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Benefit planned to assist Highland Games, Tartan Thistle owners
A local singer is starting a benefit for organizers of the Whidbey Island Highland Games, who lost their inventory in a fire last year.
On May 30, 2007, fire ripped through Angus and Maureen MacDonalds business warehouse, destroying all of their Highland Games inventory. The fire was part of an unsolved string of suspicious fires that happened over nearly a month throughout the South End.
For a while, the MacDonalds, who own The Tartan Thistle in Freeland, held out hope that insurance might cover at least part of their $250,000 loss of inventory and the house. But their hopes were dashed when the insurance claim came up empty.
They lost all their inventory and the building it was kept in and the insurance company didnt pay so they are having difficulty putting the games back on, said Beverly Graham of Clinton.
They are the impetus for the Highland Games on the island. If they go away or cant do it, then the games wont be here on the island, she said.
When Graham heard the news from a friend that the games for this year were in jeopardy, she decided to gather a small group of people to see what could be done.
The games bring in about 3,500 people every year, she said, and attracts a lot of tourist dollars to Whidbey.
Graham is now organizing a benefit at Greenbank Farm to help out the MacDonalds; its tentatively set for March 8.
Graham said every dollar raised will help.
Were trying to put a little bit of a dent in that [$250,000 loss], so were hoping to get around $10,000, from as many as a couple hundred people, she said.
There will be a Men in Kilts fashion show and Graham is still looking for men to fill the kilts. She is also working out the details to get a comedian from Seattle to travel to Greenbank, as well.
Helping others is old hat for Graham, the founder of OPERATION: Sack Lunch and a volunteer performer at many fundraisers on Whidbey.
I work with people all the time whose lives have fallen apart and somehow, if there was some intervention, they might not have gone down the path they went down, she said. How do we reach out to the community in need? We do send out our money in a lot of different directions.
This island is a dichotomy between the poor people who couch surf or sleep in their car with their kids and the very rich, Graham added.
In my world, I thought that insurance would cover their (MacDonalds) needs when I read the story last year. But that didnt happen.
For information on how to help with the event, call Graham at 341-1852.
Sheriff Mark Brown said the investigation into the fires continues. There are no suspects.
Spencer Webster can be reached at 221-5300 or swebster@southwhidbey
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An Israeli footballer was the victim of antisemitic abuse after fans aimed a Nazi salute at him during a training session.
Itay Shechter, who plays for German side Kaiserslautern, was targeted by up to ten people chanting antisemitic jeers. They also made the Nazi salute, an illegal act under German law.
Mr Shechter, 24, moved to the club from Hapoel Tel Aviv last summer.
The incident was condemned by the German Football Federation, whose incoming president Wolfgang Niersbach said: "Antisemitism and racism should not be allowed to have any place in football.
"We must defend ourselves with all possible means at our disposal and we hope that the authorities pursue the case with all its consequences."
Two years ago, while still with Hapoel, the player found himself at the centre of another controversy on the pitch, when he donned a red kippah during a Champions League match against an Austrian team.
The move was criticised as provocative and the referee gave him a red card, but Hapoel responded by ordering 20,000 similar kippot to give to fans at the second leg match.

subset: commoncrawl


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We're not shy about advocating for shareholder rights, or making sure our members are heard on important matters that affect all of our portfolios. That's why the White House asked for feedback from the Motley Fool community and agreed to answer your questions. Here is the second part of our interview with one of President Obama's chief economists.
On Tuesday, The Motley Fool sat down with Austan Goolsbee, Colbert Report survivor and chief economist for the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board, to ask your questions about the White House's financial regulatory reform plan.
One hot topic you raised was the potential for increased regulation to squelch the machinations of capitalism. Goolsbee addressed that, as well as the high points of the administration's recommendations for financial-industry reform, in the first part of David Gardner's and my interview, posted yesterday.
Where were the watchdogs when we needed them?
Another common theme that came out of Fool member comments was lackluster enforcement:
- From dancinglight: "There are already a number of laws in place that were ignored or conveniently dismissed by the government itself. How about the feds just enforcing what is already there?"
- Afthought wrote: "Greater regulation is not the answer. Enforcement of existing regulations through prosecution and imprisonment of violators would bring a higher degree of honesty to the financial world."
- And this comment, posted by gamala: "I agree with the Obama plan for the new, comprehensive agency. However, any agency is only as effective as the monitoring and accountability that is placed in its authority. There must be consequences for breaking the rules and they must be harsh so that others do not break rules. That includes consequences for the financial institutions and consequences for any corrupt practices attributed to the oversight agency employees."
In the following segment, we ask a question posted by Fool member sfun about the breakdown in investor protection. You'll also hear Goolsbee's thoughts on the conflicts of interest on Wall Street that still exist, and how the government failed the individual investor.
Keep those questions and comments coming
As individual investors, we all have a material interest in how President Obama's new rules of the road will affect our portfolios, the financial products and services we use, and the companies in which we invest.
Let's keep this conversation with the administration going: Enter your comments below about financial-regulation enforcement -- or any other thoughts about financial-regulation reform.
Monday on Fool.com, we'll share what the White House thinks about bringing back the Glass-Steagall Act.
Dayana Yochim thinks that "watchdog" is too wimpy of a term. She thinks the suits on Wall Street would be more likely to color within the lines if Washington threatened to send "The Crusher" to set things right. The Motley Fool is investors writing for investors, and it's even representing investors whenever we're invited to the White House.


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WASL scores show Valley students ahead of state average
SNOQUALMIE VALLEY - Test scores released last week by the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) showed that students in the Snoqualmie Valley School District (SVSD) continued to make headway on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) and continue to outscore the state average.
"It really is a credit to the hard work of our teaching staff," said Don McConkey, assistant superintendent for the district.
The WASL, a standardized test that was given to every fourth-, fifth-, seventh-, eighth- and 10th-grader in the state last year, is administered every spring. Tests given to the fourth-, seventh- and 10th-graders are more extensive, while the other grades take only a science portion of the test. The 2003-2004 tests marked the first year the tests did not include a listening section.
Unlike other standardized tests, the WASL is set to be part of graduation requirements for Washington students by the class of 2008 (this fall's ninth-graders who will therefore have to pass the 10th-grade WASL in 2006).
Last school year's SVSD students scored higher than the state average on all sections of the test and higher than previous year's students in the district on most sections of the test. Some scores, which are percent ages of students who passed the state standard, went up considerably. The science scores for eight- and 10th-grade went up, respectively, from 49.6 percent to 59.1 percent, and from 34 percent to 40.1 percent.
Gains at the seventh-grade level also were impressive compared to last year's scores. Reading went from 66 percent to 81.6 percent, math rose from 53.1 percent to 65.8 percent and writing climbed from 72.3 percent to 81 percent.
There were a few exceptions.
At the fourth-grade level, the writing score dipped to 57.7 percent compared to last year's 59.7 percent score, and math, which was 66.1 percent compared to last year's 66.4 percent. Tenth-grade writing also slipped slightly, going down to 66.3 percent from last year's 66.6 percent.
McConkey said, however, the district has continued a solid upward trend. Some scores have doubled or even tripled since the first years the tests were given in the springs of 1997, 1998 and 1999.
"We are really pleased," McConkey said.
Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson said that while the state's overall upward trend on the WASL has been encouraging, there are still many challenges in public education, particularly with the "achievement gap" between African-American, Hispanic and Native American students and their fellow white and Asian-American students.
"We are at a crossroads," Bergeson said in a press release. "Despite the gains, we still have an appalling achievement gap. We still have many students who aren't making enough academic progress to earn a skill-based diploma. We will lose many of these students if we don't take deliberate action over the next several years.
"We must launch an extensive, statewide communications effort to involve citizens in recommitting to our educational future and the goals we have set for our children. We must fight for and dedicate the resources necessary to keep our promises to our kids," Bergeson said. "And finally, we must restore balanced and meaningful accountability policy, so we can motivate students and educators to move to higher levels of achievement and recognize the real improvements they are making."
* For more information about the WASL, including test scores for individual schools and student demographic groups, visit http://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us.
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I found that blurb on Republican Congressman Bill Huizenga's new website, but I fear he's off to a terrible start if his intention is to help our residents rather than hurt them.
Other than his quote, and directions on how to contact his office, there weren't any other details of how exactly the newly elected representative for West Michigan's 2nd District will get the ball rolling on those all-important fronts.
And while it's too soon to generalize about our new congressman, the signs thus far sadly point to a career about to be wasted in imitation of the antics of the most extreme conservatives in his party.
For instance, on Jan. 19, as their No. 1 legislative priority for the 112th Congress, House Republicans and Huizenga launched their all-out effort to repeal the landmark Democratic health insurance reform legislation, which passed last year without a single Republican vote in that body.
Three weeks ago in my column I talked about the very positive reforms enacted in this legislation, and once again I urge readers with questions about the new health insurance reform measure to visit the fantastic Henry J. Kaiser Foundation's "Health Reform Source" page. There readers will be able to learn about all the provisions of the new health plan year-by-year as they kick in. That web address is: healthreform.kff.org/timeline.aspx (note: there is no "www" prefix).
But what about the jobs aspect? What about the impact of health care insurance reform on our particular district? What are the specifics of those issues as they relate to Huizenga's very poorly thought out first major vote?
Democrats on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce have thoughtfully compiled the answers. Now, while I recognize the information is from a partisan source, the Dems assembled their facts from a wide-ranging field of respected agencies that have collected the data. These include the U.S. Census (data on insurance coverage rates and types of coverage, small businesses, early retirees, income, and district populations); the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (data on Medicare enrollment and the Part D donut hole); the Department of Health and Human Services (data on uncompensated care, Early Retiree Reinsurance Program participation, and pre-existing conditions); and the Congressional Budget Office (data on health insurance coverage and deficit reduction under the Affordable Care Act).
The website address where you can read this fact sheet in its entirety is docs.house.gov/energycommerce/health_2011/MI2.Huizenga.pdf (note: there is no "www" prefix).
First, Huizenga's repeal vote, if enacted, would eliminate the new ban on discrimination on the basis of pre-existing conditions.
According to the Democrats analysis, under the health reform law, insurance companies can no longer deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions and will be banned from discriminating against adults with pre-existing conditions in 2014. There are 118,000 to 302,000 residents in our district with pre-existing conditions like diabetes, heart disease or cancer. This figure includes 9,000 to 40,000 children. Repeal, if enacted, would allow insurance companies to refuse to insure these individuals if they seek coverage in the individual or small-group markets.
The consequences would be particularly acute for the 14,000 to 36,000 individuals in our district who currently lack insurance coverage and who would be unable to purchase individual policies if the law is repealed.
Next, Rep. Huizenga voted to repeal the ban on annual and lifetime limits.
The new health reform law prohibits insurance companies from imposing annual and lifetime limits on health insurance coverage. This provision protects the rights of everyone who receives coverage from their employer or through the market for private insurance. If this protection is repealed, the analysis shows insurers would be able to impose coverage limits on 448,000 individuals in our district with employer or private coverage.
Rep. Huizenga's repeal vote was also a vote to increase the long-term debt of our nation by more than $1 trillion.
The health reform law reduces the nation's debt by eliminating waste, fraud and abuse in the health care system, reducing the growth of health care costs, and preventing excessive profit-taking by private insurers. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the bill will reduce the deficit by more than $200 billion over the next 10 years and by more than a trillion dollars in the decade after that. Repeal would eliminate these cost-cutting measures, adding more than $3,000 to the national debt for each American, including the 690,000 residents of the district.
Repealing the Patient Health and Affordable Care Act reform measure would seriously impact local health care providers, according to the analysis:
• Repeal would eliminate tax credits, worth up to 35 percent of the cost of providing health insurance, for the 14,000 small businesses that are eligible for this tax credit in our 2nd Congressional District, meaning these small businesses might have to drop coverage or bear the full costs of coverage themselves.
• Repeal would increase retiree health care costs for employers continuing to provide health insurance for as many as 13,400 district residents who have retired but are not yet eligible for Medicare. Not only would repeal increase costs for employers, but it might even jeopardize the coverage their retirees are receiving.
• The health reform law benefits hospitals by covering more Americans and thereby reducing the cost of providing care to the uninsured. Repeal would undo this benefit, increasing the cost of uncompensated care by $41 million annually for hospitals in the district.
You get the picture, I hope.
Our new congressman may have boosted his standing and won some skin with his friends in the tea party, but he didn't do the rest of us any favors with his terrible, awful, perfectly horrible vote to repeal health insurance reform.
David Kolb is former editorial page editor of The Muskegon Chronicle. E-mail: email@example.com


