may require.
(a) Within seven days of the receipt of an application for an award of compensation, the Clerk shall
transmit a copy of the application to the claim investigator.
(b) The claim investigator, upon receipt of an application for an award of compensation from the Clerk, shall investigate the claim. After completing the investigation, the claim investigator shall file with the Clerk a written finding of fact and recommendation concerning an award of compensation and all information and/or documents used in the investigation of the claim. The finding of fact shall be filed within six months, unless extended by the Court, and a copy shall be sent to the claimant by the Clerk.
(c) The claimant shall file any response to the finding of fact and recommendation of the claim investigator within 30 days of the date of the notice.
(d) After the expiration of the 30-day period, the Clerk shall assign the claim to a judge or commissioner of the Court.
(e) The judge or commissioner shall, within 45 days after assignment by the Clerk, file an opinion without a hearing and either deny the claim or approve an award to the claimant.
(f) The Clerk shall notify the claim investigator and the claimant as soon as the opinion has been filed.
(g) Within 21 days thereafter, if either the claim investigator or the claimant disagrees with the approval of an award or the denial of a claim by the judge or commissioner, the claim investigator or the claimant, or both, may file with the Clerk a request for a hearing.
(h) Upon receipt of a request for hearing from either the claim investigator or the claimant, the Clerk shall place the claim upon the regular docket of the Court for hearing.
(a) It shall be the duty of the claimant, or his counsel, to negotiate with the claim investigator so
that the claimant and the claim investigator may be ready at the beginning of the hearing of a claim to
read, if reduced to writing, or to dictate orally into the record, if not reduced to writing, such stipulations,
if any, as the parties may have been able to agree upon.
(b) Claims shall be heard and considered by a single judge or commissioner to whom the claim has not been previously assigned.
(c) Any claimant may appear in his own behalf or have his claim presented by counsel duly admitted to practice law in the State of West Virginia.
(d) The Court shall not be bound by the usual common law or statutory rules of evidence. The Court may accept and weigh, in accordance with its evidential value, any information that will assist the Court in determining the basis of the claim.
(e) If a claimant or the claim investigator desires to obtain subpoenas for witnesses, such request shall be filed with the Clerk in writing, giving the style and number of the claim and setting forth the names of such witnesses, and thereupon such subpoenas shall be issued and delivered to the person making the request.
(f) A request for subpoenas for witnesses shall be furnished to the Clerk well in advance of the hearing date so that such subpoenas may be issued in ample time before the hearing.
(g) A deposition may be taken when a party desires the testimony of any person, including a claimant. The deposition shall be upon oral examination or upon written interrogatory. Depositions may be taken without leave of the Court. The attendance of witnesses may be compelled by the use of subpoenas.
(h) To take the deposition of any designated witness, reasonable notice of time and place shall be given the opposite party or counsel, and the party taking such deposition shall pay the costs thereof.
(i) Depositions, interrogatories, requests for the production of documents, requests for admissions and answers and responses thereto are not to be filed with the Clerk of this Court unless on specific order of this Court; however, certificates of service are to be filed with the Clerk of this Court. The party obtaining any such material through discovery is responsible for its custody, preservation and delivery to the Court if needed or so ordered, and such responsibility shall not terminate upon dismissal of any party while the claim is still pending. The custodial responsibility of the dismissed party may be discharged by agreement to transfer the custody of relevant discovery material to one or more of the remaining parties with a certificate filed with the Clerk of this Court evidencing the transaction.
The original of all depositions upon oral examination and videotaped depositions shall be retained by the party taking such deposition.
Material obtained through discovery which is to be used in support of, or in opposition to, a motion to dismiss shall be filed with the Clerk of this Court with the motion to dismiss.
If depositions, interrogatories, requests for the production of documents, requests for admissions, answers or responses thereto are to be used at trial or are necessary for a pre-trial conference or for a petition for rehearing, the portions to be used shall be filed with the Clerk of this Court upon entry of the pre-trial order or at the time of the filing of the petition for rehearing insofar as their use can be reasonably anticipated by the parties having custody thereof.
(j) The Court may compel discovery and impose sanctions for failure of a party or parties to make discovery in accordance with the provisions of these Rules; provided, however, that the Court shall not find a person in contempt for failure to comply with an Order compelling discovery.
(a) After claims have been set for hearing, continuances are looked upon by the Court with
disfavor, but may be allowed when good cause is shown.
(b) A party desiring a continuance shall file a motion showing good cause therefor at the earliest possible date.
(c) Whenever any claim has been docketed for hearing for three regular terms of Court at which the claim might have been prosecuted, and the State shall have been ready to proceed with the trial thereof, the Court may, upon its own motion or that of the State, dismiss the claim unless good cause appear or be shown by the claimant why such claim has not been prosecuted.
(d) Whenever a claimant shall fail to appear and prosecute his claim on the day set for hearing and shall not have communicated with the Clerk prior thereto, advising of his inability to attend and the reason therefor, and if it further appear that the claimant or his counsel had sufficient notice of the docketing of the claim for hearing, the Court may, upon its own motion or that of the State, dismiss the claim.
