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City will again fund extended foot ferry summer hours
The city will once again partner with local entities in providing additional foot ferry service between Port Orchard and Bremerton this summer with Kitsap Harbor Tours, Inc.
The Port Orchard City Council voted 5-1 in favor of the measure during its April 8 meeting. Councilman John Clauson, who is also executive director of Kitsap Transit, recused himself from the matter.
Last year, the city partnered with the Port of Bremerton and City of Bremerton. The City of Port Orchard allocated $9,500, while the City of Bremerton gave $6,500 and the Port pitched in $5,500. Ferry hours were extended to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and operated four hours on Sundays.
But this year, Kitsap County will contribute $4,000 for service and the city has allocated up to $6,500 towards the total cost of $22,000.
The cost to operate the foot ferry is $152 per hour.
This summer the extended hours on Fridays and Saturdays were reduced to 10:30 p.m. with two more hours added on Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The extended hours will run May 23 to Aug. 31 with hours coordinated around local events such as Fathom o' Fun and The Cruz.
Councilman Jerry Childs, the lone opposing vote, said he knows the city wants to provide economic stimulus and promote the city."It all makes sense in some way, but financially it doesn't make sense at all," Childs said. 'It's a huge loser."
He said no one knows if the riders are coming to Port Orchard to shop or eat, or home from work.
"We don't even know if they are coming our way. We don't know if it's our people going the other way," Childs said.
Childs noted there was an average of 45 riders per day during the extended hours last summer.
"I not going to support this, but I won't mind seeing it restructured," he added.
Councilman Rob Pataansuu said cutting the service back to 10:30 p.m. and extending Sunday hours was a good move.
"I think we need to give this an opportunity. We've only done it [for] one year," he said.
Councilman Jeff Cartwright said he would look at this summer's numbers when the issue comes up again in 2015.
"It's a public transit and it's just not profitable," Cartwright added.
Councilman Fred Chang said he agreed with Cartwright about it being a transit function and not making money.
"I hope it will come closer to breaking even," said Chang.
Councilwoman Cindy Lucarelli said last year part of the criteria for extending the foot ferry hours was the opening of the Port Orchard Public Market, which didn't happen.
"The people who petitioned the council last year asked for the extended hours because the market was going to open," said Lucarelli. "The market didn't open and we don't know how that would affect the numbers."
Lucarelli said she will watching what the ridership will be this summer.
According to District 2 Commissioner Charlotte Garrido, board chair, she (along with commissioners Robert Gelder and Linda Streissguth) agreed that funding the foot ferry for extended summer hours was needed.
"The Bremerton-Port Orchard foot ferry is well used and adding extra service in the nicest season of the year offers a unique transportation opportunity for South Kitsap," Garrido said.
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Trending Stories Oct 18 - Oct 25
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DITA Audio The Answer (Truth Edition)
" Being somewhat well-known, it is not unusual for me to be approached by manufacturers at the Tokyo headphone festivals, ushered into an empty corridor or behind the banners at a manufacturer's display and asked to look at or try a prototype of an up-coming product. I've even been accosted in this manner in a headphone store in Tokyo the day before one of the festivals by someone who..." --Currawong
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subset: commoncrawl


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Chelle Delaney
A proposed 15 percent water rate increase was approved Thursday as part of the city's preliminary budget by the Tucumcari City Commission, which came under criticism for not allowing public comment.
The increase was needed to balance the preliminary $11.79 million operating budget, excluding grants and projects, and to get the budget off to Santa Fe to meet the state's Department of Finance and Administration June 1 deadline, said Marty Garcia, city finance director.
The 15 percent rate increase would bring in $175,000 to balance the budget, Garcia said.
"If we dont' have any problems, we can always go back and change the budget," Garcia said.
Commissioner Jim Lafferty said that any rate increase needed to have a public hearing. "I'm disappointed that the night before the budget is due that we are discussing a rate increase," Lafferty said.
Because the details of a city ordinance on water rate increases had not been studied, "You are going against you're own recommnedations .. and you need to change the city ordindance," Tucumcari City Manager Bobbye Rose told the commission.
"The system is broken from the bottom to the top," said Rose.
Rose recommended the city hold a series of workshops to determine if a rate increase was necessary. Rose also said the workshops could help determine if the commission needed to change ordinances regarding rate increases.
As part of its approval of the preliminary budget, city commissioners said they would review any rate increases at future workshops.
The preliminary budget also included about a 15 percent increase in health insurance costs for employees enrolled in the program. The coverage includes employees and their family members.
The city provides 100 percent health insurance coverage, meaning employees do not pay into the program. Those costs accounted for $924,982 in the approved preliminary budget compared to $810,360 for last year's budget.
Of the city's 136 employees, which includes some part-timers, 65 percent or 89 employees participate in the health insurance program.
Overall, the city's salaries account for $3.420 million.
Because the fiscal year does not end until June 30, the city's budget deficit may level off some when fiscal year cash balances and receipts are reconciled, Garcia said.
On Friday, Garcia said, he expected the 15 percent rate increase "to stay unless they do something drastic to the operating budget."
The city's overall budget is $13.5 million, inculding grants and projects. Not yet added to the budget is $8 million in loans and grants that are expected to come from the USDA for the city's wastewater project. This compares to an overall budget of $21.82 million last fiscal year.
The DFA requires a preminlinary budget be sent to them by June 1 for approval.
The final budget is completed after cash balances have been reconciled usually by 30 days/month after the fiscal year ends June 30. The DFA also approves the final budget.
The commission has scheduled a workshop for 5 p.m. on June 8.


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A 21-year-old Jersey City man working the register at the Walmart in Bayonne was caught by security cameras stealing items for his friends, Bayonne police said.
Police say friends of Chaquan Scott approached his register on Jan. 17 with items he scanned in like a regular sale. But Scott then voided the sale, gave the items to his friends and they left the store without paying, police said.
Scott was caught on camera in the scheme and three days later Bayonne police were called by store security after they say Scott confessed. Scott was charged with shoplifting and released on a summons, Bayonne Police Capt. Walter Rogers said.
Rogers said the items stolen included a hooded sweatshirt, speakers and a DVD player, with a total value of $165.43.


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The Voice: Fall 2001
Regional events
Athletes on the Road
Cant make it to campus for a game?
Support the team when they play near you.
Columbia, Missouri
The Defenders play in the Columbia Classic in
Columbia, Missouri, on December 28-29.
Alberta, Canada
The Blades take on all comers in Alberta during their
winter tourJanuary 8-12.
We need youif youre a former Blade living in Alberta,
up for strapping the blades back on and taking to the ice against the Blades. Contact Franklin Guillaume by e-mail (firstname.lastname@example.com) or phone: 780-475-8031.
Friends of Dordt Dinners
We hope to see you at a Friends of Dordt dinner when we come to your area. You can look forward to an evening of great food and fellowship, along with the latest news from Dordt and entertainment. You can check your checkbook at the door (these are not fund raising events), but not your sense of camaraderie.
In Alberta:
November 2Immanuel Christian High School,
November 3Mayfield Inn & Suites, Edmonton
In Ontario:
November 30Calvin Christian School, Hamilton
December 1London District Christian
Secondary School, London
Band-Jazz Band on Tour
There are not quite 76 trombones in our band, but the hometown of the Music Man is on the itinerary for the band-jazz band winter tour. Take in a concert of stirring music when the ensembles come to your area.
January 9Mason City, Iowa
January 10St. Paul, Minnesota
January 11Pease, Minnesota
January 12Prinsburg, Minnesota
January 13Worthington, Minnesota
The tour also includes a number of school assemblies along the route. Check the website for a complete listing. http://www.dordt.edu/alumni