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HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Stop by any local pet store in the fall and you're bound to see tiny houndstooth sweaters, orange-and-blue bandanas and jerseys of all sizes and styles -- that is, if they haven't already been picked over. Like their enthusiastic owners, pets across Alabama are showing allegiance this football season.
The Iron Bowl is just over a month away, and Go! magazine is looking for the most spirited Alabama and Auburn pets in the Huntsville area. Send us a photo of your furry friends sporting their favorite football gear and we'll choose the most spirited pet photos to run in the Iron Bowl edition of Go! magazine Nov. 24. There are two ways to submit your photos:
- Send your photo via email to firstname.lastname@example.com with your pet's name, your full name and phone number and the subject line "Pet photo."
- Post your photo with your pet's name on the Huntsville Life Facebook page at facebook.com/HuntsvilleLife.
Photos should be 1 mb or larger and all photos must be submitted by Thursday, Nov. 17.


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Is it just me, or does the outlook contact autocomplete, to be polite, not work so well?
It's weird. It doesn't pop-up people that are actually in my contacts. Sometimes when I type the last name, then first, it may pop up what is in my contacts section of outlook.
Other than that, it's very good at popping up suggestions for people that are NOT in my contacts, and I rarely if ever e-mail.
For example, for some odd reason, someone that is in my contacts, and I CC on almost every e-mail, it never suggests. If I enter the name, when I hit send, or hit ctrl-k, it puts in the correct e-mail.
Anyway, I wanted to see if anyone knew of a fix for this. I tried searching.
Is it just me, or does the outlook contact autocomplete, to be polite, not work so well?
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FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Indiana's NewsCenter) - After Thursday's slide of the DOW by 512 points the Market ended the week mixed.
The DOW gained 60-points while the NASDAQ was down 23, and the S&P was down a fraction.
Investors are fearful that the debt crisis in Europe might infect banks there, roiling financial markets worldwide.
Certified Financial Planner Todd Larson talked with Indiana's NewsCenter about Thursday's sell off and what kind of damages are going to be seen in an average retirement fund.
Tune in at 5 PM for Todd's answer.
What are your thoughts CLICK HERE to leave us a "QUESTION OF THE DAY" comment.
© Copyright 2016, A Quincy Media broadcasting station. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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News Stories for the Week
Galveston College TRiO Upward Bound students were recently recognized for their outstanding academic performance in Math and Science in the University of North Texas Upward Bound Math and Science program. Pictured left to right are Asia McClain, Cheronda Frank, and Beatriz Sanchez.
Galveston College classes start today. Late registration for the 2009 Fall Semester continues August 31 through September 8. Call (409) 944-1220 for more information.
Courses offered this Fall include the following: Accounting, Art, Associate Degree Nursing, Biology, Biotechnology, Breast Imaging/Mammography, Business Administration, Chemistry, Computed Tomography, Computer Science, Computer Technology, Computers in Health Care, Criminal Justice, Culinary Arts, Developmental Studies, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Drama, Economics, Education, Emergency Medical Services, English, Environmental Science, Government, History, Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management, Humanities, Law Enforcement Academy, Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technology, Mathematics, Medical Office, Medical Terminology, Music, Nuclear Medicine Technology, Office Administration, Paralegal Studies, Pharmacy Technology, Philosophy, Phlebotomy, Physical Education, Physics, Psychology, Radiation Therapy, Radiography, Respiratory Care, Sociology, Spanish, Speech, Surfing, Surgical Technology, and Vocational Nursing.
Galveston College is now offering courses to introduce students to the Paralegal profession. The first course beginning in Fall 2009 is Legal Research. This course is being offered from 9:30 a.m. until 10:50 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The
course includes examination of law library techniques and computer assisted legal research.
By the end of the course, students will gain the ability to identify and locate primary and secondary legal authority; and implement effective research strategies. These include utilizing standard and electronic legal research tools with an emphasis on the paralegal's role and ethical considerations in legal research.
The second course is Introduction to Law & the Legal Profession. This course is offered from 11:00 a.m. until 12:20 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and provides an overview of the law and the legal professions. Topics include legal concepts, systems and terminology; ethical obligations and regulations; professional trends, and issues with an emphasis on the paralegal's role. At the end of the course, students will be able to utilize legal terminology, explain fundamental legal concepts, understand the judicial system, and explain the ethical obligations of the legal professional in various practice areas, with particular emphasis on the paralegal's role.
Classes begin August 31, 2009. For more information contact Maria Eliaz at 409-944-1336 or by email at email@example.com.
Do you want to surf like a pro? Register for PHED 2116 Surfing I. Classes that will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:00 p.m. Participants will learn basic motor functions involved with surfing, including safety and water awareness. This eight week course involves both classroom and water instruction. All levels of surfing are welcome. The cost is $258. Equipment will be provided. For more information, e-mail surfing instructor Sepp Haukebo at email@example.com or call Conrad Breitbach at 409-944-1316.
Galveston College will be offering a Conversational Spanish course this semester. The course is designed to develop conversational skills in Spanish, emphasizing the active, practical use of Spanish through an interactive and personalized learning experience. Based on gradual acquisition of useful vocabulary and material related to everyday life, students will become familiar with the Spanish speaking world. A textbook is required. The cost is $180 and the course will be offered from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays from September 22 through November 12. For more information contact Continuing Education at 409-944-1344.
Galveston College will help students see real planets, moons and stars in the nighttime sky. In this class students will explore the heavens, learn about constellations, and actually view these objects through various types of telescopes. The first class of two hours is followed by a four hour evening observation class under the stars. No textbook is required and no senior discount is available. The cost is $30 and the class will be offered on Tuesday, October 13 from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Galveston College will offer a Hot Stone Massage class. Hot Stone is a type of massage that uses smooth, heated basalt stones or cold marble stones. These therapeutic stones, first used by Native Americans, absorb and retain heat for a deeply soothing, relaxing form of massage. A set of basalt hot stones, sheets, and large bath towel are required. The cost is $140. The class is Friday, September 18 from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Call 409-944-1344 for more information.
For those who want to add some class to their holiday or game day appetizers, without spending a lot of time preparing them, Galveston College is offering a Quick and Easy Appetizer course. This class will introduce creative appetizers that are bound to impress any guests. You will also taste what you make. The cost is $60 and no text is required. The course will be offered on Friday, October 16 from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.


