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- Antique Jewelry
- The Ages
- Engagement Rings
- Antique Rings
- Diamond Jewelry
- So Much More
Love Disarmed - Eros & Psyche Locket
Nicely sized, a fabulous double box photo locket of sterling silver illustrates an example of the celebrate imagery incorporated by the artists of the Art Nouveau period. Both the well known American Art Nouveau jewelry manufacturer, the Unger Brothers and Reed & Barton, pre-eminent in the retail of flatware have employed this motif extensively.
Expressed in high relief is a raised representation of Eros (Cupid) and Psyche engaged in an allegorical embrace and kiss. Eros, one of the first mythologized deities is often depicted as he is here as a winged boy. The pair are enfolded within stylized clouds, details of their faces clearly demarcated and crowned with a hallmark coif of the style period. On the reverse ornate initials "EH" have been hand engraved in flowery italicized script.
Measurements: 1-13/16 of an inch (4.5 cm) in length including bale by 1-1/2 inches (3.7 cm) in width.
Weight of 16.4 grams (10.5 dwt).
Hallmarks: Sterling.
Condition: Excellent; inner plastic now missing and replaced with modern plastic inserts.
Date & Origin: Circa 1900 and is most likely American in origin.
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subset: commoncrawl


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For some reason, people seem to forget all sense of good manners and basic ethics when they're not staying in their own home.
Pick a place, pick a purpose, book your flight and go! Just go. Don't read a travel book. Don't search on every forum. Do not take a language class. GO! Now. Put your shoes on and get out of town. You should get to your destination with as little research as possible...
My travel bucket list just got really long because I stole my friend's and added a few of my own to it. Just this past winter, I was on a women's ski trip and met a new friend from Toronto. We were talking about travels and she told me she had a travel bucket list. I loved that she had it on her iPhone. I asked if she minded sharing it with me and so she did.
Defined as a natural body of fresh water usually situated near a river, stream, creek or spring, these smaller but still substantial bodies of water are scattered all across the U.S. and offer even those who live in non-coastal areas the opportunity to wade and play in the water on warm spring and summer days.
Danang, Vietnam is emerging as one of the best places in the world to retire comfortably on a small budget. A couple of retirees could live well in this clean, modern, and cosmopolitan city on a budget of $1,200 per month or less.
Gay travelers feel more comfortable than ever with their straight counterparts, and vice versa. If you're a gay-specific business, you might already be expanding your strategy to include the mainstream straight market.
It offers something special year-round with warm seas, cool breezes, perfect weather and enough mystery and glamour to be the perfect jet-set vacation spot only a stone's throw away from home. St. Thomas is also a hidden gem for romantic moments.
Whether it's sunset concerts sung in the local language at Malawi's Kaya Mawa resort, up-and-coming musicians performing at the Santa Monica beach club Casa del Mar or access to one of the most renowned music venues in the world at the W Austin, hotels have found a way to truly shape their atmosphere.
With it's vast and varied landscapes, unique wildlife, and white-sand beaches, Australia is one of the most interesting continents around.
There are a few (and by a few we mean many) exceptional sites out there that you've probably never heard of, but that definitely deserve a top spot on that travel bucket list of yours.
I always hate lugging stuff from home, and this leaves me to fend for myself once I get to the terminal. Today on my way to San Francisco, I decided to really scope out the options and bring you my picks for healthiest foods you can get at the airport.
We can all tick off the things that drive us crazy on flights. Seats that don't recline (or the one in front of you that does). Armrest violators. Seat-kicking, sugar-addled kids. But if you think you've seen it all, your flight attendant has seen more -- much more -- and a dozen times over.
My passion now includes speaking to children and adults, alike, on the subject of travel and "volun-tourism." Here's a list of twelve good reasons to hit the road with your kids.
Whether you're looking to check off the top sights, hit the shops or discover the British capital through the eyes of the locals, here are 50 unforgettable experiences to have in London.
Marrakech is an enchanting, intoxicating place. It can also feel overwhelming and intimidating at times. This post shares some advice for first-time visitors to help you make the most of this Moroccan city that is a favourite with tourists.
Airport security is not the place to practice your stand-up comedy routine.


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Home › Women's › Big Mountain Skiing › Caliber Cardigan
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Polartec® Alpha® Insulation
Polartec® Alpha® is a lofty fleece knit insulation that is specifically designed to be combined with air permeable fabrics that are useful during high aerobic activities.
Key Advantages
- Highly stable insulation providing excellent warmth
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Arc'teryx Fit Guide - Athletic Fit
Standing in as our "Arc'teryx Standard" fit, the complex patterns used utilize anatomical shaping and gussets to enhance motion and eliminate excess bulk. Trimmer than the Relaxed fit with room for a base layer, a light fleece mid-layer and a synthetic or down filled mid-layer.
To find out how to calculate your body measurements, view our Sizing Charts:
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Full Feature List
- Moisture-wicking
- Breathable
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- Gusseted underarms
- Tall collar
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- Full front zip
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- Two hand pockets with hidden zippers
- Polartec® Classic Micro Marled Fleece—100% polyester 197 g/m².
- Machine wash in warm water (30°C).
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- Do not iron.
- Outdoor Gear Lab Top Pick


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Welcome, Log in
Hardiness Zone
Welcome to Dominion Seed House!
With our 2013 catalogue, we are thrilled to highlight the 85th anniversary of our company's existence. Dominion Seed House was founded in 1928 by Mr. William Bradley, in Georgetown, Ontario.
Your Spring 2014 catalogue is online.
Save on shipping fees if you order seeds and garden accessories and your sub-total 'A' before shipping and handlings charges and taxes exceeds $50.00.See details here: Shipping fees
For our Quebec and Ontario customers who would like to order annual flower, herb and vegetable rooted and ready to be transplanted plants, we suggest you visit of our business partner's Website at fleursannuelles.com.
BloomIQ makes plant selection easy, fail proof and fun!
©2012 W.H. Perron. All right reserved. Designed by Progi-média inc.


text: i have a martin bengal, i shoot pse carbon force x radial weave 300 arrows with regular fletching. the arrow flight is excelent with field points, however i shoot muzzy 100gr fixed broadheads and there is some movement in flight. i am thinking of switching my fletching to nap quick spin 2" fletching. i have a 360 quick tune rest. will this improve broadhead flight?


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Secrecy for Sale: Inside the Global Offshore Money MazePolitical donors, celebrities, sportspeople, and other prominent Britons are revealed in leaked bank documents.
Other Investigations
两万多名中国内地及香港投资者在避税天堂注册公司View more.
Thousands of men working in Central American sugarcane fields are dying of chronic kidney disease, yet governments and the sugar industry have done little in response. View more.
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If you are currently suffering from an adverse reaction to drugs or health products, contact your health professional or local health authorities.
As an ongoing commitment to openness and transparency, Health Canada is publishing summaries of its safety reviews. These summaries will complement other safety related information to help Canadians make informed decisions about medication choices. This will provide Canadians a more complete understanding of the safety review, specifically what was assessed, what was found and what action was taken.
The Recalls and Safety Alerts Database provides easy access to a comprehensive list of recalls, advisories, and safety alerts. This database includes recalls from Health Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and Transport Canada.
Notice about Health Canada advisories
Recalls are initiated by importers and manufacturers after recognizing that there may be a safety concern related to a specific health product. Health Canada works with the health product industry to ensure hazardous products are removed from the marketplace in an effective and efficient manner.
Although Health Canada grants market authorizations or licenses for therapeutic products, Health Canada does not endorse either the product or the company. If you have any questions regarding product information, you should discuss them with your health professional.


text: Need a good quality dSLR to shoot wildlife, mainly insects, lizards, butterflies, flowers. Looking at Canon EOS 60D or 5D or a Pentax K30. Really know little about dSLR cameras but done a lot of reading and think one of these could be ideal for an amateur wanting to get better. Inspired by the Amateur Photography Competition on WDC. I have good quality point and shoots but they are not fast enough.


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The BMC Racing Team has not been notified or contacted officially regarding this investigation. We will take no action regarding Alessandro Ballan or Mauro Santambrogio unless we receive an official request to do so from an appropriate authority (i.e., WADA, UCI, CONI or the Italian Cycling Federation). Throughout its entirety, both riders have fully cooperated with investigators. For both riders the presumption of innocence is to be respected also by the team.
– Jim Ochowicz, President/General Manager, BMC Racing Team


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Low-rise short. This flirtatious jean short has a raw edge that lends them a naturally vintage look. Worn-in blue wash gets a playful kiss from a sweet mini heart print.
View more washes in this style
FINAL SALE - cannot be returned or exchanged. No price adjustments.
only left in this size


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Titanic has come home to Belfast in the shape of the world's largest Titanic experience, Titanic Belfast
Welcome to Titanic Town. The Titanic rose out of Belfast's docklands, and no city in the world knows her better. Today, the ship's history is celebrated in the shimmering Titanic Belfast centre –the world's largest Titanic experience with nine galleries that immerse you in the story from fantasy to tragedy. In a word: unmissable.
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If you're a visitor from the island of Ireland you may want to visit one of these sites… Otherwise proceed to Ireland.com