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Cupid's Chase 5K – Saturday, February 11, 2017
Community Options, Inc. invites runners, walkers, and rollers (baby strollers and wheelchairs) to help raise funds to make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities by participating in our annual Cupid's Chase 5K. Because of you…we can make a difference!
- Oro Valley
- Bowling Green
- Paducah
- Chevy Chase
- Albuquerque
- Las Cruces
- Santa Fe
New Mexico
- Binghamton
- Liverpool
- New York City
New York
- Harrisburg
- Philadelphia
- Pittsburgh
- Trexlertown
- Wilkes-Barre
- Columbia
- North Charleston
- Travelers Rest
South Carolina
- Chattanooga
- Cookeville
- Nashville
Participants will receive a limited edition Cupid's Chase shirt, finisher medal, goody bag and refreshments. Virtual Participants will receive a limited edition Cupid's Chase shirt.
Earn Cupid's Chase swag by hitting any of the fundraising milestones!
Want to get involved, but not participate? Click here for volunteer information.
Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
For more information, please email us at: firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Edit Article
How to Choose a Fertility Doctor
Choosing a doctor to handle your fertility concerns should be approached with careful consideration. Infertility is an intimate subject, and your doctor of choice will be your advisor on a number of delicate personal matters. Therefore, there are certain factors to keep in mind when assessing your medical practitioner options. Follow these guidelines for how to choose a fertility doctor.
1Familiarize yourself with the different types of reproductive specialists.
- An obstetrician/gynecologist (OBGYN) specializes in the female reproductive system, and may receive training to further specialize in reproductive problems caused by female hormonal imbalances and/or cancers in the female reproductive organs.
- An andrologist is the male counterpart to the OBGYN, specializing in the male reproductive organs.
- A reproductive endocrinologist is an OBGYN with an advanced education in female and male reproductive issues.
2Interview fertility specialists. In addition to gauging your comfort level with each doctor, you also need to get some specific information out of your interviews:
- Ask where and when the doctors received their training, as well as how many years they have been in practice.
- It is not uncommon for a fertility doctor to partner with a network of other reproductive specialists; Therefore, you may see a different doctor each appointment. Find out what you can expect in that regard, as well as who you should call for urgent after-hours situations.
- When choosing a doctor, it is not only important to verify board certification, but also to ask about other, relevant affiliations. For example, a good reproductive specialist should belong to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), as well as the Advanced Reproductive Care Network (ARCN).
3Consider IVF clinics. In Vitro fertilization (IVF) is a process that unites egg and sperm in a laboratory setting, then prepares the fertilized egg for implantation into the uterus. Not everyone who experiences infertility will have to use the services of an IVF clinic but, as it is a probability, clinical association may be an important factor in choosing a doctor and you should ask doctors you interview about the clinics they are affiliated with:
- Services, procedures, days/hours of operation, payment options, donor programs and costs differ from clinic to clinic.
- Fertility specialists should be board certified.
- Some clinics have on-site labs and procedure rooms, while others send their patients to local hospitals for procedures and lab work.
- Your clinic of choice should be within a comfortable distance from where you live, as you will have to make regular appointments should you choose to go the IVF route.
- The average success rate for IVF clinics is 28 percent. Find out where your potential clinics fall in comparison. Also, ask about specifics, such as the patient age ranges of successful cases, the number of multiple births and the amount of recent/current treatment cycles that are included in the success rate percentage.
- Membership in the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) and adherence to the guidelines set forth by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) are both indications that an IVF clinic stays current on industry trends and standards.
4Reassess your comfort with your chosen fertility doctor regularly. It is important that both you and your partner feel you are getting the treatment that best suits your needs, that you are comfortable with ongoing interaction with your doctor as is necessary to the process, that your doctor explains things in a way that doesn't leave you with questions and that you feel an appropriate amount of emotional support from your doctor. If at any time you or your partner feel unsatisfied in any of these areas, then it may be time to consider interviewing different fertility specialists.
Community Q&A
Ask a Question
If this question (or a similar one) is answered twice in this section, please click here to let us know.
- Join a support group for those experiencing infertility problems. A group of individuals familiar with what you are going through can provide emotional comfort, as well as be a great source of information about fertility specialists in your area.
- If you are having a hard time deciding whether or not you should be seeing a reproductive specialist, consider the factors that put you at a greater likelihood of infertility problems: age of over 35, previous pelvic infections, numerous miscarriages, irregular menstrual cycle, low sperm count and more than 2 years of trying, unsuccessfully, to conceive.
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Big kiss and be happy !
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so, here is the short video of your grandious gig at "Wetten dass....?"
May all your dreams come true!!!
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SAGINAW, MI — A Zilwaukee man charged with driving drunk and seriously injuring three people in December is headed to Saginaw County Circuit Court.
Michael P. Putman appeared before Saginaw County Chief District Judge M. Randall Jurrens on Wednesday, April 17, and waived his right to a preliminary hearing, leading Jurrens to bind the case over to Circuit Court.
Putman, 35, is charged with three counts of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated causing serious injury, a felony that carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Now that he's in Circuit Court, Putman either can proceed to trial or enter a plea.
He's charged in connection with a Dec. 18 crash about 10:40 p.m. at McCarty and Fashion Square Boulevard in Saginaw Township in which Edward Castillo, 19, Johnathan Gunther, 18, and Caitlyn Moore, 19, were injured.
Saginaw Township Police Lt. Gary Grauf has said the injured individuals suffered fractured and broken bones and still are recovering from the crash.
A preliminary breath test showed Putman's blood-alcohol content to be 0.10, or 0.02 above the state's legal limit. Grauf said results of a blood test showed that Putman's blood-alcohol content was over the limit as well.
Putman last lived at 5201 Sherman in the city of Zilwaukee. MLive previously erroneously reported that he lived in Kochville Township.
Putman remains free on a $15,000 personal recognizance bond.


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Welcome to DBSTalk
Like most online communities you must register to view or post in our community. Sign-up is a free and simple process that requires minimal information. Be a part of our community by signing in or creating an account. The Digital Bit Stream starts here!
- Reply to existing topics or start a discussion of your own
- Subscribe to topics and forums and get email updates
- Send private personal messages (PM) to other forum members
- Customize your profile page and make new friends
Digital copy
Posted 27 January 2009 - 09:00 AM
Posted 27 January 2009 - 09:10 AM
The two I have are DRMed, and can not be copied onto my Zune. They are WMV format, but I think there is an option for iTunes. They are fairly unuseable here, since I don't have Windows Media Center connected to my video setup, they won't stream to a DVR as far as I'm aware, but I haven't tried yet.
what exactly is it? is it just an .avi that you can copy off a disc or something? DRM? what's to keep you from distributing it on your network?
Posted 27 January 2009 - 09:20 AM
Posted 27 January 2009 - 09:52 AM
For those of us who travel....this is a great feature, as I have now seen 4 different movies with Digital copies on plane flights - the image quality of these is excellent. The fellow next to me the other day on the plane was watching his movie on a video iPOD....he loved it too (but to me, that screen is just too small).
DirecTV Customer Since 1996
Posted 25 February 2009 - 01:40 AM
Just got an iPhone this week... and transferred my first digital copy. I had bought Family Guy: Blue Harvest way way back, and remembered it came with a digital copy. The paper said "may not be available after January 15, 2009" but it worked like a charm tonight.
It'll be pretty cool to watch that while I'm waiting for my truck to be inspected tomorrow
-- The Doctor... the Original, you might say!
Posted 25 February 2009 - 11:24 AM
Posted 25 February 2009 - 12:40 PM
Posted 25 February 2009 - 04:32 PM
Could you burn a standard DVD of the movie from the digital copy or does the DRM prohibit that?
DRM prohibits that.
Posted 25 February 2009 - 04:39 PM
DRM prohibits that.
That's pretty lame (although I'm not too surprised) because I could see this being a big thing especially for kids movies that parents want / need to be able to take mobile with them via the millions of in-car DVD players. I suppose that's why Disney has started bundling a DVD and Digital Copy with some of their BDs.
Posted 25 February 2009 - 04:50 PM
Posted 25 February 2009 - 09:12 PM
Then again, if you watch in a car-DVD player that screen might be small enough it will be ok.
I haven't dug into this too much... but some of the digital copies provide more play options than others. I had only one DVD (Family Guy Blue Harvest), but several Blu rays that came with digital copies. Most of the Blu rays listed several playback options for Mac, PC, iPhone, PSP, etc... but I noted my copy of Hancock doesn't mention iPhone, iPod, iTunes, or Mac anything... which implies it is not the same breed of digital copy as all my others.
-- The Doctor... the Original, you might say!
Posted 26 February 2009 - 04:49 PM
Posted 27 February 2009 - 11:06 AM
Posted 27 February 2009 - 11:53 AM
It is a way to control copyrighted content...and also allow it to be viewed on other devices - simple as that.
Personally i think the digital copy is just as way they can charge you more. If someone wanted to get a copy you can copy it with a certain program easy.
Sure its a bit more if you get a Blu Ray with that option - it adds that added capability.
As for alternative methods to accomplish the same kind of thing....I'm not sure ya wanna go there....
DirecTV Customer Since 1996