(e) Within the discretion of the Court, no order dismissing a claim under either of the two preceding sections of this rule shall be vacated nor the hearing of such claim be reopened except by a notice in writing filed no later than the end of the next regular term of Court, supported by affidavits showing sufficient reason why the Order dismissing such claim should be vacated and the claim reinstated.
Any claimant may withdraw his application for an award of compensation. Should the claimant later refile the claim, the Court shall consider its former status, such as previous continuances and any other matter affecting its standing, and may redocket or refuse to redocket the claim, as in its judgment, justice and equity may require.
(a) The Court shall determine the eligibility of claims for injuries sustained as the result of domestic
abuse in the same manner as other claims. No claim resulting from an incident of domestic abuse shall
be denied based upon a finding that a claimant resides or has resided with the alleged offender of the
crime for which the claim has been filed. The Court shall not deny payments to third party vendors based
upon a finding that the victim and offender are maintaining a relationship.
(b) In considering an award, there shall be taken into account the extent to which a payment to a victim will support the offender by paying for the offender's living expenses, including food, shelter, clothing, or entertainment, or the extent to which the payment will substitute for money that the offender otherwise normally would expend for the benefit of the household or its members, so as to avoid unjust enrichment of the offender.
The filing of a false or fraudulent claim or the misrepresentation or omission of a material fact shall be grounds for denial of a claim.
Henceforth from the date of the adoption of this Rule, attorneys who are also members of the West Virginia House of Delegates or of the West Virginia State Senate may not represent clients with claims filed with the Crime Victims Compensation Fund in the Court of Claims.
Adopted by Order of the Court of Claims, 1981.
Amended October 20, 1983.
Amended April 18, 1984.
Amended July 1, 1985.
Amended July 5, 1990.
Amended November 18, 1992.
Amended June 22, 1994.
Amended September 22, 1994.
Amended March 31, 2006.
File a Claim | Eligibility | Request Application | Judges | Rules | Court of Claims | CV Home


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Their mother was in and out of the living room, but they weren't really watching their toddler, which is typical when they have people over.
Without knowing the show that was on, is it possible that it was something the parents weren't comfortable having on around a small child? There's a lot of shows that I won't let my kid watch that someone else might not think would be a problem.
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MELBOURNE Heart boss John Aloisi accused referee Alan Milliner of losing control of a dramatic game on Sunday night which his side won 3-2 over Brisbane Roar.
Milliner had sent off Heart striker David Williams with 23 minutes of the game remaining. It was a significant decision that had a major impact on a game in which Roar staged a frenzied comeback that netted it two goals and almost an unlikely leveller.
Aloisi had no qualms about the red card, which he said was an understandable call.
Instead he was incensed by a number of calls made which, he said, had stopped the flow of the game and left players confused and unsure of what they could do. Roar coach Mike Mulvey's main complaint was against the assistant referee who allowed Heart's second goal to stand despite the fact that scorer Josip Tadic looked a long way offside.
Aloisi said: ''There were some times he was giving a yellow card … then he gives someone else a yellow card for no reason. Then he starts to lose control, giving little cheap fouls. It helped Brisbane get back into the game today.''
Mulvey said: ''When you get given a goal that's three yards offside, it really deflated us a little bit. I just know what the linesman said to me as I asked him about it [Tadic's goal]. He said he was sorry. I said, 'Mate, that was clearly offside, wasn't it?' and he said, 'Yeah, I'm sorry'.''
Aloisi added that inconsistency of decisions this season had caused problems for his and other teams, saying his teenage winger Ben Garuccio had been brutally fouled and forced to miss a month over an incident in which no red card had been issued.


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165th Commencement Ceremony Held at Mount Union
May 07, 2011
More than 450 students participated in the University of Mount Union's 165th Commencement Ceremony held Saturday, May 7 in the Peterson Field House of the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex.
Among the participants were members of the inaugural class of the physician assistant students program, Mount Union's first master's degree in nearly a century. International students from China, Japan, Vietnam and South Korea were also among those graduating from Mount Union.
Also during the ceremony, honorary degrees were awarded to the late Charles Grove, Vanita D. (Bauknight '63) Oelschlager and Jack Peters.
Mike Border, the senior class president, spoke on behalf of the class of 2011.
"Coming here as a freshman, I never could have imagined all the incredible and wonderful people whom I would be blessed to get to know. Our past four years together will be a time in our lives which none of us will forget," explained Border. "I am thankful for all the memories that we have shared, and I am already looking forward to returning to campus in future years and reminiscing about our incredible time at Mount together. With that being said…it seems only fitting that I close by saying congratulations to the Class of 2011…the very first graduating class from the University of Mount Union."
The Heaton W. Harris and Corinne Harris Smith Prize was presented to senior David Z. Keifer, a chemistry major of Niles, OH. The Good Citizenship Award went to senior Teale N. Harold, a political science and international studies major of North Canton, OH.