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INGLEWOOD, Calif. (December 8, 2012)—Supplemented late at a total cost of $20,000, Pure Fun became a Grade I winner Saturday, rallying strongly in the final quarter of a mile to take the $500,000 Hollywood Starlet (video) at Betfair Hollywood Park.
The 6-1 surprise came about 90 minutes after Lady of Fifty earned her first graded win in the $200,000 Bayakoa Stakes.
Trained by Ken McPeek for his family's Magdalena Racing, Pure Fun, a 2-year-old daughter of Pure Prize and the Key to the Mint mare Chelsea Green, was behind all seven of her opponents approaching the stretch.
Racing in the clear under jockey Garrett Gomez, the chestnut, who was making her first start outside Kentucky and first over a synthetic surface, quickly made up much ground, ultimately collaring pacesetter Blonde Fog with about a sixteenth of a mile to go.
The one length win was the second in a row and third in eight starts for Pure Fun, who completed the 1 1/16 miles over Cushion Track in 1:44.65. She's earned $343,599.
McPeek's decision to supplement was made after Pure Fun's 9 ¼ length victory in an optional claimer Nov. 24 at Churchill Downs. In her only previous appearance in a graded event before Saturday, Pure Fun, who began her career in a $50,000 maiden claimer in June, finished seventh in the Grade III Jessamine Oct. 11 over the turf at Keeneland.
Among those who were no match for the winner Saturday was 2-5 favorite Executiveprivilege. The double Grade I winner finished fourth – beaten 5 ½ lengths – without a visible excuse for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who also saddled 5-1 second choice Blonde Fog.
In her initial collaboration with Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, Executiveprivilege, who was making her first start in blinkers, was well positioned inside on the backstretch, moved into second outside Blonde Fog after six furlongs, but failed to sustain her bid.
There was plenty of thought that another Grade I victory for the daughter of First Samurai would have greatly enhanced her case for an Eclipse Award as the champion 2-year-old filly, despite her loss to Beholder in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 2.
The first off the board finish of Executiveprivilege's career triggered inflated show prices. Of the $162,560 in the show pool, $123,574 was bet on the Kentucky bred.
"Extremely disappointed,'' said Smith. "I had a beautiful trip, but she got her head way up and did not menace. I just hope everything is OK with her after the race.''
Providing Gomez with his first Starlet win, Pure Fun paid $14.40, $6 and $10.60. Blonde Fog, who was stepping into a Grade I after a 12 ½ length maiden victory in her Oct.28 debut at Santa Anita, returned $6 and $9.40. The show price on Scarlet Strike, who was nearly 20-1, was $19. She finished two lengths behind Blonde Fog.
"She jumped away well, but I was a little bit concerned because she was not traveling her best around the first turn,'' said Gomez. "About halfway down the backside, she started figuring it out and when I wheeled her out she was really accelerating. She took off and was very impressive.''
Matt Shirer, McPeek's assistant, indicated Pure Fun will remain in California for about a week before returning to Kentucky. He added the primary target in 2013 is the Grade I Kentucky Oaks in May at Churchill Downs.
"She was a little further back than I thought she was going to be,'' said Shirer. "It was the same kind of thing in (her Nov. 24 win) – around the quarter pole she came flying.''
Sharp Cat winner Midnight Ballet finished fifth and she was followed by Renee's Titan, Miss Empire and Rhodium.
In the Grade II Bayakoa, which was presented by the Oak Tree Racing Association, Lady of Fifty overcame some early trouble to win decisively (video) under jockey Martin Garcia.
Owned by George Todaro and Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, the 3-year-old daughter of After Market prevailed by 3 ¼ lengths over 10-1 shot Open Water. The final time for the 1 1/16 miles over Cushion Track was 1:44.36.
Out of the Maria's Mon mare K.D.'s Shady Lady, Lady of Fifty won for the sixth time in 11 starts. The $110,000 payday increased her earnings to $320,000.
In winning for the fourth time in seven starts over a synthetic surface, Lady of Fifty, the 3-1 third choice in the field of eight, paid $8.80, $5.60 and $3.60.
Shuffled back in the opening two furlongs, Lady of Fifty found clear sailing on the outside in the stretch, gained the lead with about an eighth of a mile to run and drew away in her Betfair Hollywood Park debut.
"I wanted to take the lead, but those other horses, they kept sending and sending,'' said Garcia, who also won the 2011 Bayakoa with Ellafitz. "I let them all go and when I finally moved out, she relaxed.
"I just kept her on the outside because I didn't want to get into any more trouble. When I asked her to go, she just exploded. She was much the best.''
The win was the second in three years for Hollendorfer in the Bayakoa. "She's gotten bigger and stronger and has been training real well,'' said the trainer, who won with another 3-year-old (Washington Bridge) in 2010. "We're very proud of her and very pleased with the way she's doing right now.
"Backing out of there early may have been the thing that made her win because the pace got a little rapid out front. She recovered nicely and didn't nick herself up. We feel very fortunate for that. I don't have a race picked out yet, but we'll find something.''
Returning to Cushion Track after four consecutive appearances on turf, Open Water was up to defeat 5-2 favorite Inglorious by a half-length. She paid $10.60 and $6.40. The show price on Inglorious was $3.20.
Trainer Josie Carroll thought Inglorious, the 2011 Queen's Plate winner and 3-year-old filly champion in her native Canada, ran well in her first start since July 8. "I thought she ran a tremendous race,'' she said. "She just got a little tired.''
Completing the order of finish were Charm the Maker, the 5-2 second choice, who finished a half-length behind Inglorious, pacesetter Changethechannel, Willa B Awesome, Class Included and Madera Castana.
Racing will resume Sunday. Post time is 12:30 p.m. Track gates will open at 10 a.m. for simulcasts.
The main event is the inaugural running of the $200,000 Soviet Problem Stakes for 2-year-old fillies bred or sired in California. Scheduled for seven furlongs over Cushion Track, the Soviet Problem is part of the Golden State series. It is the ninth of 10 races.
The final race at Betfair Hollywood Park also begins the "405 Double.'' The $2 minimum wager requires a bettor to pick the winners of the last local race and the first at Los Alamitos. The 405 Double will be offered next Sunday, the final day of the Autumn meet.
Copyright © 2009-2014, Hollywood Park. All rights reserved.


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Thursday, November 15, 2012
12:15pm – 12:45pm
Adolphus Busch Hall, 29 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Midday Organ Recital: Nancy Granert
Nancy Granert, Organist-in-Residence, The Memorial Church, Harvard University
Recitals are performed on Harvard's famous 1958 D.A. Flentrop organ. Audience members are invited to lunch quietly while listening. Presented by the Harvard Organ Society in collaboration with the Harvard Art Museums and the Memorial Church.
Free admission.


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Gadget Grips Pearl - Football
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Need more than 2500?
Get a factory direct quote email@example.com
Attach directly to the back of mobile device, MP3 player or other gadgets, Firmly holds gadgets from slipping and sliding. Lifts and protects phone from surface scratches using Griptyte performance gels. Patented 3M repositionable adhesive, leaves no sticky residue. Brilliant full color graphics. Wash to renew grip. Custom shapes available, call for pricing and details.
Imprint area: 2-1/4" x 1-5/16"
Pricing includes four color process imprint. Packaged in individual cellophane bag with instructional booklet.
|Standard Production Time
|7 days. (Rush production may be available. Learn More)
|0.32 oz
|Made In
|Imprint Method
|Four Color Process (This is the default imprint method. Other imprint methods may be available. Please call for details.)
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|There is no charge for art modifications and we offer FREE Virtual Proofs. Our skilled graphic design team can help put the finishing touches on your logo or artwork no matter what type of image you send us!
|Sending Artwork
|Artwork can be uploaded during the last step of the checkout if buying or requesting a quote online.
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|We have many fonts installed in our system that we are able to use upon request. If a specific font is requested that we do not have on file please have a copy of the font requested emailed to our art department for use.


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$295 - 298 | $148 - 298
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Classic Pump!
Hard to find great looking grey pumps this season. This is a classic, so wearable for more than one season.
love these navy shoes
I've been looking for a deep navy shoe for years and finally found them at SW. thanks SW! this is timeless and will last me a long time of enjoyment.
Shoes too big,on sale and I cannot return. Shoe doesn't look anything like this picture... shoe is much higher. Disapointed Where can I get insoles for this shoe?
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2014 Lithium :: 2007 Cheetah :: Jaguar Take-down
REAL AVID Field Staff / Bucks and Beards Scents Field Staff
Martin 06 Slayer, Nitrous C, shoot thru, 63lb, Quiktune 3000, HAA OL 5519, Beman ICS Hunter
Martin 06 Slayer, Nitrous C, Shoot thru, 55lb, Quiktune 3000, HHA OL 5519 2X, Easton A/C/C
Ben Pearson 1968 'Cougar' 62" 45#s @ 28" recurve, parallel shaft POC, Zwickey 'Eskimo' 2 blade
Gun control means using both hands, NOT putting my name and weapons on a national/international registry or getting an ammunition voucher to control how much I can purchase. I'm beginning to feel like maybe I should move to Texas sometime in the future.... No income tax, less stringent gun control, less crime, but also less public land to hunt on... decisions decisions
In God and guns we trust;
- One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
- A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
2011 Onza 3: 70#, 28.25 draw (AMO), 384 gr arrow, 288 fps
2005 Saber: 70#, same arrow, 250 fps
My gun control .... Buy guns, that way I can control them and the government doesn't need to worry about them!
I am not sure this is where I should vent this but....
I am sure that most of you have realized a supposed shortage of ammunition for most calibers. At least the more common ones. We all blame the government for this shortage, but in fact we are the ones causing it, in more than one way. First, we have allowed the people to be voted in that want to remove our guns by thinking it will never happen. Second, we heard that there was an ammunition shortage so we all ran out and purchased large caches of ammunition. Now we see the empty shelves and say, "ammunition shortage is real". Now when we do see a caliber of ammunition that we have a gun for we buy it, not just one box, but as many as the store will allow us. I have seen people online selling ammunition at grossly inflated prices because they have accumulated huge caches of it. STOP, don't buy it. People's greed and taking advantage of a bad situation.
I do not have a large cache of ammunition, no more now than I have ever had at any one time. I do like to go out and shoot, but that has been curtailed a bit because I can not replace what I would normally use. Even reloading supplies are hard to find.
I have been called a gun nut and a bow nut, but when people I know have a problem with their gun or bow, who do they ask first? The nut.
Martin 06 Slayer, Nitrous C, shoot thru, 63lb, Quiktune 3000, HAA OL 5519, Beman ICS Hunter
Martin 06 Slayer, Nitrous C, Shoot thru, 55lb, Quiktune 3000, HHA OL 5519 2X, Easton A/C/C
Ben Pearson 1968 'Cougar' 62" 45#s @ 28" recurve, parallel shaft POC, Zwickey 'Eskimo' 2 blade
I was quite surprised at the lack of reloading supplies and ammunition when a fellow archer informed me.
He couldn't find primers or bullets for his new .45 auto. I gave a list of where I usually found supplies and he came up empty! Having a supply of items needed I sold him some.
At one time I was shooting some 7,000 rounds of .44 magnums alone in one year. I then competed. I went through almost the same with .45 auto and again I was competing. Of competing I used both jacketed and cast bullets. Jacketed bullets were the call for Silhouette shooting, Combat and hunting. Cast I used for practice and hunting. I probably have that many jacketed and cast bullets on-hand and probably 25 pounds of powder.
Rifles I used for competing and coyotes and some testing and I have a good supply to keep them shooting for a good while.
My wife probably goes through more .41 mag ammo than most men shoot in 3 years!
Keep your booger hook off the trigger until you are ready to fire ... see this way too often with the bone-head grabbers in their pictures.
2014 Lithium :: 2007 Cheetah :: Jaguar Take-down
REAL AVID Field Staff / Bucks and Beards Scents Field Staff
I understand there a few Governors telling Obama they will not abide by his decree or Federal Law.
Just heard Congress won't support his plan.
Looks like a few states have opened theirselves up for a lawsuit. Directive that they want, a safety measure in some instances, those who own firearms are not fully liable to pay for clerical work as a whole. In other words, if the "people" want tighter gun control they should also pay for such gun control measures.
What really is standing in Obama's way is screwing with a $30 billion industry. Rip guns and a whole bunch of tax dollars is lost and some will a lot of jobs, both firearms and hunting.


