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The Woman In Black
Harry Potter, er, Daniel Radcliffe remains in the fantasy/supernatural genre with "The Woman in Black," one of the first releases to come out on the revived Hammer Films trademark. An old-fashioned ghost movie drenched heavily in atmosphere, "The Woman in Black" falls into the inevitable trappings of a modern day horror flick.
The camera is fond of the ever-increasing maturity of Radcliffe, yet he can't quite escape a deer-in-the-headlights acting method for his character Arthur Kipps. Mr. Kipps, a recently widowed lawyer, is sent to an isolated village to research the paper trail of a deceased female client. The sense of dread Kipps feels upon entering the village and as he makes his way into the sprawling gothic mansion belonging to his client is one of the film's highlights. As Kipps fleetingly glimpses the ghost of a woman in black, mourning the death of her child, some of the village's children die gruesome deaths.
The Victorian era time period and somber tone complements the mood of the film. Yet director James Watkins fills his haunted house movie with cheap scares and jolts. While a cawing crow suddenly thrown into the frame may generate a cheap thrill, the film would've worked better with a more subtle approach.
Two special features, barely totaling 10 minutes, fail to give any in-depth insight into the making of the film, nor do they show any on-set antics. And Radcliffe's interview is fleeting and promotional only.
"The Woman in Black"


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Welcome to the Fashions of the Roaring Twenties Week here at OPOD. We will be looking at the clothes and styles of this period. We start with this picture from 1925 which shows some of the over the top looks people were going for back then. I will be honest with you that I am not a fan of looks from this period. In particular, I don't care for how the women all appeared to have their hair short, and pasted down to their heads.
Each day we bring you one stunning little glimpse of history in the form of a historical photograph. Enjoy!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
Sugar House
Today's picture shows the maple sap being brought back to the sugar house. Inside the sugar house is a large vat and a burner. The maple sap is cooked down until it becomes the thick maple syrup we all love. I have enjoyed looking at these peaceful scenes from Vermont this week. Sort of makes me lonesome for simpler times.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Sap Bucket
Today's picture shows a young man collecting the Sap Buckets which contain the maple sap. In looking at the pictures this week, I wonder if there is ever or has ever been a problem of Maple Sap Rustlers . . . that is, someone who might come in and rob the sap buckets. Cattle Rustling was a big problem at various times in the past, and so I wonder if people had to keep a close watch on their maple trees.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Collecting Sap
This picture shows a group in Vermont collecting sap from Maple Trees. You can see the buckets hanging on trees, and they are collecting and dumping the sap into a vat on a sled, pulled by horses. The dog looks like he is having a good time in the snow.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Horse Drawn Sled
This is another picture from Vermont in 1940 showing a horse drawn sled being used to collect maple sap to be used for maple syrup. It is hard to imagine anything more peaceful than this scene.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Hauling Maple Sap
I love this picture from 1940 Vermont. It shows a farmer bringing in Maple Sap on a horse drawn sled. I wonder if they still use horses to pull in the vats of maple sap they collect, or if they use four wheeler's or other mechanized means.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Collecting Sap
Today's picture is from 1940 and was taken in Vermont. It shows a man hanging a bucket on a tree to collect maple sap to make syrup with. This farmer has 400 acres, and can make $1,000 per year from selling syrup. The question is, how much would that be in today's terms? Well, in 1940 the average car cost $850, so he made enough to buy a car and have some left over. So, I would estimate that would be like making about $30,000 today.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Tapping Maple Tree
Welcome to Maple Syrup Week here at OPOD. We will be looking at pictures from a bygone era of families making their own Maple Syrup. This picture is from 1940, and shows a man in Vermont drilling a hole in a maple tree to collect the sap. This particular guy has 1,000 trees on his farm, and produces about 150 gallons of syrup a year. Just doing rough calculations you probably could not support a family doing that, so he likely had other farming or agriculture endeavors, and perhaps did the syrup as a side business.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Siamese Twins
When we started Twins Week, I promised myself I would not turn into Conjoined Twins week. For the most part I did pretty well, but just could not resist using this picture. It was taken in 1902, and shows an operating room where doctors are attempting to separate the twins. One cringes at the conditions in the operating room. There is less concern than you would find today in a typical fast food restaurant, where they at least wear gloves and hair nets.
Happy to say we were able to get the lovely Ms. EAM home yesterday, where she will begin a period of rest and recuperation. I appreciate all your prayers for her, and firmly believe that there was great power in those prayers.
Happy to say we were able to get the lovely Ms. EAM home yesterday, where she will begin a period of rest and recuperation. I appreciate all your prayers for her, and firmly believe that there was great power in those prayers.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Twin Girls
Today's picture shows twin girls posing with a police officer. I am not sure where the picture was taken, but it does look a little like the White House. It looks like other pictures I have seen taken of people visiting the White House. I can not be sure, but that would be my guess.
As many of you know, the Lovely Ms. EAM has been in Africa for the last 7 months serving as village nurse for the Mattaw Children's Village. She came down with Malaria, and basically has not been able to shake it. She has been sick for going on 2 months now, and all the malaria and medications have taken their toll and basically she was just not able to turn the corner and start getting well and getting her strength back. So, the people she works for, and her family decided the time had come that she MUST come home and seek modern medical attention. Our concern then became that she would have to be well enough to actually get on the airplane for the long trip home. I am happy to say that she departed Africa last night, made it safely to London, and is now on her way to Dallas, where Mrs. PJM and I will pick her up this afternoon. Kim Huffman, who started Mattaw, was kind enough to accompany Miss EAM on her trip back to Dallas. The concern was that she would get halfway home and have another relapse and then not have anyone to tend to her. So, I appreciate all the prayers and kind wishes from you all. I believe that once we get her home and to modern doctors we can get things sorted out and get her health and strength back. And, many HUGE thanks to Bud and Kim Huffman who were incredible in taking care of her in this tough situation. Oh, and I asked her if she could bring Georgie back with her, but she said that would be frowned on by village management.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Flying Twins
Today's picture was taken around 1910, and it shows twins getting ready for an airplane flight. Now, I have to really believe they wee just posing on the airplane . . . they were not really going to fly the thing were they?
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Twin Girls
This picture is from 1914 and shows twin girls getting ready to go in the car. My guess is that they are on their way to church. Have you noticed how the parents of twins can never resist dressing them the same? I am sure I would be the same way, though. The car looks like it is a Buick Roadster.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Twin Brothers
Today's picture shows twin brothers who sell newspapers. The picture is from 1909, and was taken in Hartford, Connecticut.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Pygopagus Twins
Today's picture is from about 1920, and it shows twin boys on a small pedal car. The boys are Pygopagus Twins, or conjoined, facing opposite directions. This is a very rare condition. Today, they always try and separate conjoined twins but back in the day, they just figured out how to live with it.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Welcome to Twins Week here at OPOD. We kick things off with this picture showing a set of twins. No, not the babies . . . the mothers are twins. The twin mothers had their babies on the same day. Interestingly, this was the second time they gave birth at the same time. The picture is from 1937.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Small People from the Philippines
We are wrapping up Miniature Person Week today with this picture from 1914. The picture shows a small couple from the Philippines. I was not able to find any other information on the picture.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Small Couple
We kick off Giant Week today with this picture of a couple standing next to a 12 foot giant. Just kidding . . . had to beat the Evil Nate Mass to the joke. No, this is a normal sized man standing next to a small couple. The picture was taken in 1924, but I could not find the names of the people. I do notice that there appears to be a half smoked cigar on the steps in front of them . . . wonder which one of them threw out their cigar before they snapped the picture.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Barnum's Circus
It appears that a well proportioned small person could always find reasonably good work with P. T. Barnum. The picture above is from about 1910, and it shows a small person in the Circus Arena. By this time Barnum himself was gone, but his tradition of employing small people lived on.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
General Tom Thumb
Today's picture was taken in 1863, and shows General Tom Thumb. His real name was Charles Stratton. He was given the Tom Thumb character by P.T. Barnum. He died at a relatively young age of around 45 from a stroke.
Friday, March 9, 2012
First Day of School
Today's picture was taken in 1905, and shows two children under an umbrella. The boy is wearing a sailor suit, and the girl a fancy dress and hat. The picture is labeled "First Day of School". It looks to be some sort of advertising or promotional material.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Beach Umbrella
Today's picture was taken in 1923, and is shows a child on the beach with an umbrella. She looks to be holding a doll, and maybe a paper fan.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Woman in Boat
Today's picture was taken in 1915, and shows a woman with an umbrella in a boat. She is dangling her hand in the water. It is a very peaceful picture. I really enjoy lazy days on the river in a small boat.
Thank you for all the kind messages and prayers for the Lovely Ms. EAM. She was able to actually go out yesterday, the first time in about a month. I am hopeful she will be able to get back on the job shortly. I sometimes wonder if much of the poverty in Africa might be able to be traced back to Malaria. When so many people are so sick so much or the time, it is very hard to have the energy to go out and build factories or invent things.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Woman with Baby and Umbrella
Today's picture was taken in 1913, and it shows a woman with a baby stroller and an umbrella. She is also wearing a very fancy hat. I like to see how elegantly people dressed back in this era.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
The Dead Sea
Umbrella Week continues here at OPOD with this picture of a man floating in the dead sea. The picture was taken in the 1910's. The dead sea is so salty, you float like a cork when you get in it. This gentleman is enjoying a good book as he floats in the sea. Not sure how he turns the page since the umbrella is in his other hand.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Woman with Umbrella
Welcome to Umbrella Week here at OPOD. We will be looking at this fashion accessory in use over the last hundred or so years. Today's photograph was taken in 1912, and was used as a sign at a movie theater to remind folks to not forget things at the theater.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Farmer in Diner
We wrap up Diner Week with this picture of a farmer in a diner in Pie Town, New Mexico. The picture was taken in 1940. The man looks troubled.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Old Cafe
This is an interesting picture of an old Cafe taken in 1939. It is in Robstown, Texas. There is lots of interesting detail if you zoom in on the picture. The buildings serves as both a Mexican Cafe, and a grocery store.