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July 2009
The neighborhood ain't what it used to be, in case you ain't looked lately
Wow. It's been a long week.
Over the coming months — and, I guess, years — we'll dissect and hopefully make some sense out of all that transpired in the last eight days.
But for now, if you're looking for Victor Martinez's reaction to today's trade, you can read all about it here. If you're looking for some info on the pitchers acquired, you can read that here. And in case you missed it yesterday, here is the rundown on the seven players acquired in the trades involving Cliff Lee, Ben Francisco, Ryan Garko and Rafael Betancourt.
There are, of course, plenty other notes to peruse, as well. Here's the rundown…
- The Indians took $16 million off the books for 2010 by trading Cliff Lee and Martinez and their options for next season. None of the other players traded had guaranteed contracts for next year. Shapiro said the money saved on Lee and Martinez could factor into the club's offseason spending, which, prior to the most recent moves, was going to be non-existent. "We haven't been told anything explicitly as to where our payroll will be this winter," Shapiro said, "but I think what we looked at it in our conversations with Paul Dolan is that this would create an opportunity for us to be opportunistic. I wouldn't mention this in this context if I didn't think it was a possibility."
- And that ability to be opportunistic had Shapiro speaking in more optimistic tones about 2010. Obviously, the Indians will still be a longshot. But… "I think in a division that's not perfect, with no real powerhouse team, it will take all things firing right, but I think [contention] next year is not out of the question," Shapiro said. "I think what's more important is that we have a multi-year opportunity to have a good team."
- Regarding the fate of Eric Wedge and his coaching staff in the wake of these trades, some might assume the Indians will make big changes to bring in new faces to work with all these new bodies. And maybe that is, indeed, the case. But Shapiro, for whatever it's worth, said, "I don't see any correlation between those two things."
- Shapiro also said he wouldn't define what's taken place over the last eight days as "sweeping changes." It's all semantics, of course, but when you trade away your staff ace, your best player and three other guys in the span of eight days, those are major changes. Maybe Shapiro felt they weren't "sweeping" changes because no members of the Progressive Field cleaning crew were sent packing.
- Fans, bloggers, writers and radio hosts alike all expressed frustration over the Lee trade and the fact that the Indians did not get Kyle Drabek or J.A. Happ, among others. Some will be upset that the Indians didn't get Clay Buchholz in the V-Mart trade. Shapiro had a pretty rational response to all that: "All of the names you guys have thrown at me, none of those guys got traded. We feel very good about the group of players we did get." In other words, the Indians didn't get those guys because they weren't available, plain and simple.
- With Martinez gone, the obvious question is, when will we see Carlos Santana? "He can hit [up here] now," Shapiro said. "He's right where he should be [in Double-A]. His bat is far advanced from other components of his game. With another year at Triple-A, we feel he'll be ready for the Major Leagues." So, 2011, basically.
- Surprisingly (to me, at least), Shapiro made it sound as though he expects Carlos Carrasco to be in the rotation by season's end.
- I hope none of you rushed out and bought an Andy Marte jersey when he got called up Tuesday, because he changed numbers today. He's now No. 25, which he wore at Columbus, after wearing No. 15 for a few days. And Wyatt Toregas, called up to be the backup catcher, is now wearing Marte's old number.
- Sandy Alomar, by the way, used to wear No. 15.
- Speaking of Alomar, there was a certain symmetry to him being here for his Tribe Hall of Fame press conference on the day Martinez was traded. I'm pretty certain we'll someday see V-Mart back here for a similar presser.
- A scoring change was made from Wednesday's game, as the two Angels runs in the first innings have been ruled unearned. Aaron Laffey's line is now seven runs (four earned) allowed on seven hits over four innings, and his season ERA drops from 4.40 to 4.08.
- As of the second inning tonight, there were 30,000 fans in the house tonight, including 4,200 walkups. The pre-Deadline purge will undoubtedly affect attendance, but not on Tom Hamilton Fireworks Night. Will be interesting to see how many people come out tomorrow night for that Victor Martinez bobblehead, which is instantly a collector's item.
UPDATE: No player I talked to in the Indians' clubhouse took the Victor news harder than Kelly Shoppach.
To some, that might sound strange, as the two essentially competed for playing time behind the plate. But these guys became very close over the last four seasons, and Martinez was a tremendous help to Shoppach getting his big-league career going. While Shoppach and Lee were a tandem on the field, Shoppach and Martinez were the real tandem off it.
Shoppach had some interesting things to say about the Martinez trade, including some pointed words about the direction this organization is taking. I'll lay it all out in a preview of Saturday's game that should be up on the Indians.com site late tonight, so check it out.
Martinez to the Red Sox
The trade is official, with Victor Martinez heading to the Red Sox for Major League right-hander Justin Masterson and two prospects, left-hander Nick Hagadone and right-hander Bryan Price.
The story, with quick info on the pitchers acquired, is here.
I'm headed down to Mark Shapiro's press conference, and I'll share his take on the haul in a little bit. My initial reaction, contrary to my blog posting yesterday, is that it's an impressive one. Especially after watching Masterson in the postseason last year.
This is a very, very emotional goodbye for Victor. He sat in front of his locker, with his son, Victor Jose, in his lap and sobbed after getting the news. He spoke to reporters with black sunglasses hiding his red eyes.
"This is my house," he said. "I'm leaving my house."
UPDATE: First off, Wyatt Toregas will get his first call to the Majors to take Martinez's roster spot and serve as the third catcher, with Kelly Shoppach and Chris Gimenez in the mix.
The Indians will have to make a roster move tomorrow to get Masterson on the big league club. Initially, he'll be in the bullpen, but the Indians will stretch him out to transition to the rotation. No exact timetable on that transition, but Masterson will be in the rotation this season.
And suddenly, Mark Shapiro is talking much more optimistically about 2010. Masterson plays a big factor in that, as he's a legit rotation option going forward. As is, of course, Carlos Carrasco, who was acquired in the Cliff Lee trade.
On top of that, Shapiro implied that because of the $16 million saved on the 2010 options for Lee and Martinez that he should have some — probably not $16 million, but some — money to spend this offseason.
Read all about it tonight on Indians.com.
UPDATE No. 2: For those wondering, Victor Martinez bobblehead night will go on as planned tomorrow.
Returns for Victor might be spoiled
According to the Boston Herald, the Red Sox rejected a one-for-one proposal of Victor Martinez for Clay Buchholz last week, which is not terribly surprising, and not just because Buchholz is so highly regarded.
I hate to burst the bubble of anyone hoping that a trade involving V-Mart will bring in another promising haul of prospects and somehow sweeten the Cliff Lee situation and the club's earnest efforts to reload for 2011. But there are a few things to keep in mind about Martinez:
- He turns 31 this offseason and has an injury history.
- He's never been highly regarded for his skills behind the plate in controlling the running game.
- Yes, he can be moved to first base, but his offensive numbers as a catcher are much more valuable than his offensive numbers as a first baseman.
- And regarding those offensive numbers, the guy has hit .193 since May 22 and .149 since June 20.
- Last but certainly not least, Martinez will make $7.6 million next season if he's traded (I had listed it at $7.5 million yesterday but forgot that Martinez earned an additional $100,000 for his All-Star selection). That's a significant amount of money for a team to be taking on for his services, especially in this economic climate.
The Lee deal — or at least the Lou Marson portion of it — makes a heck of a lot more sense if Martinez is moved. But the Indians have basically made it clear to the rest of the league that they are slashing payroll for 2010, and that would be the prime motivation for moving Martinez. The returns for him won't be anywhere near what they were for Lee, and the returns for Lee have already drawn scrutiny in the industry.
UPDATE: Just got word that Fausto Carmona will make his return to the rotation tomorrow night against the Tigers. Jeremy Sowers gets bumped from Friday to Saturday.
Strike another match, go start anew
About 91,682 words later (you can check out all that work at Indians.com), my brain is very near the point of being fried, as I get ready for a, sure enough, delayed red-eye flight back home this evening.
But I've got a few more quick thoughts about today's news.
- Just throwing this out there, but I wonder what this trade, and the overall decision to look more toward 2011 than 2010, means for Eric Wedge. If anything, I would think it improves his chances of remaining with this club next year. For one, the Indians are clearly in player development mode for the next 14 months, and that eases the emphasis on poor April starts and the struggle to perform under weighty expectations — the biggest knocks on Wedge. And then there's the financial issue, which is, of course, no small issue right now. Wedge is under contract for next season for at least $1 million. Would the already cash-strapped Indians really be willing to pay that price and hire a new manager next year? I can't help but doubt it. I'm not saying Wedge and his staff are secure, as the Indians obviously want to see some legit development over the next two months. But the "reload" philosophy, I would imagine, helps Wedge's standing here.
- Worth noting that if Victor Martinez gets traded, his base salary for '09 increases from $5.7 million to $6.2 million, and his 2010 option increases from $7 million to $7.5 million.
- But will Martinez get traded? The Indians aren't going to just give him away. And if the Red Sox are as highly motivated to acquire him as some people have suggested, you would think the framework of a deal would be in place by now. Martinez certainly hasn't helped his trade stock by batting .144 since June 20.
- Former high school, Minor League and Major League teammates Ryan Garko and Ben Francisco get shipped off, within two days of each other and in their shared hometown of Anaheim, no less. What are the odds of that?
- And here's further coincidence: Francisco and Garko will be reunited this weekend, as the Phillies and Giants are squaring off in San Francisco.
- Fausto Carmona will start either Friday or Saturday against the Tigers. That was not yet determined. Trevor Crowe gets the call over Matt LaPorta because he can back up Grady Sizemore in CF.
- We'll give the final word today to the centerpiece of the deal, Clifton Phifer Lee: "Losing one Cy Young winner one year and another the very next year is probably hard for a fan to swallow. It's the nature of the game. It's something you're really going to have to talk to Shapiro about, as far as his outlook and his intent with the whole deal. Obviously, he feels he's making the team better with those deals. It's not my job to grade it. It's my job to pitch."
The front office perspective on the Lee deal
Following GM Mark Shapiro's conference call with reporters, allow me to try to sum up the front office's stance on the Cliff Lee trade in
100 250 words or less:
The Indians decided that even with Lee on board, they had little chance of contending next season. That's because ownership told the front office that it will not commit any significant dollars to club construction in the offseason.
Knowing this, the Tribe explored all offers for Lee and accepted a package that includes three players who have the potential to impact the Major League club in 2010 and one 18-year-old with enormous upside. The Indians feel Carlos Carrasco is very close to Major League ready, Lou Marson can be, at worst, an average everyday catcher in the big leagues, and Jason Donald complements Asdrubal Cabrera and Luis Valbuena well up the middle. Donald will likely compete with Valbuena for the second base job next spring. As for Jason Knapp, the Indians are enamored with his big, strong body and his raw stuff.
With Lee and his $9 million 2010 option off the books, the Indians might have some money to commit to offseason construction, but Shapiro said he has no idea how much. The Indians are not ruling out a miraculous run at contention next year, but with the depth of talent from Double-A up to the big leagues, they feel they can put together a sustained run of contention starting in 2011.