text: So I just bought my first quiver, its from apex, holds 5 arrows, and has their magnetic clip system. Goes on and off easily enough, secures well to the bow, rubber on the hood so its quiet. My issue is the arrows are super hard to push into the slots. Is this normal? Its like work to get them on. I'm wondering if they stretch over time, and if I should leave some arrows in them while I dont shoot to stretch it. By the way I shoot carbon arrows, not trying to squeeze alum. in a carbon slot.


text: Myranda Rai Tuner By "Brother" Lou Roberts April 1, 2012 9:35 AM Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Category: Share on Facebook Share on Twitter More Leave a comment Send to a friend! Print this page Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr! More from WGNA Johnny Cash's Son, John Carter Cash, Arrested in Canadian Airport Dolly Parton on Gay Fans: 'I Try to Love Everybody' Carrie Underwood Talks Due Date, Pregnancy Worries During 'The View' Appearance You Think You Know Eric Church? Best of the Web


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- Endurance Lite has all the performance properties of our Endurance+ fabric in a 10% lighter weight that won't weigh you down in the water.
- Durable chlorine resistant fabric holds color and does not bag or sag.
- 4-way stretch.
- Lightweight and quick drying - resists sagging, bagging, fading and snagging.
- Thin straps for maximum freedom of movement and minimal tan lines.
- Ideal for practice and training.
- Fabric: 51% PBT/49% Polyester.