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subset: commoncrawl


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BOLINGBROOK — The Sports Medicine Department at ATI Physical Therapy is celebrating National Athletic Training Month by sharing its time and passion with those in need, supporting this month's theme "Every Body Needs an Athletic Trainer."
Each year, March is dedicated by the National Athletic Trainers' Association to bringing information and awareness to the role of certified athletic trainers.
ATI kicked off celebrations by hosting a "Big for a Day" roller skating party with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties, spending an afternoon with 18 Littles.
"I am grateful to ATI for hosting this activity for the kids waiting to be matched with a Big Brother or a Big Sister," said Lisa Morel Las, chief executive officer for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties. "The kids had so much fun bonding with a mentor, and it gave the ATI employees an opportunity (to) experience the 'big' impact a mentor has on a child."
The staff also hosted a blood drive at the corporate office in Bolingbrook, Illinois, donating a total of 26 units to Heartland Blood Centers.
ATI Physical Therapy is the largest employer of certified athletic trainers in the country, providing on-site sports medicine services for over 140 universities, high schools, clubs, and professional athletic teams nationwide. ATI's certified athletic trainers work at all levels of sports, and are experts at preventing, evaluating, diagnosing, treating and rehabilitating injuries.
Jason Pequette, senior director of sports medicine at ATI Physical Therapy takes pride in this month every year. "I am especially proud of the members of our sports medicine department this year in their celebration of National Athletic Training Month. They have taken time to go into their communities and have found opportunities to give to those in need. These actions truly show the love they have for their profession, and their passion to help others."
The ATI Sports Medicine Department's in-house committee is facilitating events and education in celebration of National Athletic Training Month. This includes the distribution of information to athletic directors, coaches and staff at athletic affiliations, bulletin board postings at local schools, clubs and ATI Physical Therapy clinics, as well as useful tips posted on ATI's Facebook page throughout the month.
Additionally, this is a time for athletic trainers at ATI to share their love and passion for their profession, as well as the personal impact their role has on the communities they serve.
"Being hands-on with the athletes is the favorite part of my job," said Melissa Ackley, athletic trainer at Marquette High School. "Knowing that I am giving my athletes the best care so they can return to their sport and do what they love is so fulfilling for me."
Often times, the difference in the professions of athletic training and personal training can be blurred.
There is, however, a difference between the two. Athletic trainers are considered allied health care professionals, and must meet qualifications set by the Board of Certification, Inc., and the state licensing board. They coordinate care under the direction of a physician and other health care professionals, and are members of a health care profession recognized by the American Medical Association. All certified athletic trainers must have a bachelor's or master's degree from an accredited college or university in order to practice athletic training.
ATI Physical Therapy is a nationally recognized orthopedic rehabilitation provider, specializing in physical therapy, sports medicine, work conditioning/hardening (F.I.R.S.T.™), functional capacity assessments, aquatic health, hand therapy, and women's health. With over 200 clinics in seven states (Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania) ATI is known for its motivating staff, hands-on, personalized treatment programs, exceptional results and innovative research-based programs.
ATI remains committed to giving back to the communities we serve. The ATI Foundation, a non-profit organization, provides funding and resources to physically impaired children.
For a complete list of ATI's sports medicine affiliations, clinic locations, services, and the ATI Foundation, visit www.ATIpt.com. Or, contact Jason Pequette at 630-296-2222, extension 7181.
For more information about the athletic training profession, visit the National Athletic Trainers' Association website at www.NATA.org.


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Advanced Search
VMware on Tuesday said it is acquiring Zimbra from Yahoo, extending VMware's reach beyond system virtualization.
Hackers will find ways to keep security experts busy. Keep your eye out for these eight.
In the age of virtualization and cloud computing, administrators need a holistic approach.
If recent market research is any indication, computing in the clouds could achieve a breakthrough of sorts in 2010.
Microsoft officials briefed financial analysts on the company's cloud computing strategy at its Professional Developers Conference on Wednesday.
Thirteen leading technology companies including Microsoft have joined with Lockheed Martin to form a new cybersecurity technology alliance.
Earlier this week VMware announced VMware View 4, the latest version of its desktop virtualization product.
Cisco, EMC and VMware on Tuesday kicked off a new Virtual Computing Environment "coalition" to promote datacenter virtualization and private cloud deployments.
After introducing the Triple Crown last year, Redmond knocks one out of the park in 2009 by honoring winners of four consecutive Reader's Choice Awards in the same category.
The server market is set for a refresh cycle in the months ahead, according to IDC's latest server virtualization report.
Microsoft released additional resources last week for IT pros planning to use the new desktop virtualization solution in Windows 7.
Microsoft and Red Hat have validated that their respective Windows and Linux operating systems will run on each other's virtualization platforms.
According to a recent survey conducted by Gartner, the green datacenter of the future is still a long way off.
Microsoft released a public beta of System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM) 2010 on Tuesday.
Kaseya's management system is a little inconsistent, but is useful for some administrators and should get better with further work.
Microsoft announced that the final version of Windows XP Mode was released to PC manufacturers on Thursday.
Government adoption of Vista has been anemic at best. But the prospects seem much better for Windows 7.
Microsoft announced the beta release of System Center Essentials 2010 on Tuesday.
With support for Hyper-V in Service Pack 1, Microsoft's System Center Data Protection Manager can be the ideal application for backing up virtual machines.
Microsoft Security Essentials, Redmond's free consumer security software for PCs, will be available for download by the general public on Tuesday.
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Michael Burckhardt, right, worked out with teammate Jonathan Chmilowsky at Coon Rapids High School, where they are celebrating five decades of wrestling. Photo by KYNDELL HARKNESS • email@example.com
Paul Klauda,
Legacy's hold firm at Coon Rapids
- Article by: DAVID La VAQUE
- Star Tribune
- January 22, 2013 - 4:43 PM
The wrestling room at Coon Rapids High School is dedicated to Robert A. Board, who founded the program in 1962.
One of Board's most intense and successful wrestlers, Bob Adams, later succeeded him as coach. Adams believed in tradition and added trophy cases, photos of wrestling alumni and leader boards to motivate future wrestlers through past glories.
This season marks five decades of Coon Rapids wrestling or as Adams calls it, "50 Years of Building Men."
Bob's son Ryan, a legend in Cardinals annals for coming back from a broken leg to win an individual state title in 2005, said his role as son, wrestler and now assistant coach help him better understand his father's mission.
"The biggest thing is just taking these high school kids and turning them into the men they want to become," Ryan Adams said. "You can just kind of tell how wrestling has affected people's lives. It just gives them that focus to zero in on their goals and that drive to go get what they really want out of life."
Board coached Coon Rapids to six conference titles and the state tournament in 1986. He saw three wrestlers claim individual state titles.
Bob Adams, a 1979 graduate, took over as coach in 1998 and kept the program on course. His teams have won six conference titles, reached state in 2008 and crowned six state champions.
The wrestling room features pictures of all of the school's wrestlers who finished top six in the state, and an all-time individual victories leader board that goes about 15 to 20 wrestlers deep.
"We wanted kids to have something to shoot for," Bob Adams said. "I've seen a lot of kids staring at that board."
Adams family is prominent
Atop the list are three named Adams: Carter (198 wins), who is Bob's nephew, and Bob's sons Jason (191) and Ryan (171).
"I'm definitely proud of the legacy the Adams family has left," Ryan Adams said. "It all starts with my dad. He was the one pushing me and my brother and my cousin."
Bob Board joked about the first time he mentioned coaching to Bob Adams, then a ferocious wrestler.
"I told him, 'I should break your arm so you can coach and not prove how tough you are by beating everyone in the room,' " Board said.
"Bob was a hard worker. Very driven. I knew he would be successful in whatever he tried. He's one of the best coaches around. He goes above and beyond."
Adams keeps the Cardinals' wrestling torch firmly in his hands.
"He lives and breathes it, man," Ryan Adams said. "It's what he does. I couldn't tell you how many times he's gone through the Anoka lineup figuring out every single possibility.
"I wish these guys in here could follow him home and see how much he puts into it. Obsession might be the word for it."
Message received
Current wrestlers such as senior Joe Anderson and sophomores Ryan Jones and Josh Bryant said Bob Adams keeps the program's tradition at the forefront of their thoughts.
"There's not a week where you don't hear about the tradition," Anderson said. "He's constantly reminding us how great the 2008 team was and how we can be that great. He makes us realize what everyone in past has done to get where they have been."
The message has gotten through.
Jones regularly seeks additional instruction for up to 45 minutes past scheduled practice time. Wrestling, he said, has resulted in better grades, healthier eating and staying in shape.
"We hear a lot about what people on the wall were like," Jones said. "He encourages us to push it to the next level, to drill like we're out there with the other team."
Despite the emphasis Adams places on tradition, whether or not a wrestler becomes a champion isn't the point. As Board once preached to Adams, "Just being a champion isn't the answer because there is only one of those every year."
David La Vaque • 612-673-7574
© 2018 Star Tribune


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Pa. Man Told To Install $20,000 Septic System
LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) – A central Pennsylvania man is being told to oust his outhouse.
The Intelligencer Journal/ Lancaster Sunday News reports 77-year-old Wilson Huyett is being told by Salisbury Township officials that his outhouse has to go.
The township says he must replace the outhouse with a septic system: three underground tanks, a pump and a three-trench sand mound. Huyett is guessing it'll cost around $20,000.
The burly bachelor says the outhouse on his 140-acre farm isn't bothering anybody and is separated from his closest neighbors by a quarter mile of fields and woods.