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There will never be a time when the three American League West teams located on the eastern rim of the Pacific Ocean – the A's, the Mariners and the Angels – won't have troubling schedules.
They are about 1,500 miles from the other two teams in their division, Texas and Houston, and further still from the rest of the American League venues.
The question we pose here today is why the schedule makers insist on making things worse than they already are.
The Yankees, who come to town for three games beginning Tuesday, are in Oakland as the middle stop in a three-city West Coast swing. They've been to Seattle, and next they head to Anaheim.
The Orioles have already had a three-city junket to the West Coast. The Red Sox, in July, and the Rays in late August and early September, will do likewise.
Such a schedule makes it easy for those teams, minimizing the amount of mileage each accrues and leaving them with just two cross country flights for the AL West portion of the schedule – one to the West Coast and one back to the East Coast. With a day off mid-trip and another after after, it's as close to a piece of cake as schedule makers can devise.
How many of the West Coast teams have reciprocal deals? None. The A's, the Angels and the Mariners each must take three separate trips to say they've visited those same four cities. Oakland, for example, had Tampa Bay and Boston on an April trip, but their trip to New York was coupled with stops in Cleveland and Seattle. The trip to Baltimore later in the year will also include a stop in Detroit.
The city breakdown for the Angels and the Mariners is a little different, but the basics are the same. The Angels may have the most ludicrous of trips to visit one of those four East Coast cities, heading to Seattle and Milwaukee before making it to Tampa Bay.
It's subtle, but it's East Coast bias at a substantial level. The three West Coast teams are always going to have to fly the most miles, but by this kind of discriminatory scheduling, the Major League Baseball makes it worse than it has to.
There was a time in the 1980s and 1990 when the A's could generally count on a three-city Baltimore-Boston-New York trip, but as the number of teams have expanded, the number of divisions has increased to three and interleague play has become season-long, that seems to have gone.
It should return, because the West Coast teams have enough built-in scheduling issues as it is. The A's, for example, have five different trips to the Eastern Time Zone. And with the addition of Houston to the AL West this year, there are a total of six stops in the state of Texas for each West Coast team.
The West Coasters would be getting a break if they could play the Rangers and the Astros as part of a combined trip, but that hasn't been deemed important. The A's had one Texas-Houston trip this season, but that's it and the other four stops will be combined with trips to other cities.
The Angels have it even worse. They have no conjoined Texas-Houston series, so they have to fly to into and out of the State of Texas six different times. That's a joke.
You can bet that Angels manager Mike Scioscia doesn't see the humor in it. It's a good bet that he, A's manager Bob Melvin and Mariners' manager Eric Wedge would supplicate themselves at the altar of MLB in New York if they thought it would bring about any change.
There are always going to be schedule inequities with the bulk of Major League Baseball teams concentrated in the Eastern and Central time zones. But it's time somebody in the scheduling department of the commissioner's office did something to level the playing field a bit.


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Published: 2013/02/14
by Mike Greenhaus
Jonathan Wilson: Moving Ever Brightly
The phrase "good things come to people who wait" certainly holds true for Jonathan Wilson. After his critically acclaimed but commercially overlooked Sire records rock band Muscadine parted ways, Wilson spent nearly a decade living in different regions of the country and playing music anyway he could. He worked as a producer, spent time as a studio sideman and even hosted freeform Laurel Canyon jam sessions at his home that drew in members of Wilco, The Black Crowes, The Jayhawks, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Van Morrison, The Cars, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Miller Band and Pearl Jam, among others. All the while, Wilson never gave up on his original material and continued to record between projects. Finally, in 2011 he released his official full-length solo album Gentle Spirit, which offered a mix of quiet folk, psychedelic Americana and hipster-approved indie emotions.
Wilson supported the album with an extended tour that mixed headlining club dates with tours alongside friends like Wilco, Dawes and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. During those epic live shows, he also showed off his jamband worthy live band, who are able to swiftly transition from gentle moments to sprawling 10-plus minute songs in a matter of minutes. At the same time, several of the group's Wilson has mentored and produced over the years—including Dawes, Father John Misty and Vetiver—have turned into national acts on their own, increasing Wilson's reputation as a producer. (He is rumored to be working on White Denim's new album as well).
The guitarist and singer scored an entirely new fan base this past August as well when he participated in the Move Me Brightly Jerry Garcia tribute at TRI Studios. Wilson and TRI co-owner Bob Weir hit it off immediately and have collaborated together numerous times during the past six months. Their wide range of projects have included collaborations with Furthur, the Weir-Jackie Greene duo and Weir's solo TRI broadcasts. This winter they will also mount a joint West Coast tour and also share guitar duties in the new RatDog Quintet.
In late January, Wilson spoke with Relix and Jambands.com about his long, strange journey, his new friendship with Bob Weir and what to expect on his new studio album.
Let's start by talking about your Holiday Jamboree which took place at Los Angeles' Troubadour in December. How did that show's concept come together? Was it based on your regular jam sessions?