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October 30, 1987
Members of the Arizona Legislature
The Honorable Evan Mecham, Governor
Mr. Charles L. Miller, Director
Arizona Department of Transportation
Transmitted herewith is a report of the Auditor General, A Performance Audit
of the Arizona Department of Transportation- Sunset Factors and Summary
Report. This report is in response to a July 26, 1985, resolution of the Joint
Legislative Oversight Committee.
Previous reports have addressed problems on the Department's two largest
divisions. Audits were conducted on the Revenue Group Audit section and the
commercial weight enforcement function of the Motor Vehicle Division, and on
the highway maintenance equipment management, and construction
management functions of the Highways Division. This report provides responses
to the twelve statutory Sunset factors, and addresses recurring central
management problems found in the Highways Division. The report also includes
summaries of our five department audits.
My staff and I will be pleased to discuss or clarify items in the report.
Respectfully submitted,
~ o u w Rs. Norton
Auditor General
Staff: William Thomson
Peter Francis
Deborah Klein
2700 NORTH CENTRAL AVE @ SUITE 700 0 PI- iOENIX, ARIZONA 85004 8 ( 602) 255- 4385
( REPORT NO. 87- 5) H l GHWAYS D I V IS I ON, H l GHWAY MA l NTENANCE
( REPORT NO. 87- 91 HIGHWAYS D l VI SION, EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT . . . . 27
( REPORT NO. 87- 1 1 ) H l GHWAYS D I V I S I ON, CONSTRUCT l ON
The Office of the Auditor General has conducted a performance audit of the
Arizona Department of Transportation ( ADOT) in response to a July 26, 1985,
resolution of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee. The performance audit
was conducted as part of the Sunset Review set forth in Arizona Revised Statutes
( A. R. S.) 9941- 2351 through 41- 2379. This report, the final in a series on ADOT,
presents a response to the 12 statutory sunset factors and summarizes results of
previous reports.
ADOT was established in 1973 by Senate Bill 1143, which combined the duties of the
former Aeronautics and Highways Departments into a single agency. ADOT is
responsible for providing an integrated and balanced state transportation system.
The Department is divided into five divisions under the Director's office.
0 Highways Division ( Estimated full- time equivalent employees ( FTEs): 1,774) -
Designs, constructs and maintains State highways. The Division is comprised of
two major groups: Highway Development and Highway Operations. The
Highway Development Group takes a project from inception to the point that a
contract is awarded by the State Transportation Board. The Highway
Operations Group is responsible for coordination, management and oversight of
all construction to ensure that i t meets specifications and that contractors
f u l f i l l their contractual obligations. The Group is also responsible for
maintaining State highways.
0 Motor Vehicle Division ( Estimated FTEs: 841) - The Division is organized
into five major groups: Field Services, Safety and Driver Responsibility,
lntegrated Services, Revenue, and Title and Registration. Field Services issues
driver's licenses and conducts the weight enforcement program. The Safety and
Driver Responsibility Groups administers the mandatory auto insurance law,
administers the driver improvement and pupil transportation safety programs,
and maintains records of D WI convictions. The lntegrated Services Group
maintains computerized records of vehicles registered, licensed drivers and
vehicle titles. The Revenue Group collects taxes and fees from vehicle
registrations and driver's licenses, oil companies, and motor carriers. The Title
and Registration Group is responsible for vehicle registration and titling.
e Aeronautics Division ( Estimated FTEs: 15) - The Division develops and
manages programs to assist and promote Arizona's aviation industry. The
Division also registers and licenses general aviation aircraft.
8 Transportation Planning Division ( Estimated FTEs: 98) - The Division
develops short- term policies, provides technical support, and periodically
updates ADOT's long- range plans for integrated multimodal transportation.
a Administrative Services Division ( Estimated FTEs: 281) - Performs service
related functions for A DOT. Provides accounting and computer services for all
divisions, forecasts revenues for the highway construction program, prepares
the Department budget, prepares and implements all nonhighway contracts,
operates the Department warehouse, and maintains and remodels all ADOT
buildings in the Phoenix area.
Staffing and Budget
For fiscal year 1986- 87, A DOT employed an estimated 3,098 full- time employees.
Revenues for ADOT's operations are obtained from several sources, including the
State Highway Fund, the State Aviation Fund and the General Fund. In addition to
these funds, ADOT receives monies from the Federal government for highway
construction. Federal funds are expected to total $ 644 million over the next five
years. Table 1 itemizes the Department's expenditures by program and type of
expenditure, and the State fund summary.
BY DlV ISION AND EXPEND! TURE TYPE
1985- 86
1986- 87
1987- 88
Program Sumnary
Director's Staff
Highway Safety ( a )
Highways Division
Transportation Planning
Public Transit Division
Administrative Services
Motor Vehicle Division
Aeronautics Division
Special Support Group
Total Programs
Expendi tures
FTE Positions
Personal Se rv i ces
Employee Related Expenses
Professional And
Outside Services
Travel - State
Travel - Out of State
Other Operat i ng Expenses
Equ i pmen t
A l l Other Operating
Reduction ( S. B. 1002)
Operat ion Subtotal
Highway Maintenance
Special Line Items
Total Appropriated
Fund Sumary
State Highway Fund $ 131,717,800 $ 147,201,000 $ 149,800,300
State Aviation Fund 527,200 694,200 709,500
General Fund 64,200 80,700 85,300
Total Funds $ 132--
( a) The Governor's O f f i c e of Highway Safety was transferred to the Department of Public
Safety e f f e c t i v e July 1 , 1987.
Source: State of Arizona Appropriations Report, fiscal year 1988
Scope of Audits
Our performance audits of ADOT focused on the Department's two largest
Divisions. Audits were conducted in the following areas.
Highways Division
Highway Maintenance
Equipment Management
Construction management
Motor Vehicle Division
Revenue Group
Commercial Vehicle Weight Enforcement
A third audit initiated within the Motor Vehicle Division - driver's licensing and
title processing - was discontinued due to numerous operational changes that were
being made at the time. ( 1 1
In this report, we present responses to the 12 statutory sunset factors. We also
discuss two central management problems we found in each of the three reviews we
conducted on the Highways Division. Summaries of each report can be found on
pages 15 through 33.
Our audits were conducted in accordance with generally accepted governmental
auditing standards.
The Auditor General and staff express appreciation to the Director and staff of
ADOT for their cooperation and assistance throughout each of our audits.
( ' 1 The J o i n t L e g i s l a t i v e Oversight Committee i n c l u d e d t h e Motor Vehicle D i v i s i o n ' s
d r i v e r ' s l i c e n s i n g and t i t l e processing f u n c t i o n on the l i s t of a u d i t s to be
conducted during the 1989 sunset cycle.
In accordance with Arizona Revised Statutes 541- 2354, the Legislature should
consider the following 12 factors in determining whether the Arizona Department of
Transportation ( ADOT) should be continued or terminated.
1. Objective and purpose in establishing the Department
In 1973 the Legislature enacted Senate Bill 1143, which merged the Highways
and Aeronautics departments to form ADOT. ADOT's purpose is to provide an
integrated and balanced state transportation system. A. R . S. 928- 104.8 requires
ADOT to perform the following functions.
1. Register motor vehicles and aircraft, license drivers, collect
revenues, enforce motor vehicle and aviation statutes, and
perform related functions.
2. Do multi- modal state transportation planning, cooperate and
coordinate transportation planning with local governments, and
establish an annually updated priority program of capital
improvements for all transportation modes.
3. Design and construct transportation facilities in accordance
with a priority plan; and maintain and operate state highways,
state airports, and state public transportation systems.
4. Investigate new transportation systems and cooperate with and
advise local governments concerning the development and
operation of public transit systems.
5. Have administrative jurisdiction of transportation safety
programs and implement them in accordance with applicable
2. The effectiveness with which the Department has met its objective and
purpose and the efficiency with which the Department has operated
We identified numerous ways ADOT could improve its efficiency and
effectiveness within each of the divisions we reviewed.
a The Revenue Group Audit Section within the Motor Vehicle Division
( MVD) could increase its effectiveness, and generate up to $ 10.9 million
per year in additional audit assessments by increasing its audit coverage
of commercial carriers. In addition, the Audit Section could increase its
effectiveness by improving its audit selection procedures. Further,
increasing the productivity of the Audit Section could increase revenue
recovered through audit assessments by $ 1.8 million to $ 2.8 million
annually. The Audit Section's effectiveness could be increased by
establishing adequate controls to ensure the quality and integrity of audit
modifications and taxpayer billings. Finally, the Audit Section's
effectiveness could be increased by reducing the increase in the number
of uncollectible accounts. ( See Auditor General Report No. 86- 7)
a The Motor Vehicle Division's effectiveness in enforcing commercial
vehicle weight limits needs to be strengthened to control costly damage
to roads caused by overweight trucks. MVD could improve its
effectiveness by taking steps to stop trucks from bypassing ports of entry,
fixing inoperative scales at MVD ports of entry, and increasing use of
mobile crews in the interior of the State. As we note in our report,
several statutory changes are also needed to support MVD enforcement.
More should be done to hold companies liable for damage caused by their
trucks when companies repeatedly violate weight limitations. ( See
Auditor General Report No. 86- 9)
0 ADOT's Maintenance Section could improve its efficiency by contracting
out more maintenance activities. Private contractors have been able to
perform several activities, such as curb sweeping and mowing, at less cost
than ADOT. Further, effectiveness of the Maintenance Section could be
improved by implementing needed improvements to the PeCos system
used by the Section to plan, budget and control maintenance activities,
and by establishing a method for evaluating district maintenance
conditions. ( See Auditor General Report No. 87- 51
a ADOT's Highways Division could improve its efficiency by increasing its
control of construction staffing levels. Our analysis of construction
engineering costs and other Statewide data indicates that overstaffing has
cost the State an estimated $ 7.4 million over the last four fiscal years.
Further, ADOT1s effectiveness could be increased by addressing system
deficiencies in the Construction Engineering Manpower Management
System ( CEM MS). Currently, the system is not being used to effectively
manage A DO T's construction engineering resources. In addition, A DOT
has not adequately supported CEMMS. ( See Auditor General Report No.
87- 1 1)
0 ADOT could improve its efficiency by reducing its fleet of cars and light
trucks. ADOT could save more than $ 1.7 million by not replacing 195
underutilized vehicles. Further, A DOT'S Equipment Services Section
could reduce the amount of time new vehicles remain unused before being
placed into service. ADOT had 92 pieces of equipment worth
approximately $ 1 million at purchase that remained idle for six to 30
months. Finally, AD OTIS Equipment Services Section could reduce the
amount of time that District 1' s critical highway maintenance equipment
is in the shop for repairs. ( See Auditor General Report No. 87- 9)
3. The extent to which the Department has operated within the public interest
ADOT's responsibility to provide an integrated and balanced State
transportation system serves the public interest. The Highways Division
designs, constructs and maintains State highways for public use. The Highways
Division is in the process of expanding the highway system to improve public
service. The Motor Vehicle Division's activities also serve the public interest.
The Division has implemented a driver's license renewal by mail program to
improve public convenience. Further, MVD has sought to implement changes in
the t i t l e and registration process to reduce the amount of time i t takes for the
public to receive their titles.
4. The extent to which rules and regulations promulgated by the Department are
consistent with the Legislative mandate
The Attorney General's Office is responsible for reviewing ADOT rules and
determining i f they are consistent with statute. The Attorney General's Office
reviews Department rules through the formal certification process required by
5. The extent to which the Department has encouraged input from the public
before promulgating rules and regulations and the extent to which it has
informed the public as to its actions and their expected impact on the public
The Department has encouraged input from the public before promulgating
rules and regulations by advertising proposed changes in the news media.
Further, the Department holds public hearings before promulgating rules. In
cases where rules and regulations may impact a specific group, the Department
may send direct mailings notifying these groups of rule and regulation changes.
For example, the Department recently changed the rules and regulations
regarding prequalification of contractors. In this case, the Department sent a
notice to contractors informing them of the proposed change.
The Department also involves the public in decisions regarding transportation
projects. According to the Director of AD 0 T, " Citizens' advisory groups,
public forums, public hearings, and meetings before local governing bodies are
carried out routinely prior to construction projects being awarded."
6. The extent to which the Department has been able to investigate and resolve
complaints that are within its jurisdiction
This factor does not apply since the Department is not a regulatory agency
7. The extent to which the Attorney General or any other applicable agency of
State government has the authority to prosecute actions under enabling
According to AD 0 T's Attorney General representative, county attorneys
prosecute actions relating to the Motor Vehicle Division laws. In our audit of
the Motor Vehicle Division weight enforcement program, we found that the
courts were not imposing sufficient penalties for violations. While some courts
adhered to statutory fines, others reduced the amount of the fine. In June
1986, the Arizona Supreme Court issued a memo to all Arizona courts of
limited jurisdiction advising them to impose the minimum statutory penalties,
after this problem was brought to the Court's attention by our Office.
8. The extent to which the Department has addressed deficiencies i n i t s enabling
statutes which prevent it from fulfilling its statutory mandates
According to ADOT officials, ADOT has proposed legislation regarding the 65
mph speed limit bill, renewal of driver's licenses by mail, and the classification
of driver's licenses for truck drivers. Further, ADOT played a key role in the
legislation allowing counties to increase the sales tax by 112 cent with the
proceeds going toward transportation improvements in the respective counties.
9. The extent to which changes are necessary in the laws of the Department to
adequately comply with the factors listed in the Sunset Law
Our review of the Department indicated that statutes related to overweight
trucks need to be amended to: 1) allow overweight axle citations to be issued
even i f the load is shifted, 2) assess higher penalties for repeat violations in
excess of 2,500 pounds, and 3) permit courts to hold trucking companies or
individuals who own or lease trucks jointly responsible with drivers for all
weight violations.
10. The extent to which the termination of the Department would significantly
harm the public health, safety or welfare
Termination of the Department of Transportation would have a detrimental
impact on public welfare. A D O T designs, constructs and maintains the highway
system for the entire State. Termination of ADOT would result in the loss of a
Statewide system, and a perspective for planning, construction and maintenance
of roadways that cross jurisdictional boundaries. According to the Director of
the Department, termination of the Department would cause the functions
currently performed by the Department to be assumed by the local
communities. Further, he indicated that the cities and counties are not
equipped to design, construct and maintain transportation facilities.
11. The extent to which the level of regulation exercised by the Department is
appropriate and whether less or more stringent levels of regulation would be
This factor does not apply since the Department is not a regulatory agency.
12. The extent to which the Department has used private contractors in the
performance of its duties and how effective use of private contractors could be
ADOTts greatest use of contractors is in its Highways Division, where
contractors perform both construction and highway maintenance work.
Construction - Private contractors perform all road construction. In recent
years, A DOT has also hired outside firms to assist in design and oversight of the
construction program. However, ADOT may be able to expand its use of
private contractors to perform the construction oversight function. In our audit
of the construction function ( See Auditor General Report No. 87- 11), we found
that ADOT could avoid increasing its current staffing levles by utilizing
alternatives, such as contracting out more work, to meet anticipated
short- term increases in workload. The primary advantage is that ADOT would
only have to pay for the construction staff when they are needed. In addition to
contracting out the oversight function, ADOT may be able to avoid increasing
its staff size by contracting out specific functions such as surveying and lab
Maintenance Contracting. - ADOT should continue to expand its use of
contracting for the highway maintenance function. AD 0 Tts Maintenance
Section of the Highways Division hires private firms for maintenance activities
such as rest area and picnic area maintenance, l i t t e r pickup, sweeping, trash
collection, mowing, pumping and landscaping. The contract maintenance
program has demonstrated that contractors are able to perform some
maintenance activities at a lower cost than ADOT, while generally providing an
improved level of service. In 1986, the approximate savings from the program
were more than $ 1.2 million.
Because of its cost effectiveness and improved level of service, the contracting
program should be expanded. Many maintenance activities such as shoulder
maintenance, culvert cleaning, guardrail repair and handpatching with premix
are successfully contracted in other states.
Our three audits of the Highways Division revealed two common central
management problems. First, management information systems that the Arizona
Department of Transportation ( ADOT) originally developed to provide better central
control have experienced serious problems and are largely ineffective. A second but
related problem is that ADOT's central office has not asserted a strong role in
overseeing district operations.
Data Systems
Are Deficient
The Highways Division is the largest division in ADOT, with operations throughout
the State. In order to obtain better control of the construction, maintenance and
equipment management functions, ADOT has spent considerable time and resources
developing data systems. However, the data systems in these three major areas do
not work as intended.
0 Construction - In our construction audit, we found that the Construction
Engineering Manpower Management System ( CEMMS) was not used effectively.
Since CEM MS was implemented in October 1982, ADOT has committed at least
$ 550,000 to the System, of which an estimated $ 460,000 has been incurred by
central office staff, with an additional $ 93,000 paid to consultants. CEM MS
was developed to plan and staff, budget, schedule, and monitor ADOT's
construction engineering resources. Because of the System's ineffectiveness,
it is not used to plan manpower needs. Further, CEMMS is not used to
determine construction costs or monitor project progress. In addition, the
construction orgs are not effectively using CEMMS to schedule personnel
assignments and communicate the assignments to employees. Finally, although
CEMMS is intended to identify significant problem areas, nearly half of the
construction orgs do not receive CEM MS reports on a regular basis.
0 Maintenance - In our maintenance audit, we found that the automated
management system for planning, budgeting and controlling highway
maintenance, called PeCos, did not work as intended. PeCos was implemented
in 1971 to provide management support through an objective basis from which
the maintenance program could be planned and executed. Despite its estimated
$ 720,000 annual cost, we found that PeCos was unreliable in projecting annual
maintenance requirements, setting production rates for field staff, and
assessing maintenance costs and resource requirements. Further, PeCos did not
provide adequate operational support for central office and field management.
For example, confidence in PeCos was so low that 11 of 12 of the org
supervisors interviewed do not use, or even consider, PeCos planned
accomplishments when scheduling maintenance work.
a Equipment - Central data management of the Equipment Services Section is
performed through the Equipment Management System ( EMS). However, the
EMS system has shortcomings which severely limit its usefulness to both
management and users. EMS was designed to track vehicle downtime.
However, because of numerous errors the downtime information is unreliable.
Further, we found shortcomings in the usefulness of the system for equipment
utilization. The system was supposed to track equipment utilization, provide
utilization analysis reports, provide fleet size analysis reports, set utilization
standards, and provide utilization exception reports of below standard usage,
However, the system is not used to monitor utilization.
Although problems have been brought to management's attention, ADOT has been
slow to implement needed changes. Eight internal and external studies conducted on
CEM MS pinpointed substantial changes needed to make the system viable. However,
ADOT has not dedicated the resources needed to improve the system. Further, both
a 1982 audit by our Office and a 1984 study conducted by a consultant hired by
ADOT made recommendations for improvements to PeCos. Again, however, the
recommendations of these studies have not yet been fully implemented. Finally,
ADOT indicated in our 1983 report on the Equipment Section that the EMS system
would be able to monitor utilization. Yet, the system is currently not performing
this function.
A DOT Needs To Strengthen
Central Oversight
ADOT's Central Office has not asserted a strong role in overseeing district
operations of the Highways Division.
a Maintenance - In our maintenance audit, we found that central office had
inadequate oversight of the maintenance function. Upper management, which
oversees district operations, did not take a sufficient interest in maintenance
management. The Deputy State Engineer of the Highway Operations Group,
who oversees district operations, did not review any reports prepared by the
Maintenance Section of the central office. Further, the Maintenance Section
prepares and allocates the budget and oversees the maintenance management
system; however, it had limited authority over district maintenance operations.
As a result of limited authority, there is confusion as to the Maintenance
Section's responsibility to monitor and control field performance. Thus,
although the Section generates detailed reports on maintenance efforts, the
Section does not review district conformance with performance standards or
dictate how resources should be allocated.
o Equipment Services - In our audit of the Equipment Services Section, we
found that oversight of equipment users was lacking. The Section had not
developed standards for equipment utilization. Thus, exception reports showing
users with inadequate utilization were not generated. Equipment Services
officials indicated that the Section had only limited authority to take action
when equipment was not sufficiently utilized. In addition to the lack of action
by the Equipment Services Section, central management also failed to take
action. Although central management was aware of problems with
underutilization identified in our 1983 audit report, sufficient steps were not
taken to ensure that recommendations were implemented.
a Construction - Central management has not taken a sufficiently aggressive
role in controlling staffing levels and ensuring that CEMMS is properly
utilized. Our audit revealed that ADOT's construction program was
overstaffed. ADOT construction staff had not been adjusted based on
workload. In addition, CEMMS, the manpower management system established
to assist in adjusting construction staff levels to meet workload fluctuations,
had not been fully utilized by ADOT. In fact, many orgs did not even receive
reports generated by CE M MS. According to an AD OT consultant, central office
staff involvement is essential for proper implementation of CEM MS. However,
ADOT's central office had relinquished control of manpower management to
the districts. Thus, ADOT lacks adequate Statewide management of
construction engineering manpower.
The Office of the Auditor General has conducted a performance audit of the Arizona
Department of Transportation ( ADOT) Motor Vehicle Division's Revenue Group, in
response to a July 26, 1985 resolution of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee.
This performance audit is one in a series of audits on ADOT and was conducted as
part of the Sunset Review set forth in Arizona Revised Statutes ( A. R. S.) 9941- 2351
through 41- 2379.
The Revenue Group serves as the revenue processing arm of the Motor Vehicle
Division ( MVD). The Revenue Group handles all revenues resulting from A. R. S. Title
28 ( transportation code): approximately $ 424 million annually. The major duties of
the Revenue Group are to: 1) set up and monitor commercial carrier accounts to
ensure compliance with Title 28 and other requirements; 2) receive, process and
distribute all Title 28 tax and license revenues; and 3) audit commercial vehicle and
distributor tax accounts to ensure proper tax reporting.
t Could
Dollars in Revenue
The Revenue Group Audit Section does not conduct enough audits of commercial
carriers. Currently the Section audits only about 2 percent of its accounts annually,
resulting in potential lost assessments of as much as $ 10.9 million per year. While
audit coverage varies from state to state, Arizona's falls below that of several other
states in at least two tax types.
Expanded audit coverage would substantially increase audit collections and improve
compliance with Arizona tax laws. Increasing the Section's current coverage to 3.1
percent would produce approximately $ 1.5 million in additional assessments, and
could be accomplished with current staffing levels by implementing the productivity
improvements recommended in Finding Ill ( page 17). lncreasing coverage to the 10
percent level would require 38 additional auditors, but could result in an additional
$ 10.9 million in assessments. The Audit Section should develop a plan to increase
audit coverage and use the plan to request funding for needed staff.
Current Audit Selection Procedures
Are Not Effective
The Audit Section's effectiveness is reduced by poor audit selection procedures.
Currently, audits are selected based on individual, often arbitrary judgment and are
not selected randomly. As a result, the Audit Section has audited 57 percent of the
largest accounts we analyzed at least once in the past three years. Many of the
largest accounts were audited repeatedly. The other 43 percent of large accounts
and 96 percent of the remaining accounts we analyzed have not been audited.
Because the Section focuses its efforts on a limited number of large accounts, most
other taxpayers have l i t t l e incentive to report their taxes properly. For example, one
carrier who was reporting a zero monthly tax liability was assessed more than
$ 37,000 as the result of an audit. Such underreporting could be causing the State to
lose substantial tax revenue.
To improve the effectiveness of its audit coverage, the Audit Section needs to
develop selection criteria that ensure random coverage of accounts. Management
should also review accounts to determine factors upon which selection could be
based, including account size, to further maximize revenue recovery.
The Audit Section could increase revenue recovered through audit assessments by
approximately $ 1.8 million to $ 2.8 million annually by limiting special project
assignments and automating auditor duties. Currently, auditors spend approximately
35 percent of their time on nonaudit duties. Using auditors for special projects has
cost the State approximately $ 4.3 million in the past three years, because the
auditors were not using their time to generate audit assessments. MVD should limit
use of audit staff for special projects.
The Audit Section could further increase productivity and generate more revenue by
automating several audit processes. The experience of other audit organizations
shows that the use of personal computers by auditors can decrease the time needed to
complete each audit by 10 to 30 percent. This translates into additional audits with
an estimated $ 351,000 to $ 1.3 million in potential audit assessments. The Legislature
should consider funding the Audit Section's 1987- 88 budget request for eight
microcomputers and software. Based on MVD's progress in implementing a
computerized audit program, the Legislature should consider funding additional
requests for computers in subsequent years.
The Audit Section Lacks Adequate Controls
To Ensure Quality And Integrity O f Audit
Modifications And Taxpayer Billings
The Audit Section does not have adequate controls to ensure accurate, justifiable
audit assessment modifications and billings. Documentation to support audit
assessment modifications reviewed by our staff was either weak or not available,
even though the modifications resulted in reductions of the original assessment
amount and ranged from approximately $ 500 to $ 368,000. Further, MVD audit
supervisors did not sign- off on most of the modifications after the completion of
each audit. The Audit Section also lacks adequate controls over assessment
notifications, since individual auditors have control over both the audit and the
taxpayer billing.
The Audit Section needs to enforce existing standards and policies governing
assessment modifications and taxpayer notifications to ensure that all modifications
are adequately documented and reviewed. ADOT's Internal Audit Section should
periodically review the MVD Audit Section's internal controls over modifications and
taxpayer notifications to ensure that they are adequate and are working as intended.
MVD Could Reduce Growth In The Number Of
Uncollectible Accounts
The Revenue Group has difficulty collecting monies owed from commercial carrier
accounts after all allowable collections procedures have been attempted. In order to
prevent an increase in the number of such outstanding accounts, the Revenue Group
could implement various monitoring procedures. For example, MVD could use a local
publication to track in- State accounts entering bankruptcy proceedings so the State
can file as a creditor before bankruptcy proceedings are final. MVD could also
improve its ability to identify out- of- State accounts that may go bankrupt by
monitoring the financial reporting of all carriers in and out of the State. It could also
use an outside collection agency to track bankrupt out- of- State carriers.
The Office of the Auditor General has conducted a performance audit of the Arizona
Department of Transportation ( ADOT), Motor Vehicle Division ( MVD), weight
enforcement function in response to a July 26, 1985, resolution of the Joint
Legislative Oversight Committee. This performance audit is one in a series of audits
on ADOT, and was conducted as part of the Sunset Review set forth in Arizona
Revised Statutes ( A. R . S.) $ 941 - 2351 through 41 - 2379.
Overweight trucks accelerate pavement deterioration and increase stress on bridge
structures. This deterioration increases exponentially as truck weight increases. For
example, a 100,000 pound truck does three times as much damage as an 80,000 pound
truck. In order to mitigate the damage from overweight trucks, MVD has a weight
enforcement program. This weight enforcement operation is comprised of 18 fixed
ports of entry on the State's borders and several mobile scale crews that operate in
the interior of the State.
Bypassing of ports of entry and limited use of mobile crews weakens MVD's
enforcement effort. Although 33 paved roads lead into Arizona from surrounding
states and Mexico, only 13 have ports of entry with operating scales. Although there
is limited data on the number of trucks bypassing the ports, studies have shown that
from 10 percent to 33 percent of trucks on Arizona highways are exceeding weight
limits. MVD is preparing to implement a plan to prevent bypassing of ports; however,
this plan will be limited to only the eastern border and portions of the northern
border of the State.
Better enforcement is also necessary in the interior of the State to monitor those
truckers who operate within Arizona's borders. For example, trucks carrying
concrete, garbage, and sand and gravel frequently violate weight limits but travel only
short distances and do not pass through ports. MVD has placed a low priority on
intrastate weight enforcement activities. Officers assigned to interior based mobile
crews spend less than 50 percent of their time on weight enforcement.
Inoperative Scales Allow Many Trucks
To Pass Through Ports Of Entry Without
Being Weighed
Weight enforcement is further weakened because port scales are frequently
inoperative. Because of frequent scale malfunctions, more than one- quarter million
trucks, 13 percent of the trucks that could have been weighed in fiscal year 1984- 85,
were not weighed. One major cause of scale downtime is that port scales were not
designed for the high traffic volumes at the ports. Another problem is that some of
MVD's scale installations make maintenance and repair very difficult and costly. A
1985 ADOT report indicated that $ 600,000 was needed to repair scales with
significant maintenance problems.
MVD should consider purchasing heavier scales designed for high traffic volumes.
Such scales cost approximately 10 to 15 percent more than the scales MVD has
purchased in the past.
Overloaded Axles, Which Are Damaging And
Occur Frequently, Cannot Be Cited Under
Existing Law
Although overweight axles are a major cause of pavement damage, effective
enforcement action cannot be taken in most cases. Truck related pavement damage
is primarily caused by the weight on each of a truck's axles. Therefore, a truck with
overloaded axles can cause damage even though its gross weight may be legal.
However, current statutes require officers to allow shifting of a load when a vehicle
is only over axle weight, not over gross limits. If the load is shifted to be within legal
axle load limits, the driver cannot be cited. As a result, more than 90 percent of
Arizona's weight enforcement violations between fiscal years 1982 and 1984 could
not be cited.
The Legislature should consider modifying the statutes to allow citations for all
overweight axle violations.
More Than One Third Of All Violators Are Not
Assessed Minimum Statutory Fines
The judicial system often fails to enforce minimum statutory penalties against weight
violators. Many courts incorrectly believe they have the authority to lower or
suspend fines. As a result, 38 percent of overweight violators receive fines less than
the minimum fines specified in statutes. The average fine reduction is $ 750 for those
fines that are reduced. This not only diminishes the deterrent effect of the penalties,
but also translates into a revenue loss of approximately $ 600,000 per year.
MVD should monitor fines imposed by the courts to ensure that the weight fine
schedule established in statutes is applied. Noncompliance should be reported to the
Arizona Supreme Court in order to ensure future compliance.
Greater Enforcement Effort Should Be
Directed At Trucking Companies
Enforcement efforts should be directed at trucking companies as well as drivers.
Although owners and companies may be responsible for overloads, they are currently
not held accountable for weight violations committed with their trucks. Under
existing statutes, courts are generally constrained to hold only the truck driver
responsible for weight violations. This has provided sufficient enforcement problems
that the City of Tempe enacted an ordinance that holds owners and drivers jointly
liable for weight citation penalties.
Weight audits and civil penalties could also be used to direct enforcement action
toward truck companies and owners. Audits of truck company weight records are an
effective and efficient tool in identifying companies that repeatedly violate weight
laws. Weight audits are successfully used by the state of Minnesota. After repeat
violators are identified, civil suits can recover road damages they have caused.
Texas and Minnesota have found that this action can be a very effective deterrent
against intentional violations. For example, Texas collected more than $ 1.3 million
in damages in a seven- month period and has experienced a 30 percent reduction in
gross weight violations since its civil program began in late 1984. Minnesota
attributes a 55 percent reduction in overweight trucks between fiscal years 1982- 83
and 1984- 85 to weight audits and civil penalties.
The Legislature should consider amending the statutes to permit courts to hold
trucking companies or individuals who own or lease trucks jointly responsible with
drivers for all weight violations. In addition, the Legislature should consider giving
MVD the authority to conduct audits of trucking company weight records. MVD
should consider bringing civil action against companies that repeatedly violate weight
MVD Needs Better Information For Its
Weight Enforcement Program
MVD needs more and better data on weight citations and on the location and
movement of overweight trucks. lnformation on trucking company name, time and
location of violation, fine amount, and truck weight is not presently available. MVD
needs this information to evaluate its effectiveness, to enhance enforcement efforts
against repeat violators, and to monitor court adherence to statutory fines.
The Office of the Auditor General has conducted a performance audit of the Arizona
Department of Transportation ( ADOT) in response to a July 26, 1985, resolution of
the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee. This performance audit was conducted
as part of the Sunset Review set forth in the Arizona Revised Statutes ( A. R. S.)
$ 541- 2351 through 41- 2379.
This is the third of several reports to be issued on the Arizona Department of
Transportation. The report focuses on the Highway Maintenance Section of the
Highways Division of ADOT.
Highway maintenance organizations ( orgs) perform numerous maintenance activities
including maintenance of paved surfaces, unpaved surfaces, unpaved shoulders,
vegetation, roadsides, rest areas and landscapes. Major highway maintenance
projects such as pavement overlays or reconstruction are generally performed by
private contractors through the Construction Section of the Highways Division.
A DOT Should Continue To Expand
Its Contract Maintenance Program
A DOT should expand its contracting of routine maintenance activities. AD OT's
Maintenance Section uses private firms for maintenance activities such as rest and
picnic area maintenance, l i t t e r pickup, sweeping, trash collection, mowing, pumping
and landscaping. The contract maintenance program has demonstrated that
contractors are able to perform some maintenance activities at a lower cost than
ADOT, while generally providing an improved level of service. In 1986, the
approximate savings from the program were more than $ 1,200,000.
Because of its cost effectiveness and improved level of service, the contracting
program should be expanded. Many maintenance activities such as shoulder
maintenance, culvert cleaning, guardrail repair, and hand patching with premix are
successfully contracted by other states. A t a minimum, ADOT should evaluate the
feasibility of contracting out these activities. In addition, the Legislature may wish
to establish a technical advisory committee ( consisting of representatives from
ADOT, private contractors and other persons knowledgeable in contracting and
highway maintenance), to conduct a systematic evaluation of all maintenance
activities to identify other activities that should be contracted.
ADOT's System For Planning, Budgeting And Controlling
Highway Maintenance Continues To Need Significant Improvement To Meet
Central Office And Field Management Needs
Despite its $ 720,000 annual cost, ADOT's system for planning, budgeting and
controlling highway maintenance, called PeCos, does not work as intended. PeCos is
designed to help the central office plan an annual work program and budget available
resources to accomplish the annual plan. PeCos should indicate the labor hours, and
amount of materials and equipment required to do a given amount of work.
PeCost usefulness is limited because key elements for: ( 1) projecting annual
maintenance requirements, ( 2) setting production rates for field crews, and ( 3)
assessing maintenance costs and resource requirements are inaccurate and
unreliable. In eight of 12 activities reviewed, actual field productivity had no
relationship to PeCos estimates. For example, for one of these activities, blading
unpaved shoulders, daily production is estimated at either 4.5 or 4.6 shoulder miles;
however, actual daily production ranged from .5 to 7.1 shoulder miles. This reduces
PeCos usefulness as a planning and budgeting tool because reliable production
estimates are necessary to develop a viable budget.
Nor does PeCos meet operational needs in the field. It does not enable area
personnel to effectively plan and control the work of maintenance crews. Our
analysis showed that confidence in PeCos is so low that 11 of the 12 org supervisors
interviewed do not use, or even consider, PeCos planned work when scheduling
maintenance activities.
AD 0 T Should Establish A Method For Evaluating
District Maintenance Conditions
In addition to implementing needed improvements to its maintenance management
system, ADOT needs to establish a method for evaluating the level of service
provided by maintenance field crews. Field staff report the amount of work done but
do not systematically survey and report highway conditions. As a result, A DOT
central office cannot compare highway conditions Statewide to direct resources to
areas and activities of greatest need.
ADOT should consider adopting some methods used in other states. Florida and Ohio
have supplemented their maintenance management systems by developing systematic
approaches to evaluating maintenance conditions throughout their highway systems.
Both states have developed condition standards. For example, one Florida standard
requires that shoulders have no more than a 3 inch drop- off. Another standard
requires that potholes be no greater than 1.5 square feet in area and 1.5 inches deep.
Both Florida and Ohio send observers into the field each quarter to test for
compliance with their standards.
Central Office Needs To Strengthen Its Oversight
Of The Maintenance Function
Central office needs to strengthen its Statewide oversight of the maintenance
function. Upper management, which oversees district operations, needs to take a
greater interest in maintenance management. The Deputy State Engineer of the
Highway Operations Group, who oversees district operations, does not review any
reports prepared by the Maintenance Section of the central office. The Maintenance
Section prepares and allocates the budget and oversees the maintenance management
system; however, i t has no line authority over district maintenance operations. As a
result, Statewide oversight and enforcement is lacking. Deviations in field
performance, such as an org that performs 100 percent less work on an activity than
was planned, are not routinely pursued to determine i f problems exist and corrective
action is needed.
The Office of the Auditor General has conducted a performance audit of the Arizona
Department of Transportation ( ADOT) equipment management function in response
to a July 26, 1985, resolution of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee. This
performance audit is one in a series of audits on ADOT, and was conducted as part of
the Sunset Review set forth in Arizona Revised Statutes 9941- 2351 to 41- 2379.
ADOT owns and maintains a fleet of approximately 3,450 pieces of equipment, with a
total estimated replacement cost of $ 64 million. The fleet consists of heavy
equipment such as loaders, graders and snowplows, and lighter equipment, including a
large passenger fleet. The Equipment Services Section is responsible for purchasing,
maintaining and disposing of the equipment. However, according to Equipment
Services officials, i t does not have authority to control the size of the fleet.
More than 15 percent of ADOT's cars and light trucks are underutilized and could be
eliminated from ADOT's fleet, saving more than $ 1.7 million in replacement costs
alone. Based on a conservative measure of usage, we determined that A DOT could
reduce its fleet by an estimated 195 vehicles. We believe this estimate is
conservative because observations of construction field offices revealed that nearly
35 percent of assigned vehicles sat idle at each observed time during the day. The
practice of assigning vehicles to individuals rather than pooling or using other
alternatives contributes to the low usage. ADOT should require or encourage its
employees to use alternative methods of transportation, including pooling vehicles
and using personal cars.
Although ADOT has been aware of problems with underutilization, it has not taken
sufficient action since our previous audit. In response to our 1983 audit, ADOT
reduced the number of heavy equipment units in its fleet, and reduced the number of
planned purchases of cars and pickups. However, ADOT did not develop a utilization
standard, and vehicle usage is not routinely reviewed. Further, the administrator of
Equipment Services had not been given authority to recall or transfer any equipment
that was underutilized or not justified. As a result, percentage of vehicles with low
utilization ( less than 1,000 miles per month) has increased from 43 to 48 percent.
ADOT Has Allowed $ 1 Million Worth Of New Equipment
To Sit Idle Too Long Before Placing It Into Service;
Individual Units Have Been Delayed From Six Months To
Two And One- Half YE
Ninety- two pieces of equipment worth approximately $ 1 million at purchase have
remained unused for six to 30 months before being placed into service. In contrast,
other large fleet operations set goals of issuing new equipment well under two
months. The following case examples illustrate the ADQT delays.
e In August 1984 ADOT accepted delivery of a number of 1- ton truck chassis, to
which special beds were to be added. Five of these chassis, costing a total of
$ 48,000 at purchase, were not issued to users until January 1987.
a In mid- 1985 ADOT accepted delivery of still more 1- ton truck chassis. As of
June 24, 1987, 11 of these chassis were still on the Equipment Services lot,
awaiting fabrication and attachment of special bodies.
Equipment Services' failure to issue equipment in a timely manner has resulted in
wasted State funds as well as problems for some users. At a minimum, such
extensive delays have led us to question whether several vehicles were really needed,
at least at the time the purchases were made. Poor management and planning appear
to have caused the excessive delays in issuing new equipment.
ADOT. - Could. Reduce . E quipment Downtime And - . . . - Speed Repair Of Equipment Critical To Users
The amount of time critical highway maintenance equipment is in the Central shop
for repairs is excessive. In extreme instances, equipment considered by highway
maintenance foremen to be critical to their operations spent 100 days or more during
a recent 12- month period in Equipment Services' central repair shop. A combination
of factors have caused this equipment to experience unnecessary downtime.
Inadequate shop procedures for repair scheduling and tracking have contributed to the
downtime. Changes that could decrease downtime include contracting out more
repairs, keeping the shops open at night, improving the availability of parts for
repairs, and evaluating equipment refurbishing decisions.
The Office of the Auditor General has conducted a performance audit of the
Arizona Department of Transportation ( ADOT), construction management function
in response to a July 26, 1985, resolution of the Joint Legislative Oversight
Committee. This performance audit is one in a series of audits on ADOT and was
conducted as part of the Sunset Review set forth in Arizona Revised Statutes
$ 341 - 2351 through 41 - 2379.
ADOT oversees highway construction of all interstate, primary and secondary
roadways to ensure that specifications are met and that contractors f u l f i l l their
legal obligations. To perform the oversight function, AD 0 T has approximately 600
construction staff located throughout the State. In recent years, ADOT has also
contracted with private sector engineering consulting firms to provide oversight on
some projects.
ADOT Has Not Adequately Controlled Construction Staffing Levels,
Resulting In Overstaffing That Has Cost The State
An Estimated $ 7.4 Million Over The Last Four Fiscal Years
Over the last four years ADOT has overstaffed its construction function by 21 to 101
unnecessary staff annually, costing the State approximately $ 7.4 million. Our
estimate of overstaffing is based on analysis of data on three variables: 1)
construction engineering ( CE) costs, 2) the substantial variations in staff
productivity, and 3) excessive amounts of non construction time charged by staff.
Our estimates were further supported by Auditor General staff field visits to
construction orgs and ADOT's own field reviews which provided several examples of
0 A District Two official acknowledges his district will be overstaffed by an
average of 44 employees over the next 12 months.
0 District Four maintains a permanent construction staff ( averaging approximately
70 staff) year- round, although construction activities vary during the year due to
climatic conditions. As a result, one resident engineer stated his org was
overstaffed from eight to 14 positions for nine months of the year. Further,
ADOT field reviews recently reported a surplus of 22 out of an average of 47
staff in two District Four orgs.
0 ADOT field reviews also found significant amounts of excess hours charged to
the survey function for several projects. ADOT found one project's survey
charges overrunning estimates by 240 to 315 percent. Another project overran
estimates by 6,000 hours. Central office staff attributed the overruns to staff
charging excess time to this function.
ADOT's construction program will expand in three of the next five years. Before
increasing staff size, ADOT should first consider making more use of consultant
engineers, contracting out more of the construction engineering functions ( such as
surveying) and making better use of its own staff resources. These actions will help
prevent staffing for peak workloads and the resultant overstaffing once the peaks
have passed.
Because ADOT has failed to properly adjust past staffing levels to meet fluctuations
in workload, we recommend that the Legislature consider setting and monitoring
construction staffing levels, as is done in several other states. We also recommend a
follow- up performance audit in two years to review ADOT's progress in managing
construction staff size.
ADOT'S Construction Engineering Manpower Management System
Is Not Being Utilized Effectively And
Needs Greater Management Support
ADOT has not effectively used its construction engineering manpower management
system ( CEMMS) to adjust staffing levels based on workload. CEM MS was
implemented in October 1982 to provide construction managers with tools to plan,
schedule and control construction engineering personnel and costs.
We found, however, that despite the $ 550,000 A DOT has committed to CEM MS since
1982, CEM MS is not being effectively utilized to manage CE resources.
0 ADOT has not effectively used CEMMS' long- range labor planning and
short- range project staffing functions to ensure that staffing levels are
e The CEMMS budget function is not well understood or used by district personnel.
0 ADOT has misused the CEM MS scheduling function, which i f used properly,
assesses short- term staffing needs and plans for efficient personnel use. For
example, resident engineers have, in some cases, overstated staffing needs.
0 CEMMS reports identifying ADOT construction engineering hours and cost
overruns are not received by nearly half of the construction orgs. Some districts
have stopped distribution of the reports. Without feedback, action cannot be
taken to control costs. District personnel stated that even when problem
projects are identified, l i t t l e or no formal action is taken.
Although repeatedly informed of problems with CEM MS, A DOT management has
taken little action to correct deficiencies or ensure system utilization. Problems
with management direction, adequate district staff commitment, system analyses and
updating and training have been reported to ADOT management regularly over the
last five years by outside consultants and ADOT staff. ADOT upper management
needs to make a firm commitment to address the problems with i t s manpower
management system to ensure that ADOT uses i t s s t a f f and other resources
efficiently and effectively.
206 South Seventeenth Avenue Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Governor October 29,1987 Director
Mr. Douglas R. Norton
Auditor General
2700 N. Central Avenue, Suite 700
phoenix, Arizona 85004
Dear Mr. Norton:
We are submitting the attached comments in regard to
the Performance Audit of the Arizona Department of
Transportation, Sunset Factors and Summary Report ( No.
87- 12). I appreciate the opportunity to provide these
comments and have them included in the final report.
Charles L. Miller
rn HIGHWAYS AERONAUTICS MOTOR VEHICLE PUBLIC TRANSIT ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES TRANSPORTATION PLANNING
October 28, 1987
Auditor General's Report 87- 12 contains the findinss of the
Auditor General concerning the twelve statutory sunset factors.
In addition to these factors, the Auditor General has included
summaries of recently completed audits conducted within the
Arizona Department of Transportation.
Following are brief comments relative to each of the performance
audits conducted in the Arizona Department of Transportation:
This audit contains five findings relating to the operation of
the Revenue Group. The department agrees with each of the find-ings
and has taken action to respond to specific Auditor General
recommendations. The department's detailed response to this
report can be found in Audit No. 86- 7, dated August 1986.
Audit 86- 9 contains six findings: five relating to the operation
of the Weight Enforcement Section of the Motor Vehicle Division
and one directed to the judicial system. The department has ini-tiated
steps to respond to each of the ADOT recommendations pre-sented
in the audit report. The department s detailed response
to this report can be found in Audit No. 86- 9, dated December
Audit Report No. 87- 5 contains four findings relating to the
Maintenance function within the Highways Division. The depart-ment
generally agrees with these findings and has initiated
action to respond to the specific recommendations made by the
Auditor General. The department's detailed response to this
report can be found in Audit No. 87- 5, dated August 1987.
Audit 87- 9 contains three findings relating to equipment manage-ment
within the department. The department concurs with two
recommendations and partially concurs with the other. Steps have
been taken to respond to each of the recommendations presented
by the Audit General. The department's detailed response to this
report can be found in Audit No. 87- 9, dated October 1987.
The Arizona Department of rans sport at ion adamantly and totally
disagrees with Finding I contained in Audit 87- 10. The
Department concurs with ind ding I1 regarding the improvement and
utilization of the Construction Engineering Manpower Management
The Department's detailed responses to this report can be found
in Audit No. 87- 9, dated October 1987.
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Valedictorians of graduating classes at high schools in Tracy are Kerry Fray of West High and Stephanie Smith of Tracy High.
A jet plane used for aerobatics crashed near Durham Ferry and Kasson roads near the New Jerusalem Airport southeast of town. The pilot died the crash.
Stacy Erickson has been named coordinator of activities that will mark the 125th anniversary of Tracy's founding in 1878.
Despite gusty winds, Tracyites flocked to the downtown for the Cool Blues and Micro Brews event sponsored by the Downtown Tracy Improvement Area.
The new GWF peaker electricity-generating plant west of town is up and running. The plant generates electricity when demand is great.
Services have been held for Louise Galli, 95, matriarch of the Galli family north of Tracy.
West High's girls track team captured first place in the Sac-Joaquin Section track and field championships at UC Davis. Megan Lewis of West set a school record in the 1,600-meter run at 5 minutes, 9.99 seconds.
25 years ago — 1988
Kristin Souza has been crowned Miss Tracy at the conclusion of the pageant at Emma Baumgardner Theater on the Tracy High campus. Juanita Applebaum was runner-up.
Crime at Tracy schools decreased in 1986-87, according to a report released by the elementary and high school districts.
Tracy High trustees have approved a curriculum to teach students about AIDS.
Tracy High seniors Hillary Huber, a track and cross-country runner, and Steve Thompson, a standout in football and baseball, have been named Tracy Press Athletes of the Year.
Sprinter Mike Lewis of Tracy High finished second in the 200-meter dash and third in the 100 at the Sac-Joaquin Section track and field championships, qualifying for the state track meet.
50 years ago — 1963
Sun Ray DX Oil Co. has completed canvassing Tracy residential areas in an effort to acquire gas and oil leases.
Carol Azevedo of Tracy has completed the dental-assistant course at Bay City College in San Francisco.
John Thoming, 82, a native of Germany and a pioneer of the Vernalis area, has died in San Pablo.
John J. Serpa of Tracy has been re-elected commander of District 13 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
The Tracy Press has published a 92-page Progress Edition that details the growth and development of the Tracy area.
Manuel Alviso has been elected student body president at Senior Elementary School (later Clover Middle School).
Phil Silva has been named winner of the Boys Block T Blanket as the outstanding athlete in the Tracy High Class of 1963. He won varsity letters in football, wrestling, track and baseball.
75 years ago — 1938
A second flood at the juncture of the San Joaquin River and Paradise Cut has closed Highway 50 east of town. The same section of highway was closed by flooding in March.
Diplomas have been awarded to 89 Tracy High seniors in the high school's annual graduation ceremonies in the school auditorium.
Max Farnsworth of Tracy has left for Montana, where he will be in charge of the Civilian Conservation Corps camp.
Two farm workers from Mexico were killed when struck by a train on the tracks west of town.
100 years ago — 1913
A Southern Pacific car inspector was killed in the Tracy yard by a passing passenger train while crossing tracks to inspect the wheels of a freight train.
Users of water from the City of Tracy will get 10,000 gallons of water for $1.50, city trustees (City Council) have agreed.
Community volunteers have found a home for a homeless baby with a Tracy couple living on 10th Street.
— Tracy Press archives


