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Landowners may be on firmer ground
As Eagle Ford's need for new pipelines grows, rules regarding eminent domain are changing.
When a pipeline company decided to cross a large South Texas ranch in 2009, the family that has owned the property since the 1940s dug in its heels.
The question wasn't whether LaSalle Pipeline LP — which has the right of eminent domain — could lay a 16-inch, 52-mile pipeline that would cross two tracts of McMullen County land owned by Donnell Lands LP, a family partnership.
The biggest issue was whether the value of the rest of the ranchland would be devalued by the pipeline's presence.
The company said no. But the landowners said yes, and a trial jury agreed with them to the tune of more than $600,000.
That decision has been winding its way through the Texas court system, and along with some legislative changes that went into effect in September, could represent a small step in giving landowners a larger voice in eminent domain battles.
If the Texas Supreme Court upholds the jury award, attorneys say it would reinforce the right of landowners to testify in court about the value of their own property, and could ensure that pipeline firms pay something for the diminished value of the so-called "remainder" property that isn't taken under an easement.
With thousands of new wells being drilled across the Eagle Ford shale, new pipelines will need to crisscross the state to get newly drilled oil and gas to refineries and markets, increasing the likelihood of more owner-condemner clashes.
There also are business implications. Although easement costs vary by county, with rural areas being less expensive per mile than urban areas, attorneys say a San Antonio appellate court decision in favor of the Donnells immediately increased the amount that pipeline companies are paying for easements.
Attorneys for LaSalle have called the jury award a windfall. If the decision stands, it would "eviscerate the ability of entities with the power of eminent domain to undertake public projects with any certainty to the costs involved," they said in a recent court brief.
Other attorneys say the case isn't quite so far-reaching, but more a rare example of landowners with the means and tenacity to duke it out with an energy firm.
More Information
Pipeline projects
As production increases in the Eagle Ford shale play, several companies have announced plans for new pipelines. They include:
NuStar Energy LP
Velocity Midstream Partners
Kinder Morgan
Enterprise Products Partners
Harvest Pipeline
Meritage Midstream Services
Plains All American Pipeline
Sources: Express-News archives, Reuters, Oil and Gas Investor, Pipelines International
"It just happens that the Donnells had enough money to fight it," said Judon Fambrough, an attorney and senior lecturer at the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University. "The time and money is just beyond most people. It wears on you to go through this. They just wanted to fight it, and they could fight it."
The Donnell case
The Donnells have lived in McMullen County, about 80 miles southwest of San Antonio, since the 1870s, and James Donnell Jr. runs the family's ranching business. He declined to comment on the case, but in trial said the fact that the pipeline cut through the middle of the property and that the pipeline company could do what it wanted with the easement would be a factor in any future sale.
"It's a black mark on my deed," Donnell said in court. "It's there for eternity from now on."
Prior to the trial, a special commission had assessed $226,055 in damages against LaSalle for the easement.
An appraiser hired by Donnell Lands and Donnell testified that the property value loss, including about 4.4 miles of permanent easement and the remainder damages, was about $900,000.
But the appraiser for LaSalle said there was no objective, comparable sales data in the county to show pipelines hurt sales prices, and that there was no damage to the remainder.
A McMullen County jury found LaSalle liable for about $19,000 in workspace easements, $34,500 for the permanent easements and about $605,000 for the loss in value of the remainder tracts.
LaSalle appealed, a San Antonio appellate court knocked down the award by $12,000, and LaSalle appealed again, saying the award was based on "speculative mathematical gymnastics" and that some of the jurors were biased in favor of the Donnells.
"The significance of the case, and why it's being appealed, is that it's set a precedent that allows speculation and supposition, and large awards to be based on that," said LaSalle's Houston-based attorney Tom Zabel.
"You have a sixth- or seventh-generation family in a county of 600 to 700 residents. He's probably the largest landowner in the county. I like the family. I can see why people like them in the county. That's a hard thing to confront."
Fambrough said the case could make pipeline companies more sensitive to remainder damages. "The Donnells got what they deserved in that case," he said. "I think it will make pipelines and condemners more cooperative. Here they should have paid more to start off with."
Senate Bill 18 went into effect in September, and requires condemners to make good-faith offers, provide landowners with an appraisal and compensate for loss of access to the remaining property.
Other changes include giving landowners the right to build roads over pipeline easements, forbidding confidentiality provisions and letting landowners repurchase the easement if it's not used for public purposes in a certain period of time. Companies or governments that don't follow the proper process could be at risk for paying the other side's attorney's fees and expenses.
"The playing field has changed a little bit," Fambrough said.
Ezra Johnson, an attorney with San Antonio's Cox Smith, said the laws still favor the condemner over the landowner. But in the wake of the uproar over the Kelo vs. the city of New London case in Connecticut, in which a homeowner's property was taken under the guise of economic development (and ultimately turned into a dump), the Legislature has taken some steps to give landowners more of a voice.
"I think there will continue to be a push and pull between pipeline companies and utilities and landowners," Johnson said. "It's something of a tug of war between these groups."
Exceptional need
The rule of thumb is that 95 percent of pipeline cases are negotiated and that 5 percent end up in a dispute. But Zabel said that in a period of exceptional need for new pipelines, there's an increased chance that pipeline companies and landowners will be fighting.
"It's a volume issue. If you have 16 pipelines vs. one, there's a 16-fold increase chance for disputes," Zabel said.
And Johnson said the Eagle Ford shale play has been so active that more pipelines are needed than was thought.
Between September 2010 and October 2011, pipeline companies applied for permits to lay more than 1,300 miles of new pipeline in the Eagle Ford shale play, according to Texas Railroad Commission permits.
"One of the things in favor of the Eagle Ford in the beginning was that it was relatively close to infrastructure like pipelines and refineries," Johnson said. "As more wells have come online, it's abundantly clear that there's not enough infrastructure. Companies are compelled to get these lines in as fast as possible."
James Mann, an Austin-based partner with Duggins Wren Mann & Romero who has represented pipeline companies for 30 years, said South Texas needs billions of dollars in new pipeline.
"We are going to be seeing at least in the short run oil and gas production coming on line as fast or faster than pipelines can be built to accommodate it," Mann said. "South Texas is going to end up with more infrastructure than anybody would have thought possible a few years ago."
In general, gas and oil pipelines will need to head east out of South Texas to reach refineries and industrial users along the coast.
But Mann thinks the disputes between pipeline companies and landowners likely will be less contentious in South Texas than it has been in the Barnett Shale play in North Texas. He has one client putting a pipeline through three South Texas counties, for instance, and there are only three landowners in the path.
"I would think generally the amount of cases that end up in condemnation would be smaller in South Texas than has been true in Fort Worth," Mann said. "There's going to be a big difference in how people feel about a pipeline going through the back pasture than through the backyard."


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chefmcone76 wrote:So I went here for lunch today and all I can say is WOW...friggin' amazeballs!
G Wiv wrote:Boston Fish Market, count me a fan!
PIGMON wrote:All I can say about this place is...WOW!!!
, I strongly believe Boston Fish Market should receive GNR designation.spinynorman99 wrote:Given the variety and prices I can't say I buy the "all fresh, never frozen" claims.
laikom wrote:I enthusiastically support this nomination! Definitely the best seafood in the city. Considering the low cost and huge portions, it's a no brainer GNR.

subset: commoncrawl


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MADISON, Miss. -- Paul Stankowski hasn't played in many PGA Tour events lately, so he has spent a lot of time watching on television.
There's one trend he always notices.
"Everybody that plays well makes putts," Stankowski said, grinning. "I really haven't made any putts for 10 years. It's kind of nice to make putts -- join the party."
Stankowski's good putting is a big reason he was among six players tied atop a crowded leaderboard midway through the second round of the Sanderson Farms Championship.
He had a 4-under 68 to join Vaughn Taylor, Fabian Gomez, Troy Matteson and Kyle Reifers at 10 under in the clubhouse. First-round leader Daniel Summerhays also was 10 under, but only completed eight holes in the round Friday.
The 43-year-old Stankowski is the most unlikely name among the leaders. The veteran is playing in his first PGA Tour event of the season and hasn't won since 1997.
He has played some on the Web.com Tour this season, but hasn't been particularly competitive. His last round before coming to Annandale was an 82.
Stankowski needed only 25 putts to get through the first round, which he finished early Friday. He wasn't as good in the second round, with 30 putts, but he made the crucial ones that helped him stay among the leaders.
"I've enjoyed it. It's all a process," Stankowski said. "I'm 43. I'm still learning and it's fun. I hope I can continue to roll it well and hit some quality shots and see what happens."
The leader had plenty of company behind them, with eight players within two strokes.
The 35-year-old Gomez shot a 64 in his second round, playing 29 total holes in the stifling Mississippi heat Friday after his first round was delayed Thursday. The Argentine played especially well down the stretch, making birdie on 17 and then holing a 50-foot eagle putt on 18.
Taylor and Matteson both shot 67 in the second round, and Reifers had a 69.
Play was delayed for the second straight day at Annandale Golf Club because of lightning close to the course. The afternoon session was unable to finish after a delay that lasted more than two hours.
The wet conditions and lack of wind have led to friendly course conditions for low scores. The only major obstacle is the heat -- temperatures climbed into the low 90s during the afternoon and there was oppressive humidity.
"The greens are receptive," Taylor said. "They are in really good shape. If you get the putter going you can shoot some good scores."
Summerhays continues to play well after a good showing at the John Deere Classic last week, where he tied for fourth after leading going into the final round. The 29-year-old birdied Nos. 5 and 7 before darkness enveloped Annandale.
Cameron Beckman joined Gomez as the only other player to shoot a 64, and it moved him to 8 under for the tournament. The 43-year-old Beckman is a former champion at Annandale, winning the tournament in 2001 when it was named the Southern Farm Bureau Classic.


