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Governor Cuomo Outlines Bold Agenda for 2013: Builds on Progress of Past Two Years by Growing the Economy, Investing in Education, Maintaining Legacy as Progressive Capital of the Nation, and Rising to Meet Challenges in the Wake of Hurricane Sandy
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today delivered his 2013 State of the State Address, outlining a comprehensive agenda that builds on the progress of the past two years to attract good jobs and economic growth, create a world-class education system that prepares the next generation for the future, maintain fiscal integrity and discipline, and continue to restore New York as the progressive capital of the nation.
"New York is on its way, coming back stronger than ever before, rising to meet some of the biggest challenges in our history, remaining as a progressive beacon of light to the rest of the nation, and standing out as a model of effective government," Governor Cuomo said. "Gone are the anti-business, obstructionist, tax capital, and gridlock mentalities, replaced with an entrepreneurial government that collaboratively works together for the people and partners with the private sector to create jobs and get the economy back on track. The agenda laid out today is a comprehensive plan for New York State to rise to meet the challenges of today and the future, from confronting the difficult issue of gun control, to reforming our education system for the 21st century, and rebuilding our communities and infrastructure after Hurricane Sandy. Our accomplishments over the past two years show us that one thing is clear: We can defy the odds and deny the naysayers, and we can accomplish anything together."
Governor Cuomo outlined the below initiatives as part of his State of the State message. For more information visit: www.NYGetInvolved.com.
Economic Development
This years economic development program will build upon the work of the Regional Economic Development Councils as well as partnerships with higher education, because New Yorks one-two punch is jobs and education.
Tech Transferfrom Academia to Commercialization: As many of the countrys most significant high-tech economic clusters owe their success to technology transfer, the Governor proposed steps to accelerate the commercialization of good ideas and the creation of new businesses to take them to market. Steps include:
- Innovation Hot Spots: Ten higher education/private sector high-tech incubators will be selected as Hot Spots through a competitive process that fosters innovation by offering inventors and entrepreneurs support to grow their businesses and to be part of a tax-free zone, where start-ups will not be subject to business, real property, and sales taxes, to encourage business growth in New York State.
- Innovation NY Network: To break down barriers to commercialization of academic ideas, the Governor proposed creating the Innovation NY Network to build collaboration among academics, venture capitalists, business leaders, patent lawyers and other professionals and entrepreneurs to facilitate and grow the commercialization process.
- Innovation Venture Capital Fund: A $50 million Innovation Venture Capital Fund will provide incentives for successful start-ups to stay in the state and grow. Support from the Innovation Venture Capital Fund will help these entrepreneurs make the transition from research and other ideas through prototyping and ultimately to the creation of marketable products.
Reforming Workers Compensation and Unemployment Insurance for Businesses and Workers: To continue to lower the cost of doing business in New York and reduce the crushing burden of unemployment insurance and workers compensation, the Governor proposed reforms to both systems that will save businesses $1.3 billion, while also increasing unemployment insurance benefits to workers for the first time since 1999.
Making New York the Leader in the Clean Tech Economy: To continue to establish New York as a national leader in building a clean tech economy program, the Governor announced the following steps:
- NY Green Bank: The $1 billion Green Bank will leverage public dollars with a private sector match to spur the clean economy.
- Extend NY-Sun Solar Jobs: The program will be expanded at $150 million annually for 10 years to increase solar panel installations for homes and businesses.
- Charge NY Program: The Charge NY Program will invest in an electric car network to reduce reliance on fossil fuels by installing a statewide network of charging stations and providing charging infrastructure tax credits.
- Cabinet-Level Energy Czar: To coordinate the state's clean-tech agenda and oversee the state government's energy portfolio, the Governor has named Richard Kauffman, a senior advisor to the nations Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, to serve as a member of the Cabinet as the "Energy Czar."
Preparing the Workforce of Today and Tomorrow: To retool New York's workforce to be prepared for the jobs of today and tomorrow, the Governor proposed steps to reimagine the SUNY and CUNY community colleges to ensure the state's job training programs produce the trained personnel that businesses need:
- Next Generation Job Linkage Program: The Governor outlined a Job Linkage Program that will link community colleges with employers to identify the job, to define the skill, and to provide the training for it. The state will pay for performance by funding colleges based on student job placement.
Market NY to Focus on Upstate Economic Development: The Governor today announced Market NY, a new multi-faceted marketing plan to bolster Upstate growth.
- Taste-NY: The Taste-NY initiative will coordinate around promoting New York products, including creating duty-free "Taste-NY" stores across the state to promote New York grown and produced products.
- $5 Million Advertising Competition: A $5 million advertising competition for the best regional marketing plans will be launched, incentivizing counties to work together to forge regional synergies.
- The Adirondack Challenge: Noting that New York has some of the best whitewater rafting in the nation, the Governor proposed a national whitewater rafting competition to be held in the North Country.
- Destination Resorts/Casino Gaming: To increase upstate tourism, the Governor proposed a casino gaming plan that would locate up to three casinos in Upstate New York. Under the proposal, casino gaming revenue will be split 90% for education and 10% for local property tax relief.
New York's economic recovery and future strength is dependent on a top-quality education system that prepares our students to succeed in the 21st century economy. While tremendous progress has been made over the last two years, there remains much more work to be done to meet the educational needs of our children and prepare them for the future. Drawing on the work of the New NY Education Reform Commission, the Governor announced a comprehensive strategy to transform and modernize public education.
More Learning Time: Research shows that students who have more time to learn have higher academic achievement than their peers. This is apparent in schools across the country, where quality learning time has been successfully and creatively expanded, resulting in significant student performance gains, especially in low-income communities. To help close the achievement gap, the Governor announced steps for our students to spend more time learning.
- Extending the School Day and/or Year: The Governor proposed a new competitive grant program for schools that develop initiatives to improve student achievement that include extending learning time by at least 25 percent and a high quality plan to achieve better outcomes for students.
- Full-Day Pre-Kindergarten for the Highest-Needs Students: With decades of research showing that early childhood education has a major and long-lasting impact on a child's future success, the Governor announced plans for the state to invest in high quality, full-day pre-kindergarten, beginning with New York's highest-needs students.
Better Teachers and Principals: Research suggests that teachers account for one-third of a schools total impact on student achievement and that principal leadership accounts for 25 percent. The Governor announced that a districts school aid increase will continue to be contingent on local adoption of an appropriate teacher evaluation system agreed to by school districts and union leadership. In addition, the Governor today announced steps for the state to better recruit and retain the best and brightest to educate students, provide teachers and principals with the support they need to be successful, and continue to recognize and reward successful educators throughout their career.
- Creating a "Bar Exam" for Teachers: To ensure that the best and the brightest are teaching our children, the Governor proposed increasing admission standards for entry into educator preparation programs, and implementing a bar exam that teachers must pass in order to receive certification.
- Incentivizing High Performing Teachers: High-performing master teachers will receive $15,000 in supplemental income annually for four years to teach other teachers. These master teachers will enhance their own teaching methods and train other teachers to improve performance in the classroom. Education in Distressed Communities: Recognizing that the demands of schools in wealthier districts are different than those in lowest wealth districts, the Governor announced plans to improve education and the resources offered by schools in New York's neediest communities.
- Community Schools: In neighborhoods in some of New York's neediest areas, Community Schools offering education plus health, employment, after school, and other support services serve as the hub for all community services. The Governor proposed to replicate successful models such as Cincinnati Community Learning Centers, Harlem Childrens Zone, Say Yes to Education, and Strive Network in distressed communities across New York State.
Round 3 of NYSUNY2020 and a New NYCUNY2020: The NYSUNY2020 initiative has succeeded in leveraging the economic power of the State's university system as a private sector job generator. The Governor proposed a third round of NYSUNY2020 and a first round of NYCUNY2020 that will offer additional grants for 2- and 4-year colleges and universities within both the SUNY and CUNY systems. Projects will be selected in a competitive manner based on economic impact, advancement of academic goals, innovation, and collaboration.
Progressive Agenda
New York has a long history of being a beacon for progressive change, from the birthplace of the movement for womens rights, to worker protections, to decent, affordable housing, intelligent environmental protection and safe energy sources; and becoming the largest and most influential state to extend marriage equality to all its citizens. Yet there is much work to do, and this year's agenda calls for making the state a fairer, more just place for all residents, with a focus on expanding women's equality, ending racial injustice, and fighting poverty.
Raising the Minimum Wage: A reasonable minimum wage increases the standard of living for workers, reduces poverty, incentivizes fair and more efficient business practices, and ensures that the most vulnerable members of the workforce can contribute to the economy. New York's current minimum wage of $7.25 an hour is below that of 19 other states and prior adjustments have not kept up with increases in the cost of living. The Governor proposed to raise the minimum wage to $8.75 an hour.
Stop and Frisk: While stop and frisk can play an important role in the prevention of crime, there are also significant costs, including a deterioration of relationships between community residents and law enforcement, and the reality that stops fall disproportionately on communities of color and, in particular, on the young.
- Marijuana Possession: State law makes open view possession of 25 grams or less of marijuana a misdemeanor, while possession of the same amount of marijuana in the home is a violationa non-criminal offense punishable by a fine. Police arrest 100 times more people for this offense and these arrests comprise the single largest category of arrests in New York City, accounting for 15 percent of all NYC arrests and 20 percent of NYC misdemeanors. The effects of those arrests fall almost entirely on Black and Hispanic individuals82 percentand largely on the young: 52 percent are under 25 and 69 percent are under 30. The Governor announced plans to bring parity to the law and decriminalize public view with 15 grams or less.
Ensuring Fairness in the Justice System: Mistaken eyewitness identifications contributed to approximately 75% of wrongful convictions overturned by DNA evidence. False confessions contributed to approximately 25% of wrongful convictions overturned by DNA evidence.
- Strengthening Eyewitness Identification: The use of blind or double-blind photo arrays can reduce the potential for the administrator of the array to inadvertently influence the witness. The Governor announced plans to introduce legislation to permit eyewitness photo identification to be introduced at trial only where a blind or double-blind identification procedure has been used.
- Recording Criminal Interrogations: In order to help prevent wrongful convictions based on false confessions, as well as to protect law enforcement from erroneous allegations of coercion, the Governor proposed requiring that interrogations of persons arrested for serious offenses such as homicide, kidnapping and certain sex offenses be recorded on video.