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L. Eaton
Health Service Journal, vol.117, Jan. 4th 2007, p.22-24
Services for people with both a mental health problem and a drug or alcohol addiction have historically been split between the NHS and the voluntary sector and patients may fall through the gaps. Local improvement teams have been slow to implement guidance issued in 2002 and there is a shortage of specialist psychiatrists, but evidence of good practice is emerging.
C. Rogers
Community Care, Jan. 18th-24th 2007, p.32-33
Professionals are reluctant to label odd adolescent behaviour as mental illness until the signs become unmistakably abnormal. This leads to delays in access to treatment, when early intervention can prevent adverse social consequences in later life. The aim of early intervention programmes is to give individuals and their families skills to deal with difficulties in their lives so that they do not have to resort to psychiatric treatments.
M. Wigg
Caring Times, Jan. 2007, p.25 + 28
This article summarises the provisions of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, which comes into force in April 2007, and explains its implications for care providers. The Act makes clear who should make decisions on behalf of people who lack capacity and how they should go about this. This article explains the Act's provisions in relation to assessment of capacity, use of restraint, lasting power of attorney and role of advocates.
J. Hall, H. Waldock and C. Harvey
Mental Health Review, vol.11, Dec. 2006, p.7-13
Since the New Labour government came to power in 1997, substantial guidance has been developed and promulgated in the fields of policy and good practice in the provision of mental health services for older people. The Health and Social Care Advisory Service (HASCAS) has found that implementation of both policy and practice guidance can be highly variable and is influenced by a number of factors:
L. Simons and others
Mental Health Review, vol.11, Dec. 2006, p.14-18
The primary reason for involving service users in the training of mental health professionals is the anticipation that it will produce practitioners capable of delivering improved outcomes for service users and their carers. An innovative approach to achieve this is to appoint a service user into an academic post within a higher education institution with responsibility for training mental health professionals. This article describes and evaluates the experience of developing such a post at an English university.
A.U. Sale
Community Care, Jan.11th-17th 2007, p.26-27
Describes how investment bank Goldman Sachs has been taking part in a scheme to offer intern placements lasting between four weeks and a year to people with Asperger's syndrome.


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Twinsburg's players usually have a routine they do prior to going out to the floor for the second half, but coach Julie Solis to an put to the idea after her team went a paltry 2 of 7 from the foul line in the first half of Friday's victory over Solon.
"I told them to get their butts out there and shoot free throws," said Solis.
It worked because the Tigers made 14 of 19 from the line in the second half.


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Family synonymous with wrestling
One word symbolizes wrestling in the Lower Valley and that word
is Pedeferri. But beyond the brothers Aaron and Eric, the powerhouse
duo from Cedarcrest, is a legacy of wrestling accomplishments and a
family support structure indicative of their level of achievement.
It all started back in the early 1960's at Issaquah High School
under a coach named Roger Wilson. Wilson it seems had brought a
new sport to the then country high school. The sport was wrestling and first
to take to the mat for the Pedeferri family was John, uncle to Eric and
Aaron. John did well with the new team from Issaquah, winning the KingCo title
in his senior year, 1964. That same year, John's brother Walt, father of
Aaron and Eric decided he had to learn this wrestling thing, as a form of
Walt would help his team to two more KingCo wins, making it all
the way to second in state in 1966.
"I was Issaquah's first state placer, placing second in 1966. I lost to
one of a pair of identical twins, Dwayne Keller from Kennewick," said
Walt about the match. "He went on to take the national championship in the
115-pound weight class.
"I'll never forget, I came out and got the takedown on him and after
the match he came to me and said nobody had gotten a takedown on him
all year," he continued. "I ended up losing the match 10-4."
Keller had won 43 consecutive matches going into that
championship final and stopped short Walt's bid
for a state title. Despite the loss, the wrestling legacy had been created and
history had been made as Walt became Issaquah's first-ever state placer.
So, when two sons came along and started getting a bit rambunctious -
at age four for Aaron and five for Eric - he looked for a chance to get
them involved in the sport he loved.
"Obviously, because I wrestled, I had an inclination to get them
involved and steer them that way, but believe me, I didn't put any pressure on
them," said Walt of his kids' involvement.
"Eric and Aaron started when they were five and four with the
Bellevue Boy's and Girls club," touted Walt. "We started with that program
because my brother John had been taking Andre there. Their seeing
cousin Andre involved peeked their interest so they wanted to get involved,
and we've been doing it ever since."
Andre was a well-known wrestler himself. In 1997 he became the
first state placer for Eastlake in the 130-pound class, adding to the
Pedeferri mystique. The program, headed by wrestling coach Paul Kaiser, has
produced many state, regional and KingCo champs since its inception.
"At that time we were fairly close, since we were on Coal Creek
Parkway within the Issaquah School District," said Walt. "In fact, that was
a topic of conversation at the league tournament when we wrestled
Liberty. Had we stayed there at Coal Creek, the boys would have wrestled at
But the wrestling involvement in the Pedeferri family doesn't stop
there. Walt's sister has two boys that also wrestled, with nephew Scott
Tongue winning a state title in 1986. His brother Pat was an all-American
at Nationals and was one of the top-ten freestyle wrestlers in the country
back in 1984.
But being the parents of two regional and KingCo champs
hasn't meant that Mom and Dad have pushed their boys to greatness.
"I've tried not to follow wrestling as much as I did in the past," said
Walt. "The boys have been so involved with it for so many years through
the Bellevue Boys and Girls Club that I have backed off a bit. I've seen
so many of the parents follow it intently, therefore becoming so immersed in
it, their emotions getting so high that they're out there yelling at their
kids with a voice that makes me shudder at times.
"In backing off, I don't follow kids that might be his opponents,
even though people ask me about this opponent or that opponent. I let Eric
do his own thing and try not to be too involved worrying about opponents
or getting to the side of the mat and telling them to do this or do that. I've
seen kids with parent pressure go the opposite direction and I don't want to
do that."
So how do a mom of two boys and a wrestling dad cope with things?
There is a down side to the home-décor aspect of having wrestlers
at home.
"I have no furniture in my living room," she laughingly adds. "I have
a nice thick carpet so guess where they wrestle? They all take turns at
each other.
Walt jumped in, adding, "It used to be more so, but now Eric has
the upper hand."
"They always want to show Dad some new move," added Margaret.
As all of us know, two boys from the same family can have very
different outlooks on life.
"Eric and Aaron are very different," says Walt. "Eric is very
focused on whatever he does. Whether it's his homework or wrestling, he is very
into it, 110 percent. Aaron is a little more carefree and would rather be out
hunting or fishing right now. Eric is more of an emotional person. He wants
that championship, looking forward to it, and it's been his target, especially
this year."
Parents know that watching their children in competition can be
as tough on the parents at times as it is on the children themselves.
"I get emotional when I see them take first place in these
tournaments, especially the tournaments that are extremely tough, where they have
a lot of competition," said Walt. "Obviously it does my heart good to see
him following in my footsteps in that regard, to follow the same path I
did through high school. I was committed to wrestling and to see Eric as
committed as he is to wrestling, he is by far much more of an athlete than I am."
But Walt's outlook on the sport his boys do so well at is clear.
"Wrestling is by far more of an individual sport than basketball
or football. When you go out on the mat, yes, you're wrestling as a team,
but when you lose, it's your loss, a personal loss. There is nobody to
blame when you lose, and when you win, the credit goes to you.
"In this day and age we like to blame everybody else, like the
referee or whatever, but in the big picture, it's the individual," he added. "When
you lose, nobody else lost the match for you. It depends on how much
effort and time you put into it."
But these boys aren't only exceptional grapplers, they also hold
their own in the academic world with Eric touting a 3.7 grade point average
and Aaron holding a 3.18. Eric is also the only three-sport, four-year letter
winner in Cedarcrest's history, participating in cross-country, wrestling
and track and field.
With Eric graduating this spring, focus has been on what plans he
may have for the future.
"College somewhere, PLU, Central, Boise State," says Eric. "I
applied to Simon Frazier but haven't heard anything back yet. I don't want
to make any decisions until after the season."
And after college, "I want to be a firefighter like dad, and possibly
have a little business on the side," he
touts, adding " I want to go to college open minded; I don't want to shut the
doors on anything."
And what does Eric think of all the family involvement?
"It's neat to be a part of a wrestling family. I'm proud of it. I think
I've gotten what I need out of wrestling for what it does. No matter what
happens, the family is always going to be there. A lot of kids don't have that
in sports, you know."
"A lot of kids complain about their dads and families," adds Eric. "My
dad is really cool. He lets you do whatever you want and no pressure.
He's funny, kind of comical, in fact."
"He likes to help us improve, he leads in the right direction and is
there if we need him," adds Aaron.
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text:
Voters in Milford on Tuesday decisively rejected a $1 billion resort casino proposed by Foxwoods.
By a margin of nearly two-to-one, Milford rejected an agreement that would have allowed the casino giant to build a resort on 187 acres just off Interstate-495.
The casino went down by a vote of roughly 65 to 35 percent, according to results provided by the town clerk's office, with casino foes defeating the proposal 6,361 votes against to only 3,480 votes for it. About 57 percent of the town's 17,400 registered voters cast ballots.
Casino opponents gathered at Pinz Entertainment, a bowling alley in Milford, to watch the results come in. As results came in from each of the town's seven precincts, cheers and hollers grew louder. By the time the final tally was posted, people were in tears.
Geri Eddins, a volunteer for the resident group fighting the project, Casino Free Milford, said the moments vindicated the group's efforts in a nearly 10 month battle.
"A casino does not belong here in our residential community," Eddins said, "and today the people of Milford have spoken."
Foxwoods reportedly outspent Casino Free Milford by a factor of about 50-1. Eddins touted her group's grassroots nature.
"We knew it was going to be a David versus Goliath battle from day one," she said.
The vote divided Milford. Supporters said the combination of jobs, through construction and the casino itself, and annual payments from Foxwoods to the town would be an economic boon. Opponents argued the casino would worsen traffic, suck up the town's water supply, and bring crime and problem gambling to the town of 28,000.
The intense debate led to high voter turnout. As of 7 p.m., the town clerk reported 55 percent turnout - higher than in the 2012 presidential election.
One poll worker, Ed Ross, warden of Milford's Precinct 2, said people were lined up to vote at 6:30 a.m., 30 minutes before the polls opened. Despite the high turnout and passionate debate, no significant problems were reported at polling stations.
The Foxwoods proposal looked like it could be in trouble last week, when Massachusetts Gaming Commission officials grilled executives over their ability to finance the project during a suitability hearing. The commission eventually found Foxwoods suitable, on the condition they secure further investment.
Milford is the 11th and final community in Massachusetts to hold a binding ballot question on a casino project this year. Under the 2011 state law that allowed casino gambling, Massachusetts will issue permits for three resort casinos, to be built in different regions, and one slots casino.
Casino companies need to get approval from host communities, and pass the state's a two-phase approval process.
Voters in seven communities have approved agreements with developers. Three binding ballot questions have been rejected, including a proposal for a Hard Rock casino in West Springfield on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition.
Voters in Palmer appeared to have narrowly rejected a Mohegan Sun casino proposal earlier this month, but a recount is scheduled for Nov. 26.
The Milford casino's defeat leaves Everett and a potentially-revamped project at Suffolk Downs as the only potential locations for the eastern Massachusetts casino license. Voters in East Boston rejected the project, but those in neighboring Revere approved it. Suffolk Downs officials have said they will try to rework the casino to fit entirely in Revere.
More details coming on MassLive.com.