text:
In Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, Emily Bergl may play the greedy Mae Pollitt, but offstage, she's an art-loving, disco ball-collecting, tea-making and robe-wearing Broadway sweetheart. Check out her cozy backstage home at the Richard Rodgers Theatre!
See clips from the Broadway sensation inspired by The Wizard of Oz.September 25, 2008
Broadway.com Audience Choice Award winner Andy Mientus discusses his work in the new hit revival of Les Miserables, his TV start on Smash and how he popped the question to Michael Arden.October 3, 2014
In this week's episode we welcome a new video blogger, find Honeymoon happiness, unveil the new Culturalist top 10 and pit two Tony-winning View funny ladies against each other!October 15, 2014
Watch video of Broadway's longest-running phenomenon!September 25, 2008
Get ready for Miss Trunchbull's rules to back to school, exclusively on Broadway.com!August 18, 2014
See a video sneak peek of Broadway's long-running sexy smash!September 25, 2008
If/Then star James Snyder heads to the airport, a coffee house, a recording studio and his dressing room for a fun chat with Jackie Burns.October 3, 2014
Nathan Lane, Stockard Channing, Matthew Broderick, Megan Mullally, F. Murray Abraham, Rupert Grint...and Micah Stock! Talking with the hilarious cast of Terrence McNally's It's Only a Play on opening night.October 10, 2014
The creators of "The Book of Mormon" promote the musical on the popular Comedy Central show.June 15, 2011
Spotlight On: Mamma Mia!November 20, 2008
Tony winner Laura Benanti returns to talk about her new gig on TV's Nashville, her fantasy reality TV show about Broadway and her amazing Twitter talentOctober 9, 2014


