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The Jewel of the Kalderash, by Marie Rutkoski
And yet I didn't read the third book till last week, despite the fact that it came out in October.
I blame the Cybils--there I was in October with 100 books to read in 10 weeks. But I also blame the psychosocial syndrome in which knowing you'll like a book makes you put off reading it, especially when it's the last of a beloved series, and you hold in abeyance because you don't want to stop having it to look forward too (if that makes sense?). But in any event, I have now read it.
The Jewel of the Kalderash is the third book in a series, and so I'm not going to attempt a summary, because it would take too long. Suffice to say, this book, set around 1600, pits young Petra and her steadfast companions, Tomick, Neel, and Astrophil, a mechanical spider, against the evil Prince whose machinations and power-hungry, bloodthirsty madness had plunged the four of them into adventures beyond their wildest dreams.
This isn't my favorite book of the series. The relationship between Petra and the two boys has become a love triangle (sigh), and the conflict with Prince Rudolpho and his army of monstrous Grey Men is, by the end of things, not one of sneakiness and wits, but all out battle; not my preferred state of things! And worst of all, at the end of the book, Petra, for whom I cheered, with whom I suffered and worried, finds herself in the position of having her future defined by her relationship to others, instead of a future where she, as a character of action and abilities, will shape her own way.
However, I did very much enjoy Neel's story arc (which runs parallel to Petra's), in which he finds himself confronted with an unexpected and unasked for position of power! I think it would not be going to far to say that in this book he is very reminiscent of Eugenides, of The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner, and that is high praise indeed, coming from me.
So I continue to recommend this series for those who love magical wonders woven into their historical fiction, and for those who enjoy the adventures of brave girls defying the odds. Although I didn't love this third book, I still found much to enjoy in it, and I'm glad to have had the chance to complete my journey with Petra and co.
11 comments:
I was disappointed by the love triangle as well. There was something missing from this book that the first two had. I can't put my finger on it, though.ReplyDelete
Of course I still continue to adore the series and recommend it to those looking for a meaty, adventure-filled middle grade fantasy. Oh, and one sweet and charming metallic spider. (the only time I will ever admit to liking a spider. Most of the time I hyperventilate!)
Thanks again. ;)
Man, I am so sick of love triangles in books... So annoying...ReplyDelete
What luck you had finding the ARC! I'm bummed that you were disappointed, but glad you still found value in this book!ReplyDelete
I did the exact opposite with the ARC you so kindly sent me, Charlotte--devoured it as soon as possible. Now I need to reread in order to review it properly, but I do remember loving this book (this whole series!), love triangle aside. I do adore Neel. And Astrophil! I wonder what Marie Rutkoski is working on now?ReplyDelete
Oh, I do too!ReplyDelete
Just added The Cabinet of Wonders to my Goodreads to-read list. I've got to start at the first book, right?ReplyDelete
Oh boo. I feel like love triangles are so boring.ReplyDelete
That stated I still really want to start this series because I LOVE historical fiction. Also, that cover is to die for.
Plus Cat who commented has solid recommendations, and since she recommends it, I'll have to read it.
This was a great journey. Out of the three books the second one was my favorite.ReplyDelete
Ha! I remember your excitement about that book! Good times. I've often "saved" a book that I didn't want to read and have over. Sometimes I even save it so long that I forget about it, and then its like a great surprise to rediscover it.ReplyDelete
I ready these there the best book I ever readReplyDelete


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Rivel Cuga
This is Grandma Pepler's recipe carried through the generations. A rich, slightly sweet egg bread with streusel topping for breakfast, brunch, or afternoon tea. We found many variations of this in the German bakeries, most with either fruits or poppy seeds on top.
Yeast Dough:
Soak yeast in the ½ cup warm water and set aside.
Melt butter, then stir in flour, sugar and salt.
Beat eggs with sugar in a separate bowl.
Sprinkle crumbs over cake, then drizzle egg-sugar mixture over the crumbs.
The above directions are exactly as Grandma gave them to me. I baked it in a 9" x 13"[23 cm x 33 cm] pan for about an hour at 350 ° F [175 °C]. It filled the pan to the very top, so I would suggest two smaller pans or a larger roasting pan.
If you find typographical errors or have any other problems when looking at the site please send the Webmaster e-mail describing the problem and the page involved.
Copyright © 2000-2009 Jim Seavey and Verna Norris
All Rights Reserved


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Please scroll down to see pictures that I have added to previous entries. I have also added comments to a lot of comments from the previous week or two.
The weather forecast for tomorrow and the day after is still: Extremely hot. So I'm waiting it out till then.
I am really looking forward to starting to share this blog with Chinese readers. The Chinese site will go live very soon 🙂


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New Year Competition!
I am delighted to offer 2 lucky couples my Find Our Dream Venue venue finding package completely free! To enter all you need to do is email me: email@example.com and feel free to share with any of your recently engaged friends too – good luck all & Happy New Year!!
*Open to all couples looking to get married in London or the surrounding areas
*Competition closes 5th January 2020, winners announced 6th January 2020
Photo of #realwedding R&B by the fab Lyndsey Goddard


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I had a lovely Mother's Day, and I hope you other moms reading this did too! I was awakened in just about the best way I could have been, by a sweet smiling baby being brought in to me for a cuddle and feeding!
Rob and the kids spoiled me with flowers, which I managed to spread all over the house so that in nearly every room I'm in I can see them. Every time I look at them I smile!
Rob did all of the cooking on Sunday. We had a lovely breakfast of
scones, strawberries and
whipped cream, and sausage. Miss J loves sausage and since we had way too much we decided not to limit her intake.... She had six links (we usually stop her at three or four), and one bite of scone. She passed on the strawberries which she usually loves. We think she has a hollow leg.
We did a baby dedication at church (Don't worry Oregon friends and family, we are trying to figure out when we can do our traditional one up there!). Miss C got to wear Miss E's dedication dress (made by my mom from leftover fabric from my wedding dress that she made). After the dedication Miss C and Miss J fell asleep on me, I loved cuddling with my girls while I listened to the sermon with Mr. M sitting next to me cuddling up from time to time too!
The rest of the day was so lovely too. Rob and the kids got cheese and crackers ready for lunch (baked brie included, yum!). I had a nice nap and then we spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out and Rob read aloud to us for a while. I am so blessed!


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Our awesome sponsors at Baby Blossom are at it again with their monthly giveaway on Kid Trips. This time it is a Baby Cargo 100 Series Stroller in Steel/Sky (Retail Value: $110)
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Prize must be picked up at one of Baby Blossom's locations (Fairfax or Reston.)
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Deliverable Length: 400-600 words;
You need to coach your HRD team about using the correct process skills that they will have to teach the leadership of Pegasus. Discuss the following:
- Identify and describe 3 process skills that are necessary for the consultant to have to facilitate change.
- Describe what will and will not work at Pegasus.