Bob Mohn of the sewage enforcement office says Huyett's outhouse is in a high-quality watershed and violates the state's sewage facilities law.


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Smooth Running
Sag Harbor
May 7, 2012
Dear David,
Please accept this letter of thanks on behalf of my family to the many people who walked and ran in the Second Annual Katy's Courage 5K. We appreciate their participation and smiles.
We thank all of Kate's many friends. Nina Landi shared her expertise, calm demeanor, and time to organize and oversee the smooth running of the race day machinations. We thank the many volunteers who helped organize the race sign-up and served food, and those who helped set up the course and the water stations. Thank you to the teachers of Sag Harbor Elementary, the Montauk teachers, and the East Hampton teachers for helping out in a myriad of ways.
We thank Mimi Yardley and Margaret Brooks at the Sag Harbor Bakery for the special cookies and delectable treats in memory of Katy. We thank those who help keep the roads and lawns clean of race event debris. We extend special gratitude to Ben Krupinski and his staff and family who donated the oranges and bananas and for their generous financial support and to the Bagel Buoy for the before-and-after-race bagels.
Thanks to Mitch Ping and Starbucks for the many volunteers and the coffee. We thank Mickey's Carting for the Dumpster. We thank Suburban Sanitation for the portable toilets. Thank you to the Sag Harbor police for the safe operation of the race through the intersections and roads of Sag Harbor. Thank you to the Sag Harbor Fire Department for the tables.
Thanks to Jack Mahoney for the medals and Romaine Gordon at B East for the water and the Be a Hero fund-raiser! A big thanks to Riverhead Building Supply for the use of the truck. Thanks to Tom O'Donoghue for his energy, scaffolding, and the transportation of volunteers to distant parts of the course. It takes a village to organize a 5K, and in our case, we benefited from the support of many people from the East End and beyond.
With our organization, we have goals and a desire to continue scholarships for local students, contribute to pediatric cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan, and the creation of a children's bereavement center on the East End. Funds donated and collected through the race will help to realize these goals.
It has been said many times, we live in a wonderful community. It is at once beautiful and generous, supportive, and caring. We experienced the evidence of this completely throughout our journey.
Thank you all again for your interest, participation, and love you have shown us. Thank you to all of our sponsors.
JIM, BRIGID, and
Goodbye to Mugsy
East Hampton
May 4, 2012
To the Editor:
Sixteen years ago we adopted a shy little tabby kitten from the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons. We took him to Dr. Jonathan Turetsky at the Veterinary Clinic of East Hampton, who checked him out thoroughly and confirmed what we already suspected: We had the best cat in the world.
This past week, when it was time to say goodbye to Mugsy, we turned to Dr. Turetsky again. Throughout the years, his compassion and common sense helped make us better "staff members" to our remarkable cat. At the end he treated Mugsy — and us — with tremendous respect and kindness. We are so grateful for his help at this profoundly sad time.
Our heartfelt thanks go to Dr. Turetsky, as well as to his colleague Bridget Behan, who has always dispensed so much good advice, warmth, and humor during our many visits.
JAMI, PAUL, THEO, and
Feral Cat Poem #37
how incurious
about the ferals
my housecat, Max, is.
Semi-wild, they gambol
about the grounds we share,
dance, prance, stalk and pounce.
but Max, the epitome of ennui,
barely blinks.
The ferals don't care,
and neither does Max.
So why do I?
Beautiful Memoir
May 5, 2012
Dear David,
I have just read Richard Rosenthal's "The Bridge, May 8, 1945." Such a beautiful essay. More than any other memoir of the war, Richard captures the spirit of that place and time with telling detail. He is a terrific writer. I hope we hear more from him in your pages.
Beauty Instead
East Hampton
May 4, 2012
To the Editor,
Friday, May 18, at 11 a.m., there will be a public hearing of the East Hampton Village Board at the Emergency Services Building on Cedar Street (above the fire station) concerning the store windows in the village.
In June 2010, the village issued a pamphlet to commercial property owner and tenants, "Maintaining an Attractive Commercial District During the Off Season (Guidelines for Vacant and Closed Stores)." Recently, following meetings with commercial property owners and other interested community members, the board now found it was important to enact a requirement that owners and tenants in possession of empty storefronts erect displays, consistent with the guidelines.
As an artist living in East Hampton, I am one of the concerned community members. The public, driving down highway 27, would see artwork 25 inches or larger — beauty instead of blank windows. The walking public on Newtown Lane could see the world-famous East Hampton art center.
There are various matters concerning this proposal: choice of artists, insurance, and security, etc. One idea would be not to wait for the fall off-season but to follow the guidelines as soon as possible.
Artist or not, if you want to enter this hearing, please attend on May 18.
Her Name Was Edith
May 7, 2012
To the Editor,
My thanks to The East Hampton Star and to Janet Goleas for her wonderful review of "A Complicated Marriage." I do, however, need to make a correction.
Ms. Goleas identified the young woman who was killed with Jackson Pollock in the 1956 car accident as Judith Metzger. In fact, her name was Edith Metzger — a small error had it not been that at the time of Edith's death her name, age, occupation, etc., had been so garbled by the media that she might as well have been a Jane Doe — a point that I bring much heat to as I revisit that tragic night and the ensuing days in my memoir.
It is ironic — and sad — that after 56 years Edith's mis-identity should continue. And I thank you for the opportunity to set the record straight.
Financial Pressure
May 7, 2012
To the Editor:
There's no question taxpayers, especially in this challenging economic climate, are overburdened, and the frustration that comes with that burden is certainly easy to understand.
But what's not understandable is taking that frustration out on our children and their education, which is exactly what the state's misguided property-tax cap threatens to do.
When going to the polls this year on May 15 to vote on our school budget, it's important to realize any budget that does not win voter approval under the new law translates into a 0-percent cap. That means, if the budget in your district goes down once, your school board may choose to go directly to contingency and there will be no additional resources for the education of your children.
That's a scenario that's particularly troubling when you consider that, in New York state, there have been three consecutive years of cuts in education aid totaling more than $3.2 billion. Those cuts have already led to the widespread elimination of vital academic programs, increased class sizes, extracurricular activities such as sports and music, a reduction in transportation services, and the loss of 30,000 teaching and other education jobs statewide.
Now, the financial pressure on our schools stands to only increase under the tax-cap law, since it handcuffs the ability of districts to raise revenue locally to offset losses in state aid. And the ones who will suffer for that are our kids.
Teachers and other school-related employees are taxpayers, too, and they are sensitive to the economic conditions faced by our state and communities. Teachers, like other workers, have been hurt by the downturn. They've watched layoffs shrink their ranks by the thousands. They've seen their savings diminish, and their property values drop too, and those fortunate enough to escape the budget ax remain anxious about their jobs. Teachers and other school employees also have spouses who have found themselves unemployed.
While tough economic times require difficult decisions, such decisions should not be made without foresight. Problem-solving also requires a thoughtful approach, as well as consideration for the consequences of the actions that are taken.
Education is not a frivolous expense. It's an investment in the future, not only in the future of our students, but the economic wellbeing of our state.
Investment in our public-school system must keep pace with the needs of our students so that they are able to meet the increasing educational standards required of them, as well as the demands and expectations of today's high-tech job market.
When you go to the polls this year on May 15 to vote on your school budget, know what's at stake.
Schools have been cut to the bone, and students have been repeatedly shortchanged.
Voting "yes" on Montauk's district budget this year is an important step toward helping our school from the troubling fiscal constraints under which it will be operating. This is a critical investment in our children's education and future.
Montauk Teachers' Association
How Much?
May 7, 2012
Dear Dave,
I was talking to a college friend the other day. He is a member of the school board in Martin County, Fla. He mentioned that the school superintendent was up for re-election.
"How many schools does he oversee?" I asked.
"How many students?"
"Eighteen thousand."
"How many teachers?"
"One thousand two hundred and eighty, 2,400 employees over all, annual budget $238 million."
"How much does he get paid?"
"One hundred and twenty thousand, plus health and retirement benefits."
"Really, because our superintendent in Amagansett gets $188,000 plus $14,893 in benefits, plus a free house."
"How many students?"
"About 120. She is also the principal but has an assistant principal to help."
At this point my friend asked me a question, one I have been asking myself for years: "Are you people out of your minds?"
"Yes, Mike, " I said, "we are definitely out of our minds. That is the only explanation I can come up with."
Can anyone really say that the position in a district this small warrants this kind of compensation? I don't have a problem with the current superintendent and the job she's doing. I'm not saying she's not worth the money, I'm saying no one is!
High Standards
May 7, 2012
Dear David,
I urge all Amagansett residents to vote Tuesday in favor of the 2012-13 Amagansett School budget, the tuition agreement, the library budget, and to re-elect Mary Lownes to her 11th year as a school board member.
As a parent whose daughter and nieces have attended this school, I feel blessed. These children all benefit from the quality of education, the talented staff, and the programming that Amagansett school has offered to them since pre-K 3. I know that it is only through the hard work of our board of education in cooperation with our superintendent and the school staff that this level of education and high standards has been maintained over the years. I have seen the dedication and hard work that this leadership team has put forth to ensure that our district provides all of its children with a quality educational experience while being fiscally responsible.
Mary Lownes is an exceptional board member. Whenever I have any school board question I know that I can contact her for answers. She's approachable, considerate, thoughtful, and knowledgeable. Her experience as a board member for the last 10 years shows her commitment to our school and community. She has been a champion of children's causes since she moved into our district almost 20 years ago. She serves on the Amagansett Beach Safety Advisory Committee to help make our beaches safer for everyone, she was a longstanding PTA member. and is fund-raising chairwoman for the junior lifeguard program. For many years she taught Sunday school at St. Luke's. She volunteers in the Amagansett and East Hampton communities, and she listens to her constituents to learn what issues are important to them education-wise.