text:
CANNES, France (AP) — Turkish drama 'Winter Sleep' wins Palme d'Or, the top honor of the Cannes Film Festival.
Welcome to your discussion forum: Click the login link below to sign in with or to set up a Disqus account or to access your social networking account. When you do, your comment should be posted immediately, provided it meets the guidelines. (What are the guidelines?.) Report abuse by flagging a comment (mouse over the comment). Comments made here are the sole responsibility of the person posting them; these comments do not reflect the opinion of The Berkshire Eagle. So keep it civil.
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Bank robber who bummed cigarette gets 10 years
PITTSBURGH (AP) — A bank robber who stopped during his escape to bum a cigarette off a construction worker has been sentenced to 10 years in prison by a federal judge in Pittsburgh. Full Story
(Andrew Estey/Andrew Estey/Invision/AP)
Sam Smith, 5SOS, Blige to perform 2014 AMAs
NEW YORK (AP) — Breakthrough newcomers Sam Smith and 5 Seconds of Summer will take the stage at the 2014 American Music Awards. Full Story
( Jamie McCarthy )
Jennifer Garner tired of Ben Affleck getting asked about Emily Ratajkowski body
Garner says all she is ever asked is about balancing career and family, whereas her husband is only asked about his "Gone Girl" co-stars breasts.