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Action Plan
In the off chance that the entire system is not totally rigged, an organized effort will make an impact. By "rigged" I'm not just talking about the pro-vaxxers. For people who want to roll up their sleeves and actually DO something.
HIPAA laws are supposed to protect us but they do not. All the people we DON'T want accessing our medical records already have full access. So right now, these "privacy" laws are really being used against us. For example:
Q: "Why can't you do a vaxxed vs unvaxxed study?"
A: "Because of HIPAA laws. We can't violate patient confidentiality".
Q: "Oh, how noble. What about removing patient name which identifies them?"
A: "How can that kind of a report ever be verified? Even if we came up with that, you'd just say we made it up".
I say we shoot a big middle finger to the "for your own good" privacy nonsense and start to take matters into our own hands. Remember what Ben Franklin said about those who give up their freedom for security. These laws are NOT there to make you any more secure. They're there to scare you into hiding so that the enemy can take advantage of it. They roam the streets while we run terrified and hide in our "privacy". I'll tell you up front everything you want to know about my medical background. The hell are you going to do with that info?
Action Plan
1. Create a website or Facebook page with sub-pages for every state
2. Get people to get 2 types of people to join
a. Vaccine injured and their parents
b. People who want to support the vaccine injured and their parents
c. All else need not apply
3. Compile a list of vaccine injured by state
a. Names, address, phone number and email addresses
b. Details of the vaccine damage and all data they feel comfortable sharing
c. Create a database, a website and an app and help them upload their info
4. Have funding and volunteers who will review each case for validity. More helpful if the reviewer is a physician and can add their credentials to it
5. Set up a big meet-up date where all the people can meet
6. Create a form letter with the contact information of the injured, addressed to each of the following
a. State representatives
b. Senators
c. Governor
d. State legislators
7. CRUCIAL: Select a specific date to begin the campaign to contact them all at the same time with
a. The form letters printed, signed, stamped and mailed
b. Faxed to their office
c. Emailed to them
d. Sent via their website form
e. Phone call with the reference number of the email sent
8. Send follow-up letters
a. Compile a list of responses and post it on our site
b. Thank the ones who responded kindly
c. Remember to check this site before casting your next votes
9. In the meantime, contact all anti-vaxx advocates and compile a list on our site. "Wall of Fame"
a. Wakefield, Kennedy, Bigtree, Tenpenny, Mareddy, Humphries, Toni Bark, etc. Get them all together under one organization.
b. Get them ALL to agree to standard narratives so they don't step on each other's toes
i. For example, Robert F Kennedy Jr. stating "I am a hundred percent pro vaccine" can be used by the anti-vaxxers to say "See? Your main guy is pro-vaxx".
ii. Decide on a name and stick with it (ex-vaxxer, anti-vaxxer, pro-safe-vaccines (which has never existed), pro-medical-freedom)..whatever. Just pick one and endorse it while still having your personal view.
iii. Set up a centralized fund for everyone to campaign against forced vaccines; ALL of them
iv. Get each of them to sign a PLEDGE agreement and statement of "What are you willing to do?" Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they're not doing anything but they're not doing enough. They, along with WE, need to up the game.
v. Bonus: Have them all co-author a book together (would be awesome!)
c. Set up a platform where they will agree to debate based on specific protocols which do not give preference to one side over the other; only to truth over falsehood
d. Set up mock sessions where ANYBODY (not just bona fide "doctors and scientists") can ask them any questions they want and get a satisfactory answer
e. Televise the entire event on YouTube, Facebook, etc.
10. Next, target media outlets with the following message
a. Risks and damage caused by vaccines
b. Awareness that each media outlet has pharma sponsors which heavily fund them
i. Send them the exact amount of sponsors that fund them and call them out for conflict of interest
ii. Publish the exact numbers, person contacted and the response (or lack thereof) on our main website. Time to start publicly shaming media. "Wall of Shame".
c. Repeated calls for debates rebuffed
i. Yale Bailed
ii. Del Bigtree's challenge for debates
iii. Inform them that they lose all credibility when they push the same product they refuse to debate on. So either they stop pushing the "safe and effective" nonsense or accept to host a properly moderated debate.
d. NO safety testing done on ANY vaccine
e. Liability-FREE product and medical procedure being pushed and mandated behind color of law!
f. List of board-certified MEDICAL doctors who oppose vaccines and their mandates
g. List of injured and their parents by state and aggregated totals by:
i. Vaccine name
ii. Year
iii. State
iv. Manufacturer
v. Doctor
h. List of media outlets who have hosted a fair debate
i. Links to videos
11. Pool together resources to create our own shows. How many shows have you seen where they've pushed the vaccine bs? We need to make shows which showcase the injury from vaccines and the utter lack of any kind of science behind efficacy. Doesn't matter if it's fictional, the issue needs to get front and center and juxtaposed against the backdrop of "settled science".
a. Writers, get busy writing some scripts
b. Part of that centralized fund, along with existing infrastructure and expertise, like The Highwire, can go towards producing this movie or series
c. Get celebrity endorsements like Rob Schneider
Cost Breakdown
1. Website/Facebook page (Free – I'll create the website; anyone can create a Facebook page)
a. Remember, FB can clamp down the censorship any time they want
b. It'll take them longer to take down the website, especially with redundant sites around the world
2. It will take each of us 2 hours a week
a. Estimated 1,000 people getting behind this translates to 2,000 hours a week! That's a single individual working a full-time job all year round
b. We'll need 3 types of volunteers primarily
i. Strategists/Planners
ii. Tacticians/Organizers
iii. Foot soldiers/Workers
c. Know your role and contribute your best. Each role will have a list of tasks and responsibilities. Grab one, do it, report on it. You can get back to Facebooking after meeting the pledge.
d. Each of us should sign a pledge statement and be accountable for our time to the organizer
3. Big name anti-vaxxers, dedicated for this task for 2 hours a week
a. Strategists will come up with things for them to do which will benefit all of us
b. Organizers will coordinate with their gatekeepers
c. Workers will help spread the message and keep peace so they can get their message across
We've got a lot of work to do and we haven't gotten started yet.


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Romance Writers of America Library Grant
Award and Frequency
Any size public library.
Application Instructions
To submit an application for this award, please visit the PLA Awards Online Application.
PLA will forward the applications to the current chair of the Romance Writers of America Library Grant Jury. PLA reserves the right to extend the application deadline.
Contact Information
Displaying active committee roster as of 12/02/2023. Last retrieved on 12/02/2023. Members can log in and refresh page to view full contact information for committee members.
Selection Criteria
Any size public library. Library must demonstrate a plan or examples for use of the funds, such as hosting a system-wide training day on the romance genre, buying romance novels for the library collection, creating readers advisory materials on the genre and/or hosting romance fiction oriented programs. The library shows a desire to improve awareness of the romance genre in the library. Priority will be given to: Libraries with a financial need or in disaster recovery areas looking to rebuild their romance fiction collections.


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OK, almost nothing would be more accurate, I suppose. If anyone was under the illusion that repo (repurchase agreements) abuse was curbed by regulation, a new report may snap you out of it. Of course, if you really thought that government actions such as the Dodd-Frank bill (now law, sort of–they still haven't settled on all of the minutiae) solved those leverage problems then you may be in too deep of a trance for recovery. Still, even the most cynical of investors had to be jolted by the plain language used in the latest musings of the Financial Stability Board. Well, to be fair, the hard core cynics were probably mildly amused, especially those actually using the system:
Naturally, any product that can allow participants infinite leverage is something that all "sophisticated" market participants not only know about, but abuse on a regular basis. The fact that this "unfractional repo banking" is at the heart of the unregulated $71.2 trillion shadow banking system, the less the general public knows about it the better.
"Unfractional Repo Banking"…hmmm. They certainly have a way with words don't they? Anyway, while this may be common knowledge to many investors, it is a subject that many people are unaware except in the most opaque fashion. Even as this market gets supposed extra scrutiny from government agencies around the world, it goes on and on. The reasons for this are fairly obvious as regulators are reluctant to do any harm to the too-big-to-fail banks. In addition, it is fashionable to be biased toward a sort of pro liquidity, pro debt outlook on the economy. As Zero Hedge (at link) helpfully points out, The Financial Stability Board has some really helpful words that help clarify what the heck is really going on:
As a simple illustration of the way in which repo transactions can combine to produce adverse effects on the system that can be larger than the sum of their parts, suppose that investor A borrows cash for a short period of time from investor B and posts securities as collateral. Investor A could use some of that cash to purchase additional securities, post those as further collateral with investor B to receive more cash, and so on multiple times.
Yes, yes, yes…but so what else is new you may say. That's true for many investors but there is a vast population that may not realize exactly how bad this is. As the above example illustrates, the more the chain expands, the more the multiple increases and abracadabra–money from virtually nothing. In fact, the systems leverage can be nearly never-ending:
Which means that after just a few turns of rehypothecation, leverage approaches infinity. Needless to say, with infinite leverage, even the tiniest decline in asset values would result in a full wipe out of one collateral chain member, which then spreads like contagion, and destroys everyone else who has reused that particular collateral.
Say, isn't this exactly the kind of thing that led to the 2008 troubles? Why, yes it is! Then why are they not putting some curbs on this stuff? Well, besides the reasons just mentioned above, the simple fact is that they don't want to. They may blame leverage for the downturn, but they don't really believe it. That is just pabulum for the consumption of the rubes. They are fully aware that the mess that was (and is again) being created was mostly their doing, they just don't want to be found at fault. Anything that avoids that outcome is fine by them. Oh, and don't think they won't blame the banks again either. And with nearly unlimited leverage something bad will happen again. It's just the nature of the beast. And the weak links in the repo chain will cause further weak links and on and on. We'll have to see if this time the strongest links can withstand the onslaught. Admittedly it would be difficult to be optimistic, too-big-to-fail or no too-big-to-fail.


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196,036.50 EUR Apartment Sell Portugal, Vieira de Leiria
Property Attributes
- ReferencesLTAS-T358167
- Price196,036.50 EUR
- LocationPortugal, Vieira de Leiria
- Address
- Part of cityNot specified
- StatusSell
- TypeApartment
- Floor size0.0
- Rooms0
- HeatingVerygood
- ConditionVerygood
Apartment near the BayRef. MA-APT-0011Region: SILVER COAST (Costa de Prata)Localization: SAO MARTINHO DO PORTO 2 minutes walking distance to the beautiful bay of Sao Martinho do Porto, sandy beaches, post office, cafés, restaurants and shops on the promenade.10 minutes driving to the future golf course Foz do Arelho15 minutes driving to Caldas da Rainha and 20 minutes to Obidos10 minutes driving to the A8 motorway 50 minutes driving to international airport in Lisbon Completely refurbishedTotal area: 97 m2 Apartment T2 Entrance hallKitchen Living Room 1 Bathroom 2 bedrooms Terrace Storage room Features:Double glassed windowsPre installation for central heating Location: The apartment has excellent exposure to the sun, very calm and peaceful village. Kitchen and bathroom units replaced. Walking distance to the beach. High rental potential! Price: 165.000, 00 Euros