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Minecraft Forge API
Forge API for Minecraft 1.11, 1.10.2, 1.9.4, 1.8.9 and 1.7.10 was developed not only to allow other mods to work correctly on the game of minecraft; but also improve and enhance gameplay outside, and also inside your worlds. Many believed that this mod would soon over take modloader, and sure enough it did. However, Modloader and Minecraft Forge still run at a draw. Either a mod will require Modloader or Minecraft Forge. Minecraft Forge was created to replace the Modloader mod and also allow players to understand which mods they have, and which of the mods are working correctly or the other way around.
Mods are quickly evolving. Mods originally had little effect on the initial game of minecraft. Often the mods only added a new block or tool. However, soon enough more experienced modders began to implement their creativity and experience into creating minecraft moods. Even though these mods were more detailed than the first, they were still very simple and still did not change a huge deal, or add many features into the game. Now, after a great deal of time and modding development; modders have now begun to develop amazing and extremely detailed, intelligent and complex mod, that not only change how you play the game, but change the game completely too. Even so, mods would not work without a pre-required mod or program. When modders encountered this problem; they immediately went to work to solve the problem. Over time, a singular mod named modloader was designed and soon put into action. This mod was required for most mods to work. However in the present tense, mods now require sometimes not only one pre-required, but even 2 or 3.
Minecraft Forge API for Minecraft 1.11, 1.10.2, 1.9.4, 1.8.9 and 1.7.10 Main Features
By not only allowing modders to design their mods to be compatible with the Minecraft Forge mod, and implementing a type of usage technique; including a new unique GUI, this makes the mod not only extremely efficient, but also very intelligent. It introducing a new GUI, labelled; Mods. When selecting the "mods" menu selection, in your menu; you will be shown with a new screen, similar to the "options". This selection will inform the user/player of which mods have installed correctly. It works to try and stop the game crashing if or when a mod stops working. However it is still likely that your game will crash if the mod you have tried to install has gone terribly wrong. However if it doesn't work, it will notify you inside the menu selection.
Unfortunately this mod is not compatible with Modloader. So upon the installation of Minecraft Forge, make sure you do not install Modloader at all in the process, including after the initial installation. Its best that you leave out Modloader, however it is still possible to run minecraft with the two mods together. However in some cases your game will not launch. Also it is recommended that you install Minecraft Forge on a clean, fresh version of minecraft. Otherwise your game may crash and if without a backup, will be near impossible to regain. Not only this, but it will allow a mods extra content to become available to the player. Often a mod will not require forge, however it is still recommended you do, for without it; some features may not be able to be enjoyed by the player.
Minecraft Forge API for Minecraft 1.11, 1.10.2, 1.9.4, 1.8.9 and 1.7.10 Usage
Once the Minecraft Forge has been installed correctly onto your game. All you need to do is follow another mods installation instruction. It will NOT install a mod for you; it simply improves gameplay and allows the foreign mod to work properly. Often a mod will say: "requires minecraft forge", obviously this means minecraft forge must be installed for the mod to work. Without it, minecraft will crash and you will be resulted in a black screen, followed by a game shutdown. Modloader will not work to replace modloader, so in saying this; do not attempt to install Modloader instead of Minecraft Forge when the mod says it required forge. Use common sense, reading over installation instructions is the key, and overall is not very difficult at all.
How to install the Minecraft Forge API Mod for Minecraft 1.11, 1.10.2, 1.9.4, 1.8.9 and 1.7.10
- Download Forge below
- Right click the installer.jar (it's from the official forge website, it should work
- Hover over "Open With"
- If you see "Java Platform(TM) SE Binary" click that, if not continue down
- Check the Install bubble and hit the OK button
- Click Choose default program
- Click Browse
- Go to C:Program Files (x86)Javajre#bin
- Select the java application (java.exe)
- You should see "Java Platform(TM) SE Binary" in the Open With menu now
- Click that and follow step 5 of the first part of the install guide


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Energy Secretary Chu to resign
Energy Secretary Steven Chu is stepping down, ending a four-year tenure marked by milestones in green-energy spending along with withering attacks from Republicans and the collapse of the solar company Solyndra.
Chu announced Friday that he intends to resign once a successor is confirmed, according to a memo sent to Energy Department staff and obtained by POLITICO. He was the last of President Barack Obama's long-serving Cabinet members to announce plans to leave or stay for the second term.
Story Continued Below
( PHOTOS: Obama's second-term Cabinet)
"While I will always remain dedicated to the missions of the department, I informed the president of my decision a few days after the election that Jean and I were eager to return to California," Chu wrote in a lengthy "Dear Colleagues" letter Friday morning. "I would like to return to an academic life of teaching and research but will still work to advance the missions that we have been working on together for the last four years.
"In the short term, I plan to stay on as secretary past the ARPA-E Summit at the end of February. I may stay beyond that time so that I can leave the department in the hands of the new secretary," he added.
The announcement comes one day shy of a milestone for the Nobel Prize-winning physicist: As of Saturday, Chu will become the nation's longest-serving Energy secretary, overtaking the record of Spencer Abraham, who held the position for a little more than four years under former President George W. Bush.
Obama has not yet announced a successor, but speculation in Washington has focused on a short list that includes former North Dakota Sen. Byron Dorgan, former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, former Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire and former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
Other people who have gotten recent buzz include Ernest Moniz, a physics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who served as DOE undersecretary in the Clinton administration.
Some observers of the department said picking someone like Dorgan would make a lot of sense.
"DOE is chronically maligned by politicians — some of which is just gratuitous and some of it is people with longstanding feelings about it — which makes you want to choose someone who's pretty safe and well-known on the Hill, and certainly Sen. Dorgan would fit that one," said Sue Tierney, a former Clinton assistant Energy secretary and Obama transition adviser.
Obama's decision four years ago to tap Chu, a soft-spoken former national lab director, was a break from the tradition of previous Energy secretaries, who typically emerged from politics or industry. Appointing Chu was a signal to the scientific community that Obama was seeking to elevate the position above Washington infighting and set the department on a mission to transform the country's energy policy, with an emphasis on green technologies such as wind, solar, more energy-efficient buildings and longer-lasting batteries.
Obama took evident pride in having a Nobel laureate in his Cabinet and boasted about Chu's brilliance. He credited the Energy secretary with finding a way to plug the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill and joked once that for "fun on the weekend," Chu "goes into his garage and he tinkers around and figures out how to extract natural gas."


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Call Us: 206.286.9988
Prunes - Pitted - Agen - 225 gr/ 8 oz Agen, France, Pruneaux d'Agen
Prunes Natures Amazing Candies! They conjure up a lot of bad stigma (unless your older, and even then…). It's almost as if your caught eating prunes people assume that you're superior to them; as if your stuck up. But it's not true! People who eat prunes are good, everyday people, just like you! Pruneaux d'Agen (that's French, "for the very best.") are not the shriveled up, dried up, tough skinned plums you envision. No, these prunes are nature's finest candy; naturally sweet, easy to chew and, of course, easy to digest! First, you must start with the Ente plum, which is grown in the Aquitaine region of (SW) France. Next, the plum is slowly oven dried, concentrating the sweet flavor. And then they are steamed gently back to moistness! It is the hands of the artisan that defines one from another and why we love these the moist. Our friend, Kitty, brings them in because she loves them. And we do too! So let's keep these prunes moving! Order up and eat 'em. They are not just for the age'ed, they are for those that are young at heart! Eat for good health! Eat good food! Eat simply, Live well! There are a zillion ways to cook and eat with these prunes. Try stuffing them with foie gras! ----------------------------------California is the source for most of the prunes in this country, but France is the home of the most splendid prune of all, the celebrated Pruneaux d'Agen. Special plum trees in the heart of orchard country in the Lot-et-Garonne region of southwestern France are cultivated exclusively for prune-making. With their micro-thin skins, they are absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and just as good for snacking as they are for either sweet or savory dishes, like Bruce Aidells' and Denis Kelly's Braised Pork with Port and Prunes, or rich North African-style tagines, incorporating warm spices like cinnamon or allspice with prunes and meat, often lamb. What's so special about prunes?! These prunes come from plums that are a hybrid of a local fruit and the exotic damask plum, first brought to France from Syria in the 12th century. The plums are shaken from the trees, dried first in the sun and then finished in a barely warm oven. The result is a large, plump prune with a deep spicy aroma and rich, lovely flavor - a summer harvest that's ready to enjoy all winter long! Perfect, plump Agen Prunes in their naked form. No intervention needed.
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Hailey Winslow is so happy to be back in the Sunshine State after joining The Local Station in January 2011. Hailey covers most of her stories as a one-man band, meaning she handles the reporting, camera working, writing and editing herself. So if you see her out in the field and it looks like she's talking to herself, it's because she is.
Hailey has never enjoyed her job more than covering Football Friday on 4's "Game of the Week" and highlighting the most spirited fan in the stands in her special segment, "Winslow's Wild Things."
She's lived the life of a nomad. She was born in Houston, then bounced around Florida (Jacksonville, Ft. Lauderdale, then over to Tampa), and then spent five years in the rolling hills of Roswell, Ga..
Her family's new house came with a couple of goats that her parents were told mowed the lawn, so they bought a few horses and a pot-bellied pig to keep them company.
Hailey and her older sister, Megan, started a news show at their middle school, and as far as they know, "Good Morning CMS" still airs today. But her parents missed The Swamp, so they packed up again and moved the family to Gainesville.
As an Oak Hall Eagle, Hailey built upon the skills she had learned as a competitive gymnast for 12 years to break her high school's pole-vaulting record and become its first diver. She was involved in many school clubs and her classmates coined her Most Spirited.
Hailey received an academic scholarship to study at the University of Central Florida where she earned her broadcast journalism degree and Spanish minor. She gained valuable experience through internships with ESPN, the nationally syndicated morning show The Daily Buzz, the Orlando Predators Arena Football League, and Central Florida News 13.
Before graduation, Hailey spent a summer backpacking around Europe where she worked on her Spanish fluency, dried up her bank account, and ran with the bulls in Pamplona - twice.
Before she entered the real world, Hailey spent a summer hoisting the sails on her parents' charter boat in the Outer Banks, scouting out dolphin on a jet boat, and hiding treasure for kids on a mock pirate ship. Deciding, however, that a pirate's life was not for her, she accepted a position as a reporter four hours south in Wilmington, N.C. At WWAY, Hailey created and anchored the iDesk, the ABC affiliate's first Internet/technology segment.
For the next year and a half, she raced around town with a camera slung over her shoulder, a microphone in one hand, and a tripod in the other. She chased floods, uncovered bones from the Civil War era under a golf course and spent days 40 miles offshore documenting a marine technology program at risk of losing its state funding. She shot, wrote, edited, and anchored the subsequent half-hour special and took home "best documentary" awards from the Associated Press and the Radio Television Digital News Association.
Hailey is thrilled to be back in Jacksonville, close to her aunt and uncle, and up I-95 from her sister. She spends her time off sailing, surfing, camping and traveling.
Hailey is honored to be a part of the News4Jax family and so thankful to have a job where every day is an adventure.


