text:
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Bloghop ends here!
What's more perfect to close off the hop than a pinwheel! This one sports some papers from the Yankee Doodle line from We R Memory Keepers - and that's the line of paper being given away for our grand prize during this very hop!
Challenge Announcement
Now that you've been so inspired by all the blogs, it's time to put all that stored-up mojo to use - with a CHALLENGE! Yes, we've got a challenge running now til the end of June - and we're calling it the "Second Million" Challenge! Click on the badge at the left to get details.
Let's get busy on that SECOND MILLION!!! Go make some cards and post on FB, or use InLinkz below to share a link to your creations!
(And if you want to leave a shout out about what you thought of the hop, go do it on the S&S blog so everyone can read your input!)
94 comments:
- RobinH said...
is what I came up with for the hidden letter scramble
thanks for a fun hop!
- May 28, 2011 at 7:48 AM
- Jeanne said...
This was a tough one!
Any Hero Letters!
- May 28, 2011 at 7:56 AM
- Susie said...
Fabulous Hop! Loved all of the samples. I think the answer to the puzzle is - any hero letters.
You had #44 with an asterisk but the blogger did not have a puzzle piece posted - I'm assuming it should have been an "h". Sue berkerster at gmail.com
- May 28, 2011 at 7:58 AM
- Debra said...
My answer is "Any Hero Letters". Enjoyed the tips too.
- May 28, 2011 at 8:00 AM
- Ronda Archangelo said...
You ought to sell a book with photos of all the great cards and stories!
- May 28, 2011 at 8:10 AM
Now I'm going to check out the rest of the blog hop!
pearx2 at zoominternet dot net
- May 28, 2011 at 8:16 AM
- Lisa Oliver said...
I love this card, Sandy! I am excited to see this line of paper - I have been looking for patriotic paper for quite some time.
I wanted to be sure to get all of the letters so I visited the * posts first (thanks for the tip on Thursday nite) and I also wanted to be sure all of the * links were working...and they are. :)
The secret phrase is....
Any Hero Letters
Thank you for a wonderful hop!
- May 28, 2011 at 8:30 AM
- sagreen125 said...
Any Hero Letters
Stacy Green
email- email@example.com
so many great card ideas
thanks for all the hard work you guys do
- May 28, 2011 at 9:00 AM
Here is my answer to the blog hop...
Thanks, firstname.lastname@example.com
- May 28, 2011 at 9:33 AM
- Nancy M said...
Oh what fun; many, many thanks, as I'm SURE this is lots of work!!! This is my 1st big hop!!
The answer is:
RBBRRMQN at YAHOO dot COM (easier to read mine in caps)
- May 28, 2011 at 9:39 AM
- April said...
AnyHero Letters
- May 28, 2011 at 9:40 AM
- Unknown said...
Any Hero Letters! We just mailed one yesterday with our package of cards!
ajandapril at aol dot com
- May 28, 2011 at 9:42 AM
- Charlotte Cornett said...
Any Hero Letters
Thanks for the Blog Hop!! Just found out about your ministry and looking forward to creating more cards. Thanks!
- May 28, 2011 at 9:45 AM
- Brenda said...
Love your card design! Thanks for the hops, it was fun and inspirational!
- May 28, 2011 at 9:50 AM
Not sure this is correct, but it fits -- Any Hero Letters
Let me know if I need to keep working. lol
Debbie Flattum
myturn4fun at gmail dot com
- May 28, 2011 at 10:47 AM
- sharon g said...
Well, I think that I have it: AnyHero Letters or Any Hero Letters.
Sharon Gullikson
sharon.gullikson at gmail.com
- May 28, 2011 at 10:53 AM
Any Hero Letters
- May 28, 2011 at 11:45 AM
- Jennifer Scull said...
loved the hop! and was finally able to start leaving comments for some, thanks to the tips you had posted.
the phrase I have come up with is -
"Any Hero Letters"
thank you for all of the hard work putting this together! I had a great time particpating as well as being a part! :)
- May 28, 2011 at 12:08 PM
- Christy said...
It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, but I finally got it: Any Hero Letters. Thanks for allowing me to join in the blog hop.
- May 28, 2011 at 12:59 PM
- K said...
loving that pinwheel! beautiful card, and i had a great time on the 'hop! thanks for hosting!
- May 28, 2011 at 1:46 PM
- Crafty56 said...
Any Hero Letters
- May 28, 2011 at 1:55 PM
- Crafty56 said...
Any hero letters
- May 28, 2011 at 1:56 PM
- Misty said...
WOW what a hop! "Any hero Letters' is the answer?
Hummer Hugs,
hummingbird204 at comcast dot net
- May 28, 2011 at 2:29 PM
- Cheryl said...
Great hop! So inspiring!
My guess is "Any Hero Letters"
- May 28, 2011 at 3:06 PM
- Cheryl said...
Sorry forgot my email: shestamps11-blogs at yahoo dot com
- May 28, 2011 at 3:06 PM
- Rhonda Miller said...
What a great pinwheel card. The answer is "Any Hero Letters". Thanks for a great hop.
- May 28, 2011 at 3:20 PM
- Debbie Fisher (debbiedee) said...
I have no idea if this is right, but the letters fit. Can't figure out how it could be two words.
- May 28, 2011 at 3:30 PM
- Marsha said...
Great blog hop. Very fun. Love the reminders in the shields. Found it hard to do emails in code. Secret message: anyhero letters.
- May 28, 2011 at 4:10 PM
- Laurie said...
My answer is AnyHero Letters
- May 28, 2011 at 4:43 PM
- Teen2Step said...
"ANY HERO LETTERS" is what I came up with, Thanks for letting me hop along!
- May 28, 2011 at 4:58 PM
- One Scrappy Gal said...
I think I have the answer to the game. It is: ANY-HERO LETTERS. THis has been such a delightful blog hop - and so long! I enjoyed the many cards and got many ideas for more cards for the heroes. Lets go for the next million! Yea!
- May 28, 2011 at 5:23 PM
- KellyRae said...
My guess for the secret word challenge is 'any hero letters'. Thanks for the reminder to put any hero letters in with my cards to my OWH shipper. Great hop!
mail AT kellyrae DOT com
- May 28, 2011 at 5:24 PM
- grandmalee said...
Since I'm having so many problems with Blogger not taking my comments on several blogs, I thought I'd leave them here.
Elizabeth @ Visions of Paper: Love that Penny Black stamp! So fitting with the little boy and that plane kite. Adorable!
Kerri @ Big Smiles From K Bear: You did an awesome job with Dustin Pike's bears! Your coloring is supreme and the colors are a perfect fit!
Megan Bean: I love all of the hearts on this card. You really softened the sentiment by stamping on the vellum.
Redonna @ Perpetual Playtime: Love the soft purples with this Tilda image that couldn't fit any better for a missing you card! The border punch and the way you framed the sentiment with two strips of ribbon is gorgeous!
Christy Blade Handmade: WOW! Who would think such a simple card would make such a statement! That embossing folder and the colors are perfect!
Yolanda @ Imagine. Make. Share.: Love that Tim Holtz embossing folder! Looks fabulous on this kraft paper especially since you inked it with the brown. Great way to extend sentiments! You made the cards look so different just by moving the sentiment in different positions.
Kris @ A Work of Heart: I love that chair image. I still have one that I sit on all of the time. Your colors are so bright and cheery, and the ruffles are great in all of those wonderful colors!
I'll have more later!
- May 28, 2011 at 5:29 PM
- Redonna said...
*** Any Hero Letters ***
Wow! Great Blog-Hop. I just hate that Blogger was acting up so much today. I visited all stops, but I have to go back tomorrow or Monday and try to post to some blogs that Blogger just would not let me post on. Thanks for all the hard you put into this.
rleckie911 AT gmail.com
- May 28, 2011 at 5:43 PM
- Tami B. said...
Any Hero Letters!
- May 28, 2011 at 6:09 PM
Any Hero Letters
- May 28, 2011 at 6:36 PM
rkscholz at yahoo dot com
- May 28, 2011 at 7:13 PM
- Patricia H said...
AnyHero letters!
That is something I need to work on. *blush*
- May 28, 2011 at 7:34 PM
I think the puzzle answer is "Any Hero Letters".
The hop was fabulous!!!
Pat Kinkaid
- May 28, 2011 at 8:27 PM
- Autumn said...
Puzzle Answer: AnyHero Letters
Thanks so much OWH for all you do for our men/women in uniform!!! Thanks to your inspiration, I sent out some cards today to help Erica at My Cricut Craft Room (mycricutcraftroom dot blogspot dot com) reach her goal of gathering 1000 to send to y'all soon!
autumnwillis925 at gmail dot com
- May 28, 2011 at 8:58 PM
Any Hero Letters
- May 28, 2011 at 9:22 PM
- Sylvia said...
I made it all the way through! Yeah for everyone who was here in support of our soldiers on this holiday. Have a great rest of your weekend.
- May 28, 2011 at 9:35 PM
- SuzAnn said...
AnyHero Letters
- May 28, 2011 at 9:49 PM
- Jamie M. said...
Ok I think I have the clue. Srt Lethey Renoa Hopefully thats right. Thanks for hosting the hop and for the chance to win.
- May 28, 2011 at 10:16 PM
- Diane said...
great hop!! lots of ideas!
any hero letters
digirlwiz at comcast dot net
- May 29, 2011 at 4:35 AM
- ...Darlene said...
I tried to post last night but it would not let me in. I do not have my letters unscrambled yet but wanted to let you know I have gone through the list once. I commented on almost everyone. Three of them had some thing that insisted I drop a cookie to post and I did not complete those, sorry but just didn't feel comfortable with that.