text:
In addition to frequently changing Galleries that showcase the permanent collection, Winterthur presents extraordinary exhibitions that highlight the very best in craftsmanship and scholarship, from both our own collection and distinguished institutions around the world.
On View Now
March 1, 2014–January 4, 2015
Costumes of Downton Abbey is an original exhibition of exquisite designs from the award-winning television series. Approximately 40 historically inspired costumes from the television show will be displayed and supplemented by photographs and vignettes inspired by the fictional program and by real life at Winterthur.
The Flowering of American Tinware
Through January 4, 2015
This pocket-size exhibition highlights the collection of decorated tinware that Henry Francis du Pont acquired from antiques dealers in New England and Pennsylvania, particularly from Ephrata, Lancaster, Carlisle, and York. These beautiful, hand-painted objects feature decorative techniques that have been in use from the early 1700s to today.
The Diligent Needle: Instrument of Profit, Pleasure, and Ornament
Through July 5, 2015
For centuries women have used a needle to both earn a living and create objects of beauty. This exhibition presents embroidery from the impressive Winterthur collection, highlighting the fascinating intersection of "work" and "art."
Special Displays
Winterthur Collects What?: A Bird's-Eye View
On view in the first-floor Galleries
The Winterthur Library also features special displays of library collection items. All exhibitions are included with admission and are free to Winterthur Members.
All exhibitions are included with admission and are free to Winterthur Members.