That's the gist of it, from Shapiro's perspective. And though Martinez wouldn't comment on Victor Martinez directly, this trade makes a lot more sense if he's on deck on the trading block.
Obviously, there's a lot more where that came from, including comments from Shapiro, Lee, Francisco, Martinez and others, as well as the news that Fausto Carmona is rejoining the rotation and Trevor Crowe, not Matt LaPorta, is taking Francisco's spot in the outfield. You can find all that information and analysis at Indians.com in the coming hours.
About the returns…
As we await the inevitable announcement that Clifton Phifer Lee and Ben Francisco are Philly-bound (that announcement appears likely to come some time after the conclusion of today's game), we might as well explore the prospect returns the Indians will no doubt be touting.
The Indians were looking for pitching, pitching and more pitching. In this trade, they'd be getting pitching, pitching and a couple position players, one of which is a catcher, fueling speculation that Victor Martinez will be next on the block before Friday's 4 p.m. ET Trade Deadline.
Here's a rundown of the four players, with recent comments from Phillies assistant GM Chuck LaMar, courtesy of MLB.com's Todd Zolecki.
18 years old, 6-foot-5, 215 pounds
It would appear Knapp is the key to the deal, from the Indians' perspective (well, that, and cutting costs, but that's another topic for another blog entry).
Knapp doesn't turn 19 until Aug. 31, and he's struck out 111 batters in 85 1/3 innings in the South Atlantic League. By all accounts, he's a competitive, confident kid with electric stuff (his fastball has been clocked at 98 mph).
But Knapp hasn't pitched since July 11 because of right shoulder soreness. It's not considered serious, but it's still a bit of a red flag at this early stage of his development.
"His right shoulder seemed tired," LaMar said. "We took all precautions, but he got an immediate, clean bill of health. No problems. He started to throw [Sunday]. No problems. Somewhere in that first week in August, he'll be back on the mound pitching for Lakewood. When you have that kind of talent at 18, we just didn't want to take any chances. But safe to say, the way he's thrown, stuff-wise, he has to be one of the better young Minor League pitching prospects in baseball."
Kyle Drabek was the prospect that apparently stood in the way of Roy Halladay to the Phillies. The Blue Jays wanted him, and the Phillies wouldn't part with him. Knapp might even be a more promising prospect than Drabek, but it's way too soon to tell. If nothing else, Knapp is bigger than the 6-foot, 185-pound Drabek.
"Kyle Drabek is not a real big guy," LaMar said. "And Jason has thrown many outings this year up to 98 [mph]. And he won't be 19 until August. To catch a Kyle Drabek, his secondary pitches will have to improve, and they have. They're two different guys. Jason is a power, power arm going through the learning process. Kyle is more of a complete package right now. But both of them are what you're looking for."
It's been speculated that Knapp's future might be in the back end of a bullpen.
22 years old, 6-foot-3, 215 pounds
The line on Carrasco is that his stock has dropped this season. He went a combined 9-9 with a 3.69 ERA in 26 appearances between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley last year. This year, he's 6-9 with a 5.18 ERA at Lehigh Valley. He's struck out 112 and walked 38 in 114 2/3 innings.
LaMar, for one, disputed the dropped stock notion Monday, though obviously he made the following remarks at a time when the Phillies were shopping the right-hander.
"We like Carlos Carrasco better right now than we did at any time last year," LaMar said. "He moved up to Triple-A [last year] and pitched well, and this year he got off to a really slow start. But some of that was self-induced by us. There were certain things Carlos needed to do to become a good Major League pitcher. Start to learn to throw more inside. We introduced a slider to him. He's gone through some growing pains. To be a good Major League pitcher, Carlos is making progress. We're glad he's taken to the changes. Carlos gets it. We could have called Carlos Carrasco to the Majors several times this year, but we thought it would impede his development."
23 years old, 6-foot-1, 200 pounds
All right, here's where it gets tricky. The Indians have no need for a catcher, at the moment. They have Victor Martinez under contract through 2010, Kelly Shoppach backing him up, and Chris Gimenez as a third catcher. And that's just the big-league level. The Tribe is also high on Wyatt Toregas, as he's put together a strong year at Triple-A Columbus, and Double-A Akron's Carlos Santana is considered one of the top catching prospects in all of baseball.
The only way Marson's acquisition makes sense – and, again, I'm writing this before the deal is official and before the Indians' front office has had any chance to explain their rationale behind this trade – is if Martinez or Shoppach are moved. Or maybe Marson gets flipped. At this point, anything is possible, but obviously, if the Indians are trading Lee, they are looking more toward 2011 than 2010, and one would assume they're open to the possibility of trading V-Mart.
Anyway, about Marson… He got off to a slow start at Lehigh Valley this year. He's rebounded over the last couple months and is now batting .294 with a .751 OPS. As far as intangibles are concerned, he spent all of September with the Phillies last year and traveled with them during their World Series run. If nothing else, that experience had to be helpful.
24 years old, 6-foot-1, 195 pounds
Again, this one's going to have to be explained to me. The Indians have what appears to be the makings of a set middle infield in Asdrubal Cabrera and Luis Valbuena, who they are clearly fond of. And Donald doesn't have the bat to move to third.
Donald is batting .236 with a .629 OPS at Triple-A this year. He just returned to action this week after missing more than a month following knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus.
"He can be an everyday player," LaMar said. "Like anyone with his skill set, he's got to prove it at every level. Some young men get the opportunity to be starters just because they run faster, throw harder, bigger, stronger, more power. In this game we have a tendency to give those people all the opportunity. Jason has to prove it at every level. But what Jason has done is prove it at every level. I don't think there's anybody I talked to, baseball people from outside our organization, that is betting against him."
7/29: Indians at Angels
Oh, by the way. There's a game today. It's at 3:35 p.m. ET. Ben Francisco's not in the lineup, for some strange reason…
INDIANS (42-59): CF Grady Sizemore, SS Asdrubal Cabrera, RF Shin-Soo Choo, 1B Victor Martinez, 3B Jhonny Peralta, DH Travis Hafner, LF Chris Gimenez, 2B Luis Valbuena, C Kelly Shoppach. LHP Aaron Laffey (4-2, 3.71).
ANGELS (59-40): 3B Chone Figgins, SS Maicer Izturis, RF Bobby Abreu, DH Juan Rivera, 1B Kendry Morales, 2B Howie Kendrick, CF Gary Matthews, C Jeff Mathis, LF Reggie Willits. RHP John Lackey (6-4, 4.22).
Lee, Francisco to the Phillies
Nothing confirmed yet from the Indians' end, but MLB.com's Todd Zolecki is reporting that the Indians and Phillies have worked out a trade involving reigning Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee.
According to the report, the Indians would send Lee and outfielder Ben Francisco to the Phillies in exchange for a package of four prospects: Class A right-hander Jason Knapp and Triple-A right-hander Carlos Carrasco, shortstop Jason Donald and catcher Lou Marson.
More info as I hear it.
UPDATE: Knapp is 18 years old and has a fastball that can reach 98 mph, but he hasn't pitched since July 11 because of shoulder soreness. Carrasco was one of the players the Indians discussed during the CC Sabathia talks last summer. Donald just came back from knee surgery. Marson is a premier catching prospect. Not sure if his inclusion signals that another deal is on the horizon.
It appears this deal is done, pending physicals, but as of this writing the Indians still have not confirmed. That could change at any moment. Follow me here for the latest.
I'd like to dream my troubles all away on a bed of California stars
Twitter is either bringing us all together in ways one thought unimaginable or completely ruining what little fabric remains in our society.
Six of one/half a dozen of the other, right?
Well, for those of you in tune with the tweets who enjoyed the Twitter element to MLB.com's Gameday pitch-by-pitch application during the All-Star Game, it appears it will now be a regular component to Gameday for all games. And tonight, you can follow the Indians-Angels game online while tweeting to your heart's content and enjoying the musings from such luminaries as Angels.com writer Lyle Spencer, Tribe PR director Bart Swain and, to a much lesser degree, yours truly.
Twitter has made an already ridiculous Trade Deadline season all the more ridiculous, as some reporters with quick trigger fingers have used it to share every inane and unfounded observation and rumor they can come up with. And today, a Twitter account was used to post a completely bogus report about Cliff Lee going to the Red Sox.
So, when you stack it against those examples, maybe Matt LaPorta's long-ago Fruity Pebbles tweet wasn't so bad, after all.
- Cliff Lee's gut tells him he'll still be with the Indians at week's end. Some others I've talked to in the front office have the same gut feeling about Lee and Victor Martinez, but that's not to say that the trade talk about both of those guys isn't very real. Obviously, something could happen in the coming days. For now, here's what Lee has to say about his situation.
- Don't forget you can follow trade news and rumors from around the league at MLB.com's Trade Talk blog.
- I never imagined a scenario in which Andy Marte would again be with the Indians this year (or any year, for that matter). It's a credit to him that he's back and in the starting lineup tonight.
- Marte also found this day difficult to imagine back in March. "My mind was going crazy at that time," he said. "I thought I was done. But I've got a family to take care of. The only thing I know how to do is play baseball. That's why I didn't stop."
- Marte might see some time at third on days Jhonny Peralta is off, but, for all intents and purposes, he's a first baseman on this club.
- Grady Sizemore is still out of the lineup after getting sick on the team's flight from Seattle on Sunday night. He's lost about seven pounds, as he had trouble keeping even fluids down. But he was feeling better today and is expected to be eligible off the bench tonight. Eric Wedge said he's hopeful Sizemore will be ready to return to the lineup for Wednesday's series finale.
- With Sizemore out, Hafner getting one of his routine off days, Ryan Garko traded, the Indians basically had no bench last night. "We're loaded tonight," Wedge said, "compared to last night."
- Here's one for the "Datz Awesome" sign-holders: The Indians are 3-1 in games in which Jeff Datz takes over for a departed Wedge this season.
- Peralta is 13-for-27 with two homers and 11 RBIs over his last six games. He's tied for second in the AL in second-half RBIs, with 12.
- The Indians are hitting .342 as a team with 8.8 runs per game over this five-game winning streak. The starting pitching staff has a 3.12 ERA.
- The Tribe has four wins when trailing after eight innings.
- According to an Associated Press report, leaders of Maine's Penobscot Indian Nation are trying to drum up some love and attention for Louis Sockalexis, the first known American Indian to play professional baseball. He played, as you well know, for the Cleveland Spiders. Read more about this here.
- The Indians have been in sell mode all month. But they have a sale on Friday – the day of the Trade Deadline, fittingly enough – that might be of particular interest to you. It's a one-day sale from 6 a.m. to midnight featuring special discounted offers covering "the full array of Indians baseball product offerings." What's more, there will be no online fees for the purchase of Indians tickets and hosted events. Visit this site for the complete details.
7/28: Indians at Angels
Tonight's 10:05 p.m. ET game at Angel Stadium will be broadcast on STO and WTAM.
Grady Sizemore, who was under the weather last night, remains out of the lineup.
Andy Marte's contract is purchased, and he's immediately inserted into the lineup.
INDIANS (42-58): SS Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B Luis Valbuena, RF Shin-Soo Choo, C Victor Martinez, 3B Jhonny Peralta, DH Travis Hafner, CF Ben Francisco, LF Chris Gimenez, 1B Andy Marte. LHP David Huff (5-4, 6.39).
ANGELS (58-40): 3B Chone Figgins, SS Erick Aybar, DH Bobby Abreu, RF Juan Rivera, C Mike Napoli, 2B Howie Kendrick, 1B Kendry Morales, CF Gary Matthews, LF Robb Quinlan. RHP Jered Weaver (10-3, 3.57).