It was kind of a result of lots of jams that I would have at my house in the Canyon— and in the studio—but those jams have dwindled [recently]. We had always been in talks with the Troubadour, which is definitely one of the top spots that I like to play [at] in LA.
We wanted it to be a holiday event, so basically we just decided to join up with some buddies and people that we had been talking about doing stuff with—like Tom Petty's camp. On our tour together, I had been talking to [Heartbreakers'] guitarist [Mike] Campbell, just about collaborating. We decided to [combine forces] and do this holiday benefit together. Part of it was to benefit his organization and things like that. He has an animal rescue organization that was founded by his wife [Marcie Campbell]. It was definitely a good chance to get people together. That was my goal—to get Campbell together with Bob Weir, and to get Bob together with Jackson Browne because those guys had never hooked up. Things like that, man.
Are you still hosting your jams occasionally at home?
Not as much because my schedule has been mostly production and touring, recently. Most of the jams have turned over to [Heartbreakers' keyboardist] Benmont [Tench's] house, so that's kind of where everyone goes. The jam that we had at the Troubadour was insane. It was a treat for everybody. It definitely was big fun.
You have built a solid friendship with the Heartbreakers in recent years. Last year, you toured Europe with Tom Petty and members of the Heartbreakers have popped up on some of the albums you have recently produced. Is it right to assume that friendship started with your jams?
I guess the first thing was through Benmont. Benmont used to come up to my jams. I started to call him to play on albums that I was producing, and I got him to play on Dawes' album and stuff like that. We became buddies. When it came to them, they were looking for support, so that was when I first heard about it, but those types of decisions definitely come down from Tom. The way I understand it, Tom had just heard my stuff and he was into it, so that was the beginning. We've been good homies since then.
That summer tour was the best. It was just awesome to be out there with those guys and share the stage. Two nights at the [Royal] Albert Hall, that was a dream come true. We'd jam in their dressing room and stuff like that. Their whole organization is the best. For a band like ours, it's a special thing to be involved in and to soak up the good vibes. Of course they were fucking awesome! It's definitely something that you'll never forget.
Did you meet Jackson Browne through a similar circle? He was part of your jams for a while too, wasn't he?
Yeah, and the thing about Jackson that was cool was that he had gotten into all of my stuff before it was even out. So when I actually hooked up with him for the first time, he already knew the tunes, which was a treat.
Yeah, that's awesome.
Since then, Jackson Browne has become one of my best buddies. He's just the most amazing guy. He's just completely special and giving, the way he gives his time to folks; he's constantly trying to help out, so that's why he's the shit—behind the gated pad and being a rock star. He's one of the guys on the street. He's constantly trying to find other bands and support things. Friday, Saturday and Sunday I will go with Jackson to be his special guest on some shows in Seattle and Portland, so that will be fun.


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Cape Cod bay holds hidden risk for dining North Atlantic right whales
Tracking their dinner may be the best way to help North Atlantic right whales in Cape Cod Bay avoid being hit by recreational and commercial boats, according to a team of researchers who studied the whales for two years. "Auto-detection buoys are making a remarkable attempt at recording the whale sounds to show when whales are in the area," said Susan Parks, assistant professor of acoustics and ecology and senior research associate, Penn State Applied Research Laboratory. "But North Atlantic right whales don't make call sounds when they are eating, so they don't show the whales when they are feeding."


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African Slavery In Louisiana
series: Taste Of Louisiana With Chef John Folse & Co.: Our
air date: 2/16/13 8:30 AM
While the Africans contributed to the agriculture of the state, they certainly left their mark on the cuisine of Louisiana as well. Dr. Gwendolyn Midlo Hall, an authority on the African-American experience, introduces us to these ingenious culinarians by tracing their heritage from Africa to the cane fields, cotton patches and kitchens of South Louisiana. Chef Folse joins Chef Don Mastroni and Pearlie Jefferson at the Old Coffee Pot in New Orleans to make rice, or "calla" cakes, a favorite snack of New Orleanians. Judy Whitney Davis performs fabulous "spirituals" or "corn ditties."
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John Terry will have a scan on Monday to assess the extent of the knee injury he suffered on his return to domestic action after his four-match ban ended on Sunday.
The Chelsea captain was carried off on a stretcher after 39 minutes of the Premier League match against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, 19 minutes after heading his side in front with his 50th goal for the club.
The game ended in a 1-1 draw.
Terry was in an accidental collision with Liverpool's Luis Suarez and his knee was injured as his leg buckled as he fell just outside his own penalty area.
Chelsea coach Roberto Di Matteo said it was too early to say how serious the injury was.
"He has a problem with the knee and he will have to have a scan in the morning," the Italian told Sky Sports.
"Hopefully it is not too serious, but at the moment we cannot say more."
Terry did not go to hospital and was seen to be bending the knee while being treated, but Di Matteo was not ruling out a cruciate ligament injury which could sideline him for the rest of the season.
He left the ground on crutches with his right knee in a brace.
"We will just have to wait for the scan. We don't exactly know the extent of the injury yet. It is a shame because he just got back from his ban as well."