Love ya all and thank you for all you do.
- May 29, 2011 at 5:48 AM
- Unknown said...
WOOHOO!! A PINWHEEL!! LOL you know I love those. Great papers on this one too.
- May 29, 2011 at 7:19 AM
- jennifer mitten said...
What an amazing blog hop! I thknk the answer is ANYHERO LETTERS....
- May 29, 2011 at 7:48 AM
- Nancy Keller said...
Hello! I had so much fun on the blog hop! Originally, I was supposed to be out of town camping, but that just didn't work out. . . . so I have really enjoyed my "HOP" and I wanted to say thanks to EVERYBODY who took part. What fun! I have an answer for the puzzle . . . I think that it is "ANY HERO LETTERS" . . . woot!
- May 29, 2011 at 7:54 AM
- Jules said...
What a Yankee Doodle Dandy Blog Hop!
- May 29, 2011 at 8:37 AM
I have been having such a great time on this hop. Thank you for the wonderful ideas. I am ready start creating.
The secret code is:
my contact info is firstname.lastname@example.com
- May 29, 2011 at 9:07 AM
- Dot said...
WOW! Made it to the end of the blog hop! It was a great hop with lots of great ideas and cards! Thanks to everyone who participated in it!!
- May 29, 2011 at 9:36 AM
- ...Darlene said...
Oh I think i finally figured it out.
Any Hero Letters
darlene armstrong
expressionsbyda at gmail.com
- May 29, 2011 at 11:25 AM
- Linda said...
Any Hero Letter
Hoo--Hay! Thought I was on Wheel of Fortune for a minute!
- May 29, 2011 at 11:25 AM
- Linda said...
Can you delete my whell of fortune comment...I cannot remember what I wrote But I now know that I am not smarter than a 5th grader!
Any Hero Letters...I think I forgot the s. Thanks!
- May 29, 2011 at 11:34 AM
- Sandi said...
What a great card to end the hop with! Thanks Sandy for all you do!
my answer to the game is:
Any Hero Letters
- May 29, 2011 at 11:50 AM
- JPScraps said...
If I'm right it's Any Hero Letters
- May 29, 2011 at 11:52 AM
- Lady Fair said...
Hopefully, the correct answer is: Any Hero Letters. I had a great time blog hopping with OWH this weekend! I also saw some ideas that I can't wait to try!
- May 29, 2011 at 12:12 PM
- Jules said...
DOn't COUNT me earlier comment... please count this one instead. Thanks! Answer: ANY HERO LETTERS =o)
Thanks for a great hop! Glad I was able to participate.
- May 29, 2011 at 12:18 PM
- Amy said...
Amy :) at www.lovetocrop.com
scrapbookingwithamy (at) gmail (dot) com
- May 29, 2011 at 1:09 PM
- Janeen said...
My answer is: anyhero letters
majelica at comcast dot net
- May 29, 2011 at 1:58 PM
- firstname.lastname@example.com said...
Hi, it was lots of fun with tons of ideas! Thanks for the game.
ladyfantane at yahoo dot com
The answer is:
They're Not Alone
- May 29, 2011 at 2:28 PM
- Rufus said...
I'm a bit confused, I've been to the 14 blogs with letters, SRTLETHEYRENOA, and collected them. My hubby and I have had a number of laughs trying to make them into 3 words or 2 with a combo, but haven't come up with a thing that makes sense! I'm sure when you reveal all I'll smack myself in the head. Till then, well like I said we've had some good laughs! Still have a few blogs to do, but there's been some great inspiration!
- May 29, 2011 at 5:33 PM
- Tiffany Temple said...
I think I got it!
Any Hero Letters
Thanks for the fun game!
- May 29, 2011 at 5:39 PM
- Shell said...
Any Hero Letters
At least that is what I came up with.
she11ygirl at verizon dot net
- May 29, 2011 at 6:19 PM
- FibreJunky said...
I hope I have it right! It's been another fabulous hop.
AnyHero Letters
- May 29, 2011 at 6:23 PM
- Kelly Michels said...
Yippee I figured it out, took some time but I did it, the unscrambled letters are AnyHero Letters. Thanks so much for this awesome bloghop and I look forward to making cards for this wonderful cause.
- May 29, 2011 at 7:53 PM
- scrapkathy said...
This was my first OWH blog hop and it was wonderful.
The puzzle answer is:
Kathy Winland
Laurel, MD
- May 29, 2011 at 8:32 PM
- Velda said...
- May 29, 2011 at 9:44 PM
- Unknown said...
WOW, what an awesome blog hop! There were so many wonderful cards!! The letters spelled out: Any hero letters! Thank you for having this blog hop! It's my favorite one!
- May 29, 2011 at 10:20 PM
- helloholley said...
Awesome card!!! Great Bloghop as usual....you peeps rock it!!!;)
- May 29, 2011 at 10:23 PM
- Stuff-n-Such By Lisa said...
Any Hero Letters
Lisa Hall
lisastuf at gmail dot com
- May 30, 2011 at 5:25 AM
- Rufus said...
Well, I finally had that AHA moment, it just took awhile, due to sloppy handwriting! ANY HERO LETTERS!
- May 30, 2011 at 5:28 AM
- Just A Pac Rat said...
Loved the hop and finally figured out the word, after looking at it over and over again for 2 days.
Any Hero Letters
Wow, that was a good game.
Thanks for hosting the hop, off to make some cards.
- May 30, 2011 at 6:40 AM
- AJoy said...
I stopped at all the blogs and then saw that you left a cheater clue...asterisks by the blogs. Ha! I'm glad I devoted all the time to see all the blogs...cheaters never win. Lol!
The phrase I came up with is
This didn't make complete sense to me so it must be wrong...oh, well. Maybe it should have been...
nginerd at gmail dot com
- May 30, 2011 at 10:13 AM
- Deborah Burgess said...
I believe the phrease would be Any Hero Letters
- May 30, 2011 at 12:05 PM
- Sue D said...
I came up with AnyHero Letters
slrdowney at hotmail dot com
- May 30, 2011 at 2:15 PM
- Seongsook Duncan said...
Sandy, thanks for hosting this great bloghop! I am still working on the word game.
- May 30, 2011 at 2:31 PM
- Maggie said...
My guess for the contest is:
- May 30, 2011 at 3:11 PM
- Heather Grow said...
Okay, I think I know: Any Hero Letters
Thanks so much for a great weekend. This was the smoothest hop ever (at least on my end)
- May 30, 2011 at 3:39 PM
- Ann said...
As they all are.... another fabulous bloghop!! So much inspiration. Going to go write some "Anyhero letters"! As I think the game suggests! Thanks again! Happy Memorial Day!
- May 30, 2011 at 4:01 PM
- Susan M. Brown {sbartist} said...
I have been so inspired by the blog hop and look forward to mailing in cards for the challenge!
The answer is "ANYHERO LETTERS"
Sandy thanks to you and your team for all of you hard work & dedication to our troops! I am so proud to be able to participate, too.
: ) Susan
sbartist1107 at yahoo dot com
- May 30, 2011 at 5:06 PM
- sharon said...
First, the card is adorable and I love the designer paper.
Second, I couldn't figure out what I was supposed to answer so...
I came up with...
Another restyle
Thy Eternal Rose
I hope you will let us know what the answer is.
sharon L
sharon dot lemon @ sbcglobal dot net
- May 30, 2011 at 5:41 PM
- Juliana T said...
This is really hard to do. The only phrase I can come up with is any hero letters. It doesn't make sense to me that it would be 3 words or a combo of 2. But that is my guess. Can't wait to see if it's right.
jonder at frontier dot com
- May 30, 2011 at 5:55 PM
- BethW said...
I made it through all the blogs.My gray matter is too scrambled to unscramble.Blessings to everyone involved for all their hard work and support of our service personnel.You are an amazing group of people and the world is a whole lot better because you're here.
- May 30, 2011 at 8:06 PM
- schuyler dog said...
any hero letter Sandy this was fun! Good way to get the hints out.
- May 30, 2011 at 8:42 PM
- Seongsook Duncan said...
I got it! The answer is: ANY HERO LETTERS
Thanks for the challenge!
- May 30, 2011 at 9:47 PM
- Unknown said...
I have tried to unscramble the letters to no avail... It's so sad cause I really wanted to be able to try and in the package... Alas, chemonesia (aka chemo brain) strikes again! We came up with they're and letters... Heroes treat, and a few extra letters... real heroes, and extra letters... they're not real, anyway, I am sure none of these are correct and I am totally bummed, but thank you for the blog hop. I am hoping to participate in the future and make cards. If you find it in your heart to enter me in the drawing anyway, I'd appreciate it, I'd like ti even more if I won.
- May 30, 2011 at 10:13 PM
- May 30, 2011 at 10:15 PM
- bev said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- May 31, 2011 at 6:51 AM
- bev said...
My guess is Any Hero Letters!
Thanks for an enjoyable bloghop!
I got a lot of ideas and it got my creative juices flowing...guess I'll hop on over to my Cricut and see what I can come up with.
Thank you to everyone participating in the bloghop for their shares! It was great!
- May 31, 2011 at 7:00 AM
- Susan said...
well I was going to ask when the deadline is, as I was having a bit of trouble with the scramble...but I can see now that it must be over. funny thing...I had all those words, but never put them together. HA!
The pinwheel card is awesome!
- May 31, 2011 at 2:13 PM
I know I'm past the deadline, but finally made it through, so hadn't figured out the letters. Clever way you did this...made it interesting....along with all the inspiration. Thanks for all the team organizing that was needed.
- May 31, 2011 at 5:13 PM
- Ann said...
It is Wednesday, June 1, and I'm done hopping. Was gone all weekend so got a late start. SOOO much creativity. Thanks to all involved.
Ann K
- June 1, 2011 at 4:50 PM