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Pingry girls cross-country coach Tim Grant was taken by ambulance from the Skyland Conference Cross-Country Championships today to Morristown Hospital with chest pains.
Grant was treated at Natirar Park in Peapack, site of the Skyland Championships, by Peapack-Gladstone police chief Gregory J. Skinner at around 12:10 p.m, 50 minutes before the start of the meet. Grant was given oxygen on the scene by Skinner. The ambulance arrived about 10 minutes later. Grant was responsive as he was put on a stretcher.
As of 4:30 p.m, Grant was listed in stable condition, according to Pingry assistant athletic director Judy Baker.


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Robert Hachiro Fujiwara, 94
Robert Hachiro Fujiwara, 94, of Kahului, died on Nov. 6, 2013 at Maui Memorial Medical Center in Wailuku.
Private services were held.
Nakamura Mortuary assisted with arrangements.
Mr. Fujiwara was born on May 28, 1919 in Makawao. He was the son of Sukejiro and Yasuno (Kamakura) Fujiwara.
He was a truck driver for Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Co.
He is survived by his son, Ralph Fujiwara; daughter, Linda Sakahara; sisters, Edith Okita and Tommie Tanaka; and grandchildren, Chad Sakahara and Kurt Sakahara.
Bob loved working in the yard, karaoke singing, and fishing.
Online condolences: www.nakamuramortuary.com