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CK Shows You How to Create Sandy Looks on Your Scrapbook Pages: July/August 2010
The unmistakable, gritty look and feel of sand is a hallmark of summer fun. Create sandy looks on your scrapbook layouts using sandpaper, texture powder or even embossing powder and beads. We'll walk you through a basic technique and two additional cool ways you can create the look of sand on your layouts. Gather your materials and follow along with us!
Ring of Fun by Cindy Tobey. Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper; Patterned paper: Colorbök, Cosmo Cricket, and My Little Shoebox; Stickers: Doodlebug Design and Heidi Grace Designs; Journaling tags: Jillibean Soup; Crepe paper ribbon: Jenni Bowlin Studio; Brad: Queen & Co.; Ink: Clearsnap; Marker: Sakura; Font: Century Gothic; Adhesive: Glue Arts, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L, Therm O Web, and Tombow; Other: Bamboo skewer, inflatable ring, sandpaper, thread.
Cindy Tobey used sandpaper to create a sandcastle and sand dunes on her layout.
How-to: Create a sandpaper sandcastle.
Using sandpaper on your layout to add sandy texture is simple-it only takes three steps!
Free download! Download a free template of Cindy's cute sandcastle design to use on your layout.
- See more tips for creating sandy looks on your scrapbook pages on page 2 -
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Strong Start for Women's Golf at ASU
TUCSON, Ariz. – After round one of the PING/ASU Invitational, No. 9 Arizona women's golf shares a tie for third place in the team standings. Held at ASU Karsten Golf Course (par 72, 6,223 yards) in Tempe, Ariz., competition will take place Fri.-Sun., April 4-6.
No. 11 Washington leads the team race with a four-under par score of 294. No. 6 Arizona State sits at 287 (-1). No. 9 Arizona and No. 7 South Carolina share third place with rounds of 288 (E). The Cats finished ahead of eight ranked teams, including No. 3 Duke (fifth), No. 2 UCLA (tied for sixth), No. 8 Stanford (10th) and No. 5 Oklahoma (11th). No. 45 Katelyn Dambaugh of South Carolina and No. 54 Ani Gulugian of UCLA lead the individual race after shooting opening rounds of 68 (-4).
No. 36 freshman Wanasa Zhou was Arizona's top finisher in a three-way tie for third place. She shot a three-under par score of 69 to match her season low, good for her fourth round at or below par this season. No. 81 freshman Jessica Vasilic finished in an eight-way tie for 12th place. She carded a 71 (-1) for her third round at or below par this season.
No. 16 sophomore Lindsey Weaver finished in a nine-way tie for 20th place. She shot a 72 (E) for her eighth round at or below par this season. Junior Manon Gidali sits in a nine-way tie for 48th place with her round of 76. Junior Andrea Vilarasau rounded out the Arizona five in a six-way tie for 72nd place and a round of 80 (+8).
Round two begins at 8:40 a.m. PT for the Wildcats. They'll be playing with No. 3 Duke and No. 30 Oregon. Live scoring is available at golfstatresults.com.For continued coverage of Arizona Wildcat women's golf, follow the team on Twitter @UAWomensGolf, at Facebook.com/ArizonaWomensGolf or visit ArizonaWildcats.com.
Football: Inside Pac-12 FootballTODAY | 6:00pm PTLive
TOMORROW | 7:00pm PTLive
Airing on:
- Pac-12 Network
- Pac-12 Bay Area
Thu 10/24 | 3:00pm PTLive
Airing on:
- Pac-12 Network
- Pac-12 Los Angeles
- Pac-12 Washington


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Life After Pro-Sports
Wilkerson has spent the last 18 years in various healthcare and educational facilities around the country, managing budgets ranging from $1 million to $10 million. His most recent position prior to joining Mt. Sinai was at the University of Chicago Hospitals
(Wilkerson—from bone-jarring hits to a healing environment).
Is there life after football? Of course; just ask former NFL star, Daryl Wilkerson.
From a profession characterized with bone-jarring hits, leading to sometimes season-ending injuries, Wilkerson is now in the healthcare profession. The former pro-player has joined the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York as a Vice President of Support Services.
Wilkerson's work affects 1,100 workers, from entry-level employees to high-level executives and board members. He oversees food services, housekeeping, waste management, laundry services, patient transportation, and others. "My vision for Mt. Sinai is for us to be the best support service department in the country," he says.
Wilkerson has spent the last 18 years in various healthcare and educational facilities around the country, managing budgets ranging from $1 million to $10 million. His most recent position prior to joining Mt. Sinai was as the Executive Director of facilities and securities at the University of Chicago Hospitals, where he spent five years.
Mt. Sinai, located in the Upper East Side, under the tutelage of CEO Dr. Kenneth Davis, now enjoys financial stability, a strong turn around from just a few years ago. Wilkerson says he is impressed by the hospitals "partnership with unions." He refers to himself as a "team player."
A graduate of the University of Houston, Wilkerson spent six years as a professional athlete, playing for such teams as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baltimore Colts as a defensive end. He joined Mount Sinai this past summer. He advises other pro-athletes to be broad-minded. "You are only as good as your last game," he cautions.
He concedes that in moving from the Windy City to the Big Apple, security issues did come to mind because since 9/11 –the focus of much news coverage. However, the "opportunity to manage more departments and broaden my scope of responsibilities," outweighed any fears, he adds. Wilkerson says he looks forward to future growth opportunities at Mt. Sinai. "There is plenty of opportunity," he says.
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Alto Tajo nature reserve
Alto Tajo nature reserve
Contact details
Entre la parte suroriental de Guadalajara y la nororiental de Cuenca. Acceso A-2 Guadalajara-Alcolea del Pinar, km. 133 tomar la N-211 a Molina de Aragón.
Molina de Aragón, Guadalajara (Castilla-La Mancha)
Castile-La Mancha Regional Organisation of Nature Areas
Tel.:+34 667759645
Tel.:+34 949816269
- Autonomous region: Castilla-La Mancha
- Province/Island: Guadalajara
Ecotourism. ECST (European Charter for Sustainable Tourism) accreditation for certain natural areas.
European Geoparks Network
One of the most important biodiversity areas in Castile-La Mancha
Situated between the south-east of Guadalajara and the north-east of Cuenca, this nature reserve is the largest network of canyons and gorges in Castile-La Mancha. Most of the typical characteristics of the Iberian Mountain Range can be found in the Alto Tajo region. Some of the important features of the terrain are linked with the courses of the rivers such as the canyons, gorges and terraces, as well as singular shapes on the slopes such as crevices, jagged peaks and monoliths.
The network runs along the Tajo River and a large number of tributaries, including Cabrillas, Bullones, Gallo, Arandilla, Salado, Ablanquejo, Hoceseca and Tajuelo. The reserve also has five singular spots: the source of the Cuervo River, the pools of Taravilla and Valtablado and the salt pans of Armallá and Saélices.
See tourist services and activities in the park
- Type of area Nature reserve
- Area 176.265 hectares
Access and surroundings
Environmental information
Its highlights are its wide variety of flowers and vast pine forests. Regarding its fauna, there are birds (including birds of prey such as griffon vultures and Bonelli's eagles), mammals such as wild cats and otters, micromammals and reptiles, nine types of amphibians and seven indigenous fish species.
Information for visits
The reserve has a Visitor Centre situated in Corduente (Guadalajara) which provides all the information on the natural resources in this protected area.