text:
All too often, images of drought and hunger stalk the continent. Despite the fact that agriculture accounts for 65% of full-time employment in Africa and provides a livelihood for two-thirds of the continent's poor, hunger and poverty are widespread (Pretty et al. 2011a). At the root of a deepening 'polycrisis' of poverty, hunger and environmental degradation is presumed to be a 'backward' agricultural sector which has lagged behind the progress made by Asia and Latin America. In response, many are now advocating an 'African Green Revolution'.
In the 20th century, Green Revolution techniques have driven remarkable increases in crop yields across the world, and helped millions out of hunger and poverty. The Green Revolution involved the spread of use of high-yielding crop strains, supported by the application of fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation. Though these methods produced high yields, the the long-term impacts of these technologies and the way they were developed and used have given many pause.
It is now understood that a sole focus on increasing yields can be counter-productive in the long-run, causing or exacerbating environmental and social problems. Yet, it is also clear that demand for agricultural goods (especially food) is increasing, due to the demands for food and raw materials for growing and industrializing populations increasingly connected to the global economy. At the same time, resources available for farming are being constrained as a result of environmental change and competing uses such as industrial activity.
The production of more output from the same land, while maintaining or improving environmental conditions, is called 'sustainable intensification'. African farmers are already using dozens of tools, technologies and processes which might be classed as such to grow more, earn more and care more for their land. These creative solutions and their remarkable results attest to the fact that a promising transformation is already underway.
In many respects, the new practices and the ways in which they are developed and spread are quite different to those of the past Green Revolution. There is no singular model, no overarching blueprint crafted in distant laboratories or offices and transferred via test-plots and development agencies to farmers fields. Instead, many new techniques, practices, processes and partnerships, and novel combinations of these, are arising either organically or through participatory rural development programmes.
The key point of departure from past models is the central role played by farmers. Farmers are developing what works, improving yields and growing businesses, caring for their land and reaping the benefits. External agencies such as NGOs, research firms or government bodies are lending a helping hand, but farmers themselves are the heart and spine of innovation.
This article describes the key lessons learnt from some 40 cases of such 'sustainable intensification' from across Africa. The case studies were commissioned by the UK Government Office of Science Foresight project on Global Food and Farming and were produced as academic papers within a special issue of the International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability (IJAS) (Pretty et al. 2011b). 40 projects and programmes from 20 countries were studied. These provide a body of evidence on the successes which are possible, and discuss the potential for scaling up.
They highlight the transformative power of 'care-full' agriculture to increase yields, benefit the environment, bring communities together and grow incomes. Taken together, the 40 cases have documented benefits for 10.39 million farmers and their families and improvements on approximately 12.75 million hectares of land across the African continent (Pretty et al. 2011a). Yields have increased on average by a factor of 2.13 over a 3-10 year period.
The cases described within the IJAS volume cover six key types of improvements to agricultural practice which have raised yields whilst also developing natural and social capital.
Eleven cases describe crop variety improvements, involving partnerships between laboratories and farmers. These resulted in improved varieties of crops otherwise pejoratively termed 'orphan crops'.
Orange-fleshed sweet-potato, cassava, plantain, tef, pigeon-pea and soyabean were previously neglected by breeding programmes, but there is now a growing recognition of their value and their appropriateness to the African context.
They provide more than food and income. Orange-fleshed sweet potato serves as a significant source of vitamin-A. Improved Tef has resulted in increased yields without the need for much pesticide or herbicide, thus saving costs, and pigeonpea is a resilient crop which provides an income during seasons when vegetables are in short supply.
Integrated pest management (IPM) is a mix of practices designed to work with the ecology of the field to prevent or minimise losses from pest attacks using a minimum of synthetic pesticides. IPM case-studies tell of how farmers learn innovative techniques through Farmer Field Schools (where farmers teach other farmers in a real-world environment).
This approach allows farmers to adapt what they learn to local conditions, spread knowledge and skills and build a sense of community. Describing a case of IPM in East Africa, Khan et al. (2011) write about 'push-pull technology' – an innovative system of soil, pest and weed management on mixed cereal-livestock farms which has now been adopted by some 30,000 smallholders in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The system was developed with a range of partners – international and national research institutions, international funders and national extension networks.
Crucially, "as part of the research and development strategy, ICIPE directly involved thousands of smallholder farmers to test and experience the push-pull technology on their own farms… Farmers applied the technology in different configurations according to their unique farming systems" (p. 163). The system has resulted in significant benefits: 3-4 fold increases in yields of maize and 2-fold increases in sorghum have "enabled a typical family of six to move from a situation of food insecurity to food sufficiency" (p. 165). Soil health is improved through increased nitrogen fixation, biodiversity on the farm is enhanced. The system has enabled farmers to enjoy a revitalized and productive relationship with the land, enabling them to move out of poverty without migrating to cities.
Soil conservation and agroforestry involve a variety of practices designed to prevent or minimize soil erosion, regenerate degraded landscapes and generate income. Tree-planting drives have resulted in remarkable and widespread 'regreening' of desertified areas. In Cameroon, the use of 'fertilizer trees' has improved soil health, and the cultivation of fruit trees has allowed farmers to grow fruit for sale in local and regional markets. Tree products are also processed, generating additional jobs, opportunities for entrepreneurship and income. With success has come the opportunity to grow businesses, with farmers being helped to obtain microfinance (though the writers caution that "these loans are very desirable, but are not essential for the longer-term sustainability of the project" (Asaah et al. 2011, p. 117).
Other systems involving improved land management include the adoption of Conservation Agriculture, which involves cultivation without ploughing or tilling the soil in order to conserve nutrients and soil moisture. The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) involves innovative techniques for planting and growing rice which result in improved yields. Describing these improvements, Pretty et al. (2011a, p. 15) write that "Yields have so improved from these systems that many rice researcher organizations have not yet been able to believe the evidence, since it runs counter to assumptions."
Livestock are an important component of improved practice, with farmers improving the management of disease, improving living conditions for animals, developing new breeds and improving supplies of feed and fodder. Livestock provide food and income which can be especially important for vulnerable groups such as women and children, and can supplement incomes derived from crop cultivation. Roothaert et al. (2011) describe how improved livestock management has resulted in dramatic yield improvements in poverty-striken Rakai district, Uganda, where the toll of HIV/AIDS has resulted in households being led by women and orphans.
Yields from poultry were low due to poor management and a lack of inputs. In response, farmers were introduced to a participatory breeding programme via a project put together by local and international development agencies. Farmers were provided with birds of an improved breed, inputs, training and support, and have successfully increased yields: "Birds may hatch up to seven times per year compared with 2–3 times with unprogrammed birds; chicks are produced at lower cost since farmers do not need to transport them from distant towns…" (Pretty et al. 2011b, p. 14). These gains have generated income, improved nutritional security (via the consumption of eggs and meat) and Roothaert et al. describe the transformative impacts on local communities:
"Impacts on social capital have been considerable: participating communities transformed from being victims of poverty and HIV/AIDS to successful poultry farmers, experts who train others, shop keepers and group leaders. Group leaders have become liaison persons with government development programmes and other services, bringing more development to the community. The project has elevated the status of women and orphans, as many of them have become trainers and leaders" (Roothaert et al. 2011, p. 229).
Finally, improvements also come from making improvements on small patches of land. Patch management stems from the recognition that previously neglected peripheries and field boundaries can be highly productive spaces. In Kenya and Tanzania, indigenous vegetables are being cultivated by groups of small farmers involved in a FarmAfrica project which enables them to obtain multiple harvests of vegetables in a year. Muhanji et al. (2011, p. 184) write, "African indigenous vegetables have been part of the food systems in sub-Saharan Africa for generations. The region is a natural habitat for more than 45,000 species of plants, of which 1,000 can eaten as green leafy or fruit vegetables." Revitalising the cultivation of these vegetables, alongside more exotic varieties, adds vital diversity to farms, diets and sources of income, thus increasing social and ecological resilience.
The processes and techniques summarized above are being cultivated and spread via a vibrant and highly effective array of partnerships – between farmers, training groups, regional, national and international NGOs, government agencies, commercial firms and other private sector organisations, financial firms and higher education institutions. These partnerships create novel and efficient means by which to share knowledge, grow a farm-based business and diversify into other income-generating activities.
Such partnerships, and the base of trust and mutual cooperation on which they depend, are indicative of high 'social capital'. 'Human capital' is built by initiatives to gain and share knowledge. The Foresight cases demonstrate the great vitality and abundance which can flow from agricultural systems where farmers and external 'experts' work together, each contributing their own unique expertise. The cases also demonstrate how farmers can teach other farmers, spreading what works and adapting it creatively to their own local conditions.
Institutional innovations also play a significant role in many of the case studies. Partnerships between international, regional and local agencies can yield powerful results. In Mali, one of the world's poorest countries, the Strategic Cotton Programme initiated by Oxfam aimed to improve conditions for Malian cotton farmers by working with key stakeholders in the country's cotton sector to improve cultivation practices, establish cooperatives and provide institutional support (Traore and Bickersteth 2011).
The results reported are dramatic: household incomes in programme households have risen by some 8%; women have received literacy training; the production of organic cotton has risen by some 40% and some 400 cooperatives have been established. While old problems of indebtedness, marketing and technology improvement remain, people are more empowered and supported than they have been in the past, and with the establishment of strong networks between farmers and cooperative-based extension agents, people can continue to learn and support each other.
Many of these processes were novel enough to be met with surprise and even initial resistance. For example, the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) guidelines "contradict those from research institutes and the agriculture service and often clash with what farmers think works best", write Styger et al. (2011, p. 73). However, initial resistance to a new idea does not imply a lack of farmer's involvement or denote a failure of the participatory process.
Both farmers and technicians who observed initial results from SRI plots were surprised at the results, and "The SRI experience encouraged people to look at the larger picture, and to rethink agricultural principles and practices, and to explore new ideas" (Styger et al., p. 73). Many of the writers within the volume stress how diverse new models differ from the 'conventional' or 'classical' mode of agricultural research, development and extension. Specifically, the novel emphasis is on co-learning, partnership, adaptability and the use of individuals' own creativity and drive.
The Quiet Green Revolution
The transformation underway in Africa is still growing relatively quietly, and in the context of significant ecological, social, economic and political challenges to agriculture. Yet, gains and spread have been remarkable, and the manner in which they have been achieved sets them apart from conventional development practice in important ways.
In all the cases described within the IJAS compendium, the gains described go far beyond increased yield and incomes. Positive environmental, social and economic externalities are described in every paper.
Also evident within every case study is the recognition that farmers are more than producers of agricultural output or passive users of technology. They are experts in resource stewardship, innovators and creative problem-solvers, teachers and entrepreneurs. The case studies demonstrate how sustainable intensification has involved and developed each of these innate capacities amongst the farmers involved. In turn, positive experiences drive further spread. Farmers learn from other farmers, and new ways of solving old problems spread organically and fast.
The Foresight cases demonstrate the centrality, relevance and potential of the human qualities of creativity, persistence, partnership and adaptability. While they describe many useful and novel institutional innovations and organisational models, authors comment on the power of individuals working at their best. Styger et al. (p. 74) conclude their paper with the following reflection:
"In our three-year experience, it became clear that success was due to the performance of many individuals who went beyond their daily duties, investing the time and energy to make this initiative succeed. It is clear that successful innovation development needs to be institutionalised, but there seems no recipe for it, given that success depends in so many respects on the initiative, persistence and dedication of individuals."
Farmers, and especially smallscale farmers, are actively involved in their own lives, developing a sense of empowerment, competence and autonomy. While they are developing farm-based businesses and increasing yields and income, they are also acting as stewards of the land upon which we all depend. In many cases, farming practices – such as agroforestry – are nursing degraded areas back to life. The cultivation of diverse crops with a light footprint – such as in the use of small patches to grow vegetables or practice aquaculture – increases biodiversity on and around the field. In short, farms and farmers within these 40 cases (and others like them) tell vibrant, life-sustaining and inspiring stories. While challenges remain, they demonstrate a compelling vision of sustainable living.
Asaah E. K., Tchoundjeu Z., Leakey R. R. B., Takousting B., Njong J. and Edang I. 2011. Trees, agroforestry and multifunctional agriculture in Cameroon. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 9(1): 110-119. URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3763/ijas.2010.0553
Khan Z., Midega C., Pittchar J., Pickett J. and Bruce T. 2011. Push-pull technology: a conservation agriculture approach for integrated management of insect pests, weeds and soil health in Africa. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 9(1): 162-170. URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3763/ijas.2010.0558
Muhanji G., Roothaert R.L., Webo C. and Stanley M. 2011. African indigenous vegetable enterprises and market access for small-scale farmers in East Africa. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 9(1): 194-202. URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3763/ijas.2010.0561
Pretty J., Toulmin C. and Williams S. (eds.) 2011a. Sustainable Intensification: increasing productivity in African food and agricultural systems Special Issue of the International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, Volume 9, Issue 1. URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tags20/9/1
Pretty J., Toulmin C. and Williams S. 2011b. Sustainable Intensification in African Agriculture. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 9(1): 5-24. URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3763/ijas.2010.0583
Roothaert R.L., Ssalongo S. and Fulgensio J. 2011. The Rakai chicken model: an approach that has improved fortunes for Ugandan farmers. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 9(1): 222-231. URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.3763/ijas.2010.0563
Styger E., Aboubacrine G., Attaher M.A. and Uphoff N. 2011. The system of rice intensification as a sustainable agricultural innovation: introducing, adapting and scaling up a system of rice intensification practices in the Timbuktu region of Mali. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 9(1): 67-75. URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3763/ijas.2010.0549
Traore A. and Bickersteth S. 2011. Addressing the challenges of agricultural service provision: the case of Oxfam's Strategic Cotton Programme in Mali. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 9(1): 82-90. URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3763/ijas.2010.0551• Zareen Pervez Bharucha is editorial assistant at the International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability (IJAS) and research officer at the Essex Sustainability Institute. She is interested in issues of community participation in resource management, resilient agricultural systems and how people can build sustainable communities. See also: Ea O Ka Aina: Savanna into Forest 6/29/12 .