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Mayor Bloomberg has the right idea
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's decision to ban super-sized sugary sodas has resurrected the age-old debate over the role of the state in protecting the public health.
In recent years, this debate involved bicycle helmets, car seat belts, tobacco, transfats, saturated fats in meat and dairy products, and sugar (or more aptly, high-fructose corn syrup).
Public subsidies for tobacco, meat and dairy, and corn production added fuel to the debate. I would argue that society has a right to regulate activities that impose a heavy burden on the public treasury. National medical costs of dealing with our obesity epidemic, associated with consumption of meat, dairy and sugars are estimated at $190 billion. Eliminating subsidies for these products, as well as judicious taxation to reduce their use and recoup public costs should be supported by health advocates and fiscal conservatives alike.
Benjamin Franklin claimed that nothing is certain except death and taxes. Ironically, death can be deferred substantially by taxing products that make us sick.
– SHERMAN JOSWICK, Springfield
FDR left template for U.S. economy
Why are the Republicans still spouting and people still believing the debunked idea that we shouldn't tax the 1 percent because they are the "job creators" as if greater wealth for them would result in more jobs. If that were true we would have had full employment for the last 30 years. Wealthy individuals and corporations have been sitting on heaps of cash right through this recession. They also had plenty of cash in 1929 but did not create jobs. Increasing the wealth of the 1 percent does not create jobs and never will. They will not produce anything they cannot sell because there is no profit in that. Only when common folk have some spending power and create a demand will jobs be added to satisfy that demand.
We have only to review what FDR did and how it worked to know what we need to do now. He taxed incomes over a certain level at 94 percent. (He tried for 100 percent but couldn't get it through Congress). He used the money to create jobs, (the Civilian Conservation Corps, Works Progress Administration etc.).
When people had some spending cash they could buy. Then hiring commenced. Austerity and budget cutting for the poor and middle class is absolutely the wrong thing to do. The national situation does not compare to a family's budget, because we pay each other. If people can't afford to see the dentist, the dentist goes out of business. We need to do everything possible to help poor and middle class people, such as raising the minimum wage, food stamps, housing assistance, Medicaid, heating oil assistance, Social Security, Medicare, Obama's payroll tax cut and anything that will put more dollars at their disposal. Then they can buy and jobs will be created.
To avoid a big deficit we can increase revenue from the rich and cut spending where it won't hurt the economy, such as gratuitous corporate welfare, assistance to move businesses overseas, excessive military spending, tax loopholes that allow all the five major oil companies and GE to pay no tax, and loopholes in personal income tax that allow ordinary income to be called capital gains or carried interest to avoid tax. The Bush tax cuts for the wealthy should expire and millionaires'/billionaires' rates should be raised to FDR levels.
Remember, all through the 50s and 60s while the top rates were 90 to 92 percent we had prosperity. A single worker could support a family. The 1 percent took a smaller portion of the national income and the middle took a greater share than they do today or in 1929. There was tax support for higher education so student costs were affordable without exorbitant loans. We will never get out of this hole by laying off teachers, nurses or any workers. That only creates more people out of work which deepens the recession. The only solution is to do what worked in the 1930s. TAX THE RICH and insist that large corporations pay their fair share.
– MALITA BROWN, Wilbraham
Sen. Brown votes in sync with GOP
You always hope your elected officials do the right thing. On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., showed once again why it has become impossible to trust his claims of bipartisanship and standing up for the rights of Massachusetts residents.
Brown decided to vote against the Paycheck Fairness Act, in lockstep with the rest of the Senate Republicans.
Brown had a chance to stand up for equality and fairness for women in Massachusetts and the United States, but he chose party over people, corporations over the individual. Once again Brown has proved through his actions that his claims of honestly representing Massachusetts are insincere.
– TED HARVEY, Amherst


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It's going to take more than 200 handlers and tens of thousands of cubic feet of helium to get those giant orbs down Main Street in Springfield for the Tower Square Parade of the Big Balloons on Friday.
The annual celebration of the holiday season, organized by the Spirit of Springfield, steps off at 11 a.m. at Main and Lyman Streets ending at Locust Street.
Joining Springfield's own 75-foot inflatable Cat in the Hat this year will be the 50-foot-long All-American Eagle as a tribute to the Massachusetts National Guard and this year's parade marshal. The patriotic eagle, with his strong yellow beak, has a wide wingspan displaying the red, white and blue colors of the American flag.
Other helium giants include Nicholas the Penguin, popular storybook character Madeline decked out in a smart blue coat and sassy hat, as well as a majestic Nutcracker, Toy Stocking, Gingerbread Ornament and Wintery Snowflake.
But that's still not all.
"I was approached several weeks ago by 20th Century Fox to dress up Stewie from television's Family Guy cartoon as the evil lord Darth Vader," said Toni McKay, owner of StarBound Entertainment in New Castle, Penn.
"It's a big deal .¤.¤. he's going to make his New England debut in Springfield," she added.
McKay, who creates all of the towering balloons in the annual post-Thanksgiving Day parade, noted she was asked to dress the balloon up as "Darth Stewie" to promote the DVD release on Dec. 22 of a new feature-length adventure spoofing the movie "Star Wars" called "Family Guy: Something, Something, Something Darkside."
This year's parade marshal is Massachusetts National Guard Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Joseph C. Carter.
"The Massachusetts National Guard and the Spirit of Springfield have established an enduring public-private partnership that contributes to civic life in Springfield and the Pioneer Valley region and honors the service of our military," Carter said.
"I greatly appreciate the opportunity afforded me by the Spirit of Springfield to lead this year's Parade of the Big Balloons," he added.
Judith A. Matt, president, Spirit of Springfield, noted the selection of Major General Carter to represent the Massachusetts National Guard not only pays homage to their mission of protecting state and country and aiding America's communities, but recognizes their work on behalf of the Spirit of Springfield.
"For nearly two decades, the Massachusetts National Guard has partnered with the Spirit of Springfield by contributing personnel and equipment to support our annual Pancake Breakfast and Parade of the Big Balloons, and frankly we just couldn't do it without their help," said Matt, who noted the Massachusetts Air National Guard Band also performs at the annual Star Spangled Springfield Fourth of July Celebration.
In addition to the whimsy and colorful balloons floating down Main Street, the parade will feature a variety of bands and marching contingents including: East Windsor High School Band, Holyoke High School Band, Springfield Kiltie Band, Zoo in Forest Park, Springfield Park Rangers, Springfield Police and Fire Departments, Springfield Falcons, Springfield Boys and Girls Club, Pioneer Valley Clown Alley, and many more.
After Santa completes the parade route along Main Street, he will take his place of honor in Tower Square to pose for photographs and listen to the holiday wish lists of all good little boys and girls.
Other activities planned for Tower Square after the parade from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. include a performance by the Tanglewood Marionettes who will present "Hansel and Gretel." The Yultetide Carolers will also perform along with Antonio the Magic Elf, The Merry Juggler, and Holiday Penguin.
In addition to Tower Square, the parade is supported by contributions from Springfield Business Improvement District, Peoples Bank, Chicopee Savings Bank, Springfield Marriott, Massachusetts National Guard, and the Springfield Department of Public Works.
Parade of Big Balloons to lift off on Friday
It's going to take more than 200 handlers and tens of thousands of cubic feet of helium to get those giant orbs down Main Street in Springfield for the Tower Square Parade of the Big Balloons on Friday.