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Unemployment is world's fastest-rising fear - survey
Unemployment is the world's fastest-rising worry, a BBC World Service survey covering 11,000 people in 23 countries suggests.
The annual poll, called The World Speaks, gave people a list of concerns and asked which they had discussed with friends or family in the past month.
Corruption and poverty still ranked the highest, but unemployment was mentioned by 18% - six times the rate citing it in the first survey in 2009.
The poll was carried out by Globescan.
The growth in concern was found across all countries surveyed, although corruption emerged as the most talked about global concern.
Nearly a quarter of those asked had discussed that topic in some form over the past four weeks.
Young jobless
Next came extreme poverty. One in five had talked about that subject recently.
Issues associated with inflation, such as higher food and energy prices, were on level pegging with unemployment in third place - with both topics mentioned by 18% of those surveyed.
Concern about joblessness seemed to vary by country.
Top of the list was Spain, where 54% of those sampled said they had discussed unemployment recently, an increase of one-third on the previous year's BBC poll.
Spain is at the heart of the debt crisis in the eurozone and has the highest youth unemployment in the region at greater than 40%.
Ghana, Mexico, Nigeria and Turkey were among the other countries where this topic appeared a particular concern, with a third or more of those sampled saying they had discussed the issue in the month before the survey.
One could speculate that growing concern about the lack of jobs is linked to current economic worries, such as financial problems for euro currency and the resulting slowdown of major economies.
But there is no certainty about this.
The first annual survey published in 2009 coincided with possibly even greater economic global turbulence linked to the collapse of the US investment bank Lehman Brothers.
Corruption and poverty emerge as hardy perennials of global debate.
All three annual surveys carried out so far have shown these topics to be near the top of the list.
Regional differences
But the latest results show considerable differences between countries in the issues people find important.
In the US, France and Japan - all wealthy, developed nations - the state of the world economy emerged as the main talking point.
By contrast, corruption was the most frequently discussed issue in Nigeria, India, Turkey, Indonesia, Nigeria and Peru.
These are all developing nations, most with poor reputations for transparency in government and business.
In another group of developing countries, including China, Russia, Kenya and the Philippines, rising prices for food and energy were the main topic.
In Latin America, however, crime and violence emerged as commonly discussed themes.
Indeed in Brazil, famous for social tensions in its urban slums, along with Ecuador and Mexico, noted for drugs-related killings, crime and violence were the most talked-about subjects.
Changing perceptions
People in developed nations appeared more concerned about the longer-term, less immediate threat associated with climate change than those sampled in poorer, developing economies.
But almost everywhere global warming had slipped down the ranking of issues discussed in the last month.
The topic was the most frequently talked about issue in 10 nations in last year's survey, but this year climate change topped the list only in Germany and Britain.
Fieldwork for the latest poll was carried out between July and September of this year by the polling firm Globescan on behalf of the BBC.


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vintage Dining Chairs
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NASHVILLE — Kenneth Stanley "Bud" Adams, a Texas oilman who brought the National Football League to Nashville and ignited the city's love affair with the Tennessee Titans, died Monday, The (Nashville) Tennessean confirmed. He was 90.
The Houston Chronicle first reported Adams' death.
Adams founded the Houston Oilers in 1959 as part of the new American Football League. Until his death he remained owner, chairman of the board, and president and CEO of the franchise that became the Titans in 1999 after a controversial departure from Houston.
He was one of only four NFL owners to reach the 350-win plateau, a milestone he shared with Ralph Wilson (Buffalo Bills), Dan Rooney (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Al Davis (Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders.
WHAT'S NEXT?: Adams planned for Titans' future
THE Q: Reaction around the NFL
"Bud Adams played a pivotal role in the growth of pro football as a pioneer and innovator," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.
"Bud saw the potential of pro football and brought the game to new cities and new heights of popularity, first in Houston and then in Nashville. He was an brilliant entrepreneur with a terrific sense of humor that helped lighten many a tense meeting. His commitment to the best interests of the game and league was unwavering, and his personal along with the team's impact in community relations and philanthropy set a standard for the NFL. Bud was truly a gift to the NFL."
Adams' franchise earned 21 playoff appearances in 53 seasons — a total that ranks fifth all-time among NFL teams since 1960 — yet it never realized his dream of winning a Super Bowl.
"I'd like to wear (a ring) that says, 'Super Bowl champions' on there. ... I'll keep my fingers crossed," Adams said in a 2009 interview. "But at my age I just take it one day, one game at a time. You can't build your hopes up."
Adams was a trendsetter with a lifelong love of sports and a fondness for Houston, which refused to build him a new stadium when he felt the Astrodome became unsuitable for his NFL team. Although he relocated his franchise to Nashville in 1997, Adams kept his office and residence in Houston until his death.
During a 2009 interview, former Titans coach Jeff Fisher called Adams a great owner. Adams hired Fisher in 1995, but in early 2011, the coach and the Titans parted ways after 17 seasons. Fisher was named head coach of the St. Louis Rams in January 2012.
"From a head coaching standpoint, you can't ask for a better situation as far as a relationship with an owner," Fisher said. "He is 100% supportive of everything we have attempted to do and tried to do and even failed at doing. He is behind us and is very generous and understands the game very well and really, really enjoys this team.
"He expects anybody and everybody who works for him to work hard, he has a standard. And he expects loyalty, not only to him but to everyone who works for him, to one another."
Current Titans coach Mike Munchak, a Hall of Fame offensive lineman with the Oilers, was selected by Adams to replace Fisher.
In 2008, Adams received the inaugural Lamar Hunt Award for Professional Football, which recognized his vision and his role in helping the NFL reach preeminent status.
Adams and Hunt announced the formation of the AFL in Adams' office in 1959, and the league began play in 1960.
Adams' wife of 62 years, Nancy, died in February 2009. They raised two daughters, Susie Smith and Amy Strunk, and a son, Kenneth S. Adams III, who is deceased. Adams had seven grandchildren.
The business of football
Adams was born Jan. 3, 1923 in Bartlesville, Okla. He played football, basketball and baseball at Culver Military Academy, and graduated in 1940. He attended Menlo College in California then transferred to the engineering department at the University of Kansas, where he also lettered in football.
Adams joined the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1942 and was later sent overseas, assigned to a carrier unit, where he served as aviation engineering officer. He was discharged from the Navy in 1946, the same year he started ADA Oil Company.
It was the first of many business interests for Adams, but he always had his mind on sports. Eventually he would own professional baseball and basketball teams, and was involved in boxing.
Football went to the front burner in 1959, when Adams launched Houston's AFL franchise while Hunt started one in Dallas.
The Oilers were among the dominant AFL teams in the 1960s, playing in four championship games, and winning titles in 1960 and '61. In 1970, when the AFL merged with the long-established NFL, the Oilers continued to have success, making the playoffs 10 times.
The Oilers played their final season in Houston in 1996. In 1997, Adams moved them to the Volunteer State, where they were called the Tennessee Oilers while playing home games at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis ('97) and Vanderbilt Stadium ('98) in Nashville.
In 1999, as finishing touches were placed on a new downtown stadium in Nashville, Adams changed the team nickname to Titans.
Phil Bredesen was Nashville's mayor when Adams called with a proposal to move the Oilers to Music City. In an interview with The Tennessean, Bredesen said he had tremendous respect for Adams, and the franchise has meant more to Nashville than anyone would have imagined when it arrived.
"I know he had been a controversial figure in Houston at times, and I didn't know what to expect at first, but I found him to be a very genuine guy and an extraordinarily family oriented person,'' Bredesen said. "I have to say in all my dealings with him, every time he told me anything — and he didn't always do everything I wanted and is a tough negotiator — his word is as good as gold. He'll tell you yes and he'll tell you no, but whatever he tells you is good.
