text:
Home improvement pros will answer questions on home improvement and weatherization projects during the call-in. They will be able to discuss kitchen and bath remodeling, plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, home building, preservation questions and financing, among other fields of expertise.
Call toll-free at 1-888-351-4648 to participate.
Co-sponsors include the New York State Builders Association, the state Energy Research and Development Authority, the state Division of Housing and Community Renewal and the Preservation League of New York State. It's hosted by public broadcast station WMHT.


text:
Illinois Public Media News
In-depth reporting from WILL, NPR, the Associated Press, and other sources
Contact WILL News at email@example.com
(M. Spencer Green/AP)
July 03, 2013
(Jack Carter)
July 03, 2013
Father: Teen Jailed For Facebook Comment Beat Up Behind Bars
(Darron Cummings/AP)
July 03, 2013
Guess Who's Fighting To Keep Indiana Dry On Sundays?
(Scott Eisen/AP)
July 02, 2013
Gov. Quinn Changes Concealed Carry Legislation
(Christopher Capozziello/Getty Images)
July 02, 2013
Federal Heath Care Law Extends Subsidies For College Students
(Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)
July 02, 2013
Exclusive First Read: 'Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish'
Page 534 of 1073 pages ‹ First < 532 533 534 535 536 > Last ›
WILL Newscast audio
NPR News
Christopher Marlowe Officially Credited As Co-Author Of 3 Shakespeare Plays
PHOTOS: France Begins Evicting Thousands Of Migrants From Notorious 'Jungle' Camp
Longtime Progressive Activist Tom Hayden Dies At 76
U.S. Soldiers Told To Repay Thousands In Signing Bonuses From Height Of War Effort
Tour Bus Crashes Into Truck, Killing More Than A Dozen People In California
Gotcha: Space Station Grabs Onto NASA's 5,100-Pound Cargo Craft
AT&T Reaches Deal To Buy Time Warner For More Than $85 Billion
Japanese Climber Junko Tabei, First Woman To Conquer Mount Everest, Dies At 77
At Least 70 Die In Train Derailment In Cameroon; Hundreds Injured
Federal Appeals Court Considers Border Shooting Case
More NPR News
WILL Highlights
Generous Estate Gifts
Illinois Public Media receives $2.8 million through The Geneva and R. Linn Belford Fund and the Howard Rutan Endowment.
The Bandwagon
Not your typical sports podcast. Forget the "hot takes" and meet us at the intersection of sports and culture every two weeks.
Classic Mornings
Get more out of your classical music experience and check out Vic Di Geronimo's blog.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Fighting for Investors Everywhere
Johnson & Perkinson is dedicated to maximizing shareholders' returns and keeping the lead plaintiffs apprised of the occurrences in the litigation. Based in South Burlington, Vermont, the firm has prosecuted leading actions on behalf of defrauded investors in numerous public companies resulting in the recovery of hundreds of millions of dollars and has been singled out for its excellence by various courts. The firm is, or has recently been, lead counsel in securities class actions pending against Xerox, Priceline, Wireless Facilities, Allaire Corp., i2 Technologies and Exchange Applications.


text:
MUSKEGON, MI – Muskegon County Circuit Court Judge Annette Smedley and Roosevelt Park City Manager Anthony Chandler are just two of the twelve local dignitaries, business leaders and people of interest who will help raise money for local food pantries through the annual "Dancing with the Local Stars" event in February next year.
The Women's Division Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the popular fundraiser each year, released the list of participating local stars and professionals on Nov. 26. The twelve couples will perform identical performances from Feb. 20 to 22, 2014.
They are:
- JJ Westgate (star), a counsel for Westco, Inc. with Carly Switzer (pro), a dance instructor at Cassell Dance Studio
- Sue Sanborn-Poulin (star), owner of Sanborn Jewelers with John Maxson (pro), co-owner and dance instructor at Reflections Dance Studio in Holland
- Brett Thorsen (star), owner of Lakeshore Carpet One with Mary Switzer (pro), owner and fitness trainer at Strive Fitness
- Anthony Chandler (star), city manager of Roosevelt Park with Fracine Sagan-Kilcrease (pro), a wellness and fitness director and dance instructor at AgeWell Services, Tanglewood Park as well as a personal trainer at Omni Fitness
- Heather Sandberg (star), deputy chief of staff for Rep. Bill Huizenga with Patrick Johnson (pro), a Grand Rapids Community College dance faculty instructor, co-owner of PT Arts, LLC Consulting and director of West MI Flight Academy
- Reggie Kapteyn (star), a physiatrist and interventional pain physician at Orthopaedic Associates of Muskegon with Mary Ball (pro), a family physician with West View Family Medicine and dancer
- Annette Smedley (star), a Muskegon County Circuit Court judge and Rodney Sprader (pro), a facilities and maintenance leader and special projects manager at GE Aviation Muskegon , as well as a dancer
- Eric Ringelberg (star), owner and founder of Next-IT with Brenda Sprader (pro), a criminal and family law attorney and dance instructor
- Brad Hilleary (star), co-owner and CEO of Webb Chemical with Lisa Jirikovic (pro), a physical therapist at Knollview-Heartland as well as a dancer, singer and actress
- Becky Biesiada (star), personal trainer at Muskegon Family YMCA and council director of "Girls on the Run" with Corey Christoffersen (pro), a tumbling coach at Mona Shores, Tri-County Fruitport and Grant Public Schools as well as a dancer and actor
- Lea Shampo (star), owner of Brown Bag Boutique with Tom Gumina (pro), an independent dance instructor at Social Dance Studio, YMCA and Ballroom Clubs at Michigan State University and Grand Valley State University and a Delta Airlines employee
- Tresha Kidder (star), owner of Midas Auto Service with Dave Kennedy (pro), owner of Kennedy Custom Builders and dancer
The event will feature a performance by Fruitport native and season five "The Voice" contestant Sam Cerniglia, who will sing in between the dances.
"Dancing with the Local Stars" is based on the popular TV show of the same name. Each couple will prepare a dance and will perform for the audience and a guest judge, who will give out "The Critic's Choice" award at each performance.
Other nightly awards include the "Best of Show" award, which will be decided by the audience, and the "People's Choice" award, which will go to the couple who raises the most money. Each team will solicit donations and put out community donation boxes throughout the county prior to the event.
Last year, DWTLS raised $97,122 for local food pantries, free food trucks and other food distribution programs. The money went to 34 different organizations in Muskegon, southern Oceana and northern Ottawa counties that applied to the Women's Division for help.
Past recipients have included Love Inc., the Salvation Army and several churches.
"Every (dollar) that was donated will help replenish a lot of food pantries at a time when those shelves are pretty barren," said Mary Kendall, the event's co-chairwoman, in April 2013.
Event tickets will go on sale starting on Jan. 2, 2014. Tickets will be $40 for evening performances and $30 for the Feb. 22 matinee performance, according to a press release. For ticket information, contact Mary Kendall at (231) 798-4244 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Sponsorships are also available at various levels. For more information about sponsoring the event, contact Karen Mogdics at (231) 744-4411 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Food pantries who would like to benefit from the event can also apply for funding by visiting www.womensdivision.org, selecting the "Groups We Help" tab and downloading the WDCC donation request form. The deadline to apply is Jan. 15.
For more information about the event, visit www.womensdivision.org/dancing.html.
Lisha Arino covers arts and entertainment, as well as other topics, as needed, for MLive/Muskegon Chronicle. Email her at email@example.com or follow her on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.


text:
Thunderstorms expected across Pennsylvania
Sunday, July 13, 2014
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The National Weather Service has a severe thunderstorm watch in effect for 53 western, central and northern Pennsylvania counties.
The severe thunderstorm watch was to lift at 8 p.m. for 15 western and southwestern counties, while the watch was to stay in effect until 11 p.m. for the other 38 counties.
The National Weather Service also says a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Clarion and moving east at 35 mph.


text:
Pauly Shore aka the Weasel hosted Rockapalooza last year. This year it will be Goat Boy.
Comedian Jim Breuer, formerly of "Saturday Night Live," has been booked to host the outdoor summer rock festival at Jackson County Fairgrounds on June 23.
"We're really pumped. We just finished up the deal this morning," said Rockapalooza promoter Tim Corser. "It's another step up for us."
Breuer was on "SNL" from 1995 to 1998 and is known for playing the Goat Boy character and for his impersonation of Joe Pesci. He currently hosts a weekly Sirius Satellite Radio show and performs stand-up comedy around the United States.
Corser is planning to announce the headlining band for Rockapalooza during Winter Fest at the American 1 Events Center, 200 W. Ganson St., on Jan. 21.


text:
Sea Shepherd needs your financial support to launch our Gulf Rescue campaign. Once mobilized, we will post a list of materials needed and volunteer opportunities.
With your help, Sea Shepherd will deploy a vessel along with trained staff and volunteers to aid in the mitigation of this disaster and its effects on the Gulf ocean ecosystem, including the rescue and rehabilitation of viable wildlife who have fallen victim to this disaster.
Follow this link to make a secure online donation:
Home | Privacy Policy | Copyright | Contact


text:
Poached Apples with Vanilla Yogurt
Published: November 2011
prep: 25 min total: 55 min Servings: 4
Poached Apples with Vanilla Yogurt
Servings: 4
- 1 1/2 cups fruity red wine (such as Syrah or Zinfandel)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
- 2 3x1' strips orange peel (white pith trimmed)
- 1 3x1' strip of lemon peel (white pith trimmed)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 whole star anise
- 4 medium Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, or Braeburn apples, peeled, cored
- 1 cup 2% Greek-style yogurt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
prep: 25 min total: 55 min
Combine wine, sugar, orange juice, orange peel, lemon peel, cinnamon stick, star anise, and 2 cups water in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add apples; reduce heat to low and simmer, occasionally rotating apples, until tender when pierced with a sharp knife, 25–30 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer apples to a plate and set aside. Strain poaching liquid in pan into a small saucepan, discarding solids in strainer. Set saucepan over medium-high heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until poaching liquid is syrupy and reduced to about 3/4 cup, 10–15 minutes (syrup will thicken as it cools).
Combine yogurt and honey in a small bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; whisk until the yogurt sauce is smooth and well blended.
Divide yogurt sauce among plates. Place warm apples on top. Drizzle syrup over.