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Judging poetry
Recently I was asked to be the judge for 2013 DALRO prize for poems published in New Coin in 2012. I hesitated because I am not sure about the idea of choosing the best poem, and I am aware of how subjective I am in what I like and respond to. Two things swayed me, the first was that why not allow my aesthetic to be the one that gets to decide? And secondly, in recent years I have tried to follow the advice, I think it was Eleanor Roosevelt's, "You must do the thing you think you cannot do".
Here are my conclusions, written up in the citation below, after I spent time carefully reading the poems in question several times.
New Coin DALRO prize for 2012 issues
As Harry Owen said of the last DALRO prize, it is a subjective exercise for one person to choose the "best" or winning" poems. The poems I have chosen are the ones that I like best now in April/May 2012; these poems speak to me. This includes how they speak, I prefer shorter poems mostly, and I like poems that surprise and/or delight me, in voice, use of words and language, images, and craft.
First prize – "The Pot" by Genna Gardini
Second Prize – Village Potter's Wife by Jim Pascual Agustin
Third prize – – "on a June day that I spent on the beach with two children" by Megan Tennant
I like the singularity of "The Pot", the strangeness, the sharp decisive ending. Genna Gardini's voice is playful and witty, and while easy to read and follow, further layers of meaning and association rise from the poem, the more times I read it. Her voice is strong and somewhat triumphant here, although there is humour and a slight sense of self ridicule.
"Village Potter's Wife" is a short, striking poem, full of painful contrasts. At the heart of the poem is the joyful creation of pots, measured against death, destruction, grinding poverty. The poet manages to say a great deal about the life of this woman in three quick brush strokes, and to evoke deep sorrow and loss in this reader.
I like the particularity and ordinariness of "on a June day that I spent on the beach with two children", the vivid and telling detail and the way the first stanza speaks to the second, and the combination of joy and bleakness, passion and ennui.
I also liked these poems very much:
All three of the poems by Deidre Byrne in Vol 48, no 1.
"How I make love" by David Wa Maahlamela
"Pretoria" and "voice" by Marike Beyers
"The 1st psalm for my dead ghetto" by Adorn Ka Mashigo
A man stabs a woman by Adriaan Coetzee
"spoon" by Elme Vivier
"Galaxies" by Jeannie Wallace McKeown
"Baby"by Thabo Jijane


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With the new mandatory MediShield Life insurance policy, every citizen and PR in Singapore is now covered for basic hospitalization in governmental hospitals.
I also have a private insurance, courtesy of my employer, which can cover up to 70-85% of private hospital's bill (can't cancel out of it and they would charge me for it regardless).
Does anyone know whether I would be able to utilize MediShield to cover the rest of the bill, similar to how I could use MediSave before that?


text:
PSV was quick to respond when we called. They were very timely in their response time and completed the project in the timeline provided. They completed the restoration within the assessed quote and were transparent along the way with the work they were completing. It was a great experience and I would highly recommend them again.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $5,000.00
Was this review helpful?
- Company Response
Thank you for your kind review! We appreciate your business!


text:
Meeting Minutes January 12, 2019
Submitted by Kathi Warm
Board Trustees present: Lisa Vale, Dennis Leff, Allison Watkinson, Bob Hendricks, and Kathi Warm.
There were 24 members that signed in.
The meeting was held at the FCSA boardroom, and called to order by Lisa Vale at 10:05 a.m.
Invocation was said by Chuck Fields with a pledge of allegiance following.
Minutes of November 10, 2018 with two corrections were read, approved by Dennis Leff, seconded by Bob Hendricks and passed unanimously.
Allison posted a copy of bank statement ending Dec. 31, 2018 on the screen, and explained some entries. She balanced the account effective Dec. 31, 2018 as she will no longer be the FCSCC treasurer as of January 12, 2019. Our bank statements have been audited by an accountant and were found to be in compliance with good accounting practices and bookkeeping. We have paid our 2018 sales tax of $153.00. It was noted that $90.00 was added to Fort Clark Days account from donations made at our open house in Nov. Allison also noted that we donated $300.00 to Kinney County Junior Livestock Show. This was the same amount as the previous year and was approved unanimously by our board. Treasurer's reports are posted on our web site, as is a copy of our audit report.
Open House Recap
Sandra Vance reported that the open house held on Nov. 24, 2018 at Dickman Hall did okay. $90.00 was made in donations for Fort Clark Days, and people did stop by to learn more of what is offered. Chuck Fields noted that the Historical Society did get some new members. Sandra felt that if we had a banner or venue board outside, we might have had more people stop by. It was discussed that if we do it again, it might be in conjunction with another event.
Fort Clark Days 2019
Lisa stated that the committee and chair people voted to cancel the 2019 event due to lack of volunteers. A copy of our letter was read at the last FCSA board meeting, and a copy is posted on the Fort Clark Days web site. Sharon Gregorc submitted a letter of resignation and wished us luck with the event in the future. Kathi Warm volunteered to return the donation made by the Gun Club and the donation made by Alibi Lounge.
Movie Night
November's movie "Darkest Hour" had about 50 attendees.
December's school movie "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" was again appreciated by the school students and teachers. Allison gave a short report telling the members that this is always a good gesture. The same movie was shown Dec. 20 in the evening, and had approximately 40 attendees for the one showing.
December's evening movie "White Christmas" was shown evening of Dec. 22 and also had approximately 40 attendees for the one showing.
January's movie "Solo Star Wars" will be shown Jan. 12 for 2 showings 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
It was again stressed that we need volunteers to help at movie night. Perhaps post it on our web site and on the Dispatch.
Chuck Fields mentioned that we might send letters out to businesses in Jan. requesting sponsorship of movie night and then do a follow-up with them some time later.
Movies will be shown second Sat. of each month with a 4:00 and 7:00 showing.
Marque/Dispatch Communication
A lengthy discussed ensued about items not getting posted on the signboard or in the Dispatch. Richard has to approve everything that goes on the website. We are in compliance with our By-laws as meetings are posted 5 days in advance on the sign board, in the paper, and on the monthly calendar. Debbie Isaacs agreed that the communication policy with members, FCSA board and management is relaxed and she stated that the board is looking at ways to improve the communication with members. Bill Link started a Facebook page for members' concerns and was surprised about how popular it became.
Sandra Vance volunteered to chair Fort Clark Days 2020. Committees needed were shown on the screen. FCD 2020 details are also on fortclarkdays.org. No date for first meeting given. A lengthy discussion followed about getting people to volunteer to chair different committees.
FCSCC board approved 2 $500.00 scholarships to be given this year to BHS seniors. Phyllis Giblin, Carol Stanfill, and Chuck Fields volunteered to be on that committee with Kathi Warm chairing it. A lengthy discussion followed from members concerning criteria including financial status, GPA, students that are home schooled, and services to FCSA. The committee will meet and revamp the old application.
Member Concerns
Sandra Vance- who is responsible for maintaining the roads? Debbie Isaac's stated FCSA is responsible. Sandra should contact Mr. Guzman and MUD for clarification.
Alice Kuchera- expressed her thanks for maintenance mowing the area around her place. She also inquired about how to put in a work order to maintenance. A lengthy discussed followed about using the work order e-mail form or doing it in person.
Garland Young- spoke about the metal doors that were purchased for the motel that are still sitting at maintenance. It was mentioned that they were purchased for about $15,000.00, but it would require more money to have them properly installed. It should be contracted out.
Steve Giblin-it is known that one can not just put metal doors into rock buildings quickly, even though he was told it could be done easily. It costs a lot of money to correctly install them. The digital card system for entrance to the rooms would not work if computer system is not compatible. Would installing the metal doors violate the requirements for being on the National Historical Register?
Chuck Fields-fixing the walls along dog park were previously approved, but we were told it is a low priority. A lengthy discussion followed about what is being prioritized by maintenance.
Garland Young-a grabber had been purchased for picking up larger limbs. He wanted to know if anyone had seen it being used.
Bill Link- he wanted to know if the General Manager has a job description for all employees.
Kathi Warm- Could it be possible to schedule Phillip Garcia make a presentation at a FCSA board meeting to give members an update and progress report on what is being done? Does the General Manager do an annual evaluation of employees to see how their job performance is? Attending FCSA board trustees did not know.
The comment section was cut short due to time constraints, but the topics were matters of great concern.
Meet the Candidates
Lisa read the format, and comments were made regarding questions and procedures. A lengthy discussion followed. Bill Link requested that the format rules get published ASAP via Facebook, Dispatch or paper.
Election of Community Council Board
3 seats were up for election-V.P., Treasurer, and Secretary. Steve Giblin was elected to V.P. as Dennis Leff is resigning. His term is for 2 years. Chuck Fields nominated Steve Giblin, seconded by Carol Stanfill, and elected unanimously. Allison resigned as treasurer and Jennifer Link accepted the position. It would be for a 1-year term as Allison stayed on for an extra year. Kathleen Warm accepted the position for Secretary for a 2-year term. It was noted that 2019 would be the last term for Kathi as Secretary per Bylaws. Prior to that she was trustee at large for 2014, 2015, and 2016.
Committee/Club Reports
Golf Committee-Debbie Isaacs reported that Las Moras Tournament will be Mar. 15,16,17. Practice round be Fri. Mar 15 with tournament the following Sat. and Sun. Bill Link inquired about where he could get applications.
Historical Society-Chuck Fields reported that Mary Ellen Miner would be doing a presentation about the Fort Saturday, January 26, at the Palisado building. No time given.
Comment-We have salaried people at the RV Park and Golf Course. Have Kurt and Cash give updates at the FCSA board meetings
There being no further business, meeting was adjourned at 11:46 a.m. by Lisa Vale.
Minutes respectfully submitted,
Kathleen Warm, Secretary.