"(The Titans moving to Nashville), it was very controversial at times — people were trying to impeach me and tried everything to stop it — but I have run into innumerable people who have said to me they didn't want the team at first and now they go to every Titans game.
"I am sure there are still some people who don't like it, but overwhelmingly people have seen what it has done for the city. ... I have very high regard for Mr. Adams and I honestly believe it has vastly exceeded anyone's expectations.''
Giving back
Adams also won praise for his contributions to the community.
In May 2010 he gave $200,000 to help victims of the Nashville floods, and since the franchise moved to Tennessee, local charities have received approximately $18 million from the Titans and the NFL, according to the team.
The night before Super Bowl XLVI in January of 2012, the NFL honored Adams for his efforts in supporting U.S. service members and veterans. He was the first recipient of the Salute to Service Award presented by USAA, the league's official military appreciation sponsor.
Adams was also heavily involved with the troops stationed at Fort Campbell, located not far from Nashville on the Kentucky state line, and home to the Army's 101st Airborne Division as well as the Night Stalker and Green Beret special operations forces. Since 1999, more than 11,000 Fort Campbell soldiers have been guests of Adams and the Titans at LP Field.
Adams also earned the respect of the men who played for his teams.
"He is part of the old school group of owners, the old guard so to speak,'' said former NFL Players Association president Kevin Mawae, who played for the Titans from 2006-09. "And I think since I have been in the league they have had something like 20-something new owners and he is not one of them. I think he is definitely an icon in this business. He and Lamar Hunt are the ones who started the whole AFL so I think there is a deep-rooted respect for what he has done for the NFL."
Controversial moments
Adams had 65 players selected to the Pro Bowl, two named NFL Most Valuable Player and five named NFL offensive or defensive rookie of the year. Eight of his players are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The inaugural Titans team in 1999 made an electrifying run to Super Bowl XXXIV in Atlanta, where it lost to the St. Louis Rams.
Adams was nominated for the Hall of Fame as a special contributor, and up until his death had been working on several prominent NFL committees, including Finance, Hall of Fame, and Legislative and Audit.
He was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in '08.
Adams sometimes created controversy when the Oilers were still in Houston, in part because of his willingness to part ways with successful coaches who fell short of his Super Bowl goal. Coach Bum Phillips was fired in 1980 after three straight trips to the AFC Championship Game.
And while he picked his spots, Adams made it clear to those working for him in Nashville that he was the boss.
That was evident in 2006, when the Titans selected former University of Texas quarterback Vince Young with the third overall pick of the draft. Adams was a big fan of Young, who grew up in Houston and was a high school superstar there.
Prior to the draft, Adams told his front office he wanted the Titans to select Young with their first-round pick. Although Fisher and then-general manager Floyd Reese had other ideas, they did what the boss told them to do.
On at least two occasions during Young's five years with the Titans, Adams instructed Fisher to start Young in place of seasoned veteran Kerry Collins. Following the 2010 season, the Titans parted ways with Young. Fisher was out the door several weeks later.
In 2012, Adams ordered the front office to pursue former University of Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning, a free agent. Manning eventually signed with the Denver Broncos despite an aggressive pitch from Adams and the Titans.
"I was hoping we would win out," Adams said. "I thought we'd be ahead of Denver. I thought he'd want to stay in Tennessee. It's where he played his college ball and I thought we could outdo them. He was nice enough to call me and tell me he wasn't going to be our man."
Adams also managed to create controversy in other ways. The NFL fined him $250,000 for making an obscene gesture toward the Buffalo Bills sideline while celebrating at the end of a November 2009 game at LP Field. He later apologized.
Adams continued to attend games at LP Field in 2011, however, and was a regular on the sideline before kickoff.
In 2008, he said he kept working because he enjoyed it.
"I don't have anything that I know of that I have wrong with me, no reason why I can't continue to work on. I'd like to get to be 100 years old," Adams said. "I've had too many friends that when they retired from the business world to go play golf and take it easy they didn't last too long, or they got sick and in the hospital. I think working keeps you occupied and you keep yourself ready to go all the time.''
Future of the franchise
In 2008, Adams offered insight into what would happen with the franchise after he stepped aside.
He said his daughters would each get a third of the team, and the other third would go to the family of his deceased son — his grandsons, Kenneth IV and Barclay Cunningham Adams, and their mother, Susan Lewis.
Adams said he envisioned Kenneth Adams IV eventually running the franchise. Adams IV, a University of the South graduate, has worked under various front office executives with the Titans in recent years, learning all facets of team operation.
"He might be the one running it after I'm no longer the head guy,'' Adams said of his grandson.
Kenneth Adams currently served as Administrative Assistant to Senior Executive Vice President, General Counsel.
Adams indicated his daughters weren't interested in running the team.
Former Titans senior executive vice president Steve Underwood, who worked closely under Adams for 20 years and was with the franchise for 33 years before retirement, said the owner always was very involved even though he mostly stayed in Houston.
"One of the best things about working with Mr. Adams is that he is still so connected to the team and to the city and to everyone in a position of responsibility,'' Underwood said. "He knew about every facet of our business all of the time and he made it his business to know what was going on. And he still provides us with the direction he wants us to take.
"The guidance he provides us is invaluable and is a large part of the reason we've enjoyed the success we have over the years. He still has enormous respect for our fans and understands everything there is to know about operating a professional football team."
Adams hoped to see the Titans make another run at a Super Bowl in 2013.
During the offseason, he let general manager Ruston Webster know that spending on contracts wouldn't be an issue. He wanted the team to sign some of the NFL's top free agents in hopes of giving the Titans a chance to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Webster spent more than $100 million while adding more than a dozen players.
"I just had my 90th birthday and somebody asked me, 'Adams, how long are you going to stay at this thing?' '' Adams told The Tennessean in March. "I said I've made in 90, so I might as well go to 100. And I'd like to get in the playoffs and see some winning football over that stretch, too."
Bud Adams bio box
Born: Jan. 3, 1923, in Bartlesville, Okla., near the state's northeast border.
Education: University of Kansas, degree in engineering
Family: Married 62 years to the former Nancy Neville, who passed away in 2009; daughters Susie Smith and Amy Strunk, deceased son Kenneth S. Adams III
Military service: U.S. Navy, 1942-46, serving as an aviation engineering officer overseas in World War II and later as a congressional liaison aide.
Hall of Fame: Inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2010
Honors: In 2008, first winner of the Lamar Hunt Award for Professional Football, which recognizes those of visionary leadership who helped make the NFL the most popular professional sport; in 2011 received the Lifetime Humanitarian Award by the T. J. Martell Foundation, the music industry's largest foundation that funds innovative medical research; in 2012 received the "Salute to Service" award from the NFL for his work with the military.
Estimated net worth: $1.2 billion, according to Forbes
Business career: In 1946 in Houston founded ADA Oil Co., later renamed Adams Resources & Energy, a petroleum/energy exploration company.
Football career: One of the original team owners and co-founder, with the late Lamar Hunt, of the American Football League, which began play in 1960. Adams' Houston Oilers won the league's first two championships. His team and the other AFL teams merged with the NFL in 1970. Adams moved the team in 1997 to Tennessee, that year named the Tennessee Oilers. They became the Tennessee Titans in 1999 and reached the Super Bowl that season, losing to the St. Louis Rams; owner from 2005-2007 of the Arena League Nashville Kats, who folded after three mediocre seasons.
Trivia: In 1959 attempted to buy the NFL's struggling Chicago Cardinals but was denied; he and the others denied opportunity to buy into the NFL and who then founded AFL franchises were dubbed "The Foolish Club."
Quote: "I don't like tooting my own horn. But at my age, and now being the senior NFL owner, there is no one from back in those days that can really speak up for me now. I really feel this year could be a year I get serious consideration after 53 years. I'm sure hoping that's the case." -- Adams, to The Tennessean, on his chances of making the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a nominee for the class of 2014
Wyatt also writes for The (Nashville) Tennessean
Contributing: USA TODAY Sports' Rachel Shuster