text:
Quick bio as this is my first post...
I used to shoot longbow about 20 years ago and got side tracked, (college, grad school, marrage, house, etc, you know how it goes), and I am trying to get back up to speed. I am scheduled to take a USA Archery beginning shooting class next month as a way to get back into the groove. I was never a hunter but was more into target archery. I still have my old Pearson longbow but since I am very out of shape for a #60 longbow, I am thinking about getting something in a lighter recurve.
I've been really thinking about a takedown model simply because I can change the limbs from lower weight to higher weight as I build the muscles back up. Maybe starting at #35 or so.
I like the look of the Saber but saw the new Diablo in the 2013 catalog and that looks pretty sweet as well. I had a few questions though.
1. When will the 2013 bows be available in the market? I haven't seen any reviews or seen them for sale yet.
2. The catalog shows the Diablo takedown as made in the US but the Saber and Jaguar doesn't have the made in the USA logo on the page. Is the Diablo made in the US?
3. I see the Diablo has an AMO length of 62" and the Saber has an AMO length of 64" I'm about 6' 3" with a draw of around 31" Any idea on how the AMO length would play into either of these for me? My Pearson longbow has an AMO of 64" (going by the bowstring I just bought) by comparison and that is reasonably comfortable with my draw.
4. Anyone here seen or maybe even shot one of the new Diablos yet? Any first hand accounts? How does it compare to the Saber?
5. Anyone have a Saber? If so, what would you do Saber or Diablo?
Thanks a lot for any help you can give on this. I've got a lot of catching up to do


text:
4 Slot Heritage toasterView all Classic Range
The six specially selected shades are from Little Greene's 'Colours of England'
With a shared passion for contemporary design and traditional craftsmanship, Dualit have teamed up with premium paint manufacturers Little Greene to produce a selection of special edition colours for their iconic Classic Toasters.
With Dualit's engineering know-how and Little Greene's - fully authenticated by English Heritage - colour expertise, this unique partnership really is a match made in heaven for all interior enthusiasts.
The six specially selected shades are from Little Greene's 'Colours of England' card, and bring timeless paint colours from as far back as the 1700s to the modern day kitchen.
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