Terry missed three Premier League matches and a League Cup tie against Manchester United after the FA found him guilty of racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand.
Suarez, who like Terry scored an unchallenged header from a corner to earn Liverpool a draw, was suspended last season for eight matches for racially insulting Patrice Evra of Manchester United.
Updated Date: Nov 12, 2012 10:46 AM


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Recent News
DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS AND RECORDS/REGISTRAR PAMLA ARMSTRONG RETIRES AFTER 35 YEARS OF BEING INVOLVED AT ECUPosted on: 07 February, 2014
ADA –East Central University has been Pamla Armstrong's life for nearly 35 years as a student and career choice.
On Friday, Jan. 31, Armstrong stepped away from that portion of her life and into retirement as ECU's Director of Admissions and Records/ Registrar.
Posted on: 31 January, 2014
ADA – February will be a time to view French movies as East Central University, in association with the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, hosts the Fourth Annual French Film Festival during the month.
Posted on: 24 January, 2014
Due to the threat of severe winter weather, the Emergency Response Exercises, scheduled for Feb. 4 and 5 at East Central University have been postponed. More details to come.
WHAT: Emergency Response Exercises
WHEN: Feb. 4-5 (setup is on Feb. 3)
WHERE: East Central University's Sports Complex (mainly Norris Field)
Posted on: 24 January, 2014
ADA – East Central University students have a chance to study abroad in Spain during Spring Break, March 14-24, 2014.
The students will join ECU professors Ben Johnson and Dr. Mara Sukholutskaya on the trip which features stops in Madrid, Toledo and Guadalupe. Students can receive six credit hours as they immerse themselves in Spanish culture, history and language.
The cost is $2,895 (price is tentative with a group of 20 and does not include ECU tuition and fees). The deadline for registration is Feb. 7.
Posted on: 24 January, 2014
ADA – East Central University's Dr. Carl Rutledge, a physics professor, received the 2013 David and Molly Boren Mentor Award on Jan. 16 at the State Capitol in Oklahoma City.
The award, presented in conjunction with National Mentoring Month, was sponsored by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and its David and Molly Boren Initiative. The recognition ceremony was held in the House Chambers on the fourth floor of the State Capitol Building.
Posted on: 23 January, 2014
ADA – East Central University will host a Quiz Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 1, beginning at 10 a.m. on the third floor in the Horace Mann Building on the ECU campus.
Posted on: 22 January, 2014
ADA – East Central University students achieved high academic performance on either the President's Honor Roll or the Dean's Honor Roll during the 2013 fall semester.
The President's Honor Roll is reserved for students who earned A's in all their courses for a perfect 4.0 grade point average. The Deans' Honor Roll lists students who have at least a 3.33 grade point average with no grade lower than a C. At least 12 credit hours must be completed successfully during the semester to be included on either honor roll.
Posted on: 21 January, 2014
ADA – The East Central University Department of Nursing will host a site review for continuing accreditation of its baccalaureate nursing program by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 4 p.m. on the third floor (room 303) of ECU's Science Hall.


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Helen Clark: Sustainable energy access critical for poverty reduction, development in AfricaDec 8, 2011
Remarks by Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator At the Energy Access for All Side Event
Durban, South Africa, 8 December at 1-2.20 pm
We meet here today to highlight the critical importance of sustainable energy access for poverty reduction and development in Africa.
It is estimated that around 1.5 billion people have no access to electricity and that 2.7 billion people use traditional biomass for cooking and heating.
Almost 45 per cent of those who lack access to energy live in Sub-Saharan Africa, making up 69 per cent of the region's population. They number 585 million people. Seventy eight per cent of those living in Sub-Saharan Africa use traditional biomass for cooking and heating (650 million).
South Africa has made good progress on energy access for its people. Following the launch of the Government´s Mass Electrification Programme in 1994, access to electricity has more than doubled - from 4.5 million households (50.9 per cent) in 1994 to 9.4 million households (74.9 per cent) in 2010 .
Energy needs extend well beyond electricity reticulated to homes. On this continent where so many depend on rain-fed agriculture for their livelihood, expanding access to energy for irrigation and food production and processing is vital. It can boost agricultural productivity and rural incomes, and empower women who make up a significant proportion of the continent's farmers.
Two examples of how energy access brings extended benefits:
• an estimated 2.8 million people are now benefiting from a programme supported by governments, UNDP, and other partners to install engines in villages, mainly in the western Sahel. These engines reduce the time required for domestic chores for women and girls by two to four hours each day. That in turn releases time for paid activities, schooling, and other priorities. In Burkina Faso, the initiative is now being rolled out to villages across the nation by the government.
• through a partnership between the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme and the Barefoot College of India, rural women are being trained to maintain off-grid solar panels in several African countries, including in communities in Benin, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Ghana. This solar power initiative is reducing pollution and CO2 emissions; empowering rural women; creating new employment opportunities; and has health and education benefits.