subset: commoncrawl


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Yglesias, Defending Klein's Slander of Lieberman
Blogger Matthew Yglesias has a response to my post on Ezra Klein's slander that Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) is okay with the mass murder (or the mass negligent homicide) of hundreds of thousands of uninsured Americans.
Yglesias claims that only one of the three studies I cited speaks to what he claims is the central point: the Institute of Medicine's estimate of how many Americans die each year because they lack health insurance. Yglesias is incorrect. The central point/threshold question is whether giving the uninsured health insurance will save lives. All three studies speak to that point, and all three all cast doubt on the intuitively appealing idea that giving uninsured people health insurance ipso facto saves lives.
To rebut the one study that Yglesias believes to be on point (Kronick), he offers two others. Yet all studies are not created equal. Kronick, Finkelstein/McKnight, and Levy/Meltzer represent the most reliable work that has been done on the relationship between health insurance and health. If I am wrong about that, I hope that one of those authors or another expert in the field will correct me.
But if I am right, it means that Yglesias and Klein are slandering Joe Lieberman and millions of others based on their (Yglesias' and Klein's) limited and distorted understanding of the world. (And even if I'm wrong, the Washington Post's Charles Lane explains why Klein's slander is still wrong.)
Then again, considering that Yglesias also has another post suggesting that Lieberman and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R‐Va.) are "dumb" Jews free‐riding on the intelligence of other Jews, I'm not sure that the Church of Universal Coverage is open to persuasion right now.


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Due to difficulties with the fair board, we've been forced to find a new venue and we have located one. The newly opened Palmdale Hotel California has offered to host the con. It's the closest we'll get to our former digs at the AVI and the rooms are bigger and more comfy. The place is VERY con friendly because the GM and house keeping staff all came over from the AVI and they know the deal. Room parties WILL be permitted!
The block rate for the rooms is $97.00 for max four people (and yes we know you'll squeeze in more). The new facility sports some familiar settings; the poolside stage returns along with that intimate feel you've come to know. There is a packaged room/event pass deal in the offing, so stay tuned for details. There are currently 80 double queen rooms in the block, which will expire August 15th, and slightly higher rates good until the 28th. After that rooms will revert to their standard pricing
In order to secure the hotel we've had to change the dates: Oct 9-11 2009. This news is early enough that you can reschedule time off if your planning to come up.
We will keep you posted on registration prices and other event happenings, The Palmdale Hotel is located at 300 west Palmdale Blvd, in Palmdale, CA just off the 14 Fwy. Call 661-273-1200 for reservations and mention Ani-Magic for the block code
Ani-Magic 2009 Updated Info: New Venue and Dates
(Southern California, Arizona, Nevada)
Post Reply
3 posts • Page 1 of 1
Re: Ani-Magic 2009 Updated Info: New Venue and Dates
Will the Swap Meet return?
Wayne of AGSMA
Re: Ani-Magic 2009 Updated Info: New Venue and Dates
Glad you bought that up, yes it will!
Post Reply
3 posts • Page 1 of 1


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Looks like Google's latest flagship Android phone is slightly less awesome than we thought it was — no Corning Gorilla glass, just 'fortified glass'. Of course Samsung didn't actually speak about the glass originally, we just hoped-and-wished it was furnished in Gorilla. [Twitter via Phandroid via Android and Me via Engadget via Gizmodo UK]
Our newest offspring Gizmodo UK is gobbling up the news in a different timezone, so check them out if you need another Giz fix.


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Want to 'Change the World'? Come to San Francisco
Silicon Valley dreams bigger than the rest of the country, according to an analysis of LinkedIn profiles.
People who include the keywords "change the world" in their professional profiles on the business-networking site are far more common in the San Francisco Bay Area than in Greater New York or Los Angeles, Venture Capital Dispatch found. Out of about 8,300 people in the U.S. who use "change the world" in their profiles, 11.5% reside in the Bay Area, 10% in greater New York and 6% in Los Angeles.
Compared with the total number of LinkedIn profiles in each region, San Francisco has twice as many such profiles in its area as do New York and L.A. The amount of change-the-world profiles is still a tiny percentage out of the millions in the three urban areas.