Create the $1 Billion House NY Program: For the past two years, the state has made major investments in the development of affordable housing across New York as both a source of economic and community development. The Governor today proposed the House NY program, consisting of $1 billion to produce or preserve over 14,000 units of affordable housing over the next 5 years. As part of House NY, the state will invest in the most successful affordable housing programs to help meet unfulfilled housing need, as well as revitalize New Yorks Mitchell-Lama Affordable Housing Program to rehabilitate housing units that are suffering from deferred maintenance and other physical deficiencies.
The REDC Opportunity Agenda to Revitalize Poor Communities: The REDC Opportunity Agenda will build on the success and expertise of the Regional Economic Development Councils to help overcome the challenges that prevent poor communities from fully participating in our states economic revitalization. Each Regional Council will focus on one distressed community, identify strategies that will address the challenges of concentrated poverty, and then be able to competitively seek funding through a streamlined process.
Achieving Equality for Women: New York has long served as a model for equality and fairness on several issues including womens rights. The Governor today announced plans to advance a 10-Point Womens Equality Act that will break down barriers that perpetuate discrimination and inequality based on gender. The Governor's 10-Point proposal will:
- Protect a Womans Freedom of Choice by Enacting the Reproductive Health Act
- Achieve Pay Equity
- Stop Sexual Harassment in All Workplaces
- Allow for the Recovery of Attorneys Fees in Employment and Credit and Lending Cases
- Strengthen Human Trafficking Laws
- End Family Status Discrimination
- Stop Source-of-Income Discrimination
- Stop Housing Discrimination for Victims of Domestic Violence
- Stop Pregnancy Discrimination Once and For All
- Protect Victims of Domestic Violence by Strengthening Order-of-Protection Laws Fighting Hunger in New York: To combat hunger in New York State, Governor Cuomo announced that an anti-hunger task force will be launched to increase participation in federally-funded anti-hunger programs, increase the use of New York farm products and healthy foods in anti-hunger programs, and facilitate private-sector efforts in partnership with the government to meet the above goals.
Creating CORe Neighborhoods: In New York State, distress is concentrated in a small number of areas. For example, in a high-crime neighborhood within Rochester, a black man between the ages of 15 and 29 is 33 times more likely to be murdered than in the rest of the nation. In Newburgh, 37 percent of the population lives below the poverty line and two-thirds of residents have no more than a high school diploma. To confront this challenge, the Governor proposed the Community, Opportunity, Reinvestment (CORe) initiative to better align state support with local needs, while supporting successful community-based efforts, so that the state can do a better job allocating resources to make measurable and sustained progress in improving high-need communities.
Focus on Public Health: The best way to improve the health of New Yorkers and to lower health care costs is to avoid preventable illness. While New York already expends considerable resources to support a broad array of public health initiatives and is considered a leader in this effort, the state needs to update programs and policies to better respond to the emerging health care issues of an increasingly complex social dynamic.
- New York to Set the 'Gold Standard' for Patient Care: At the Governor's direction, the state will work with hospitals this year to improve the quality and safety of care provided to patients at key stages of hospital admission, treatment, and discharge. On this front, sepsis is a huge problem; striking at least 750,000 people in the U.S. each year, it is the number one cause of death in U.S. hospitals, and kills as many Americans annually as heart attacks, and more than AIDS, prostate cancer, and breast cancer combined. The Governor announced that New York will lead the nation by being the first state to require all hospitals to adopt best practices including an innovative checklist modeled off a proposal by Harvard's Atul Gawande for the early identification and treatment of sepsis.
Public Safety
From an all-crimes DNA databank and one of the nation's toughest texting-while-driving laws, to crackdowns on child pornography, domestic violence, and cyberbullying, New York has been on the forefront of putting in place some of the strongest public safety laws in the nation. However, with the nation still reeling from the senseless massacre in Newtown, Connecticut and our State still mourning the loss of first responders in Webster's shooting tragedy, New York must say enough is enough to gun violence.
Safe and Fair Gun Policy: There have been far too many lives claimed as a result of gun violence in recent years, from Columbine, to Virginia Tech, Aurora, Newtown, and Webster. New York once led the way: Sullivans Law of 1911 was the nation's first gun control lawa model law that required a permit for possession of a hand gun. The time has come to make New York safer and once again lead the way for other states to follow.
- We Must Pass the Toughest Assault Weapons Ban in the Country: New York's ban on assault weapons is so riddled with loopholes and so difficult to understand that it has become virtually unenforceable. While state law bans magazines with a capacity greater than ten rounds of ammunition, the law exempts magazines manufactured prior to 1994. Because magazines are not generally stamped with a serial number or other mark that would identify the date of manufacture, it is virtually impossible to determine whether a large capacity magazine was manufactured prior to 1994. In order to fix this problem, the Governor proposed tightening our assault weapons ban and eliminating large capacity magazines regardless of date of manufacture.
- Preventing Private Sales to Prohibited Persons: While New York mandates that individuals buying guns from dealers or at gun shows be checked to determine whether they have a criminal record, suffer from mental illness, or otherwise are in a category of persons prohibited from owning guns, no such checks are done when a gun is sold privately. The Governor announced that he will propose requiring that any sale in New York State between private parties be subject to the same background checks.
- Enhanced Penalties: To effectively deter the flow and use of illegal guns on our streets, the Governor announced that he will propose enhancing penalties for those who illegally buy guns, for those who use guns on school property, and for those who engage in violent and serious drug-related gang activity.
- Reporting by Mental Health Professionals: Governor Cuomo announced that he will propose measures to ensure that when a mental health professional determines that a firearm owner is likely to engage in conduct that would result in serious harm to self or others, that risk may be reported and the gun removed by law enforcement authorities.
- One State, One Standard: Currently, licenses for handguns are issued by the county in which the gun owner lives, many of which are valid for life. As a result, while certain checks are run at the time a license is issued, once a license is obtained, there is no subsequent check to determine whether the holder is still eligible to own a gun. The Governor announced that he will propose a single standard across the state to ensure that appropriate checks can be run to bar convicted felons and other prohibited people from possessing firearms.
- Combating Gun Violence in the States Most Violent Neighborhoods: The state will continue to implement programs that successfully reduce gun violence in high-crime neighborhoods. Pilot programs currently under way that employ a series of actions, including law enforcement, community members and service providers delivering a message that conveys facts about the consequences of further violence, have resulted in big reductions in gun violence over a short period of time.
Staying Ahead of the Game on Dangerous Designer Synthetic Drugs: To continue the state's work to keep designer drugs off the streets and out of the hands of our children, the Governor proposed plans to make designer drugs like bath salts and synthetic marijuana Schedule I drugson par with heroin, LSD, marijuana, and ecstasy. The Governor will propose legislation to criminalize the sale and possession of these substances, and ensure the laws provide flexibility to immediately tackle the next iteration of designer drugs.
New York State Cyber Security Initiative: There is no question that cyber attacks pose a serious risk to our state and nation. The Governor announced that the state will launch a Cyber Security Initiative that will include the creation of a new, first-in-the-nation facility that brings together monitoring of both the cyber and physical aspects of critical infrastructure in New York State.
Government Reform
For government to function and be effective, it must have the trust of the people. The Governor today proposed a series of reforms to give New Yorkers a stronger voice in government and strengthen the state's democracy.
Campaign Finance Reform: Currently, New York has the highest contribution limits among states that limit them at all and the third lowest rate of participation in campaigns. To rebuild trust in government, the Governor today outlined a series of steps that will bring fairness and greater disclosure to the state's campaign finance laws.
- Disclose NY The Nation's Most Aggressive Disclosure Law: Current law requires disclosure every six months to a year or, in some cases, never. The laws should be amended so that any and all covered contributions to a PAC, lobbying 501(c)(3), other 501(c) organization, political committee, or political party over $500 will be disclosed within 48 hours, and within 24 hours near Election Day.
- Public Financing of State Elections: Without public financing, New Yorks political candidates rely on large donors far more than small contributors. The Governor proposed enacting public financing of elections based on the model in place in New York City.
- Lower Contribution Limits: For most offices, the States contribution limits are substantially higher compared to other states, ensuring that large donors dominate major political campaigns. The Governor announced plans to lower New York States contribution limits, with even lower limits for those candidates who receive the benefits of public matching financing. Early Voting Ensures Easy and Effective Voting: The Governor proposed that New York create an early voting system that is at least one week long, and includes the weekend before a scheduled Election Day. Early voting strengthens democracy by making it easier and more convenient to vote and promotes higher voter turnout. It also reduces long lines at polling sites and eases the administrative burden on Boards of Elections on Election Day.
Make Our Ballots More Readable: State election laws require that all printed ballots contain numerous symbols, numbers, and bits of text that clutter the ballot and force election officials to use miniscule font sizes. These laws need to be reformed to make ballots more readable and more user-friendly.
OPEN NY: To increase transparency, citizen engagement, and government performance, Governor Cuomo plans to launch OPEN NY, an easy, single-stop electronic portal to provide public access to statewide and agency-level data, reports, statistics, compilations and information. This initiative will reap substantial benefits by making valuable government data available to researchers, innovators, and the public, leading to cost savings, improvements in government accountability and collaboration, and enhanced trust in government.
Local Government Finance: The Governor proposed creating a Financial Restructuring Assistance Program to offer advice to all counties, cities, towns and villages to help restructure their finances. The program will be run by a joint Task Force made up of the Comptroller, Attorney General, Division of Budget, and private-sector restructuring consultants.
Responding to the Crisis
In just two years, New Yorkers have witnessed firsthand the destructive force of three powerful storms that have crippled the state: Irene, Lee and most recently Sandy. Each has taken an immeasurable toll on communities. Precious lives have been lost, and homes and businesses destroyed. Extreme weather is the new normal. The Governor today outlined a series of proposals for the state to fortify and upgrade the systems that can paralyze us when they fail during an emergency, as well as act to tackle the reality of a changing climate. These proposals draw from the work of four commissions that the Governor announced in November: NYS Respond, NYS Ready, NYS 2100 and the Moreland Commission on utility storm preparedness and response.
Lower the Regional Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap: Nine states including New York participate in the CO2 cap and trade program. The current cap is 165 million tons of CO2 and is well above the current emissions level of 91 million tons of CO2. As CO2 emissions have declined over 30% since the cap was established, the Governor proposed lowering the cap on CO2 emissions to a level that guarantees we will reduce emissions below current levels.