text:
Saints running back Deuce McAllister confirmed Tuesday morning that he tore his ACL and medial meniscus in his left knee during Monday night's 31-14 loss to the Tennessee Titans.
McAllister suffered the injury after leaping to grab a 1-yard pass during the second quarter. He landed awkwardly on the knee.
The 28-year-old back, who also suffered a torn ACL in his other knee in 2005, was obviously disappointed when he met with the media Tuesday. But he tried to stay positive.
"You know, it goes through your head, 'Will you play again? Will you ever be the same again?' All that stuff," McAllister said. "But you just believe in yourself."
Saints cornerback Jason David was also injured Monday. He fractured his left forearm and is expected to miss four to six weeks after having a plate inserted in the arm.


text:
New Orleans native Desiree Glapion Rogers announced Friday that she is stepping down as White House social secretary after a little more than a year on the job.
"I am really proud to have served in this historic presidency," Rogers said Friday in an interview after landing in her adopted hometown of Chicago -- where she held a series of high-powered jobs and became social friends with the Obamas.
Rogers said Friday that through 330 public White House events of every size and shape she had worked to fulfill the Obamas' charge that she turn their White House into "the people's house," and that it was now time to return to the private sector.
Rogers declined to get specific about what's next for her.
"I'm just going to say I'm going back to the private sector," she said, adding, "Oh it's going to be fabulous. I'm always building. It's going to be fabulous."
Rogers, 50, said her departure had nothing to do with the controversy that swirled around her office after a publicity-mad Virginia couple, the Salahis, succeeded in crashing the gate at the Obamas' first state dinner in November.
At his daily briefing, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs agreed with that assessment.
"I don't think it did," he said.
"She's not been asked to leave," Gibbs said. "She's decided it's time to go back to do other things she loved."
While the Secret Service took responsibility for the lapse, Rogers faced criticism from those who felt she had kept too high and chic a profile and that her office had been inattentive to the gate at the state dinner.
"The social secretary is not responsible for security," Rogers said on Friday.
Of the firestorm of controversy she had to weather at the time, she said, "You know I think it's always difficult for the team when some of the facts are misconstrued. I really don't have much of a comment on that. For me, I'm always going to follow my heart's desire and do what I think is best for me in terms of the work, and I think the body of work speaks for itself."
As news of her decision to leave got out, the White House released a statement from the Obamas.
"We are enormously grateful to Desiree Rogers for the terrific job she's done as the White House social secretary," they said. "When she took this position, we asked Desiree to help make sure that the White House truly is the People's House, and she did that by welcoming scores of everyday Americans through its doors, from wounded warriors to local schoolchildren to NASCAR drivers. She organized hundreds of fun and creative events during her time here, and we will miss her. We thank her again for her service and wish her all the best in her future endeavors."
From early on in her tenure Rogers said, "we had discussions about doing one year so this has been something that certainly, as we came into November of last year, something that I thought about ... how long did I want to stay."
Rogers is the daughter of Joyce and the late Roy Glapion Jr. Her father, a former director of sports for the New Orleans public schools and member of the City Council, was a pivotal figure throughout his lifetime in the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club. Rogers was twice the Zulu queen at Carnival. Her mother, who still lives in New Orleans, ran day-care centers.
Rogers brought a New Orleans touch to her job. The first musician to play at the White House was Wynton Marsalis, and last Sunday, Harry Connick Jr. and his band performed at the Governors' Ball at a White House dinner, the bandstand bedecked in Saints colors of black and gold.
Rogers said she wore her "Who Dat" T-shirt to the White House Super Bowl party, though she said she could not take credit for the president's declaration that he was rooting for the Saints.
"I wasn't responsible. He made his own decision, but he picked right, don't you think?" Rogers said.
Rogers also arranged last March for the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club to present the president with a hand-painted, personalized Zulu coconut in the Oval Office, marking the 100th anniversary of the black Carnival club and the election of the first African-American president. The Zulu coconut found an honored place in the president's anteroom off the Oval Office.
Rogers also had a photo by Michael Eastman of a shotgun house on St. Claude hanging in her office to remind her of home.
"That's coming with me," she said.
Rogers said she would "be there for the transition" to a successor.
Speculation about who that might be focused on Julianna Smoot, a top Obama fundraiser who now serves as chief of staff to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk. Smoot served along with Rogers' ex-husband, John Rogers, as a co-chair of the Obama inaugural.
Whoever succeeds her, Rogers said her advice is the same: "Put on your sneakers. It's 24/7."
Jonathan Tilove can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or 202.383.7827 .


text:
Model: Kirk Cummings
Studio: Damn That's Big
My yoga instructor, Luke, came over the other day for an in-call lesson. He guided me through the positions and I could feel his big cock rubbing behind my back. I got so horny, I decided to pull his cock out and start blowing him. His cock is so big. It's like a dream come true.


text:
Several curb ramps throughout the City of Warren will be replaced in the coming weeks.
Last week, Warren City Council approved a bid of just under $150,000 from Lakeshore Paving for the work.
City Engineer Douglas Sceiford said that the project will entail curbs and sidewalks "at various designated intersections within the city."
He added that the city worked with the company on a Community Development Block Grant paving project on Oak Street. "They've done good jobs," he noted. "(The) staff has no hesitation in recommending them."
Mayor Mark Phillips asked what amount was included in the budget and Sceiford said, where the bids came in, the city "will probably do more curb cuts than we thought," estimating the total value of the work between $190,000 and $200,000. He said that some of the bids received for the project were in that price range.
Sceiford also said the city did an ADA project similar to this in 2008 and 2009 and "those prices match these prices."
Department of Public Works Director Mike Holtz said on Monday that the funding for this project comes from CDBG funds as well.
When will the work start?
"We're going to start it this fall and see how many we (can) get done," Holtz said, expecting that work would start in a "week or so."
He added that "there's quite a few of them" up for repair throughout the city.


text:
{gallery}Tradefair 2014{/gallery}
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The board of Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Company approved major structural changes Tuesday to save on costs by bringing underwriting policy issuance and claims in-house. The phased transition to the new structure will begin April 1 and will save Citizens more than $6 million in annual expenses -- $2.4 million from underwriting and $4 million from claims -- according to a report released Tuesday.
Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon raised concerns about the proposal, agreeing with board member Samuel Little that the old adage "if it aint broke, don't fix it" could apply here.
He added he and Citizens would share the responsibility if the plan fails.
"My head's on the chopping block but it'll only be after your head's in the bucket if this fails," Donelon said to Netzel, who responded, "I'll accept 100 percent accountability for whatever we put in place."
State Treasurer John Kennedy supported the proposal. However, after the meeting he added some board members are hesitant as Citizens is now enjoying its first period of relative calm after significant controversies over its handling of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
|Craig LeBouef
|Sen. Dan "Blade" Morrish
|James Napper, II
|Johnny Reeves
|Samuel Little
|Eugene Galligan
|Eugene Montgomery
|Eric Steven Berger
"This was a major policy change and it's something that we have debated for a while," Kennedy said. "I'm interested in the savings. This company is not on solid footing financially and we've got to save money."
"We've hired people to run it and they've made a very strong recommendation and put their full faith and credit behind it. And I say 'okay, here's your work and we'll see if it works.' But if it doesn't work, we'll fix it."
The proposal made Tuesday was in response to 2008 board requests to improve efficiencies and control expenses. It ends the practice of outsourcing underwriting and claims management. These processes will now be completed by Citizens staff rather than by external service providers.
The $6 million plus in savings comes from bringing underwriting activities in-house -- saving $2.4 million annually -- and restructuring claims by shifting from oversight of service providers to actual adjustment.
An extra 21 to 23 staff would be hired by Citizens and 24 service providers on the underwriting side alone will be cut.
The first step of the phased approach, to take place in April, will see one quarter of all policy renewals being shifted from service providers to Citizens staff. In June, 50 percent of renewals will be perfumed in-house and 75 percent by August.
In October, Citizens hopes to renew all of its policies in-house while also taking complete control of all new policies issued. By 2014, all remaining policies will be handled in-house.