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Receta Guy's Couscous Stuffed Chicken with Feta, Sun Dried Tomato and Kalamata Olives
Tiempo de Prep:
Tiempo para Cocinar:
Raciónes: 4
Cost per serving $3.36 view details
- For the couscous:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 4 tablespoons kalamata olives, chopped
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 (10-ounce) box couscous
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled
- For chicken:
- 4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- For the sauce:
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 6 tablespoons julienned sun-dried tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons roughly chopped kalamata olives
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled, for garnish
- For the couscous:
- In saucepan over medium heat add olive oil, when hot, add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and saute a few minutes more. Add olives and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the box of couscous, turn off heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork, and season with salt and pepper. Spread 2 cups on large plate, add in 1/2 pound feta, and let cool. Keep the remaining hot to serve with chicken. (Put in covered casserole and reheat in oven last 10 minutes with chicken.)
- For the chicken:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Trim chicken with a boning knife, if needed. Start at top of breast and carefully make a lengthwise cut from top to bottom and making a pocket about 2 inches, making sure not to pierce the other side of the breast. When couscous is cool enough to handle, carefully spoon couscous mixture into pocket. Even out the stuffing by gently moving it around with your hands. Wipe off any excess couscous from outside of breasts and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil and butter in saute pan and brown off both sides of chicken. Place chicken on baking sheet and place in oven for 20 minutes. While chicken is baking, make the sauce.
- For the sauce:
- In saute pan that you cooked chicken breasts in, heat and add garlic. Deglaze with white wine and add lemon juice. Reduce by one third. Add in sun-dried tomatoes, let reduce for 2 to 3 minutes, add the olives, turn off heat, add the butter and stir to combine.
- To serve, place couscous from oven on plate, cut chicken breast in half, top with sauce, crumble remaining feta cheese over.
Nutrition Facts
|Amount Per Serving
|Serving Size 361g
|Recipe makes 4 servings
|Calories 719
|Calories from Fat 335
|Total Fat 38.11g
|Saturated Fat 19.78g
|Trans Fat 0.0g
|Cholesterol 99mg
|Sodium 1401mg
|Potassium 583mg
|Total Carbs 65.9g
|Dietary Fiber 5.7g
|Sugars 3.84g
|Protein 23.65g


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Friday, May 4, 2007
I Worked for It
I realized 3 days into the week that I was going to have to increase my efforts to get what I wanted, what I needed. And that was to get my workouts in order and my weight back to "pre- RKC weekend". And even though things were going along in a trend that was positive I knew I wasn't doing enough to get to where I felt I needed to be.
Mark has always said that one of the things he appreciated about being "in shape" (for lack of a better description, sorry) or in his case in competitive althetic condition was that no one can buy that, you have to earn it! And most people don't want to do what it takes to acheive it, they just want it, they don't want to work for it. And that is the geat equalizer. Not everyone can have it. We can all get it, to whatever degree our genetic limitations will let us, our drive, dedication and hard work will take us as far as it can.
And that seems to apply to other areas in our lives. This is one of my lessons on instant gratification. Whether it's buying something you can't yet afford, eating something you need to "save" calories for, or improving your health and fitness, some things take time. It's up to you how long it will take, but you have to move it in that direction. Work for it!
Thursday AM weight 128.4
6:30am KB cleans, presses
7:00pm Bikram yoga
5-9:00am coffee w/cream, cocoa 140 cal.
10:00 apple 120 cal.
1:45 dried fgs/prunes 200 cal., PNB 200 cal.
2:45 chili pepper stew w/pasta and italian sausage and cottage cheese 500 cal.
4:30 lg yogurt shake w/blueberries and fiber and decaf coffee 350 cal.
6:30 chocolate sucker 70 cal.
Total calories 1580
I spent most of the late morning in San Francisco with a friend, so I knew to get my workout in I would have to finish training by 8:00am. Also, if I wanted to get yoga into my schedule my only option was the 7pm class (I hate that time) which requires adjusting my food so I don't go to class hungry or bloated. Both perfect examples of the extra work, effort and sacrifice I needed to make to stay on track for my goals this week.
6:30 am KB
Warm up w/12kg
40 2 hand swings , 1 min. on, 1 min. rest x 4 sets = 8 min.
10 L, 10 R, x 3 1 hand swings (30 reps each side), 1.5 min. on 1 min. rest x 4 sets = 10 min.
Work sets w/two 12g's
#1 8 double cleans, push presses, 30 sec. on, 30 sec. rest
#2 12 double cleans, 30 sec. on, 30 sec. rest
I rotated these 2 sets 8 times each. Each set took 1 min. x 16 sets = 16 min.
10 swing, clean, p-press L, repeat on R, w/12kg, 2 min. on 1 min. rest x 4 sets = 12 min.
20 2 hand swings w/16kg, 30 sec. on, 30 sec. rest x 8 sets = 8 min.
Total workout 54 min.
I did all sets praticing better form, especially the last 8 sets of 2 handed swings.
6 comments:
- karendenning said...
Good morning, Tracy. Excellent post. There IS no better feeling than seeing the results of something you've worked so hard for. It's amazing, though, how difficult it can be to consistently appreciate one's self for the earned results and not turn the focus on everything yet to be done.
Have a great weekend!
P.S. I've already lost the m&m challenge. The dark chocolate ones are killer. K
- May 4, 2007 at 7:59:00 AM PDT
- Franz Snideman said...
Nice job Tracy!
:) Mission accomplished!
- May 4, 2007 at 9:11:00 AM PDT
- Tracy Reifkind said...
Karen, I finally stopped thinking about M&M's and you had to remind me!
- May 4, 2007 at 11:24:00 AM PDT
- Geoff Neupert said...
Yes you did!
Nice job! What a far cry from where you started. I imagine there's not much left of you anymore--you looked pretty buffed to me at the RKC.
Do you mind if I post your results on my blog in the future?
Thanks. And luck had nothing to do with it.
- May 4, 2007 at 11:28:00 AM PDT
- Christine said...
Good work!
- May 4, 2007 at 11:55:00 AM PDT
- fawn said...
Tracy, you are awesome! I brag you up to all my clients. You are truly inspirational, especially to me. Aloha! ~ff
- May 4, 2007 at 4:03:00 PM PDT


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Tom Cruise's son is getting ready for battle.
Connor Cruise will star in the remake of the 1984 film "Red Dawn," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: 80's Film Flashback
Also joining the 14-year-old Cruise as soldier-fighting Wolverines in the remake are Isabel Lucas, Josh Hutcherson and Edwin Hodge.
The foursome joins the previously announced Chris Hemsworth, Adrianne Palicki and Josh Peck in the film, which follows a group of small-town teenagers who rise up to battle invading Russian (and in the remake, Chinese) soldiers.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: The Born Identity: Uncover Celebs Real Names
Cruise – who made his big screen debut in 2008 as the young Will Smith in "Seven Pounds" — will play Daryl, the son of the town's mayor.
Hutcherson ("Journey to the Center of the Earth;" "Bridge to Terabithia") will play Robert, the role originally played by C. Thomas Howell.
Lucas will step into the role of Erica, the head cheerleader and girlfriend of Matt Eckert (played by Peck).
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Young Hollywood Heartthrobs!
Hodge (best known for his recurring roles on FOX's "Mental" and "Bones") will play Danny, the town's BMOC who helps start up the fight against the soldiers.
Filming is slated to begin next month in Detroit, after the group of young actors undergoes first military training in the coming weeks.
The "Red Dawn" remake is scheduled to hit theaters on September 24, 2010.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
PLAY IT NOW: Access Extended: Tom Cruise Talks 'Valkyrie'
PLAY IT NOW: Access Archives: Tom Cruise
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Connor Cruise - Movies - Casting Call - Young Hollywood - TV One


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(CMT Offstage keeps a 24/7 watch on everything that's happening with country music artists behind the scenes and out of the spotlight.)
As if I wasn't counting the minutes until Wednesday's (Jan. 16) premiere of American Idol, now Keith Urban says there are killer singers. He didn't say if they were Carrie Underwood /Kelly Clarkson good, but he certainly made it sound like a must-watch season. When he was on the Golden Globes red carpet on Sunday, Extra's Mario Lopez asked Urban if American Idol was everything he thought it would be . "Yeah, I thought it would be crazy, insane, fun. Putting the fun back in dysfunction," Urban said. "It's completely all those things, and we've got some killer singers. That's the big thing about this year." Even Urban's wife Nicole Kidman seemed to be looking forward to the show, telling Lopez she'd be at the tapings and the live shows. Both Urban and Kidman were nominated for Golden Globes this year.