I have no doubt that the reason our school has such a fine reputation and that our children perform at their highest level when they move on to East Hampton Middle School and High School is due to the hard work and efforts of Mary Lownes and her fellow board members. They have the backbone and knowledge to make those tough fiscal decisions but insist on maintain quality programming.
Last year pre-K 3 was in jeopardy due to budget constraints and the board, in cooperation with the superintendent and staff, came up with a viable solution to maintain it. These are the leaders our district needs and I want representing our children. We don't want to cut services at the cost of our students. Studies show that early childhood education and intervention have a direct impact on student performance.
It is vital that we keep this board consistent, as there are so many important educational issues on the table. The new teacher evaluation system, new common curriculum standards, changes in testing, federally imposed requirements of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top are just some of the issues that our board must deal with. Besides finding a way to pay for these costs and to meet these requirements these board members must be familiar with these ever-changing laws and work closely with our superintendent and administrative staff to ensure their compliance while still maintaining programming and support for each of our students. I have full confidence that Mary Lownes is the candidate that can meet these challenges successfully. She has my full support, and I urge you to re-elect her.
I ask that all Amagansett residents vote to re-elect Mary Lownes.
Additionally, vote "yes" to the Amagansett School budget and "yes" to the tuition agreement referendum the East Hampton School District.
Flipping Birds
May 4, 2012
Editor dear,
This week we learn ("Also on the Logs," May 3) that past and present members of the Town Highway Department have been flipping birds at each other while driving their trucks. This cruel and dangerous sport must be halted.
Parakeet Protection Society
Quiet Sanctuaries
East Hampton
May 4, 2012
To the Editor,
I am one of the taxpayers who lives on Hand's Creek harbor. For as long as I have lived there (30-plus years), it has been quiet refuge, a place to sit in your car, watch the clammers, the birds, take a walk up and down the beach with your dog, take a leisurely swim, or even a paddleboard ride.
Last year all that changed. Every weekend, truckloads of paddleboarders, via a commercial paddleboard enterprise, invaded the premises, to the discontent of many homeowners in the area, parking their cars, blocking the jetty, and overwhelming those of us who live there. What is next, a hot dog stand and ice cream truck?
Small creeks and quiet beachfronts are not commercial properties where commercial business activities should be allowed to take place.
We must protect our quiet sanctuaries from commercial enterprises!
Lawn in the Dunes
May 7, 2012
To the Editor:
Kudos to the East Hampton Town Zoning Board of Appeals, for, as reported by T.E. McMorrow in the May 3 Star, unanimously denying the applicant's request for a 2,000-square-foot lawn in the dunes while approving the other components of the application. This was a clear and welcome demonstration of the Z.B.A's commitment to preserving the natural, unique, and irreplaceable dune landscape, in the context of a thoughtful and balanced determination.
Invaluable Advice
East Hampton
May 5, 2012
To the Editor,
The news that East Hampton Town's Community Preservation Fund has been restored is very exciting news.
Gratitude is owed to Len Bernard, the town's budget director, and to the supervisor for appointing Mr. Bernard, who was clearly the obvious choice. This is very timely news, as there has been an attempt to dismiss Len Bernard as a political appointment.
Len Bernard has a long history of successful administration of municipal finances. He steered Jay Schneiderman's successful effort to rescue the town finances from the mess left by the inept fiscal management of the Bullock and Lester administrations. He was then hired by Brookhaven Town to improve its fiscal health.
Len Bernard has a master's in public administration from George Washington University and worked for the United States General Accounting Office. He served on the East Hampton Town Board with distinction. Having held elective office, in addition to a career in public finance, gives him a broad understanding of budgets and their political and fiscal impacts. Government budgets are not merely a fiscal tool but a political statement of where an administration's priorities lie.
Len Bernard's experience as a town board member and accomplished government budget director give him a unique perspective on the role of government finance and its impact on our community. His advice to our town board is invaluable although it may not always be accepted.
Fort Pond House
May 6, 2012
Dear David:
It is clear from last week's front-page article "Finances Get A-Plus" that the current administration has done a great job putting East Hampton back on sound financial ground. The Community Preservation Fund has been made whole, the main operating budget finished 2011 with a $6.8 million surplus, and according to Len Bernard at the town budget office, revenues have turned the corner and are increasing. Councilwoman Theresa Quigley even questioned why it was "fair to tax people for a $63 million dollar budget when we have $20 million sitting in the bank."
Certainly this is a world of difference from the situation back in 2010. Back then there were a number of proposals that needed to be considered to get us back to a strong financial position, one of which was the proposed sale of certain town-owned properties. And one of these, Fort Pond House in Montauk, was put on the market over the objection of many people and organizations.
Fort Pond House is a small house on the western shore of Fort Pond. It sits on almost four acres of land and has 1,500 feet of pond shoreline access. This public parkland was used by the Montauk School, the Boy Scouts, a writers group, the Hamptons Shakespeare organization, and a number of other community groups including an aid organization for autistic children. These were precisely the kind of town park activities the previous owner had envisioned when she sold the house to the town for a bargain price.
In 2010 the Concerned Citizens of Montauk and Third House Nature Center sued the town in state court to keep this small but valuable public park from being sold off as a private home. Third House Nature Center, which had been given a lease to use the park, found it necessary to bring a separate lawsuit in federal court. Since then the cases have been winding their way through the court system at considerable cost to all parties. It is estimated that the town has spent close to $40,000 and counting on outside counsel alone. In the meantime Fort Pond House has been locked up. There has been no maintenance, and the house is deteriorating.
Given the healthy financial reality of 2012, isn't it time to say enough already? The administration has more than accomplished what it set out to do. Let's put aside this burden from the past and return Fort Pond House Park to the people.
A Lawsuit
East Hampton
May 7, 2012
To the Editor,
In reference to Ms. Frankl's theatrics at the town board meeting this past Thursday evening, I can only say that negotiating a lawsuit in public to somehow humiliate the other party is unbecoming for a lawyer/plaintiff, but unfortunately no surprise from a Democratic Party leader.
If Ms. Frankl is sincere in her urging of the town board to leave the town clerk, Fred Overton, swinging in the wind to save taxpayer money, then by the same reasoning, Ms. Frankl and her fellow party plaintiffs should withdraw their lawsuit so those same taxpayer funds will not have to be spent in defense of her action against the town clerk.
When one truly worries about spending taxpayer funds, they don't bring lawsuits against the town or seek permissive referendums. It is illogical to do these things and not expect the board to exercise its responsibility to defend the town, its employees, and residents.
Ms. Frankl must see that in this case, what is good for the goose is equally good for the gander.
Rescind the Original
East Hampton
May 7, 2012
Dear David:
Last Thursday the town board Republicans passed a resolution to pay an attorney $200 an hour to defend a nonexistent lawsuit. This Article 78 proceeding came about because the town clerk threw out a petition (on the flimsiest of grounds) requesting a referendum for a professional appraisal of the Ronjo alley.
As your readers may recall, the supervisor wanted to sell the property to the new Ronjo owners for $35,000, a number he admitted picking "out of the air." The community was appalled, and the supervisor agreed to an appraisal.
At that point it was clear that there was no longer a need for the lawsuit and all that would be required was that the original resolution (to sell for $35,000) be rescinded; there would be no need for a referendum and therefore, no law suit. Town law clearly spells out the fact that such a resolution can legally be rescinded.
The board majority voted against doing this and is moving forward on hiring this lawyer at great cost to the public. The only apparent motive for this decision is political; there is no other rational explanation. The Republicans can claim that the Democrats were responsible because it was they who initiated the lawsuit.
The chairwoman of the Democratic Party clearly stated that the suit is now moot and all the board has to do is go back to square 1 and rescind the original resolution. Rather than do this, they will be sticking the public with a huge legal bill.
This board majority has cut numerous programs in the name of saving money. They are now digging their heels in (and wasting taxpayer money) rather than admitting that they may have been wrong. Sad, isn't it?
Political Scalps
East Hampton
May 7, 2012
Dear Mr. Rattray:
At the May 1 town board work session, Len Bernard and Charlene Kagen updated the board and the East Hampton community on the town's fiscal condition. Enormous progress has been made since 2010. Len Bernard's extraordinary professional skills and knowledge, together with the smart decisions made by Supervisor Bill Wilkinson, Theresa Quigley, and Dominick Stanzione (the Wilkinson team), and Julia Prince and Pete Hammerle, rescued this near-bankrupt town from disaster.
Some highlights of their success as of the end of fiscal year 2011 are:
• The community preservation fund has been restored financially and all money owed has been repaid with interest. Wise management of the C.P.F. during this time allowed for continued land acquisitions.
• The Wilkinson administration and the former bipartisan town board adopted smaller and leaner budgets on time, with no new taxes. (In fact, that group reduced taxes for all East Hampton residents.)
• East Hampton Town government has been reduced by some 25 percent with no major townwide reduction in services.
• With one caveat, the town ended the last fiscal year without adding new debt even as it updated the capital plan, projecting needed infrastructure improvements. The caveat was borrowing to eliminate the $27 million deficit created between 2005 and 2009. Overall indebtedness actually declined from 2009 to 2010 and 2011.
• Fund balances are up for the first time in five years.
• Adequate budget surplus has been established satisfying requirements for the Wall Street rating agencies. Wall Street is reflecting a positive fiscal outlook for East Hampton.
The independent audit of the town's finances for 2011 is projected to be completed no later than early June. Organized professional record-keeping practices, instituted by Mr. Bernard and Ms. Kagen, have resulted in an efficient audit process. In previous years, the audit process took up to two years to complete. This efficiency will save taxpayers even more money.
The Town of East Hampton stands as a fiscal model for the country, state, and other municipalities. Its extraordinary success is even more stunning since it has been accomplished in spite of a devastating national recession. The underpinnings of this success were established in 2010, through the hard work of a committed majority team and a bipartisan board.