Increase Alternative Local Renewable Power Sources: To reduce dependence on centralized power plants and avoid outages, the Governor proposed increasing the use of alternative local power (distributed generation of electricity) using renewable sources, natural gas, and energy storage.
Ensure a Skilled Energy Workforce: To address a lack of young members of the workforce with skills in the energy sector, the Governor announced that the State will enhance efforts in workforce training by expanding energy career training and placement programs and promoting awareness of the need for skilled energy workers.
Improve the Resilience of Our Buildings: The Governor proposed updating the State Building Code to promote smarter, resilient building performance, as well as increased survivability. These changes would impact new construction and major renovations to existing construction, and would take into account the impact on different geographies and building types and consider factors such as effectiveness for protecting health and safety, as well as cost.
Provide Assistance to Property Owners to Mitigate or Sell Properties in Vulnerable Areas: The Governor announced that the state will use various strategies to assist home and business owners whose properties were damaged in Hurricane Sandy to mitigate for the future or, if they choose to do so, to sell their properties and relocate.
- Recreate NY-Smart Home: The Recreate NY-Smart Home program will provide critical financial assistance to property owners to mitigate their properties for future threats.
- Recreate NY-Home Buyout:This program will be designed for homeowners who want to relocate.
Ensure that Healthcare Facilities are Resilient: The Governor proposed to update the Department of Health's review of applications for new and substantial expansion of hospitals and nursing homes to consider location and infrastructure vulnerabilities. Under the proposal, healthcare facility applicants would be required to address the risks associated with being in a vulnerable location. Harden our Infrastructure: The Governor outlined a series of proposals designed to harden New York's infrastructure to better withstand future major storms.
- Toward a More Resilient New York Harbor: To build a more resilient Harbor, a long-term strategy will need to be developed that includes conserving and rebuilding natural systems that were lost to centuries of man-made activity, plus the building of additional barriers where needed. The state will work with other government partners to timely complete a comprehensive engineering evaluation of proposals, including potential barrier systems.
- Harden the Subway System: Flood-proof subways and bus depots with vertical roll-down doors, vent closures, inflatable bladders, and upsized fixed pumps (with back-up power sources) are all options to harden New York's subway system.
- Harden our Fuel Delivery System: Redundancies must be built into the fuel system, and generators and pumping systems must be readily deployable. The Governor proposed that gas stations in strategic locations be required to have on-site back-up power capacity to protect New Yorkers from temporary disruptions in fuel supply.
- Harden our Utilities: The Public Service Commission will require utilities to submit detailed implementation plans to harden their facilities, including raising substation walls and elevating transformer inst allations.
- Strengthen Wastewater Infrastructure: Flooding and storm surges from Lee, Irene, and Sandy resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars of damage to waste water treatment plants and the release of hundreds of millions of gallons of raw and undertreated sewage. To prevent a repeat of this scenario in the short-term, the existing wastewater treatment plants need to be repaired and mitigated to withstand higher flood levels.
Redesign Our Power System: The electrical power grid and the structures that control it must undergo a fundamental redesign that improves performances and protects ratepayers.
- Strengthen Public Service Commission's Regulatory and Enforcement Oversight: Based on the Moreland Commission's recommendations, the Governor proposed giving the Public Service Commission the regulatory and enforcement teeth it needs to improve oversight and regulation of the state's utilities.
- Abolish the Long Island Power Authority: Hurricane Sandy revealed systemic flaws and weaknesses in LIPA's structure. As recommended by the Moreland Commission, the Governor proposed privatizing Long Island service which will be overseen by a newly empowered PSC. The new structure must protect ratepayers.
Effective Emergency Response: Preparing for disasters and responding to emergency events requires collaboration and coordination among local, State and federal authorities; non-governmental organizations; and the private sector, as well as skilled first responders and a network of civilians ready to help their fellow citizens during an emergency.
- World-Class Emergency Response Network: The state will create uniform training and protocols for all emergency personnel, including a SUNY/CUNY program certificate for all emergency workers in the state.
- Specialized Training for the National Guard: To build on the vital role that the National Guard plays in emergency response, the Governor proposed providing additional specialized training in key emergency response areas like power restoration, search-and-rescue, heavy equipment operation, crowd management and public safety where the Guards scale, skills and equipment can have a unique and powerful impact on restoring power faster, saving lives and other critical areas.
- Statewide Volunteer Network: To capitalize on New York's spirit of volunteerism, the Governor proposed creating a Statewide Volunteer Network to mobilize and organize volunteers based on their skills, interests and resources.
- Civilian Emergency Response Corps: To ensure that the necessary skills and expertise are available and can be mobilized to effectively support rapid restoration of essential services and infrastructure, the Governor proposed a Civilian Emergency Response Corps made up of technical and trades personnelincluding electricians, pipefitters, line workers, landscapers, public works personnel, civil engineers and debris removal tradespeoplewho can be trained, certified, credentialed and deployed to perform disaster response and recovery related tasks as part of a well-coordinated public/private-sector partnership.
- Private Sector Emergency Response Task Force: The Governor proposed creating a standing task force made up of chief logistics officers from key industry sectors that will create a plan in advance for the distribution of food, water and other supplies and execute the plan in a declared emergency.
- Citizen Education Campaign: The campaign would focus on preparing all New Yorkers as "in-house first responders."
- Ensure that Vulnerable Populations Can Receive Help in an Emergency: The use of voluntary and effective Vulnerable Population databases will be expanded so first responders, outreach workers, and healthcare and human services personnel can find and serve those who may need assistance before, during, and after emergencies, including senior citizens, persons with disabilities, infants and children, and people with chronic medical conditions.
- Communicating with New Yorkers in an Emergency: Cell phone networks and other communications systems must be strengthened to ensure that first responders and citizens never lose the ability to communicate fully and instantly. In addition, New York will develop a program to allow mass text messages to be sent to all wireless phones in a chosen geographic area. In addition, the State will explore establishing a one-stop disaster recovery communications hub that is integrated with social networking, mobile messaging and chat toolsusing all available means to reach New Yorkers.
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DaPonte String Quartet — "Late in the Season," includes admission to the garden, featuring guest artists Edward Allman, double bass, Joshua Gordon, cello, and Mark Simons on clarinet, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, $25. daponte.org. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
2013 Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, Kneisel Hall, Blue Hill, $15-$30. kneisel.org. Program Ten: A Far Cry Chamber Orchestra plays works by Stamitz, Klein and Suk, 7:30 p.m. Friday; Program Ten: A Far Cry Chamber Orchestra plays works by Stamitz, Klein and Suk, 4 p.m. Sunday.
"Bach Lives!" 25th Anniversary Show and Reception, Fryeburg Academy (Leura Hill Eastman Performing Arts Center), Fryeburg, $20, $15 seniors, $10 students. fryeburgacademy.org/pac. Pre-show appetizers and beverages then Bach's Violin Concerto in g minor, 6:30 p.m. Friday.
White Mt. Musical Arts Presents: The 25th Annual Bach Festival, Fryeburg Academy (Leura Hill Eastman Performing Arts Center), Fryeburg, $20, $15 seniors, $10 students. fryeburgacademy.org/pac. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, 4 p.m. Sunday.
"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice starring Clay Aiken, Ogunquit Playhouse. $39 to $78. ogunquitplayhouse.org. 2:20 and 8 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 8:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday.
"Driving Miss Daisy," dramedy about an African-American chauffer and his elderly employer, Hackmatack Playhouse, Berwick. $25; $23 for seniors ($20 on Thursdays); $10 for students under age 20. hackmatack.org. 2 and 8 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Wednesday, 2 and 8 p.m. Aug. 29. Through Aug. 30.
"Always … Patsy Cline," musical about the relationship between the country singer and a housewife, Arundel Barn Playhouse. $32 to $39. arundelbarnplayhouse.com. 8 p.m. Thursday to Sunday, 2 and 8 p.m. Wednesday, 8 p.m. Aug. 29. Through Aug. 31.
"Mary Poppins," Maine State Music Theatre musical based on classic Disney film, Bowdoin College (Pickard Theater), Brunswick. $36 to $52. msmt.org. 2 and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Friday and 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
"The Fantastiks," musical, Boothbay Playhouse. $23; $19 for ages 17 and under. boothbayplayhouse.com. 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday.
Harborside Shakespeare Company Presents "A Midsummer Night's Dream," The Grand, Ellsworth. $10, $8 youth. harborsideshakespeare.org. 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
Gaslight Theater Presents William Inge's "Picnic," a neighborhood picnic forever changes the lives of people in a small town, Gaslight Theater at Hallowell City Hall. $12, $10 seniors and students. gaslighttheater.org. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 29. Through Aug. 31.
Patrick Dorow Productions Presents "The Rocky Horror Show," campy musical, MaineStreet, Ogunquit. $25, 21-plus. patrickdorowproductions.com. 11:30 p.m. Friday.
Disney's "The Little Mermaid, Jr.," $5 for children under 5, Schoolhouse Arts Center, Standish. $10, $8 seniors and students. schoolhousearts.org. 7 p.m. Friday, 4 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.
"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," Tony Award winning musical, this production is recommended for theatergoers 13 and over, City Theater, Biddeford. $20. citytheater.org. 8 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Through Sept. 1.
"Who?" one-man murder mystery, Clay Hill Farm Restaurant, Cape Neddick. $15 with a la carte menu. clayhillfarm.com. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Monday; Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
"Ballroom with a Twist," dancing and singing extravaganza, Ogunquit Playhouse. $39 to $78. ogunquitplayhouse.org. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Aug. 29. Through Aug. 31.
Musica de Filia Girls' and Women's Choir, Musica de Filia Studio, Portland. musicadefilia.com. 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Aug. 29.
"Luz" Esduardo Mariscal Dance Theater, Portland Stage Company, $10. esduardomariscal.com. 8 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 5 and 8 p.m. Saturday.
Thomas Cornell "The Priority of Nature," June Fitzpatrick Gallery at MECA, Portland. 699-5083. Opening 5 to 7 p.m. Friday. Through Sept. 27.
Harold Garde "Garde Addendum," Maine Jewish Museum, Portland. mainejewishmuseum.org. Opening reception, 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 29. Through Oct. 25.