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I generally eat unprocessed food. There are a few exceptions. I do eat some grain. I eat nixtamalized corn tortillas (I recommend Whole Foods brand) and I grind hominy into polenta. I do enjoy grits post-workout. I'm not opposed to white rice, but I do not make it for myself because it's very boring to me. It's more of an "if you're going to make me dinner or if it comes with a meal I'll happily eat it" thing. If you think I'm eating sushi without rice you're smoking something.
There are a lot of things in paleo/Primal that I believe make little sense. For example, hominy/nixtamalized corn, white rice and most legumes are much "cleaner" than nuts. Not only are nuts one of the most allergenic things recognized by the USDA, but their lectin and phytate content are higher than any grain or legume. I completely understand the blacklist on wheat and soy, but to be honest with you, black beans are much healthier than almonds assuming you simply soak/wash them and boil/pressure cook them. Do I eat beans? No, not really, but I'm not going to tell you they're unhealthy simply because they "aren't paleo." Just because something is "paleo" doesn't make it healthy and just because something isn't "paleo" doesn't mean it's unhealthy.
Paleo/Primal is a fantastic starting point because it'll increase your meat, fruit, vegetable and egg consumption while simultaneously removing the real baddies - seed oils, wheat, soy, artificial sweeteners, colorings, gums, preservatives and all those nasty things you can't pronounce on packages. For the more benign gray areas - corn, oatmeal, rice, refined sugars, beans, peanut butter, quinoa, buckwheat, etc - you may find you can include them in your diet without hurting your goals or your health. OR you may find you have sensitivities. I recommend elimination dieting - remove it all but meat and fruit (since these are the least allergenic things out there) for 30 days and slowly add other things in bit by bit to see your individual tolerances. You may find foods you're avoiding make you feel great and foods you think are healthy because they are "paleo" are weighing you down (like nuts, seeds, chocolate and other potential allergens).


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For decades, in some cases generations, many of the most influential land owners of Fairfax County have resided along the Great Falls corridor between Tysons Corner and Reston. For most of these years the home owners of this corridor have fervently opposed the widening of Route 7 from its historic nature to a concrete jungle of lanes which will disconnect northern Route 7 from south Route 7. Over the past 10 years a trend has become clear of these influential residents leaving Fairfax for greener pastures in Loudoun.
More notable than the migration is the complete reversal of many of the same previous Fairfax residents towards favoring the widening of Route 7, in order to allow quicker access to Tysons Corner and Reston without use of the Toll Road. Of course, for a long time these commuters were dismissed due to a lack of funding for this massive construction project. Luckily for them Fairfax County has moved forward with a refocused effort to densify Tysons Corner into an urban region where people don't have to simply commute in, but can live as well. This new plan, in conjunction with the politicized battle between MWAA and the State of Virginia, has provided the perfect conditions to scapegoat the need for a Route 7 widening, covered by Fairfax and predominantly helping Loudoun.
It's not shocking that the idea that Route 7 must be widened as part of the Tysons Corner plan found its genesis at the same time MWAA mentioned the need for toll road rate hikes with Phase I of the Silver Line. When Loudoun County suggested they would not help fund what they believed wouldn't help residents, MWAA retorted by stating their capability to simply raise rates on the toll road further to account for this $150 million gap. Now we are told that the economy of Fairfax County will shut down if Route 7, at a price of nearly a half a billion dollars, is not widened for Loudoun County commuters. Of course, any logical person would see that by widening Route 7 you simply incentivize more Fairfax residents to purchase a larger home in Loudoun for the same price, removing this tax base while increasing our infrastructure cost, is not exactly the best business plan for Fairfax County to undertake.
Why is the new GOP elected Loudoun, and of course the GOP state senate and governor, so angry towards MWAA? It could have to do with the unionized labor that has become the biggest political trend word in Northern Virginia since walkable communities. In truth, MWAA has already conceded that it will simply provide a 10% benefit to any contractor who uses union labor. For the total project this would account for approximately $270 million, but for Loudoun County this difference in cost amounts to only $15 million of their $150 million contribution. Instead of supporting this far more efficient instrument (nearly 35 to 1) in transporting thousands of Loudoun residents to destinations in Reston, Tysons, and DC they have demanded that VDOT, through a special fund paid for by Tysons Corner interests and Fairfax, build them a parallel highway to the Dulles Toll Road so they can avoid the same toll hike that they could avoid. Regardless of where you stand on the idea of unions, the idea that obstructing all progress is the best way to compromise and debate, is the same kind of mentality ruining the federal government now and days.
If this whole bit of circular logic doesn't make sense to you, perhaps an analogy can help explain. Say you live on a shared driveway that serves yourself and your neighbor. For years you two got along just fine, but a month ago your neighbor bought a big old hummer which no longer can easily fit on the shared driveway when your neighbor leaves for work. Now imagine your neighbor came to you and said, pay for widening this driveway that we share so I can fit my hummer through, or else I will run over your plants. I mean your neighbor is clearly right for demanding this, as everyone knows that proper design standards for driveways should account for enormous inferiority complex supporting vehicles, and clearly this is all your fault.
If Loudoun thinks Metro is a waste of money, ok then don't fund one in Ashburn. If Loudouners were planning on driving to the Airport and parking, think again, there wont be any parking garages. If they were planning on driving over to the Floris Station along Route 28, well I hope WMATA reconsiders this stations existence, as it serves very few Fairfax residents and will only induce Loudoun County commuters to over saturate roads such as Frying Pan beyond capacity. If they were hoping to reject metro at the same time as demanding toll rates remain the same, let me introduce you to the free market, where a company like MWAA is well within their rights to charge a market rate for access to their road. If they were planning on Fairfax footing the bill to widen Route 7 bigger than the Dulles Toll Road… well you are on your own neighbor.