Not so today. Taxpayers once again are held hostage, and government officials are threatened, by a Democratic political hit squad, interested more in getting political scalps than in doing what is right for the people of East Hampton. Projects, important to all East Hampton residents, are in limbo because of the weakening of what was once a strong, productive majority and the hyperactive partisan antics of the new council members.
An extraordinary recovery and a terrific story of a small town's fiscal fall and brilliant rise is now jeopardized by an out-of-control political mob, creating and spreading its toxic message for all to see on the national and state level and on Wall Street. It is a very dangerous and destructive game, one that stands in stark contrast to the extraordinary success and recovery this town has enjoyed. And the people responsible for playing it owe it to the people of this beautiful town to stop it immediately.
Talk of the Town
May 7, 2012
Dear David,
Thursday's town board meeting brought out a string of citizens all casting thumbs down on Theresa Quigley's attempt at a new entertainment law. Led by Paul Monte, whose spa I am a devotee of, stakeholder after stakeholder affirmed what anyone with a brain would know: It was an absurd idea to begin with and completely unenforceable.
After many speakers, mostly from the business community, the supervisor, realizing that these were the people who are usually among his supporters, acquiesced, but not the "deputy." Unable to listen and accept defeat gracefully, she went into one of her many tirades, attempting to blame others for her ill-conceived law. Of course, the supervisor was forced to waffle.
The Thursday night meetings have become the talk of the town. The behavior of the supervisor and Ms. Quigley is distasteful, to say the least. Arrogance, rudeness, and the reckless display of power have become the manner to which people are subjected, including other board members. They are certainly turning the stomachs and heads of reasonable people throughout the town. Respect is in order.
Sincerely yours.
What a Mess
East Hampton
May 4, 2012
Dear David,
Yesterday's town board meeting was a real stunner. In some ways, it can be very entertaining to watch the proceedings, but it can also be quite depressing when you stop to realize what a mess this beautiful town has become, thanks to the local Democrats. They were all out and in rare form with their usual complaints that they are the only ones who are good, just, and fair. One party operative had the nerve to hand out copies of "Robert's Rules of Order," but she only gave them to the Republicans. This would be funny if it wasn't so tacky and disgraceful.
Obviously, in her slanted opinion, the two Democratic newbies on the board are so well versed in parliamentary procedures and decorum that they need no further guidance. Never mind both Sylvia Overby's and Peter Van Scoyoc's tendency to constantly stonewall, talk out of turn, and play to the audience for guidance and applause, in that operative's opinion, these two Democrats are always on the right side.
Then Zach Cohen got up to harangue Bill and Theresa. When he wasn't busy apparently slandering all the town attorneys and the head of code enforcement (an offense worthy of a lawsuit), he was occupied with accusing the supervisor and his deputy of somehow abusing the power of their office to achieve the goal of harassing him personally. He threw an angry tantrum and then walked out of the meeting, literally yelling all the way that "he was right" about his baseless allegations of some sort of illegal collusion going on at Town Hall. Heaven help us if this [. . .] guy is ever elected to anything.
Finally, the topper of the evening was the local Democratic Party chairwoman, who got up and tried to hold a gun to the head of the taxpayers by claiming she would drop her lawsuit against the town — but only if the board gave in to her "bribe" request and rescind the Ronjo alleyway sale. When the board flatly refused to be held hostage or blackmailed, she threatened to drag out the suit and "win." Never mind the cost to us taxpayers. She further stated that the town clerk had "made a mistake" in doing his job.
Jeanne Frankl and Mr. Cohen (among others) are suing the town clerk, my friend, Fred Overton, for doing the job he was elected to do. Yes, despite all the errors in their petition, they feel a judge will allow their referendum request to proceed and the town clerk was therefore wrong to not accept their flawed signatures.
Now, if this action wasn't enough of an insult to the taxpayers, and an unnecessary expense, it got worse. When it came time to vote to pay an outside attorney who will represent the town clerk (and thus the taxpayers), both of the new parliamentary experts, the same Ms. Overby and Mr. Van Scoyoc, voted to deny Fred Overton the right to have counsel! I have been here a long time and never saw anything like that. We now have board members siding with party hacks, instead of the people.
The two Democratic town board members actually voted against the town clerk, in order to protect the head of their own political party. Yes, you heard right — these two elected officials actually refused to defend the town clerk, who was doing his job as advised by the town attorney. They chose their political party over the taxpayers. Their actions are just breathtaking in nerve and favoritism!
Sincerely yours,
Deer Management
May 6, 2012
To the Editor,
I would like to comment on the new Draft Deer Management Plan (described in your May 3 issue).
The draft plan identifies our organization, the East Hampton Group for Wildlife, as a member of the Deer Management Working Group that developed the plan. This is incorrect. It is true that Councilman Dominick Stanzione, who leads the working group, talked to us early on. But on Jan. 10, 2012, we wrote Mr. Stanzione that we could not join his working group until we knew more about its plans for expanded hunting. We heard nothing more on this topic, and we never joined his group.
The draft plan itself is inhumane. It not only urges expanded hunting, but wants to increase bow-hunting. Bow-hunting is especially cruel; it frequently wounds deer and leaves them to die slow, painful deaths. Moreover, the plan asks the town to consider periodic deer culls, which are horrendous slaughters. In addition, the plan wants to postpone a promising non-lethal alternative, contraception, until extensive killing has taken place. A more compassionate plan would make non-lethal approaches the priority.
To support its recommendations, the draft plan frequently cites the views of the state Department of Environmental Conservation. But the D.E.C. is hardly a neutral scientific agency. It promotes and glorifies hunting. It recently convinced the state to extend bow-hunting opportunities to youth who are only 12 years old. It also recently approved hunting with crossbows, which are dangerous to operate. The D.E.C.'s motivation is clear: Most of its funding comes from hunting licenses and taxes on the sale of hunting equipment. Without sufficient hunting, D.E.C. employees would be out of work.
Our group agrees with one option in the draft plan. The town should conduct a new study on the number of deer in East Hampton. In 2006, our group commissioned the town's first deer census. The town should take responsibility for follow-up research. Without it, the draft plan's statement that the deer population has reached an "emergency level" lacks scientific support.
Over all, the plan is a recipe for cruelty. Deer, like humans, are living beings. Like us, they have emotions, families, and social lives. They, too, want to live. By destroying much of their natural habitat, humans have caused most of the complaints we hear about. Now, in an effort to address the complaints, a group of people have come up with a plan to kill more deer. There are many humane, non-lethal approaches to explore, including contraception, the 4-Poster method of tick control, and a slow-driving campaign. I appeal to the East Hampton Town Board: Don't support more killing. Explore compassionate alternatives.
East Hampton Group for Wildlife
Animal Strikes
Sag Harbor
May 7, 2012
Dear David,
At a town board meeting on May 1, Councilman Dominick Stanzione said "We are in a deer emergency situation" and later commented that "the public health of the people is at stake." (See The Star, May 3, article by Joanne Pilgrim.)
The deer problem is indeed an emergency, as collisions between automobiles and deer are commonplace, with scores of dangerous interactions on area roads every year. Over the past decade, encounters between deer and vehicles must number in the hundreds. Yet, despite the formation in 2010 of a working group headed by Councilman Stanzione to study the deer problem, since well before the last town board election, it appears the town has placed its primary emphasis not on protecting the public health of the people but on protecting the airport from deer. This despite the fact that at a town work session on April 17, neither the town attorney on aviation matters, Peter Kirsch, nor the airport manager, Jim Brundige, was able to confirm the number of animal strikes at the airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration Web site indicates that during an 11-year period, from 2001 to 2012, only five animal strikes (three deer strikes, two bird strikes — none resulting in serious injuries to people) occurred at the airport. While three deer strikes are too many, seriously endangering the lives of pilots and passengers, the number should be compared to the far greater number of automobile-deer collisions, some of which have resulted in grave injuries and even fatalities. Yet it is the airport that the majority on the town board apparently wishes to protect by requesting F.A.A. funding to build a fence around the airport property, thereby ensuring F.A.A. control of the airport for decades to come.
However, if, according to Councilman Stanzione, deer are now considered a dire emergency' why is the welfare of the majority of East Hampton residents not considered a priority and accorded at least the same importance as commercial aviation operators and the small number of people regularly using the airport? Of course the easiest way to protect the airport immediately from deer would be by limiting access — just close the gates!
Angrily Attacks
May 7, 2012
Dear David,
I am shocked and appalled at Peter Wadsworth's vicious attacks on Quiet Skies Coalition and the two ladies on its executive board in his letter last week to the editor of the The East Hampton Press. He condescendingly accuses the coalition of not educating one of the ladies, implying she is not capable of acquiring information on her own. Then he angrily attacks the former chairwoman of the Airport Noise Abatement Advisory Committee, not disclosing that he also served on the committee and actually wrote a report on behalf of the committee. There appears to be deep-rooted anger. I don't know nor do I care where the anger comes from; however, I know the two ladies don't deserve such a tirade, and an apology is in order.
I get totally confused reading Mr. Wadsworth's other letter the same week to the editor of The East Hampton Star as he bloviates, lauding the accomplishments of ANAAC, appointing himself as the person that can simplify the issues. The two letters in juxtaposition appear to indicate two different personalities. In the letter to The Star, Mr. Wadsworth fancies himself an aviation expert, F.A.A. legal expert, and airport operations expert; he is not an expert in any of these areas. He states in his own biography he specialized in health care finance, which has no relevance to the subject matters addressed.
More disturbingly, Mr. Wadsworth was informed that the data he received from the town, used in his report for A.N.A.A.C., is flawed, thereby rendering his findings and conclusions false. In fact an F.A.A. investigator informed me the system used by the town to produce this data is not F.A.A. approved and they have no use for the data in enforcement proceedings. If the data cannot be accepted legally then how can it be used scientifically or analytically to produce reliable findings and conclusions? Mr. Wadsworth generously quotes these false conclusions and findings throughout his letters, thus being the originator of false and conflicting information.