text:
For anyone who lives or has travelled outside the Maritimes, you have no doubt experienced other Canadians' general lack of knowledge about anything east of Montreal.
Jen Gouthro
To view previous column, CLICK HERE.
I've been told that, even though I'm from Nova Scotia, I can be referred to as a Newfoundlander because "it's all the same out there." Some think that P.E.I. is the island with all the wild horses and that the weather is always terrible.
There are notable exceptions — the avid travellers who rave about their trips out East and know exactly where Dominion is on the map.
So imagine my surprise when sitting in a strategic management meeting at my university job in Toronto and hearing the facilitator rave about a small East Coast university that "we have probably never heard of" but does better than the rest of Canada in terms of alumni loyalty and campus engagement — St. Francis Xavier. I was simultaneously surprised and proud. You mean, my alma mater? The little university in a little town no one can pronounce? That St. FX?
When he mentioned St. FX I gave a little whoop, and his first question was, "Where is your ring?" I must admit that I don't always wear my ring. These days most of my jewelry is silver and the distinctive gold ring kind of clashes. When I told him this he gave me a tsk-tsk and explained to the group how most X alumni wear their rings their whole lives with pride. (Most of my friends are like me in this regard but I didn't say this.)
He explained to the group that St. FX has an enviable reputation among other Canadian universities in the area of alumni support and student spirit. Then he asked me — the apparent expert — why this was the case. Everyone looked at me with interest. What was so special about St. FX?
What is so special about St. FX? I had never really put it into words before. When I went there in the early 1990s, I enjoyed campus life and felt I was getting a good, solid education. I did notice that there was a strong push for students to be "involved" in some way; I got involved first as an orientation leader and then spent my last two years working in the residences, which got me started working in universities.
The campus has grown considerably since my time there, but still has the same look and feel. Not to sound too gushy, but getting my X ring was a magical experience. Both my parents wore their X-rings with pride and I felt like I had just joined an even bigger family.
But the consultant wanted the "how" of St. FX, and I wasn't sure I could describe it. What was the formula resulting in its "brand?"
In a Globe and Mail article, alumnus Frank McKenna described it more eloquently than I ever could: "(St. F.X. is) a very strong crucible for social innovation and leadership, and so it punches above its weight." Unfortunately I didn't have his quote in front of me.
Perhaps a very small part of me was pleased that a big city consultant wanted in on the magic of a Maritime school and I didn't want to divulge. But in truth, I didn't know the formula. So I emphasized the ring, the family connection and school spirit. Besides, not every situation can be boiled down to an equation. Like the poet Rumi wrote, "if you look too closely at the form, you miss the essence."
Jen Gouthro, a Dominion native, moved away from Cape Breton more than 20 years ago. She has lived in Antigonish, Banff, Maine and Windsor, Ont. and currently resides in Toronto. She can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
It's shaping up as wet weekend across the Garden State. That wet weather isn't likely to include any significant snowfall, however.
Precipitation is a good bet both days as a storm in the Midwest churns toward the East Coast, but any real snowfall threat will probably be confined to the northwestern counties of New Jersey, says the National Weather Service.
If snow were to accumulate, it would be late Friday into early Saturday, said Mitchell Gaines, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mount Holly.
Central Jersey and other parts of northern New Jersey will probably see a mixture of snow and rain, he said
The National Weather Service is not yet offering a projection of how much snow could fall.
The high temperature Saturday and Sunday will reach the low 40s, Gaines said.
As for the rest of today and tonight, expect cloudy, windy and seasonably cold weather. Tonight's low will be about 21 degrees in the Newark area.
Thursday will be dry and slightly warmer before rain rolls in sometime Friday evening.
As for the snow to the west, winter storm warnings and advisories stretch from Colorado to southern Illinois and south into Arkansas and Oklahoma from a system that might bring as much as 6 inches of snow to St. Louis and 3 to 5 inches to Chicago Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
That storm has the potential to merge with another system off the Atlantic this weekend, bringing snow to Boston and New England and mostly rain to New York City, said Rob Carolan, founder and meteorologist at Hometown Forecast Services Inc. in Nashua, N.H.
It's the same sort of scenario that produced a blizzard across the Northeast two weeks ago. However, the air won't be as cold and the systems may come together farther from the coast, which would keep the storm from being as severe, he said.
"We're going to have to watch it," Carolan said.
The track the storm takes Saturday into Sunday will determine how much snow or rain Boston gets, Carolan said. The closer the system is to the coast, the more snow it will bring.
"Boston may have accumulations held down by rain; we might get 3 to 6 inches over the interior," Carolan said. "That's just a stab in the dark. I'm not convinced the storm will come far enough north."
Bloomberg News contributed to this report


text:
© 2012 Geila Hocherman. All Rights Reserved
(Videos to follow)
Rosh Hashana starts this coming Sunday evening and it's customary to eat sweet foods, what could be better and easier than this delicious sweet dessert Flourless Chocolate Cake? The name is a little deceiving as this is technically a cross between a pudding and a cake. Semantics aside, this 5 ingredient, 10 minute to prepare cake will fool your guests into thinking you just finished a master pastry class. This is my variation on a recipe I found inside a box of chocolate and it never misses!!!
- 10 ounces high quality chocolate chopped
- 7 ounces butter or margarine
- 5 whole eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1-tablespoon vanilla
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and parchment a 9 inch round cake pan. Set Aside
- Place the chocolate and the butter or margarine in a glass bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir well, and then microwave another 30 seconds. Stir again until all of the chocolate and butter is smooth. Set aside. You can also melt the chocolate and butter on top of a double boiler on the stove.
- In a large dry bowl, (I use a standing mixer), beat the eggs until they are beginning to foam. Slowly add the sugar and then beat on high until it is light and fluffy, about tripled in volume.
- Add the vanilla, reduce the speed of the mixer and add the chocolate mixture. Beat on high for 5-10 seconds. Remove from stand and finish mixing with a rubber spatula.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Cover tightly with foil. Place in a roasting pan or fry pan with an ovenproof handle, or handle covered in aluminum foil.
- Place in oven and pour enough hot water to come half way up the side of the pan.
- Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cake cool in the roasting pan in the water. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to un-mold.
- Serve garnished with berries and coconut sorbet.
Peshwari Challah
(for recipe see here) For Rosh Hashana, I lightly sprinkle some honey over the nuts and herbs before rolling up the dough


text:
Update: Man died after exiting moving car. 3:05 p.m.
A Catholic University student and Fayetteville-Manlius High School graduate died Thursday after a car accident in northern Virgina, university officials said.
Brendan Englert was a junior, mechanical engineering major and member of the men's lacrosse team at Catholic University. He graduated from F-M High School in 2010.
F-M High School students and faculty have been greatly affected by Englert's passing, Principal Ray Kilmer said.
"F-M is a very tight-knit community so anytime we lose someone as full of life as Brendan, as a community it's tough," Kilmer said.
The community, the lacrosse team and the school are saddened by his passing, said Englert's former high school lacrosse coach, Chris Kenneally.
Englert played two years on the F-M varsity team before moving on to Catholic University.
In 2011 he was named the 2011 ECAC Division III Metro-South lacrosse rookie of the year.
In 2012 he was a second-team All-Landmark Conference selection after scoring 41 points on 29 goals and 12 assists. He was the only sophomore honored on the first and second teams.
He's listed as the top scorer of the university men's lacrosse team according to their website.
No plans have been made by the school to publicly mourn Englert, Kenneally said.
Kenneally has known Englert since he was a young boy, he said. He described the former player as a hard-working man on and off the lacrosse field.
"He had a very solid career and was doing very well," Kenneally said. "He had a great zest for life and we will miss him. We will really really miss him."


text:
The Syracuse Chiefs ended the Indianapolis Indians' five-game winning streak Thursday with a 4-2 win before a home crowd of nearly 3,500 fans. The Chiefs scored single runs in each of the first four innings. Relief pitchers Ryan Houston, Jim Crowell, Brian Wolfe, and Blaine Neal pitched 5-1/3 scoreless innings for the Chiefs.
The Chiefs will host the final game of the four-game series Friday at 7 p.m.
Click here for complete game results.


text:
More Red Sox »
Jason Varitek will officially retire today. After a brief moment to pause and thank the captain for his contributions, the earth will continue to rotate.
The sun will set, and rise again. The snow will fall, up north anyways.
Down south? Well, someone will need to step up.
The search for the 'next Jason Varitek' will commence. But this replacement search for a Boston icon won't be about numbers, although a nice slash line sure would be a terrific upgrade from recent years.
Rather, what Red Sox Nation will be looking for in the search for the replacement of Jason Varitek the Leader are the intangibles.
Common interview questions will include: How will he handle the pitchers? Does he have what it takes to be the rock on two World Series championship teams? Will he, when it is absolutely necessary, put a Rawlings Pro-Preferred in the mouth of Alex Rodriguez?
As camp continues in Fort Myers, Fla., the search continues. And Red Sox Nation turns its lonely eyes to the two catchers at the top of the depth chart: Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Kelly Shoppach.
Saltalamacchia, 'Salty' for short, is the main man. The once highly-touted prospect with the Atlanta Braves caught 103 games for the Red Sox last year, providing decent and promising production.
He hit .235/288/.450 with 16 home runs and 56 RBI, but provided a solid presence behind the plate. For Salty, there's certainly room to grow defensively. And, offensively, he won't be required to do much, given the high-powered productivity the Boston lineup can provide.
Shoppach, who was actually drafted by the Red Sox in 2001, has struggled offensively over the last few years. After a short big league stint with the Red Sox in 2005, Shoppach was sent to Cleveland, where he split time with Victor Martinez behind the plate. In 2010, Shoppach went to Tampa and played in 150 games over the last two seasons.
When he has played, he's done well defensively. He led the American League in caught-stealing percentage, throwing out 41 percent of runners. Throughout his career, limiting the other team on the basepaths has been a strong point.
ESPN Boston has an excellent look at the state of the Red Sox catching corps now that Varitek is out of the picture.
While it remains to be seen if Salty can truly fill the role of catcher on a team that could be one of the best in the league, it appears he has provided the leadership necessary to succeed early in camp.
"It's all about togetherness," Saltalamacchia told ESPNBoston.com. "I've been through what (rookie Luis Exposito) has been through. I've been through what (Ryan) Lavarnway has been through, being a top prospect, going through it and given the opportunity.
The interesting thing about the team's search for the 'Next Varitek' is that the question of 'who' won't be answered verbally. It'll be done with actions, seen and proven over time.
Salty told ESPN Boston that he's very similar to Varitek in the way that he chooses to lead.
"Personality-wise, I think I'm the same as him as far as leading by example," he said. "I'm not a guy who is going to jump down your throat. If something needs to be said, it's behind closed doors."
Shoppach, meanwhile, is essentially Varitek's replacement. Salty was the starting catcher last season and when the Red Sox signed Shoppach in the offseason, it essentially meant the end of the Varitek Era.
But, Shoppach, predictably, doesn't hold any thoughts about replacing what Varitek provided. He told the Boston Herald, that the only link to Varitek he feels is that they happened to play the same position. During his short time with the Red Sox earlier in his career, Shoppach admired Varitek, but never truly struck a rapport.
Shoppach knows his place as the No. 2 backstop on the depth chart. But that doesn't mean he can't provide leadership in his own way.
"I wasn't (with the Red Sox) long enough to have any major league help, if you will," Shoppach said. "But because I had such great people in Cleveland around me, I quickly followed their example and learned from them and talked to them. It's my responsibility now to share the things I've learned with others."
Among the 'others' Shoppach refers to, of course, is Saltalamacchia.
So, on the day Jason Varitek officially retires after a long 15 years with the Red Sox, the search for 'The Next Varitek' begins. But, as early signs indicate, it won't be an individual that provides that leadership. Rather, the current group of catchers will combine to provide the intangibles Varitek brought to the club throughout his successful run behind the plate.
And, perhaps fittingly, with his footprint clear on the current catching corps, Varitek's leadership will live on.