text:
Net::HTTP - Low-level HTTP connection
Net::HTTP - Low-level HTTP connection (client)
use Net::HTTP; my $s = Net::HTTP->new(Host => "www.perl.com) || die $@; $s->write_request(GET => "/", 'User-Agent' => "Mozilla/5.0"); my($code, $mess, %h) = $s->read_response_headers;
while (1) { my $buf; my $n = $s->read_entity_body($buf, 1024); die "read failed: $!" unless defined $n; last unless $n; print $buf; }
Net::HTTP class is a low-level HTTP client. An instance of the
Net::HTTP class represents a connection to an HTTP server. The
HTTP protocol is described in RFC 2616. The
Net::HTTP class
HTTP/1.0 and
Net::HTTP is a sub-class of
IO::Socket::INET. You can mix the
methods described below with reading and writing from the socket
directly. This is not necessary a good idea, unless you know what you
are doing.
The following methods are provided (in addition to those of
Net::HTTP constructor method takes the same options as
IO::Socket::INET's as well as these:
Host: Initial host attribute value KeepAlive: Initial keep_alive attribute value SendTE: Initial send_te attribute_value HTTPVersion: Initial http_version attribute value PeerHTTPVersion: Initial peer_http_version attribute value MaxLineLength: Initial max_line_length attribute value MaxHeaderLines: Initial max_header_lines attribute value
Host option is also the default for
PeerAddr. The
PeerPort defaults to 80 if not provided.
Listen option provided by
IO::Socket::INET's constructor
method is not allowed.
If unable to connect to the given HTTP server then the constructor
undef and $@ contains the reason. After a successful
connect, a
Net:HTTP object is returned.
Host header to send. The $host
should not be set to an empty string (or
The actual headers set will depend on the value of the
peer_http_version attributes.
Compress::Zlib module is installed then this will
announce that this client accept both the deflate and gzip
read_response_headers() method call.
Host header, then a header is inserted with the value
of the
host attribute. Headers like
Connection and
Keep-Alive might also be added depending on the status of the
keep_alive attribute.
If $content is given (and it is non-empty), then a
header is automatically added unless it was already present.
Transfer-Encoding header with a value of
chunked was sent in the request. Note, writing zero-length data is
a no-op. Use the
write_chunk_eof() method to signal end of entity
body data.
Returns true if successful.
Transfer-Encoding of
chunked is used.
Trailer header.
Returns true if successful.
As a side effect this method updates the 'peer_http_version' attribute.
Options might be passed in as key/value pairs. There are currently
only two options supported;
laxed and
laxed option will make
read_response_headers() more forgiving
towards servers that have not learned how to speak HTTP properly. The
laxed option is a boolean flag, and is enabled by passing in a TRUE
value. The
junk_out option can be used to capture bad header lines
laxed is enabled. The value should be an array reference.
Bad header lines will be pushed onto the array.
laxed option must be specified in order to communicate with
pre-HTTP/1.0 servers that don't describe the response outcome or the
data they send back with a header block. For these servers
peer_http_version is set to ``0.9'' and this method returns (200,
``Assumed OK'').
The method will raise an exception (die) if the server does not speak
proper HTTP or if the
max_line_length or
limits are reached. If the
laxed option is turned on and
max_line_length and
max_header_length checks are turned off,
then no exception will be raised and this method will always
return a response code.
read() and sysread(), but the buffer offset argument is not
supported yet. This method should only be called after a successful
read_response_headers() call.
The return value will be
undef on read errors, 0 on EOF, -1 if no data
could be returned this time, otherwise the number of bytes assigned
to $buf. The $buf set to ``'' when the return value is -1.
This method will raise exceptions (die) if the server does not speak proper HTTP. This can only happen when reading chunked data.
read_entity_body() has returned 0 to indicate end of the entity
body, you might call this method to pick up any trailers.
read_response_headers() and
read_entity_body() methods use an internal buffer which they will look
for data before they actually sysread more from the socket itself. If
they read too much, the remaining data will be left in this buffer.
but might be more efficient.
read_response_headers() and
read_entity_body() will invoke the
sysread() method when they need more data. Subclasses might want to
override this method to control how reading takes place.
The object itself is a glob. Subclasses should avoid using hash key
names prefixed with
http_ and
the LWP manpage, the IO::Socket::INET manpage, the Net::HTTP::NB manpage
Copyright 2001-2003 Gisle Aas.
This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.
Net::HTTP - Low-level HTTP connection