Mr. Wadsworth used to live off the departure end of runway 28. He took the position to support grant assurances expiring in 2014. Now that he moved away from the airport to the Sammy's Beach area, he takes a position to support East Hampton Town to take more money from the F.A.A. and lock into another 20 years under an F.A.A. agreement. The coalition believes no taxpayer, whether federal or local, should pay anything at East Hampton Airport. Let the people who use the airport pay for the airport. In the Hamptons, why should that be difficult to do?
Mr. Wadsworth accusingly questions what the former chairwoman of A.N.A.A.C. knew and when. Mr. Wadsworth knows full well that A.N.A.A.C. failed to acquire the 2008 Kirsch memorandum from the prior administration and the current administration while the coalition had it all along. The coalition was able to acquire the document that A.N.A.A.C. could not.
When Mr. Wadsworth finally found that document on the coalition Web site he should have read the paragraph that begins on the bottom of page 20 and ends on page 21. Here Mr. Kirsch advises the prior administration to deceive the public regarding its strategy at the airport. What kind of attorney advises a town board to deceive the public? Is it possible that an attorney that advises deception is capable of deceiving the current town board himself? Is it possible that Mr. Wadsworth is part of a deception strategy?
Mr. Wadsworth should consider that the next time he wishes to take on the coalition. For those who seek accurate and reliable information can see the coalition's responses directly from the F.A.A. with the assistance of Representative Tim Bishop and a legal memo directly from Sheila Jones, an aviation expert, on quietskiescoalition.org. (Press the button on top, "Issues/Learn.")
Here is Ms. Jones's bottom line: "Who has the burden of proof? And what is the issue to be decided by the court? The answer depends on whether the F.A.A. initiated the litigation by commencing an administrative enforcement action based on an alleged violation of the grant agreement. If it did and all other things are equal, the airport proprietor-grant recipient's litigation risk in federal court is higher than it would be if the F.A.A. forgoes the administrative enforcement action and sues the airport proprietor in federal court."
This is simple enough even for me to understand.
Quiet Skies Coalition
So Much As a Dollar
East Hampton
May 7, 2012
Dear David:
The disinformation campaign by the East Hampton Town Board with respect to East Hampton Airport continues unabated. Let me cut to the chase with the critical, indisputable facts.
The people who use the airport or make money off of the airport want to take more money from the Federal Aviation Administration, most recently for what is being sold to the public as a deer-control fence that is actually a high security fence for which the airport has no need because there is no security threat.
When the town takes money from the F.A.A., it loses control over its own airport because it must, as a condition to receiving money from the F.A.A., agree by contract to so-called F.A.A. grant assurances. These bind the town for 20 years from the grant. The grant assurances eliminate the practical ability of the town to regulate airport access to protect the community from noise (of which more a bit later).
Currently, grant assurances that limit the town's power to control airport access expire on Dec. 31, 2014, less than two and a half years from now, due to a settlement between the F.A.A. and the Committee to Stop Airport Expansion. The F.A.A., in a recent letter to Congressman Tim Bishop, confirmed this to be the case.
When the current grant assurances expire, there will be no other federal law restraining the power and authority of the town to control airport access to protect us from airport noise other than some very broad limits imposed by the Constitution itself. The constitutional limits impose little practical restriction on the power of the town to restrict airport access in order to protect the community from noise.
How do we know this? Because the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the highest federal court in our jurisdiction other than the United States Supreme Court, has already said so. In a case called National Helicopter v. City of New York, involving the city's municipally-owned heliport, the Second Circuit confirmed that the city, as owner of the heliport and not subject to F.A.A. grant assurances, had the power to: (1) impose a curfew, (2) further restrict hours of operation on weekends, (3) restrict the number of airport operaions permitted in a given time period, (4) exclude particular airport types based on how noisy they are, and (5) do all these things with the goal of reducing noise by 50 percent.
In a 2008 memorandum to the town, Peter Kirsch, the town's aviation counsel, outlined a long series of steps, of progressively tighter control, by which the town might hope to control helicopter noise while subject to F.A.A. control. Mr. Kirsch is still touting his 40-step weight loss plan to the town board, most recently in an appearance a couple of weeks ago. The plan is nothing more than a full employment for Peter Kirsch plan — and at very high fees. The simple point that Mr. Kirsch constantly evades is that his entire step-by-step approach, very expensive and highly unlikely ever actually to satisfy the F.A.A., is completely unnecessary if the town simply allows the grant assurances and F.A.A. control to expire on Dec. 31, 2014.
As long as the F.A.A. remains in control by application of grant assurances, Mr. Kirsch himself said, in a 2008 memo:
"[T]he Town's authority is extremely limited and is subject to considerable federal regulatory supervision. If the Town were to attempt directly to impose restrictions on the use of HTO by limiting access to the Airport by helicopters, any such action would be subject to review by the Federal Aviation Administration . . . The Town has limited authority to impose restrictions on whether helicopters can use HTO. . . . The path to a lawful regulation of helicopter operations is neither simple nor legally clear."
In contrast, if the town lets the grant assurances expire in 2014 and doesn't take more F.A.A. money, the town would again have all the powers recognized by the Second Circuit. While Peter Kirsch might say that these powers are "extremely limited," his opinion is of no importance. The Second Circuit has spoken and it, not Peter Kirsch, declares the law in East Hampton.
If, however, the town takes more money from the F.A.A. for its so-called deer fence, then it will not recover the powers recognized by the Second Circuit. Here is Mr. Kirsch himself on that subject:
"While the National Helicopter case is important, it has often been misread and misinterpreted to provide greater authority for regulation of helicopters than for regulation of other aircraft. This misinterpretation is the result of certain factual peculiarities of the case which limit its applicability to the Town. First, neither the heliport at issue nor even the proprietor (New York City) was subject to federal grant assurance obligations. As a result, there was no need for the court to address questions of compliance with grant assurances. Pursuant to those grants, an airport operator like the Town commits to making its airport facilities available to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. The grant assurances allow the F.A.A. to make the determination in the first instance of whether a particular use restriction is nondiscriminatory and otherwise complies with a proprietor's grant assurances. Since the proprietor in National Helicopter was not subject to grant assurances, the court did not need to address the considerable case law and F.A.A. legal opinions which severely limit the ability of an owner of a federally-assisted airport to impose use restrictions. The Town is subject to grant assurances."
The Committee to Stop Airport Expansion agrees and so does the F.A.A. Indeed, when Burbank Airport tried to invoke the authority recognized by the Second Circuit, the F.A.A. said no and also specifically said that the Second Circuit's opinion in National Helicopter does not apply to Burbank Airport because it is subject to grant assurances.
Therefore, as long as the town is subject to F.A.A. grant assurances, which it will be for another 20 years if takes so much as a dollar more from the F.A.A., the town will remain "severely limited" in its "ability as owner of a federally-assisted airport to impose use restrictions." But we can get out of F.A.A. jail in Dec. 2014.
To be sure, despite his own written advice, Mr. Kirsch keeps telling the town board and the East Hampton public that it doesn't matter whether we take F.A.A. money or not. First he told the town that, despite the settlement agreement with the F.A.A. under which the relevant assurances will expire on Dec. 31, 2014, the settlement was unenforceable and the existing assurances would remain in place until 2021. Kirsch was wrong. The F.A.A. has said so in its letter to Congressman Bishop.
Then Kirsch told the town board, at a board meeting in Montauk and again at a presentation I attended at Town Hall, that, even if the settlement is enforceable, the town would be unable to control airport use because it had taken F.A.A. money in the past and because the federal Airport Noise and Capacity Act would still apply. Mr. Kirsch was wrong again (and the town is paying a fortune for this lousy advice).
The F.A.A. in its letter to Representative Bishop has agreed with the committee that, under the F.A.A.'s settlement agreement with the committee, the assurances that "severely limit" (Mr. Kirsch's words) the town's power to control airport use will in fact expire on Dec. 31, 2014, and that the applicability of ANCA will disappear with them. The F.A.A. acknowledges that the town will then have the full authority recognized by the Second Circuit.
Now that Mr. Kirsch can no longer claim that the town will still be subject to F.A.A. control after Dec. 2014, he has come up with a new justification for taking F.A.A. money. He now says the town has the same authority to control use of the airport even with the grant assurances, that the assurances have no material impact. Suffice to say that this latest opinion completely contradicts his own 2008 written memorandum.
Indeed, on any given day, you can find Peter Kirsch saying the opposite of what he was saying the day before (which is why I am having a transcript made by a court reporter of his latest appearance before the town board).
Monied interests, the people who can afford their own jets and thousand-dollar helicopter rides to the Hamptons, the people who pull Councilman Dominick Stanzione's strings, want it that way. They want the F.A.A. money not only to make the airport cheaper for themselves, but precisely so that the town will remain powerless to restrict their use. Councilman Stanzione is determined to give them what they want and the rest of the community be damned. Hence, the Kirsch snow job. It is really that simple.
Committee to Stop Airport Expansion
Bigger Issues
East Hampton
May 7, 2012
To the Editor:
I have always voted for Tim Bishop, and will again, but I must express my personal displeasure with his "aye" vote on the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, ostensibly an Internet security measure.
Although it is multifaceted and covers many other issues, CISPA would allow our government to enter into arrangements to acquire and share information, with few restraints, with other government agencies and private businesses. This could mean that government snooping prohibited by law can be bypassed by simply trading information with private entities not so bound. This could be the final step toward "1984."
I cannot imagine that any of Mr. Bishop's constituents would want him to support such a bill. Perhaps he can explain his position on this.