Portland Museum of Art: "Shangaa: Art of Tanzania," first major exhibition in the U.S. to focus on the traditional arts of Tanzania, through Sunday; "A Taste for Modernism," 62 works from the William S. Paley Collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, through Sept. 8. portlandmuseum.org
Maine Historical Society/Longfellow House, Portland: "Patriotic Imagery," Union patriotic imagery from the Civil War, through Monday; "This Rebellion: Maine and the Civil War," photographs, letters, maps, artifacts and memorabilia, through May 26. mainehistory.org
Maine Jewish Museum, Portland: Asherah Cinnamon, "Celebration, Tradition and Change," through Aug. 29. treeoflifemuseum.org
Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick: Katherine Bradford, "August," recent paintings with an ocean theme, through Sept. 1; "Perspectives on Modern and Contemporary Art," paintings by Rackstraw Downes and others, through Sept. 15; "Maurice Prendergast: By the Sea," seaside work in Maine and elsewhere by Post-Impressionist painter, through Oct. 13; "This Mighty Scourge of War," art of the Civil War, through Jan. 5. bowdoin.edu/art-museum
Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, Bowdoin College, Brunswick: "Robert E. Peary and His Northern World," through Dec. 31; "Animal Allies: Inuit Views of the Northern World," through Jan. 6;
"Spirits of Land, Air, and Water: Antler Carvings from the Robert and Judith Toll Collection," through Feb. 23. bowdoin.edu/arctic-museum
Maine Maritime Museum, Bath: "Beyond the Breakers: Lighthouses, Life-Saving and the U.S. Coast Guard," rarely seen artifacts, through Oct. 15; "That Flaunting Rag! Maine's Maritime War Against the Confederacy," through Dec. 1. mainemaritimemuseum.org
Saco Museum: "John Haley's Civil War," artifacts related to the Civil War including prints by Winslow Homer, decorative arts, weaponry, uniforms and more, through Nov. 10; "Lawrence Dolby Photographs of the Saco Central Fire Station," through November. dyerlibrarysacomuseum.org
Museums of Old York, York: "The Barrell Family Collection: A Return to York," highlights one of York's most distinguished early families, through Oct. 19. oldyork.org
Brick Store Museum, Kennebunk: "To Sea: The Maritime Heritage of the Kennebunks," marine art, artifacts and archival materials; and "The Tourist of 1913," costumes, artifacts and more, through Sept. 14. brickstoremuseum.org
Ogunquit Museum of American Art: "Andy Warhol: American Icon," photographic images never shown in public and original works of art by Warhol on loan, through Sept. 1; "Sixty Works — 60 Years," 60 of the most important works from the permanent collection, and "Henry Strater: A Life in Art," family photos and artwork, through Oct. 31. ogunquitmuseum.org
Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville: Alex Katz, "A Matter of Light," 48 prints, drawings and paintings, through Sept. 15; "A Thing Alive: Modern Views from the Marin Collections," work by John Marin, Berenice Abbott, Eugene Atget, Alfred Stieglitz and others, through Sept. 29; "Process & Place," exploring the design evolution of the Alfond-Lunder Family Pavilion, through Oct. 13; "Nowhere But Here," works by Marsden Hartley, Arthur Dove, Elizabeth Murray, Ben Pier and others, through Jan. 5; "The Lunder Collection," works by Whistler, Homer, O'Keefe and many more American masters, plus "Spaces and Places" and "American Weathervanes," through June 8, 2014. colby.edu/museum
Maine State Museum, Augusta: "Maine Voices from the Civil War," letters, documents, diaries, sketches, paintings, flags and other objects from the Civil War period, through May 2015. mainestatemuseum.org
Cramer Museum, Rockport: Edna St. Millay exhibit, photographs, letters and Millay family mementos, through Aug. 31. 236-2257.
Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland: "Stories of the Land and Its People," the history of midcoast communities through art, through Sept. 1; "Decorating the Everyday: Popular Art from the Farnsworth," items reflecting mainly 19th- and early 20th-century regional life in Maine and New England, through Sept. 22; Andrew Wyeth, "Her Room," 1963 tempera painting accompanied by pencil and watercolor studies, through Nov. 17; "Every Picture Tells a Story: N.C. Wyeth illustrations from the Brandywine River Museum," "American Treasures: Small Treasures," small-scale work from the museum collection, and "American Treasures: Maine Voices," views of Maine through art by N.C. Wyeth, Louise Nevelson, Alex Katz and more, through Dec. 29; "A Wondrous Journey: Jonathan Fisher and the Making of Scripture Animals," through Jan. 5; "American Treasures: Other Voices," contemporary art from the museum collection, "American Treasures: Family and Friends," renderings of artists' relatives and acquaintances, and "American Treasures: Visions of the Land and Sea," paintings of Maine ocean scenes and coastlines, through Feb. 2. farnsworthmuseum.org
Abbe Museum, Bar Harbor: "N'tolonapemk: Our Relatives' Place," archaeological exhibits and stories of the Passamaquoddy, through October; "2013 Waponahki Student Art Show," art by Passamaquoddy and Penobscot students from early childhood education to high school, through Oct. 31; "Wabanaki Guides," the legacy of Wabanaki people serving as guides for European and American explorers, cartographers, tourists and artists from the 1600s to present, through December. abbemuseum.org
Penobscot Marine Museum, Searsport: "For Those in Peril: Shipwrecks, Memorials, and Rescues," interactive exhibits, marine art, portraits, photographs and models, through Oct. 20.
penobscotmarinemuseum.org L.C. Bates Museum, Hinckley: "Gift of Glacier: The Maine Landscape," paintings by 23 Maine artists, through Oct. 15. gwh.org/lcbates University of Maine Museum of Art, Bangor: Emily Trenholm, "Monhegan: A New Perspective"; Joanne Freeman, "Three Chords"; Rachelle Agundes and Sean Downey, "Travel in My Borrowed Lives"; and young curators, "Lightscapes"; through Sept. 21. umma.umaine.edu
Belfast Historical Society and Museum: "Belfast During the Civil War: The Home Front," through Aug. 31. belfastmuseum.org
"Summer's Glory," an exhibit featuring floral digital woodcuts along with Maine woodcuts, Constellation Gallery, Portland. constellationart.com. Opens Thursday. Through Sept. 10.
Sean Beavers, "New Work," Gleason Fine Art, Boothbay Harbor. gleasonfineart.com. Opening Reception, 5 to 7 p.m. Friday.
"Spark," a glimpse inside the imaginative minds of Maine's iconic illustrators, Irvine Gallery at River Tree Arts, Kennebunk. rivertreearts.org. Opening reception, 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday. Through Oct. 5.
Janice Anthony, "New and Recent Paintings," Frost Gully Gallery, Freeport. frostgullygallery.com. Opening reception, 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday. Through Sept. 21.
Mark Kelly, "Murmurations," experimental drawings, Perimeter Gallery, Belfast. 338-0555. Opening reception, 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday. Through Oct. 13.
University of Southern Maine (Osher Map Library), Portland: "Torn in Two: 150th Anniversary of the Civil War," traveling exhibition, through Saturday. usm.maine.edu/maps
Fogg Lighting, Portland: Emily Trenholm, "Light Moves," paintings, through Aug. 31. 797-7568.
Space Gallery, Portland: Natalie Lanese, "Popscapes," collage and pop patterns, and Emily White, "Horns," installation, through Friday; Maggie Casey, "Flushed," through Friday. space538.org
University of New England (Art Gallery), Portland: "A Mountain Rises: The Art of Katahdin," historic and contemporary works of art that represent Mount Katahdin and the surrounding region, through Oct. 27; annual sculpture garden invitational with 10 artists, through Oct. 31. une.edu/artgallery
Gleason Fine Art, Portland: Timothy Brooke, "Out of Africa II," through Saturday; Jane Dahmen, "Through the Trees" Thursday, through Sept. 28; William Irvine, "New Work," and David Peterson, "Boats," Thursday, through Aug. 31; Sean Beavers, "Wood, Water, Stone and Seed," oil on panel still lifes and landscapes, Thursday, through Sept. 14. 699-5599.
Constellation Gallery, Portland: "Art Without Borders," painting, photography, digital art, printmaking, collage and assemblage, through Monday. constellationart.com
Daunis Fine Jewelry, Portland: "Love of ME," photographs that capture the beauty of Maine, through Aug. 31. daunis.com
Mayo Street Arts, Portland: Kimberly Convery, "Pity the Clouds," fine art drawings, through Aug. 31. mayostreetarts.org
Harmon's & Barton's Gallery, Portland: "In the Mountains of Western Maine," realist and abstract watercolor views of mountains by John Carnes, through Aug. 31. harmonsbartons.com
Portland Public Library: "Some Burdensome: Big Ships, Big Cargoes," Maine Maritime Museum exhibit pays homage to large ships past and present, through Aug. 31. portlandlibrary.com
Art House Picture Frames, Portland: Bruce Brown, "A Journey Inside Vietnam," photographs, through Sept. 30. 221-3443.
3Fish Gallery, Portland: Group exhibit, 13 artists from Addison Woolley Gallery, through Aug. 31. 3fishgallery.com
Greenhut Galleries, Portland: David Driskell, "Reflections Within Form," and Maurice Freedman, recently acquired work, through Aug. 31. greenhutgalleries.com
Maine Potters Market, Portland: Cathy Hammond, "Memories of Coastal Maine," through Aug. 31. mainepottersmarket.com
PhoPa Gallery, Portland: Photographer Olive Pierce, "Through the Years: 1964-1999," photographs of children, through Sept. 28. phopagallery.com
Rose Contemporary, Portland: "Jeff Badger, "OK Back, OK," sculptural works, drawings and prints, through Oct. 26. rosecontemporary.com
Macpage LLC, South Portland: "Still-Life and Objects," more than 50 paintings, photographs and sculptures by Maine artists, through Aug. 30. 523-3381.
Richard Boyd Gallery, Peaks Island: Pam Cabanas, pastel and ink wash, through Aug. 31. richardboydpottery.com
Elizabeth Moss Gallery, Falmouth: Lori Ingraham, "A Day at the Beach," and Robert Wieferich, "Images of Portland, Maine," through Sept. 7. elizabethmossgalleries.com
Yarmouth Frame Shop and Gallery: "Late Summer Rhythms," work by KDB, Suzanne deLesseps, Diana Johnson, Elizabeth Newman and Lois Strickland, through Sept. 30. 846-7777.
Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth: Mitchell Rasor, "Bathymetries: Fluxscapes," through Sept. 1. yarmouthlibrary.org
Frost Gully Gallery, Freeport: Tom Glover, paintings, through Sunday. frostgullygallery.com
Curtis Memorial Library, Brunswick: Mat O'Donnell, "Little Mysteries," paintings, through Aug. 30. 725-5242.
LaMarche Gallery, Smith Union, Brunswick: "Simple Pleasures 2013: Three Women's Views," through Aug. 30. 725-3902.
Spindleworks, Brunswick: "tiny, take two," through Sept. 6. spindleworks.org
ICON Contemporary Art, Brunswick: "Summer Gathering," group show of gallery artists, through Sept. 7. 725-8157.
Centre St. Art Gallery, Bath: "Puffin Dialogues," oil paintings by Lea Peterson, through Saturday. 442-0300.
Markings Gallery, Bath: "Creativity Galore," work by more than 35 Maine artists in metal, clay, fiber, mixed media, glass and more, through Aug. 31. markingsgallery.com
Maine Fiberarts, Topsham: Sallie Findlay, Karen Munson and Debra Spaulding, "Hidden Histories," abstract, naturally dyed and stitched figures plus textile works, through Aug. 29. mainefiberarts.org
Old Post Office Gallery, Georgetown: "The Good Life in Maine," group show, through Sept. 2. 594-9396.
The Stable Gallery, Damariscotta: "Edgy and Elegant!" paintings, ceramics, fiber arts, glass, furniture, wood work, sculpture by gallery artists, through Sept. 12. stablegallerymaine.com
Gleason Fine Art, Boothbay Harbor: William Irvine, "New Work," and David Peterson, "Boats," through Aug. 31. gleasonfineart.com
Goobies, Boothbay Harbor: Laura Bianchi, paintings, through Sept. 1. 633-7001.
Studio 53 Fine Art Gallery, Boothbay Harbor: Lynne Seitzer, "Moments in Time Urban Landscapes," paintings that reflect the vitality of life in the crowded city streets, plus Don Josephson's selected works and work by the Artist Collective, through Sunday. 633-2755.
Gold/Smith Gallery, Boothbay Harbor: John Wissemann, "Couples," large and elaborate colored pencil drawings, through Aug. 29. 633-6252.
University of New England (Campus Center), Biddeford: "Ecliptic to Eclectic Photography," Collection of photographic works by artists Wendy Barrett, Joseph Barnett and Walter Buczacz, through Aug. 30. 284-6394
Engine, Biddeford Arts, Biddeford: Photographer Winky Lewis and ceramic artist Miles Spadone, through Saturday. feedtheengine.org
York Art Association, York Harbor: "The Way Life Should Be," work by member artists, through Sept. 1. yorkartassociation.com
York Public Library: Judy Sowa, "Fun with the Dutch," paintings, through Aug. 31. www.york.lib.me.us
George Marshall Store Gallery, York: Brett X. Gamache, oil paintings, through Sunday. georgemarshallstoregallery.com
Kennebunk Free Library: Peter Patenaude and Victoria Hatzelis, "Boot & Canoe," photographs, through Friday. kennebunklibrary.com
Vance and Anne Morgan Gallery, Kittery: "One Community — One Future," group exhibit, through Aug. 31. kitterycommunitycenter.org
Aarhus Gallery, Belfast: Patricia Wheeler, mixed-media paintings, through Sept. 1. aarhusgallery.com
Waterfall Arts, Belfast: "Richard Norton Belfast: 1978-1988 and Invitational," more than 100 of Norton's hand-printed, black-and-white photo-journalistic images of Belfast and Waldo County, through Aug. 23. waterfallarts.org
Perimeter Gallery, Belfast: Meghan Brady, "Suitcase in My Hand," abstract paintings, through Aug. 25. 338-0555.
Liros Gallery, Blue Hill: "Ukiyo-e: Images of the Floating World," museum-quality Edo period Japanese woodblock prints, through Friday. lirosgallery.com
Fryeburg Academy (Palmina F. and Stephen S. Pace Galleries of Art): "The Harry Nadler Collection," 37 paintings by American modernist, through Sept. 2. fryeburgacademy.org
Harlow Gallery, Hallowell: Micah Webbert and Allen Ponziani, drawings, paintings and sculpture, through Saturday. harlowgallery.org
Lyceum Gallery, Lewiston: "Plein Air LA," work from Lyceum's first plein air event, through Aug. 30; Murad Sayen, boxcar graffiti photographs, trhough Aug. 30. lyceumgallery.com
Central Maine Medical Center Art Gallery, Lewiston: Kevin Lyons and Kelly Ufkin, photographs and paintings, through Sept. 9. cmmc.org.
Hole in the Wall Studioworks, Raymond: "Two Points of View;" Wendy Newcomb and Holly Berry, oil paintings and linocuts, through Sept. 22. 655-4952
University of Southern Maine (Atrium Art Gallery), Lewiston: "Tell Me a Story: About Maine," work of 14 artists who have illustrated children's books about Maine, through Nov. 23. usm.maine.edu/atriumgallery
Monkitree, Gardiner: Marsha Proud Coelho and Peggy Cope Mascher, "What's in a Name?", through Sept. 14. monkitree.com
Harlow on the Circle Lobby Gallery, Augusta: Tom Ferrero, "Layers of Maine," through Friday. harlowgallery.org
Wiscasset Bay Gallery: "French, British and American Impressionism," paintings, through Sept. 13. wiscassetbaygallery.com
Maine Art Gallery, Wiscasset: Marcia Annenberg, "News/Not News," through Friday; "Coastal Spirits," through Sunday. maineartgallery.org
Keag River Gallery, South Thomaston: "Classic Yachts: Images by John Snyder," photographs, through Sept. 30. keagrivergallery.com
Haynes Galleries, Thomaston: "New Works: New Directions," selection of work from gallery's newest artists, through Aug. 31; Cindy House, precise pastel landscapes, through Aug. 31. haynesgalleries.com
Blue Water Fine Arts, Port Clyde: Barbara Ernst Prey, "East Meets West," collection of 40 never-before-seen watercolors, dry-brush and oil paintings, through Aug. 31; Barbara Ernst Prey: "Studies," through Aug. 31.
Asymmetrick Arts, Rockland: David Allen, "The New Machine," through Friday. 594-2020.
Caldbeck Gallery, Rockland: Group show, paintings, through Sept. 14. caldbeck.com
Yvette Torres Fine Art, Rockland: Charles DuBack, "Then & Now II," through Sept. 1. yvettetorresfineart.com
Carver Hill Gallery, Rockland: Todd McKie, "Life is Funny Art is Serious," epigrammatic paintings, through Tuesday. carverhillgallery.com
PicassoWhat, Rockland: "Summer on Silk," large-scale textile paintings by Gigi Aea, and "Visual Sounds for Summer: Portraits of Inspired Instruments," new paintings by Laura Tetrault, through Sept. 8; Rebecca Rouse, unique portraits of owls, through Sept. 8. 593-8109.
Landing Gallery, Rockland: "Suggestion: Landscape," paintings by Irma Cerese, through Sept. 22. 594-4544.
Jonathan Frost Gallery, Rockland: Siri Beckman and Louise Bourne, "Transition/Interval," new paintings, through Sept. 2. jonathanfrostgallery.com
Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockport: "Mentor: 40 Photographers/40 Years," work of some of Maine Media's best-known master teachers alongside the work of their students, and "Caleb Charland: From the Basement to the Backyard," photographs, through Sept. 22. cmcanow.org
Pascal Hall, Rockport: "A Matter of Nature: Stammen, Warner, Williams," recent work by three artists, through Sept. 2. pascalhall.com
Camden Public Library: Sue Reed, multimedia paintings, through Aug. 31. 236-3440.
Frost Farm Gallery, Norway: "Flight: Metaphors in Motion," paintings by Maya Best, through Aug. 31. frostfarmgallery.com
Gallery at Widgeon Cove, Harpswell: "Celebrating 25 Years, Past and Present," paintings, sculpture, jewelry and handmade paper, through Aug. 29. widgeoncove.com
College of the Atlantic (Ethel H. Blum Gallery), Bar Harbor: Paintings by David Vickery and sculpture by Blakeney Sanford, through Friday. coa.edu
Littlefield Gallery, Winter Harbor: "Philip Barter: A Thirty-Year Survey," work from the artist's private collection, and sculpture by Ray Carbone, through Sept. 2. littlefieldgallery.com
Turtle Gallery, Deer Isle: Group show, with Mary Barnes, Elena Kuble, Margaret Rizzio, Thorsten Dennerline and Sarah Pike, through Saturday. turtlegallery.com
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Despite one neighboring restaurant's concerns about construction impacts and being left out of the loop, a trend-setting mixed-use project proposed for Palo Alto's California Avenue cleared a key hurdle this week.
The Architectural Review Board was unanimous Thursday in recommending that the city's planning and community environment director approve a 27,000-square-foot building at 260 California Ave. The ground floor would be devoted to retail with offices located above.
The Hayes Group-designed project would replace Club Illusions, the most recent in a string of nightclubs that have called the site home.
The co-owner of Homma's Brown Rice Sushi, Momoyo Homma, said the dust and noise of construction could cripple her hole-in-the-wall restaurant, which is tucked next door on New Mayfield Lane.
"If the construction keeps going," Homma told board members, "most likely we'll have to close down."
Homma's daughter, Yuri, added that the restaurant wasn't included in a study of potential environmental impacts. The report concluded other businesses in the surrounding area would not be significantly affected.
"Their operation time is going to be 8 to 6 o'clock and that's when we do business," she said. "A truck going back and forth, the dust and the noise, it would be a huge impact for us."
However, senior planner Russ Reich said the developer would have to follow a set of general conditions to limit such impacts. In addition, a screen will be installed between the sites.
"They want to provide a physical barrier to prevent dust from drifting off site, because they're right on top of each other," Reich said.
City officials also noted that the Hommas will have until Jan. 14 to comment on the study and be included in future meetings between the city and developer regarding construction plans.
That appeared to satisfy the board, which otherwise welcomed the project as a sign of things to come on California Avenue. The 37-foot-tall building would feature a recessed ground floor with a colonnade supporting the upper floors. A pronounced roof overhang would do little to disguise its scale.