text:
News & Events
School-wide Fundraiser
We'd love for you to share the link below with co-workers and families and encourage them to purchase a wreath or two, to support your child's classroom (give them the class name so they can select it on the order form!)! You of course can share the flyer, or again, just send out this direct link to the order form! Thanks for your help in making the fun fundraiser a success!
Family Fun Night!
Friday, October 27th
Join us for a free fun night here at Graceview - food games, petting zoo, pony rides, and our "Cutest Kids Costume Parade"! You are welcome to invite your family and friends to join us for this fun and free event!
Holiday Dates to be aware of:
We will be Closed:
November 22-24 for Thanksgiving
December 21-January 3rd for Christmas/New Years
Christmas Program
We have 2 opportunities for your kids to perform their Christmas program:
Friday, 12/8 at 6:30pm (the whole school will participate), and
Sunday, 12/10 at 3:00pm (our kids will be part of the larger Church program called "The Spirit of Christmas" - with traditional music and celebration for your entire family).
Older Updates:
***Announcing "School Age Learning Labs" childcare options for school age kids! Space is LIMITED!***
We know that these ever-changing times have been difficult to navigate as you consider care options for your preschoolers. It has been our privilege to partner with you during these times as we provide quality care for your smallest family members.
With the latest announcement just coming from our local school districts (virtual learning only), we want you to know that we have been anticipating, considering and now planning to offer care for your older students as well.
Our plan is to open several classrooms in order to host School Age Learning Labs. Depending on need and enrollment, students would be placed in small groups, with similar aged children, in classrooms with a qualified teacher to assist and facilitate their virtual schooling.
We would offer a full day option for parents who are working full time and need childcare as well as help with virtual learning. We would also offer part time care options for parents who are simply needing help in the facilitation of virtual learning for part of the day.
At this time, we are in the planning process and will have further details regarding schedules, registration, and tuition in the next few days! We anticipate launching these Learning Labs on the first day of our Fall Session, Wed. Aug. 5th.
Please send an email to Lauren at email@example.com if you are interested and would like further information!
Parents of our 2020 Fall Students:
We are so looking forward to the start of the new school year, and are thankful for the opportunity to live out our mission as we partner with you parents in the care of your precious kids. The start date for the Fall session is Wednesday, August 5, 2020. You can find the entire school year calendar on our website.
You will receive an official "Fall 2020 Welcome Letter" soon, which will have all the details of the procedures that are in effect, based on all the guidance from our regulatory agencies, regarding all COVID-19 health and safety mandates.
In this letter, I need to focus on one item from our "ELC Parent Handbook" that you will be seeing an amendment to. It is a revision in our "Program Registration" and specifically within our "Change of Program" and "Withdrawl from Care" sections. The revised policy is as follows:
Two weeks prior to the beginning of any session registered for, the specific program that a student is registered for will be "locked in". This means that once you have selected the program (number of days, part/full time), and it is "locked in" (based on date), you are responsible for the full payment of that program fee. All fees will be charged in full, beginning on the first day of the scheduled program session. "Change of Program" requests to downgrade a current program, require a 1 month notice. "Withdrawl from Care" forms must be signed and submitted in person, on or before the 10th day of any month, in order to stop program fees for the following month. "Change of Program" requests to upgrade a current program will be reviewed right away and approved if the request is able to be granted, pending the payment of the "Change of Program" fee.
A few explanations:
- As a "not for profit", we rely on steady income projections in order to budget, hire, and retain excellent staff.
- While the benefit of being able to change program options remains, the time-frames have been added to help us adequately prepare for those changes.
- While the benefit of delaying your child's start date, as well as the benefit of your freedom to keep your child out of care for any reason remains, this brings clarity to the policy that the full program rate will be charged from day 1 of the session.
- The heart of Graceview ELC is as a ministry to our community, and our ability to remain a viable business to accomplish that mission, dictates the need to rely on set policies.
- The program "locked in" date for the upcoming session is Wednesday, 7/22/20.
We recognize that we are operating in a time where most things in our lives which used to be so "known" and "steady state" are now completely unknown or in constant flux. We are all on information overload and that information changes quickly, yet understanding and deciphering it all can be tricky at best. We understand that committing to childcare is a huge decision, when your own job situation may be unknown, and your older children's school schedules may be changing. But we have also learned, over these past 4 months – from sudden closure, to being able to reopen under "Emergency Care" guidelines, and continuing now under "Open Texas" mandates – that childcare is essential.
At Graceview ELC, we believe that consistent structure is key to the social/emotional and educational development of kids, and are committed to doing all of the hard things required, so that we can remain a steady and stabilizing influence in the life of your child, by providing service that is as uninterrupted as possible.
We are grateful for the trust you place in us to continue providing a Christ-centered environment of teaching and nurturing as we partner with you parents in building a foundation for each preschooler's future educational and salvation experience.
Please don't hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns, any time, at email@example.com, or by phone at 281-357-1121.
Best Regards,
Lauren Wood
Graceview ELC Director
Hey ELC Families! We are in our second week of reopening for our Summer Session! It has been a whirlwind, to say the least! We are loving having your kiddos back in school and they are rocking this transition! Each day brings more comfort with the new routines, for all of us!
I want to remind us all though, to not grow complacent in our "comfort with the new routines"! We are still operating under the very strict "emergency operations" directions of the "Open Texas Minimum Standards Health Protocols for Child care centers" due to COVID-19. Please reference and remember the "Checklist for Families" that you've all received, as all of its guidance is still in place! All of this is to protect the health of each staff member, child and all of our families!
Y'all have been doing an incredible job, so keep it up! Use those daily communication forms to let us know of ANYTHING we should be aware of! Please make a careful evaluation of your kiddo each day to ensure they are well and eligible to come to the ELC. If you notice something at home, even if it is NOT fever or one of the known COVID symptoms that would exclude them from care, we'd ask you to let us know! Everyone's health is our priority, always, but especially under these very unusual circumstances! Thank you for understanding that ANY "new or worsening" symptoms will cause us to call you to come pick up your child and potentially require a doctors note for them to return to care. Again, we are following all of the guidance required to keep the ELC open and all of our friends well!
Thanks for partnering with us in all of this! We continue to pray for you and your families! Don't hesitate to reach out to me if you questions or concerns!
Lauren Wood
Graceview ELC Director
Welcome to the Graceview ELC 2020 Summer Session!
Dates of Summer Session 2020: June 1-July 31. Closed on Friday, July 3rd (holiday).
We are so excited to have you back and/or welcome you to the Graceview Family! This is a joyous time for us, as we have prayed for the re-opening of our center since March!
As you know, there are many new guidelines and protocols that we are required to follow in order to make the very best effort to keep everyone safe and healthy. You will find specific and detailed information in this email which will help ensure a smooth drop off and pick up process this first week and beyond. Please refer to the previously posted PDF Checklist for very important information you need to know.
Checklist of necessary forms:
Forms found on our website that you will need to bring with you on your first day back with us:
If you are new to the ELC, we will need your completed Registration Packet at the time of Drop Off.
ALL students: Current Child Care Waiver.
All Students: Daily Communication Form. Part of our new protocol includes a new "Home to School" communication form. This is a form that we need from you each day that will communicate to your child's teacher any information they will need to best care for your child throughout the day. We will send several blank forms home on the first day, or you may print them from our website and bring one filled out each day. This form will tell your child's teacher what kind of night they had, if they've eaten breakfast, and any other important information. One will have to be received from you each day, so you can definitely save time by pre-filling it out BEFORE you arrive each morning.
ALL infants in the Elephant room, both new and returning, will need to provide an updated Infant Feeding Schedule at this time.
2. A.M. Drop of Procedures
a. Children enrolled for FULL Day (6:30 – 6:00): Parents will be dropping off at the front of the ELC between 6:30 AM and 7:00 AM (this drop-off window is required because of current protocols). You will pull up to the open drive-thru lane, and a staff member will meet you. Your child's temperature will be taken and they will be visually assessed for any symptoms of illness. We are not able to accept any child with symptoms of illness or a temperature that reads 100.4 or higher. Please refer to the previously posted guidelines regarding this topic (See "Open Texas Checklist for Families"). At that point, we will receive your child, their "Home to School" communication form, and their belongings. They will then enter the building, have their hands washed, and be walked to their classroom.
b. Children enrolled for the PreSchool Only Program (9:30-2:30): Parents will be dropping off at the front of the ELC between 9:15 AM and 9:45 AM (this drop-off window is required because of current protocols). You will pull up to the open drive-thru lane, and a staff member will meet you. Your child's temperature will be taken and they will be visually assessed for any symptoms of illness. We are not able to accept any child with symptoms of illness or a temperature that reads 100.4 or higher. Please refer to the previously posted guidelines regarding this topic (See "Open Texas Checklist for Families"). At that point, we will receive your child, their "Home to School" communication form, and their belongings. They will then enter the building, have their hands washed, and be walked to their classroom.
3. P.M. Pick Up Procedures
a. Children enrolled for FULL Day (6:30 – 6:00): Parents may pick up at any time. Once you have arrived at the ELC drive-thru lane, please call our office and a staff member will bring your child and their belongings to your vehicle. Your child will have their "Daily Sheet", explaining how the day went.
b. Children enrolled for the PreSchool Only Program (9:30-2:30): PreSchool Only friends must be picked up promptly at 2:30. You will pull up to the drive-thru lane and a staff member will bring your child and their belongings to your vehicle. Your child will have their "Daily Sheet", explaining how the day went.
Stay up-to-date with all of our communication and announcements via our school Facebook page: @graceviewelc . Also, our website, www.graceviewelc.org contains all the information and forms and updates, as well as links to our online payment system - ShelbyNext. While you're there, take a minute to register now for Fall! Our new school year begins August 5th, so save your child's spot now!
Again, welcome back to the ELC! We are looking forward to a great Summer. We want to thank you for entrusting your child to our care. We are praying for you and your family, and specifically praying for health for all of our ELC family during this time!
Please reach out to me at firstname.lastname@example.com if you have any questions or concerns, at any time!
Grace and Peace,
Lauren Wood
Graceview ELC Director
Hey ELC Families -
Our teachers came back to work today, and we are so thrilled to be getting ready to welcome everyone for Summer Session, starting June 1st!
Have YOU registered??? Here's the link for the form: https://forms.gle/8KEBRniwUgTE72BY7
We NEED you to complete this by 9am on Thursday 5/28, because we have new families waiting to hear if we have spots available! We are giving current families PRIORITY, but will open those spots on Thursday! So don't delay! Sign-up today!😉
Carrying a BALANCE on your account??? We'll be calling you TOMORROW with those specifics, so you can take care of it and still be able to register on time!
Not registering for Summer Session, but want to hold your spot for Fall??? You will also need to pay any balance on your account, and fill out the Fall Registration form, which can be found on our website, and pay your registration fee! All fees are paid online now, so follow the "make a payment" link on our website!
We are working diligently to be able to provide the highest quality program and experience that you have come to expect and love from Graceview ELC. It will have to look a little different under the new guidelines, at least for a while! But the genuine love and care, with a focus on health and safety that we have always been about, will always lead the way for us!
We love and appreciate you all! Please email me with any questions or concerns, at email@example.com .
Lauren Wood
Graceview ELC Director
**ReOpening Update**
Hey ELC Families -
Registration for our Summer Session is now open! Thank you to everyone who has already completed the Registration Form (Links found on our website as well as the post prior to this one!)! If you have not registered yet but plan to, we would ask you to please take care of it as quickly as possible, so we have the time needed to reorganize our classrooms and teachers based on the need!
For everyone attending our Summer Session, we will be sending out info all of this coming week to help prepare you for the changes to policies and procedures that we have to make in accordance with the new "Minimum Standard Health Protocols". These are to help keep both the staff and your family safe and well!
Please follow the link below to read the specific "Checklist for Child Care Families" that has been created. There is a separate "Checklist for Child Care Centers", which outlines exactly what we must follow, and you can find it online, if you are interested (it is 13 pages long, as compared to the 3 pages you'll see below!).
These are the protocols we will be following, so please become familiar with them! We always take the safety and wellness of our staff and students very seriously, so these new protocols will be in place when we all return to school on June 1st! Please send specific questions regarding any of this to me at email@example.com .
Thanks for partnering with us in the care of your kids! We can't wait to be together again soon!
Lauren Wood
Graceview ELC Director
Hey ELC Families,
The day has finally come when we "know more"!! And what we know today is super exciting! We are thrilled to announce that we have the great privilege to REOPEN!!! Yay!
Graceview ELC will REOPEN on June 1, 2020! And Registration for our Summer Session is NOW OPEN!! Click this Registration Form link, fill out the form, pay the registration fee, and your Registration for Summer Session will be complete!
**We need ALL families to Register! You will indicate on the form if you are "returning" or "new"! Please sign up ASAP, so we can count you in!**
We cannot wait to have all of our friends back with us at the ELC! We, of course, will be following ALL of the new guidelines for health and safety! We will post those specifics for your family to review, so everyone can be prepared for our "new normal"!
We are very busy preparing the ELC for your return! Over the next 10 days we will be working diligently to check off every required guideline and put new policies/procedures in place, so we can all confidently return to school, starting June 1st!
So save your spot right now, and let us know that you'll be returning to care by completing the Registration Application! Someone from our staff will reach out to you next week, to confirm your registration.
We rejoice in this huge answered prayer, and we thank you for always joining us in prayer! We know many centers that were not able to make it through this very difficult economic season we're in! We know that by the grace of God, and through good stewardship of our resources we have this opportunity to reopen and continue providing the care for our community that God has called us to! We look forward to, once-again, partnering with you in the care of your most precious children, for the glory of the Lord! So let's keep on "growing with Grace", together!
With great excitement,
Lauren Wood
Graceview ELC Director
ELC Families,
It was so great to see so many of you this week during our "Learning Bundle" distribution times! Kristi and I loved getting to hear how you are doing, and your kiddos' smiles and waves and stories melted our hearts! We only wished we could have given hugs and high-fives! But, that day will come! For now, we hope you are enjoying helping your student with some of the packet work their teachers prepared! And maybe some dads/grandpas/other adults even helped your little prepare the enclosed "Mother's Day" gift! We would love to see how any of your art projects are coming out!
As for the news of the day, Graceview ELC is still CLOSED, and will remain closed at least through next week as well, 5/18-5/22/20.
We are still under the same guidelines I published on a previous post, which limits us to only being able to serve the children of "essential workers". As stated before, for our center, we cannot even consider re-opening until that part of the order is lifted. We are waiting on an update from the Governor, and also from our State licensing agency. Beyond that, we will still continue seeking wise counsel from Graceview and the ELC Board regarding the most prudent re-opening timeframe.
We do recognize that many of your jobs are not considered "essential" by the government, yet are obviously essential to your family! We also know, very well, the difficulties of trying to perform your job from home while also being the primary care-taker for any number of kids, of any age! This is such a challenging time for us all! Our teachers would love to be able to return to work and once again have the opportunity to provide care for your kids, but also recognize the need for us to do so in the safest way for all - considering the health of all of our staff, students, and families!
And so we wait, and pray! But waiting is so very hard, I know! We are praying for each of you! And we are praying for wisdom and clear direction! We are praying for those who are sick and have been greatly effected by COVID-19, in every way. We trust that God is still in control! We believe that, in His perfect timing, we will all be back together! We hold on to Hope, because Jesus is our Hope.
Until that time, please continue to join us for our Facebook LIVE times:
Monday's at 10am - "Music Monday", and
Thursday's at 10am - "Chapel Time".
We love and appreciate you all! Please reach out to me at email@example.com if there is anything I can do for you or your family! We will continue to keep you updated here, and on our website!
Grace and Peace,
Lauren Wood
Graceview ELC Director
ELC Families - A ton of info to share today!
1. With no changes in recommendations from State, the ELC will remain CLOSED next week, 5/11-5/15.
2. Our amazing ELC teachers have been working in shifts today to prepare the "Learning Bundles" for your kiddos! Remember that we are offering two pickup times: tomorrow, Sat. 5/9 from 11am-noon; or Mon. 5/11 from 8:00am-9:00am. Please swing by and we'll meet you at your car! We will provide the packet from your child's specific class, as well as your child's Spring pictures (if you hadn't already picked them up!). Just pull up to the main entrance, and we'll come to you! Just remind us of who you are picking up for, and which class they are in! We're so excited to at least get to wave at you soon!
3. Back to our amazing teachers and staff 😉, we just want to recognize them and the work they have done all year as a part of our ELC Crew! They love your kiddos so well! They continue to pray for you and your family! And we all miss ya'll, terribly! The pics below are just a few of our Crew working today on the "Learning Bundles"! They have created enough for every child in their class, so even if you didn't RSVP, we've got you covered! So, and HUGE SHOUTOUT to these incredible ladies! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻We are so thankful for them, and love and appreciate them!
Open Texas Checklist for Families
ELC Families,
I know many of you have questions about the "Open Texas" plan recently presented by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, and particularly what this means for Graceview's ELC, our students, families and our staff. Trust me when I say that I began studying the order as soon as it came out, because, as I've been saying all along, we are committed to reopening as soon as is possible and prudent! Each week I've been providing updates on our decisions based on all of the guidance from national, state, local and licensing agencies. Today I will post for you the email I, and all licensed childcare Directors just received - just to give you a deeper understanding of why, at this time, we must remain closed.
For the week of May 4 - May 8, 2020, the ELC will be CLOSED.
Again, this saddens me and I know it continues to effect so many of you! Our entire staff misses you and your kiddos and the opportunity to partner with you in their care. Please email me at firstname.lastname@example.com if you have any questions or if there is anything we can help you with!
Below, if you're interested, is the email I mentioned above, which is the specific guidance we must follow, from our licensing agency DFPS (HHSC):
"New Executive Order GA-18 Guidance:
On April 27, Governor Greg Abbott issued Executive Order (GA-18), outlining phase one of businesses permitted to reopen on Friday, May 1 at 25% capacity. The Governor's announcement is accompanied by Texans Helping Texans: The Governor's Report to Open Texas. This detailed report, available on the strike force website, helps Texans understand phase one by outlining the new protocols, guidance, and recommendations. The report also includes a series of Open Texas Checklists that outline DSHS' minimum standard health protocols for all Texans.
Child Day Care operations will continue to provide child care services to any child whose parent meets at least one of the following eligibility criteria:
- designated as an "essential worker" according to the guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in its Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce; or
- receiving protective day care services authorized by the Department of Family & Protective Services (DFPS)
Do I have to confirm a child's eligibility to receive child day care?
- Yes, you must ensure you are only providing child day care services for children:
of essential worker; or receiving protective day care services authorized by DFPS
How do I confirm if a child is eligible to receive child day care?
- At least one parent for each child in care needs to complete Form 7265 to indicate which approved essential service they are providing as specified by the US Department of Homeland Security or the Texas Division of Emergency Management or complete Form 7264 to indicate they have been authorized by DFPS to receive protective day care services.
Am I allowed to care for children of non-essential workers?
No, Public health needs indicate that child care operations may remain open only to serve children whose parent is considered an "essential" worker under the Governor's executive order. The Governor's announcement on April 27th pertaining to newly re-opened businesses on May 1 does not change the requirement that a parent must certify that they work for an "essential" industry in order to be eligible to access child care. Just because a business is now open does not necessarily mean that it is considered "essential." For more guidance on who is an "essential" worker, see the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in its Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce." (E-mail to all licensed childcare operators)
Please know we will continue making the best decisions possible and with great prayer that we'll all get to be together again!
Join us Thursday mornings at 10am for "Chapel Time" LIVE on our Facebook page, and again on Monday, at 10am, for "Music Monday" LIVE!
We love y'all and are praying for you all! Please keep praying with us for each other and our community and all the community helpers working hard each day (that is some of you, I know 😉, and we are grateful)! 💚
Grace and Peace,
Lauren Wood
Graceview ELC Director
ELC families,
I continue to wish that the news was not the same, but unfortunately the guidelines from the national, state, local and licensing officials remain the same, and so we must remain closed at this time.
For the week of April 27 - May 1, 2020, the ELC will be CLOSED!
Please stay safe and stay home! We love y'all and are praying for you! We hope you're able to tune in on Monday and Thursday mornings at 10 am, or watch Music Monday and Chapel
Time with your littles, whenever you have time!
We miss y'all tremendously! As a reminder, no one was charged for the month of April, and no charges will be posted now for May either. Watch for updates and reminders about how to sign in to our new online payment system - ShelbyNext. If you are working on catching up on old charges on your account, this would be a great time to do that, if you are able!
I'll be in the office on Monday and can answer balance inquiry questions at that time - please simply email me at email@example.com .
Thank you! See y'all:
Monday, 10 am, "Music Monday" LIVE, and
Thursday, 10 am, "Chapel Time" LIVE, both on our Facebook page!
Grace and Peace,
Lauren Wood
Graceview ELC Director
***Closure Update***
Hello ELC families!
We pray you have enjoyed a beautiful Easter with your family!
As we continue to follow the "Stay at Home" orders and the guidelines put out by HHSC, specifically for childcare centers, we must continue to remain closed at this time!
For the week of 4/13-4/17/20, the ELC will remain closed.
We know this continues to be a difficult situation, as so many of you are having to work out the challenges of performing your jobs from home, while also caring for your kiddos. We are praying for you and definitely understand! And we are so anticipating the day when we can return to normal operations!
We miss y'all greatly! I'm sure your kids have grown and changed tremendously since we last saw them! We count it a pleasure to be praying for you during this season, and always! So please keep us updated with needs and prayer requests!
This week, join us...
- Monday, at 10 am, for "Music Monday" LIVE!
- Thursday, at 10 am, for "Chapel Time" LIVE!
Thank you for your continued support and patience as we all stay home and stay safe!
Lauren Wood
Graceview ELC Director
Pick up School picture packets TODAY! Thurs. 4/9, from 10:45am - 12:45pm.
Call when you arrive! 281-357-1121
4/5/20: Closure Update:
Hello ELC Family! We find ourselves in a new month, already! WOW! We have been hearing from so many of you, and love it - from prayer requests, to how you're enjoying getting to participate in Music Monday and Thursday's Chapel Time with your sweet kiddos! Please continue reaching out!
We certainly would not have imagined this being the case, but in order to continue complying with the Federal, State, and Local guidelines/order, and with the wisdom and input from our ELC Board, and with great prayer in seeking the best decision for the health and well-being of our ELC Teachers, Students, and Families:
Our decision regarding care for next week, is to remain CLOSED, 4/6-4/10/20.
In light of this extended, and unanticipated closure, we want to make a time available for you to come and retrieve any of your child's essential, personal belongings that might have been left in their ELC classroom.
- When: Monday, 4/6/20, from 11am-1pm
- How: You can email me (email@example.com) between now and then to give me a heads up that you have something to retrieve. Include your child's name, classroom name, and what is needed (ex: diapers), and we will gather it up. Upon arrival on Monday, simply call the school (281-357-1121) and let us know you've arrived, and again indicate student's name and class. We will deliver the essential items to you, CONTACT FREE, by the exterior ELC access door.
We are still working on updating accounts, per our last correspondence. As a reminder, we have NOT posted any charges for April.
Please continue to send questions to my email at firstname.lastname@example.com . I will reply as quickly as I am able. I appreciate your patience!
Remember to join us here on our FB page for:
- "Music Monday" LIVE, 10am, on Monday;
- "Chapel Time" LIVE, 10am, on Thursday;
- More resources of ideas to do with your kiddos;
- and ongoing, weekly updates!
We love and appreciate ya'll, and miss your kiddos dearly!
We'll be in contact soon.
With great love,
Lauren Wood
Graceview ELC Director
3/27/20: Closure Update:
Hello ELC Family! We find ourselves at the end of another week! It has been a week full of new information and new challenges - for all of us! We pray you are finding joy in this forced slow-down time, and enjoying the extra family time.
I say that, knowing very well the realities that "having kids at home while trying to accomplish work or be productive in any way" bring! 😉 But you are all amazing, and I know you are finding your way in this strange, new "normal". Please know that we are praying for you! Our ELC Teachers are braving the same realities, and they are praying for ya'll too!
In order to best comply with the Federal, State, and Local guidelines/order, and with the wisdom and input from our ELC Board, and with great prayer in seeking the best decision for the health and well-being of our ELC Teachers, Students, and Families:
Our decision regarding care for next week, is to remain CLOSED, 3/30-4/3/20.
This is very difficult for us, as again, we know the implications are huge. Please trust that we considered all of the "exceptions" and "exemptions" regarding child care centers, as well as the number of you parents who may qualify as "essential personnel". At this point, we still believe that remaining closed is the wisest course of action, and we continue to pray for the ability to resume normal operations as very soon as possible!
I know you all need answers regarding your ELC payment accounts. And many of you have so kindly asked how this closure is effecting our teachers as well - thank you! Graceview ELC is a ministry of Graceview Baptist Church, and you should know that the Church loves and cares for our staff and our ELC's families very deeply! We will work with every family towards a positive outcome in all of this.
The short answer regarding our staff is: we are striving to take care of our teachers in the best ways we can, right now, to help maintain their well-being, and to ensure we have staff available to return to our classrooms the minute we are able to reopen. Please join me in praying for each of them as well! We love and appreciate them dearly!
Regarding Account Charges: our plan is to pro-rate accounts for the end of March, when we were unable to provide care. If you have already paid the month in full, your account will be credited, at the Board approved amounts, and the credits applied to future charges. We are striving to do this in a way that does not put us in a position to be unable to reopen, as we do hope to return to normal operations as soon as is prudent. If you have not paid the full month of March, as billed March 1st, we would encourage you use our online payment tool, and make a payment towards your balance. Again, we know this time is not financially easy on anyone, so we are committed to working with each family for a positive outcome.
Also, we will NOT post new charges for April, as it starts this coming week. We will wait until we know a re-start date, and pro-rate the month of April accordingly.
I know you will undoubtedly have many questions, as this is a lot of information. Please send questions to my email at firstname.lastname@example.com . I will reply as quickly as I am able. I appreciate your patience!
Continue tuning in to our FB page for more great resources for your kids this coming week! We loved doing "Chapel Live" with ya'll on Thursday, and certainly plan to do that again at 10am Thursday morning! We're also going to go LIVE on Monday at 10am for "Music Monday"! You won't want to miss that! We love and appreciate ya'll, and miss your kiddos dearly!
We'll be in contact soon.
With great love,
Lauren Wood
Graceview ELC Director
3/19/20, Closure Update:
ELC Families, we love y'all so much! Kristi and I were so blessed by talking with and hearing from all of you yesterday! You Moms and Dads and Caregivers are amazing and doing hard things and facing so many unknowns - with great faith! Thanks for sharing your hearts, needs, and prayers requests.
Our ELC Staff and Teachers, too, are braving these same unknowns, with faith and hope in the Lord. I couldn't be more thankful for them and proud of them!
Our decision regarding care for next week, is to remain CLOSED, 3/23-3/27.
We heard you, Parents, and heard that you have need for care, but the fears of so many unknowns are great! We definitely want to operate out of facts and faith - the reality is that there are not enough facts right now! Facts do indicate new confirmed cases in our area - and we are praying. But still, too much is unknown, and opening at this time potentially puts everyone at risk, and is not wise. I know you'll understand that we are prayerfully and diligently striving to make the best decisions for your kiddos, families and our staff - recognizing that each decision carries more unknowns!
We are praying for each of you! We love you! We will keep making week by week decisions, which will allow us to gain more information, facts, and understanding! It is our hearts desire to serve your families well! And we are committed to reopening, as soon as is prudent.
Please keep checking this FB page, as we'll be uploading fun resources for your kids! And please reach out to me at firstname.lastname@example.com with questions and concerns, updates and prayer requests!
We'll be in contact soon.
With great love,
Lauren Wood
Graceview ELC Director
Thank you for being a valued member of our ELC family. We greatly appreciate you partnering with us in the care of your precious child. Your and your family's safety is paramount, and we understand the concerns associated with the coronavirus. We are closely monitoring information being presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with local health officials and school districts in regards to closures.
Out of an abundance of caution and concern for the safety and well-being of our students, families, and staff we have made the proactive decision that Graceview Early Learning Center will be closed Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 20, 2020.
As a proactive approach to safety and prevention against the corona virus Graceview Baptist Church and the ELC are utilizing a process to kill and prevent growth of viruses in our building. This process consist of a fogging application of a germ killing agent throughout our building. This process will take place on Friday March 13, 2020. A link has been provided for the product information for this Razor Antimicrobial Coating.
Again, at this time, we will plan on our students and staff returning to school on Monday, March 23.
We will continue monitoring this fluid situation closely, and will provide any updates on our Facebook page and our school website: graceviewelc.org .
Lauren Wood
Graceview ELC, Director