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[Previous] | [Session 27] | [Next]
F. Spahn, Nicole Albers, Miodrag Sremcevic (Univ. Potsdam/Germany)
Collisions of granular particles result either in coagulation, restitution or fragmentation. These outcomes are determined by the impact speed, the masses and the material of the collision partners. Coagulation takes place at low impact velocities so that attractive forces and dissipation prevent a post collisional separation. Fragmentation occurs if the impact energy is sufficient to break internal bonds. We derive kinetic equations for these cases including the combined dynamics of the velocity and mass distribution. In the pure sticking limit (no fragmentation or restitution) the classical Smoluchowski equation is reproduced. We calculate a threshold velocity for coagulation in binary collisions of visco-elastic particles including adhesion. Significant modifications of the classical coagulation equations in a certain mass range arise from the consideration of these phase borders. In the case of planetary growth, for instance, this causes the largest particles to grow rapidly at the expense of the majority of the smaller dust grains. Fragmentation and gas drag additionally amplify this tendency well before the gravitation becomes important for the ``classical'' runaway growth.
If you would like more information about this abstract, please follow the link to http://agnld.uni-potsdam.de/~frank/. This link was provided by the author. When you follow it, you will leave the Web site for this meeting; to return, you should use the Back comand on your browser.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: email@example.com
[Previous] | [Session 27] | [Next]
Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 35 #4
© 2003. The American Astronomical Soceity.


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This week's heat is putting pressure on PPL Electric and the company is, in turn, asking its consumers to limit their energy use.
PPL says that customers pushed electric demand on Tuesday to the highest level since January 16, 2009, and that 4,500 PPL consumers experienced service interruptions for a variety of reasons. Not all could be attributed to the heat, but PPL says it is not uncommon for some electric distribution equipment, like transformers and cables, to overheat and get overloaded.
PPL is encouraging consumers to use less electricity, particularly during the late afternoon peak hours of the day. For temperatures in the upper 90s, PPL recommends that thermostats on air conditioning systems should be raised to at least 75 degrees.


text:
Prescriptions for partying!
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Now for the Rx revelry, which took place the following evening! The gallivanting benefited the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, a bijou of a building in the Vieux Carre. It was established in 1823 and constructed by Louis J. Dufilho Jr., America's first licensed pharmacist (1816). The botanical garden, which still exists, supplied medicinal herbs for Dufilho's pharmacy practice. So it was fitting that the 2010 gala had as its venue The Chicory, which is, of course, named after a plant.
Features of the fundraiser were numerous, starting with the celebration of the museum's 60 years and the honoring of board president emeritus Edward S. Bopp by new president Anthony D'Angelo. Mr. Mudbug catered; museum executive director Elizabeth S. Good did the flowers; jazz guitarist Eric Robinson provided the entertainment during the Hepcats Patron Party, which had a preview of the silent auction and gift bags donated by Total Life Care Pharmacy; and the Ivy Band revved up the music for the principal partying, "The Kick." Capital One Bank was the main sponsor. It was thanked along with additional sponsors First FNBC Bank, the Goldring Foundation, Louisiana Board of Pharmacy Executive Director Malcolm Broussard, Michael and Alicia Maenza, and such noted auction donors as Dr. Laxman Kelwaraman, who was joined by Dolly, and Jordan Ivanov.
Noted, too, were Patsy Bopp with the honored Edward, Cherie Vogel with Anthony D'Angelo, Charlotte D'Angelo, Capt. A.J. and Shirley Gibbs, and Dr. Kathleen Kennedy, dean of the Xavier School of Pharmacy. And, among the 215 attendees, John Bull, Sal Scaccia, Ben Sherman with Elizabeth Good, Dr. Chip and Nell Tilton, John and Lillian Uhl, Eric Bopp. Robert and Linda Good, Drs. Felix and Barbara Bopp, Sydney and Lea Perez, Kelly Weiss, Douglas and Paulette Grubbs, Chris and Judy Johnson, Gabe Arnoult, Neil Peyroux, Carlton and Gwendolyn Charles, Lucille McDonnell, Beth McDonnell, Oliver and Kelly Dabezies, Paul and Jennifer Gick, museum curator Eboni Evans, Andree Planche, Richard and Madelaine Polizzi, Dr. Lisa Ross, Sheryl Rodriguez, Chris Cado and Tamme Harris, the James Sutterfields, the Lyle Bulgers, and Kerry and Diane Milano.
Bali Hai was hailed at the recent fundraiser for the Friends of St. Alphonsus that had Becky Allen crowning Miss Pontchartrain 1960 Kate McNeely, Chris Wecklein as another entertainment VIP, board president Elizabeth Rafferty greeting guests, and the presence of the Peter Iberts, Donald and Anna Maria Mitchell, Bonnie Broel, John and Diana Parham, Edward and Janice Boyle, George and Yvonne Groetsch, Richard and JoAnn Windhorst, Billy and Suzette Dietrich, Terry and Kim Rafferty, Ione Powers, Patricia Carreca, Debbie Carreca, and gala chairmen Frank Currie and Aimee Landreneau with spouses Diane Currie and Bill deTurk. Continuing the nostalgic nod, there was food reminiscent of Pontchartrain Beach's Bali Hai, beach decorations, costumes galore, a twist contest won by Patrick Ibert and Matt Kearney (who were momentarily deserted by their dates) and the Split the Pot raffle with Becky as the winner.
. . . . . . . .
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text:
Israeli President Shimon Peres visited the Hollandsche Schouwburg and the Portuguese Synagogue on September 29th in the Jewish Cultural Quarter in Amsterdam. This visit was part of a three-day official visit to our country on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the State of Israel.
Managing Director Joël Cahen welcomed Peres in the Hollandsche
Schouwburg. The president took a moment to view the impressive
wall with all the names of deported and murdered Jews from the
Netherlands. He also laid a wreath at the monument in memory of the
victims, and he put down a tulip on the wall with the text written
by him: "In this
solemn place of memory, shall we never forget Those who
were murdered by the Nazis were murdered
Innocents - innocents and holy - and.
never came back. They liveon in our hearts. Never again. Shimon Peres 09.29.13 ".
In the Portuguese Synagogue President Peres visited the ancient Library Ets Haim. In the Golden Book he wrote: "Our great leaders, after the second destruction Decided That the Jewish people would be learning people A people of the book The books kept us alive at home and abroad This library is testimony to our strength. "
Photo's: Marijn Alders