"I don't have a problem with the height of the building and the massing of the building. If anything, this is a forerunner," said Board Member Lee Lippert. "With the PTOD (pedestrian and transit-oriented development) zone coming in, we're going to see a lot more buildings that are taller, bigger and bulkier than this."
The building would be the tallest structure on the north side of California Avenue for an entire block. But city staff noted that a building located diagonally across the street is about the same height.
In recommending approval of the project, the board agreed to two "design enhancement exceptions" requested by the Hayes Group.
The first would permit a stairwell tower that is 42 feet tall, or the same height as the building's elevator tower. The second would avoid a requirement that the project be set back 20 feet from New Mayfield Lane; the new building would essentially occupy the existing one's footprint.
At the request of the board, the Hayes Group agreed to build bicycle parking on the ground level and add windows to the stairwell.
Email Jason Green at firstname.lastname@example.com; follow him at twitter.com/jgreendailynews.


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Girlfighter: Eastwood earns respect, not love
Is Clint Eastwood touched by an angel in Million Dollar Baby? That's one explanation for one of the film's unanswered questions: Why does Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) decide Frankie Dunn (Eastwood) is the only person who can train her to be a boxer?
There's another unexplained mystery: What happened between Frankie and his daughter that causes her to return his weekly letters unopened?
The second question doesn't require an answer. The aging dude in need of redemption is a stock movie character, and what he did to get that way is never as important as what he will do to redeem himself in the next two hours.
The first question is more problematic because Maggie's determination sets the story in motion. At 31 she's too old to start training for a boxing career, but she's come this far from the Ozarks and she's made up her mind that boxing will take her the rest of the way. The Hit Pit is probably the only gym she can afford on her earnings as a waitress, especially when she sends money home to her deadbeat family in Missouri.
Frankie bought the Hit Pit 17 years ago and keeps it afloat with occasional earnings from training and managing boxers. One of those boxers, Scrap (Morgan Freeman), now missing an eye, works for Frankie and is the closest thing he has to a friend.
Maggie asks Frankie to train her. "I don't train girls," he says. She begs him to train her. He doesn't budge. She keeps working out at the Hit Pit, getting secret coaching from Scrap, until Frankie finally gives in.
After winning a dozen fights by knockouts, usually in the first round, Maggie starts getting offered championship bouts and Frankie turns them down. The other fighters he's managed have left him because he never thought they were "ready" to take on the champ.
"The first rule," Frankie preaches, "is 'Always protect yourself.'" He's overprotective of his fighters and of his own emotions.
Just when you think you've got Million Dollar Baby figured out, it turns into something else– not another Rocky or Rockette– and grows progressively darker from there.
Under Eastwood's direction, the three stars give excellent performances, but the men seem totally natural– they work together like the legs on a pair of pants– while Swank is obviously acting. The styles don't mesh well.
Adapted by Paul Haggis from short stories by F.X. Toole, the screenplay is too heavy on narration, especially in the early scenes. Freeman reads it well, but there's too much of it. An attempt to expand the story beyond the three central characters is more successful with Maggie's family than the gym regulars. Jay Baruchel's overdone turn as a developmentally challenged Texan is more annoying than sympathetic.
Although it's a lot better than my nitpicking makes it sound, Million Dollar Baby is not a movie to see when you're depressed. The quietest film in years, it's also not a good one to see in a multiplex unless you're sure their soundproofing is off the chain. At a press screening the picture across the hall was louder than the one we were watching.
Under the right viewing conditions, quiet is not a bad thing. Million Dollar Baby has an effective– but soft– score by Eastwood, much of which is played on solo piano or solo guitar.
"Boxing is about respect," Frankie says, "getting' it for yourself and takin' it away from the other fellow." I'm not taking anything away from Eastwood when I say Million Dollar Baby has my respect but not my love.


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The Executive M.A. Program in Jewish Education, a 24-month-long program of study, is made possible by the generous grant support of the Jim Joseph Foundation. The Jim Joseph Foundation has provided $15 million to HUC-JIR to increase the number and enhance the quality of Jewish educators working with Jewish youth and young adults through the development of new certificate and degree programs and training and mentoring new and practicing educational professional.
"The Executive M.A. Program builds on the 'wisdom of practice' that the students have developed during their years of service to schools and congregations. The program enables them to enhance their knowledge about Judaism, strengthen their understanding of education, and refine their leadership capacity," stated Dr. Michael Zeldin, Senior National Director of the Schools of Education, HUC-JIR.
Lesley Litman, Coordinator of the Executive M.A. Program in Jewish Education, explained, "Student excitement about their learning was palpable as they engaged in their first two courses on the HUC-JIR New York campus. This cohort is deeply inspiring both intellectually and spiritually. They blend the wisdom of their experiences with their coursework, thereby enriching both their academic learning and their workplaces."
The fifteen students of the third cohort of the Executive M.A. Program in Jewish Education hail from throughout North America, span in age from their late 20s to late 50s, and reflect a diversity of professional experience ranging from congregational educators to a Hillel assistant director and synagogue executive director.
Oren Persing is a member of the third cohort. He serves as the Assistant Director of Jewish Student Life at UC Berkeley Hillel. Having been at Berkeley Hillel for 6 years, he has had ample time to find creative ways to put his undergraduate degree in Building Materials and Wood Technology to use in the context of Jewish education, but is excited to pursue a degree that more directly supports his current and future work in the Jewish community. Oren takes pride in being a talented generalist and his career experience is as varied as his interests. Past experience has included leading guided kayak and mountain bike trips, community outreach for REI, computer repair at MIT, teaching Leave No Trace to inner city youth, administrative support for the Social Security Administration, safety and security detail aboard the Boston Odyssey cruise ship, manager of the UMass theater scene shop, intern at the MIT robotics lab, and more.
The Executive M.A. Program is designed for educational professionals with a minimum of five years of experience working in the field who seek advanced academic and professional training through a part-time program that allows them to strengthen their skills and knowledge while continuing to live and work in their own communities throughout North America. The Executive M.A. Program in Jewish Education offers a course of study that utilizes the cohort-based approach of many executive M.B.A. programs and high-quality doctoral programs in Education. Through a series of intensive on-site seminars at HUC-JIR's campuses in Cincinnati, Los Angeles, New York, and Jerusalem, cohort learning with long-distance courses, and mentorship by veterans in the field, the students will emerge with enhanced knowledge, honed educational skills, and strengthened leadership capacity that will enable them to transform Jewish education in their own institutions.
From May 21-23, the cohort studied with HUC-JIR's leading education faculty, including Rabbi Samuel K. Joseph, Professor of Jewish Education and Leadership Development at our Cincinnati campus; Dr. Michael Zeldin; and Dr. Evie Rotstein, Director of the New York School of Education. In addition, students studied with Dr. Gary P. Zola, Director of the American Jewish Archives and Professor of the American Jewish Experience, and Dr. Jonathan Cohen, Dean, HUC-JIR/Cincinnati, and met with their mentors who are guiding their journey throughout the program.
The goals of this first intensive learning experience were to build cohort relationships and connections with the academic and clinical faculty; establish familiarity with HUC-JIR's research resources, including the campus-wide system of the Klau Library, the second largest Jewish library in the world, and the American Jewish Archives, the renowned center of study, research, and publication in the field of American Jewish history; and synthesize and take home new learning in Jewish studies and education.
The cohort began their learning in earnest at a Summer Institute in residence at HUC-JIR/New York with two intensive courses during the final two weeks of June. Dr. Michael Marmur, Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Provost at HUC-JIR, taught a course in Modern Jewish Thought and Dr. Adriane Leveen, Senior Lecturer in Hebrew Bible and Lead Judaica Specialist in the Jim Joseph initiatives at HUC-JIR, taught a course on the Jewish Textual Tradition with a particular focus on Bible. The instructors noted that the learning was substantially enriched by the great wealth of experience students brought to bear on the learning.
In early November, students studied at the Jack H. Skirball Campus in Los Angeles, where they engaged in a three-day intensive as part of the Teaching and Learning course with Dr. Lisa Grant, Professor of Jewish Education at our New York campus. Upon their return home from the intensive, two students had the following to share:
"This program invites practitioners to a conversation at the intersection of leadership, teaching and learning. The content is excellent; but this program is particularly remarkable for its depth, relationships, and systematic, competent modeling of excellence in education." Anna Hartman, The Paradigm Project
"The Executive M.A. Program in Jewish Education has handed me a kaleidoscope with many new lenses through which I can view Jewish education. Every class, every assignment turns the kaleidoscope so that a new image emerges filled with ideas and possibilities. At the same time, the program continuously refers back to the reality of our current professional lives. I am growing, learning, exploring and considering how to apply all this to my work." Louise Riddell-Kaufman, Congregation Beth Israel, Carmel, CA
For more information about the Executive M.A. Program, click here or contact Lesley Litman, Program Coordinator, at email@example.com.
The Jim Joseph Foundation Education Initiative at HUC-JIR expands HUC-JIR's education programs to reach a wide variety of people from across the United States with a broad range of interests in the field of Jewish education. In addition to generous scholarships, the initiative enables HUC-JIR to create an Executive M.A. Program; certificates in Jewish education of adolescents and emerging adults and in Jewish early childhood education; alumni induction and retention programs; and a joint rabbinical-education program in Cincinnati and cantorial-education program in New York (to complement the current rabbinical-education program in Los Angeles and New York).


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today is Mother's Day
I can't believe I've never posted a photo of my mother, what's wrong with me? She's an incredibly beautiful woman, more than blog-worthy!
If you don't like to read lovey dovey blog posts, you may want to look away for this one because it's about to head in that direction.
There's no possible way I could explain to you what my mom means to me, or how much I love & adore her. I can tell you that she was born to be a mother. Of course she's capable of doing so much more, but she's just a natural. Growing up as her daughter has been one of the greatest honors I think I'll ever know. She gave all of herself, all of her resources to raise my sister and I with the very best.
When I'd wake up from a nightmare, she would lay in bed next to me, rubbing my back until I fell asleep, missing out on precious sleep for herself. When driving through the country, passing by a mother cow giving birth, she would pull the car over to explain the wonders of new life. She would give up clothes for herself if it meant my sister and I would have new ones. She was the one who first encouraged my own creativity. Always buying me new crafts and projects to work on, she tirelessly taught me everything she knew about life. Who taught me how to cook eggs, how to sew, how to plant, how to laugh and be kind and think of others? She did. My mom was the one who went with me to every dress fitting and helped me pick out bouquets and cake frosting and hairstyles for my wedding. And how did she always have so much patience with me? I did not make it easy on her, yet she showed me love when I just wanted to rebel. Never did she show selfishness or impose her dreams for our lives on us.