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On Monday, August 7 the PLUS Eastern Chapter hosted its 2017 Golf Tournament benefiting the PLUS Foundation. The event drew 145 golfers to Wykagyl Country Club in New Rochelle, and more than $25,000 was raised for the PLUS Foundation.
"Despite a steady rain most of the day, it didn't dampen the spirits of the golfers at the Eastern Chapter Golf Tournament at the Wykagyl Country Club. With rain gear on and umbrellas at the ready, the golfers had a great day between the rain drops. The 120 year old Top 100 Classic golf course, which has hosted both PGA and LPGA events, did not disappoint. All the attendees had a fun day on the course and a fantastic reception and awards ceremony after golf."
- Chris Alfieri
Thanks to the event chairs… Luigi Spadafora, Christine DeFelice, and Chris Alfieri, as well as the Eastern Chapter chair Michael Cavallaro. And, of course, thank to the event sponsors for helping make this event such a success…
Event Sponsor
Winget, Spadafora & Schwartzberg, LLP
Single Hole Sponsors
Argo Pro
AXIS Insurance
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance
Gallo Vitucci Klar LLP
Gordon & Rees Scully Mansukhani
Great American Insurance Group Fidelity/Crime Division
Hiscox USA
Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP
Markel Corporation
Old Republic Professional
PL Risk Advisors Inc
Skarzynski Black LLC
Sompo International
The Hartford
Traub Lieberman Straus & Shrewsberry LLP
Wilson Elser