This is not the first time Bishop has done the unexpected. In 2008, Tim Bishop also voted in favor of the Troubled Assets Relief Program bailout that President Bush wanted. Yet he told me later that 80 percent of his constituents wanted him to vote against it.
Tim has done wonders in Washington for our beloved communities, but seems to be blind to the consequences of the bigger issues. Could this be the result of not reading and digesting the bills that go through Congress? If so, he's not alone; our Patriot Act is still substantially secret many years after its adoption, and I'm sure TARP was pushed through Congress without much debate.
Will Change Come?
Sag Harbor
May 7, 2012
To the Editor,
A hundred-sixty thousand American soldiers and private corporate armies like Blackwater have occupied Iraq and Afghanistan for over 10 years, a war we don't know how to end. Sending guns has not brought democracy, only chaos and instability throughout the Middle East. We lost in Vietnam, apparently a syndrome that comes back to haunt us.
Here at home, the Wall Street occupiers have begun to change our country in less then nine months along with the 99 percent. Therein lies a cultural change from within. The poor, middle class, and many of the rich have suffered this time while the 1 percent accumulated even more wealth. The American dream or nightmare?
At least these occupiers have a strategy chanting in front of banks and corporate headquarters professing nonviolence, a real breakthrough. Their targets are more accurate than drones that kill innocent civilians. On May Day their themes remained the same opposition to big banks and government that bailed them out with our money after they helped cause the recession still not over. The end of the day at 9 p.m. a large group gathered near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Plaza. The demonstrations spread across our nation and other countries around the world buried on page 20 in The New York Times.
The paradox confronts all of us. Will change come from the top down or grassroots Americans united? The choice is ours.
In peace,
Too Many Details
East Hampton
May 6, 2012
To the Editor,
The president has made a serious mistake by revealing too many details of the operation a year ago. President Clinton had bin Laden on three separate occasions and let him go, I guess Ms. Lewinsky was too important. Now Clinton is in a commercial suggesting Mitt Romney wouldn't have made the call. What a joke.
President Obama has nothing to run on so let's cause mayhem, war on women, class warfare, and totally divide this country. Remember Obama said he wouldn't spike the football, but now that he admits he is campaigning he couldn't wait to spike it. This man has gone back on every promise, except health care, he has ever made.
When you go to the polls this November, think what candidate will do the job to get this wonderful country out of debt, create jobs, get the economy back on track, and hopefully will look into Agenda 21.
Why does the United Nations have so much say-so in the United States of America? Politicians, wake up, this is our country, don't give it away.
Hasn't Created Jobs
East Hampton
May 4, 2012
To the Editor,
Sitting in a cafe or a pub on the other side of the Atlantic the perspective on solving the financial crisis is quite different than from our side. The collective consciousness that exists in Europe and not in the U.S. allows them to focus on government as the source of their problem and asks government to find a solution.
The social welfare nets that exist over here are so ingrained into daily life that looking away from government demands a radical restructuring of their systems. In the U.S. we go the opposite way, ridiculing government and demeaning its contribution in favor of the private sector — a modified form of hara-kiri, or collective suicide.
Our problem, very simply, is that our middle class is being destroyed. We have elucidated the reasons ad infinitum, with a certain abundance of irrefutable facts: wages dropping, debt increasing, jobs not being created, and profits of U.S. companies at their highest levels ever. If we had a collective logic it would say the private sector is doing quite well but hasn't created jobs in 12 years.
Why would anyone (who is not braindead) look to the private sector for a solution? Corporate America is thriving and has no need to change its direction. It may care about our middle class, but capitalism is about profits not welfare.
So, like it or not, we are stuck with the government as the engine of middle-class growth. The small government, deficit reduction proponents are really supporting the status quo with no ideas about growing the economy. The only real solutions (lowering taxes, deregulation, etc., haven't worked), are infrastructure projects that utilize the private sector that will put people to work. The government has to fill the space abdicated by the private sector until it becomes profitable enough to invest in the U.S.
The financial crisis pushed the U.S. middle class over the precipice, but we need to recognize that it was already hanging on the edge and would have gone over on its own. If we ask ourselves if we are better off now than we were 35 or even 12 years ago the answer and the data say a resounding no. We need to think about what really happened and stop drinking the same Kool-Aid that they drink on Wall Street.
Nothing to Offer
East Hampton
April 30,2012
Dear Editor,
Over the past several days and weeks there has been a clear picture painted by the Mitt (Etch A Sketch) Romney camp to make it clear that the candidate they support has nothing to offer the American people to entice them to vote for him but an enforcement of the existing hatred of President Obama.
Basically their election strategy is to build on the hate of Barack Obama and with their overwhelming amount of super-PAC money to describe and then destroy a straw-man Obama they have been working to set up for the past three and a half years: deny him credit for Osama bin Laden, deny him accolades for General Motors and Chrysler rescue, deny him benefits of Affordable Health Care Act, just attack and destroy.
Well, I give up trying to convince die-hard Republican voters to look at the candidate they put out there, his statements, his flip-flopping, his ignorance, and unfamiliar role as a leader, and tell me he is in any way a better person, politician, or human being then Barack Obama.
The hatred of Mr. Obama, no matter what its source, built by years of right-wing propaganda and real or imagined allegations, whether political, racial, or just Aesop's Tales, using the hope of the very short memories of the electorate is what the Republicans are relying on.
In 2010 the Republicans won the House and many governorships and state legislations basing their campaign slogans on the poor, the economy, the deficit, and smaller government. Look at the record! Not one jobs bill, no health care alternatives, only efforts to destroy the safety net of those relying on it, weakening education financing, obstructing voting rights, weakening abortion rights, undermining women's health care and equal pay for equal work initiatives, and generally no economic help or ideas except austerity, massive tax cuts for the wealthy, and safety net cuts.
They focus only on getting rid of Mr. Obama and installing someone, anyone, in his place, even an empty suit like Mr. Romney, whom they don't even like.
They have obstructed every initiative proposed by the administration to create jobs and then campaign on the high unemployment rate. They make every effort to obscure their restrictive efforts on food stamps, children's lunches, health insurance, and other scurrilous activities, but videotape and the modern spread of information make the efforts laughable.
Hatred isn't enough boys, try facts and figures and, above all, truth.


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Fourth in a series of posts analyzing Raiders position groups with players reporting to training camp in five days:
Projected starters: Chaz Schilens, Johnnie Lee Higgins. Backups: Darrius Heyward-Bey, Louis Murphy, Javon Walker, Todd Watkins, Jonathan Holland, Arman Shields, Samie Parker, Nick Miller, Shawn Bayes, Will Franklin.
There will be improved numbers from one of the least productive units in NFL history. The season-ending starters, Higgins and Schilens, caught 37 passes for 592 yards and six touchdowns. Combined. They finished strong enough to get the stamp approval from none other than Al Davis, who openly wished both would have gotten more playing time sooner. Heyward-Bey had a good first practice, a poor second one then had hamstring issues throughout the rest of the mandatory minicamp and OTAs. Murphy drew praise from Cable and could provide instant results. Walker is a wild card, having undergone knee surgery but vowing to return to health and regain the form that made him a dangerous receiver. The Raiders are paying him over the next two years after a renegotiated contract. Watkins made the 2008 roster on the strength of a strong training camp and will need to duplicate that effort to stick again. If Shields can't put practices together, hard to see him surviving unless they want to put him on the practice squad. Bayes and Miller are smallish receivers/return specialists with "Raider speed." Parker and Franklin have some NFL experience but would be longshots to stick.
The key battle: Heyward-Bey vs. Murphy.
Heyward-Bey has some catching up to do because of his hamstring problem, with Murphy having some impressive practices and having the look of an instant contributor.
What I think: The Raiders have drawn criticism over the past two years for passing on Michael Crabtree in the 2009 draft and DeSean Jackson in 2008. Their answers to those decisions lie in the performance of Schilens and Higgins, players of similar styles who finished the season strong enough to give hope that they landed comparable talents with later draft picks. Don't be surprised if Heyward-Bey, particularly early on, ends up as more of a clear-out receiver who gets the occasional over-the-top shot from Russell, with Murphy getting more receptions. Here's a scary thought _ the steady veteran presence in terms of leadership is Walker.
What could go wrong: Schilens can't stay healthy, Higgins can't produce as a lead receiver, Heyward-Bey can't hold on to the ball and the dark cloud that hovers over Walker remains in place.


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Obama Considering Morgan Stanley's Porat for Treasury Job
President Barack Obama is considering two women for senior economic positions, with Ruth Porat, chief financial officer at Morgan Stanley (MS), a leading candidate for deputy Treasury secretary and Wal-Mart Foundation President Sylvia Mathews Burwell a top contender for budget director, according to people familiar with the matter.
Porat has emerged as one of Obama's top-tier choices for the No. 2 position at Treasury, according to one of the people. She would bring deeper market experience than Jack Lew, Obama's choice for Treasury secretary, and provide gender balance on an economics team dominated by men, said the people, who requested anonymity to discuss personnel matters that haven't been announced.
Burwell is in contention to lead the White House Office of Management and Budget, said another person, who also requested anonymity. Last month, Obama named Burwell, who served as a deputy OMB director in President Bill Clinton's administration, to his global development council. The office is currently headed by interim director Jeff Zients, who replaced Lew in that job last year.
Obama, who won re-election with majority support from women and minorities, came in for criticism from some women's groups after selecting men to fill his highest-profile Cabinet vacancies -- at Treasury, State and Defense.
He defended his record yesterday, saying critics should wait until all his Cabinet and White House positions are filled "before they rush to judgment." He said a diverse staff helps create better policies.
Cabinet Diversity
"I'm very proud that in the first four years, we had as diverse, if not a more diverse, a White House and a Cabinet than any in history," he said during a news conference. "And I intend to continue that."
Among the 23 Cabinet and Cabinet-level positions, eight were held by women at the end of Obama's first term. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson have said they are departing the administration.