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But for anyone expecting another name change to herald another sudden shift, think again. The producer's long-awaited Hotflush release is simply two more unassuming house tracks, like lengthier, uncoiled versions of that Doldrums single. "Wade In" jumps out like parting clouds with a glorious sustained cloud and a sample of some clinking metal that repeats periodically throughout the whole track. It's all polished surface and crystal clear textures until the roughed-up bassline waddles its way in. It's only in the closing bars that a gorgeous melody starts to whisk the song away to piano house rapture, but it's gone a few seconds later.
"Jels" ends in the same heartbreakingly sudden fashion, but has more fun getting there, making copious cowbell use and fully exploiting an exuberant chord progression. But no matter how often these tracks hesitantly tap into pleasure centres, there's something distinctly underwhelming compared to his earlier work. These are basically warmup tracks. Maybe that's his new direction, or maybe that's just J(oy).O., but either way, it sounds like he's still feeling his way around this particular avenue.
Published /
Fri / 18 Mar 2011
Words /
Andrew Ryce
Tracklist /
A Wade In
B Jels


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A 1970s-era Ithaca couple sets benchmarks for community involvement. by Elizabeth Field and Maura Stephens
When it comes to fund-raising, Jerry Dietz '75 and Judy Schapiro Dietz '76 acknowledge, potential donors must first understand an issue, and then feel it in their hearts. Only then will they be willing to reach into their pockets....


text:
Priorin shampoo 200 ml for normal / dry. Contains natural plant extracts which reinforce hair structure and stimulate hair growth.
Glycoproteins are the ideal plant derivative factor that stimulates hair growth thanks to the cells activation at the basis of the hair root and retards the process of hair loss.
(including VAT 23%)


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The first leg is to be built in the central valley between two spots with few people.
The funding for the project is questionable along with the ridership expectations and the amount of private investment. Many are calling it the "train to nowhere." But there was no shortage of enthusiasm for California's bullet train this weekend at the spot where someday it might actually depart: Los Angeles Union Station.
In case you didn't notice, Saturday was National Train Day. Thousands turned out to tour historic railroad cars, talk to railroad engineers and hear a pitch from the tourist bureaus of every city close to a train station. There were cooking demonstrations and dance competitions. Amtrak celebrated its 40th anniversary and Metrolink passed out keychains and coloring books.
U.S. & World
And, the California High Speed Rail Commission touted the benefits of the bullet train, which, at an event like this, was pretty much akin to preaching to the choir.
But the rest of the public (those who do not show up at a train station on a weekend to pick up trinkets) may be ready for a second look at the idea. Take the comments by Matt Rose, the head of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad. The BNSF has never been considered much of a fan of passenger rail.
Rose though thinks California's bullet train should be built.
"A third of all air traffic is under 500 miles," he said on NBC 4's "News Conference" Sunday night. "The problem is that we have spent all our effort on building the interstate freeway system. We are now behind the rest of the world in high speed rail technology. We need it but we first need the will and the funding."
Fundamental to the effort will be the public's perception on the state's transit future. Much of that has a lot to do with the present. With gasoline headed toward $5 a gallon, there may be a growing consensus that a bullet train will be needed in the not so distant future.
Backers of the central valley segment on the HSRC argue that once it is built both the Bay Area and Los Angeles will start fighting over who gets the next segment. Such a competiton would go a long way to rid the project of many political barriers.
Not that they needed to convince anyone this weekend at a legendary train terminal. Union Station, which in the 70s was nearly abandoned, now has so many commuter rail, Metrolink and Amtrak trains that the concourse in the mornings and evenings resembles the historic pictures taken during World War II (minus the men in uniform).
Plenty of rail fans this weekend are convinced that someday this LAX will challenge the other one for passengers.