text:
Everybody wanted to blame the linebackers, and there was some justification in that harsh assessment, but in truth, another position on the Auburn defense had to be considered the most disappointing through the season's first four games.
It was the defensive line.
Until Saturday, the line had been a disappointment. A combination of injuries and inconsistency had plagued the Tigers at the point of attack, as they struggled to deal with the read-option game of Mississippi State and the inside running game of LSU.
Despite having a talented rotation of players and one of the better assistants in the SEC at that position in Rodney Garner, the Auburn defensive line had not stepped up.
Then came Ole Miss.
Bo Wallace went down on six sacks, the most by the Auburn defense since they put down Alabama's Brodie Croyle 11 times in the 2005 Iron Bowl. The Ole Miss running game generated only 124 yards.
Afterward, Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze explained.
"We lost a lot of one-on-ones," he said. "We certainly feel like we got beat quite a few times. The thing that's disappointing is, not only did you get beat, but you got beat quick off the ball, and there is really nothing you can do with the football."
No one's comparing the Auburn front to the Steel Curtain or the Fearsome Foursome. No one's suggesting this line is the equal of the 2010 unit dominated by Nick Fairley, but the return of Dee Ford and the emergence of true freshman Carl Lawson, who notched his first two college sacks, gives the Tigers hope.
They've gotten pushed around the last two years. Now they've started to push back. It bodes well for the Tigers moving forward.
See anything you liked in Saturday's games? Let's break it down on Live at 9.


text:
TRENTON -- As Trenton police begin implementing pieces of Mayor Tony Mack's new comprehensive crime plan, Washington, D.C.'s police chief, whose crime strategies inspired Mack initiative, cautions that carbon copies of her plan are not necessarily right for every department.
But Chief Cathy Lanier said her strategies have worked in the nation's capital, including an "All Hands on Deck" maneuver, which places the entire department on the street but has drawn union ire in Trenton and D.C.
Mack's crime initiative was scheduled to begin Feb.1. But with that date come and gone, little has noticeably changed about the department's mission, though acting police director Dave Armitage said the strategies that police can begin are being worked on.
"We're moving forward with different aspects of the mayor's plan," Armitage said last week.
In his Jan. 24 news conference announcing the changes, Mack freely admitted he borrowed many ideas from existing plans in cities such as Washington, D.C. Mack heard Lanier speak during a U.S. Conference of Mayors panel five days before he presented his plan.
Lanier, who was named head of the 3,900-member D.C. force in 2007, has spearheaded many of the initiatives Mack included in his plan, and said they have been successful for her. She examined Mack's four-page published plan last week.
"I can't say that it's not a good plan because I don't know what the specific issues are and how the community feels in their own neighborhoods," Lanier said during a phone interview from her office.
Neither Mack's staff nor the police department had contacted Lanier for tips or information about D.C.'s crime plan, she said.
Certain details proposed by Mack differ from what Lanier has done in Washington. The "All Hands on Deck" strategy is different in each town. Unlike Mack's idea, which would put the full department on for 48 hours straight, and which city police have said would lead to skyrocketing overtime, D.C. officers work eight hours at a time.
"The bulk of the department gets to stay on their regular shift," Lanier said.
For two days, usually a Friday and a Saturday, all days off are canceled and the entire force that is on the job during an eight hour shift -- including supervisors and homicide detectives -- hit the streets. "We see on any given shift 1,100 people out there," Lanier said.
While Mack has said he could issue an all-hands call following a serious crime such as a homicide, Lanier said her initiative is based around providing a presence at times of the year when violent crime typically spikes.
"Our 'All Hands on Deck' is designed to be proactive, so we do analysis of crime throughout the year," Lanier said.
"We schedule to have the whole department working those days with the hope we prevent those crimes from spiking," she added. Metropolitan police do an all-hands call about five times a year, she said.
D.C.'s police unions filed a lawsuit and won a judge's ruling that officers need to be paid overtime for extra shifts.
Trenton's police unions have indicated their belief that Mack would have to declare a state of emergency for a 48-hour call-up to be legal. Police officials said they would prefer to have the department on a 12-hours on, 12-hours off shift.
Mack's plan to have all officers equipped with BlackBerry devices and provide the public with their numbers had its origins with another Lanier policy. When she became head of the department in 2007, officers were using pagers to stay in touch with the community.
"We should have the most responsive agency in the city, because what's more important than crime?" Lanier asked.
Now, each patrol supervisor has a cell phone with a number made public and which they are required to answer while on duty. The phone gets passed to the next supervisor at the end of the shift. Commanders are also required to provide e-mail updates about what's going on in D.C. neighborhoods, from street closures to shootings, and must respond to questions.
In Trenton, the BlackBerrys would be designed to work in addition to a Text-A-Tip program, which Trenton police already had in place.
During the mayors' forum in January, Lanier endorsed the 30-year-old "Broken Windows" theory Mack mentions in his plan for zero tolerance of crimes, but with several caveats. The theory holds that if one window in a house is broken, the others will soon follow unless repairs are made. Similarly, police leaders like Bill Bratton and mayors like Rudolph Giuliani believe that steadily responding to petty crimes creates a climate that discourages larger offenses.
"I believe in the whole broken windows theory," Lanier said, even though she cautions against applying that philosophy with a broad brush.
But Lanier said that officers charging into a neighborhood and locking up people for every single minor crime such as drinking in public has a negative effect.
"Really what it was doing was alienating the community," Lanier said.
Instead, she has the 300 police officers who walk foot posts in D.C., talk to the members of the community, get to know them and seek their advice on how to make things better.
"So I build more long-term sources in the community by not doing zero tolerance," she said.
"If the whole agency focuses on a strategy and it's one strategy, I think it's going to be successful," she said.
Contact Alex Zdan at firstname.lastname@example.com or (609) 989-5705.


text:
Tett, Paul, Arístegui, J, Barton, D and Basterretxea, G (2002) Steady-state DCM dynamics in Canaries waters. Deep Sea Research Part II Topical Studies in Oceanography, 49 (17). pp. 3543-3559. ISSN 0967 0645Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)
This paper concerns the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) dynamics in a steady state, using primarily data from the Canary Islands Area of Filament and Eddy eXchange obtained in August 1999 during a cruise between oligotrophic waters west of La Palma and the north-west African coastal upwelling. CTD-fluorometer observations of the deep fluorescence maximum (DFM) were confirmed by water samples from which chlorophyll was extracted. The DFM-DCM was perturbed at many stations by island-generated eddies and similar features, and the paper focuses on unperturbed stations, which were identified by the occurrence of the DFM close to the 26.4kgm-3 isopycnal. The DFM at these stations occurred at the top of the nitracline, in the presence of 0.3-2M nitrate+nitrite, and at 24h mean isolumes of 10-20Em-2s-1. The classical compensation depth model predicts the occurrence of the DFM-DCM at less illumination and hence at too great a depth, making it necessary to take into account additional losses, especially those due to the respiration of microheterotrophs in biomass equilibrium with phytoplankton. The depth of the steady-state DCM is compatible with the predictions of a microplankton model, given (i) a ratio of 0.3-0.6 of microheterotroph to total microplankton biomass, and (ii) other losses (due to meszooplankton grazing and vertical mixing) of about 0.1d-1.
|Item Type:
|Print ISSN:
|0967 0645
|Electronic ISSN:
|Uncontrolled Keywords:
|Deep chlorophyll maximum; DCM; Deep fluorescence maximum; DFM; Canary Islands; Shallow DFM; Microheterotrophs; Phytoplankton; Ecological Balance; DCM depth steady;
|University Divisions/Research Centres:
|Faculty of Health, Life & Social Sciences > School of Life Sciences
|Dewey Decimal Subjects:
|500 Science > 550 Earth sciences & geology
500 Science > 570 Life sciences; biology > 577 Ecology
|Library of Congress Subjects:
|Q Science > QH Natural history > QH301 Biology
G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GC Oceanography
|Item ID:
|Depositing User:
|RAE Import
|Date Deposited:
|27 Jun 2008 15:51
|Last Modified:
|20 Aug 2013 10:15
Actions (login required)
|View Item