Access to Energy to promote equity, inclusiveness, and sustainability
For UNDP, access to sustainable energy is critical for making societies more equitable and inclusive, and for encouraging green growth and sustainable development overall.
We advocate for equity, inclusiveness, resilience, and sustainability to be the guiding principles for efforts to achieve universal energy access.
We recognize that different groups have different energy needs. Therefore governments need to balance the financing of large-scale energy projects with support for the off-grid, decentralized energy solutions which will help meet the needs of the poorest and most marginalised people. Cleaner cooking and heating fuels and motor power for productive activities are needed.
As Africa moves down a low emission and climate resilient development pathway, it will need to extend the provision of clean modern energy services. The continent has abundant sources of renewable energy, including for decentralized and off grid solutions. If these sources can be harnessed to help provide universal energy access, then poverty can be reduced and growth stimulated without damaging our climate ecosystem. In this context we very much support Ethiopia's Climate Resilient Green Economy Strategy, which will be launched here in Durban.
Creating enabling environment
The International Energy Agency estimates that Sub-Saharan Africa will need cumulative investment of $US 389 billion to achieve universal electricity access by 2030 and $US 22 billion for clean fuels and devices for cooking and heating by 2030.
Public funding alone will not be enough to cover these costs, African countries need to be able to attract and access different sources of finance. The public funding available needs to be used as a catalyst for private sources of finance. For example, it could be deployed to create the enabling conditions which encourage markets and private investment flows into renewable energy.
The role of the UN development system
The UN Secretary General's initiative on Sustainable Energy for All is building a coalition of support for energy access which can help establish the enabling conditions, and give confidence to investors to support ambitious energy expansion and make energy poverty history.
The initiative is bringing together the diverse stakeholders who can make sustainable energy for all achievable - from the Barefoot College of India to Bank of America. At Rio+20 next year, an agreement on energy will require support from rich and poor countries alike, focusing on expanding clean and renewable energy in both the North and the South.
UNDP is working with African countries and regional organizations on the design and implementation of strategies for expanding energy access. For instance, we worked with ECOWAS in setting a target of expanding energy access to millions more people by 2015, and are now supporting the achievement of that goal.
Achieving sustainable energy for all will reduce energy poverty, and help combat climate change.
A strong outcome on sustainable energy is needed at Rio +20. It is highly relevant to all three pillars of sustainable development - the economic, social and environmental.
At UNDP we hope that the Secretary General's initative will build a broad coalition committed to support Africa to harness its renewable energy potential and achieve sustainable energy access for all. UNDP is fully committed to play its part to make this possible.
Thank you.


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Software Map
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Intended Audience :: End Users/Desktop [Remove This Filter]
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|0. pfb2t1c2pfb - The programs pfb2t1c and t1c2pfb can (re)convert PostScript Type1 fonts (pfb files) into the t1c format. During conversion no information is lost but the resulting t1c file is much more compressible.
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Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed a bill this year that let poll observers
intimidate get within thirty-six inches of the voters they are hovering over monitoring. Nothing like having the rabidly right wing poll police breathing down your neck while you try to make private choices in what used to be a country that believed in democracy. Now Wisconsin may allow cameras. Now they want their "observers" to be able to record your personal information, too.
Steve Benen at The Maddow Blog on the original law:
The law would allow observers to stand 3 to 8 feet from the table where voters announce their names and addresses and are issued voter numbers, or from the table where people register to vote.
Gee, who could possibly mind if a total stranger,
a fanatic extremist partisan with fervently opposing views, overheard your name and address? Or scrutinized and challenged your vote? What could possibly go wrong?
Here's a video of Rachel Maddow explaining the original law in full back in April:
Clearly, that's not enough Dem harassment for Wisconsin Republicans. Now the election
bullies observers would be able to unnerve their fellow citizens not just with their presence, but also with cameras and video recorders. If Americans exercising their voting rights happen to rub the monitors the wrong way, then hey, chill them to the bone. Document them. Record them. Use your cameras as weapons. Make them as uncomfortable as possible. Terrify them. Try to suppress their votes by causing them to avoid the polls in order to avoid the poll watchers.
Via the Green Bay Press Gazette:
Wisconsin officials may lift the ban on camera usage by election observers.
The state elections board will meet Monday to vote on proposed changes to election observer rules, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. The Republican-controlled Legislature proposed the ban reversal.
Election observers have been prohibited from shooting photos and video at the polls for the past eight years.
If the ban is lifted, cameras can start being used during the August primary. So much for your privacy, Wisconsinites.
This is going from "creepy" to downright scary.


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I'm quite irreverent when it comes to religion but the origin and meaning of this holiday is beautiful.
I did a photoshoot last night using some doll sized menorahs and a full sized menorah. I hope you enjoy the photographs. If you want to read a little about Chanukah, see the links at the bottom of the post.
I did a Google search for Doll Menorahs which produced mostly menorahs having nothing to do with dolls. Off the top of my head, the only company that makes a menorah specifically for one of their dolls is the American Girl. The menorah at the back of the table in the above photo is an American Girl product. It came with the items in the picture below.
|American Girl - Discontinued Set
|American Girl - Rebecca's Hanukka Set
Have fun!