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Carol Drummond could feel feel the noose tightening around her throat.
For more than five years the 38-year-old Belton resident had been stalked, threatened and vilified by the friends of Phillip Hancock, her late husband.
In August, 1991, Drummond called police after Hancock threatened her with a bayonet. In December, 1991, the 6-foot-2-inch Hancock hurled Drummond to the ground, breaking her collarbone because her dog had urinated on the floor. A judge ordered Hancock to stay away from Drummond.
Hancock then lived with a friend, Mark Lassince, until he made up with Drummond and moved back in with her, in January, 1992. Also living in the house were Jeffrey Wayne Gardner, an attractive, soft-spoken, 28-year-old boarder, and Jackie, the 8 year old daughter of Hancock and Drummond (she kept her own name after the marriage).
In the early afternoon of March 7, 1992, Hancock called the Belton police and talked with the dispatcher. Hancock wanted police to eject Gardner from his house. The dispatcher explained that, since Drummond was half-owner of the house, if she wanted Gardner to stay, there was nothing the police could do. Gardner asked if the police would come over and take Gardner's gun away from him. Hancock said he feared Gardner and Drummond would plant the gun on him, to get his probation revoked. The dispatcher said there was nothing the police could do about Gardner's gun, either. Hancock expressed bitterness, saying he was, "screwed, I don't have any rights."
The dispatcher then gave Hancock fatal advice: If there were an altercation between Hancock and Gardner, the dispatcher said, the police would probably make Gardner leave (since he was not an owner of the house).
Two hours later the police received a frantic call from Drummond saying Hancock was armed with a knife. When the police arrived Hancock was dead – shot once in the left shoulder and twice in the chest. The body lay between the bed and the far wall of a bedroom. A huge hunting knife was at Hancock's feet. A German Luger was in the kitchen.
According to Drummond and Gardner, Hancock had gone berserk. He'd wielded the knife, threatening to "field dress" Drummond like a deer. Gardner said he'd come into the house to gather up some of his clothes, so he could leave, and heard Drummond's call for help. Gardner said he went into his bedroom, loaded the Luger and then went to the couple's bedroom. He said Hancock advanced with the knife and he shot him. He fired the Luger five times before it jammed. Det. Lance Crull found a spent bullet on the bedroom carpet where Hancock's body had been laying. A four-foot section of carpet was ripped up and taken away as evidence. Shell casings were scattered around the room.
Gardner was arrested, and then released the following day.
A week later Det. Crull returned to the house and searched Drummond's garage, looking for a diary allegedly written by Drummond, and said by Mark Lassince to contain details of a plot to kill Hancock. No diary. Crull would later testify that all of Hancock's clothes were gone from his closet a week after his death, and Gardner's bed was made a week after the shooting, whereas it was unmade a week earlier. This was interpreted as proof that Gardner was sleeping with Drummond.
A police report of the shooting contends that Gardner shot Hancock in the shoulder, causing him to drop the knife, and that Gardner then approached the "now unarmed victim" and stood over Hancock and shot him "as the victim's arm was held in front of him in a defensive gesture." Gardner denies this version of what happened.
Phil Gill, Hancock's best friend, and other friends of Hancock, gathered a petition, containing 180 names, asking police to investigate further. Gill contended that Drummond and Gardner were having an affair – that they'd deliberately provoked Hancock so Gardner would have an opportunity to kill him.
Gill visited Hancock's grave often – talking to his friend and holding seances.
Gill and Hancock had been friends for 25 years, since fifth grade. Gill hounded the police and prosecutors, he led caravans past the house where Drummond and Gardner continued to live.
On the first anniversary of Hancock's death an explosion outside of her house rattled Drummond awake just after midnight. Her daughter was screaming in fright. The police found several of Gill's business cards in the driveway. Gill admitted leading a caravan of cars past the house, and throwing the business cards in the driveway, but denied causing the explosion. Belton police chief James Person opined the explosion was a cherry bomb or other large firecracker, and said someone appeared to be reminding Drummond of her husband's death.
At that time Gill told The Kansas City Star: "I won't stop until one of three things happen. Either they are dead. Or they are in jail. Or I'm dead. That's when I'll stop. He was my best friend for 25 years. This is how it has to be, and that's how it has to end."
The Cass County prosecutor was Dennis Laster. He finally took the case to the grand jury, which returned a "no true bill," meaning the grand jury did not find enough evidence to charge anyone with a crime.
Normally, that would end the case, unless new evidence was discovered. Cass County, however, is a bit of a twilight zone. A plaque outside the courthouse tells of the time toward the end of the last century when county officials made an ill-advised investment in railroad bonds. When it was learned the bonds were worthless, two county officials tried to escape by train. A group of Cass Countians stopped the train and killed the county officials, along with a friend of theirs.
That's ancient history, you say. This is the 1990s.
The grand jury that heard the evidence on Hancock's death was the first grand jury in Cass County since 1970. It had been convened to hear evidence of rampant corruption in the Cass County Sheriff's Department, which included allegations of theft, a woman being raped by a jailer, people being held in the county jail with no charges being filed against them, and the manufacturing of evidence in a murder case. A judge later wrote that one of Sheriff Homer Foote's employees thought the lawful penalty for someone merely accused of drunk-driving was "eternity."
Cass County was facing a raft of lawsuits that, by one estimate, posed $20-million of liability.
Tim Finnicle, an assistant Clay County prosecutor, was appointed as a special prosecutor to investigate the situation. Sheriff Foote was eventually ousted from office by a judge. While Finnicle was investigating Sheriff Foote, Ray White, presiding Cass County commissioner, tried to extort $5,000 from Finnicle. When Finnicle kept ignoring Commissioner White's blatant hints that he wanted $5,000 in order to vote for the $101,250 Finnicle was to be paid over a two year period, White, in frustration, contacted Vicki Thomas, an assistant Cass County Prosecutor, and told her to go tell Finnicle what he wanted for a yes vote on Finnicle's compensation. Thomas and Finnicle went to the FBI together, and White was prosecuted and convicted in federal court.
After one witness, Aaron Fowler, appeared before the grand jury to testify against Sheriff Foote and one of his deputies, Fowler was arrested and tossed into the county jail with no charges against him. Fowler then sued and the county settled with him. How much money he received was never revealed. The rape victim was paid $100,000, the most she could be paid under state law. On the merits of the woman's suit, Vicki Thomas, assistant prosecutor, said: "We're guilty as can be."
Three indictments obtained by Special Prosecutor Finnicle, in 1994, still remain sealed in the courthouse vault. Finnicle refuses to say who was indicted, what the charges are, or what he intends to do with the indictments. This is highly unusual.
A lot of Kansas Citians think of Belton as being in Jackson County, but it is in Cass County. In the 1970s it was known, among other things, as a hangout for bikers, many of whom sported a Confederate emblem on their motorcycles. In the latter part of the last century the mayor of Belton was Richard M. Slaughter, a doctor and former Confederate colonel. He served two terms as mayor and was on the board of aldermen. In October, 1992, seven months after the death of Phillip Hancock, a ceremony was held at the Belton Cemetery and an official Confederate grave marker was placed on Slaughter's grave – complete with color guard and multi-gun salute.
In late 1992 a spat broke out between Gina Selland, the Belton Police Department's victim advocate, and city prosecutor Bill Marshall, over Marshall's lenient treatment of abusive husbands. Marshall routinely asked that wife-beaters be given a suspended jail sentence with probation. Selland wanted abusers to have to undergo six months of counseling. Marshall argued that six months was too long, and would cost too much. There was a good deal of wife-beating in Belton in 1992 – as many as 10 incidents in one week, according to a news report.
Cass County, for many years staunchly Democratic, began to turn Republican in 1992. That year Ed Hartzler was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives, and Brian Mills was elected a county commissioner. Two years later Republicans also captured the offices of presiding county commissioner and prosecuting attorney.
The new prosecutor, Chris Koster, a former Republican assistant attorney general for Missouri, took office in January, 1995. In March, 1996, although no new evidence had surfaced, Koster filed charges of manslaughter and armed criminal action, against Jeffrey Gardner in connection with Hancock's death. When Brian Gepford, Gardner's attorney, pointed out that the statute of limitations had expired on manslaughter, Koster raised the charge to second-degree murder, which carried a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and has no statute of limitations.
The murder trial began in late June at the Cass County Courthouse in Harrisonville. Assistant prosecutors Greg Hill and Bryan Covinsky represented the state. At one point the trial was moved from the decorum of the regular courtroom to the local American Legion hall, where the jury, spectators and witnesses sat on folding metal chairs, and Judge Joseph P. Dandurand presided from behind an old oak desk with ornate legs.
In this day and age every defense lawyer is on the lookout for a local Det. Mark Fuhrman – he of the infamous O.J. glove and I-Never-Said-The-N-Word fame.
Gepford found his Fuhrman in Det. Lance Crull, a tall, well-built detective who speaks in short, clipped bursts and accessorizes his suits with cowboy boots. Who testified that the knife at Hancock's feet had a pair of men's underwear wrapped around the blade, implying that was reason to doubt that the knife had actually been wielded by Hancock. On cross-examination he admitted that dying people occasionally thrash around (the defense thus implying that even if the knife blade was covered, it could have occurred while Hancock was dying).
Captain D. Chandler, who'd been in charge of the investigation (and who has since left the Belton Police Department), testified that he did not recall anything covering the blade of the knife.
Crull testified there were no fingerprints on the knife. That testimony was startling, since Hancock had died bare handed. However, when Capt. Chandler testified, he said there were fingerprints.
Capt. Chandler said it was his opinion the shooting was a result of Hancock assaulting Carol Drummond with a knife. He said that prior to Hancock's death, Drummond had been to his office several times to talk about Hancock's abusiveness. "In my opinion there was a strong scenario of self-defense," Chandler testified.
The prosecutor, stung by Chandler's testimony, asked him if he'd ever been to Drummond's house apart from the investigation of Hancock's death, and Chandler said he had been once – after Hancock's death. Hill then began to allude to Chandler's "relationship" with Drummond.
The crux of the prosecution's case was its contention that: the shell casings were in the wrong location in the bedroom to have been fired from the doorway, as Gardner said they were; the angle of the bullets in Hancock's body suggested he'd been shot after he was on the floor; the bullet laying on the carpet under Hancock's body could only have gotten there if he was shot while he was on the floor, and Gardner had fired the gun too many times for it to be self-defense.
John Cayton, from the Kansas City Police Department's Regional Crime Lab, testified he'd been contacted by the Cass County authorities only a week prior to trial.
Cayton said he fired several of the bullets recovered on March 7, 1992, for ballistics comparison. He then took some 9 millimeter ammunition they had at the crime lab, and fired the Luger to see where the shells would go. He testified that four of the five shells fired were ejected to the front and left, and one was ejected to the front and right. He did not say how far to the front they were thrown, or how far right or left.
The prosecution argued that the bullet laying on the carpet was proof Hancock was shot while on the floor. However, since both of the chest wounds went completely through Hancock, it is possible that one of those bullets bounced off the wall behind Hancock and landed on the carpet.
Cayton said he tested the trigger pull of the Luger, and found it to be 8 1/2 pounds – meaning you would have to exert that much pressure on the trigger before the gun fired. Cayton described this as a stiff trigger pull. Unanswered, however, was the effect on the gun laying in a police evidence room for nearly five and one-half years before being tested.
The prosecution entered the bedroom carpet into evidence, and showed the jury a hole – asserting it to be a bullet hole. However, they did not ask Cayton to test the carpet (for lead or copper traces) to see if the hole was, in fact, caused by a bullet.
Dr. Bonita Peterson, who'd been medical examiner of Jackson County in the 1970s, had been paid to perform an autopsy on Hancock at the Mount Moriah Funeral Home. She testified that of the three bullets that hit Hancock, the one in the shoulder hit him level. The wound on the right side of the chest was at a slight upward angle, and the wound on the left side of the chest was at a 45-degree angle. Dr. Peterson said the wound on the right side of the chest had severed the aorta, causing Hancock to rapidly bleed to death. There was a wound that penetrated Hancock's forearm, and Peterson said this was most likely caused while his arm was raised, and that most likely a single bullet went through the arm and into the chest.
The prosecution would argue that the angle of the bullets proved Hancock was shot twice after he was on the ground and helpless. Gepford argued that the angle of the bullets proved that the first round hit the shoulder, knocking Hancock backward. Then the second bullet hit at a slight upward angle, knocking Hancock even further down, causing the third bullet to hit at a 45 degree angle as he fell to the floor.
Everyone kept waiting for the "real evidence," the stuff that would clearly convince a jury that Gardner had murdered Phillip Hancock, rather than shooting him in self-defense. Then the prosecution suddenly rested.
The prosecution had listed Carol Drummond as a witness, but did not call her to testify. The prosecution knew Drummond would testify, on cross-examination, about the abuse she had suffered at Hancock's hands, and that she would say his killing was self-defense. Gepford would then be able to say in his closing argument that the prosecution's own witness said it was self-defense.
Gepford, knowing that a number of Hancock's friends, including Drummond's own sister, Karla Corum, had told police that Drummond had confessed to them that she was going to kill her husband, decided to call her to the stand and ask her only whether she had been subpoenaed as a witness by the prosecutor, and then let her go. He wanted the jury to know it was the prosecutor's decision not to have Drummond testify.