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What is the PARCC Test?
PARCC, or Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, is a common core aligned standardized test in math and English language arts administered in Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, the District of Columbia, and Rhode Island. In some states, passing the PARCC test is required to advance from one grade to the next. Check with your local state guidelines for clarification. The PARCC test is a computerized assessment; the combined sections take between 8 and 9.5 hours to complete (grade level dependent). The test is typically administered over a number of days.
How can I prepare my child for the PARCC test?
I don't believe that students should study for standardized tests. Most schools spend a significant amount of time on test prep and "test taking skills." This is more than enough to let your child know what to expect on the test in terms of formatting, expectations, and other guidelines. However, sample tests can also be found at http://www.parccoline.org/practice-tests
How is the PARCC scored?
Student performance on the PARCC test is described using scale scores, performance levels, and sub claim performance indicators.
On the PARCC test, a scale score is a numeric value for student performance on the test. Questions on the test receive different weight depending upon the difficulty of the question, so lower level questions receive less weight while more complex questions receive more weight. A scale score is generated by assessing the questions a student answered correctly or incorrectly — right or wrong. Students receive separate scale scores for English Language Arts and Mathematics. The scale score will range from 650 to 850. Students will also receive sub scores for Reading (ranging from 10 to 90) and Writing (ranging from 10 to 60).
In addition to a scale score, student performance on the PARCC is categorized according to five levels:
- Level 1 (Did Not Yet Meet Expectations)
- Level 2 (Partially Met Expectations)
- Level 3 (Approached Expectations)
- Level 4 (Met Expectations)
- Level 5 (Exceeded Expectations.
These levels are not much different from other standardized tests that assess students as not proficient (NP), partially proficient (PP), proficient, and advanced proficient (AP). According to PARCC, students scoring at Level 4 and 5 are ready for next grade level work.
What does your child's PARCC score mean?
My student scored lower on the PARCC than I expected. What factors might contribute to this?
The PARCC test is only one data point. Many factors can contribute to lower than expected scores.
Student performance on tests is dependent upon a student putting forth their best work and checking their answers. Students that do not see a value in the test may be "disengaged" test takers; your child may have simply clicked through the test to reach the end as soon as possible.
The PARCC Mathematics test does not simply test a student's ability to answer a question correctly. It also requires students to explain their answers and show their work in a specific manner. Students may answer a question correctly but only earn partial credit for failing to show their work in an appropriate manner.
The PARCC ELA test asks students to read and analyze passages of text and videos. Students answer multiple choice, open ended, and short answer questions. Students with above grade level vocabularies may be tempted to answer vocabulary questions based on raw definitions rather than by using context clues. Some gifted children have a tendency to overthink questions regarding the interpretation of literature too. The PARCC ELA test does not assess reading level; your child's ability to read and comprehend high level texts may not be adequately assessed on this test.
My student was assessed at a Level 5 proficiency. They answered every question right and earned a scale score of 850 on both sections. Does this mean that we should explore grade skipping and/or acceleration?
The PARCC test is not a strong indicator for grade skipping and/or acceleration. The PARCC test has a ceiling effect (see below), so it does not indicate whether your child can or should skip next year's curriculum. If your child earned a Level 5 proficiency, and this seems aligned with other grade level assessments, you can seek out above grade level testing and/or an adaptive assessment like the NWEA MAP for a more comprehensive view of your child's knowledge, skills, and competencies.
Does the PARCC test have a ceiling effect?
You don't necessarily need to "do" anything with your child's PARCC scores. Some schools may look at PARCC scores when assessing eligibility for special education programs such as remedial education and/or gifted education. This varies from one school district to the next. Although your child's school may administer this test, they may not necessarily "do" anything with it either.
If your child consistently exceeds expectations on the PARCC test (Level 5 performance), and you feel that your child is not being adequately challenged in school, you may want to seek out above grade level testing and/or an academic evaluation to determine if acceleration is suitable for your child. You may also want to explore private education opportunities such as enrichment classes and/or accelerated classes to provide your child with a stimulating learning opportunity.
If your child is scoring very low on the PARCC test, and…
…you feel that this is not aligned with your child's academic abilities, you may want to seek out additional testing IF your child's school uses PARCC scores as a screening tool for acceleration, enrichment, class placement, grade advancement, or other opportunities.
—you feel that this is aligned with your child's performance, you may want to talk to the school and/or an outside center to determine a plan of action to get your child they help they need to succeed.