text:
'Pretty Little Liars' Recap: 'Eye Of The Beholder'
When last we left our "Pretty Little Liars," they were loitering outside the creepiest little doll hospital you've ever seen. Until a rather comely gentleman mistook Aria for Ali's alter ego Vivian Darkbloom. Turns out, the boy was an acquaintance of Vivian's (name: Duncan Albert), whom she met at a bookstore around the corner in Brookhaven. Aria agreed to meet Duncan at the school later to chat about Vivian, who he knew was actually named Ali and who he knew much better than he'd led on. Apparently, they spent quite a bit of time together in the months leading up to Ali's murder. In fact, he even saw her the weekend of her death.
But in even bigger news, Toby not-so-triumphantly returned to Rosewood to drive Miss Jenna following her surgery (only one eye to start!). Spencer was pretty taken aback to see Toby, telling him that she'd been thinking a lot about their relationship lately. "Isn't it a little late for that?" he asked. Harsh. But pretty understandable.
Back in Arialand, the little liar agreed to meet Duncan again, this time at his and Ali's favorite spot. (Anyone else confused why she spent more time with this guy than Ezra last night?) Apparently Ali had a hidden taste for aeronautics because Duncan's directions led Aria straight to an airfield. Where—you guessed it!—Duncan insisted on taking her up for a flight in the smallest plane you've ever seen. Aria, honey, this is the tough-love portion of this recap. How dumb do you have to be to get into an airplane maned by a strange teenage boy you don't know? Think about it! Thankfully she made it back to solid ground safely with a new bit of intel to boot: Ali had Duncan fly her from Hilton Head to a field outside of Philadelphia the morning of her murder, meaning that a number of her early hours that day were unaccounted for. What was she up to?
Meanwhile, Jason asked the girls to look through a bag of Ali's things that had been stuffed away in the attic, but when the liars sifted through her belongings, all they found was a bunch of kid stuff, including a musical jewelry box. It was only after Spencer dropped the bag back at Jason's that she realized the newsprint wrapping had been highlighted with clues. So off went Hanna to retrieve the pack but, um, Jason's house was on fire! With Jenna stuck inside! Hanna rescued her nemesis just in time before the entire front half of the house exploded. We came to find out that someone (ahem, A?) posed as Jason and sent a text to Jenna to meet at Jason's—all but ensuring her death until Hanna intervened.
Spencer got a shard of glass stuck in her palm during the whole ordeal—a perfect opportunity for a little face time with our favorite hunky M.D. Wren told her that, professionally speaking, she had a very complicated life, to which Spence agreed but said she'd never undo anything that had happened between them. Sorry, Spencer-Toby shippers, I'm solidly on Team Wren. Spencer also discovered a few things about her family, namely that her mother was the one who suggested hiring a detective to track Melissa. It's looking more and more likely that Spencer's sister had something to do with Ali's demise.
In other random plot lines that didn't seem to have too much impact on the episode as a whole, Emily received a text and email from Maya letting her know she was all right. Em initially kept the news to herself, but finally decided to let Mrs. St. Germain know her daughter was safe. For his part, Ezra got yet another visit from Ella to ensure that he hadn't misunderstood her; though she was open to a dialogue about Aria and Ezra's relationship, she did not approve. Far from it. I think we all get it now, Ella. Okay? Ezra decided not to accept the out-of-town job offer, and for good measure, he called Byron into his office to share the news. I couldn't agree with show runner I. Marlene King more: Ezra (finally) became a man last night. We've only been waiting two seasons for it to happen!
Only two weeks left until we find out A's identity! Who's your top candidate? Does Duncan add a new wrinkle to your theories? Is Melissa really a murderer? Do you think Jenna's eye surgery will be a success? Spill all your thoughts and theories in the comments and on Twitter!


text:
Henry Gilford was 18 and just three days from leaving Dale County to start class at Alabama A&M University -- the first in his family to go straight to college -- when the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
"I was watching the hundreds of thousands of people on the Mall and I was smart enough to know that history was being made, but I had no idea I would be a part of it all these years later," said Gilford, now 66.
Gilford's biography is exactly what King had in mind in 1963 when he called for justice and equality for African-Americans: black son of a sharecropper in segregated Alabama earns a college degree, works hard, owns his own business.
And that business would put Gilford on the team that built the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial, which will open this weekend in Washington. Its dedication was set for today -- the 48th anniversary of King's "I Have a Dream" speech -- but was postponed until fall because of Hurricane Irene.
The Gilford Corp. is a general contractor firm based on Beltsville, Md., just outside Washington, and was one of four companies in a joint venture that built the four-acre park along the northwest corner of the Tidal Basin between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials.
'Solid foundation'
The Stone of Hope sculpture of King, emerging from the Mountain of Despair behind it, is a 2,200-ton piece of art that needed an extra-sturdy foundation and an elegant pedestrian-friendly area to match.
"It's not just a pretty plaza," said Gilford, an engineer. "Underneath is a real deep pile foundation. It needed a solid foundation."
Gilford was born in Clio, graduated from D.A. Smith High School in Ozark, went to Alabama A&M in Huntsville, and married a woman named Ollie from Bessemer. He originally intended to be a veterinarian.
"Then I worked in a dairy and I realized I didn't want to be a vet," Gilford said. "There are a lot of sick animals, and you have to have the stomach for that."
He switched to study construction engineering, and people often ask him why he didn't go to the University of Alabama or Auburn University. But it was 1963 in Alabama and then-Gov. George Wallace was standing in schoolhouse doors fighting integration.
"What I would have gotten at the University of Alabama was a degree in egg-dodging," Gilford said.
Gilford got a job right away with IBM and moved to the Washington area, where he would help build two of the first stations on the city's subway system. He started the civil engineering firm in 1984 and it expanded to general contracting in 1995. It has done major construction and renovation projects in more than 40 countries, including American embassies and the Washington Monument.
The King monument has special meaning, though.
During his years at the historically black college near Huntsville, the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham was bombed and troopers beat civil rights marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. He finished his undergraduate degree the same year King was shot, 1968.
"I was there during the height of the civil rights movement," Gilford said in an interview this week. "I can't ever explain what this means to me."
Join the conversation by clicking to comment or email Orndorff at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Manti-La Sal National Forest
Contact Information
Manti-La Sal National Forest
599 West Price River Drive
Price, UT 84501
Phone: 435-637-2817
Fax: 435-637-4940
Contact Us
Volunteer Vacation:
Wilderness Volunteers and the Manti-La Sal National Forest are hosting a trail maintenance and invasive tamarisk removal volunteer vacation May 13-19, 2012 and a second volunteer vacation September 23-29 focusing on an archaeological inventory, both in the Dark Canyon Wilderness. For information on volunteering, see. Wilderness Volunteers is a nonprofit organization that organizes volunteer service in partnership with the Manti-La Sal National Forest. For more information on volunteering, see Wilderness Volunteers.
Volunteers are the heartbeat of the Forest Service. Volunteers may work on a part-time or full-time basis. They can participate in a one-time project or serve over several months, seasons, or year-round. Training may be provided when the job requires it.
A variety of jobs are available whether you prefer an office environment, the social life of a camp host, or vigorous physical labor outdoors. The only tasks a volunteer cannot carry out are those associated with law enforcement.
If you are retired or have summers free, you may wish to become a volunteer. Contact one of the following for more information: Rosann Fillmore, Bill Broadbear, or Brian Murdock
If you would like to see the seasonal volunteer opportunities on the Manti-La Sal go to Volunteer.gov
Forest Service Home | USDA.gov | recreation.gov | USA.gov | Whitehouse.gov
Plug-Ins | FOIA | Accessibility Statement | Privacy Policy | Important Notices | Information Quality


text:
Apartment construction is surging in Saratoga County, with hundreds of new units on the drawing board, reports the Albany Times Union.
The newspaper said an influx of workers to semiconductor maker GlobalFoundries and other tech companies is helping to drive demand for housing in the county. The construction surge, now in its third year, follows three years of slumping demand during the recession, according to the report.
In other business news around New York today:
Jefferson County reaches out to China. (Watertown Daily Times)
Judge throws out lawsuit by condo developer against town of Colonie. (Albany Times Union)
RF Communications parent kicks off $1 billion stock buyback. (Rochester Business Journal)
Developers of Midtown Tower in Rochester want OK for $18.6 million in tax breaks. (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)
Tim Hortons billionaire Ron Joyce selling his yacht for $19.9 million. (Toronto Star)
Trump vs. New York: Battles in court, Twitter (Video) (New York Business Journal)
Luxury retailer Nordstrom bags midtown New York City site for $102.5 million. (Crain's New York Business)
Contact Rick Moriarty at firstname.lastname@example.com> or (315) 470-3148. Follow him on Twitter @RickMoriartyCNY and on Facebook at rick.moriarty.92.


text:
West Virginians have hand in BCS titles
MORGANTOWN – It seems absolutely amazing that two West Virginia natives, who grew up just about 15 miles apart, orchestrated major college football teams to three BCS national championships in as many years.
Jimbo Fisher of Clarksburg turned the trick Monday night, guiding Florida State to its nailbiting 34-31 victory against Auburn in the BCS title-taking tussle at Pasadena, Calif.
That conquest by the Seminoles, thanks to a game-winning touchdown near the end, obviously was for the 2013 football campaign.
You will recall that Alabama head coach Nick Saban, who was born in the Fairmont area, led his teams to the national championship in 2011 and 2012.
What's more, Saban's 2009 team also captured the crown.
So the number actually is four within five years for these remarkable state-born football mentors.
Alabama's championship wins were against Texas 37-21, LSU, 21-0, and Notre Dame, 42-14. Only time will tell whether Jimbo Fisher can get on a winning streak as Saban did remains to be seen.
Adding to West Virginia football fans' interest in Florida State's success is that Rick Trickett coaches the Seminoles' offensive line. He is a Preston County native who grew up in Morgantown.
Trickett, who also was Mountaineer offensive line coach under Frank Cignetti at WVU between 1976-79 and Rich Rodriguez from 2001-06, also happens to be the proud father of Clint Trickett, WVU's top quarterback in 2013.
The youngster had played two years at FSU before transferring here. Clint has one more year of eligibility as a Mountaineer.
Trickett had an opportunity to accompany other members of his family, during WVU's long semester break, to California and watch his former teammates defeat Auburn in that tight title contest.
He graduated from Florida State with honors in three years.
- ? ?
While on the West Coast, Clint Trickett had Dr. James Andrews, a famed shoulder injury specialist, examined his throwing arm shoulder. The surgeon confirmed that Trickett had a torn labrum.
He gave Trickett a shot of cortisone last Saturday and plans to check the shoulder again in one week.
Trickett separated his shoulder and tore the labrum of his throwing arm in WVU's 30-21 upset win against No. 11 Oklahoma State on Sept. 28.
The injury occurred when he was hit while throwing an incomplete pass in the first half of that game. He never revealed the throwing arm problem, however.
Eventually Trickett also suffered two concussions and pain. But he started six of the team's final seven games.
It is most unfortunate that his labrum tear reportedly was not discussed until after the 2013 season ended.
Could Clint Trickett's final season of his football career be in jeopardy?
It all apparently hinges on what Andrews finds out and recommends after his second look at the labrum tear.
If surgery is decided, a six-month recovery might be needed according to published newspaper reports.
Let's hope that won't be the situation. Trickett is a talented and courageous young man.