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The human victims of the April 27 tornadoes are not the only victims waiting to resume normal lives.
Last week marked the first full week that humane societies, other animal shelters and animal rescue groups have decided that the time to reasonably expect reunification of pets with their owners is over. They are now putting the displaced animals up for adoption.
In some cases, owners died from storm-related injuries; in other cases, the trauma of losing almost every possession was too overwhelming, and the owners gave up their pets. A few pets simply were whisked too far from home, leaving owners to assume they were gone forever.
A survey of the shelters in areas affected by the tornadoes indicates at least 1,800 animals were displaced.
Today, about one-third have been reunited with their families.
For the animals remaining at shelters around the state, time has run out for a return home.
Most shelters keep an animal picked up as a stray seven to 10 days so that owners can reclaim their pets. If no one steps forward, the animal, if healthy, may be taken by a rescue group or put up for adoption. The majority, however, are euthanized.
To adopt a pet displaced in the April 27 tornadoes, call an animal shelter in one of the affected areas or visit www.petfinder.com.
Every shelter contacted extended the hold date because many pet owners had been injured in the storms and could not reclaim their animals as quickly. In most cases, fees to reclaim the pets were waived. Now that most injured tornado victims have been discharged, the hold dates have returned to the usual time.
About 85 animals were taken in at a temporary animal shelter in Walker County, said Jennifer Bidwell, director of the county's Animal Disaster Team. Many of them were injured, and several litters of kittens and puppies who had lost their mothers in the storm were hand fed by volunteers.
"We found a lot of animals with broken feet and broken tails," Bidwell said, "and we lost a few due to internal injuries."
All of the pets at that temporary shelter as well as several dozen from Tuscaloosa were moved to the Greater Birmingham Humane Society. On Friday, they were transported to adoption shelters in other parts of the country.
Candie Horsley, manager of the Cullman City Animal Shelter, said her facility, which had to take up temporary residence elsewhere because of tornado damage, got about 400 animals. About 40 have been claimed.
Most of the remaining animals have been transferred to a variety of rescue groups, she said. Currently, 107 remain. They are available for adoption, but they are subject to euthanasia.
"We have 24 usable kennels in our shelter and 20 foster homes for 107 animals," Horsley said. "We are packed."
Tuscaloosa's Metro Animal Control got 770 in a month, said director Judy Hill. "We reunited 179; I wish there were a lot more."
Most of the others have been taken in by rescue groups, adopted or transported to shelters elsewhere, Hill said. The remaining animals generally are either feral cats, heartworm positive or hard-to-place breeds such as pit bulls. A few of the animals were euthanized, mainly due to behavior problems, she said.
Owner-pet reunions
In the aftermath of the storms, humane societies, animal control groups and rescue volunteers worked to reunite pets and owners, and to find a safe place for others.
Facebook became a cyberspace clearinghouse with the page, "Animals Lost & Found from the Tornadoes in Alabama on 4/27/11."
"The response has totally taken me by surprise," said Michelle Amaral, a volunteer with the Shelby County Humane Society and one of the page's coordinators, along with Alison Graves of Have a Heart Rescue and Jessica Bush, creator of the blog "Dogingham."
The Facebook page, and its accompanying Wordpress blog, altornadoanimals.wordpress.com, don't feature just dogs and cats. Birds are missing; so are guinea pigs and rabbits.
The social media effort went beyond the boundaries of Alabama. A person from Connecticut helped reunite two dogs found in Homewood with their owner. And "Helen," from New Zealand, checks photos of lost dogs against photos of found dogs to make periodic reports on the page.
In all, about 100 animals have been reunited with their owners through the Facebook page, according to Amaral.
One of them was Sawyer, who looks like a white Akita and was found 130 miles south of his Tuscaloosa home. According to Helen's post, "A wonderful state trooper made it his job to bring him home, so anyone who knows Alabama State Trooper Rochland DeWitt, he deserves a massive hug."
Some other near-miraculous incidents involving pets were reported after the tornadoes. Mason, a 2-year-old terrier mix from Smithfield, crawled home on two broken front legs after being missing three weeks. And Samson, a large-breed tan dog with white markings, was found in Pleasant Grove by a resident who kept him more than a month before his owners were found.
Several animal-owner reunifications were due to the efforts of Birmingham-Jefferson Animal Control.
Phil Doster, adoption coordinator for BJAC, visited the tornado-damaged areas several times a week in search of animals that had homes but became strays. Many of them lost their owners in the storms; other owners lost their homes and had no place to keep the pets. They are now up for adoption.
The reality of homeless pets tugged at the heart of Shane Myers of Pleasant Grove.
Myers, who was injured and lost his home on April 27, helped a group of neighbors, most of whom also lost their homes, care for 14 dogs and five cats that until recently had to live on their devastated property because their owners had no other place to take them. "The ones in the neighborhood (recently) were moved when it got so hot," he said.
He also has taken eight pets whose owners died to where he is now living and will keep them.
"I have a lot of land out here, and they can run around in the woods and play in the creek. They're good now."
Join the conversation by clicking to comment or email Kennedy at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text: Need help dating,please. I got a shotshell box in with a lot of my late f-i-l's gun stuff. It is Winchester Super Speed 12ga.#6shot(just the box no shells)SS126. Original purchase price of $3.40 is written on the box in black marker. Box hes Winchester-Western Division, Olin Mathieson Chemical Corp, New Haven,Conn, and East Alton,Ill. There are no zip codes present so I'm assuming pre 1963?


text:
MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The National Weather Service forecast for the Montgomery area calls for a low tonight of 25, with mostly clear skies and a calm wind.
Monday, partly sunny, with a high near 52.Monday night, rain, mainly after 9 p.m. Lowa round 39. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent.
Tuesday, rain likely, mainly before noon. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 60. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent.
Tuesday night, mostly cloudy, with a low around 43.


text:
Russellville | Boys Basketball
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text:
Applied at City for the engineer position. I called the city engineer and asked him about it. He said they were really hunting for someone with experience as a PE, but he'd see what he could do or find for me.
I guess now, with one city not currently looking and one application sent off, with a call in to TXDOT, I need to start looking for creative careers I can go into without a specialized degree or license. I can technically apply as a sub at the school district and start looking at an alt teaching license. I can tutor without a specialized degree, most places. I might look into what it takes to set up an Etsy seller account or another art selling account. I'm not sure about interior design. I know there are degrees for it, but I'm not sure how mandatory they are.


text:
Travelers heading to Africa, Asia, Central and South America or the Caribbean should consider a stop at one of the area's travel clinics before they leave home to learn more about health conditions at their destination, receive immunizations and get recommendations on medications to take along.
PinnacleHealth's Travel Clinic, under the direction of John D. Goldman, MD, has been helping local travelers since the early 1990s. Located at 810 Sir Thomas Court in Lower Paxton Twp., the clinic is one of the area's few medical providers that is licensed to administer the yellow fever vaccine, which is required by some countries. In addition, the staff can administer all other travel-related immunizations and discuss a full range of health issues that travelers should be aware of, from Hepatitis A to malaria to common diarrhea.
Family physicians are familiar with health problems here in the United States, said Casey Pinto, CRNP, one of the clinic's medical experts, but they are not as well-versed in health conditions in foreign countries. To stay current on such issues, she attends the annual conference of the Infectious Disease Society of America.
A major part of Pinto's responsibilities is educating travelers on how to stay well during their trips. She might recommend certain vaccines, explain how to prevent illnesses and accidents and advise travelers with underlying medical conditions, such as HIV or an autoimmune disease, on whether they can safely go or should stay home. She might also prescribe medication for problems travelers might encounter — such as an antibiotic for Montezuma's Revenge, a type of diarrhea that commonly affects travelers to Mexico — so they're prepared in case they get sick.
A misconception that travelers have is that if they had vaccines as a child they're set for life. In fact, Pinto said, it's likely that they'll need to update their immunizations. Tetanus shots, for example, are only good for 10 years.
PinnacleHealth's Travel Clinic is open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pinto said the staff works to accommodate travelers who need an appointment outside those times.
While PinnacleHealth will submit claims to patients' health insurance companies, most plans do not cover the clinic's services, so clients are required to pay up front. Pinto said because vaccines and medications can be costly, she discusses options with her patients, explaining what she feels is necessary and what is borderline.
Pinto recommended that travelers make an appointment at least 30 days before they leave home, but she emphasized that it's never too late to visit the clinic for medical protection and advice. To schedule an appointment, call 717-614-4420. For more information, visit www.pinnaclehealth.org/services/travel-clinic.
Other area medical providers with travel clinics are Holy Spirit Health System in Camp Hill, 717-972-4222, 717-972-4351, www.hsh.org/travel-health-services) and Hershey Medical Center 800-243-1455, www.pennstatehershey.org.
An excellent source of health information for international travelers is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website at www.cdc.gov/travel.
Annette Reiff, a certified travel counselor, can be reached at email@example.com.


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The Florida Wildlife Hospital offers unique summer internship opportunities for students with an interest in native Florida wildlife. Summer internships (2 with housing, 2 without housing) are available at a wildlife hospital in Melbourne, Florida which admits over 4,800 patients annually. State and federally licensed wildlife rehabilitators care for native Florida wildlife and migratory birds (excluding marine mammals and venomous snakes) with assistance from veterinarians, volunteers, and interns. During the summer months, most admissions are infant birds and mammals that require almost constant care. Interns will learn to identify native species, set up age- and species-appropriate environments, choose, prepare, and feed nutritious diets, and assist with medical treatments. There may also be opportunities to work in our lab (blood analysis and parasite checks), observe surgeries and necropsies, assist with admission and treatment of patients, and visit nearby wildlife, zoo, and veterinary facilities.