The significance of Chanukah (also spelled Hanukkah) in our modern world is profound and beautiful and it is probably the best known Jewish holiday due to it's yearly proximity to Christmas. The Sanhedrin, a council or court of elders who met to answer questions of lawand all aspects of religious and political life in biblical times. It was established in 191 B.C.E. and continued although persecuted for almost 600 years. In 358 C.E. Roman Emperor Theodosius disbanded the Sanhedrin and confiscated their property as a reaction to previous emperor Julian's pro-Jewish stance.
Hanukah, The Holiday of Lights
Matisyahu: Light A Fire For Chanukah Music


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Spanish Islands
series: Globe Trekker
air date: 3/22/13 8:00 AM
Alex Riley explores the glorious Spanish Islands, visiting the Balearics off the coast of Spain and the Canary Islands near Africa. He begins on the millionaires' playground that is Mallorca and hops over to Ibiza, where he goes clubbing with the beautiful people and then winds down at a yoga resort. Alex next travels to Formentera, a sparsely populated island famous for mud baths and massive boats. He then visits the Canary Islands, starting with Gran Canaria where he revels at the festival of the Virgen del Rosario and explores the island's ancient caves. On Tenerife, Alex hikes up the Tiede volcano, Spain's highest peak, and later swims alongside a mother whale and her calves. He tries kite surfing in Fuerteventura and later tests his corralling skills at a goat rodeo
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General description:
Parellisina curvirostris is an encrusting bryozoan, typical of shallow shelf environments. The colonies form delicate white lace-like patches on stones, shells and calcareous concretions in waters between 30 – 80 m.
Parellisina. curvirostris is widespread throughout warm temperate and sub-tropical waters. It is common at moderate depths in the Mediterranean and extends as far north as the western English Channel.
Taxonomic name:


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University of Vermont
2012-2013 Catalogue
Computer Science Department
Contact InformationUniversity of Vermont
Computer Science Department
351 Votey Hall
33 Colchester Avenue
Burlington, VT 05405-0156
Phone: (802) 656-3330
Fax: (802) 656-0696
Email: email@example.com
Students may select any of three degree programs in Computer Science. The Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree and the Bachelor of Science degree, with a major in Computer Science and Information Systems, are offered through the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences.
Additionally, a Bachelor of Arts degree, with a major in Computer Science, is offered through the College of Arts and Sciences. Requirements for this degree are described under the College of Arts and Sciences section of this catalogue.
A nondegree Certificate in Computer Software is offered jointly with the Division of Continuing Education. Requirements for the Certificate are fifteen credits in approved computer software courses, to include CS 021, with a grade of C or better in each. Information about this program can be found on the Continuing Education website.
An Accelerated Master'sProgram is also available.
- Colleges and Schools: College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences.


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We're newcomers to this, having started near daily walks in the morning back in June. As we started each day earlier and earlier, we began noticing the near-blackout conditions on the main road of concern, the Brooklyn-Queens Greenway, or as it is commonly known, Forest Park Drive.
Joggers and walkers are currently on edge with two rapes in the last six months and the revelation that the suspect in these attacks is linked to a total of six overall. One would expect the city to do whatever it takes to make the park experience as safe as possible for everyone, so we reported the lighting issues.
We've made videos and taken pictures and drawn maps and we've been sending them directly to the Queens Commissioner of the Department of Transportation, Ms. Dalila Hall (DOT is responsible for lighting in our city's parks).
The response from DOT has been pathetic. The first thing they did was tell us that they would "look into it." Any time someone in government tells you they'll "look into" something, it means they'll ignore it and hope you'll shut up and go away. Email followed email followed email. Then they started spinning.
"The lamps in the park operate from dusk to dawn," Ms. Hall told us. "You will see a variation between places because some lamps are operating on a more sophisticated system that can sense light levels while others are on a fixed time clock which is regularly updated to adjust for sunset/sunrise. This said, the lamp hours still correspond with dusk to dawn as this tends to be the rule for when city parks close and open."
So, let's get this straight. At dusk, the parks are supposed to close, and that's when they turn the lights on? And at dawn, when the parks open, the lights turn off? So, it's like a refrigerator in reverse. In other words, it makes no sense.
Particularly since at dawn – keep in mind that dawn is not sunrise – it is far too dark to be in the park without lights. So, according to DOT, the park opens at dawn and they shut off the lights leaving people in the dark.
And when I say that it's dark, I mean that it is so dark that if you were walking your dog along the Brooklyn-Queens Greenway, someone could walk up to you and physically touch you before you even knew they were there. And DOT thinks their lamps are sophisticated.
That is dangerously stupid.
But if all that isn't maddening enough, this week we were speaking with members of the Forest Park Runners, an organization that has been in existence for over three decades, and they told us that they have been waging this battle for over four years.
Four years!