text:
This member is banned for violating our Terms of Use. If this is your account and you would like it re-activated, please contact us with your justification.
Just dont comment my profile,please.Just pass my profile or you can be my friend :) Thats all that i can say right now about me.
No members were found matching the criteria specified. We suggest you try the member list with no filter applied, to browse all available. Join now to share your own content, we welcome creators and consumers alike and look forward to your comments.


text:
Ohio's Energy FutureWe are Ohioans who believe in a better future for Ohio. A future where neither we nor our children have to leave the State to find a good job unless we choose to do so. A future where our beautiful State is not in the list of the most polluting but in the list of the cleanest. A future where energy independence is a reality and not just a distant dream. A future where the world looks at Ohio and admires our infrastructure.
Who We AreWe are Ohioans who believe in a better future for Ohio.
Learn More
OpportunitiesWe can make this work with your support.
What's Happening
Learn More


text:
This deal has ended.
This I Teach, What is Your Super Power? T-Shirt, originally listed at $22.95, now drops from $12.99 to $5.99 via code TOP20 at LOL Shirts. Shipping adds $1.99. This equals the best price we've ever seen, and is the best current price we could find on anything similar by $11. This t-shirt is printed on super soft cotton, and is available in sizes S-5X, with the extended sizes a couple bucks more. Sales tax is not charged in most states.No longer available


text:
Simone's Kids
Rating: 5 stars 58 58 reviews
202 Dallas Hwy SW Cartersville GA 30120 USA
To save children from the effects of poverty.
We have built a school with 10 classrooms, offices, bathrooms and are working on a cafeteria, library and clinic. We operate two schools in Uganda with over 700 children.
Target demographics:
Orphaned and poverty stricken children in the town of Nakaseke, Uganda.
Direct beneficiaries per year:
Geographic areas served:
God's Hope Primary and Seconday School- Education Lunch Line- Feeding Program A Classroom for Christmas- Classroom Building Projects
Filter Reviews by Role
Promote This Nonprofit
GreatNonprofits badges allow you to raise awareness of your favorite nonprofits on your own web sites!
Reviews for Simone's Kids
2 people found this review helpful
Hello, I am Hope. I am the head teacher at God's Hope Primary School. I am so grateful to have the organization of Simone's Kids. It has been such a blessing to the children and to the community of Nekesake. I used to send children away from school because they couldn't pay the fees but because of Simone's Kids, the children and their families don't have to pay any fees. We used to lack materials to use at school, but today we are blessed to have them. This is all thanks to Simone's Kids. We used to have to borrow books from others schools but now we have our own! There are so many children that have benefited from this ministry. Orphans and needy children have gotten shoes, uniforms and bags. When the team visits, they even take the children to the hospital if needed, they visit the student's homes and that has had a great impact. Everyone with Simone's Kids has shown so much love to us. So many things have been done by the ministry and we thank God for all that they do. We pray for them always to be blessed. They care for the children so much that they are providing education, meals and even the best health care. They treat scalp conditions, wounds and they provide us with clean water resources.
Before Simone's Kids, I feared standing before the children at school because people said that our school was not good and that we were wasting time. But now I am so proud of what Simone's Kids has provided for us. I am blessed and thankful for all that the ministry has done, not only for me, but all of the children in the school and community. May The Lord bless you and meet all your needs.
More Feedback
How would you describe the help you got from this organization?
How likely are you to recommend this organization to a friend?
How do you feel you were treated by this organization?
Very Well
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
3 people found this review helpful
Hi, I am Godfrey, the school administrator at God's Hope Primary School. I have been working with Simone's Kids since 2010. Since then, I have seen many children's lives change from hopeless to hopeful.
It's not very easy to notice what your humble donations can do for the young children, until you visit us. The children who had no food before, you can see them now share food at school. It brings me to have more joy and confidence to serve God than ever before. It takes me another step of faith when I see children who had no classrooms to be while reading when they sit in a classroom now with desks. I expect an even brighter future for the children at God's Hope Primary School. First, when the school had just started, none of us knew what may come the next day because food was a dream to the children and those who could not afford to pay some fees had dropped out of school, leading to having to almost close the school, but thanks to Simone's Kids ministry who came to the rescue of the young children who had lost hope in an area.
Before Simone's Kids, one would think I was sick from having to pay the teachers and not being able to. But when Simone's Kids came, the stress was gone! Thank God my life has improved. I am always having a wide smile because I can now pay teachers and other workers without stress!!
Working with Simone's Kids has given me an opportunity to meet important people, especially the team members who always visit us. Among them, I can mention Mason Satterfield and Marisa Ann Roy.
I feel true life when I serve God in this ministry. Thank God for Simone's Kids.
More Feedback
How would you describe the help you got from this organization?
How likely are you to recommend this organization to a friend?
How do you feel you were treated by this organization?
Very Well
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?


text:
Flash From The Past - 1900
Mayor-elect Spies was called to Iola Tuesday because of the illness of his father who has been receiving treatment for cancer. The mayor-elect was therefore unable to be present at the first meeting of new council.
John Magee, one of the hustlers who are converting the Brazeau wilderness into flower gardens, did business in the county's metropolis last week.
A H Luckenbach has sold to George Walters the later's late residence in the North ward to John B Martineau.
City Clerk Brazeau will have his office in the Pelkey and Brazeau building, east of Thiele's store.
George Coban of Oconto has sold his farm in Little River to George Beyer for $950.
Archie Belongia, the popular blind man of Frenchtown, is now established in the old Hoeffel Meat Market building and welcomes customers old and new.
The population of Oconto in 1890, according to the United States Census was 5,219; in 1895, according to state census, 6,017. Last year's school census indicated the population of the city was 6,800. The population of Oconto County has been largely increased during the past five years. The enumerators will probably find about 25,000 people in it.
Archie Cardinal, who went south the first of the year to see the country is working 60 acres of leased land at Rutledge, Ga., and will be able to report his experiences with cotton and corn at the close of the season.
Joseph Cota, a former resident of Oconto, lost a logging outfit valued at $1000 in the forest fires near Pembine.
W J Classon Jr. is putting up a building on Superior street, south of his stable, for sheltering some of his vehicles.
Dr. Minnie Hopkins attended the state convention of homeopathists in Milwaukee this week.
The Freward
Millinery store is being
moved to the lot east of the armory, they bought of D Turner last
Mrs. Gov. Schofield is in the city, a guest of Mrs. Charles Hall and other friends. She is supervising sone repairs on the Sciofield residence.
James Fitzsimmon, a yount man whose home is in the East Ward (city of Oconto), who had veen in Duluth the past simmer, came home sick three weeks ago and is now prostrated with typhoid fever.
B E Crane, who bought the John Lehner farn in the town of Spruce in June, moved there from Oshkosh recently. He paid $6,000 for the place. He brought with him a carload of sheep and a large number of cattle and other stock.
Mrs Edward Schofield (wife of Wisconsin Governor Edward Schofield, both of Oconto County) gave reception at the executive residence in Madison yesterday afternoon which was one of the most eoaborate affairs of the season.
Yesterday was the best day of the deer hunting season and Moses Pocquette, William Tripp, Nick Stack, Ernest Baldwin, Frank Smith and Georgw Ansorge will start on next Wednesday on a two-weeks hunting trip on the headwaters of McCauslin Brook.
Fire Sunday night destroyed the Rath House. Inmates of the house had difficulty in escaping and Edward C Kimball, about 22 years old, was unable to do so and lost his life by suffocation. It is supposed the fire originated forn oor insulation of the electric light wire.
afternoon fore broke out in tthe
Anson Edred Company's large stock barn and from the start was beyond
of residents. Help was telegraphed for and a fire engine was sent from
Green Bay which assisted in confining the flames to the barn and sheds,
tool and harness shop, meat market, creamery and three dwellings.