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Dental Clinic – Rockhampton
Queensland Health offers Public Sector Oral Health Services through a Statewide network of Dental Clinics and Hospitals. The services provided are subject to the clinical judgement of the Dentist based on the assessment of each individual. To be eligible a person must be a Queensland resident and a holder of one of the following cards – Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card. The range of services available varies from clinic to clinic and may include diagnostics, scaling and cleaning, restoration, simple extractions, dentures and emergency palliative care.


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Free shipping continues above € 99
Free shipping continues above € 99
Designed by Michael Graves in 1985, the kettle with the bird-shaped whistle became one of the icons of 20th century design. To mark the 30th anniversary of this famous kettle, Graves redesigns the whistle, turning the little bird into a charming supernatural reptile, a prehistoric, mythological and futuristic creature all at the same time: Tea Rex. The choice of the dragon is a reference on the part of the designer to the Chinese culture for whom these beings symbolise strength and fortune. The wording Tea Rex 9093 30th anniversary is stamped on the lid of the kettle.
Born in Indianapolis, he teaches architecture in Princeton since 1962. His architectural works include the Portland Building and the Humana Building, the extension of the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Newark Museum. He created the best-selling 9093 kettle for Alessi. Michael Graves died in 2015.


text: Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - Teaching Job in Hanoi - Hard to find without certificates? Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today! Job Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in Teaching Job in Hanoi - Hard to find without certificates? Goto page Previous 1, 2, 3 Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Vietnam View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message mark_in_saigonJoined: 20 Sep 2009Posts: 837 Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 11:03 am Post subject: I would agree that 6 SHOULD NOT be good enough to teach. But in reality, 6 is pretty good around here. There was a story published in the VN press about a year ago that discusses the grades of VN teachers of English here, and gives their actual scores. I need to go thru my files to give exact numbers, but the gist of it is that a teacher is supposed to score like 4.5 minimum in order to teach English in the public schools. The story goes on giving specific numbers of how many reached this level, again, I am just going by memory, but about 80% nationwide do not. Maybe that 4.5 is not the exact number, but I guarantee you it is a lot lower than 6, and that 80% is pretty close to the reported failure rate, they had regional variations, some regions had about 90% failure rate. So, it is rare to find a VN teacher of English in the public schools who can achieve a true 6. Are you saying that the students entering RMIT have to speak at 8.5 to enroll? I would bet that half the expats teaching English here would not score 8.5. Not RMIT teachers, but the average for foreign teachers everywhere in VN, including all levels. That 8.5 number seems incredible, I have never met a VN who has reached that level without living in the west, they need to almost grow up in the west to get that score. Most of the native speakers would not get an 8.5 on a properly scored test. I also know that the best universities in the west do not require a score that high to enter. I have met quite a few of the top folks in some better universities and high dollar language centers (I mean the owners and directors, not just the teachers) who would be hard pressed to get an 8. No disrespect, but an 8 is highly advanced for anyone who did not grow up using English. If you want to just be liberal and generous in your scoring and say all native speakers are a 9 (which they are not based on the real IELTS tests), then yeah, maybe some of the VN could then be assigned 8's. But in a properly delivered test, it is not going to happen, as even our own recent college grads from the west would likely mess up enough of the writing part to drop them down to an 8 or lower. Even if your English is flawless, if you do not understand how to discuss the charts, most students will have serious problems here regardless of language skills. Without studying this subject at a fairly advanced level, people are not going to be able to adequately discuss what the chart is showing and will get a lower grade because of this. Personally, I think this is a flaw with the system. I like IELTS a lot but feel their short grading labels are a bit unrealistic for most bands, or instead they should describe the levels of skill of native speakers, at least at the higher levels. Band 7 - Good User Band 5 - Modest User Band 1 - Non User To me, these are the worst, as 7 is an excellent score for a non native speaker, and it will get you into almost any university in the world as an undergrad. Most of the universities in UK, Australia, New Zealand, Unites States for Graduate School admission require IELTS Average band score to be 6.0 to 6.5. Top programs require at least 7.5 score. So it just seems to me that for non native speakers, 7 is rare, and more than good. 5 is higher than the average VN teacher of English, so to say that is modest seems off base to me. A 5 can chatter away very nicely, will make mistakes but is quite understandable, and also understands us. That is quite good, to me, not modest. 1 is able to use isolated words, so if you can ask to use the wc, ask for food, you are communicating at some low level, so you are not a non user, in my opinion. A Martian would be a non user, for example. I disagree with most (but not all) of these shorter labels they use, but the broader definitions seem mostly good to me, and when judging a student's skill I always default my thinking to the IELTS system. At least this system has some pretty clear definitions. I just do not agree with the short labels, and I think when organizations informally score with these bands (not using a true IELTS test) the results tend to be more generous than the real test would be. It aint a perfect world out there. Back to top 1st Sgt WelshJoined: 13 Dec 2010Posts: 946Location: Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 11:32 am Post subject: Thanks again for an interesting post mark. I actually remember reading your point about most Vietnamese teachers in the public school system failing to get a 4.5 IELTS in Vietnam News a while ago. I hate to say it, but if the teachers here were doing a good job in the public schools then there wouldn't be jobs for us. I'd love to work in Scandinavia, but the local language teachers seem to be too good at what they do and there is no need for them to hire foreigners . By the way, sorry for the confusion, but the 8.5 IELTS requirement at RMIT is for non-native English speaking teachers, not students. Back to top mark_in_saigonJoined: 20 Sep 2009Posts: 837 Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 2:10 pm Post subject: Thanks for that clarification. I would have guessed RMIT would want nothing but 9's for teachers (if they did some test), but yeah, can not imagine any school expecting 8.5 for the students, as the majority of native speakers would actually not clear that bar. Another interesting data point, I guess that is the non natives who teach in English but a subject other than English. I do agree on the VN teachers, really, they should be teaching their own people, especially as they speak VN as well. In reality though, they use VN as a crutch, and teach English in VN, as they are embarrassed about their levels. Always interesting to creep up on a class and hear them going on in VN with just the occasional word or phrase in English that they are trying to reference. This generation of teachers will never get to the point where they can take over from us (in my opinion), but the kids who are 8 or 10 now sound good enough that maybe in 10 or 15 years we could have a real crop. Of course, another real problem is their own system discounts them, and at this time, the best of them tend to go to some other job that pays better, like a foreign company that needs translators. Well, looks like OP is not coming back, maybe she/he was one of those folks who just tries to get us stirred up, I notice some of our guys love to get all bowed up and start shooting from the hip. Rather interesting about the natives trying to teach English though. Just as a side note, it does seem to me that one big improvement the system could make would be if foreign teachers somehow could use the same assistants often enough that they could work as a team. It can be pretty crazy in a lot of these places where the foreign teacher cannot even understand the VN teacher, and vice versa. Not only would this improve understanding between the two, it would also be very educational for the VN who would then be included a lot more in the process when the foreigner was teaching. As it is now, they pull out and just let him do his thing. This system has so many issues, but I think the VN teachers of English is a very big one. Back to top inhanoiJoined: 22 Oct 2011Posts: 165 Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 4:50 pm Post subject: Yeah, Mark, you referred to her as "some kind of hybrid." Unbelievable. Back to top mark_in_saigonJoined: 20 Sep 2009Posts: 837 Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 5:04 pm Post subject: The third type of hybrid consists of crosses between populations, breeds or cultivars within a single species. This meaning is often used in plant and animal breeding, where hybrids are commonly produced and selected because they have desirable characteristics not found or inconsistently present in the parent individuals or populations. Unbelievable? Perhaps you should familiarize yourself more with the subtleties of the English language. Of course, it is a lot easier to understand when you say something like she was working in a third rate kindergarten. Is that more the level you are familiar and comfortable with? Back to top inhanoiJoined: 22 Oct 2011Posts: 165 Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 5:53 pm Post subject: I was referring to a school, or what I imagined was supposedly a school, as third rate. You were referring to a person as a "hybrid." Get the difference? Anyway, kurtz is right, this was a troll and we all got suckered in. Back to top mark_in_saigonJoined: 20 Sep 2009Posts: 837 Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2012 3:02 am Post subject: Quote: I ... wouldn't judge anyone who tried to emulate me. But you will judge everyone else it seems. It's been pretty clear to me after day 2 or so when OP never responded he/she was just trying to get your blood pressure up. Looks like it was a successful attempt. Back to top bilianaJoined: 19 Aug 2012Posts: 53Location: Vietnam Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2012 5:25 am Post subject: I know the OP. She speaks 5 languages fluently and is a helluva talent. Her grammar is superb. $10 an hour for a 25 hour week would bring her in 4 times as much as her contemporaries. She wants to teach. She could make a lot more working elsewhere. I wish her all the best. 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Back when Carter was first born, I bought a set of month-by-month onesie stickers from Etsy that I used to document his first year. At the time, I seriously thought I was the MOST creative mom on the block.
But boy, oh boy, have some of these other moms outdone me by a mile! There are a ton of amazingly creative ideas floating around out there—so inspiring, that they almost make me want to have another baby. (ALMOST. We're not even out of diapers yet, after all.)
In any case, here's a countdown of the 10 most creative ways (according to me, and Pinterest) to record your baby's first year.
10. Month-by-month Comparison Photos
Kristen Honeycutt's collage of little Max is sort of similar to my attempt with Carter, but she did a couple other interesting things. First, Max's raccoon is helpful to be able to gauge Max's size by comparison. (Either Max grew a lot, or the raccoon is shrinking, because the difference between months 1 and 12 are huge!)
I also love how you can see Kristen's style coming through with the blanket and Max's clothing. Any little guy can pull of a white onesie, but Max is pulling off some serious style in some of these outfits! Did you see month 3?!
9. From Belly to 12 Months
I always love when parents get in photos with their little ones, and Rosie's month-by-month series with Logan is especially creative. Her first photo is of her belly when she's still pregnant, and by holding him in the same spot every month, you get a better idea of how much he's grown by comparison.
This is one of the easiest ideas to pull off by yourself – just prop your camera up on a counter or a tripod, and use a timer or remote to take a shot every month!
8. 'My First Year' Poster
I spent the entire first year of my son's life dealing with a serious case of mom-brain. I could barely remember to put pants on every day before leaving the house, so the chance of me remembering the date Carter crawled for the first time was less than zero.
That's one of the reasons I love the 'My First Year' poster—simply fill in the blanks, and voila! You have a record of all your baby's first milestones, and a personalized piece of artwork for their bedroom!
7. Baby's 1st Annual Report
If you like the idea of the 'My First Year' poster, but you're looking to take your baby-tracking to another level, the Baby's 1st Annual Report might be for you.
Inside this 13-month calendar, you'll find spots to add photos of your little one, as well as clever prompts for tracking important stats like "Mood By Time of Day" (baby's and parent's), and "Toys vs. Floor Space in Main Living Area." This is one calendar you won't be able to throw away when the year is over.
6. Custom Year One Infographic
I'm pretty sure this summary that Ami at Lifelove & Lucy made for her daughter's first birthday is the cutest infographic in the history of the world.
This is quite the hefty DIY project, but lucky for the rest of us, Ami is now offering custom designs on Etsy!
5. Clean + Simple Baby Books
Most of the ideas in this post can be turned into a book pretty easily, but there's something unique and refreshing, yet simple and timeless, about the books Johanna McShan made.
Documenting her pregnancy and the first year of each of her daughters, Mia and Ausha, each spread of the books displays one large photo, paired with her thoughts about that month. Joanna sells templates of all her books, and you don't even have to have Photoshop to use them!
4. First Year Quilts
When I was pregnant, I could get lost in the baby clothes section of Target for hours at a time, looking at all the adorable onesies that I couldn't wait to buy for my baby-to-be. As it turns out, I could've saved a LOT of money, had I realized just how quickly he'd outgrow one size and move onto the next. So, finding out that there was something creative I could do with all those outgrown clothes was music to my ears!
I recently discovered the idea of first year quilts—quilts created out of your favorite pieces of clothing from your baby's first year—and I can't wait to go back through Carter's old clothes and start making something memorable out of them!
Craftastical offers a tutorial and a size guide if you're interested in taking the DIY route, or you can send all the clothing into Etsy sellers like Southern Charm Quilts or Heart and Sew, who can create a custom quilt for you!
3. Chalkboard Adventures
Downhill skiing, running track & field, and figure skating in the Olympics is a lot to do in the first 20 weeks of life! These photo illustrations made by Kara at Life with Fingerprints are beyond creative, putting baby Cannon in a different scene every week of his first year.
Worried about your own drawings skills in creating 52 photo scenes that are this creative? Just keep it simple! Your baby's adorableness will do most of the work. Can't think of anything to draw? Maybe try using words instead of drawings.
Oh, and just to give credit where credit's due, not only is Cannon Kara's fourth baby, but she already has a 52-week series under her belt from her son Bennett's first year, and a 12-month series from her daughter's first year!
2. 365 Days of Baby
If you were inclined to think Kara was in over her head with 52 weeks of photos, you're going to think Jennifer is downright crazy—in the most awesome way possible.
Jennifer's project is called 365 days of T, and she takes a photo of her son every day, with the day's number shown somewhere in the photo. This takes some serious creativity and dedication, and the result is just amazing.
You can follow Jennifer's project on her blog, Baby Making Machine, or on Instagram.
1. 365 Love Letters
This project was also done by Jennifer Borget (the mom who did 365 Days of T), but I couldn't not include it. It's so beautifully done. In her 365 love letters, Jennifer paired photos of her daughter with a loving thought, message or quote. Each individual photo is amazing in itself, but the project as a whole is remarkable.
I can only imagine how much her daughter will appreciate having all these photos (and the resulting book she created) when she's older.
Is that one, giant boatload of cuteness or what?!
I hope these ideas inspire you as much as they've inspired me, and I'd love to see or hear your unique ideas about how to capture your baby's first year in photos, too!
Happy documenting!