She's the reason I am the wife and mother I am today. The reason that even when I feel that I'm in a situation so beyond my own ability, I think of how she would respond and I only want to be more like her. It's impossible to say that my mom isn't ridiculously generous, always stopping by our house in her way home (thought it's completely out of the way) to bring a toy or snack or new clothes for Israel.
She spends her days teaching young bilingual students, going to meetings, talking to parents, studying curriculums, studying for her graduate classes and even taking on extra fund raisers and organizing programs for students & their parents. Staying at home on the weekends and evenings to be home for my sister, even if just to see her for a moment.
The picture of a faithful wife, she's loved by everyone around her. Her sisters confide in her, her parents trust her, her friends admire her, her grandson is infatuated with her and I love her. How could I ever repay her for making me and everyone around her, including hundreds of 4th grade students, the people we are today. I can't. I can tell all of you that she's the best mother I could have asked for. Given the option of any woman on the earth, who ever lived or who ever will, and I would pick her. A million times over!
I love you mom, Happy Mother's Day!
And here's what we did today. Went for lunch and some window shopping. I found a dress that I fell in love with, see it here. Maybe I can put something aside for that thing, it's gorgeous! Jeremiah also bought me some flowers, I'll have to take pictures some other time. It's always a good mother's day when I get to be with my favorite boys!
Other Stories
10 comments:
this is so touching. i love this. xoReplyDelete
so beautiful jenn. you look so much like your mom! she sounds like a phenomenal person--i see where you get it from!ReplyDelete
happy mother's day!
She sounds super great.ReplyDelete
I'm sure you've got a lot of her in you!
My mother has such a fierce love for us.
I can only think of a lioness when I think of how strong she's been for me, all the time, no matter what.
Happy Mother's Day!
This was so sweet! :D Hope you had a great weekend!ReplyDelete
Her beauty is clearly hereditary; what a wonderful post. And that last photograph is equally wonderful - I love the shadows!ReplyDelete
so lovely, you and your mom are lucky to have such a wonderful relationship and now your son will have two amazing women to learn from : )ReplyDelete
wonderful words. She must be a special woman.ReplyDelete
your mum is gorgeous! i received my earrings today...all that way. my 7yr old whilst eating her pasta tonight said "mum i love your new earrings they are really bright & happy!"...thank you. dayleReplyDelete
That's a very, very sweet post. Happy Mother's Day to you...belated!ReplyDelete
I love that pic of you and your mom!!!!ReplyDelete
Thank you for your comments, I love hearing from you!
Questions, comments or sponsorship inquires, please contact me via the 'contact' link.


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Targetprocess + Dasheroo Integrations
In a matter of minutes and without a single line of code, Zapier allows you to automatically send info between Targetprocess and Dasheroo.
Connect Targetprocess + Dasheroo in Minutes
It's easy to connect Targetprocess + Dasheroo and requires absolutely zero coding experience—the only limit is your own imagination.
All Triggers & Actions
New Bug
Triggers when a new Bug is added.
New Comment
Triggers when a new Comment is added to some Entity.
New Iteration
Triggers when a new Iteration is added.
New Request
Triggers when a new Request is added.
New Team Iteration
Triggers when a new Team Iteration is added.
New Build
Triggers when a new Build is added by user.
New Feature
Triggers when new Feature is added by user.
New Release
Triggers when a new Release is added.
New Task
Triggers when a new Task is added by user.
New Time
Triggers when a new Time record is added to some Entity by User.
How Targetprocess + Dasheroo Integrations Work
- Step 1: Authenticate Targetprocess + Dasheroo.(30 seconds)
- Step 2: Pick one of the apps as a trigger, which will kick off your automation.(15 seconds)
- Step 3: Choose a resulting action from the other app.(15 seconds)
- Step 4: Select the data you want to send from one app to the other.(2 minutes)
- That's it! More time to work on other things.


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119. JOHN GREEN: Make gifts for people
John Green (1977-) is an American author and video-blogger extraordinaire. He has written best-selling young adult novels including Looking For Alaska, Paper Towns and the recent The Fault in our Stars, which was named Time magazine's best fiction book of 2012.
John and his brother, Hank, are the Vlogbrothers. They helped pioneer video blogging when they communicated only through YouTube videos for a year. They've since produced a wide variety of video series and have attracted a devoted army of fans known as the Nerdfighters.
I discovered John Green when a reader sent me the link to the awesome Crash Course World History series, which Green hosts and co-writes. The series tells the entire history of civilisation in over forty, very entertaining 10-minute videos. I was totally addicted to it and I highly recommend it. There have since been a Literature series and Green is currently updating a series on American History. For you science buffs, John's brother Hank has done a biology, chemistry and ecology series. All the videos can be seen on the Crash Course YouTube channel.
This quote is taken from a 2009 Vlogbrothers video. Thanks to Kaley for submitting it 🙂
RELATED COMICS: Advice for Beginners by Ira Glass. Make Good Art by Neil Gaiman.
– Green's official website.


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The Elkhorn Area School District has a long standing tradition of providing an exceptional education at an exceptional value to our local community. Our foundation is based upon the following three pillars: "District Goals", "District Philosophy" and "Statements of Belief". These three documents were created in cooperation with our community, and they serve as a compass for our work. If you have not reviewed these three documents I encourage you to do so by clicking on the embedded links above, or visiting the applicable sections on our website under district policies.
After reviewing our overarching vision we felt it necessary to develop one simple statement that all employees, parents, community members, and students could remember and strive for. After much thought, discussion, and deliberation we selected, "Top Ten Percent In All We Do". If each and everyone of us can perform at the top ten percent then we as a district we will have no problem fulfilling our District Goals, District Philosophy and Statements of Belief. We recognize that on a day to day basis we will not always perform at that level, but it is our hope that as we strive to be in the "Top Ten Percent In All We Do", we will elevate our performance and thus the service to our parents, students, and the community. This target applies to all of us, as Martin Luther King Jr. said,
"Whatever your life's work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better."
By striving to meet this target we will succeed in maximizing growth for EVERY student, resulting improving academic achievement for ALL students, and expanding access and opportunities for ALL, which will result in students who are exceptionally well prepared for a globally competitive 21st Century.
If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time.
Jason Tadlock


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Discount strategies: Every dog, and man, has his day
The prevailing wisdom in Japan is that women are the arbiters of consumer culture. Traditionally, men were thought — or thought themselves — to be above the petty considerations of how to spend money. But the lingering recession and its negative effects on the employment situation have changed everything. Young men are no longer automatically expected to pay for dates, if, in fact, they ever actually go on dates. Even salaried male employees are openly anxious about their pocket money, counting every last yen and budgeting their output. It's not just their wives' or girlfriends' jobs any more.
The popular promotional scheme known as Ladies Days are implemented by retailers and service providers to lure women to their businesses. On certain days of the week, month or year, women receive discounts from hotels, movie theaters, restaurants, etc., as a means of getting more of them interested in what they offer. Such promotions were never offered to men, and not just because of male pride. Men, after all, are believed to run the world. As the advantaged gender, why should they get a break?
Well, a number of businesses think it's about time men did get a break. Mainichi Shimbun recently reported on the trend for Men's Days, mainly centered on eating establishments. The article talks about a Portuguese restaurant in Ginza where every Monday male patrons' first glass of beer is free and only men get to order the pudding for dessert. The manager of the establishment, a man, told the paper, "There are lots of Ladies Days, and I thought that was strange."
His response is sort of strange, too. We have more faith in the comment from a female manager of another restaurant with a Men's Day special in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture. Her restaurant on designated days offers extra helping of pasta and rice to men for free, not to mention free side orders of soup. Why? Ninety percent of their patrons are women, and men normally eat more than women do, which means they potentially spend more. "We want repeat business."


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Venue: Blacksburg Community Center / Recreation Center, Blacksburg
Organizations: Blacksburg Parks and Recreation Department
Date: Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Time: 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Event Types: Class
Blacksburg Residents: $10.00
Non-Residents: $15.00
Non-Residents: $15.00
The Blacksburg Department of Parks and Rec offers a Bicycle Maintenance 101 Workshop on Wednesday, February 7, 2018.
Learn how to do routine maintenance on your bicycle in this group oriented hands on workshop with Blacksburg Parks & Rec and the Bike Barn of Blacksburg. Participants will learn what to bring with them on their bike ride, routine maintenance and how to patch a flat in a group-oriented hands-on workshop.
Those who attend will receive their choice of a rear safety light, a tire leveler, or patch kit.
Ages 8 and above are invited to participate.
The registration deadline is the day of the program by 5 pm.
For more information or to register visit: http://www.blacksburg.gov/recreation or https://www.facebook.com/BlacksburgParksandRecreation or call 540-961-1135.
Want to hear the latest on what's happening with local events in the New River Valley?
Click here to Sign-up for our Email Newsletter.
Also join NextThreeDays on Facebook and Twitter.
Click here to Sign-up for our Email Newsletter.
Also join NextThreeDays on Facebook and Twitter.


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The Bundeswehr Military History Museum in Dresden is one of Europe's most important history museums.
The focal point of the museum is mankind itself and the causes and consequences of war and violence. Different viewpoints and historical destinies are reflected in the 10,000-plus exhibits, which provide new insights into social and cultural history. This award-winning exhibition is housed in a breathtaking space designed by star architect Daniel Libeskind.
Opening times:
Thursday-Tuesday 10am-6pm, Monday 10am-9pm, Wednesday closed
Două combinaţii de taste utile pentru a mări şi micşora în browser-ul de internet:
Mărire: +
Micşorare: +
Pentru ajutor suplimentar, faceţi clic pe iconiţa aferentă a browser-ului dvs.:


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Things are moving right along on the Amazing Spider-Man sequel. Just over a month ago we learned that director Marc Webb and stars Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone were all returning for the follow-up, and we recently got wind that The Descendants star Shailene Woodley had entered talks to take on the role of Mary Jane Watson (making a minor appearance in this sequel). Within that report we also learned that the film's villain was rumored to be Electro, and now it appears that Sony has settled on Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx to take on the electrically-inclined antagonist role.