text:
Handling Collisions Between Rectangles
#1 Members - Reputation: 205
Posted 20 May 2012 - 02:48 PM
I've posted a lot on here about this game, and I'm starting to feel like I might have to give this forum credit for large parts of the game.
And now I need help again.
This whole post has to do with collisions.
First/Second problem:
Each object in my game has an array of rectangles that encase the sides of the object. (ie. top, left, right, bottom) This unfortunately results in the side boxes being 'activated' when the player hits a platform because they overlap the bottom box. Is this an effective arrangement for collision detection? I have seen methods that used circles, and that seemed very good, but I'm making a side scroller, and I feel like the way they handled the collisions would result in the player sliding down off a flat platform because of a round collision circle. Has anyone heard of other collision detection shape arrangements? And if this is one of the better methods, how can I prevent the overlap of boxes? (This seems like it should be fairly obvious but I've been trying for a while and I can't seem to figure it out.)
Third problem:
I have a collision checker method in my game that effectively checks the collisions between two objects. (Two nested for loops check each of the player's boxes against each of object b's boxes.) After the check, I have the player respond to the collisions. The problem however, lies in his speed. Because in one frame he could be moving up to 30 pixels (his terminal velocity), he can pass through an object and never have it be detected. What happens more often is that he ends up half in half out of a platform, activating 3 of his collision boxes. I've tried telling the player to automatically move up to rest on the platform, but that results in the player constantly jumping between a point inside the platform, and the point that I want him to be at. Any suggestions to solve this?
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks for all the help so far,
#2 Members - Reputation: 275
Posted 20 May 2012 - 03:59 PM
Also your problem could be solved by a simple X and Y coordinate check when you do your collision?
If the Players X is in between the platforms edges it's likely the player is colliding either the top or bottom hit-box ( If both top and bottom triggers ( Which they shouldn't according to your description, check if players Y is above or below the platform to determine if it was the hit-box of the bottom or top was triggered. ). If the player y coordinate is not between the edges it's most likely a collision of either edges.
Something like that?
I have never used this method before so I don't know if it works this way but couldn't you use a line collision check from point A where he starts and point B where he is after the movement, if the line collides you know you have a collision in the movement path move the player to that location and if you want check the collision as normal.
Third problem:
I have a collision checker method in my game that effectively checks the collisions between two objects. (Two nested for loops check each of the player's boxes against each of object b's boxes.) After the check, I have the player respond to the collisions. The problem however, lies in his speed. Because in one frame he could be moving up to 30 pixels (his terminal velocity), he can pass through an object and never have it be detected. What happens more often is that he ends up half in half out of a platform, activating 3 of his collision boxes. I've tried telling the player to automatically move up to rest on the platform, but that results in the player constantly jumping between a point inside the platform, and the point that I want him to be at. Any suggestions to solve this?
Edited by Moonkis, 20 May 2012 - 04:01 PM.
#3 Members - Reputation: 205
Posted 22 May 2012 - 01:59 PM
Sorry, that's what I meant. Every object has an array for rectangular bounding boxes. The platforms only have one bounding box. The player uses four so I can tell which side is being hit.
wouldn't it suffice with only one box for the platform
And for your second solution:
So are you saying have a loop that translates the players bounding boxes and checks at each step?
I'd never thought of that but that would be more effective than moving the player and then checking for collisions and shifting backwards to find the right spot.
Thanks for your help!
#4 Members - Reputation: 572
Posted 22 May 2012 - 04:38 PM
Unless there is some absolute need to use four bounding boxes for your player, I would reduce this to one and solve the idea you need to know which side is being hit by another method. It will at least be easier to debug with one box and get all your box collision working very robustly that way first. You can scale up to 4 if you really need that when all is good.
I've done pure box collision like this and I've done it both badly and very accurately with predictive as well as moving/overlap then rewind methods…and a mixture of them all.
My preferred simple method checks for overlap first (after the box has moved) between my Box A and other box Box B. If there is no overlap, then there is no collision…nothing more to do.
If there is overlap though, I know I should be spending the extra time doing more detailed calculations. As such, I move Box A back to where it was and cast lines out from the corners in the direction of movement, sized by the amount of movement in order to see which one hits which side if Box B first.
I don't do unnecessary calculations, so if I am moving down and right I only cast lines out (in the direction of movement) from the top-right, bottom-right, and bottom-left corners of the box A and I only test against the top and left sides of Box B.
I would also focus on the bottom-right corner first because in theory, if that corner hits first then the others I don't need to worry about because that was the 'leading corner'. Testing the line from the bottom right corner of box A against the top and left sides of B tells me which side of Box B I hit (if any) and should slide along.
Again, note that I don't test against the right and bottom sides of Box B in the moving down and right scenario. They are on the other side of the box so I can't possibly hit them without hitting the near side first. I don't cast lines from the top left corner of Box A for the same reason.
If the leading corner did not hit the top or left side of box B, I then check to see if the other two corners that might have. This would occur if bottom right leading corner of Box A might have gone below the left side of Box B (missing the side) or past the right side of the top of Box B (again, missing that top side). It's entirely possible for the non-leading corners to be the point of first contact so this is why you do this.
Note that using lines is effectively a 'sweeping' technique…you won't miss collisions by moving past them if you only use lines, because you're checking along the line of movement and will hit anything in the way. If you use the box overlap first as I suggested above, you may still get that problem though, which will arise if Box A moves past Box B entirely – there'll be no overlap, so you'll not bother doing the sweep.
In that case you could sweep a box over the entire region of movement…or just use a box that encompasses the start point of the box and the end point. I've also just used a bigger box for the overlap detection too and all that does is make sure I undertake the sweeping line tests when there might have been a collision.
You may find that you collide with multiple objects in all these scenarios, particularly those that involve some sweeping…so you have to find which is the nearest. A lazy way of doing this is of course to just test against them all and always keep the results of whatever the current nearest candidate is as you iterate through all possibilities.
The other thing to watch out for…boxes of different sizes. A large box can pass over a box of a smaller size without any corner intersections. This may show up as a potential collision when sweeping a box…but your more detailed line intersection tests may still fail. There are a number of solutions to this…an easy one involves doing line casting checks not from the corners, but from part way along the sides.
What you will see from above is that good collision detection usually involves a number of techniques mixed and matched.
#5 Members - Reputation: 572
Posted 22 May 2012 - 04:52 PM
Also bear in mind many platformer collisions just don't use anything accurate (or don't need to). I once did a platformer almost exclusively using one point on the character for collision - generally between his feet but when moving...the front of the feet. I would support this with a point at the top of the head when jumping and if I knew I was walking against a wall, then I'd reach out beyond the feet...at least to a point representing the extremity of the character (but still out from the feet/along the floor).
#6 Members - Reputation: 205
Posted 22 May 2012 - 07:35 PM
This is part of the problem I was having. My character can move fast enough (downward) to move completely through a platform in one frame and it seems your method wouldn't check for that. I can always solve this by making all platforms have a minimum height equal to his terminal velocity... actually I think I'll go with that. I honestly just needed to talk that one out.
If there is no overlap, then there is no collision…nothing more to do.
And your explanation was quite thorough.
Thank you so much for your help.
#7 Members - Reputation: 572
Posted 23 May 2012 - 09:28 AM
If you use the box overlap first as I suggested above, you may still get that problem though, which will arise if Box A moves past Box B entirely – there'll be no overlap, so you'll not bother doing the sweep.
Sorry, those last seven words probably could have highlighted the issue further but hey you saw it yourself anyway. As you can see, the basic point is that if you rely on overlap alone as a means of determining if there was a collision then you do stand a chance of missing some.
I do explain a little about getting around this problem above, but today is a new day so I can maybe focus a little more on it.
One solution is that you can avoid this issue by not doing overlap checking. If you do the line of motion from corners tests alone then that shouldn't fail you at all because it checks the path of motion - anything in the way is thrown up as a potential collision without fail.
The reason most people don't do that though is because it can result in a lot of potential collisions that involve deeper and more expensive collision tests. This isn't really that expensive in a 2D box line vs line case to be honest, but even so I think it's better to prune out collisions via a broad phase collision pass anyway, which is really just pulling together a list of potential collisions using a less accurate/cheaper technique before you do the detailed work.
A reasonably accurate way of doing this is by sweeping the box volume along it's path of motion. This sounds complex, but really to obtain this volume you just consider the start location and the end location of the moving box and connect the two boxes together. In the case of a box moving down and right, it's shape would be defined by the top-left, top-right and bottom-left corners of the box when at the starting point and the top-right, bottom-right and bottom-left corners of the box when at the end point.
This gives you a six sided 2D object, which you can test for intersection against other objects to give you a pruned and very accurate list of potential collisions, which you then subject to further scrutiny with more detailed checks to find which ones you did actually hit and eventually...the one you hit first.
This is accurate, but I would recommend you use an even broader phase collision sweep just to keep things easier instead. Rather than establish a six-sided object then work with that, just derive your pruned list from the bounding box encompassing the start and the end boxes. In the down right moving example, the top left of this box would be the top left of the original collision box at it's start point and the bottom right of the new bounding box would be the bottom right of the original collision box at it's end point.
(side note: The description above is really a way of describing the geometry of the new box and not really an algorithm. Don't write a function to create the new box by considering the direction it was travelling to pinpoint the new top-left and bottom right. Yes, you could do that...but really it's best to write a general purpose function that creates a new box from the extents of two boxes regardless of where they are located. This is a 'best fit' algorithm which can be complex with other geometry but in the case of oriented boxes is actually very simple.)
This bigger box is less accurate than a true swept volume (the six sided object) because it covers a larger area. So you'll get a pruned list of potential collisions sampled from the same region some of which may not even represent a collision because they are 'off' the swept path. Generally, you'll get a longer list then...but the cost of obtaining this data will be a little cheaper than testing for intersections on a six-sided object and the code is easier and typically will be quicker.
Note that any broad phase pass does prune and offer a list of 'potential' collisions. As I hint at above...some will not actually be collisions, they'll just be pulled in via the broad phase pass. The key point...any broad phase pass is going to be inaccurate and subsequent tests or passes should be aware that some of the potential collisions are not that. Plan to discard these. All will have to be processed to find if they are a collision or not...and to find which one of them is the first collision.
Bear in mind that you could (if you wish) use this box based broad phase pass to get the least accurate list and then further prune that list via deriving the six sided object. It's not uncommon for collision detection functions to do this. I wouldn't recommend it for you, but at least you can if you want. I say it more to pass on some theory. You would generally do this sort of thing if your final intersection tests on your final pruned list are very expensive and you want to make sure you're spending your processing resources on the absolutely minimal set.
Either way, the above will solve the sweeping problem you saw. You can likely combine this with a first 'overlap' test because if that does get a positive, it will be your first potential collision. Detecting for overlap, then broad phasing and finding 0 other candidates would be an appropriate 'early out'...really you'd be saying 'I have found one collision in the easiest cheapest manner and I have proven nothing has been missed out, so I'm okay to rely on the overlap'.
If I were you, then if you are doing all this I would still focus on initial overlap and rewind/cast lines first before adding the broad phase in. Don't get me wrong...you will likely need the broad phase, but there's a logical sequence to follow in order to make all this easier to develop. Just make sure you consider the idea you're dealing with multiple objects, so you'll always want to be iterating through some list even if the first overlap test puts only one potential collision in that list. In that way, you're broad phase pass can just insert objects into the same list. Make sure your object to object collision tests are strong and detects the first point of collision between the two objects and make sure you can keep the results of that around, so you can compare with other objects in the list. You can optimize the memory wasted by keeping results around...by only keeping the most relevant one around, which is really a case of discarding anything other than what you know to be the nearest collision, which at any one time is the only candidate for the first collision (when iterating through many potentials).
I'll just add one more point too. What I've described here is really a test and rewind initially, with sweeping added - really it's now simple test, sweep/broad test then rewind and sweep forward with lines (based on a pruned list). Bear in mind that there is an alternative to sweeping forward...I have actually moved objects and then cast the lines backwards along the lines of motion in the past. It's really the same thing just in the other direction...but some people can find this convenient it depends on how they've set things up.
Edited by freakchild, 23 May 2012 - 10:06 AM.