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SAN DIEGO, CA (May 14, 2013)—This Friday night, some of the best prospects in the world will be highlighted on a special night of boxing on Wealth TV and WORDWIDE on www.wealthtv.com
In the main event, undefeated Ghislain Maduma takes on battle tested Saul Carreon in a bout scheduled for ten rounds. In the exciting co-feature, 2008 Olympic Gold Medal, James "Chunky" DeGale will make his North American debut when he takes on former world title challenger Sebastien Demers in an eight round bout.
Those two bouts will highlight a full nine bout card that will begin at 7pm est / 4pm pac.
Maduma of Montreal via The Congo has a record of 13-0 with nine knockouts, has been very impressive since turning professional in 2010.
He has impressive victories over the likes of Aldo Valtierra (TKO 2); Gyorgi Mizsei Jr. (TKO 5) and in his bout, he won the WBC Continentals America championship with a 10th round stoppage over Josafat Perez.
Carreon of Ciudad, Mexico has a respectable record of 20-5-1 with 13 knockouts.
The twenty-seven year old Carreon has wins over undefeated Jose Manuel Osorio (14-0-4) & Luis Gonzalez (13-0-1) and also fought for the WBC Silver Lightweight title against Abdiel Ramirez.
DeGale of London has a professional record 14-1 with nine knockouts and is the current European Super Middleweight champion.
After becoming a national hero by capturing gold in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, DeGale raced out to ten consecutive wins while capturing titles.
He has wins over Jindrich Kubin (5-0); Ally Morris (2-0-1); In his sixth bout he won WBA International Super Middleweight title with a 5th round stoppage over Sam Horton (15-1).
He defended that title once with a first round destruction over Carl Dilks (14-2). He went on to win the British Super Middleweight title with a 9th round stoppage over Paul Smith (29-1). DeGale suffered his only blemished when he lost a close majority decision to British rival George Groves.
DeGale won the European championship with a majority decision over Piotr Wilczewski (29-1). He defended that belt twice with wins over Cristian Sanavia (45-5-1) and Hadillah Mohoumadi (13-2-1). In his last bout, DeGale picked up the WBC Silver championship with a decision over former world title challenger Fulgencio Zuniga.
He is currently ranked in all four major sanctioning bodies (#5 WBC, #14 WBA, #6 IBF and #3 WBO)
Demers of Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec won his first twenty bouts which includes wins over former world title challengers Elio Ortiz and Mamadou Thiam. That streak earned him a shot at undefeated IBF world Middleweight champion Arthur Abraham.
Although he was stopped by Abraham, Demers went on to win 11 of his next 12 outings with some quality wins over Walid Smichet (17-2-1); Nicholson Poulard (13-2) and former world champion William Joppy.
Demers is coming off a ten round decision loss to Allan Green (30-3).
Undefeated Super Featherweight Baha Laham (11-0-1, 4 KO's) takes on Alan Paredes (15-1-1, 5 KO's) in an eight round bout.
In an eight round Light Heavyweight bout, Andy Gardiner (7-0, 3 KO's) battles Emiliano Cayetano (21-5, 12 KO's)
In a six round Jr. Welterweight bout, Tony Luis (15-1, 7 KO's) will fight Maurycy Gojko (21-37-2, 7 KO's)
Exciting Jr. Middleweight prospect Mian Hussein (5-0, 4 KO's) boxes Alessio Domarin (2-2, 1 KO) in a bout scheduled for six rounds.
In a six round Super Middleweight fight, Schiller Hyppolite (6-1, 3 KO's) takes on Martin Avila (14-11, 7 KO's)
In a four round bout, popular Pascal Villeneuve (1-0, 1 KO) squares off Fouad Nasri (6-6-1, 1 KO) in a Light Heavyweight bout.
Rounding out the card in a four round Heavyweight bout, Zach Bunce will be making his pro debut when fights Donald Willis (1-2, 1 KO)
The card can be seen on WealthTV nationally on Verizon FiOS TV channel 169 and 669 in HD, AT&T U-Verse TV channels 470 and 1470 in HD, along with over 100 cable systems across the country as well as on line viewing on numerous connected devices and via www.wealthtv.com.
About WealthTV
WealthTV is the premier lifestyle and entertainment network —the destination for exclusive and original programming, simultaneously transmitted in high definition and standard definition. WealthTV delivers to informative shows to its viewers, providing invaluable insights on what every American dreams of – from travel secrets to fast cars, from outrageous homes to live events, and much more. The network fills a television vacuum by delivering intellectually stimulating, thought-provoking entertainment and always-unbiased news from an insider's perspective. For more information, please visit www.wealthtv.com.


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To suggest further questions to include on this page, please e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com
See also Common Confusions (PDF excerpt from yearbook), extra information and *new* Jargon translated!
What does IRC stand for?
IRC does not officially stand for anything! Originally, "IR" was International Rule. However, as the Rule at that stage was not International, that name was not permitted. We simply decided to keep the initials as the name, and even after IRC received International recognition the name remained as simply IRC.Some people do call it International Rule 'Club', but it is not our published name.
For how long is my certificate valid?
All Thailand Issued IRC certificates expire on 30th May (as printed on the certificate). You will be invited to renew your certificate when it has expired.
Can I hold more than one valid certificate for different configurations?
No, except in the case of 'short-handed' certificates, see Rule 8.2.
Why are the rating formulae not published?
We believe the confidentiality of the IRC formulae is it's main strength. It helps to prevent designers and builders producing boats specifically to 'cheat' the rule, thereby disenfranchising the existing designs for which IRC was created to cater.
My boat had an IRC rating in the last 2 years, do I need to complete the whole new form?
No, please contact your irc-thailand for a revalidation form.
My boat hasn't had a rating for a few years but I want to get a current one. What do I need to do ?
Contact irc-thailand with details of the boat and we will let you know what we require and send you the relevant forms. For boats last rated more than 2 years ago we usually require a new application form completed.
I've just bought a boat which has a current rating – do I have to do anything?
Yes. The IRC certificate is invalidated by change of ownership, so you need to re-register the certificate. Some check measurement may be required.
Do you hold standard data for designs?
We hold complete data for IRC one-designs and standard hull data for many designs: contact your authority. For non-OD boats we always require actual rig and sail measurements.
My boat has held an IMS/ORCi certificate - can I get all the information off that ?
Yes, except: bow and stern overhang, y,h,x; LL & LLmax, FL. Please send a copy of the latest certificate and p.2 Measurement Inventory with your application.
Does my boat have to be weighed and/or measured by an official measurer?
No, unless you require an Endorsed certificate (see below), or your local Rule Authority or race organiser requires boats to be weighed/measured.
What is an Endorsed certificate?
An 'endorsed' IRC certificate is one for which the data on the certificate has been audited and if necessary verified by measurement or other methods. The 2005 IRC Congress agreed that a set of common standards for the IRC Rating Authority and Rule Authorities to apply when endorsing a boat's IRC certificate should be developed and published. See also "Accepted sources of data"
Generally, IRC is a self-measurement system. There is thus no general requirement for an owner to have his boat officially measured or weighed unless either he chooses to do so, or his Rule Authority (ie his local IRC body) and/or an Organising Authority for a race requires official measurement, generally resulting in an endorsed IRC certificate.
To apply for an Endorsed certificate contact your local Rule Authority. A payment may be involved.
Check measurement may be required on change of ownership or at intervals after original measurement.
Do all sails need to be measured, or only the largest ones?
The largest ones, plus the longest luff length of any headsail and the largest headsail headboard.
What changes on my boat need to be declared to the Rating Office?
Any changes which may affect the performance of the boat (see rule 9.6 & 27.1.)
Can I remove items like the saloon table?
If items are removed, which are either standard on a production boat, or were included in the previous certificate, then this must be declared and may affect the rating. Removing table, doors, etc. will increase hull factor; we try to discourage this practice. See rules 22.1 & 22.2.1.
How can I see what affect changes I want to make might have on my rating?
You can run up to 6 trial certificates; these are not valid for racing. See limitations and conditions published on our website.
I need to amend some measurements / I want to run a trial certificate, what should I do?
Download the amendment/trial form from our website, complete and return to your Rule Authority with payment details.
How do I get a copy of another yacht's certificate?
Copies of any other boat's certificate can be purchased for £10. However, please see limits published on our website.
Can I see what measurement data was submitted for another yacht?
Only the measurements and data shown on the IRC certificate are publicly available, by buying a copy of their latest certificate.
How is age allowance applied?
Age allowance is calculated and applied to the TCC automatically after 3 years. Age allowance uses the average of the series and age dates in it's calculation.
Will my rating be the same each year? Why has my rating changed from last year even though my boat hasn't?
Your rating may go up, down or stay the same from year to year, depending on how it is affected by program changes. It will not automatically go down each year due to age allowance, although this is an integral part of the TCC calculation. IRC is a 'live' rule. By this we mean that the maths behind the calculation of TCC is continually adjusted on an annual basis to reflect changes in design, sailing practice, etc. The changes affect generic types and characteristics, not individual boats or designs.
Why is my rating higher than a sistership's?
Ratings are based on rated data; therefore any difference in measurements or other details may affect the rating.
My boat doesn't have a proper sail number - does it matter?
Yes, IRC rated yachts must have an approved sail number, in the UK you should contact RORC, the RYA or the Clyde Yacht Clubs Association. If overseas, contact your local Rule Authority.