Hit the jump for more.
[Update: Click here to read what Webb had to say about Foxx's casting, Electro being the villain, and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in general.]
Per Variety, Jamie Foxx is in early negotiations to play the film's villain, Electro. The appearance of the character isn't all that shocking (sorry), as the post-credits sequence in The Amazing Spider-Man featured a shadowy figure confronting Rhys Ifans' Dr. Curt Connors in a jail cell, asking if Peter Parker knew the real truth about his parents. The figure's appearance and disappearance were accompanied by lightning sounds, and as we all know Electro gained the power to control electricity after being struck by lightning.
Foxx is an interesting choice to tackle the villain role, but if you look at the cast that Webb has assembled it's really a fantastic line-up of talent. Variety's report doesn't mention the appearance of any other villainous characters in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but given that most sequels up the ante in the antagonist department, I wouldn't be surprised if we see another villain pop up in a minor role at some point. Production on The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will begin next year in anticipation of the film's May 2nd, 2014 release date.
Foxx himself commented on the news story, seemingly confirming that he'll be taking the gig:
Dressed up as Electro for Halloween last night. Costume fits well.
— Jamie Foxx (@iamjamiefoxx) November 1, 2012


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November 30, 2013
Book Review - Part of the Spell by Rachel Heath
"A small quiet town sits in a slight valley, encircled by barely-hills and surrounded by the ancient fields and trees of Essex." The novel opens with a description of the town which is as much a player as any of its inhabitants. Why are the people here? Are they happy to stay where they have always lived or have they arrived on the run from somewhere else? "News of Sheila Buttle's disappearance spread across the town, carried by a distinct but indolent autumnal breeze. Along the pavements, across the rooftops, weaving amongst the queue at the butcher's or between two neighbours on a street corner. It spread aimlessly, without purpose, or force, without a headwind. Nothing like a forest fire, without heat or urgency. Stealing through an open bedroom window, whispering around the ankles of parents at the school gates, wafting into the café in the market square, cooling cups of tea…When people heard the news they wondered what it might mean, turned over in their minds how such a thing could happen. They warded off the darker ideas but the urge to speculate and to gossip lingered." I enjoyed this book very much, loving particularly how the people relate to their town and the gorgeous descriptive passages. Wendy
Labels: Connections, Fiction
November 28, 2013
Book Review - Watching the Dark by Peter Robinson
Robinson's new Inspector Banks novel lives up to my high expectations for one of my favourite mystery writers. A policeman is killed by a crossbow in the grounds of a rehab centre. A Professional Standards Inspector is brought in because there are rumours of police corruption. A missing girl whose case has remained unsolved for 6 years. The clues to the mystery may lie in the city of Tallinn in Estonia where the girl disappeared, or they may be solved by solid police work back in England. Annie Cabbot is back at work after being badly injured and once again is seeking to prove herself. A marvelous background of classical and jazz music underscores the intricate plotting as all the tangles are unraveled and answers are revealed. Wendy
November 15, 2013
DVD Review - Happy body – Fabulous 40s and 50s with TV Physio Anna- Louise Bouvier
Happy body – Fabulous 40s and 50s with TV Physio Anna- Louise Bouvier This DVD is a general intro to how your body changes and what you can easily do to maximize your strength and fitness whatever level you are currently at as you encounter the effects of gravity as you age. The short chapters are a bit annoying but the walking workout is achievable and easily modified to all fitness levels. Also held is one targeting the 60s and 70s. Wendy
The Most Popular Books of All Time
Here's a great graphic from Love Reading UK that shows the print-runs and copies-sold of the Most Popular Books of All Time.
Is one of your favourites on this list?
For a full-size copy of the image, click here.
Is one of your favourites on this list?
For a full-size copy of the image, click here.
November 13, 2013
Book Review - Trust your eyes by Linwood Barclay
This is a terrific read and a refreshingly new take on a detective story. Ray Kilbride has returned home to sort out his father's estate and try to arrange appropriate residential care for his schizophrenic brother, Thomas, who has a fixation with memorizing the street layouts of all major cities. Thomas thinks he is working for Bill Clinton and the CIA, preparing for the time when the world will be totally dependent on his memory for street maps. Thomas comes across a picture of a woman being strangled on a New York street and Ray sets off to find out what happened so he can placate his brother and get him to move forward with resolving his father's legacy. Also in this intensely layered but very readable story are a scheming political fixer, a failed gymnast whose second career is as an assassin for hire, and a family secret that has tormented Thomas's life since he was 13. Thomas is both more and less able then Ray gives him credit for and the brothers face danger together in the thrilling climax to this very different mystery. Wendy
November 11, 2013
Book Review - The Death Sculptor by Chris Carter
Another fine mystery featuring genius detective Robert Hunter and his partner Carlos Garcia as they hunt a killer who is organized, ruthless and without pity. The victims are tortured and then their bodies are arranged into grotesque sculptures. But just what is the killer trying to tell them and will they figure it out before there are more victims? Not for the faint-hearted. Wendy
November 09, 2013
Book Review - Gone Missing by Linda Castillo
Kate Burkholder grew up Amish but is now the Chief of Police in a small town close by to Amish communities. This gives her an edge when dealing with several cases of missing Amish teenagers. Kate is reminded of her own troubled past as she joins with her new some time lover, Agent John Tomasetti, to try and solve the case. Kate has had previous adventures in fiction but this reads well as a stand-alone. The extraordinary detail of the Amish way of life adds an intriguing clash of cultures to this excellent mystery.
Labels: Fiction
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February Update Golden 1 Center – Aerial Photography & Videography February 25, 2016
Check out the Aerial Photography & Videography taken of the Golden 1 Center this February. This video shows what has been completed so far on the exterior of the arena.
Check out that sun setting on the Golden 1 Center!
Image in Flight has been fortunate enough to be the "Drone Cam" for the Golden 1 Center since June of 2015. We captured all of the progress from the erection of the structural steel to the pouring of the actual court floor. The G1C (Golden 1 Center) is at the heart of the revitalization of downtown Sacramento.
What is Golden 1 Center:
The project encompasses four city blocks right in the heart of downtown that will be a major catalyst for development in the surrounding area and in the entire region. The arena itself is an indoor multi-use facility that will accommodate sporting and top entertainment events such as professional and collegiate sports, concerts, ice shows, indoor rodeo, trade shows, large graduations, family shows, and other indoor entertainment. It also contains a state of the art practice facility with administrative offices.
The project also includes up to 1.5 million square feet of additional development including 475,000 square feet of office space, 350,000 square feet of retail, a 250-room hotel, and up to 500,000 square feet for residential units. The first phase of the project includes over 715,000 square feet of development, over 300,000 square feet of retail, 128,000 square feet of office, a 250-room hotel and up to 50 residential units.
Some fun facts about the Golden 1 Center:
- The total cost of Golden 1 Center is estimated to be $507 million.
- The arena's capacity for NBA games is 17,500.
- It is estimated that 10 to 15 percent of visitors will walk, bike or take public transportation to Golden 1 Center events.
- More than 13,500 parking spaces exist within 1/2 mile of Golden 1 Center.
- A study estimates that Golden 1 Center alone will attract 1.6 million new visitors to downtown Sacramento each year.
- These new visitors are a major contributor to the $11.5B in estimated positive economic impact that will result from the new Golden 1 Center over 35 years.
Here is a link to events that are coming to the Golden 1 Center – http://www.ticketmaster.com/Golden-1-Center-tickets-Sacramento/venue/229976
Have questions about the Golden 1 Center, check out this link – http://www.golden1center.com/faqs/


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|at Irp
After the first night, making love was not the same for Bruenhild.
It always seemed different.
She did not understand why.
She did not understand why Siegfried was married to Kriemhild and she did not understand why her husband was not the same as on the first night.
She came up with a plan. She invited Kriemhild and Siegfried to Worms for a feast.
What are the three most important festivals in your calendar?
When it was time to enter the cathedral Bruenhild told Kriemhild that she must follow as she was of inferior social rank.
Is there a cathedral in your city?
Kriemhild insisted that she was the sister of the King and therefore equal in status to the Queen.
Does your sister insist on equality?
Bruenhild became angry.
Can anger be compared to a dark cloud?
She asked Kriemhild why she was married to her social inferior. Kriemhild said that Siegfried was not her social inferior.
Do you think leather is inferior to plastic?
Then she told Bruenhild that she, Bruenhild, was really Siegfried's concubine or secondary wife.
Is there a lot of secondary or manufacturing industry in your city?
She told her that Siegfried had deflowered her on the first night using the cloak of invisibility, although she did not know it.
What flower is in season in your garden right now?
And so Bruenhild was in fact lower in status than Kriemhild.
Which is lower, the Netherlands or the Dead Sea?
It was completely wrong. It was completely the other way around. Bruenhild had it completely wrong. She had it completely the other way around.
Have you ever gotten things completely wrong?
Then Kriemhild showed Bruenhild the belt which Siegfried had given her.
Are you wearing a leather belt right now?
This proved everything in Bruenhild's mind. It proved that Gunther was a scoundrel.
You are not a scoundrel, are you?
Bruenhild was furious. She was livid. She was brimming with anger. In a rage she attacked her husband.
Do you get violent when you are angry?
Everybody was very upset. Hagen blamed everything on Siegfried. He said they should kill Siegfried.
Hagen is a very cunning opportunist, isn't he?
Gunther insisted that Siegfried was a good friend. Hagen insisted that Siegfried was a threat. He was a threat to the marriage of Gunther and Bruenhild. He was a threat to the marriage of the king and queen. He was therefore a threat to the stability of the kingdom. Goethe and Floete agreed. Finally Gunther gave in and agreed to the plan.
Are you sometimes weak-willed?
The Story of Siegfried the Dragon Slayer and of his Beautiful Wife, Kriemhild and of his Tragic Murder and of her Terrible Revenge
Title Page
1. Nibelung's Gold
2. Siegfried the Dragon Slayer
3. Kriemhild's Dream
4. Siegfried's Trip to Worms
5. The Plan to win the Hand of Bruenhild
6. Bruenhild's Suspicion
7. Hagen's Plan
8. Kriemhild's Revenge
9. Epilogue : The Gold at the Bottom of the River and the Ring of Power