Allowing these conditions to continue each morning is reckless. I'd say that defending these policies with spin is criminal if the spin wasn't so clueless. A DOT spokesman told WCBS that "DOT continues to inspect the lighting in Forest Park and has found it to be in working order during seasonally appropriate hours."
That, my friends, is a gigantic load of manure. People have been running in the dark, using flashlights and iPhones to light the path ahead of them, for over four years, throughout all seasons. There is no appropriate season for leaving people in the dark.
It's hard to imagine someone actually defending a system that would keep the park brightly lit at 3 a.m. when, presumably, no one is using it, yet descend into total darkness at 6 a.m. when it is widely used. And this is what they call a sophisticated system. This is was DOT calls "in working order."
Here's a simple request for the higher-ups at the Department of Transportation. Come to the Brooklyn-Queens Greenway at 5:30 a.m. one morning. Take a nice morning walk from Woodhaven Boulevard to Metropolitan Avenue. All by yourself. Maybe ask your wife to walk this road in the dark by herself. Or maybe your daughter.
And then try to tell us that these lights are "in working order."


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Ridgecrest's finance director gave a fresh perspective on city finances Saturday at the Democratic Club of the High Desert's monthly brunch.
Ridgecrest's finance director gave a fresh perspective on city finances Saturday at the Democratic Club of the High Desert's monthly brunch.
Rachelle McQuiston outlined a number of things from budget projections to the increase in the sewer rates, as well as the 30-year repayment schedule of $4.2 million to the city's Wastewater Enterprise Fund.
McQuiston described her approach to the budget as tenacious, meaning to get things done even if the budget outlook was unfriendly.
"I jumped right into this budget and had to have a budget package in three or four weeks," McQuiston said.
However, she maintained a sense of humor about the budget process.
"I think the budget will be the death of me, but I just got it out," she added.
She said that she owed a lot of the budget's preparation to her staff, as well as other the staff of other departments.
"Overall, I have found the staff wants to do what is best for the city," McQuiston said.
McQuiston, who was thrust into planning a stark budget for the upcoming 2014 fiscal year, pointed out the city had a fine balance with its finances.
"The city is not rich, so we're not going to go out and hire a new police force, but we're not destitute, either," McQuiston said. "We can give basic services and we will be okay."
She added the federal sequestration and the recent announcement of furloughs for the civilian workforce at Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake would dampen some aspects of the city's fiscal trend.
"It did affect things and we have accounted for it, but not as much as we thought it would," McQuiston said.
McQuiston called her budget approach conservative.
"We have budgeted our revenues lower, and while we're hoping they come in higher, if they don't then we're prepared," she said.
On the transparent budget front, McQuiston said she was open to having her numbers questioned, but asked the approach be respectful.
"I'm good with disagreement, but I ask that you be respectful," she said.
When tackling the city budget, she said she had taken a look at the different departments, while drumming up a budget that included recommendations without Measure L and a budget with Measure L recommendations.
"I know most people would say it's ridiculous to cut 12 police officers, but the reality is I'm the cold-hearted accountant, I'm going to cut where I can," McQuiston said bluntly of the non-Measure L recommendation for police.
She said everyone got cut, especially police and parks and recreation. She said neither department had been cut by very much in the past few years.
One of McQuiston's goals in the FY 2015 fiscal cycle is move the city away from relying on Measure L tax revenues, especially for funding the police department.
"Our goal is to build us up to a place where we're not reliant on Measure L," she said.
Measure L expires in 2017 unless voters renew it.
McQuiston said one thing she hoped to bring to Ridgecrest was an ability to provide monthly projection updates, so the council and the public knew where the city stood financially.
"We'll adjust revenues and expenditures as needed to ensure we'll come in on budget," McQuiston said. "There have been a few years where the city had to borrow from the next year to pay for the year before."
She called some cuts to departments like parks and recreation a double-edged sword. She used the parks and recreation department as an example.
"We have a healthy parks and recreation program, but it isn't mandatory," McQuiston said. "People have talked about getting more people down here for more property taxes, but in order for that to happen you need a robust parks and recreation program."
McQuiston also addressed the recent rate increase on the city's sewer utilities, saying that while no one liked fee increases, there were some justifications to it.
"I'm an accountant, not an engineer, and I don't necessarily agree with the consultant's assessment that life would be destroyed if we didn't raise fees," McQuiston said. "But if that sewer system ever failed, we would be in big trouble."
McQuiston pointed out that the city had not raised the sewer utility fees in 20 years. Had it done so incrementally over those two decades, the current rate would be hovering at $19 a month.
The recent council-approved rate hike boosted fees from $10 a month for single-family residents to $14.15 in FY 2014, and an increase over five years to $31 in FY 2018. Multi-residential properties, mobile homes, and non-residential properties face similar hike increases depending on the type of properties.
She said waiting six months for the increase, however, would have lost the city an entire year in which it could take advantage of the rate increases to build up a reserve to help debt-finance a new wastewater treatment facility.
McQuiston agreed with concerns that timing was awful for the rate increases, but said "there was nothing the city could do about it."