text:
What started as a tradition among college students has evolved into one of the busiest nights of the year at bars and dance spots.
Thanksgiving Eve, aka Black Wednesday, is like its own self-contained holiday for nightclubbers. Corner pubs, posh lounges and techno havens are hosting epic parties, catering to folks seeking catharsis at the bar and on the dance floor before they gather with their families for turkey the next day.
Going out on the town Wednesday night has become a pop culture phenomenon over the past decade, much like shopping on Black Friday.
Along the Jersey Shore, tonight is bound to be memorable because so many beach bars were shuttered last November after Hurricane Sandy. Club owners are hoping Black Wednesday will be a return to strobe-lit normalcy.
"Sandy crippled us," said John Saaddy, owner of the Bamboo Bar in Seaside Heights, which was closed for three months due to storm damage. "Like most businesses on the Shore, we're fighting the insurance companies that are denying our business interruption claims. Last year, we lost two of our busiest nights: Halloween and Thanksgiving."
Bamboo, the pink neon backdrop for drama and jubilation on the reality series, "Jersey Shore," will be serving up a feast of electronic dance music tonight.
"The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is a huge because the college kids are home and everybody comes here," Saaddy said. "We like to joke that you're going to see everyone you liked or disliked from high school. Bamboo has a large outside and upstairs so a lot of it closes and opens as the seasons adjust. The night before Thanksgiving, we're going to open the whole club."
Never mind the flickering Christmas lights and plunging temperatures, folks usually flock to the Shore on Black Wednesday, said John Monsen, manager of Jenks Club in Point Pleasant Beach.
"The only difference is the beach is empty," said Monsen. Jenks is planning a Thanksgiving Eve blowout with guest deejays and a performance by the rock cover band, Almost Easy.
Monsen said, "I hope every bar and nightclub has a great night because the Jersey Shore can't survive just off of a couple of places. You want people to have options when they come down to the Shore."
Although the summer was a dud, autumn has been promising, with a long-awaited uptick in traffic after dark.
"We had a record Halloween," Saaddy said. "We had 2,800 people here for Halloween and September was one of our strongest ever so that's telling me that the local business is here. We're expecting more than 2,000 people on Thanksgiving Eve."
There are concerns among club owners about the stormy weather predicted for today but they are hoping the rain ends before folks begin heading out for the night.
"Of course, we're watching the forecast," Saaddy said. "If the storm gets out of here by 5 p.m., we should be okay. We'll do well with the locals but the people who would be traveling down from North Jersey, I'll lose some of them and I'd actually prefer they don't travel if the storm is bad."
Shore nightspots spring to life in the middle of the week at the end of November because there is an appetite for a summer rewind as winter looms.
"In the off-season, this night is a rocker," said Staci Gilchrist, manager of Windansea in Highlands, which will feature live music from Brian Kirk and the Jirks tonight. "We get a resurgence in activity because the people that were here all summer long are coming back."
The Beachcomber Bar and Grill in Seaside Heights is still recovering from a boardwalk fire but they will be holding their traditional Thanksgiving Eve party with a performance by Shorty Long & the Jersey Horns. This year, clubgoers are invited to dine on turkey with the musicians after the band has completed its set. There's no cover charge and the food is free.
"Usually, the dinner is just for the band and the employees but I thought it would be a nice gesture to put out a buffet for everyone," said Beachcomber owner, Michael Carbone. "Business is down but Thanksgiving Eve is a night that we can expect people will still come out. We can use any help we can get right now. It would be nice for one night, if people want to come out and support the Shore and the bars and the nightclubs, we can recoup some of our losses."
The Headliner in Neptune, which underwent seven months of Sandy cleanup and repairs, is presenting a techno fete tonight with gift card giveaways.
"People are struggling so we're offering gift cards for holiday shoppers," said Headliner owner Tom Sueta. "We'll be giving away $1,000 in gift cards and it's free admission till 11 p.m. We'll be busy but I think it's not going to be as good as it used to be years ago. The economy in this area is suffering."
Avenue Nuit, a Long Branch lounge, is one of the few beachfront clubs that reopened last year for Thanksgiving Eve.
"We had considerable damage underneath the building, we lost a lot of our utilities and the electrical had to be redone," said Christina Wolfschmidt, assistant to the general manager at Avenue Nuit. "But we were determined to be open for Thanksgiving Eve just to give some sense of normalcy. It was quiet but we didn't expect a huge party after Sandy. This year, people are calling and reserving bottle service. People started asking about Thanksgiving around Halloween."
The Paradise club, an Asbury Park dance destination for the LGBT community, is hosting its traditional Thanksgiving Eve Homecoming celebration.
"Business has been a little bit slow but we're hoping we can pick it back up Thanksgiving weekend," said Doug Conover, assistant manager for the Empress Hotel, home of the Paradise. "We're here, we're open and it should be a great weekend."
While Thanksgiving Eve is a night of unabashed escapism, the mood is different at clubs that are open on Thanksgiving Day. Bar Anticipation in Belmar will be serving free turkey Thursday afternoon.
"We put out a big dinner for people that are by themselves on Thanksgiving," said co-owner Tom Jannarone. "People are very appreciative. This year, more than ever, I think they'll appreciate it even more."
Windansea, which offered meals to storm victims on Thanksgiving Day last year, will again be feeding the community on the holiday.
"We're serving food on Thursday from 3 p.m. till 6 p.m.," said Gilchrist. "It's for anyone, whether they're out of work or out of their homes. We're expecting about 300 people."


text:
Johnny Giavotella has returned to the minor leagues. The Kansas City Royals sent the Jesuit graduate and former University of New Orleans baseball player to Triple-A Omaha in a series of roster moves Tuesday (May 20).
This is the second time Giavotella has been sent back to the minor leagues this season. He was called up for a game earlier this season. Giavotella has split time between Kansas City and Omaha for each of the last four seasons.
"My life is a roller coaster ride that's filled with ups and downs and twists and turns," said a posting on Giavotella's Twitter feed Tuesday. "It's a crazy ride but I keep coming back for more!"
Giavotella has a .176 average with one home run and five RBIs in 10 major league games this season. He has played mostly in place of injured second baseman Omar Infante. The home run came during a Royals win on Mother's Day.
Giavotella has had more success in the minor leagues, batting .352 with nine doubles, one home run and 13 RBIs this season. He also has begun to play more at third base than he has in past seasons as a pro.
Giavotella will be out of options after this season, meaning this could be his final season with the organization that selected him in the second round of the 2008 MLB draft.
"On the business side of things, it enters my mind, thinking about my future, where I'll be next year," he said April 24 in a story posted here before the opener of a four-game series against the New Orleans Zephyrs. "Hopefully a team will have confidence in me, pick me up and keep me in the big leagues the entire season."


text:
You are Here:
Technical Resources
Data, Maps, & Analysis
/ Conservation Pays: Minimal Till Sugar Beets in Northeast Montana
Loading Tree...
Technical Resources
If you encounter any problems with the file provided on this page, please contact Technical Resources at 406-587-6822.
A printer-friendly version of this technical note is available in Adobe Reader format.
Economics Technical Note Number MT-11 (PDF; 340 KB)
July 2012
By Lakeitha Ruffin
Historically, sugar beet production has been linked with high tillage sequences for many years. However, in recent years, producers and researchers are discovering beet production can be maintained with less tillage. Using less tillage operations can result in machinery, fuel, labor, and energy savings, as well as a reduction in soil erosion and an increase in soil quality or soil health. To showcase such benefits, a ridge till producer in Northeastern Montana was interviewed.
Ridge till is a type of conservation tillage that aids in managing crop residue. In terms of soil disturbance, this tillage method is said to be in the middle of no-till and conventional till. Crops are planted on ridges and remain in the same location year after year. Ridge till leaves crop residue on the soil's surface, aiding in erosion reduction and reducing runoff.
A comparison between a typical conventional till sugar beet operation and a ridge till sugar beet operation, in the same area, was conducted to evaluate various savings. Capturing savings on machinery, labor, and fuel was evaluated by using crop budget software, developed at Montana State University. The budget software is an excel spreadsheet designed to allow producers to enter all their input data (fuel cost, implements, acreage) as well as yield and price. Based on that information, cost per acre and returns for each crop is calculated.
The other form of evaluation is on the soil quality or soil health. A Soil Tillage Intensity Rating (STIR) is a value used to determine the severity of soil disturbance. This value can range from 0 – 200, lower numbers reflecting less disturbance to the soil. A Low STIR value may also indicate a reduction of sheet and rill and wind erosion. Low STIR values may represent an increase in organic matter contents of the soil. Another evaluation tool, the Soil Condition Index (SCI) is also used. SCI calculates a value predicting soil organic matter levels. A negative rating shows a decline in organic matter and a positive value indicated an increase. An increase in soil quality can potentially lead to increased yields and profits.
The producer interviewed is operating a barley, corn silage, and sugar beet rotation on 490 acres. Conventional till producers will assume the same number of acres for each crop. See Table 1 for details of crops per acre. Soil type is a Cherry silty clay loam with a 0 – 2 percent slope.
Implements used on the operation are all owned and pull–type. There are four tractors owned and used in the operation as well. Fuel costs are averaged at $4.00 per gallon of diesel. Tractor horsepower, fuel usage, and annual hour usage are listed in the table below. Conventional till producers are assumed to have the same machinery usage data.
The primary producer's operation incorporates several pull-type machines. Listed in the table below are the implements, tractors associated with each, and acres per hour. Conventional till producers will use all machinery listed except the ridger.
Operation sequences for both ridge till and conventional till is listed below in Table 4.
Less tillage machinery needed among the ridge till producer resulted in operating machinery savings. Machinery operating cost and the savings for ridge and conventional till are listed in Table 5. With a conventional till producer, operating cost for machinery is $76.82 per acre, and for ridge till it is $48.29 per acre. There is a savings of $28.53 per acre in operating machinery. Under conventional till, barley costs $62.79 per acre and by converting to ridge till there is a savings of $19.47 per acre. Corn had a savings of $16.39 per acre, under the ridge till; a conventional till producer may have had a cost of $76.28 per acre for machinery operating costs.
SCI and STIR data was provided for the ridge till producer interviewed, strictly based on his operation. The SCI rating for the ridge till operation is .62. This number indicates soil organic matter is more likely to increase in this type of operation. With a high tillage system, the SCI rating will be a negative number. Under a conventional till operation, the STIR rating will be over 100 because of the amount of tilling sequences a producer will use. However, as a ridge till producer the STIR rating was 54. A lower number is expected when using less tillage sequences in the operation.
NRCS Home | USDA.gov | Site Map | Civil Rights | FOIA | Plain Writing | Accessibility Statement
Privacy Policy| Non-Discrimination Statement | Information Quality | USA.gov | Whitehouse.gov