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What to do when a pet's behavior changes and how to help an abused one become more social are just two of the questions Dr. Kim Hammond answers in Saturday's pet segment.
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Fred Meyer Junior Parade
Wednesday, June 06, 2012 6:16 PM
PORTLAND, OREGON - June 6, 2012 - Members of the Frontier Middle School marching band from Vancouver, relaxed together before the start of the parade. Participants marched through the streets of the Hollywood neighborhood Wednesday during the Fred Meyer Junior Parade. Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian
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« August 2009 | Main | October 2009 »
September 29, 2009
Produce task force hosts USDA, FDA experts
The N.C. Fresh Produce Safety Task Force hosted the Food & Drug Administration in Raleigh for a Small Farm Produce Safety Listening Session on Sept. 28. Senior advisers and policy experts from both the FDA and the USDA listened to a panel of North Carolina small farmers as they shared their thoughts and concerns about impending produce safety legislation.
After the listening session, the FDA and USDA folks visited two area small farms: Peregrine Farm and McAdams Farm. View more photos from the event at Growing Small Farms.
Posted by Natalie at 09:50 AM
September 23, 2009
Clement will serve as Extension director in Clay, Cherokee counties
Doug Clement, Cherokee County Extension director since April 1999, will also assume the role of Clay County Extension director, effective Oct. 1.
His appointment was approved and announced by Clay County Manager Paul Leek, Cherokee County Manager David Badger and North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service Director Jon Ort. Clement succeeds Dr. Kenneth McCaskill, who will retire Sept. 30 as county Extension director for both Macon and Clay counties.
Clement began work with Cooperative Extension in 1987 as an agricultural agent in Graham County, where he later served as county Extension director from 1993-1995. He also has worked as a 4-H agent for Cooperative Extension in Polk County.
He earned a bachelor's degree in agriculture from the University of Tennessee and a master's degree in education from N.C. State University.
"Doug has served in Cherokee County as Extension director and is very familiar with the needs of the citizens, the Extension staffs and county issues in the Cherokee and Clay county area. He is a 2009 graduate of Extension's Advanced Organizational Leadership Institute and has worked closely with the Clay County Extension staff for several years," said Harvey Fouts, district Extension director for the West District, which includes Clay and Cherokee counties.
"Doug's experience and leadership gained in Graham and Cherokee counties has been very positive for Extension and its service to those citizens," Fouts said. "I am now very pleased that Doug is willing to also accept leadership for Clay County and look forward to his continued excellence in managing our Cooperative Extension centers in Cherokee and Clay counties."
Posted by Natalie at 09:00 AM
September 22, 2009
New technical bulletin focuses on switchgrass
Order a copy of Switchgrass, research bulletin TB-326, from the Department of Communication Services: www.cals.ncsu.edu/agcomm/Publications%20Order%20Form%20for%20the%20Public.pdf
$8 per copy.
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a perennial grass native to the southeastern United States that can be used as a pasture, stored forage or biomass crop. A new technical bulletin developed by crop scientists at N.C. State University and the USDA's Agricultural Research Service summarizes the results of 26 independent research projects that focused on switchgrass—from its establishment and management challenges to its potential as a crop for grazing animals and biomass.
Based on their findings, the authors make recommendations for establishing switchgrass, managing it and selecting a cultivar based on use. The bulletin includes data on two improved cultivars developed jointly by the N.C. Agricultural Research Service and the USDA–ARS and released in 2006.
Switchgrass can be difficult to establish. Upland and lowland switchgrass cytotypes (or ecotypes) have different genetic characteristics. It's important to select an ecotype and a cultivar within a type based on the crop's location and intended use. Seed dormancy, insect damage and weed competition often contribute to poor establishment. Crop scientist J.C. Burns and ten other researchers designed their studies to investigate these challenges.
The researchers used switchgrass plots located at N.C. State University field laboratories to test the effects of cover crops, insecticides and the herbicide atrazine on switchgrass cultivars. Seeds collected from established switchgrass stands received prechilling and plant-growth-hormone treatments. Germination tests revealed differences among treatments.
To investigate switchgrass as a forage crop, the researchers conducted yield trials and analyzed the cell wall content of different cultivars. Grasses were managed as pasture—or harvested from established stands and stored as silage or hay—and used in feeding experiments with grazing animals. Differences were detected in nutritive values among switchgrass cultivars and other forages, such as tall fescue and bermudagrass. The researchers also analyzed the yield potential of switchgrass ecotypes for use as biomass.
Posted by Natalie at 03:38 PM
September 03, 2009
Extension initiative focuses on year-round fresh produce safety
September is Food Safety Month, and North Carolina Cooperative Extension, in cooperation with the N.C. Fresh Produce Safety Task Force, is leading an initiative to educate fruit and vegetable growers and consumers about measures that can minimize food safety risks. The organization has received more than $250,000 in grant funding to support the statewide Extension and research effort.
Cooperative Extension has conducted train-the-trainer workshops for Extension agents, who, in turn, will train producers. The training focuses on Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and what it takes to obtain GAPs certification. Industry, such as grocery stores, is increasingly demanding that growers they buy from be GAPs certified.
The fresh produce safety curriculum consists of nine training modules that cover GAPs measures, such as verifying the safety of irrigation water, regular hand-washing procedures, packing facility and transportation vehicle cleanliness, maintaining the "cold chain" temperature and establishing traceability. The workshops also include modules focused on managing risks and liability as well as crisis communication.
In addition, a Web site, www.ncfreshproducesafety.org has been developed as a resource for growers, consumers and Extension agents.
Additional efforts include development of food safety plan templates for growers to use and adapt to their operations, presentations focusing on fresh produce safety education and active representation on the Governor's Food Safety and Defense Task Force.
Traceability systems research is being conducted by N.C. State University faculty. The research will identify current measures and assess the industry's ability to trace fresh produce in the event of an outbreak or food safety incident triggering a recall. The research will be used to make recommendations for improvements. Researchers are also studying typical North Carolina farming and produce packing and shipping operations.
Extension specialists and agents will use these studies to develop traceability templates that farmers statewide can use to implement traceability measures cost effectively on their farms.
Other research includes testing irrigation water for potential contamination and looking at ways to reduce risks.
N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension (SARE), USDA Rural Cooperative Development, Agricultural Advancement Consortium of The N.C. Rural Center, Risk Management Agency, N.C. Tomato Growers Association and PPG Inc. provided funding for the fresh produce safety initiative.
N.C. State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences faculty members serve as co-chairs of the N.C. Fresh Produce Safety Task Force. The task force brings together fresh produce growers, educators, government officials, public policy makers, industry representatives and researchers. It consists of five working groups: education, research, industry and policy relationships, networking and Communications, and executive management oversight.
The co-chairs are Dr. Ben Chapman, CALS Department of 4-H Youth Development and Family and Consumer Sciences; Diane Ducharme, CALS Program for Value-Added & Alternative Agriculture; Dr. Chris Gunter, CALS Department of Horticulture Science; and Dr. Trevor Phister, CALS Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences.
In addition to Ducharme, other Program for Value-Added & Alternative Agriculture team members are members of the task force. Rod Gurganus and Leah Chester-Davis, serve as co-chairs of the education, and networking and communications working groups, respectively.
N.C. Cooperative Extension is an educational outreach of N.C. State University and N.C. A&T State University. It has programs in all 100 counties and the Cherokee Reservation.
Learn more at www.ces.ncsu.edu. The Program for Value-Added & Alternative Agriculture is located at the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis. The multidisciplinary team builds partnerships and educational resources to help North Carolina agriculture be more profitable. The team works closely with N.C. Cooperative Extension personnel who work with farmers across the state. Learn more at www.ncvalueadded.org.
-L. Chester-Davis
Posted by Natalie at 10:11 AM


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Runway reopens at NAS Whidbey
Runway 14/32 at Ault Field has reopened following the installation of a new arresting gear system. The runway was closed Aug. 5.
Aircraft that use Runway 14/32 take off and land heading either northwest or southeast. These approaches and departures will have flights going over eastern Oak Harbor, northern Camano Island, Anacortes and other parts of Fidalgo Island.
Now that both runways at Ault Field are open, there should be fewer flights using runway 7/25 which has landing approaches and departures with flights over western Skagit County, Mount Vernon, the La Conner area, northern Island County and Lopez Island.
Field Carrier Landing Practice or touch-and-go operations at Outlying Field Coupeville remain temporarily suspended until the end of the calendar year. Touch-and-gos will continue at Ault Field which impact other aircraft operations.
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As you may or may not know there are two totally different Sphinx Archetypes. One is those used by Anubis and one is actual Sphinx-like Rock-Type monsters. I suggest going with one or the other - they don't mix well. BF2 Talk Deck Guides 12:50, March 13, 2012 (UTC)
If you want to keep them, you should at least add the following cards (Staples)
- Dark Hole
- Mystical Space Typhoon
- Torrential Tribute (two)
- Solemn Warning (two)
- Solemn Judgment
- Monster Reborn
And remove Burden of the Mighty (just unecessary), Gravity Bind (Hinders your Sphinxes), one or two Gigantes (for room). I'll get back to you with more changes later. BF2 Talk Deck Guides 12:38, March 14, 2012 (UTC)
Hello --OnePiece (talk • contribs) 03:02, October 2, 2016 (UTC)


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Mapping the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Kars Province
Within the framework of the United Nations Joint Programme on "Alliances for Culture Tourism in Eastern Anatolia", the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MoCT) and the Kafkas University collaborated in order to map the intangible cultural heritage of the province of Kars, located in the northeastern part of Turkey. Following a training conducted by the MoCT experts, students from the Kafkas University visited 72 villages of Kars's province for the field research. As a resut of face-to-face interviews, 14,911 minute-long voice recording, 7,054 page-long decoding, 2,706 photographs and 259 video recordings were collected.
The "intangible cultural heritage" means the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage. This intangible cultural heritage, transmitted from generation to generation, is constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with nature and their history, and provides them with a sense of identity and continuity, thus promoting respect for cultural diversity and human creativity. (Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage 2003)
Home to various cultures and civilizations throughout history, Kars is very rich in intangible cultural heritage; but little has been done so far to investigate and enhance this heritage, also in relation to the development of sustainable cultural tourism. In line with this need and within the scope of the UN Joint Programme, the activity carried out focused on preparing and publishing a research to map the main intangible cultural heritage assets in the province of Kars. The research was conducted by the Kafkas University in Kars, Eastern Anatolia, under the supervision and co-ordination of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Thousands of pages of data transcriptions and photographs and hundreds of video recordings were collected. Selected data were presented in a publication and the research was submitted to the MoCT Folklore Documentation and Information Centre for archiving and further processing. As part of the activity, 50 university students were trained on field research and intangible cultural heritage studies.
Dowload : Report on the results (Turkish)
This activity has been realised within the scope of the UN Joint Programme "Alliances for Culture Tourism in Eastern Anatolia", generously financed by the Government of Spain and aimed at safeguarding cultural heritage and promoting cultural tourism in the province of Kars.
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