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SK grad Aaron Cunningham one step below bigs in Triple-A Sacramento
As a junior and senior at South Kitsap High School, Aaron Cunningham remembers turning on the TV and seeing Willie Bloomquist on the field with the Seattle Mariners.
But he wasn't just watching to analyze the former SK star.
For Cunningham, now 22, seeing the utility player was an inspiration.
Whenever the 2004 South graduate doubted that a player could advance from a small community on the Olympic Peninsula to the major leagues, he remembered Bloomquist.
Just a few years later, Cunningham is close to giving the Wolves a trio of players in the major leagues along with Bloomquist and Tampa Bay pitcher Jason Hammel.
Cunningham was called up from Double-A Midland to Triple-A Sacramento on Aug. 8, which puts him just one step below the major leagues in the Oakland Athletics' organization.
He knows Oakland might bring him up when the Major League rosters expand Monday, but the right-handed hitter said he isn't thinking about it.
"I wasn't expecting the call up to Sacramento," said Cunningham, who was at Cheney Stadium Monday through Thursday to face Tacoma.
"They had a lot of outfielders up here," he said. "I was planning to spend the rest of the year at Double-A, which was just fine with me."
Cunningham's bat seems intent on forcing the issue, though.
He hit .317 with 12 home runs for Midland with an OPS (on base plus slugging percentage) of .893.
The batting average (.348) and OPS (1.049) through Wednesday have increased at Sacramento.
"He hit the ball well in Double-A and earned the promotion," Sacramento manager Todd Steverson said. "He's a good young player."
Cunningham, who played a year at Everett Community College, was drafted in the sixth round in 2005 by the Chicago White Sox.
He has been traded twice — first to Arizona for infielder Danny Richar in 2007, and then again during the offseason as one of five players sent to the A's for All-Star starter Dan Haren and reliever Connor Robertson.
He said being traded was "really weird" the first time, but he became accustomed to it after the latest deal.
"There's more opportunities here," he said. "In Arizona, they have (outfielders) Eric Byrnes, Justin Upton and Chris Young locked up. It's a better opportunity."
With a .396 on-base percentage this year, Cunningham also fits the disciplined hitter profile that Oakland general manager Billy Beane seeks. Cunningham said the coaches discuss approaches at the plate, but not specifically drawing walks.
"They just want you to control the at-bat and get what you want," he said. "That leads to walks."
And the free passes don't end on the base paths for Cunningham. With Tacoma just 30 miles east of Port Orchard, he gave out 16 tickets to family and friends Monday, and said that number increased throughout the series.
"It's nice to play at home," Cunningham said. "There's a lot of fan support."
Among those in attendance was his fiancée, 2005 South graduate and former soccer player Samanta Stanton.
The couple resides in Scottsdale, Ariz., during the offseason.
"You can't really get better out here," he said of the West Sound. "The weather's really bad in the offseason and there's not too many people to hit with."
After all, he doesn't need any rain in the pursuit of his big-league dream.
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Consultants to the Port of South Louisiana say a proposed 7,700-foot dock and container terminal in front of the Bonnet Carre Spillway control structure would not significantly affect the spillway's ability to divert river water away from New Orleans in the event of a flood, but some changes to the structure might be needed, according to a consultant's report delivered to the port's board of commissioners last week.
The report by the URS consulting firm used computer models to determine how much the dock would inhibit water flow through the spillway's 350 bays.
The port encompasses riverfront property in St. Charles, St. John the Baptist and St. James parishes.
The Bonnet Carre Spillway and its 7,700-foot-long control structure were built after the disastrous flood of 1927, which devastated the nation's midsection.
The structure has been opened nine times since its completion, the last time in 2008.
The spillway can divert 250,000 cubic feet of water per second from the river into Lake Pontchartrain and is designed to keep the volume of water in the river less than 1.5 million cubic feet per second at New Orleans.
The port hopes to build a dock and container yard on the river side of the structure at an estimated cost of $500 million. Building rail spurs to connect the site and additional warehouse facilities could push the tab to $2.5 billion, said Paul "Joey" Murray III, chairman of the port's board of directors.
The investment is similar to what the state was willing to put up for the proposed Nucor Steel and ThyssenKrupp steel plants that were to have located in St. James Parish.
ThyssenKrupp chose an Alabama site, and no decision has been made on the Nucor project.
The URS study said the proposed dock would reduce the flow of the spillway by about 15 percent under a scenario in which 228 bays were open. But URS Project Manager Mike Patorno told the commission that additional bays could be opened to achieve the same flow, and that the spillway structure could be modified by making some of the spillway's bays larger.
The port has a permit pending with the Army Corps of Engineers to build the dock, but submitted the new data on Thursday.
The corps will make a decision on the permit once the agency's questions are answered, corps spokesman Ricky Boyette said.
The project's feasibility depends on the theory that the Panama Canal will see a substantial increase in traffic once its capacity is expanded in 2014 or 2015. The project is one of several being pushed as a response to the increased traffic, on which some studies cast doubt because of increased container handling capacity being built on the West Coast.
Another proposal involves building a container dock at the mouth of the Mississippi River near Southwest Pass, backed by the International Deep Water Gulf Transfer Terminal Authority, which hopes to build a facility on 260 acres near Southwest Pass to handle ships that are too big to navigate the Mississippi River.
Port Executive Director Joel Chaisson said he thinks large freighters traveling through the canal are likely to go to a few large distribution centers around the Caribbean Sea, then move cargo inland via oceangoing barges.
"We hope to leverage the cargo by building value-added assembly facilities near the dock. That's the only way this is going to work," he said.
Matt Scallan can be reached at email@example.com or 504.652.0913.


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According to Michael Murray, owner of LA Pines Cafe in Slidell, the "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" show featuring his restaurant is slated for broadcast on Monday at 8 p.m. on the Food TV Network.
Footage for the episode, including interviews by the show's star, Guy Fieri, was shot last September.
Murray prepared some of his late stepfather's prized recipes, including his seafood gumbo, prime rib po-boy and Cajun corn pudding. James Vandenberg opened the restaurant in 1991, and, at Vandenberg's behest, Murray took the reins in 2005.
Also prepared were the cafe's red beans and rice and cornbread, shrimp scampi, onion rings and Mama Jim's Almost World Famous Fudge Pie.
An informational meeting regarding the formation of a new north shore Kiwanis group will be held Feb. 3, 5:30 p.m., at The Italian Pie, 1319 Gause Blvd., Slidell. For information, call Rick Danielson at 985.264.7285 or Cynthia Bentley at 504.330.8999. Any community-minded individual is welcome to attend.
St. Margaret Mary Catholic School, recognized as a USDA Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, will have an open house for parents of prospective new students, prekindergarten through eighth grade, on Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. in the Evangelization Building of the school, 1050 Robert Blvd., Slidell.
A new Early Childhood Development program for 3-year-olds is scheduled to open Jan. 2, 2012.
Registration for the coming school year will begin Feb. 21 for St. Margaret Mary parishioners and Feb. 22 for all others. For additional registration details, contact the school office at 643.4612.
Redfish Base (USSVI United States Submarine Veterans Inc.) is inviting members to its meeting Feb. 5 at noon at the American Legion Post 185 at 1680 St. Ann Place, Slidell. Lunch will be available for $10 per person. Past and present submariners are welcome. For details, contact member Ron Sorjonen at 985.643.9878.
The East St. Tammany Veterans Affairs Service Office office at 61135 North Military Road, Slidell, will be closed Feb. 9-14 as the office is being relocated to the second floor of 520 Old Spanish Trail, Slidell, in the three-story office building that the office occupied before Hurricane Katrina.
The announcement was made Tuesday by Rolf Klingenberg, veterans affairs counselor for eastern St. Tammany Parish.
For details, contact Klingenberg at 985.645.3500.
The Greater North Shore Full Gospel Baptist Church and Second Harvest Food Bank will have a free grocery distribution on Feb. 5, 9 a.m. to noon, at the church's Family Life Center, 840 Voters Road, Slidell. Food will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. For information, call 985.649.8009.
Aldersgate United Methodist Church Men's Club will be dishing up a super supper for Super Bowl Sunday. The Super Bowl jambalaya will be served on Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the church, 360 Robert Blvd., Slidell.
The meal includes chicken and sausage jambalaya, salad and Texas toast. The cost is $7 for adults; and $5 for children, 12 and younger. Take-out-for-four jambalaya also will be available for $15.
Slidell Kaycee Auxiliary will meet Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 1578 West Hall Ave., Slidell. A speaker from Honaker Funeral Home will give the featured presentation.
Ochsner's Golden Opportunity members will have the opportunity to learn the mission of the East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity by attending a meeting on Wednesday, 9:30 to 11 a.m., at the new Habitat ReStore, 747 Old Spanish Trail, Slidell.
Call 985.875.2799 to register.
Golden Opportunity is a program for adults 59 and older in the north shore region. The program promotes active, healthy, independent lifestyles for seniors, though a range of wellness services, educational information and seminars, wellness screenings, special discounts, social activities and travel opportunities.
For details, call 985.875.2799.
A series of free, one-hour seminars focusing on ways to use proper nutrition and exercise to achieve weight loss, "The In's and Out's of Losing 30 pounds in 90 Days," will be presented Feb. 10 at noon, Feb. 22, 7:15 p.m.; and March 17, noon, at Trainer's Choice, 1321 Gause Blvd., Suite 2, Slidell.
Men and women will benefit from the information shared.
For information, call 985.641.6696.
"Martha Washington" will be coming to Slidell on Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. at Azalea Estates to speak about her experiences, her life with George and the birth of the United States.
The St. Tammany Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, are hosting this event, which is open to the public.
Refreshments will be available. For details, call Libby Bentson 985.646.4004 or Karay Klein 985.641.2374
Aldersgate United Methodist Church Youth Group is selling Carnival beads on Feb. 20, 9 a.m. to noon, to raise money for its summer mission trip. The junior high group hopes to go to Noah's Ark in Panama City Beach, to do various mission projects in the area; and the senior high group is going to Rural Mission, to help repair homes at John's Island, S.C.
The bundled, sorted beads will be sold for $12 per gross. Stuffed animals and specialty beads will be sold separately.
Cookie bouquets are being made by staff at STARC's Child Development Center, and are available for all special occasions, including Valentine's Day. Individually wrapped cookies, cookie bouquets (with four cookies), personalized cookies, and cookies of any color and design are available. Prices vary. All money raised benefits the STARC Child Development Center. For information, call 985.674.1998.
Submit information for publication in the Slidell Picayune Community Report to the Slidell office of The Times-Picayune at 2070 East Gause Blvd., Slidell, LA 70461; e-mail to email@example.com; or fax to 985.645.2897.


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When the bird crapped on Sharpe Jame's head a couple of days ago, that was a bad omen for him. The guilty verdict is big news when the Mayor of the state's largest city is involved, but I suspect many if not most people are indifferent to it. A corrupt politician in New Jersey? It's kind of like suicide bombings. They are bad, terrible, etc... but when you hear about it so often, you become numb and disinterested.
Is the verdict good news or bad news? Good news if he was actually guilty of the crimes, but bad news for our state since New Jersey appears to have an inordinant amount of corruption at all levels of government. Just add Sharpe James to the long list. The McGreevey scandal was terrible for our state's already tarnished image. Now the late night comedians have more material. Corey Booker should put in a preemptive phone call to Jay Leno who jokes about New Jersey on a weekly basis.
Corrupt politicians, The Sopranos, high taxes, etc...This is the image many have of New Jersey. Anyone that travels often knows this. A colleague of mine went to Australia and when she told the locals she was from New Jersey, they immediately mentioned the Sopranos. "Is New Jersey like the Sopranos?"
Image does matter. Why do you think the state spends (wastes) money to think of catchy phrases to attract tourists? Thank God we have Bruce Springsteen, a world class entertainer who is not afraid or ashamed to admit he is from and lives in New Jersey.
Sharpe James will not be the last of what we Jerseyans have become all to used to. But maybe, just maybe, this verdict will be the start of a good thing. That corrupt politicians will no longer have free reign, will no longer be rewarded, tolerated, or re-elected, and may actually go to prison.