However, on cross-examination, the prosecutor began to question Drummond about the alleged incriminating statements she is alleged to have made. Gepford objected, but the judge ruled Drummond was fair game.
Gepford says the cross-examination of Drummond, on whether she told people she was going to kill Hancock, should not have been admissible against Gardner – particularly where Drummond has never been charged with any crime, and flat out denies making the statements.
In any event, the prosecutor went after Drummond like a rat terrier – to such a degree that Koster, who'd come into the courtroom to observe, began calling his assistant up to the railing for long conferences. Drummond, an openly emotional woman with straight brown hair, was a feisty witness and obviously hostile to the prosecution. She said that the day of the shooting, the police only questioned her for five minutes, that "they didn't want the whole story." When the prosecutor tried to limit her answer to one question, she accused him of not wanting to hear the truth. At other times she cried
She described a long pattern of abuse by Hancock, saying he would rage at their daughter if he were awakened (he worked nights at the Fairmont-Zarda Dairy). Drummond testified that it was originally Hancock's idea to have Gardner move in, because they could use the rent money (he was paying $350 monthly). After Gardner was there, however, she said there came a point when Hancock began to refer to him as "your boyfriend." She denied ever having anything but a platonic relationship with Gardner, saying that he was like a younger brother to her. She said that Gardner continued to live at her house for two years following the death of Hancock, because she needed the rent money, and because she was afraid of Hancock's friends.
Although it never came out on the witness stand, Drummond claims Gill sexually assaulted her months prior to the shooting, but that she'd been afraid to tell Hancock – fearful he would blame her, rather than Gill. After the shooting she finally obtained a restraining order against Gill, on a charge of stalking.
Drummond denied telling her sister, or anyone else, that she intended to kill her husband. She said she and her sister hate each other and have for years. Gepford called as a witness a neighbor of Drummond's who occasionally baby-sat for Jackie. The neighbor testified she went to Drummond's house the day of the shooting, and that Hancock was in a rage. She said Hancock was threatening to kill the child and threatening to kill the defendant. She said she took the child to her home, and that Drummond and Gardner came over also. Drummond reportedly went home to see if she could calm Hancock down. Gardner followed shortly afterward. The prosecution challenged the neighbor's account, saying that the day of the shooting she'd mentioned nothing to police about Hancock threatening to kill the child.
Gardner testified, saying he'd originally met Hancock and Drummond through his sister and her boyfriend. When they would come to his sister's house to visit he would often play games with Jackie (he has children of his own). He'd been living with his parents, he said, while going through a divorce.
Gardner said he met Hancock and Drummond in April, 1991 and moved in with them that August. In addition to paying rent he also baby-sat for them occasionally.
Gardner said he was an Army veteran and had received the Good Conduct Medal. In addition to being a veteran, he had a clean criminal record.
Gardner said the day he moved in with Hancock and Drummond that Hancock became enraged at something and attacked a dresser with a bayonet. Gardner said he'd gotten along with Hancock until the December incident when Drummond's collarbone was broken. Recalling that incident, he said the argument had begun in the house and then Hancock followed Drummond into the yard. He said he watched from the front window as Hancock shoved Drummond to the ground several times. When he realized that Jackie Hancock, then 8 years old, was also watching, he led her away from the window.
Gardner said Drummond began calling to him to come and help her, and he went into the yard. As soon as he arrived, he said, Hancock charged over to him and told him to get his ass back inside, or he would get what she was getting. He said he immediately retreated to the house.
Gardner said he didn't intend to shoot the Luger as many times as he did (that he panicked is evidenced by the fact that, at point-blank range, he missed the 6-foot-2-inch Hancock two times out of five).
As soon as the defense rested its case, the prosecution called Phil Gill as a rebuttal witness to Drummond.
Phil Gill is a bantam rooster type of guy. Compact, he has a slight swagger. Where most people, when taking the oath, say "I do," or "yes," when asked if they will tell the truth, Gill proclaimed, loudly, "ABSOLUTELY!"
Gill said he was called over to Hancock's house one evening in January because Hancock was having car trouble. He said he went into the house to use the bathroom and Drummond stopped him to ask what Hancock "was saying about J.W. (Gardner) staying there."
Gill said Drummond told him, with Gardner sitting next to her, that, "He's not going to get away with pushing me down, and treating me and JW like shit. If we have to, we'll blow his fucking head off, then put a knife or gun in his hand to make it look like self-defense, and then we'll call 911."
At that point Brian Gepford fairly leaped out of his chair objecting. After a lengthy conference among the lawyers and the judge, a recess was announced. Outside the courthouse Gepford explained to Gardner that he could have a mistrial if he wanted one, because the prosecutors had never disclosed that Gill was going to say Gardner was present when this statement was allegedly made by Drummond. (If a person is present when an incriminating statement is made about them, and fails to deny the statement at the time it is made, there is a presumption that the statement is true).
Gardner was undecided. He was worried about losing any additional work from his job. As the 96-degree sun beat down, Gardner asked first one person then another what they thought.
Gepford, a former prosecutor himself, advised him to take a mistrial.
However, when the jury was called back into court, it was announced that the trial would be recessed until the following Tuesday (this was on Thursday). Judge Dandurand explained that this was the first time in his 11 years on the bench that he'd had to recess a trial for so long.
The purpose of the long recess was to allow Gepford time to prepare for his cross-examination of Gill. Gepford said later that he didn't think the jury believed Gill, that his testimony was too patently absurd. He felt Drummond's testimony, overall, had helped Gardner, by giving the jury a clear picture of Hancock's abuse against not only Drummond, but his own daughter. Gepford said he felt Hancock's friends would come across as obvious perjurers on the witness stand.
In his chambers just after the jury began its deliberations, Judge Dandurand, however, told Pat O'Connor, editor of the New Times (a Kansas City alternative newspaper), that he had felt Gardner would almost certainly be acquitted until Drummond was called as a witness. The calling of Drummond opened up Pandora's box for the defense.
Gepford, one of the most highly regarded criminal lawyers in Kansas City, had agreed to try the case because Gardner had originally been represented, in 1992, by Gepford's father (former Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney Lawrence Gepford), who had since died. Gepford's normal fee in a murder case tried to a jury would be many thousands of dollars. He was representing Gardner primarily out of a sense of obligation to his late father. When the trial reconvened on Tuesday it was at the American Legion hall.
Phil Gill repeated his earlier story, leaving out the part about Gardner being present when Drummond made her statement. He added that Drummond had grabbed his hand and told him not to tell anyone what she had said. He said he told Hancock "they're scheming on you," and that Hancock replied, "I know."
Gill said Hancock had been his best friend – "still is" he added. He said he hadn't held a seance at Hancock's grave for more than a year. Gill denied ever threatening Drummond, but Gepford finally got him to admit "maybe I was" prosecuted for stalking Drummond.
Andre Lassince, the brother of Mark Lassince, testified that he was at Hancock's house one evening, talking with Drummond while Hancock was asleep, and that Drummond had asked him about statutes on self-defense. Lassince testified that Drummond asked him "if I would still be her friend if she had to kill him in self-defense." Lassince said he never reported this conversation to Hancock, although he said he did believe she was serious. He also testified that Drummond broke her collarbone when "she slipped in the snow," saying that both Hancock and Drummond had said that was how it happened.
Karla Corum, Drummond's sister, said she was at Drummond's house one time and saw Drummond and Gardner rubbing on each other. She said she commented to Drummond, "Oh, you got some butt, huh?" and that Drummond had just laughed. She said she was at a restaurant the night before the shooting and heard Drummond say, "I'm going to kill Hancock." She said that she didn't believe it at the time, but that the next day Phil Gill came to her home in tears and said Hancock was dead. She denied being more than an acquaintance of Gill's. Asked if she knew who Doris Drummond was, she responded icily, "that's my birth mother." She denied being a drug addict, saying she'd suffered a stroke in March. Only 43, she is prematurely aged. The prosecution recalled John Cayton, the regional crime lab expert, back to the stand, and used him to increase the angle of the chest wound from the 45 degrees Bonita Peterson found at autopsy, to 75 to 80 degrees, based on his looking at a photograph of the body. He also described one wound as a "cookie cutter" type wound (no tearing, with clearly defined edges), indicating the flesh behind the wound was resting against something (the floor) when the bullet exited the body. Bonita Peterson, who said she has performed thousands of autopsies in her career, made no such observations, although she actually worked on Hancock's body, rather than simply looking at photographs as Cayton did.
Mark Lassince, with whom Hancock had stayed while estranged from Drummond, said Carol Drummond had asked him to shoot Hancock during deer season, so it would look like an accident. He also said Hancock had shown him Drummond's diary, in which she had laid out her plans to murder Hancock (one wonders why Hancock forgot to mention this to police when he talked with the police dispatcher hours before his death).
Jeffrey Drummond, Carol Drummond's brother, testified that he was also at the restaurant the evening before the shooting and that his sister Karla Corum was drunk. He said Corum was finally asked to leave that night.
Doris Drummond – mother of Carol Drummond and Karla Corum – testified that Corum and Carol Drummond had not been friendly for a "very long time." She said she would never believe her daughter, Karla Corum: "She's had a problem with the truth all her life."
The case was turned over to the jury about 2 p.m., July 2. Judge Dandurand instructed the jury on second-degree murder, with a range of punishment of 10 years to 30 years, or life imprisonment, or the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter.
A criminal trial is a deeply emotional event for the people involved. Lawyers waiting for a jury verdict relive the trial, agonizing over everything they might have done differently. The friends and family of the victim are on one side of the room; the friends and family of the defendant on the other. Animosity between the two groups is usually palpable. This case was no different. On one occasion I was leaving the courtroom about 10 feet behind John Dawson, Brian Gepford's investigator. As I went through the door to the hallway, someone in Phil Gill's group spoke to Dawson, and he responded. Then as Dawson continued down the hall I heard someone else in the group say, "Don't be talking to him, he's on their side."
Jackie Hancock, now 13, was there with Carol Drummond. It was apparent from her demeanor around Gardner that she has affection for him. According to Drummond, Jackie hated her father.
An hour after the jury began deliberating, Judge Dandurand called everyone back to the courtroom. It had been pointed out to him that the instruction for voluntary manslaughter failed to specify what the difference was between second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter. So he gave them a new instruction which included language on the heat of passion. Then he sent them back to the jury room.
Phil Gill and his buddies waited on the east side of the courthouse, with Gardner and his entourage on the west side. The July heat was nudging 100 degrees. Drummond was wearing the same brown knee-length boots she'd worn each day of the trial, causing me to wonder if she had options.
Jeff Gardner seemed confident he would be acquitted, even though he'd been cautioned more than once that a jury trial is always a crap-shoot. In this age of "law and order," with more than a million people in American prisons, and with that number spiraling crazily upward annually, many experienced criminal lawyers despair of getting a fair shake from a jury.
Gardner seemed oblivious to these possibilities. He's a good looking guy, intelligent, perhaps even charismatic. His biggest worry seemed to be that he was losing time from work. Try as I might, I couldn't picture him as a cold blooded killer. No, he was the kind of guy who'd panic, and miss you two out of five times at point blank range.
Watching Gardner as he sat on the courthouse porch, puffing cigarettes and brushing the stray bead of sweat, I got every impression that he believed, unquestioningly, that he would be acquitted.
When word came that there was a verdict, Gardner seemed almost eager to go up to the courtroom.
Phil Gill and his group filed into one side of the courtroom, Carol Drummond and the friends and family of Jeffrey Wayne Gardner on the other. Police officers and deputy sheriffs were thick, in case trouble should break out when the verdict was announced.
The jury foreman gave the verdict to the clerk, who gave it to Dandurand. As he read the verdict Dandurand had a slightly troubled look on his face. Then he read it aloud.
Guilty of second-degree murder, with a sentence of 20 years imprisonment.
I heard startled sobs behind me – pleased gasps across the aisle. The jury filed out of the courtroom, then a deputy sheriff tapped Gardner on the shoulder, to take him into custody. Gardner seemed to leap from his chair and obediently followed the deputy to a bench in the corner of the courtroom.
A huge grin split Phil Gill's face. He slapped palms with police and prosecutors. As he was leaving the courtroom Gill was heard to say, "she's next."
Jeffrey Gardner will be sentenced on Aug. 25, but I think his case is far from over. It may well be overturned on appeal.
I discussed the case with Timothy O'Leary, who retired as a highly respected Jackson County circuit judge a few years ago, and is now with the law firm of Shughart Thomson & Kilroy. O'Leary seemed disturbed that the judge gave a new manslaughter instruction, adding language on "heat of passion," without allowing Brian Gepford to argue to the jury just what that meant.
Gepford talked to one juror after the verdict, and she told him that she hadn't the foggiest idea what "heat of passion" meant. She thought it had something to do with sex (passion). She voted guilty, she said, because she felt Gardner had fired the gun too many times. Even though he missed two out of five times at point blank range.