text:
HARRISBURG — A human case of West Nile Virus has been confirmed in York County, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
The commonwealth has recorded 16 human cases of the virus so far this year, an increase from seven cases last year.
On Monday, the department of health confirmed the death of a Luzerne County resident who was more than 80 years old.
This year, 1,590 cases of the mosquito borne disease have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 66 deaths.
Human cases in Pennsylvania have also been reported in Lancaster, Delaware, Chester, Lehigh Philadelphia, Bucks, Lebanon and Franklin counties.
West Nile virus can cause brain inflammation known as West Nile encephalitis that can be fatal, but it usually manifests itself with flulike symptoms.
Homeowners can help combat the spread of the virus by removing areas of standing water where mosquitoes breed.


text:
FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio – A joyful noise echoes through the Fairview Park Senior Center every Tuesday morning. That's when The Funsters' senior chorus gathers together to practice the dozens of songs which comprise their entertainment programs.
With nearly 40 voices lifting in song, it's impossible not to toe-tap to the music. It's even more enjoyable to learn the singers' personal stories. Fairview Park resident Pat Michael, the group's 82-year-old director, has been with The Funsters since 2001.
"It's kind of exciting to be in the group," Michael said. "I love to see the people. I have a lady here that can't sing a note, but she comes anyway and she'll sing along quietly. I've been in music all my life. I learned to play piano when I was 5 years old and played violin in symphony orchestra. We lived on a farm, and my grandpa played violin for square dances."
The active senior group collaborates to develop skits and create dance movements for its 35- to 40-song repertoire, which is performed seasonally four times a year. Audience participation and sing-alongs are often part of the fun.
"You need music so much in your life," Michael added. "My kids said they thought I'd never quit music, and I don't think I ever will."
Piano accompanist Maureen Moskalsky, a North Olmsted resident in her 70s, likes the friendships the group provides. She said she was only 8 years old when she learned to play the piano.
"My background was Bach and Beethoven, and this is not Bach and Beethoven," Moskalsky said, laughing. "I've had to go outside my comfort zone, which has been great, and learn more rhythmic tunes. This group has been very good exercise for me."
Director Michael said her singers come to rehearsals regardless of the weather, and even after braving serious medical issues. North Olmsted resident Lisle Moorhead, 80, missed very few practices, despite his open heart surgery on Jan. 2.
"I don't have a good voice, but I like to sing," said Moorhead, the group's dependable source for comic relief. "I'm the nut, the ham, the clown. We live up to the name, The Funsters.
"I don't plan on quitting the group unless," he continued with a mischievous grin, "they vote on it. They vote once a year, you know, and if I stuff the ballot box …"
Fairview Park's Ellen Guenther, 93, has a theory on why chorus members like having her in the group.
"The reason I think they keep me is because I have so many costumes," she said. "My husband was a magician, so I have a lot of outfits. I traveled the world with him. I have hats, props and old-fashioned costumes."
She is partially blind, but that doesn't stop her from leaning close to the song sheets and singing along.
"If you want to sing your heart out, you should join," Guenther said.
Weekly practices are 90 minutes long and begin at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays. The Fairview Park Senior Center is located at 20769 Lorain Road in Fairview Park, behind City Hall. For more information about The Funsters, call 440-356-4437.


text:
Death is typically not a topic that most people want to think about, much less talk about, but it's an important one all the same, and something that all of us will eventually have to face. It can come fast or slow, with assistance or without, accidentally or on purpose. There's not exactly a way to prepare for it, either, but there are directives people can use to help ease the transition.
"We prepare for everything else, so why not prepare for this (end of life decisions)? It's a last act of love for a person," said Cliff Nelson, chaplain director for Pastoral Services at Trinity Health. End-of-life decisions should be as comfortable for people to talk about as the weather, he added. Talking about such decisions doesn't make the prospect of death easier, Nelson said, but it's something people need to talk about.
Nelson said it's important to have a plan in place for when you can't speak for yourself, known as an advanced directive, so that everyone in your family is on the same page.
Article Photos
Jill Hambek/MDN
Cliff Nelson, chaplain director for Pastoral Services at Trinity Health, left, explains a section in the advanced directive form to Mary Muhlbradt in the Trinity Skywalk on Thursday afternoon. Nelson said talking about end-of-life decisions isn't easy, but they are something people need to talk about.
"The important part is the talking that goes on," he said.
These kind of decisions should be something that all people consider when they're of sound mind, because the person has to fully understand what he or she is doing. If the family knows about the person's wishes with no question, however, an advanced directive is not as pertinent, Nelson said.
"It's just a good thing to look at and complete, just to take it out of the taboo-type area," he added. "It opens the door to look at other issues and a good starting point."
An advanced directive goes into effect only when a person's condition is terminal and the patient can't speak for himself, Nelson said. So if a person was undergoing surgery and went into cardiac arrest, the doctor will resuscitate him or her, he continued, because the surgery isn't terminal, just corrective. If the person has a stroke while in surgery or immediately following and the damages are irreversible, however, then the doctor would not resuscitate.
"An advanced directive is only looked at when death is imminent," Nelson said.
Many people do not have their end-of-life wishes documented, and it comes back to not wanting to talk about the issue, Nelson said. Only 40 to 50 people will request an advanced directive form each month, he said, and only half a dozen of those forms are returned. People need to understand that just because they fill out the form doesn't mean they'll die tomorrow, Nelson said.
He said that advanced directives are fairly new, and include power of attorney and a living will. Also included are directives about artificial nutrition and hydration.
"Most people don't want to receive artificial nutrition or hydration," Nelson said.
Advanced directives make a difference for a sense of peace, though, Nelson said, "and I always encourage people to ask questions about this document."
To make your end-of-life wishes official, Nelson said he talks with the patient or interested person. They fill out the form, return it to him and he'll get the form to where it needs to go. The form also has to be signed in the presence of two witnesses or notarized, he said. The two witnesses cannot be a spouse or member of the family, however, nor anyone designated as the potential patient's agent, a person entitled to inherit any part of their estate or anyone who has any claim against the estate.
There are a lot of dynamics that go into helping people make end-of-life decisions, Nelson said, but the key part as hospital chaplain is to be present.
"Let them voice their concerns and I'll let them know what it all means," he said.
Mainly, though, Nelson is there for people to help support them in the process.
"I'm there to get you through this," he said. "I try to be a place of comfort and a non-anxious presence. There's never a time where it's easy as chaplains, but we want to be a presence. When people need someone, we're there to help them through it."
"This isn't a morbid thing, but a chance to be prepared," Nelson said about advanced directives and making end-of-life decisions. "The form helps because the family knows what the person's wishes are."


text:
No nail biter this week as the New Orleans Saints moved comfortably to 3-0 after their 31-7 romp over the Arizona Cardinals. There's no doubt the Saints are doing plenty of things right to jump start their season to a 3-0 mark.
So what aspects of the Saints' start to 2013 are you most impressed with? Defense? Drew Brees? Jimmy Graham? Sean Payton?
Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.


text:
Home | More Videos | About Us | Contact | Subscribe | Donate
Freedom Day
Abbey Lincoln, Max Roach, Clifford Jordan
Absolutely freeEvery time we post a new video,we'll send you a notice by e-mail.
Filmed by Belgian TV - 1964
Clifford Jordan performs with the "Max Roach Quartet" on Belgian TV in 1964.
Abbey Lincoln, vocals
Clifford Jordan, tenor sax
Coleridge Perkinson, piano
Eddie Khan, bass
Max Roach, drums
Clifford Jordan grew up in Chicago where he became a formidable tenor saxophonist performing in R&B groups in addition to Max Roach and Sonny Stitt before relocating to New York in 1957.
He made his recording debut that year, releasing three albums on the Blue Note label and performed with with Horace Silver and J.J. Johnson among others.
A member of the "Max Roach Quartet" form 1962 to '64 he toured Europe with Charles Mingus' Sextet featuring Eric Dolphy in 1964.
From the mid-'60s on Jordan worked predominately as a leader visiting Europe on several more occasions.
He appeared briefly in a quartet headed by Cedar Walton in 1974 and 1975 before going on to lead a big band during his final years.
That's how we grow.
About Us | Privacy Policy | Contact


text:
JB – Welcome to the first annual 2013-2014 NBA Razzies! A celebration and a spectacle of everything that went wrong for fantasy owners in the 2013-2014 NBA season. We opened polls for fantasy owners to submit their votes on deserving nominees, and the tallies are in, the nominees are here, there really isn't a more spectacular night for NBA fans, is there Slim?
Slim – That's right JB, the entire Sydney Opera House is teeming with excitement as we welcome in the nominees, celebrities… I just talked with Jack Nicholson a moment ago, so glad he could make it out to support his Lakers.
JB – You know, I was surprised we could book this at the Sydney Opera House – –
Slim – Don't doubt the straws I can pull in my native country!
Awkward SilencePlease, blog, may I have some more?