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Cannes Check 2014: Abderrahmane Sissako's 'Timbuktu'
Welcome back to Cannes Check, In Contention's annual preview of the films in Competition at this year's Cannes Film Festival, which kicks off on May 14. Taking on different selections every day, we'll be examining what they're about, who's involved and what their chances are of snagging an award from Jane Campion's jury. Next up, the Competition's only African entry: Abderrahmane Sissako's "Timbuktu."
The director: Abderrahmane Sissako (Mauritanian/French, 52 years old). Another of this year's five newcomers, Sissako has established himself as one of Africa's premier auteurs, though he's been based in France since the early 1990s -- a background that complements his favored themes of globalization and outsider identity. Born in Mauritania, he moved with his family at an early age to Mali, where he completed his schooling, before studying film at Russia's Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography in Moscow -- an institution that also boasts Aleksandr Sokurov and Andrei Tarkovsky among its alumni. After settling in France, he began making short films -- one of which, "October," premiered alongside feature-length work in Un Certain Regard at Cannes in 1993. 2002's "Waiting for Happiness" also played in UCR, where it won the FIPRESCI prize; 2006's "Bamako," which premiered out of competition at Cannes, was his most lavishly acclaimed and widely distributed film to date, as well as his most political. The next year, he used his position as a Competition juror to decry the limited presence of African cinema on the festival circuit.
The talent: As usual, Sissako favors a blend of professional and novice actors: among the former are stage-trained French-Tunisian actor Abel Jafri (whose credits include minor roles in "The Passion of the Christ" and "Nelly and Mr. Arnaud") and Hichem Yacoubi, who played a small but crucial role in Jacques Audiard's "A Prophet." Sissako's producer on this occasion is Sylvie Pialat, a significant force in French independent cinema who also recently steered "Stranger by the Lake" and "Our Children." Sissako's co-writer, Kessen Tall, takes her first screen credit here. His new cinematographer, Sofiane El Fani, was a mostly unknown figure until shooting last year's Palme d'Or winner "Blue is the Warmest Color"; editor Nadia Ben Rachid has been a longtime collaborator.
The pitch: There's one IMDb page for Sissako's film that is currently confusing Cannes-bound journalists, claiming that "Timbuktu" is an adaptation of Paul Auster's novella of the same name. Ignore that. The reality sounds far more gruelling: "Timbuktu" is instead inspired by the true story of a young unwed couple in the Northern Mali town of Aguelhok who were stoned by death by Islamic extremists in 2012 for the crime of having children outside marriage. It was a story that drew international headlines, though it's not clear how directly Sissako's film is based on it; distributor synopses list varying detailed backstories, though it would appear that the film represents a less isolated protest against Jihadist social repression in Mali.
The prestige: It's somewhat surprising that this is Sissako's first Competition appearance, since he has a long history with the festival. In addition to premiering several films in the Official Selection (to prize-winning effect) over the years, he has served on three separate Cannes juries: in addition to his 2007 Competition juror stint, he also presided over the 2003 Un Certain Regard panel and served on the short film jury in 2000. So he's about as respected an insider as a Competition virgin can be, while "Bamako" significantly raised his profile among world cinema followers.
The buzz: Only to a point, however -- Sissako's admirers are ardent ones, but he remains a figure of specialized cineaste interest relative to many of his Competition rivals. While most are expecting "Timbuktu" to be pretty strong stuff, it's not appearing on many most-anticipated lists. That's not to say, of course, that it couldn't stun critics when it plays for press on the very first night of the festival.
The odds: Juries tend to be aware of the limited presence of African cinema in major festivals: if a film from the continent delivers, it often finds its way to a secondary prize of some sort. Given the political resonance of the material in this case, you could do worse than take a punt on "Timbuktu" for the Palme d'Or: Jigsaw Lounge gives it short odds of 6-1, while Paddy Power, warier as ever of more exotic names, pegs it at 16-1. Likelier, perhaps, is that the film proves too austere for the top prize, but is instead rewarded with Best Director or even the Grand Prix.
The date: "Timbuktu" formally premieres on Thursday, May 15.
Next in Cannes Check, we'll profile one of the Competition's few surprise entries: Damian Szifron's "Wild Tales."


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An official involved in redevelopment of the Hayes Hotel has announced the name of a major tenant to Jackson City Council members.
Bruce Inosencio, who is the principal planner for the downtown project, and city officials said they are now ready to move forward with the project.
Inosencio said he provided council members on Tuesday with a letter from the tenant, but declined to release the name to the Citizen Patriot, saying he hopes to announce it to the public after Jan. 1.
About the Hayes Hotel and former Consumers Energy buildings in Jackson:
• The city acquired the former Hotel Hayes, 228 W. Michigan Ave., in 2002 as part of a deal with Consumers Energy, which relocated to new headquarters.
• The city bought the former Consumers Energy building, 212 W. Michigan Ave., for about $300,000 in February 2004.
• In December 2007, local attorney Bruce Inosencio announced interest in redeveloping the two buildings, which are next to each other.
• The buildings would be purchased from the city for $5,000 apiece.
• Plans are to use both buildings for retail and office space.
City Manager William Ross said he hopes to have a development agreement for the project on the agenda for the next City Council meeting Sept. 22.
City officials said they are glad to have word about one of the tenants.
"We got out of that gray area and into black and white," Mayor Jerry Ludwig said. "It is easier for the council to give a little more blessing to the overall development picture.
"It has always been ... 'We have a tentative person, company or corporation that was interested.' We were not privy to any names to see if they actually existed. We never really saw anything that would lead us to something that would actually happen."
Parking was an issue that kept the development agreement from being finalized. There is a parking lot behind the building with about 40 spaces, and Inosencio wanted to be able to use a city-owned lot on the north side of Pearl Street, adding about 200 spaces.
"I think that the parking that we have set forth in the development agreement is a workable solution for the short term," he said. "For the long-term development of the project, we and the city recognize additional parking will be needed."
Ross said the city agreed to reserve enough space for a parking ramp, if it is needed in the future.
"In the meantime, until the rest of the property is developed, there is a ton of parking there," Ross said.
The Hayes is one of two vacant city-owned buildings downtown that could be redeveloped.
On Tuesday, council members approved a six-month extension to a development agreement with Inosencio for the former Consumers Energy building.
As part of the extension, the city may consider any other potential developers for the Consumers building that come forward.
"That kind of opens the door either way," Ludwig said.
"We have the flexibility of keeping the door open."
Both Ludwig and Ross said city officials have not discussed how long Inosencio will be granted extensions on the Consumers project.
It is not costing the city much money to hold on to the building, Ross said, because the utilities are not used.
Further deterioration of the building is something that the city must keep an eye on, but Ross said it will probably remain a non-issue for a number of years.
"I don't know how long that could take," he said. "Certainly at some point it would become difficult to justify the expense."
There were discussions about tearing down the structure, which Ross said would cost at least $2.5 million.
"I am more confident with the Hayes," Ludwig said. "In reality, if anything is going to happen, it will be the Hayes before the Consumers."


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|Re: [TowerTalk] Dogs and coax - chew toy?
|"Jeff Blaine" <email@example.com>
|Tue, 11 Sep 2012 22:05:12 -0500
I want to thank everyone for their kind inputs. In the final install, the
stuff will be buried but I'm just trying to throw up something to bridge me
till this next summer when I can get the permanent stuff up.
The idea of using the PVC tubing as a sleeve is a good idea. Especially considering we do have mice, gophers and some other country varmints in addition to the neighborhood dogs. With my luck, I would have no problems with 99% of the muts, but one of the guys in the neighboorhood would surely consider 213 as a feast. PVC is cheap insurance.
73/jeff/ac0c www.ac0c.com alpha-charlie-zero-charlie-----Original Message----- From: Jim Brown
Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2012 12:47 PM To: email@example.com Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Dogs and coax - chew toy? On 9/11/2012 7:19 AM, firstname.lastname@example.com wrote:
I found that some critter had chewed though my new cables.
I live in a redwood forest, and ever since moving here six years ago, I've been laying coax on the ground for long runs to antennas. Everything from Commscope CATV RG6 for Beverages, to Commscope 3227 (like LMR400 but solid copper center), to 1/2-inch and 7/8-inch Heliax, and 1/2-inch CATV hard line. Varmints around here include gophers, rats, mice, coyotes, bobcats, as well as LOTS of deer. Perhaps I've been lucky, but so far I've seen no instances of damage to any of this cable, nor to control cables also laying on the ground. That RG6 is NOT the flooded variety, and it's been in for six years. In fact, the only issues I've had with the two Beverages are two instances of big limbs falling on them and pulling them off of their termination. By contrast, my neighbor, NI6T, has had an aluminum farm on a piece of Rohn 25 side-armed to the top of a big redwood for 10-15 years. No issues until about a year ago, when varmints started chewing coax around the rotator loop. When problems like that are at the top of a tower, it's easy to find a climber who knows how to fix them. But tree climbers don't have a clue, and they're expensive. 73, Jim K9YC _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ TowerTalk mailing list firstname.lastname@example.com://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
_______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ TowerTalk mailing list firstname.lastname@example.com http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
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