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Czech businessmen await effect of Armenia-EU deal - Ambassador Petr Mikyska's interview
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and the Czech Republic mark the 25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations.
Petr Mikyska – Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Armenia, gave an interview to ARMENPRESS, talking about the Armenian-Czech relations, the development prospects of economic cooperation between the two countries, the role of the Armenia-EU agreement signed last year and other issues.
-Mr. Ambassador, 25 years of cooperation. Looking back what key achievements will you identify? What do we have now in the Armenian-Czech relations?
-This year we mark the 25th anniversary of our diplomatic relations with Armenia. It was a quarter of century of the ties between two new countries, as the Czech Republic was established on January 1, 1993 after the peaceful split of Czechoslovakia and Armenia only a short time earlier after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. We started from scratch and for relatively long time our relations were rather formal, with occasional political contacts and modest trade turnover. The picture changed with Eastern Partnership. This wide range European Union program of ties with six Eastern Europe partners became a priority for Czech foreign policy, as well as one of the priorities of the Government of Armenia, and helped to develop also bilateral relations between the EU member states, including Czechia, and Armenia. In 2011 and 2012 Armenia and the Czech Republic, respectively, opened their Embassies in capitals of the partner country and the relations took completely new, dynamic swing. Political ties are now on its highest level with multiple contacts of executive and legislative powers․Economic cooperation is, after certain deceleration after 2013, back on growing path. We have no unsolved issues. We develop multifaceted cooperation in education, healthcare, regional development, we try to assist the civil society and the Government in their efforts to make Armenia a democratic and prosperous country.
-You stated that the economic cooperation between the two countries is developing. I would like you to present this in numbers. Is the economic potential of the two countries is sufficiently utilized?
-The development of economic cooperation depends on many internal and external factors. After certain slowdown in our commercial turnover after the accession of Armenia to the Eurasian Economic Union exports of both countries grow at an accelerated pace. Based on the data of the Czech Statistical Office, in first eleven months of 2017 Czech exports to Armenia totaled USD 34.4 millions (94 per cent growth in comparison with the same period of 2016), Armenian exports to Czechia reached USD 3.2 millions (11 per cent growth). We are experiencing a positive change in the structure of our bilateral trade, as Armenia imports from Czechia less consumer goods and more technologies and capital goods, which is important for further development of national economy and export capacity of the country. Armenia also changes the structure of its exports to Czechia, from predominantly minerals previously to agricultural products, food and drinks (brandy and wine) and textile. Minerals stay as an important export item, but in lesser proportion. We encourage Armenian entrepreneurs to export to our country and to use all favorable prerequisites, such as the GSP+ scheme, export promotion oriented policy of both Governments and numerous business fora.
-What priorities do you see for further boosting the economic cooperation? According to you, what problems do the businessmen face in terms of investments?
-As I said, the development of economic cooperation reflects the national situation in both countries. On the Czech side we experience a steady growth of the economy and that should be seen as the opportunity for Armenian exporters. In Armenia we can observe the growth of production in many fields and we evaluate it as the opportunity to supply for example means for urbanand inter-city passenger transport, agricultural machinery, products of energetic engineering, and, in lesser extent and in connection with the development of the purchasing power of the population, consumer goods. Regarding the investments, I understand that Czech businessmen are still rather cautious observing the situation in the country and wait for the effect of the recently signed Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Armenia. There is a lot of work ahead, but I am hopeful that the Government of Armenia will succeed in improving the conditions for foreign investors and making the country attractive for new businesses.
-Among the fields no less important for the country's economic development is tourism. It seems the works on this path in Armenia received a new impetus. What prospects do you see for deepening the bilateral cooperation on this path?
-The flow of Armenian tourists to the Czech Republic is quite stable. Prague is one of the most famous and main tourist destinations, people love Karlovy Vary,but other parts of the country remain aside. We try to present them to tourists. As for the opposite direction, we also see a structural change here,since traditionally mainly the youth, hiking lovers have been visiting Armenia, but they bring less contribution to Armenia's economy as they do not spend a lot of money, do not stay in luxury hotels etc. It is already a positive step that Czech tourist companies include also Armenia in their tour packages. In addition to Yerevan, their main destinationsare also Tatev Monastery, Lake Sevan etc.
-In which part of Armenia have you been except in Yerevan?
-Almost everywhere. Of course, I cannot compare me toMr. Robin Böhnisch, former member of the Czech Parliament, former head of the Czech-Armenia inter-parliamentary friendship group, a man who is the author of the resolution condemning the Armenian Genocide. He visits Armenia several times a year, visits different places and takes photos. And he published a perfect book about Armenia, the description and history of these places in Czech and English are attached to the photos. I think this is the best book about Armenia.
-Mr. Ambassador, the signatureof the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2017 was a significant event for Armenia. You said the Czech businessmen wait for the effect of this Agreement on the country's economy. What are your expectations from this Agreement? In your opinion, how it will affect the Armenia-EU and especially the Armenian-Czech ties?
-EU – Armenia relations are experiencing a very successful moment. The signature of the CEPA agreement and especially its implementation will give a new and very necessary impulse to the development not only of our relations, but mainly to the development of Armenia in many areas. I already mentioned the link between the relations of the EU and the Eastern partnership countries, including Armenia, and its positive influence on bilateral relations of EU member states with Armenia. Czech companies and their Armenian partners will profit of changing commercial and investment environment in Armenia, and not only commercial and investment. The CEPA agreement will make Armenia more democratic, attractive and closer country.
-Estonia was the first country that ratified the Agreement. What is the situation in the Czech Republic? When the country is expected to ratify the CEPA?
-The CEPA ratification procedure in Czechia can take some time due to internal political development –you may know that the Czech Government resigned today. Nevertheless, I am confident that the agreement will be ratified swiftly, I hope that this agreement ratification will not follow the faith of some bilateral agreements, not ratified by Armenian National Assembly since 2014.
The agreement foresees its preliminary implementation in some areas before the end of the ratification process by all parties. This preliminary implementation is expected since spring.
-Mr. Ambassador, let's talk about the bilateral cultural relations. With what main emphasis do you see the upcoming works in this sphere?
-Well, let´s not see the culture exclusively as something that should be "worked", "directed" or "regulated" by the state actors. Culture is a living organism which feels the best if free and non-limited. We have wonderful examples of activities developing without any assistance of the ministries or Embassies and based on direct ties between the creators in both countries. Of course, state institutions also add their part in the promotion of its own culture and bring it closer to the public of the partner country. In 2018 we commemorate not only 25 years of independent Czech Republic and diplomatic relations with Armenia, but also 100 years of independent Czechoslovakia, 80 years from the ignominious Treaty of Munich, 70 years from the communist putsch, 50 years from the Soviet invasion to Czechoslovakia. The "8" is somehow related to the history of my country (1918, 1938, 1948, 1968) and these anniversaries and topics will be present in our cultural projects this year, among others. We will present to Armenian public exhibitions, concerts, theatre performances, the scope is wide.
-Artsakh conflict is also among the most important issues for Armenia. In the recent period the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs try to intensify the Armenia-Azerbaijan meetings, in particular, last year meetings of the Armenian, Azerbaijani Presidents, Foreign Ministers and Co-Chairs were held. How do you assess the current stage of the negotiation process over the Artsakh conflict? In your opinion, to what extent these meetings are effective for the peaceful settlement of the conflict?
-In fact, there is no other way to the peaceful solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict than bilateral negotiations of both Presidents and Foreign Ministers, supported and promoted by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, so the speculations on its effectivity in this or that situation are inappropriate.
- Mr. Ambassador, thank you for the interview.
Interview by Syuzi Muradyan


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Simply connecting to data sources such as SAS, SPSS, MATLAB and R is only one piece of the puzzle.
Earlier in my career, I worked as a Pricing Manager in the auto finance industry. During my first weeks, the common topic of "Adverse Selection" and its negative impact on profitability, pricing response models and credit risk models was discussed in several meetings. This was a new term for me so I walked into my manager's office and asked him to explain adverse selection to me. His answer:
"I'm not exactly sure how to explain it, but I know it when I see it"
He went on to describe the impact of pricing on the customer's decision to buy. The biggest fear is that higher risk credits take advantage of poor pricing models and thus, blow up the ability to forecast losses properly. My passion for bringing complex analysis to the entire organization and deliver on the vision and the goal was born.
Bringing the Data Scientist Work to the Point of Decision:
For starters, building applications from data/output of traditional analytics software (SAS, SPSS, Matlab and R) is an extremely common use case in Financial Services. However, the analytics market often gets distracted/confused by the differences between "integration" and "connectivity". My response is yes, Qlik customers do both, plus a whole lot more.
Value is optimized though, when these model outputs are combined with other data sources in an associative model and provided to a broad population of business users.
Business users may not understand statistics but do understand that when an application tells them they are 'out of compliance,' 'under-utilized,' 'missing targets' or 'inefficient'.
Banks, insurance companies and security & investment firms are executing on the vision and achieving their goals through a governed, scalable, enterprise-class data discovery platform that goes far beyond tactically connecting to a single data source.Photo credit: liza31337 / Foter / CC BY