Obama didn't announce any personnel moves. A White House official, Amy Brundage, declined to comment on the possibility of the president picking Porat and Burwell. Jeanmarie McFadden, a Morgan Stanley spokeswoman, also declined to comment. David Tovar, a spokesman for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT), said the company had no comment.
The deputy Treasury secretary will be a point of contact between the administration and the financial-services industry as Obama presses Congress to raise the government's $16.4 trillion debt ceiling in the coming weeks.
Debt Debate
The U.S. reached the statutory limit on Dec. 31, and the Treasury Department began using extraordinary measures to finance the government. Those measures will work only until mid- February to early March, Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner said in a letter yesterday to House Speaker John Boehner and other congressional leaders. Congressional Republicans are threatening to hold up raising the borrowing authority unless Obama agrees to cut spending.
At the request of White House officials, Neal Wolin, the current deputy secretary, is staying at the Treasury for a transition period.
Porat is no stranger to the Treasury department. In September 2008, during the financial crisis, then-Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson hired Morgan Stanley to review the finances of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, prior to the U.S. seizure of the government-sponsored enterprises that buy and back mortgages to provide liquidity in the market.
Morgan Stanley
Porat, then head of global financial institutions, working along with Robert Scully, an adviser to then-Morgan Stanley Chief Executive Officer and Chairman John Mack, led a 39-person team at the investment bank that explored options for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Porat, with an undergraduate degree from Stanford University and graduate degrees from the London School of Economics and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, received $11.3 million in compensation in 2011.
She has called for more work visas for students with engineering and high-technology degrees as a way to spur innovation.
'Staple' Visa
"We should staple a visa to every post-graduate degree," she said at a Lincoln Center forum on Nov. 16, 2011.
Burwell, who graduated from Harvard College in 1987 and then won a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford, also serves on the board of Metlife Insurance, for which she received $259,000 in 2011.
The next OMB director would have to manage federal agencies if $110 billion in automatic spending cuts take effect as scheduled on March 1.
Burwell worked for Robert Rubin in Clinton's National Economic Council and was at Treasury when a budget standoff in 1995 led to a government shutdown. After the Clinton administration, she worked at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In January 2012, she moved to the Wal-Mart foundation to serve as president.
To contact the reporter on this story: Hans Nichols in Washington at email@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Steven Komarow at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Logjam in homeless shelters creating citywide problem for Chicago
On the outside looking in
Dozing off on the el might not seem like a dangerous idea.
But for 43-year-old Frederick Springer, the decision to grab some shut-eye on CTA's Blue Line almost cost him his life.
"I was sleeping good and the next thing I know, I feel something around my neck squeezing tighter and tighter," Springer said. "When I woke up, my eyes were bulging out of my head."
Springer recalled that a group of teenagers nearly choked him to death, simply because he was homeless.
"When their stop came, they finally let me go. But they all ran away laughing at me," Springer said.
The Chicago native has been living on the streets since November 2011. Such unprovoked abuse happens all the time, he said, recalling another incident when a group of boys peed in a cup and threw it on him.
"These young kids ride on the el at night just to beat up the homeless and mess with them," Springer said.
Unfortunately for him, dodging the late-night assaults hasn't been easy. Springer has been unable to find a place of refuge, such as a homeless shelter, for more than five months. But city data show stories like Springer's are becoming more common. According to the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness, Chicago's homeless population jumped 5 percent between 2007 and 2009, from roughly 5,900 to about 6,200. The troubling trend continued over the next two years, climbing another 6 percent to 6,638 in 2011.
One major reason for the rise in homelessness is a lack of turnover at shelters, according to shelter coordinators citywide.
West Side
The situation on the Lower West Side of Chicago reflects this problem.
Israel Vargas, executive director of the San Jose Obrero Mission in Pilsen, said he has seen a substantial increase in the average length of time spent by the homeless at both men's and women's shelters.
But instead of blaming the economy for the upsurge, Vargas said the city of Chicago must tackle the city's affordable housing crisis. That, he insists, must happen first before the city can ever hope to shorten the amount of time people spend in shelters.
"Chicago does not have affordable housing: period, "Vargas said. "Taking a family of three that is only making $500 a month and placing them into an appropriate apartment for the whole family should be considered affordable housing. There's no such thing here."
North and South Side
A significant increase in the average amount of time a person remained homeless over the last few years is the reason behind decreased turnover, according to the executive director of Lincoln Park Community Shelter.
Erin Ryan said her shelter serves as a transitional shelter - its inhabitants are homeless for a substantial period of time before moving in. According to her records, the people currently living there were homeless for an average of one year before arriving. That's up 20 percent from 2008, when the average stood at 10 months, and up 50 percent from 2006, when the average was eight months.
Ryan cites the recent economic downturn for making it difficult for people to find steady employment, even when they finally find a place of refuge. What's more, the average length of stay in the Lincoln Park shelter has more than doubled over the last four years, Ryan said.
"Fewer people are moving out, which means fewer people are moving in. So more people are stuck at emergency shelters or on the streets, because they can't get into a program like ours," she said.
The story is similar at Clara's House in Englewood.
While the typical length of stay is 120 days at the South Side shelter, founder and President Clara Kirk has been handing out extensions more frequently over the last few years
"We've seen a dramatic increase. If they don't have anywhere to go, we don't put them in the street," Kirk said.
Neil Donovan, executive director for the National Coalition for the Homeless, said the affordable housing crisis is not just an issue in Chicago, but nationally.
"There's been no administration in the last 30 years that's done enough," Donovan said. "President Reagan took a knife to the affordable housing budget, but I don't think there's been any response since then to repair the damage done."
Donovan estimates about 500,000 affordable housing units are needed for those struggling to stay off the streets. He said there are 50,000 such units that's currently available. But in 1980, according to Donovan, there 350,000 available units.
Until the federal and state governments come together to tackle the issue, Donovan fears people like Frederick Springer will continue to fight for their lives on the streets.
"Economically, we could do it," Donovan said. "It would cost about $10.2 billion a year for the next five years to build our way out of this problem."
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text:
Reno reliever Abe Woody kept the Sacramento offense at bay for 2.1 frames, but five River Cat runs in the early going were enough to push Sacramento to the 5-3 victory over the Aces in the series opener Monday night at Raley Field.
After going quietly in the first two innings, the River Cats pushed across two runs in the third to take an early lead. But the advantage would be short-lived. In the top half of the fourth, Reno clawed back to tie the score at 2-2, thanks to a sacrifice fly by Chris Roberson and a run-scoring single off the bat of Brandon Watson.
In the bottom half of the fourth, though, the River Cats regained their lead, scoring three times to go-ahead 5-2. Despite a Reno run in the seventh, the Aces were never able to even the score again.
Reno starter Cesar Valdez (1-2) took the loss. Valdez surrendered five runs on six hits over 4.2 innings pitched. He walked three and struck out a season-high four. Woody was outstanding out of the Reno bullpen, scattering just a hit and no runs over 2.1 innings. After Woody's exit, Josh Ellis worked a spotless eighth.
The win went to Sacramento reliever Steven Sharpe (1-0), who worked two shutout innings. Brad Kilby (1) picked up the save for the River Cats.
For the Reno offense, catcher Luke Carlin and second baseman Rusty Ryal led the way with two hits apiece. Trent Oeltjen doubled in the seventh, marking his sixth-straight game with an extra-base hit.
The series continues Tuesday night from Raley Field. The Aces will hand the ball to RHP Tony Barnette (1-2, 6.46 ERA), while the River Cats are scheduled to give the nod to RHP Edgar Gonzalez (2-1, 4.50 ERA). First pitch tomorrow is set for 7:05 p.m. PT. The action can be heard live on Fox Sports Radio 1450 AM.
The Aces return home on Friday, May 8 for a four-game series with the Fresno Grizzlies, Triple-A Affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. For tickets, stop by the Aces Ballpark Box Office, call (775) 334-7000 or visit www.RenoAces.com.
Reno 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 3 9 0
Sacramento 0 0 2 3 0 0 0 0 X 5 7 0
WP—Sharpe (1-0); LP—Valdez (1-2); S—Kilby (1)
ATT: 6,107 Time: 2:42 (:29 delay)


text:
HNC Structural Engineering
HNC and HND Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering practice is closely linked with disciplines forming The Built Environment such as: Construction, Architectural Technology, Building Surveying, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying and Facilities Management.
In order to maximise the potential for commonality of objective, structure and delivery, development in these areas has been very closely linked.
The HNCs in Construction Engineering, Structural and Civil Engineering and the HND in Civil Engineering are designed to equip the candidate with the knowledge, understanding and skills to allow them to gain employment in the construction, construction engineering, structural and civil engineering fields or to progress to a higher education or professional body qualification.
HNC Structural Engineering and HNC Civil Engineering
HNC Structural Engineering and HNC Civil Engineering qualifications contain a commonality of core of units and consequently the two specialist areas, together with areas common with the Built Environment awards in Construction Management, Architectural Technology, Quantity Surveying and Building Surveying, would encourage common delivery and teamwork with a range of specialist areas. These HNs will provide candidates with contemporary vocational skills, utilising modern equipment and techniques available for basic design procedures, surveying and material testing, thus enabling candidates to make an immediate contribution in their role as engineer technicians.
Use the tabs below to open each section individually. Alternatively you can show allhide all the sections.
Where can you take this course?
Group Award Specification
|HNC Structural Engineering
|August 2006
|HNC Structural Engineering Arrangements Document


text: Lawyers and staff at Fox Rothschild's 17 offices nationwide participated in multiple fund-raising activities to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy. Attorneys and staff at Fox Rothchild's Uwchlan office donated nearly $700 to The American Red Cross and collected household items that were given to a shelter on Staten Island to distribute to affected homeowners. Courtesy photo