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Tate wins Simon Pro Bono Service Award
Tate wins Simon Pro Bono Service Award
Go back to your communities and embrace pro bono. Do it with a passion
Senior Editor
Frustrated by children waiting too long for adoption into forever families, Tampa lawyer Jeanne Trudeau Tate didn't just wring her hands in despair. She stepped up and suggested an innovative solution to then Gov. Jeb Bush and the head of the Department of Children and Families.
Tate offered to donate her legal services and the members of her firm to the state and its Tampa-based community provider, Hillsborough Kids, Inc., to speed up adoptions, using the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children process and widening the pool of prospective adoptive families.
Tate enjoys a reputation as one of the top adoption lawyers in the state. But "her accomplishments in her field of specialty pale in comparison to what she has done to assist the poor," said Ben Hill, her mentor, former law partner, and former Florida Bar president.
Fifty-seven-year-old Tate has offered to handle every adoption-related case presented to Bay Area Legal Services, donating hundreds and hundreds of hours of pro bono service. She created a nonprofit called Heart of Adoptions Alliance, Inc., that raises money to give private grants and interest-free loans to prospective adoptive parents.
Introducing Tate as the winner of this year's Tobias Simon Pro Bono Service Award, Chief Justice Ricky Polston — who with his wife Deborah adopted six siblings in less than six years — said: "As an adoptive parent, it is especially my pleasure to ask this year's award recipient to approach the bench and receive your award."
Tate saluted all of the pro bono winners gathered at the Florida Supreme Court's special ceremony on January 31.
"I grew up in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. I was the oldest of four children and no one in my family ever went to college. It was basically hard work, nose to the grindstone. We got things done," Tate said.
"But South Florida was a place where there were very, very stark contrasts between the haves and the have-nots. There were differences, even though we all played by the same rules, about the opportunities that were given to people.
"People of color, people whose names were different, people who looked different, people who spoke in a different way were not given the same opportunities. And so those images, as I matured, kind of seared in the memory of my brain that, I think, contributed to the person I am today.
"It has caused me to live by a simple and succinct adage of Winston Churchill: 'We make a living by what we get. But we make a life by what we give.' And giving has always been part of my life, particularly in the area of abused, neglected, and abandoned children," Tate said.
She described the namesake of Florida's highest pro bono award as "a giant in our legal profession, just a passionate visionary. Tobias Simon was someone whose work on behalf of the downtrodden exemplifies, I think, the very, very best that we can be as lawyers. But if he were here today, he would tell you that these awards are not about us. They are about shining the light of day on the disenfranchised, about the poor, and about the people who can't do the things in life that we can do, who can't even find a place to live that's free of domestic violence, that's free of abuse, that's free of neglect.
"So, in his honor, I issue a clarion call to all of you, as some of my colleagues have done here today: Go back to your communities and embrace pro bono. Do it with a passion. Do it with perseverance. And I promise you won't be let down. It will be one of the most meaningful things that you do. For my sake, I know our children count on you to do that."
It was a day of shining the light on Florida lawyers dedicated to doing more than their fair share of pro bono work.
"Today is a very special day, not only for everyone in this courtroom, but also for many thousands of Floridians who have received legal assistance through the volunteer efforts and direct pro bono service of lawyers," said Florida Bar President Gwynne Young.
"I am very proud to say that during the 2011-12 fiscal year of The Florida Bar, Florida lawyers contributed more than $4.8 million to legal aid and 1.6 million hours of pro bono service. Florida lawyers are truly committed to making a difference in their communities."
She announced The Florida Bar President's Pro Bono Service Awards given in each of the 20 judicial circuits, ranging from lawyers who settle landlord-tenant disputes, stop harassing phone calls from creditors, help children aging out of foster care, assist Holocaust survivors with claims for reparations from the German government, and work with nonprofits to revitalize neighborhoods and provide affordable housing.
"I have to take a point of personal privilege here today, because I, too, am from Hillsborough County," Young said.
"As president of The Florida Bar, it makes me feel particularly proud to see so many people from the 13th Circuit who are here for the good work that I know they do and have done over the years. Even though Scott Hawkins [former Bar president from West Palm Beach] chaired the committee, and I didn't chose any of these people, it makes me very, very proud to see each of you honored."
Besides the Tobias Simon winner Tate from Tampa, the Judicial Service Award went to 13th Circuit Judge Claudia Rickert Isom, the Law Firm Commendation recipient was Clark & Washington, P.C., in Tampa, and the Tampa Bay Hispanic Bar Association was honored with the Voluntary Bar Association Pro Bono Service Award.
"I think above all, this is a day that makes you proud to be a lawyer," Young said.
Pro bono not only changes your client's life, but it can change yours, too, was the message from 29-year-old Rebecca Lauren Sosa, a litigation associate at Hughes, Hubbard & Reed in Miami, who was honored with the Young Lawyers Pro Bono Service Award.
After law school, Sosa went to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to learn basic Spanish. There, she met her husband, Luciano, and he became her first Spanish-speaking client, as they navigated the immigration path to bring him to the United States.
That sparked Sosa's pro bono passion to assist low-income women, children, and immigrants, and she contributed more than 1,000 pro bono hours in 2010.
Sosa highlighted one of her special pro bono clients, a woman from Guatemala who had an abusive spouse in the United States, and two years later was granted legal permanent residence through the Violence Against Women Act.
"It was really a transformational experience for her, and, frankly, for me. She was a caterpillar who just blossomed into a butterfly," Sosa said.
"I am so proud of her and all the efforts of my firm and the people I work with that helped her get there. She is a different person today. And that's because of the kind of work that we are supporting here today."
The woman was able to visit her son, whom she had sent back to Guatemala to live with her parents, to escape the abuse.
Sosa read a thank-you card from her client, first in Spanish and then translated: "To a very special person who has contributed to changing my life forever."
"Being here today, I can tell her she really changed mine, forever, too," Sosa said.
At the close of the hour-long ceremony, Chief Justice Polston said: "Those honored here today, those of you everywhere in Florida who honor the spirit of public service, let me urge you: There is no greater cause than serving justice, even when it means you must place yourselves between the just causes of the poor and the oppressed and the unjust opinions of the powerful.
"In so doing, not only do you help those in need, but as Tobias Simon recognized, you help preserve many of the basic rights of our republic. This is the very essence of the rule of law, which has made this nation great."


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Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown told union members Monday that he will back legislation to increase Maryland's minimum wage in the 2014 General Assembly session whether Gov. Martin O'Malley is on board or not.
Brown, who was in Baltimore to accept the endorsement of the Service Employees International Union for governor, said that if the O'Malley administration does not include such a bill in its legislative package, he will support such a measure on his own.
Unlike his chief rival, Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler, Brown did not call for an increase to a specific level. Gansler has called for an increase from the current $7.25 an hour to $10. Brown said the administration was still in the process of developing proposals for the session.
"I'm excited about the possibility of an administration bill that I'll back," Brown said. "If there's not an administration bill, there will be a Brown-sponsored bill to raise the minimum wage," he said.
O'Malley, who cannot run again because of term limits, has publicly spoken about the need for a higher minimum wage but has not embraced a specific figure. A third candidate in the race, Del. Heather R. Mizeur of Montgomery County, co-sponsored legislation this year that would have raised the wage to $10. The bill failed.
Maryland has not raised its minimum wage since 2006, when the General Assembly -- with Brown voting yes -- overrode former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s veto of a bill increasing it to $6.15. That put the Maryland minimum $1 higher than the federal standard, but in 2009 Congress pushed that rate to $7.25, overtaking the state.
While Brown's position may lack specificity, he stated it with fervor Monday, joining SEIU members in a chant of "raise our wage."
Joined by his running mate, Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, Brown happily accepted the support of the SEIU Maryland-D.C. State Council. The union represents more than 30,000 workers in Maryland.
All three leading Democratic candidates had sought the backing of the powerful union, which represents security workers, health care workers and public employees. The SEIU is known for taking an active role in elections, providing their chosen candidates with funding as well as volunteers. Jaime Contreras, president of the SEIU state council, said Brown could count on that level of support as he seeks the party nomination in the June 24 primary.
"When we get in, we get in to win," Contreras said.
The union leader had a simple explanation for why the SEIU chose Brown.
"Our members like him better and we believe he's going to be a good governor and he has the right stuff," Contreras said.
The Gansler campaign released a statement discounting the importance of the state council's endorsement and pointed to the support he received from the SEIU's Local 500. Campaign manager Matthew "Mudcat" Arnold said the decision was driven by SEIU Local 1199, the health care workers. He dismissed that group as having "far more members in New York than Maryland."
"The fact remains that the largest, fastest-growing, statewide local with the most Maryland members, SEIU 500, cast their vote for Doug Gansler, proving once again that hard-working families in Maryland want a candidate with ideas and who isn't afraid to shake up the status quo to get things done," Arnold said.
Contreras said the endorsement decision was made by a majority of locals and was reached by Maryland members after interviews with the three candidates.